75 



August 9, 1836. 

 Richard Owen, Esq., in the Chair. 



A specimen was exhibited of an Ortyx which Mr. Gould regarded 

 as hitherto undescribed. 



At the request of the Chairman he pointed out the distinguishing 

 peculiarities of the new species, which he named and characterized 

 as follows : 



Ortyx ocellatus. Ortyx nigro-brnnneus, dorso punctis rufo-brunnei 

 adsperso, latcrihus ocellis albi-flavidis notatis,femoribus nigris. 



Long. corp. 6l unc. ; ala, 4^ ; tarsi, \\. 



Hsec species ad Ort. Montezumcc in affinitate proxima. 



" Bill black, strong, and arched ; top of the head, which is slight- 

 ly crested, blackish brown ; a large white mark extends over each 

 eye and passes on to the back part of the neck ; beneath the eye is 

 an oval mark of blueish black ; from the base of the lower mandible 

 extends another white mark which spreads upon the front of the 

 neck and is bounded by an abrupt margin of black ; a large patch 

 of the latter colour occupies the chin and throat ; the general colour 

 of the whole of the upper surface is brownish olive, each feather 

 having a decided central line of chestnut following the direction of 

 the shaft and becoming spatulate at the tip ; the web of each feather 

 is transversely barred and blotched with black ; the chest and ab- 

 domen is sandy chestnut, becoming more intense on the under tail- 

 coverts ; sides of the chest and flanks transversely spotted with yel- 

 lowish white on a blueish gi-ey ground; thighs black; tail very short 

 and partly hidden ; tarsi brown. 



This bii-d differs from Ortyx Montezuma in several particulars, but 

 to that species it is most nearly allied. 



Mr. Gould also brought before the notice of the Meeting two new 

 species of Birds from New South Wales, where they had been col- 

 lected, and subsequently presented to the Societj' by Captain Sturt. 

 They are referrible to the genus Zoster ops of Messrs. Vigors and 

 Horsfield; a group among the Sylviada, and of which but two species 

 were known at the time those gentlemen instituted the genus. Mr. 

 Gould placed on the table six additional species, a portion of which 

 was from the Society's collection, and the remainder from his own. 

 In the course of his remarks, Mr. Gould adverted to the surprising 

 augmentation of species which has now taken place in nearly every 

 group in ornithology; and characterized the new species mentioned 

 above as 



ZOSTEROPS ALBOGULARIS, Gould. 



Zost. corpore superne, alis, cauddque, olivaceis ; dorso, tectricibus 

 alarum, caudaqiie, castaneo-brunneis ; oculo plumulis albis circum- 

 No. XLIV. — Proceedings of the Zoological Society. 



