Mr. J. Gould on a new species o/Momotus. 373 



CoRvus CULMINATUS, Sykes. Large Black Crow. 



Less numerous, and of less intrusive and impertinent habits than 

 the last. It breeds at the same time, and lays the same number of 

 eggs as the C^ommon Crow of Lidia. The eggs are of a pale blue 

 dashed and spotted with ohve and grey, 1 inch and rather more than 

 jLths of an iuch in length, by 1 inch and rather more than j^ths of 

 an inch in width. The eggs of this Crow also vary in size and colour. 



Family Sturnid-E. Subfamily Stlrxin.^. 



Genus Pastor. 

 Pastor Tristis, Temm. Common Myna. 



This sprightly talkative bird is common in Western India. It 

 lives in small flocks, and is a close attendant on cattle, walking 

 amongst them vAih. a cheerful upright gait, its head inclined, now on 

 this side now on the other, watching for insects, all the while talking 

 and muttering with its peculiarly smooth and oily note. It is a great 

 favourite \vith the natives, who keep numbers of them in cages. The 

 •Slyna breeds during the month of May, makmg its nest in the holes 

 of' trees and buildings, also in stacks and ricks. It lays as many as 

 six eggs, of a pale blue colour, 1 inch and rather more than ^ths of 

 an inch in length, by yV^s of an inch in width . Eggs out of the 

 same nest differ in size. 



July 25, 1854.— John Gould, Esq., F.R.S., in the Chair. 



Description of a New Species of Momotus. 

 By John Gould, F.R.S. etc. 



Mr. Gould exhibited a species of Momotus, which he had had in 

 his collection for many years, and which he believed to be entirely- 

 new to science. It is most nearly allied to the Momotus Mexicanus, 

 but differs from that species hi its much larger size, in the deeper 

 chestnut-colour of the head, and in having a greyish-white mark 

 vmder the eye, in lieu of the rich blue one observable in M. Mexica- 

 nus. These differences induce Mr. Gould to consider it to be distinct ; 

 in which opinion he was greatly confirmed by finding other examples, 

 precisely similar in colour, in the fine collection of the late Earl of 

 Derby, now in Liverpool. He therefore proposed for it the name of 



Momotus castaneiceps. 



Crown of the head very deep chestnut, gradually blending on the 

 back of the neck into the reddash grass-green of the back and wing- 

 coverts ; primaries and secondaries bluish green on the external web 

 and next the shaft on the internal web, the remainder of the feathers 

 being brownish-black, largely margined with buffy-yellow at the base, 

 and with black shafts ; upper tail-coverts and tail bluish-green, the 



