Zoological Club. 587 



-'s 



suing year : Rev. W. Kirby, Chairman ; J. ¥. Stephens, Esq. 

 Treasurer; N. A. Vigors, Esq. Secretary; Joseph Sabiue, Esq., 

 Thomas Horsfield, M. D., E. T. Bennett, Esq., J. G. Children, 

 Esq., J. E. Bicheno, Esq., W. S. MacLeay, Esq. 



December 14. — Mr. Vigors exhibited to the meeting a series of 

 Birds belonging to the family of Laniadw ; and he explained and 

 exemplified their mutual affinities among themselves, and their 

 connection with the conterminous families of Merulidw and Mus- 

 cicapidce. He pointed out the typical characters of the five groups 

 into which they had been separated by Mr. Swainson in his paper 

 " On the Laniadas," in the 3rd Number of the Zoological Journal : 

 and he entered at length into the details by which that gentleman 

 characterized the subordinate groups of the family. In the course 

 of his observations he exhibited some specimens of the family 

 which had been communicated to him by Mr. Swainson for the 

 information of the Club. Among these were the types of that 

 gentleman's newly formed genera Cyclarhis, Malaconotus, Formi- 

 civora, and Drymophila; as also the Bru-bru of M. Le Vaillant, 

 or Lanius Capensis Gmel. ; and the Carinated Flycatcher of the 

 " Zoological Illustrations." He also took the opportunity of ex- 

 hibiting specimens of the following new species of Laniadw, v/Vich 

 were communicated by Mr. Such ; the descriptions of which by 

 that gentleman are published in the present number of this 

 Journal : viz. Thumnophilus Swainsonii, T. maculatus, T. Vigor- 

 tit, (? and $ , T. Leachii, T. riijiceps, T. niger, and Drymo- 

 phila variegata. After having gone through the details of the 

 Laniadce, Mr. Vigors pointed out two prominent facts which be- 

 came evident on the accurate examination of the group ; namely, 

 the distribution of the whole family into five subdivisions, con- 

 nected with each other, but still exhibiting separate typical charac- 

 ters; aud the circular succession by which these subdivisions 

 returned into themselves. He thence took occasion to refer to 

 the subject of the quinary distribution of A'^ature ; and a discus- 

 sion ensued on the subject among the members of the Club. 

 Tlie Club adjourned to Tuesday the llth of January, 1825. 



