400 Miscellaneous, 



former specimen of this rare bird, which Mr. Yarrell figured in his 

 second Supplement to the * History of British Birds/ was obtained 

 on the downs near Brighton, in the autumn of 1854. — G. R. G. 



On the New British Snake *. By Dr. J. E. Gray, F.R.S. &c. 



Mr. Bond has presented to the British Museum a fine large spe- 

 cimen of Coronella austriaca, which he took when searching for 

 Lacerta Stirpium at St. Leonard's, near Ringwood, in the New 

 Forest, in the year 1854. He always considered it as distinct ; but 

 several of his friends regarded it as only a variety of the young 

 collared snake, Tropidonotus Natrix. 



On a new species o/'Catharus. By P. L. Sclater, M.A., F.L.S. 

 Catharus occidentalis. 



CinnamomeO'brunneus, vertice saturatiore : subtus cineraceus, gula 

 albicante, cervice et pectore fusco subobsolete flammulatis : ventre 

 medio et crisso albis : rostro fusco-nigricante, hvjus basi et pedi- 

 bus pallide corylinis. 

 Long, tota 6-5, alee 3*5, caudse 2*9, tarsi 1*15. 

 Hab, Western Mexico, Oaxaca, Totontepec (Boucard). 



M. Salle's recent collections from M. Boucard contain four ex- 

 amples of this Catharus. It seems clearly distinct from C. Melpo- 

 mene of Eastern Mexico, in its rather larger size, shorter tarsi, and 

 spotted neck and breast ; these parts in C. Melpomene being imma- 

 culate. — Proc» Zool. Soc. June 28, 1859. 



Prize Questions. 

 The following questions have been submitted to competition by 

 the Utrecht Society of Arts and Sciences : — 



1. Inquiries into the development of one or more species of the 

 MoUusca, Annelides, or Crustacea, an account of which has not yet 

 been written, with figures illustrative of the text. 



2. A series of researches on the heat generated by plants 



A gold medal of the value of 30 ducats (56I3 st.), or an equivalent 

 in silver, will be awarded to each successful competitor. The answers 

 to the first question must be sent in (post free) previous to the 30th 

 of Nov. 1860 — to the second, before the 30th of Nov. 1861, addressed 

 to Dr. J. W. Gunning, the Secretary of the Society at Utrecht. 

 The author is at liberty to avail himself either of the Dutch, German 

 (in Roman characters), English, French, or Latin language ; but the 

 answers must not be in his own hand-writing. They are to be ac- 

 companied by a sealed envelope, enclosing his name, and, if a member 

 of the Society, having the letter *' L" on the address. The successful 

 answers will be published in the Society's works. 



Further information may be obtained on application to the Secre- 

 tary of the Society. 



* The reader is requested to make the following correction in the former notice : 

 p. 317, line 3 from the bottom,/or smooth sides read smooth scales. — Ed. 



