18C1.] MR. A. NEWTON ON PALLAs's SAND-GROUSK. 203 



pilei vittaque aiif/nsfa per oculos transeunte nigra: alls fuscis, 

 extus dorso concoloriLns : tectricibus subalaribiis et campterio 

 IcBte flavis : rostro superiore nigra, inferiore corneo, pedibus 

 carneis. 

 Long. tot. 5'75, alae 2'6, caudae 2'5. 

 Hab. In Prov. Verse Pacis regione calida. 



Obs. Affiuis Embernagrce conirostri ex Nova Granada, sed statura 

 minore, dorso olivaceo pectoreque cinereo dignoscenda. 



Several specimens of this Embernagra are in the collection, all 

 closely agreeing in the above characters. 



3. Aphantochora roberti. 



Aureo-viridescens, supra unicolor : subtus gula cum mento lateri- 

 busque obscuriorihiis, ventre medio vix viridi lavato, plumis late 

 pallida ochraceo terminatis, ventre ima albo : crissa viridescenti- 

 J^usco, plumis albo dare marginatis : alis purpurascenti-nigris, 

 tectricibus subalaribus viridescentibus : cauda aureo-virides- 

 cente ; rectricum duarum externarum media parte nigra, parte 

 apicali alba : rectricibus reliquis nigra terminatis : rostro 

 omnino nigra, pedibus nigerrimis. 



Long. tot. 4-75, alse 2-7.5, caudae l"9, rostri a rictu 1. 



Hab. In Prov. VeriB Pacis regione calida. 



Obs. Affinis Campyloptero cuvieri Gouldi, ex Costa Rica, sed rostro 

 omnino nigro, et caudae fascia nigra latiore distinguenda. 



A single specimen, marked male, is in the collection ; I have dedi- 

 cated it to Mr. Robert Owen. 



4. Remarks on pAt,LAs's Sand-Grouse (Syrrhaptes para- 

 doxus). By Alfred Newton, M.A., F.Z.S. 



Our Secretary having entrusted to my charge an example of Sgr- 

 rhaptes paradoxus which died at the Gardens a few days ago, I am 

 desirous of recording the results of my examination of it. 



I must apologize to the meeting for the imperfection of the ob- 

 servations I am about to oifer. I have not been able to compare 

 the skeleton of this bird with that of other Sand-Grouse, except from 

 memory ; and I prefer to confine my remarks to the structure of the 

 sternal apparatus. This, as is the case in other species of the pecu- 

 liar group to which Sgrrkaptes belongs, offers at first sight an un- 

 questionable resemblance to that of many of the Columbidee, parti- 

 cularly of those members of the family which possess terrestrial 

 habits. The similarity seems principally to arise from the form 

 of the lateral processes of the sternum, which in Syrrhaptes are 

 widened and partially united to the main portion as in Chamcepelia 

 and Geopelia, instead of being singularly prolonged and acuminated 

 as in the more typical Gallince. The resemblance is also increased 

 by the exceedingly deep keel, which is of similar conformation to that 

 of the Columbidee generally. But here the likeness ends. The 



