38G Zoological Proceedings of Societies. 



November ^3.— The Secretary exhibited a specimen of the 

 Scolopax Sabi/ti, the new species which had been laid before the 

 Club on the 13th of April, and the description of which had been 

 read at the Meeting of the 26th of October. The specimen before 

 the Club was the property of W. A. Dunning, Esq. of Maidstone, 

 and was shot on tiie 26th of October 1824, on the banks of the 

 Medway, near Rochester. This is the second instance of the 

 species having been met with in the British Islands. 



The reading of Mr. W. S. MiicLoay's paper " On Tunicata," 

 was concluded. 



A discussion, in which several members of the Club took a 

 part, subsequently ensued, on the subject of the quinary arrange- 

 ment and the circular succession and aftuiities among the groups 

 of Nature; an allusion to which had been made in the foregoing 

 paper. In the course of this discussion Mr. Vigors took the 

 opportunity of stating a fact which had come to his knowledge 

 in the course of the preceding morning, and which was strongly 

 corroboratiTe of an affinity which he had sometime since ventured 

 to point out to the Club, as existing between the Linnean genera 

 Ramphastos and Buceros, and carried on through the latter group 

 to the more typical and omnivorous families of the Insessores. 

 He had seen a specimen of Ramphastos eri/throrhi/nchus, Gmel., 

 now alive iu this country, which shewed a decided partiality to 

 animal food, and to preying upon weaker birds. The bird in 

 question, soon after its arrival in this country had seized upon a 

 stray bird that accidentally approached its cage, and instantly 

 devoured it. It has since been occasionally supplied with birds, 

 and other animal food, particularly eggs, for w hich it evinces a 

 decided predilection. The habit of feeding on animal substances, 

 which is conspicuous in the Corviilee, and occasionally observed in 

 the Biiceridw, is thus partially preserved in the Rawphastidce (a 

 group that has hitherto been considered to feed alone upon fruits 

 and other vegetable productions,) until it gradually disappears in 

 the Vsittacidce. The further discussion of the subject was post- 

 poned to a future meeting. 



November 29. — Anniveusar\ Meeting. The following mem- 

 bers were elected to form the Council and Otlicers for the en- 



