Zoological Cluh of the Linncan Socict?/. oQ] 



The Secretary read the commencement of a paper, entitled 

 Remarks on the Comparative Anatomy uf certain Birds of Cuba, 

 tvith a viezo to their respective places in the System of Nature, or 

 to their relations with other animals ; by W. S. MacLeay, Esq. 

 M.A. F.L.S. &c. 



November 28. — Tlie Secretary read The description of a Jieio 

 species o/BlediuSy Leach ; communicated to him by Mr. Westwood. 

 This insect, whicli Mas found on the sea shore in Norfolk, Mr. 

 Westwood proposed to call Bledius Siephensii. Its characters 

 are as follows : B. nlger, nitidus, profunde punctatus, pedibus 

 rufo-piceis, elytris flavo-ferrugineis basi suluraque nigris, thorace 

 raasculo cornu clongata, apice hirsuto, antice in medio armata, 

 capiteque ejnsdem sexus cornubus duobus erectis elongatis.* 



The Rev. Mr. Kirby exhibited specimens of the Cremastocheilus 

 castaneus, Knoch, of a second species described by himself in the 

 Zoological Journal, and of a third hitherto unnoticed. He also 

 exhibited specimens of three species of a new genus of Rutelida', 

 to which he proposed to give the name of Cnemida ; and of a new 

 species of Trichius, the T. Bigsbii. The whole of the above 

 Insects are natives of North America. + 



The Secretary read a continuation of Mr. MacLeay's paper on 

 the Birds of Cuba. 



December 12. — Mr. Yarrell exhibited several Sandpipers killed 



in England, some of which were new as British species. Among 



them was an immature specimen of the Kentish Plover, Chara- 



drius Cantianiis, Lath., obtained last autumn from the coast of 



Norfolk. This bird was considered by Montagu, as the young of 



the Ring-Plover, Ch. Jliaiicula. To show that this opinion was 



erroneous, the specimen was contrasted by INIr. Yarrell with a 



young Ring-Plover, of the same age. The various markings of 



both were pointed out and compared. The whole length of the 



Ring-Plover exceeded that of the Kentish Plover by one inch, 



and from the point of the shoulder to the extreme end of the first 



wing primary, by three-quarters of an inch. The differences in 



form, as well as in the colour of the legs and toes of both, at 



various ages, were also adverted to. The remark of M.Temminck, 



* SeeNo. XI, p. 61. 



+ See the pit-sent Number, !>. Ilj. 



