214 Proceedings of the 



much flame and smoke, and soluble in alcohol ; insoluble in water ; 

 nearly tasteless, and, indeed, to have all the general properties of 

 resins. 



Several books, presented to the Institution, were laid upon the 

 table, with numerous specimens of works still in the press, and some 

 rare copies of ancient works. 



Friday, February I6th. 



Mr. Brande gave an account of the art of making dies for medals 

 and coinage. (See page 116.) 



A specimen of the Meleagris Ocellata, of Cuvier, Dindon Oeille, 

 or Honduras Turkey, was placed upon the table. As this very 

 brilliant bird is not only very rare, but comparatively recently 

 described in the Planches Colorizes of Temminck, a work in the 

 hands of comparatively few, we think that we shall serve both the 

 objects of this Institution, and those of the science of natural his- 

 tory, by inserting part of the description therein contained, which is 

 from the pen of Baron Cuvier. 



" Meleagris Ocellata. (Cuvier.) This magnificent bird unites 

 the singular form of the turkey to a brilliance of colour which 

 hardly yields to that of the peacock. Its height and carriage are 

 the same as in the common turkey ; but its tail is not so broad ; 

 the beak is also surmounted by a caruncle ; the head and neck, 

 two-thirds down, are naked, and coloured blue and red ; upon each 

 eyelid are five or six fleshy tubercles, and on the middle of the head 

 five or six others ; it has no vestige of the bunch of coarse hair on 

 the breast, which characterises the male domestic turkey. All the 

 feathers resemble in form those of the turkey ; the feathers on the 

 lower part of the throat, upper part of the back, the scapulars, and 

 those on all the inferior part of the body, are of a bronzed green 

 colour, and bordered with two lines, the inner black, the outer 

 golden bronze ; those on the middle and lower part of the back 

 have the same distribution of colours, but are more beautiful, their 

 green bronze gradually, in descending the back, becoming of a 

 sapphirine blue, which, according to the reflections of the light, 

 change into emerald green ; and their bronzed borders, enlarging 

 more and more, exhibit on the superior part of the back the bright- 

 ness of gold ; and towards its base, still increasing in extent of sur- 

 face, they present a reddish copper colour, little inferior in bril- 

 liancy to that of some humming-bird's, which effect is still height- 



