OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 41 



MONDAY, 29th NOVEMBER. 1875. 



William Macleay, Esq., President, in the Chair. 



MEMBERS ELECTED. 



Hugh Kennedy, Esq., University; A. Dodds, Esq; Francis 

 Lark, Esq., Sydney. 



Mr. E. P. Ramsay read the following papers : — 



Characters of a new genus and species of Passerine bird, from the 

 Fiji Islands, proposed to be called Vitia. 



This is an interesting passerine fonn, which appears to be allied 

 to Synallaxis on the one hand, and Troglodytes on the other. I 

 have not yet determined to which family of the Passeres it most 

 properly belongs, but for the present I place it among the Trog- 

 lodytes (Troglodytidoz, Sclater.) I can find no genus in any of the 

 woi'ks at my disposal, Grey's Genera of Birds included, into which 

 I can place it with any degree of certainty, and although much 

 averse to forming new genera, I do not see how I can possibly 

 avoid it, unless by leaving it for some one else to do. I therefore 

 propose to form, for the reception of the present species, the genus 

 Vitia which may be thus characterised. 



Bill as long, or about the same length as the head, straight, 

 compai-atively strong, as wide as high at the base, compressed 

 laterally past the nostrils, culmen very slightly curved to the tip, 

 which is entire 



Nostrils, lateral, basal, placed in a longitudinal groove ; the 

 opening oblong, partially covered with membrane ; distance 

 between the anterior margin of nostril and tip of the bill nearly 

 equal to the distance between the nostrils and angle of the mouth. 



Wings, short, 1st quill about one-half the length of 2nd ; 2nd 

 one-fourth shorter than 3rd, which is about equal to the 9th ; the 

 4th, 5th, and 6th about equal and longest ; the 7th and 8th very 

 little less ; the remainder gradually decreasing to the innermost 

 secondary. 



