1S/3.] l'ROF. .NEWTON ON PEZOPHAPS SOLITARIA. 291 



Mr. Sclater exhibited a stuffed Coot belonging to the Museum of 

 Science and Art at Edinburgh and believed to be the typical speci- 

 men of Fulica gallinuloides of King (Zool. Journ. iv. p. 96), and 

 showed that it was really an example of Fulica leucoptera, Vieillot, 

 and not of Fulica armillata, as he and Mr. Salvin (P. Z. S. 1868, 

 p. 465 et Ex. Orn. p. 115), misled by Capt. King's imperfect de- 

 scription, had supposed. 



Professor Newton, M.A., F.R.S., V.P.Z.S., exhibited a stone sent 

 him by Mr. Caldwell, C.M.Z.S., and remarked :— 



"The veracity of the earliest writer who treated at any length of 

 the Solitaire (PezopJiaps solitaria) affords a pleasing contrast with 

 that of the latest. Many of the statements put forth by Leguat 

 concerning that bird have already been curiously confirmed ; and I 

 have much pleasure in laying before the Society what appears to be 

 another proof of his accuracy. Writing of the hen Solitaires he 

 says: — 



" 'On leur trouve toujoursdans le gesier (aussi bien qu'aux males) 

 une pierre brune de la grosseur d'un Oeuf de poule ; elle est un peu 

 raboteuse, platte d'un cote & arrondie de l'autre, fort pesante, & fort 

 dure. Nous avons juge que cette pierre nait avec eux ; parce que 

 quelque jeuues qu'ils soient, ils en ont toujours, & n'en out jamais 

 qu'une ; & qu'outre cela, le canal qui va du jabot au gesier, est trop 

 etroit de moitie pour donner passage a une pareille masse. Nous 

 nous en servions preferablement a aucune autre pierre, pour aiguiser 

 "nos couteaux' 1 . 



"When Mr. H. H. Slater was appointed by the Roval Society 

 Naturalist to the Transit-of- Venus Expedition in Rodriguez, I 

 especially drew his attention to this statement ; but I have under- 

 stood from him that, notwithstanding his careful examination of 

 the caves of that island, he never found any thing bearing out 

 Leguat's assertion. Shortly after his return, our Corresponding 

 Member, Mr. Caldwell, of Mauritius, visited Rodriguez, as the Society 

 is already aware (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1875, pp. 644-6-17). He was, 

 as he has told us, more fortunate, and obtained three or four of what 

 he believes to be the stones mentioned by Leguat. One of these he 

 has been so good as to give to my brother, Mr. Edward Newton ; 

 and on behalf of both those gentlemen I now exhibit it. You will see 

 that in most respects it agrees closely with the description of Leguat. 

 It is brown, somewhat rough, heavy and hard. It is hardly, 

 however, flattened on one side ; and in connexion with that fact I may 

 remark that the bird with whose remains it was associated appears to 

 have been young. Its mineralogical nature has yet to be determined ; 

 but before it is cut up for that purpose I thought the Members of the 

 Society would like to see it. Its weight is a little over If oz. 



"Mr. Caldwell has also been so kind as to furnish me with some 

 remarks on this and the other specimens he obtained : but his state- 



1 Voyages et Avantures de Francois Leguat &c, Lcmdres : MDCCVIII. 

 vol. i p. 100. 



19* 



