524 Zoological Society. 



present in the Society's menagerie, having been brought from North- 

 ern Persia, and presented to the Society by E. W. Bonham, Esq., 

 H.B.M. Consul at Tabrez. Mr. G. R. Gray is of opinion that there 

 exist three species of the genus Tetraogallus, each peculiar to one of 

 the three following localities, viz. Caucasus, the Himalayan and the 

 Altai Mountains. 



The bird in the Society's menagerie, Mr. G.R.Gray observes, is well 

 figured in plate 76 of Jardine and Selby's 'Illustrations,' and the 

 specimen figured is, like that belonging to the Zoological Society, 

 from Persia. It is peculiar in having the head, neck and breast of 

 a slate colour, passing into pale reddish brown on the upper part of 

 the back ; a dingy white streak extends from the nostril to the an- 

 terior angle of the eye ; the chin and throat, as well as an oblong 

 patch on the side of the neck, are white ; the breast is of a dark slate 

 colour, and has short wavy black lines, especially just below the 

 white of the throat. The figure referred to represents the typical 

 Lophophorus Nigelli, which is most probably identical with the 

 Tetrao Caucasica of Pallas ; and if this supposition be correct, the 

 earlier specific name given by the author just mentioned should be 

 retained, as Tetraogallus Caucasicus. 



Mr. G. R. Gray also believes the Chourtka alpina of Victor to be 

 the same species as the bird under consideration. 



In plate 141 of Messrs. Jardine and Selby's ' Illustrations,' a Te- 

 traogallus is represented, which the authors suppose to be the male 

 of the bird figured in plate 76 ; this is also delineated under the name 

 of Tetraogallus Nigelli by Mr. J. E. Gray in the ■ Indian Zoology.' 

 This bird Mr. G. R. Gray, however, considers a distinct species, 

 which is peculiar to the Himalaya Mountains, whence he has seen 

 many specimens, all agreeing in colour. For this species the name 

 Tetraogallus Himalayensis is proposed. It is distinguishable by its 

 silky white neck and breast; a deep chestnut-brown line runs down, 

 and partly surrounds the base of the neck, and the breast is variegated 

 in front with black, each plume having a transverse band on the 

 middle, which partly appears below the white tips of the other 

 feathers. 



The third species, Perdix altaica of M. Gebler, the distinctness of 

 which there can be no doubt of, has the breast-feathers grey-black at 

 the base ; and this colour extends along the shafts, and forms an 

 arched spot on each side of each feather : the under tail-coverts are 

 white. It shculd be named Tetraogallus altaicus. 



August 9. — Richard Owen, Esq., Vice-President, in the Chair. 



The following paper, " On the Blood-Corpuscles of the Ibex," by 

 George Gulliver, Esq., F.R.S., was read. 



Before my discovery of the singularly minute size of the blood- 

 corpuscles of the Musk Deer*, those of the Goat were the smallest 

 known. I have since found that the corpuscles of the Ibex are 

 slightly smaller than those of the Goat, and therefore intermediate 

 in size to the corpuscles of the Goat and those of the Musk Deer, 



* See Annals of Nat. History, Dec. 1839. 



