33 



At the reąuest of the President, Mr. William Thompson of Belfast 

 exhibited a specimen of a Tern shot by him in June lašt on one of 

 the three Copeland Islands, which are situated a few miles ofF the 

 north-east coast of the county Down, Ireland. Mr. Thompson stated 

 that the bird was evidently identical with those described as the 

 young of the Arctic Tern, Sterna Arctica, Temm., in the Appendix to 

 Capt. Parry's Voyage in 1819-20, page 203. In a detailed description 

 of the specimen, which ■was read, Mr. Thompson pointed out various 

 difFerences of proportions and colouring between it and the adult 

 Arctic Tern, specimens of which, as well as of Sterna Hirundo and 

 Sterna Dougalii, were shot by him on the šame day, thus afFording 

 opportunity for comparison of these several species in a recent statė 

 and' at precisely the šame season. 



Mr. Thompson availed himself of the opportunity to exhibit also 

 specimens of the black-headed Gvil, Larus capistratus, Temm., and 

 of the Sandwich Tern, Sterna Cantiana, Temm., which were shot in the 

 neighbourhood of Belfast. It is believed that no previous instance of 

 the occurrence of these birds in Ireland has been recorded. 



Specimens were exhibited ofthe tvoolly and hairi/ Penguins of Dr. 

 Latham. They form part of the coUection of the President, by whom 

 they were communicated for exhibition. Mr. Yarrell briefly described 

 them. 



" JVoollyPengmn of Dr. Latham's ' General History of Birds,' vol. x. 

 page 392. Length of the beak, 24 inches ; from the point to the 

 gape, 34 inches; length of the beak and head, 6l inches ; from the 

 top of the head to the end of the tarsus, 31 inches ; length of the 

 foot and claw, 64 inches; length of the wing, 124 inches ; girth of 

 the body, 34 inches ; beak black towards the point, slightly curved ,- 

 basai third of the upper mandible, dusky brown ; basai half of the 

 lower mandible, orange. 



" The terms woolly and hairy Penguins appear somewhat inappro- 

 priate, the covering of both these birds being only different modifi- 

 cations of those tufts of down which in young birds precede the flrst 

 true feather. The colour of the covering in this specimen is a uni- 

 form light brown ; the tail is cuneiform, composed of numerous dark- 

 coloured feathers, narrovv and bristly, the longest of which are 3 

 inches ; the feet and part of the toes yeIIow ; the ends of the toes, 

 webs and claws, black. The fourth to e of each foot, in both these 

 birds, appears to have been overlooked by the original describer : it is 

 small, articulated to the inner side of each inner toe, and the bii'ds 

 may conseąuently be considered as having four toes, aU pointing 

 fonvard. From the length of the wing in this specimen, and the 

 orange colour of the base of the lower mandible, this bird is probably 

 the young of the Patagonian Penguin. 



" Hairy Penguin of Dr. Latham's work before quoted, the šame 

 volume and page. Length of the beak, 2 į- inches; from the point 

 to the gape, 34 inches ; length of the beak and head, 5 inches ; from 

 the crown of the head to the end of the tarsus, 274 inches ; length 



