201 
cies thus seem to form only one group, divisible however into still 
smaller sections from the presence or absence of wings, and form and 
colouring of the elytra; the Australian species stands alone; and the 
New-World species constitute the four following subgenera :— 
Ammosta, Westw. Type, M. bifasciata, Brullé. 
——_——, Westw. Type, M. testudinea, Klug. 
Anarra, Hope. Type, M. sepulchralis, Fabr. 
Tetracua, Westw. Type, M. Carolina, Linn. 
July 8, 1851. 
In consequence of the death of the President, no meeting was held 
on this day. 
“ July 22, 1851. 
John Edward Gray, Esq., F.R.S. &c., Vice-President, in the Chair. 
The following papers were read :— 
1. ON THE LARGEST KNOWN SPECIES OF PHALERIDINE Birp. 
By Cuarwes Lucien, Prince BonApPARTE. 
(Aves, Pl. XLIV.) 
Among the new additions lately made to the British Museum I was 
struck by one of the Aleide, which I had never seen before, and 
which was very properly placed close by two beautiful specimens of 
my singular Ceratorrhina, also lately added to the zoological treasures 
of the English nation. The bird which is the subject of the present 
note is evidently the Labrador Awk of Latham, so miscalled from 
the erroneous impression that it came from those eastern shores of 
America, but too well described not to be recognized. Gmelin com- 
piled his Alcea labradora from the description of Latham, and all 
those who did not follow him blindly, have referred that indication 
to an immature state of the Razor-bill (Mormon arctica), a course in 
which they were led by geographical consideration only. Although 
our bird belongs to the family of the Alcide, it is not even an Alecine, 
as the Razor-bill, but, as is shown by the nakedness of the cere, it 
belongs to the other subfamily, or Phaleridine, of which it is at pre- 
sent the largest known. 
