1876-3 MR. P. L. SCLATER ON CORIPHILUS KUHLI. 421 



the bone-breccia of the Lebanon caves, viz. the Ibex, Elk, Red 

 Deer, and Bison. All doubts on this subject are now solved by the 

 fact of Dr. Conder, R.E., having obtained on Mount Carmel a spe- 

 cimen, which has been sent to Cambridge, and pronounced by Prof. 

 Newton to be the true Cervus cajjreolus. 



Dr. Conder states that this Deer inhabits the thickets on the sides 

 of Carmel, and is also met with further south, in the wooded country 

 round Sheikh Iskander, where it gives its name to one of the prin- 

 cipal valleys, Wady Yahmur. Special interest attaches to the dis- 

 covery from the fact of its being known to the Arabs as Yahmur, 

 identical with the Hebrew ("spfinj), translated "fallow deer" in 

 our version, and never before identified with any ruminant known to 

 exist in Palestine. 



Palestine is by far the most south-easterly region where the Roe- 

 buck has yet been found either living or among recent remains. 

 Pallas gives Cervus pygargus as the Roebuck of Northern Asia, 

 which, though identified with our Roebuck by Giebel, is generally 

 considered to be distinct. 



May 16, 1876. 

 Dr. A. Gunther, F.R.S., V.P., in the Chair. 



Mr. Sclater exhibited a skin of a rare Pacific Parrot, Coriphilus 

 kuhli *, which had been sent to him for examination by Dr. Elliott 

 Coues, C.M.Z.S. This specimen had been obtained by Dr. T. Hale 

 Streets, U.S. Navy, at Washington Island of the Palmyra group, as 

 indicated in the following remarks : — 



"Washington, or New York, Island, the habitat of this Parrot, is 

 situated in latitude 4° 41' lfJi" north, and longitude 160° 18' 0-5" 

 west. It was discovered in 1 798 by Captain Edmund Fanning, an 

 American ; but he did not land upon it. The United-States Ex- 

 ploring Expedition under the command of Captain Wilkes passed it 

 by in 1840, and reported no anchorage. The island is an obliterated 

 atoll, and is densely covered with vegetation, the cocoa-nut palm 

 predominating. 



" It is evident from the following untechnical description taken 

 from ' Fanning' s Voyages,' that this bird existed on Fanning Island 

 when it was first discovered. 'Amongst the birds was one species 

 about the size of our Robin CTurdus migratorius), with a breast of 

 scarlet-coloured feathers, the under portion of the body being finished 

 off with bright red, the neck of a golden colour, back a lively green 

 with a yellow beak, except the very points, which were of a light 

 dun colour, the wings and tail being both of a jet-black, and the last 

 tipped off with white ; it was a most beautiful and lovely bird, with 

 its brilliant and richly variegated plumage. We were much cha- 

 grined, while observing these, to see a Man-of-war Hawk flying by 

 with one in his mouth, apparently having just caught it.' 



* Domicdhi kuhli, Finsch, Papag. ii. }>. 74'J. 



