Ornithologists' Club. 647 



flanks; feathers of the chest with olive patches, producing a 

 somewhat striped appearance. Feet pale flesh-colour. Wing 

 64f-65 ram. 



Immature male. Resembles the adult female, but with tbe 

 upper surface darker and the feathers tipped with ferru- 

 ginous, the chest more streaked, and the superciliary stripe 

 less developed. 



Hah. Island of Dammer in the Banda Sea, where it was 

 discovered by Mr. Kiihn. 



]\rr. IIartert further exhil)ited a new species of Finch of 

 the genus PoepMla and its nearest ally. He described the 

 new form as follows : — 



PoiiPHILA NIGROTECTA, Sp. U. 



Similar to P. cincta, from which it difi'ers in being con- 

 siderably smaller and in having the upper tail-coverts black 

 like the rump. In P. cincta the upper tail-coverts are 

 perfectly white : — not black with white tips as described in 

 Butler's ' Foreign Finches,'' where, however, an excellent 

 plate is given. 



Total length about 100 mm., wing 59-60 (about 63 in 

 P. cincta), tail 41, culmen 95. 



Hab. Cape York, Queensland, wliere it was obtained by 

 Mr. Meek. 



]\[r. ScLATER read some extracts fi'om a letter he had 

 received from Major A. Cowie, H.E,, at present stationed in 

 the island of St. Lucia, West Indies. Among the birds 

 observed were examples of the American Laughing-Gull 

 [Larus atricilla), which had not been previously recorded 

 from the island. 



Mr. N. F. TicE HURST exhibited a fine example of the Two- 

 barred Crossbill [Loxia bifasciata) which had been obtained 

 in East Sussex on the 23rd of February. 



A discussion arose regarding the changes of plumage in the 

 male of the Common Crossbill, in which Messrs. Howard 

 Saunders, Rothschild, Hartert, and Bonhote took part. 



2x2 



