1872.] THE SECRETARY ON ADDITIONS TO THE MENAGERIE. 789 



the Ka-Ka Parrot cannot in this point be said to approach the Tri- 

 choglossi (badly so called). 



The peculiarity of the tongue of Nestor consists in the fact that the 

 anterior edge of the unguis, always free (though for a very short dis- 

 tance) and jagged, as mentioned above, in the other birds of the class, 

 is here prolonged forwards, beyond the tip of the tongue, for about ^ 

 inch as a delicate fringe of hairs, with a crescentic contour. This 

 fringe seems to result from the breaking up into fibres of the forward- 

 growing plate, which is always marked by longitudinal striations, 

 clearest anteriorly, the result of unequal density and translucency of 

 the tissue composing it, though on making a cross section I was not 

 able to find any of the longitudinal papillary ridges which are present 

 in the human nail and which the striation led me to expect. The 

 unguis is also longer than broad, and very narrow considering the size 

 of the bird, as is also the whole tongue, though the length is greater 

 than in others of the class. In the living bird the mouth is moist, as 

 in the Lories, and not, as in the Cockatoos and others, dry and scaly. 



From these considerations, and a comparison of the accompanying 

 drawings of the tongues of Stringops, Nestor, and Trichoglossus, it is 

 evident that the structure of this organ would lead to the placing of 

 Nestor among the typical Parrots, though an aberrant one, and not 

 with the Trichoglossince ; and other points in its anatomy favour 

 this conclusion. 



November 5, 1872. 

 The Viscount "Walden, F.R.S., President, in the Chair. 



The Secretary read the following reports on the additions to the 

 Society's Menagerie during the months of June, July, August, and 

 September, 1872 : — 



The total number of registered additions to the Society's Menagerie 

 during the month of June 1872 was 211; of which 72 were by birth, 

 25 by presentation, 92 by purchase, and 22 were received on 

 deposit. The total number of departures during the same period, 

 by death and removals, was 94. 



The most remarkable additions in June were : — 



1. A fine pair of Vulturine Guinea-fowls (Numida vulturina), 

 presented, June 14th, by Dr. John Kirk, C.M.Z.S., H.B.M. Consul 

 at Zanzibar. Writing from Zanzibar (August 3rd) Dr. Kirk informs 

 me that this Guinea-fowl has a more northern range than he had pre- 

 viously supposed, being essentially a Somali-land species. Dr. Kirk 

 doubts whether it is ever found south of the river Juba, the informa- 

 tion that it was to be met with at Lamoo (P. Z. S. 1867, p. 953) 

 not resting on sufficient authority. 



2. A specimen of a new species of small Parrakeet of the genus 

 Loriculus, from Cebu, Philippine Islauds, purchased June 18th, of 

 Dr. A. B. Meyer. 



In April 1871 we obtained from a dealer in Liverpool a pair of 



