Ornithologists' Club. 277 



Dr. A. B. Meyer sent for exhibition plates of the remark- 

 able Birds of Paradise, Pteridophora alberti and Parotia 

 carola, recently described by him. 



The Hon. Walter Rothschild sent for exhibition the 

 second specimen known of Pteridophora alberti, in order 

 that the members of the Club might have an opportunity of 

 examining this singular bird. 



Mr. Rothschild likewise sent a fine collection of Birds of 

 Paradise of different genera : — including an adult male of 

 Astrarchia stephania ; a perfect skin of Rhipidornis guilielmi- 

 tertii; the three species of Parotia, viz. P. sexpennis, P. 

 laivesi, and P. carolce ; a specimen of Amblyornis inornata 

 with a yellow crest ; and a fine series of Drepanornis bruijni, 

 showing every stage of plumage of the male, from his first 

 dress — when he resembles the female — up to the complete 

 and decorated plumage of the adult. 



Mr. Hartert, who exhibited these specimens on behalf of 

 Mr. Rothschild, made some remarks on the series. 



A special vote of thanks to Mr. Rothschild was passed. 



Mr. Ogilvie-Grant exhibited a nest containing six eggs, 

 believed to be those of the Blackcap [Sylvia atricapilla), 

 which had been taken by Dr. John A. Norton in Somerset- 

 shire on the 15th May, 1894, and were lent for exhibition. 

 The eggs were of a very peculiar type, the ground-colour 

 being pure white ; towards the larger end especially, they 

 were spotted and blotched with reddish, and there were also 

 present some underlying clouds of pale lilac. The eggs were, 

 in fact, very similar to some of the clutches in the National 

 Collection laid by the Nuthatch [Sitta ccBsia), but Dr. Nor- 

 ton, who saic the old bird, felt perfectly certain that if it was 

 not a Blackcap, which he believed it to be, it could oulv be 

 a Garden-Warbler [Sylvia hortensis). 



