526 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
The latter publication, emhodying numerous additions to the list of Chinese 
birds, and several new species which had been described by the author since 
the date of his first Catalogue, may be regarded as the most reliable source 
of information at the present time on the Ornithology of a country still very 
imperfectly known to European naturalists. In 1870 he contributed to the 
Natural-History columns of ‘ The Field’ an interesting series of articles on 
the Natural History of Hainan. Mr. Swinhoe’s official position in China 
enabled him from time to time to arrange for the capture and transmission 
to England of many rare and valuable animals for the Zoological Society’s 
Gardens, and he never lost an opportunity of furthering the interests of the 
Society of which he was so distinguished a member. His successful efforts 
in regard to the importation of several rare species of Phasianid@, the most 
beautiful of all the game birds, may be especially called to mind. One of 
these, from the island of Formosa, hus been described and named after him 
by Mr.Gould. It was much to be deplored that a naturalist of such 
talent and energy of mind was not equally gifted with physical strength to 
carry out his enthusiastic aspirations. Unfortunately, an attack of paralysis 
contracted in China necessitated his return to England, and for a con- 
siderable time before his death, his state of health was such as to cause 
great anxiety to his family and friends. His patience and cheerfulness 
while prostrated by this affliction were remarked by all who knew him, and 
it was fortunate for him that his favourite study furnished him with a 
constant occupation for the mind, which to some extent agreeably distracted 
his thoughts from his physical suffering. At the time of his death, 
Mr. Swinhoe had been for some time occupied in the preparation of a 
large work on the birds of China, which it was intended to illustrate with 
coloured plates. It will be a source of disappointment to ornithologists that 
. he has not lived to complete it. 
PROCEEDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 
Linnean Society or Lonpon. 
November 1, 1877.—Prof. ALtMAN, President, in the chair. 
Messrs. S. M. Samuel and P. Wyatt Squire were duly elected Fellows of 
the Society. 
Two zoological papers were read. The first by Capt. William E. Armit, 
of Dunrobin, Queensland, was a ‘‘ Note on Australian Finches of the Genus 
Poéphila.” Mr. Gould having treated P. Gouldie and P. mirabilis as 
distinct species, and Mr. Diggles having asserted his opinion that the 
former was the female of the latter, Capt. Armit procured specimens and 
investigated the habits and change of plumage of both, the result being ~ 
