1867.] PROF. OWEN ON DINORNIS. 891 



Toccus enjthrorhynchus, Temm., ex Afr. occ. 

 Bueorvus abyssinicus (Gm,), ex Africa. 



(3) A specimen of the very rare Australian Parrot lately described 

 by Mr. Gould in the Society's 'Proceedings' (1861, p. 100) under 

 the name of Geopsittacus occidentalis, presented to the Society by 

 Dr. Ferdinand Miiller, of Melbourne, C.M.Z.S., and received No- 

 vember 17th by the ship 'Essex,' under the special charge of Capt. 

 Ridgers, the obliging commander of that vessel. 



Dr. Miiller, who had forwarded this bird to the Secretary under 

 the impression that it was undescribed, had supplied the following 

 particulars concerning it : — 



" This peculiar Parrot was presented to me by Mr. Ryan, on 

 whose sheep-station, on the Gawler ranges west of Spencer Gulf, it 

 was obtained. The most extraordinary circumstance connected with 

 this bird is, that it is nocturnal ! It lives in the rocky caves of the 

 ranges, and comes out at night to feed." 



Mr. Sclater stated that it was evident from observations made 

 upon this bird since it had reached the Society's Gardens that Dr. 

 Miiller's account of its nocturnal habits was correct. 



Mr. P. L. Sclater also exhibited a skin of the Lesser Sheathbill 

 (Chio?iis minor, Hartlaub), being that of an individual of this species 

 which had been transmitted living to the Society by Mr. E. L. 

 Layard, F.Z.S. This bird had been brought from the Crozet Islands 

 by Capt. Armson, and had been for some time in the Aviary of Mr. 

 Searle of Cape Town, who had kindly parted with it in favour of the 

 Society. 



An extract was read from a letter addressed to the Secretary by 

 Capt. J. M. Dow, Corr. Memb., dated Panama, 10th September, 

 1867, announcing that, after many endeavours, he had succeeded in 

 procuring for the Society a young living specimen of the newly dis- 

 covered Tapir of Panama (Tajjirus hairdi), and was intending to 

 transmit it to the Society at an early opportunity. Capt. Dow en- 

 closed some photographs of the animal, which were exhibited to the 

 Meeting*, 



Prof. Owen communicated two memoirs on the extinct birds of 

 the genus Binornis of New Zealand, forming the eleventh and twelfth 

 of a series of papers on this subject. These were entitled " On 

 Dinornis (Part XL), containing a description of the integument of 

 the sole and tendons of a toe of the foot of Dinornis robustus ;" and 

 "On Dinornis (Part XIL), containing a description of the femur, 

 tibia, and metatarsus of Dinornis maximus, Owen." 



These papers will be published in the Society's * Transactions.' 



* See Dr. Gray's remarks, antea, p. 886. 



