(i-2 



May 27, 1845. 



William Yarrell, Esq., Vice-President, in the Chair. 



Mr. Gould exliibited to the Meeting four new species of Birds 

 from Australia, ■v\'hich he characterized as foUovvs : — 



Ardea (Kerodias) picata. Ard. capite superiore, occipite, piu- 



mis occipitalibus, corpore superiore, caudd, ulisque cceruleo-nicris ; 



mento, nuehd,peclore, et quibusdam plumis apectore dependentibus 



albis. 



Upper part of the head, occiput, occipital plumes, the ■whole of the 



plumage of the body, wings and tail bluiah slaty black ; chin, neck, 



chest and some of the lanceolute feathers dependent therefi-om vvhite j 



some few of the lanceolate feathers on the neck and breast have one 



\veb w'hite and the other web bluish slaty black; the remainder of these 



lanceolate feathers are the šame colour as the body ; irides yellow ; 



bill, legs and feet greenish yellow. In young specimens the whole 



of the under surface is \vhite. 



Totai length, 17 inches ; bill, 3^ ; wing, 10; tail, Z\; tarsi, S^. 

 Hab. Port Essington. 



CoLLTJHiGiNCLA PARVULA. Col. corpore svpertore, caudd, alisįi/e 

 olivaceo-brunneis ; subtus pallide cervind ; medio plumarum guls 

 et pectoris vittd latd brunned omato. 



AU the upper surface, wings and tail olive-brown ; a faint line 

 over the eye and the chin Avhite ; all the under surface pale buff, the 

 feathers of the throat and breast with a broad stripe of brown dovvn 

 the centre ; irides dark brownish red ; bill blackish grey ; tarsi bluish 

 grey. 



Totai length, 7 inches; bill, 1 ; wing, 4; tail, Z\; tarsi, 1. 



Hab. Port Essington. 



This is the smallest species of the genus yet discovered. 



Melithreptus mklanocephalus. Mel. toto capite, guld, et ma- 

 culd semilunari apud latera pectoris saturate nigris ; corpore su- 

 periie flavo-olivaceo pectore albo. 



The \vhole of the head and throat, and a semilunar mark on either 

 side of the chest, deep glossy black ; all the upper surface yellowish 

 olive, becoming brighter on the rump ; wings and tail bro\vnish grey, 

 with lighter margins ; breast \vhite ; remainder of the under surface 

 greyish m hite ; bill black ; irides reddish brown ; feet brown ; bare 

 skin over the eye pearly white, slightly tinged with green. 



Totai length, 5į inches ; bill, -^^ ; w'ing, 3 ; tail, 2|- ; tarsi, į. 



Hab. Van Diemen's Land. 



Hemii'odivs scintillans. Hem. corpore supenti pallide castanco. 



