596 Zoological Society, 



and is capable of being closed by means of a muscle arising from the 

 anterior apex of the os hyoides, and running down the central aspect 

 of the trachea to the sternum. The contraction of this muscle draws 

 the OS hyoides down, so as to press upon the edge of the thyroid 

 cartilage. 



There were no cheek-pouches nor any traces of them. 



Tlie teeth were much worn, but the fifth tubercle of the last 

 molar tooth of the lower jaw was very distinct. 



Mr. Gould afterwards called the attention of the Meeting to the 

 common British Wagtail, and stated his firm conviction of its being 

 distinct from the Motacilla alba of Linnaeus. He proposed for it the 

 name of M, Yarrellii, and observed, that it might be easily distin- 

 guished from the continental one, with which it had hitherto been 

 confounded, by an attention to the following characters. 



The pied wagtail of England {M. Yarrellii) is somewhat more ro- 

 bust in form, and in its full summer dress has the whole of the head, 

 chest, and back of a full, deep, jet black ; while in M. alba, at the 

 same period, the throat and head alone are of this colour, the back 

 and the rest of the upper surface being of a light ash-grey. In winter 

 the two species more nearly assimilate in their colouring ; and this 

 circumstance has doubtless been the cause of their being hitherto 

 considered identical ; the black back of M. Yarrellii being grey at 

 this season, although never so light as in M. alba. An additional 

 evidence of their being distinct (but which has doubtless contributed 

 to the confusion), is, that the female of M. Yarrellii never has the 

 back black, as in the male ; this part, even in summer, being dark 

 grey ; in which respect it closely resembles the other species. 



July 25th, 1837. — Mr. Waterhouse directed the attention of the 

 Meeting to several small Quadrupeds which he considered un- 

 described. 



Phascogale flavipes, from North of Hunter's River, New South 

 Wales. 



The fur of this animal is moderately long, not very soft, and con- 

 sists of hairs of two lengths. On the back the shorter hairs are of a 

 palish ochre colour at the apex, and the longer hairs are black : on 

 the sides of the body and limbs the ochreous hue prevails, the black 

 hairs being less numerous : the under parts of the body are of a yel- 

 low colour, inclining to white on the throat and mesial line of the 

 belly ; all the hairs are of a deep gray at the base both on the under 

 and upper parts of the body. The general hue of the head is gray, 

 a tint produced by the mixture of black and white hairs ; the eyelids 

 are black : the hairs immediately above and below the eye are of a 

 yellow- white colour, as are also those of the upper lip and lower 

 part of the cheeks. The moustaches are moderately long ; the hairs 

 are black at the base and grayish at the apex. The ears are of mo- 

 derate size, and have the hinder portion emarginated ; they are fur- 

 nished externally with minute hairs, those on the inner side being 

 chiefly of a yellow colour. The feet are of an uniform deep ochre 

 colour. The tail is about equal in length to the body and half the 

 head, and is furnished with small and closely adpressed hairs, between 



