324 THE SECRETARY ON DARWIn's RHEA. [Apr. 21, 



scarce form Mr. Seebohm has lately obtained a fine adult male 

 specimen killed at Hadschi-Nefes, on the Attrek. In some respects 

 the Murghab bird comes nearer to Ph. persicus than to Ph. shawi, as 

 it presents on the lower surface the purplisli black terminal edgings 

 to the side feathers, although these are not nearly so broad as in the 

 Murghab bird. But Ph. persicus differs from the Murghab species 

 in having the lower back and outer edges of the rectrices of a fine 

 shining coppery purple, quite different from the brownish red of the 

 Murghab bird. Under these circumstances I do not think the 

 latter can be referred exactly to any known species, and I therefore 

 propose to characterize it shortly as 



"Phasiantjs principalis, sp. uov. (Plate XXII.) 



" Cajnte et collo metalUce viridibus : torque nullo : ulis extus 

 pro maxima 2}ar(e 2}ure albis : ventris medii plumis in centra 

 jiavescentibus, cuprescente rubra late circumdatis : ventris late- 

 ralis plumis aurescenti-rubris purpurescenti-nigro late margi- 

 natis : plaga ventris medii nigra nulla : long, tota circa 3fi, 

 alcB 10, caudce 23, iwll. angl. 



" Hab. In ripis fl. Murghab, Asise centralis. 



" Obs. Species crassitie majore, albedine alarum, pectore purpures- 

 centi-rubro et plaga nigra fere omnino carente insignissima." 



Mr. G. E. Dobson, F.R.S., exhibited on behalf of M. Fernand 

 Lataste, C.M.Z.S., two skulls of the Insectivorous INIammal 

 Crocidura aranea obtained by M. Lataste from the castings of birds 

 of prey. One of these skulls presented the interesting peculiarity of 

 possessing a supernumerary premolar on both sides of the upper jaw, 

 as in the species of the closely allied subgenus Pachyura, while the 

 other had a single supernumerary tooth on the left side. M. Lataste 

 wished to draw particular attention to the presence of these teeth as 

 demonstrating the artificial character of the subgenera Pachyura 

 and Crocidura. 



I 



The Secretary exhibited an egg of Darwin's Bhea, and two small 

 examples of eggs of a Rhea, supposed by the sender to be those of 

 Rh. macroi-hyncJta, and read the following letter addressed to him by 

 M. Georges Claraz on this subject : — 



Avry-devant-Pont (Canton de Fribourg), 

 Suisse, le 16 mars, 1885. 

 Tres honore Monsieur, 



Sous les auspices de Monsieur John Ball, qui a eu I'obligeance 

 de me communiquer votre adresse, je consigne a la poste a votre 

 nom uue petite boite contenant : — 



1 . (Euf de Rhea darwinii ; 



2. Qilufs que je supposais etre du Rhea macrorhyncha. 



Pour ce qui concerne le Rhea darwinii, ses oeufs ont toujours, 

 quand ils sont frais, une teinte Icgcrement bleiuitre on verdatre ; 

 tandis que ceux du Rhea americana a I'etat frais (ou extraits du 

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