♦ 5 



April 9, 18S3. 

 Joseph Cox Cox, Esq., in the Chair. 



Severai extracts were read from a letter, addressed by Dr. A. 

 Smith, Corr. Memb. Z.S., to Mr. Yarrell, and dated Port Elizabeth, 

 Algoa Bay, December 22, 1832. 



Dr. Smith statės bis belief that the Hycena vulgaris, Cuv., does 

 not inhabit South Africa; its place being occupied by the Hycena 

 villosa, Smith, which bears, when young, considerable resemblance 

 to that species. 



He also statės that the Eagle from the Cape, which was presented 

 to the Society by the Hon, J. T, Leslie Melville, and vvhich is novv 

 living in the Menagerie, is not the young oi Aąuila vulturina, Daud., 

 but oi Acį. Choha, Smith, [Falco rapax, Temm.). 



He remarks that Vultur auricularis, Daud., is not confined to 

 the interior of South Africa, but is met with close to Cape Town, 

 over which he has seen it flying. The belief that several pairs 

 build their nests together (vvhence the appellation oi sociable Ful- 

 ture has been derived,) is erroneous ; for Dr. Smith has never met 

 with more than one nešt actually occupied upon the šame tree : the 

 error has probably originated in a new nešt being occasionally 

 built adjoining to an old one, vvhich had been deserted on account 

 of its having become unserviceable. The bird seems but little 

 disposed to sociability ; rarely more than two are seen together, 

 and if four occur in the vicinity of a carcass, the number is consi- 

 dered as great ; while of Vultur Julvus, it is by no means uncommon 

 to see a hundred^ or even more, congregated together where carrion 

 exists. 



Dr. Smith adds that Aquila Verreauxii, Less., is synonyraous 

 with Aq. vulturina, vvhich has recently been described by M. Lesson 

 as a Haliaetus : it has, however, none of the habits of the Fishing 

 Eagles. lt inhabits the highest and most rocky mountains, preying 

 chiefly on the Cape Hyrax. The error has probably arisen from 

 the vvhite back being concealed, in stufted specimens, by the 

 wings. 



M. Lesson, in November 1830, founded tvvonevv genera, Gymreo- 

 genys and Teratophius, on the Falco Gymnogenys, Temm., and Falco 

 ecaudatus, Shavv, These genera are respectively synonymous with 

 Polyboroides and Helotarsus, proposed by Dr. Smith in the ' South 

 African Journal ' in April of the šame year. 



The Circ'detus pedoralis and Falco Ckicgueroides of Dr. Smith are 

 respectively synonymous with Circ. thoracinus, Cuv., and Falco bU 

 armicus, Temm. 



Dr. Smith also statės that the Antelope described by Mr. Woods 

 in the « ZoologicalJournar as the Antilope personata, is the young 

 of Ant. pygarga, Pall., the Bonte Bok. 



No. IV. Proceedings of the Zoological Society. 



