396 Miscellaneous. 



questioned several of our Flemish bird-catchers, who told me that for 

 near ten years this bird has been getting scarce, and is now no more 

 seen as a winter visitant of our gardens, a few only appearing in the 

 forest of the Ardennes in summer, but disappearing in autumn. The 

 bad habit of eating this and other song-birds which practised by the 

 poor, may have contributed to drive away this interesting species from 

 our countries. I should like to know whether the same thing has 

 been observed in other districts. Yours, &c., 



T. FORSTEB. 



Chair of Entomology. — The following names were presented by 

 the Section of Anatomy and Zoology of the Academie des Sciences 

 as Candidates for the Chair of Entomology at the Museum of Na- 

 tural History, vacant by the death of M. Audouin : — 



1. M. Milne Edwards : 2. M. Straus-Durckheim : 3. M. Guerin 

 Menneville. 



At the following sitting, Dec. 13, M. Milne Edwards was elected. 



Menura superba. — Mr. Gould gives the following account of the 

 Menura or Lyre-bird of Australia. Tliis bird, like the Brush Turkey 

 (Talegalla Lathami, Gould), has been classed by ornithologists in vari- 

 ous groups, but perhaps most generally it has been regarded as one 

 of the Gallinaceous order. Mr. Gould's observations, however, all 

 tend to prove that it ought to be arranged among the Insessores, 

 and is most nearly allied to certain South American genera of 

 Ground Thrushes, such as Pteroptochos, Scytalopus, &c. 



The Menura is a terrestrial bird, and but rarely takes to the wing. 

 When pursued it generally escapes by running into the thick brush- 

 wood : it is so extremely shy, the author observes, that of all the 

 birds he ever met with the Lyre-bird is by far the most difficult to 

 procure. 



Whilst among the brushes he has been surrounded by these birds, 

 pouring forth their loud and liquid calls, for days together without 

 being able to get a sight of them, and it was only by the most de- 

 termined perseverance and extreme caution that he was enabled to 

 eifect this desirable object, which was rendered the more difficult by 

 their often frequenting the almost inaccessible and precipitous sides 

 of gullies and ravines. Its food appears to consist princijjally of in- 

 sects, especially those of the Coleopterous order, and Centipedes. 

 Mr. Gould also found the remains of shells of snails in the gizzard, 

 which he remarks is strong and muscular. The nest is placed either 

 on the ledge of a projecting rock, at the base of a tree, or on the 

 top of a stump, but always near the ground. 



The natives state that the eggs are two in number, and of a light 

 colour, freckled with red. — Proc. Zool. Soc. May 11, 1841. 



Anthus Richardi. — Mr Mummery informs us of his having shot 

 another specimen of Richard's Pipit, in the neighbourhood of Birch- 

 ington, in the Isle of Thanet, where he had before taken specimens 

 in 1840, and in November last. 



