578 MR. R. B. SHARPE ON THE DIC^ID^. [DeC. 4, 



December 4, 1883. 



Professor Flower, LL.D., F.R.S., President, in the Chair. 



Sir Joseph Fayrer, F.Z.S., exhibited a portion of a Deer's horn 

 apparently gnawed by other Deer, and made remarks upon this 

 subject. 



Mr. Sclater exhibited, on the part of Dr. G. Bennett, F.Z S., 

 four skins of a species of Drepano7'nis, obtained by Mr. Groldie in 

 the vicinity of Port Moresby in Soutbern New Guinea, and pointed 

 out tbat the southern form of tliis bird differed from the nortbern 

 form, originally discovered by D'Albertis (and described P. Z. S. 

 1873, p. 560, pi. xlvii.), in the much paler colour of the rump and 

 tail-feathers and in the more olivaceous tinge of the back. Besides 

 this the elongated tufts on each side of the breast were not only 

 tipped with dark purplish blue as in the northern form, but also 

 suffused with this colour upon their outer surfaces. 



Mr. E. P. Ramsay (Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W. vol. iv. p. 4G9) 

 had already alluded to these differences, but had only been able to 

 examine specimens. 



Mr. Sclater thought that these differences were only of subspecific 

 value, and proposed to indicate their existence by naming the 

 Southern form Drejxinornis albertisi cervinicauda. 



Mr. Sclater remarked that the second species of Drepanornis, 

 described by M. Oustalet (Ann. des Sc. Nat. ser. 6. Zool. vol. ix. 

 Art. 5) under the name Drepanornis bruijnii, seemed not in any 

 way to resemble the southern form, and was from the northern coast 

 of New Guinea, still more to the east than D, albertisii. 



Mr. Burton, F.Z.S., exhibited a supposed hybrid between a 

 common hen Pheasant {Phasianus colchicus) and a male Blackcock 

 (Tefrao tetrix), which had been recently purchased at Leadeuhall 

 Market. 



The following papers were read : — 



1 . Notes on some species of Birds of the family Dicteidce. 

 By R. BowDLER Sharpe, F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c.. Depart- 

 ment of Zoology, British Museum. 



[Eeceived October 9, 1883.] 



In the course of a revision of the family Dicceidts or Flower- 

 peckers, I liave made the following notes on some of the species, 

 which I believe may be of some interest. 



The representative of B. eelehicum in the Sula Islands turns out 



