Zoological Society. 121 



hereafter be referred to the synonyms we have provisionally used 

 above ; at all events it must be a species closely allied to that of 

 Buffon's figure, distinguished by its short tail and lengthened 

 wings, and we add a description to facilitate comparison. Head, 

 back and wings black, with a slight gloss of green; lower back, rump 

 and upper tail-covers pale grayish brown ; tail dark grayish brown, 

 but entirely hid by the long upper and under covers which conceal 

 it, except the sharp tips of the black shafts which project about 

 yL and \. The breast and belly is dull black, the chin grayish 

 black. The entire length of two males to the end of the sharp 

 shafts of the tail-feathers is 3 T 5 ^ and 3 T 9 2 . That of the wing is 

 nearly alike in both, 4 T 8 2 or -^ . 



* Shot 18th February. This bird is seldom seen very early or 

 late ; they are abundant at noonday in mild weather, when they 

 sweep round our buildings like the European swallow, but sel- 

 dom use the sharp twitter so common to it. On their first ap- 

 pearance (a.m.) they are generally soaring very high, so that I 

 cannot say where they come from, but at noon a hundred may be 

 seen for one at 8 a.m. ; I am led to believe they roost in the 

 woods ; I remember several years ago in the month of August, 

 while amusing myself with an evening walk, on looking at a tall 

 palm which had been in a state of decay for years, on giving it a 

 sharp stroke with a stick, to my surprise there issued forth a 

 body of birds as fast as the aperture would admit, ascending 

 straight up like a column of smoke until they darkened the air 

 around. My idea at that moment was that they were bats, but 

 subsequent observations have induced me to believe that they 

 were chimney swallows collecting for emigration. I shall now 

 endeavour to observe the time and manner of departure. There 

 are still (14th August) stragglers to be seen flying about, but very 

 high." * 



[To be continued.] 



PROCEEDINGS OF LEARNED SOCIETIES. 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



March 24, 1846.— Wm. Yarrell, Esq., Vice-President, in the Chair. 



The following paper was read, entitled •• Descriptions of new spe- 

 cies of Shells," by Dr. J. H. Jonas : — 



Cucull^ea granulosa, Jonas. Cue. testa quadrato-rhombed, tur- 

 gidd, tenuiusculd, incequivalvi, testaceo-albd, violaceo-rubro postice 

 prcesertim maculatd et flammulatd ; lateribus superne attenuatis, 

 angulatis, antico breviore, infra rotundato,postico longiore, suban- 

 gulato-declivi, umbonibus acutis incurvis, carina ab umbone ad 

 angulum posticum et inferum decurrente; per longitudinem dense 

 Ann. $ Mag. N. Hist. Vol. xviii. K 



