1 74 Sir W. Jardine's Illusti^ations of Ornithology. 



laris. The form of the petiole and leaves resembling the snout 

 of the saw-fish, marks them out as belonging to P. hirsuta. 



PoLYGONE^. — Polygonum viviparum and Oxyria reniformis. 



Empetre^. — Empetrum nigrum. 



Salices. — Salix Myrtilloides and two imperfect specimens not 

 yet determined. 



Cyperace^. — Eriophorum capitatum and E. polystachion. 



I owe an apology to the Society for the length to which these 

 observations have extended, — ^far beyond the slight notices at first 

 designed; and yet I have been able but very imperfectly to 

 execute the task proposed. But in the progress of this slight 

 attempt I have felt more and more convinced of the advantage 

 to be derived, in abler hands, towards the improvement of prac- 

 tical botany from detailed descriptions of individual plants in the 

 case of species liable to much variation. 



XVIII. — Horce Zoologies. By Sir W. Jardine, Bart., 

 F.R.S.E. & F.L.S. 



[With two Plates.] 

 No. VI. Illustrations of Ornithology. 

 Artamus mentalis (Plate VIII.). — Of the native country of this 

 Artamus we have no information. The specimen from which our 

 illustration was taken forms part of the ornithological collection 

 belonging to the York Philosophical Society, and was noticed there 

 by Mr. Gould as distinct from any of the previously described 

 species. The principal characters that are at first sight apparent, 

 are, the strength and size of the bill, the dark colour of the upper 

 plumage, and the small size of the dark space on the chin com- 

 pared with the colouring of the same part on A. leucorhynchus, 

 where it covers the whole front of the throat and neck. 



The bill is dilated and swollen at the base, and appears to have 

 been of the same rich blue colour which prevails in those species 

 which have been described from recently killed birds ; towards the 

 tip it shades gradually into black. The head, cheeks, mental 

 patch, back and wings brownish black with an opake grayish 

 shade ; tail black, narrowly tipped with white ; the throat, breast 

 and under parts, the rump and upper tail-covers, under wing- 

 covers and axillary feathers pure white. 



Entire length of the stuffed specimen, Gy^^j inches ; bill to 

 gape, 1 ; to forehead nearly -f-Q ; of the wing to the end of second 

 or longest quill, 5. The accompanying figure is slightly reduced. 



Genus Gnathodon, Jard. 

 Gen. Characters. — Bill strong, maxilla hooked, sharp-pointed ; 

 mandible cut at tbe tip into three distinct angular teeth ; nostrils 



