Proceedings of the Wernerian Society. 161 



furcatusy and of the Sea-snail, Cyclopteris liparisy observed by him 

 in the Frith of Forth, and specimens of both were exhibited. Mr 

 Wilson, for the Secretary, then read Remarks on the Vitality of 

 the Toad, communicated by the Rev. Edward Stanley of Alderley 

 Rectory. 



Dr Thomas Aitken gave an account of the anatomy of a specimen 

 of the Ursine Sloth, Vrsus lahiatus, which died a short time ago 

 in a travelling menagerie, while at Edinburgh, demonstrating tbe 

 peculiarities of the organs of respiration and digestion. The 

 stuffed specimen of the animal was also exhibited. 



Professor Jameson exhibited a series of birds from Northern 

 India, collected by Mr Hamilton Stirling, which, he remarked, was 

 remarkably inf cresting, as presenting many species which were not 

 known to exist in that quarter. Mr William Jameson pointed 

 out several of these ; of the rapacious order he noticed the Mil- 

 vus govinda, and Accipiter dukhunensis, the former of which 

 was considered to be probably the young of the Falco Cheela. 

 With regard to the geographic distribution of the genus Milvus, 

 it was stated, that it occurs in all the different continents of the 

 Old World and New Holland, but that it has not as yet been de« 

 tected in the New World, its place being there supplied by the ge- 

 nus Nauclerus. Specimens of the Gypaetos barbatus were again laid 

 before the Society, Professor Jameson having many years ago exhibit- 

 ed this bird sent from Northern India by Lieutenant Tytler (which, 

 since that time, has been discovered by other travellers), for the 

 purpose of pointing it out under the form of the Vultur Niger, it 

 in the young state being considered as a distinct species, and de4 

 scribed under this name ; and also for the purpose of shewing that 

 it from the nest upwards, undergoes the same changes as the Euro- 

 pean species, a character, before all others, marking them to be one 

 and the same species. In regard to British birds in general, in 

 connection with Indian ornithology, Mr Jameson stated, that more 

 than one-third of them occur in India, either identical with, or under- 

 going certain slight modifications in the colour of the plumage, size, 

 &c., characters which,if their habits and manners are the same, would 

 lead him to consider them rather as marked varieties than as new 

 species. To the diurnal rapacious birds Mr Jamesou particularly 

 directed the attention of the Society, and stated, that of the 18 

 diurnal birds of prey found in this island, the following striking* 

 distribution was presented, viz. In common with Europe 3 ; Europe 

 and Asia 2 ; Europe, Asia, and New Holland, 1 ; Europe, Asia 



VOL. XXI. KO. XLI. JULY 1886, L 



