Microscopical Society. 151 



of its characters agrees with that division to which the term Cassicus 

 is applied : it h;is the same stout conical bill, the upper surface of 

 which is broadly expanded at the base, and encroaches on to the 

 forehead : the apex is pointed. This bird, however, differs from any 

 other species of the group to which it belongs, in the great length of 

 its wings, which extend considerably beyond the tip of the tail, which 

 is of moderate length, broad, and slightly rounded. The colouring 

 of the plumage is also remarkable, and particularly the texture of 

 the feathers, those of the body having a velvet-like appearance, Avhilst 

 those of the wings have a distinct gloss, such as we see in the plu- 

 mage of the Crows. No doubt, according to the views of many or- 

 nithologists, this bird would be regarded as a new genus or sub- 

 genus ; the sectional name Ocyaius is therefore proposed, from 

 OxvaXos, in allusion to the swiftness with which it is to be presumed 

 a bird with such wings would move. 



Subgenus Ocyalxjs. 

 Characteres ut in Cassico, alee autem longissimce, et caudce apicem 



transeuntes. 

 Cassicus (Ocyalus) Popayaxus. Oc. niger, corpore purpurea 

 relucente ; alls nitore viridi ; capite nuchdque supra castaneo tinc- 

 tis ; caudd flavd, rectricibus quatuor intermediis in toto nigris, sic 

 et apicibus reliquorum ; rostro pcdlido. 

 Long. tot. 1 1 unc. ; rostri, 1^ ; lat. ad basin, 6| lin. ; ala, 8^ unc. ; 

 caudce, 4. 



Hab. Popayan. 



MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. 



At a meeting of the Microscopical Society, held August 18th. 

 R. H. Solly, Esq., F.R.S.. in the chair, a paper was read from Dr. 

 Thomas Williams, in continuation of that of the Rev. J. B. Reade, 

 on the Stomata of Plants, wherein the author states, that by having 

 recourse to the process of charring, as described by that gentleman, 

 he satisfied himself that the stomata in plants were closed by a pel- 

 licle ; but from other experiments he infers, that this pellicle is 

 formed by the air contained in the intercellular spaces and cells of 

 the stomata, carrying before it, in its dilatation, a bubble of gelati- 

 nous mucus, with which the interior of the stomata are covered. The 

 summit of the vesicle thus produced, when raised into contact with 

 the heated glass, becomes carbonized, and being upon the same plane 

 with the common surface, from the pressure of the plate of glass it 

 appears as belonging to the epidermis, and extending from one edge 

 of the aperture to the other. He concludes by stating, that the na- 

 tural condition of the stomata is that of patency ; but in consequence 

 of the inspissation of the organic mucus, under certain circumstances 

 and in certain genera of plants, a pellicle is generated over their 

 orifices. 



The Secretary, Mr. John Quekett, then read a paper by himself 

 on the Anatomy of four species of Entozoa of the genus Slronyylus 



