^ 



1?* 



''^^ Zool^ical Club of the Linnean Society, f0il 



considered as trivial. He observed that the neglect of these imiute " 

 particulars by authours whose views have been eulogised^s enlarged mgd 

 comprehensive, had led to errors, not merely as reggjrded species and 

 genera, but even a§ to the station in nature of animals, whose real affinities 

 were capable of being readily ascertained by means of these marks alone.^j^ '^ 

 In illustration of these general observations, he adverted particularly to | 



the history of our acquaintance with the birds constituting the genus 

 Cryptonyx, Temn*^ Although the essential character of two birds o^^*l 

 this group was seen and noted by Dr. Latham, the absence of the claw ' 

 from their hind toes appeared to that ornithologist to be so trivial a cir- ' 

 cunistance that it did not even induce the suspicion of any relation, 

 between them, much less that they were, as thejnS^^ere shortly after , 



shown to be, the sexes of the same species. In the General History of 

 Birds they were referred to different genera, and located in distant |i^ts 

 of the system, the male being characterized as the Columba cristata, and 

 the female as the Perdix viridis. In' the Index Ornithologicus, these two 

 nominal species were, however, united into,,pi^, as the Perdix coronaius. 

 But, although that authour had seen a specimen, which now no longer 

 •^exists, of another species of Cryptonyx, his Columba Cambaiensis, he 

 still left the latter with the Pigeons, while the other was placed with the 

 Partridges. In the minute particular, as it appeared to the older authour, 

 in which these bi^s agree, is to be fouled the essential character of the 

 genus which has since been formed of thent' by M. Temminck, 

 undexthe name of Cryptonyx: and this neglcQted point of their struc- 

 ture not only shows their immediate connexion with each other so as to 

 form a distinct group, but also indicates their situation in nature, 

 in almost immediate apposition with Hemipodiusmd the typical Rasores, 

 in which not only the cla>v, but the whole of the hind toe is wanting, as 

 unnecessary to the economy of birds, which neither perch nor clutch their 

 prey. The Chairman exhibited to the meeting specimens of the male 

 and female of the Cryptonyx cristatus, Temm. ; of the Crypu ocella- 

 tuSyTetrao ocellatus. Raffles; and of two new species of the genus 

 which he has since described, (page 349,) the Crypt, niger, and another, 

 somewhat approaching the ciescription given of the Cry/)^ Camhaiensis, ' 

 but differing from it in size and colour. 



Jpril 23, 1829 Mr. Yarrell exhibiteda cramwmof theCrossbill, Loxia 



