370 DR. A. GiJNTHER ON CENTRAL-AMERICAN FISHES. [NoV. 26, 



bird is remarkably small, and few persons would guess what it 

 possibly could be ; in a few days, however, the legs begiu to grow 

 rapidly, and the neck and bill become elongated, and the bird quickly 

 appears a Crane in shape. 



From the time of hatching the female alone broods upon or nestles 

 the bird, although the male takes turn in the task of incubation ; and 

 I notice the female does not squat down on the young one to brood, 

 but sits down on the ground near it, and the young bird imme- 

 diately walks behind her ; she then raises her long black plumes, be- 

 tween which he creeps, and passes forward under one of her wings, 

 until quite out of sight ; her plumes are then lowered into their 

 ordinary position. 



There is a beautiful example of the progressive growth from the 

 first down to the perfect feathers to be seen on the young of this bird. 

 I have in many birds observed this, but not to so great an extent. It 

 appears that the first down is not thrown off, but continues to grow 

 longer, until the perfect feather is developed, having the early down 

 attached at its point : this condition is to be seen not only on the 

 points of the primaries, but also on the ends of the feathers of the 

 entire plumage. Thus the bird for some time carries his early dress 

 on the outside of his second plumage. The rapid growth of the 

 plumage can be best understood from the fact that on the 27th of 

 September it was found necessary to catch the young bird in order 

 to cut the primaries of one of its wings (which I exhibit), to prevent 

 its flying away. The bird by this time almost equalled its parents 

 in size, and now is assuming the colour of the adult. 



2. On a Collection of Fishes sent by Capt. Dow from the 

 Pacific Coast of Central America. By Dr. Albert 



GiJNTHER. 



A small collection of Fishes transmitted to the Society by its 

 Corresponding Member, Capt. Dow, from the Pacific coast of Cen- 

 tral America, has proved to be one of great interest, not only because 

 it contains an unusually large proportion of new species, but also 

 because it illustrates a very strange fact with regard to the geogra- 

 phical distribution of the class of Fishes. Several instances of one 

 and the same species occurring on both the Atlantic and Pacific sides 

 of Central America have been known to me for several years. Ne- 

 vertheless when Mr. Fraser sent home his last collection, made on 

 the Pacific side of the isthmus, and when I found several West 

 Indian species of fishes in it, I was much surprised, and rather in- 

 clined to assume that accidentally some confusion had taken place. 

 Every doubt, however, is removed by this last arrival, of Capt. Dow's 

 collection, containing five species out of fourteen which are identical 

 with Atlantic forms, namely : — Batrachus surinamensis, Salarias 

 atlanticus, Clinus delalandii, Miigil proboscideus, and Fisttdaria 

 tabaccaria. It is, however, worthy of remark, that nearly all the 



