Zoological Society. 335 



but easily to be distinguished by the substance of its shell, by the 

 raised spire and the thin peristome, characters quite constant in all 

 specimens known. 



May 27. — William Yarrell, Esq., Vice-President, in the Chair. 



Mr. Gould exhibited to the Meeting four new species of Birds 

 from Australia, which he characterized as follows : — 



Ardea (Herodias) picata. Ard. capite superiore^ occipite, pin- 

 mis occipitalibus, corpora superiore, caudd, alisque cceruleo-nigris ; 

 mento, nucha, pectore, et quibusdam plumis apectore dependentibns 

 albis. 



Upper part of the head, occiput, occipital plumes, the whole of the 

 plumage of the body, wings and tail bluish slaty black ; chin, neck, 

 chest and some of the lanceolate feathers dependent therefrom white ; 

 some few of the lanceolate feathers on the neck and breast have one 

 web white and the other web bluish slaty black ; the remainder of these 

 lanceolate feathers are the same colour as the body ; irides yellow ; 

 bill, legs and i^et greenish yellow. In young specimens the whole 

 of the under surface is white. 



Total length, 17 inches ; bill, 3J ; wing, 10 ; tail, 3|- ; tarsi, 3J. 



Hab. Port Essington. 



Colluricincla parvula. Col. corpore superiore, caudd, alisque 

 olivaceo-brunneis ; subtus pallide cervind ; medio plumarum gulce 

 et pectoris vittd latd brunned ornato. 



All the upper surface, wings and tail olive-brown ; a feint line 

 over the eye and the chin white ; all the under surface pale buff, the 

 feathers of the throat and breast with a broad stripe of brown down 

 the centre ; irides dark brownish red ; bill blackish grey ; tarsi bluish 

 grey. 



Total length, 7 inches; bill, 1 ; wing, 4 ; tail, 3J; tarsi, 1. 



Hab. Port Essington. 



This is the smallest species of the genus yet discovered. 



Melithreptus melanocephalus. Mel. toto capite, guld, et ma- 

 culd semilunari apud latera pectoris saturate nigris ; corpore su- 

 perne flavo-olivaceo pectore albo. 



The whole of the head and throat, and a semilunar mark on either 

 side of the chest, deep glossy black ; all the upper surface yellowish 

 olive, becoming brighter on the rump ; wings and tail brownish grey, 

 with lighter margins ; breast white ; remainder of the under surface 

 greyish white ; bill black ; irides reddish brown ; feet brown ; bare 

 skin over the eye pearly white, slightly tinged with green. 



Total length, 5;^ inches ; bill, -^ ; wing, 3 ; tail, 2f ; tarsi, J. 



Hab. Van Diemen's Land. 



Hemipodius scintillans. Hem. corpore supernt pallide castaneo, 

 singulis plumis fasciis latis brunneo-nigris ornatis ; marginibus 

 plumarum cinereis ; intra margines lineis angustis nigris et albis 

 ornatis; tectricibus alarum et tertiariis pallide castaneo -rvbris 

 balteis irregular ibus ziczac fasciatis ; inter spatiis balteorum cine- 

 reo-albis ; mento genisque albis macula semilunari brunned ad 



