56 



only, there being no white on the outer web of the second, and only 

 a mere trace on the outer web of the first. In all other respects 

 the bird agrees exactly with Jardine's description. Therefore, 

 considering that his specimen had lost the first and second pri- 

 maries, and that he mentions another specimen which he consid- 

 ered as belonging to the same species, in which he observed some 

 white upon the wings ; and considering also the marked differ- 

 ence between the two wings in our specimen, it is fair to con- 

 clude that these are merely different stages of plumage in the 

 female of the same bird. 



The male is eight and one half inches long; its wing six and 

 five-eighths inches from the flexure. Tt strongly resembles the 

 female, but has not the rufous markings to the same extent, 

 either on the head or wings. The white band on the wing is 

 purer, and extends entirely across each of the first four primaries. 

 The tail is dark brown, crossed by six or seven greyish bands, 

 and has also a white band, which extends across all but the 

 two middle feathers, at about one half an inch from their tips. 



Mr. Forbes, of Windsor, Vt., present by invitation, gave 

 an account of a curious formation, apparently Stalactitic, 

 discovered buried in the sand in a cut for the Central Rail- 

 road, at Sharon, Vt. Large masses of a calcareous sub- 

 stance have been found beneath the surface, of a tabular 

 form, a few inches thick. From their under surface 

 depend groups of conical projections, some of them of gro- 

 tesque shape, others hollow, like some stalactites, and termi- 

 nating in a point. Occasionally a mass has been found in 

 an inverted position, with the plane surface down, and the 

 points upward. No satisfactory solution of this phenomenon 

 has as yet been given. 



Dr. Gould deposited in the Cabinet of the Society, a very 

 fine specimen of Cerithium giganteum, from the Paris basin. 



A specimen of Fringilla sanguinolenta was presented 

 by Dr. J. B. S. Jackson. 



Two beautiful specimens of Coral were presented in the 

 name of Miss Champney, of Roxbury. The thanks of the 

 Society were voted for the donation. 



