216 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 



Falkland Islands. ISTorthwards from the last-named locality 

 its place is taken, especially in Buenos Ayres, by a nearly- 

 allied species, Sturnella clefilippii of Bonaparte, which differs 

 from the western sj^ecies in having Uack axillaries in place 

 of white. It is right, however, to state that specimens of 

 the true S. militaris were obtained by the United States' 

 Exploring Expedition as far north on the east coast as the 

 Eio Negro. 



The present specimen is interesting, not only as having 

 occurred on the Isthmus of Panama, but as affording evidence 

 in favour of the reported occurrences in California, about 

 which strong doubts have existed; and I have, therefore, 

 pleasure in bringing it before tlie meeting as one of those 

 small facts which enable the naturalist to trace correctly the 

 distribution of a species. 



II. O71 the Occurrence in Scotlctnd of the Squacco Heron (Ardea 

 comata, Pallas). By Egbert Gray, Esq., F.E.S.E., etc. 



Shortly after the concluding meeting of last session had 

 taken place, I happened to be in the shop of William Hope, 

 birdstuffer, George Street, when my attention was drawn to 

 the bird now on the table. It had been sent in by the 

 Duchess of Buccleuch with a special message from Her Grace 

 that particular care was to be taken with the bird, as it was 

 a Scotch killed specimen, and had been sent to the duke as a 

 great rarity. As no specimen of the squacco heron had ever 

 been found in any part of Scotland before, I at once made 

 inquiry about the bird, and have since been informed that it 

 was shot at Dalmahoy, in the parish of Eatho, and given to 

 the duke by the late Lord Morton. It is to be regretted that 

 the exact date of its occurrence cannot now be ascertained, 

 His Grace being unable to say in what year he received the 

 specimen. It, as you will observe, is in beautiful and most 

 perfect plumage, like many of the specimens that have 

 already been found in Britain. This bird is the twenty-fourth 

 that has been killed in the British Islands — all the otliers, 

 with a very few exceptions, having been obtained in the 



