﻿Letters, 
  Extracts, 
  Notices, 
  &^c. 
  595 
  

  

  known 
  being 
  haemocyanin, 
  the 
  blue 
  respiratory 
  pigment 
  

   occurring 
  in 
  the 
  blood 
  of 
  many 
  molluscs 
  and 
  arthropods. 
  

   That 
  turacin 
  is 
  such 
  a 
  definite 
  compound 
  is 
  indicated 
  by 
  

   the 
  fact 
  that 
  the 
  pigment 
  collected 
  from 
  birds 
  of 
  the 
  different 
  

   species 
  yields 
  a 
  similar 
  and 
  constant 
  proportion 
  of 
  copper. 
  

   According 
  to 
  Prof. 
  Church 
  its 
  composition 
  is 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  

   carbon 
  53"69 
  ; 
  hydrogen 
  4)' 
  6 
  ; 
  coppei'7'Ol; 
  nitrogen 
  696; 
  and 
  

   oxygen 
  27'74; 
  corresponding 
  pretty 
  closely 
  to 
  the 
  empirical 
  

   formula 
  Cgg 
  Hgi 
  N9 
  Ogo. 
  As 
  already 
  mentioned, 
  the 
  pigment 
  

   is 
  soluble 
  in 
  water. 
  Its 
  solubility 
  is 
  increased 
  by 
  the 
  

   presence 
  of 
  an 
  alkali 
  ; 
  while 
  excess 
  of 
  acid 
  at 
  once 
  brings 
  

   about 
  its 
  precipitation 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  a 
  non-crystalline 
  

   substance 
  of 
  a 
  dark 
  crimson 
  colour 
  and 
  semi-metallic 
  lustre. 
  

   Regarding 
  the 
  origin 
  of 
  the 
  copper 
  Prof. 
  Church 
  draws 
  

   attention 
  to 
  the 
  very 
  wide 
  distribution 
  of 
  traces 
  of 
  this 
  metal 
  

   amongst 
  plants, 
  while 
  in 
  banana-fruits, 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  favourite 
  

   foods 
  of 
  the 
  Musophagidse, 
  it 
  exists 
  in 
  quite 
  appreciable 
  

   quantities. 
  We 
  believe 
  that 
  the 
  fact 
  of 
  the 
  solubility 
  in 
  

   water 
  of 
  the 
  pigment 
  in 
  the 
  wing-feathers 
  of 
  the 
  Touracous 
  

   was 
  first 
  discovered 
  by 
  the 
  late 
  Jules 
  Verreaux, 
  of 
  Paris, 
  

   during 
  his 
  expedition 
  to 
  the 
  Cape 
  Colony 
  in 
  1825-30. 
  

   Piof. 
  Church, 
  however, 
  was 
  the 
  first 
  investigator 
  who 
  ascer- 
  

   tained 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  copper 
  in 
  turacin. 
  

  

  Notes 
  on 
  the 
  Birds 
  of 
  Chili. 
  — 
  Mr. 
  Edwyn 
  C. 
  Reed, 
  

   C.M.Z.S. 
  (Banos 
  de 
  Canquenes, 
  Santiago, 
  Chili), 
  in 
  acknow- 
  

   ledging 
  the 
  receipt 
  of 
  a 
  copy 
  of 
  the 
  ' 
  New 
  List 
  of 
  Chilian 
  

   Birds,^ 
  sends 
  us 
  the 
  following 
  notes 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  " 
  Tardus 
  fuscat 
  us 
  and 
  Mimus 
  triurus 
  are 
  found 
  near 
  Men- 
  

   doza, 
  but 
  I 
  have 
  never 
  seen 
  Chilian 
  specimens. 
  

  

  " 
  Besides 
  the 
  Hirundinidse 
  yon 
  mention 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  Progne, 
  

   called 
  by 
  Philippi 
  and 
  Land 
  beck 
  ' 
  P. 
  f 
  areata,' 
  which 
  has 
  

   been 
  shot 
  several 
  times 
  in 
  Chili. 
  ^' 
  

  

  This 
  is, 
  no 
  doubt, 
  Proyne 
  furcata 
  of 
  Arg. 
  Orn. 
  (i. 
  p. 
  24) 
  

  

  and 
  of 
  Sharpe 
  (Cat. 
  B. 
  x. 
  p. 
  175). 
  But 
  Dr. 
  Philippi 
  (P. 
  Z. 
  S. 
  

  

  1868, 
  p. 
  531) 
  has 
  stated 
  that 
  he 
  does 
  not 
  believe 
  this 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  

  

  Chilian 
  species. 
  The 
  locality, 
  " 
  Chili 
  [Bridges),''' 
  given 
  for 
  

  

  specimen 
  b 
  in 
  the 
  ' 
  Catalogue 
  of 
  Birds 
  ' 
  (/. 
  s. 
  c.) 
  is 
  not 
  

  

  T 
  o 
  

  

  