The Zoologist — June, 1874. 4021 



Summer plumage, November. — Head, neck and upper surface 

 dark greenish gray ; wing-coverts and scapulars dotted with deep 

 green spots ; throat and neck pale gray, mottled with dull green ; 

 under surface leaden gray ; lower abdomen black-green ; rectrices 

 black. 



Measurements. — Bill from gape to point, three inches four lines ; 

 tarsus, two inches five lines; wing, nine inches two lines; length, 

 twenty-eight inches. Average weight of adult birds may be fairly 

 estimated at two pounds thirteen ounces. 



When this bird is cruising in search of prey its long neck is often 

 moved from side to side, reminding one of the habits of the nearly 

 allied Plotinse ; this is observable, too, in the young nestlings : of 

 some species of Plotinae it is said that the neck is always in 



°^^^"^"^'°"- T. H. Potts. 



Zoology of the Royal Academy. By Edward Newman. 



In the traditional art criticisms handed down to us through a 

 period of thousands of years, we find as a matter of course much 

 that, to our sluggish intellects, seems mythical, apocryphal, in- 

 credible. We do not, just at present, doubt that twenty or thirty 

 centuries ago the intellect and hands of man did produce an 

 Apollo or a Venus ; aud we are fully aware they could not do so 

 now. The only ground of this faith is the existence of the Apollo 

 and the Venus present with us ; we can see and handle them : the 

 ground of our want of faith in the present existence of power to 

 produce them is simply that it is not exercised. This state of 

 things will soon be changed. As we advance towards that higher 

 condition on earth for which we are destined, carbonate of lime, 

 for of such is the Apollo, such the Venus, — and we must learn 

 to call things by their right names, — carbonate of lime will be 

 required for more useful purposes ; for instance, as an ingredient 

 of cement, or drugs, or bread. Then will the hammer and the mill 

 do their work : and this accomplished, the sceptics will exclaim 

 triumphantly, " As for ancient art it is all a myth ; you cannot 

 trust these traditions ; were there any foundation for them, evidence 

 must exist : let me ask you plainly, do you believe our artists 

 could produce such things now? If therefore, in this advanced 

 state, we could not produce them now, how could our fathers 

 produce them." There is no speculation in this: Baalbec and 

 second series — VOL. IX. 2 r 



