390 Proceedings of the Werner km Society. 



greyish-white, which extends across the internal web of the seven 

 first primary quills. Tail Berlin-blue, very long, and strongly 

 forked ; the two middle tectrices much the longest. Tectrices 

 twelve in number. Total length of body from the tip of bill 

 to point of tail, eleven inches ; tail, five inches. Tarstis weak, 

 and rather longer than middle toe; length an inch and a quarter. 

 Toes, external united to middle by two joints ; internal by one. 

 The specimen of this very rare and beautiful bird, which is a 

 native of Northern India, was brought from thence by Lady 

 Dalhousie. It was remarked, that it is distinguished from the 

 typical specimen by the following characters : — The first that 

 strikes us is the position of the nostrils, which, as already no- 

 ticed, are inserted at the base of the bill, and partially covered 

 with feathers. In the typical species, they are quite naked, and 

 inserted at a distance from the base. Secondly, the strong cunei- 

 form tail, and shortness of the wings ; and lastly, the weakness of 

 the tarsi. Although the bird presents a peculiar group of cha- 

 racters, it was not considered advisable to form a genus of it, 

 until its habits and manners were made known. Its locality is 

 also interesting, from it pointing out that this genus probably 

 extends over all India proper. 



At the same meeting, a specimen of a new Meliagris, from 

 New Holland, was exhibited and described. The trivial name 

 of Lindesayii was given in honour of Colonel Lindesay, a distin- 

 guished officer, and very active naturalist, formerly commander 

 of the S9th regiment in New South Wales, but now removed to 

 India. This bird gave rise to the erroneous opinion that vul- 

 tures exist in the Australian continent. 



fel). 7. — Dr Greville, V.P. in the Chair. — Professor Jame- 

 son, in a series of geological observations which he read to the 

 Society, among other intei'esting topics, noticed the following : 



1st, Beds of recent Shells on the banks of the Firths of Forth 

 and Clyde, sittiate considerably above the present level of these 

 estuaries. — These beds. Professor Jameson remarked, had been 

 pointed out by him to his pupils, during his geological walks, 

 from the year 1806 up to the present time. One of his pupils, 

 the late Assistant- Surgeon Macgregor, in 1811, read before the 

 Society a paper on the recent sea-shells he noticed about 4| miles 

 from Glasgow, Captain Laskey, in 1814, read a memoir on a 



