368 PROF. MIVART ON THE SKELETON OF PELECANUS. [Apr. 17, 



simejlavis: rostro et pedibus nigerrimis. Long.tota. 9'0, alee 

 40, caudce 3*5, tarsi 1, dig. post, sine xmgue '5, rostri a rictu '9. 



Hah. Costa Rica {H. Rogers). 



Mr. H. Rogers, who is now in Cosfa Rica collecting objects of 

 natural history, shortly after his arrival in that country sent home a 

 box, chiefly of insects, but with them four bird-skins, one of which 

 is the remarkable individual which I exhibit to-night. That it 

 belongs to an undescribed genus there can be little doubt ; that it is 

 a member of the family Ampelidae is perhaps not so certain. The 

 presence of a large first primary shows its position amongst the true 

 Oscines ; but the comparative narrowness of the gape, feeble bill, the 

 longer and stouter tarsi than is usual in Ampelidae, and the fact of the 

 front of the tarsus being covered by a single scute suggest that the 

 bird may prove to be an aberrant member of the family Turdidse. 

 The wing-formula is quite that of Ptilogomjs, to which genus the 

 glossy plumage and some of the characteristics of the coloration 

 suggest an affinity ; and these characters have induced me to place 

 Phainoptila for the present near Ptilogonys in the family Ampelidae. 



May 1st, 1877. 



Prof. Newton, F.R.S., V.P., in the Chair. 



Mr. Howard Saunders exhibited and made remarks on some nests 

 and eggs of the Orphean Warbler {Sylvia orphea) from the vicinity 

 of Malaga, Spain. Amongst the eggs in each nest were one or two 

 of larger size, which were supposed to be possibly eggs of the Cuckoo. 



Mr. Saunders also exhibited two skins of Dupont's Lark {Alaiida 

 duponti) from the same locality. 



Prof, Mivart, F.R.S., read a memoir on the axial skeleton of the 

 Pelecanidse, selecting Pelecanus as his type and standard of compa- 

 rison. Prof. Mivart first compared Pelecanus, as regards its axial 

 skeleton, with Struthio and the other Struthionidse, and then com- 

 pared the other Steganopodes with it and with one another. 



TJiis memoir will be published in the Society's ' Transactions.' 



The following papers were read^:^ - - 



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