1867.] THE SECRETARY ON ADDITIONS TO THE MENAGERIE. 1 /U 



Leucospiza Nov^-HOLLANDiiE, Gmel. 



Falco novce-hollandice, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 264. 

 Astur novce-hoUandice, Cuv. Reg. An. 320 ; Vig. & Horsf. Linn. 

 Trans, xv. p. 1/9 ; Gould, Birds of Austr. ; Schleg. Valkv. t. 1 1. 

 Falco albus, Shaw, Gen. Zool. vii. 92 ; White's Voy. p. 250. 

 Astur albus, Sw. Class, of B. ii. p. 215. 

 Sparvius niveus, Vieill. N. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. p. 338. 

 Dcedalion candidum, Less. Tr. d'Orn. p. 66. 

 Falco leuca'etus, Forst. Descr. Orn. p. 70; Icon. ined. 35. 

 Astur rayii, Vig. & Horsf. L. Tr. xv. p. 180. 

 Falco clarus. Lath. Ind. Orn. Suppl. p. xiii. 

 Astur {Leucospiza) novce-hollandicc, Kp. Falc. 197. 



This species is also found in New Guinea, but probably only acci- 

 dentally. There is no doubt that it breeds in the plumage of youth, 

 which has bands. It is also said to prey upon fish. 



February 14, 1867. 



John Gould, Esq., F.R.S., V.P., in the Chair. 



Mr. P. L. Sclater read an extract from a letter from Mr. W. T. 

 Blanford, of the Indian Geological Survey, containing a notice of the 

 interesting fact that a species of Platanista is common in the river 

 Irrawaddi, probably differing from the species of the Indus and the 

 Ganges. 



Mr. P. L. Sclater called the attention of the Meeting to several 

 recent additions to the Society's Menagerie, amongst which were: — 



1. A Kagu (Rkinochetus Jubatus), brought to this country in the 

 ship ' Curacoa,' and acquired by purchase for the Society on the 5th 

 inst. This made up two pairs of this scarce bird now in the So- 

 ciety's Gardens. 



2. An additional example of the Mooruk or Bennett's Cassowary 

 (Casuarius bennetti), presented by Commodore Sir William Wise- 

 man, Bart., R.N., along with other valuable birds on the 11th inst. 



Mr. Scjater took this opportunity of also calling attention to the 

 young Cassowary {Casuarius galeatus) hatched in the Gardens on 

 the 22nd of June, 1866, which was still in good health and pro- 

 mised to make a fine bird. This was believed to be the only instance 

 of the successful reproduction of this bird that had ever taken place 

 in Europe. 



Prof. Newton communicated a notice of a picture which he sup- 

 |)osed to represent the Didiiie Bird (Didus, sp.) of the island of 



