396 MR. R. TRIMEN ON LANIARITJS ATROCROCEUS. [May 3, 



on each side. Pseudobranehice largely developed. Colours — After 

 about five years' maceration in spirit the colours are now, rich 

 brown with numerous round dull yellow spots, broader than the 

 interspaces, on the head and upper half of the tides. Fins darker 

 brown. 



May 3, 18S7. 

 Dr. Edward Hamilton, Vice-President, in the Chair. 



The Secretary read the following report on the additions to the 

 Society's Menagerie during the month of April 1887 : — 



The total number of registered additions to the Society's Mena- 

 gerie during the month of April was 99. Of these 14 were by 

 birth, .tO by presentation, 15 by purchase, 8 by exchange, and 12 were 

 received on deposit. The total number of departures during the same 

 period, by death and removals, was 97. 



The most noticeable additions during the month were : — 



1. Two voung Polar Bears (Ursus mariiimus), presented by Joseph 

 Monteith, Esq., received April 16th. 



2. Two Created Ducks {Anas cristatn') from the Falkland Islands, 

 received .April 16th, presented by Frederick E. Cobb, Esq., C.M.Z.S. 

 This species is new to the Society's Collection of Waterfowl. 



The following extracts were read fro i: a letter addres-ed to the 

 Secretary by Mr. Roland Trimen, F.Z.S., dated " South- .African 

 Museum, Cape Town, 29th March, 1887":— 



" I know that von and other oiniihologibts will be in'erested in 

 hearing that a se ond example of Laniarius afrocroceus, Trimen 

 (see Proc. Zool. Soc. 1880, p. 623, pi. lix.), has been obtained. 



" It was brought to me yesterday for comparison with the original 

 tvpe speiinen by Mr. A. W. Eriksson, who shot it on the Matlabast 

 River, a stream not far north of the junction of the Marico with 

 the Limpopo, and itself a tributary of the latter. 



" The laliel attached to this second known specimen (ad") notes 

 that its iris is ' lavender, with a narrow dark brown line next the 

 pupil,' and that it was shct about ten miles from the locality where 

 the late Dr. Biadshaw shot the first example. I can detect no oif- 

 ference between the two specimens. 



" Mr. Eiiksson gave me a graphic account of his discovery of the 

 bird. L. atrococciiieus was common in the locality, and when Mr. 

 Eriksson first caught s-ight of the L. atrocroceus it was quarrelling 

 with an individual of that most closely allied bird. The note of the 

 L. atrocroceus exactly resembled that of the L. atrococcineus ; and 

 this seemed to annoy the latter, who was the assailant in the squabble. 

 AYhen the L. atrocroceus resisted, it seemed to get the better of the 

 other. So intent were the two birds on their contest that they for 

 some time disregarded Mr. Eriksson's presence, and kept so close to 

 him in a thorny brake that he conhl not fire without too great a risk 



