688 DR. A. B. MEYER ON THE COLOURS OF OBJECTS. [NoV. 28, 



Mr. J, E. Harting, F.Z.S., exhibited a specimen of a South- 

 African Eagle-Owl {Bubo maculosus) stated to have been killed in 

 1851 near Waterford, in Ireland, from the collection of Dr. Burkitt 

 of Waterford. 



Mr. R. Bowdler Sharpe exhibited some specimens of Swifts sent to 

 him by Dr. Lucau from the Congo. 



These consisted of a pair of a species of Chcetura, evidently the 

 same as C. cassini, Sclater, from Gaboon, with which Mr. Sharpe 

 had compared them. The range of this species was thus extended 

 from the Gaboon to the Congo district. 



The true OhcBtura sabinii was discovered in Sierra Leone by Sir 

 E. Sabine, and was afterwards met with in Fernando Po by Mr. 

 Eraser (cf. Strickl. P. Z. S. 1844, p. 99), and had been more recently 

 found on the Loango coast bv Dr. Falkenstein (cf. Reichen. J. f. O. 

 1877, p. 21). 



Chcetura ussheri, Sliarpe, still remained known only from the 

 original specimens, procured by the late Governor Ussher on the Gold 

 Coast (Fort Victoria). 



Dr. Lucan had also forwarded a pair of Cypselus, with the nest 

 and eggs, which he believed to belong to Cy^jselus sharpii, Bouvier 

 (Bull. Soc. Zool. France, i. p. 228, pi. vi. fig. 1). The specimens, 

 however, showed that the Congo bird now procured by Dr. Lucan 

 was the true C. caffer, identical with South-African specimens. 



C. sharpii differed from C. caffer in having a less forked tail, and 

 especially in having the rump-band perfectly uniform, without any of 

 the narrow black shaft-lines which were seen in C. caffer ', the white 

 on the throat also descended further. 



Mr. Sharpe also exhibited a specimen of Machirhamphus alcinus 

 obtained by Mr. Everett near Papar in Northern Borneo, and made 

 remarks on the geographical distribution of this singular form of 

 Accipitres. 



A communication was read from Dr. A. B. Meyer, C.M.Z.S., in 

 reference to Mr. Ilarting's communication (above, page 391) as to 

 the desirability of adopting a standard of nomenclature for the descrip- 

 tion of the colours of natural objects. Dr. Meyer called attention 

 to Riidde's international colour- scale published some years ago at 

 Hamburg, which appeared to him to answer the required purpose 

 exactly. Dr. Meyer had made use of this work for his forthcoming 

 monograph on the Jadeite and Nephrite objects of the Dresden 

 Museum, and had recommended it to several scientific friends, 

 especially to travellers who wished to determine the colour of the 

 human skin in diiferent races, Broca's scale being insufficient for the 

 purpose. Dr. Meyer was of opinion that the use of this modern 

 work would be far preferable to the republication of Werner's Nomen- 

 clature as proposed by Mr. Harting. 



The following papers were read : — 



