280 Zoological Proceedings of Societies. 



eluded in the last edition of the " Syslema Naturae." He called 

 the attention of the Club to the uniformity exhibited in the dis- 

 tribution of the colours throughout the genus ; thi^ plumage of all 

 the species, with one or two exceptions, being considerably va- 

 rifgatcd, either above or below, with spots or bands; while the - 

 colours, on the contrary, of the African genus Malaconotus, which 

 immediately approaches Thamnophilus in affinity, are distributed 

 in large and unbroken masses, and no instance has hitherto oc- 

 curred of an example of that genus having the body or tail spotted 

 or barred. He added that it is further worthy of remark that 

 those American Thamnophili^ whose plumage is most unspotted, 

 approach more closely than the rest of the genus to the African 

 Mulacvnoti, by their robuster feet, and more rounded tail. 



Mr. Vigors exhibited several species of the genus Palceornis, 

 which he had lately instituted in the family of Psittacidce ; and 

 he staled that the Parrots known to the ancients b«'longed ex- 

 clusively to that group. He adduced some passages from the 

 classical writers to ilkistrate the high estimation with which these 

 birds werr regarded by antiquity, in consequence of their beauty, 

 their doi ile manners, and the imitative powers of their voice ; as 

 also to point out the characters by which they were known to the 

 ancients, and ihtir geographical distribution. He next proceeded 

 to explain the situation w hich these birds maintain in the family, 

 stating that it appeared to him to be nearly typical in the fifth 

 ?ubdIvisiori, or subfamily, which includes the birds familiarly 

 known to US bv the title of long-tailed Parrakeets. He exem- 

 plified the various groups that belong to this subfamily by speci- 

 mens of each whicli he exhibited to the Club ; and he signified 

 his intention of speedily characterizing all the groups of the 

 Psittadfiw, and laying his general arrangement of them before 

 the Club. In the course of his observations he pointed out a 

 singular peculiarity in a New Plolland genus of the family, of 

 which tlie PsH. hccmatodus, Liim. is the type ; namely, the 

 tubular or brush-like conformation of the tongue. This con- 

 forn)ation he exemplified in the tongue of one of the species of 

 this genus, which was communicated (o him by Mr. Yarrell for 

 (h( inrortnation of the Club. He al.^o mrntionrd that the [ndian 



