Mr. Gray's Monograph on the Ci/prceidce. 36S 



Two magnificent species, recently discovered in Mexico, have 

 turned my attention to this group, which seems peculiar to the 

 new world. Taking the Egrets as typical of the genus Ardea^ 

 we find in them the wings more powerful, and the tarsi more 

 elevated, than those of the Tiger Bitterns. The first deviation 

 I have observed from the typical Ardea, is in Ardea virescens 

 and a few other kindred species, where the first quill is rather 

 shorter than the second, the thighs feathered almost to the knees, 

 the tarsi much shorter, the lateral scales reticulate, and the an- 

 terior transversely imbricate : the scapular feathers, although 

 linear, are not unusually long. We are thus prepared to enter 

 among the true Bitterns, of which our European species affords 

 the type. In these birds the three first quills are nearly of equal 

 length, but the tarsi are still shorter than in the last, the anterior 

 scales large and transverse, the posterior small and reticulate ; 

 the nails also, are unusually long and very slightly curved. To 

 this group, Tigrisoma bears a strong affinity, at the same time that 

 it exhibits a construction very different from that of any of the 

 foregoing forms. In the species before me, the sides of the head 

 are not only much more denuded than in Ardea^ but the chin is 

 quite naked, a character which would seem to indicate an affinity 

 with Ciconia. It should however be observed, that in other 

 species from Brazil, the chin is feathered in the usual manner. 



Art. XXXVI. Monograph on the Cyprceidce^ a Family of 

 Testaceous Mollusca, By John Edward Gray, Esq, 

 F.G.S, 



[Continued from Vol. i. p. 518.] 



**** CyprcecB verce, 

 *** Striates, 

 9% Ci/prcea suhrostrata. n. s. — Slightly-beaked Cowry, 

 Testa ovata, globosa, utraque extremitate subrostrati, atro- 

 rubenti; striis longitudinalibus confertis; linea dorsali lata concav^; 

 basi convexa submarginata ', apertura lineari ', dentibus subsequa- 

 libus. 



Inhabits . Mus. nost. 



Shell ovate globose, slightly beaked at each end, blackish red. 



