148 



Col. Sykes, \vhen reading to the Suciety, in 1832, hia Cata- 

 logue of the Birds of Dukhun, not having eKliibited the nešt and 

 eggs of the Lonchura Cheet, and of that species of Taitor-hird \vhich 

 he denominated Orthotomits Bennettii, brought them under the notice 

 of the Society on the present occasion. 



The nešt of the Lonchura Cheet is a perfect hollow hall, made of 

 a delicate Agrostis, with a lateral hole for the entrance of the birds. 

 It contained ten oblong minute \vhlte eggs, -į^^ths of an inch long 

 by VVths in diameter. It \vas found in the foi'k of a branch of the 

 Mimosa Arahica. 



The nešt of the Orthofomus Bennettii was lodged in the cavity 

 formed by sewing the edges of two leaves together : the nešt itself 

 also was attached to the leaves by threads passing through the leaf 

 and the bottom of the nešt, and there were appearances of the end 

 of the thread being knotted outside. The nest-is composed of very 

 delicate fibres of ludian Hemp and grass. It contained two minute 

 oblong crimson eggs, vVths of an inch long by Tr^tlis wide. 



Col. Sykes also exhibited an egg of the Ji uviatile Tortoise of Duk- 

 hun, Trionyx Indicus, Gray. It is a perfect sphere, l^V inch in dia- 

 meter : the calcareous shell is of a peculiar alabaster-like white- 

 ness. He found seven eggs with shells in the oviducts, and twenty- 

 seven -vvithout shells, nearly of the size of the preceding, in one 

 specimen. He took occasion to mention that in the stomach and 

 intestines of another specimen of Trionyx, he found not only the 

 animals, but also angular fragments of considerable size of the shells 

 of some scores of large Uniones. 



A paper was read, entitled, " Description of some Species of 

 Chamą : by W. J. Broderip, Esq., Vice-President of the Geological 

 and Zoological Societies, F. R. S., L. S., &c." 



The author commences by remarking that the shells of the genus 

 Chamą appear to be subject to every change of shape and often of 

 colour \vhich the accidents of their locality may bring upon them, 

 and that the distinction of the species mušt consequently be diffi- 

 cult, on account of their infinite variety. He then proceeds to de- 

 scribe those brought home by Mr. Cuming, and now in that gentle- 

 man's cabinet. The Shells referred to \vere exhibited in illustra- 

 tion of the characters and descriptions. 



Chamą frondosa. Chamą testd sublohatd, lamellosd, lamellis 

 sinuosis frondosis, longitudinaliter plicatis et in utrdgne valvd 

 cardinem versus biseriatis, maxijnis ; inti/s albidd, limbo purpii- 

 rascente, crenulato. 

 Hab. ad Insulam Platam Columbise Occidentalis. 

 The ground colour of this beautiful Chamą is a light pinkish 

 purple, and the luxuriant and spreading longitudinally plaited folia- 

 tions are yellow tinged and streaked with the ground colour. At 

 the root of each foliation, on its lower side, there is generally a 

 purplish transverse stripe. 



It was dredged up from a rock of coral, to \vhich it was adhering, 

 at a depth of seventeen fathoms. 



