104 



whitish yellow ring, and terminated by a long point of a deep bay 

 colour. Hence, along the whole upper surface of the head, neck, 

 and back, the uniform colour is unmixed deep and brilliant red. On 

 the sides of the neck, on the throat, ribs and flanks, is pure white, 

 changing to light smoky blue on the last-named parts. The outer 

 hair of the hips and thighs is tipt with grey instead of red, which 

 gives these parts a hoary appearance, and this colour predominates 

 on all the upper parts of the Society's two specimens, in which the 

 fur is moreover much shorter and coarser, and the coloiU'S less bril- 

 liant and varied than in Mr. Royle's. The whole under surface of 

 the body is of a smoky brown colour, without any intermixture of 

 long silky hairs. The external colours of the body are, therefore, 

 bright bay on the back, yellowish red on the sides of the bod)% 

 white on the sides of the neck, hoary grey on the hijjs, and smoky 

 brown on the throat, breast, and belly. The ears are pretty large 

 and elliptical, their outer surface black; a stripe of the same colour 

 runs down the front of the legs, both fore and hind; the soles of the 

 feet are thickly covered with hair of a yellowish brown colour, ex- 

 cept the balls of the toes, which are naked. The brush is large and 

 well finished, of the same colour as the body throughout the greater 

 pai't of its length, and terminated by a large white pomt. 



Mr. Gray related a series of facts in reference to the habits of a 

 Cuckoo, which appeared to prove that the female, though she leaves 

 the eggs to be hatched by another bird, sometimes at least takes 

 care of the young bird and feeds it after it leaves its nest, and teaches 

 it to fly. They may explain how they are taught to migrate. 



He also expressed some doubt respecting the eggs of Cuckoos be- 

 ing laid ill the nest of Granivorous birds, and stated an instance 

 where a chicken had been hatched under a Pigeon, that the Pigeon 

 neglected it when it found that it would not eat the soaked peas, and 

 eventually ejected it from its nest. 



Mr. Gray then exhibited and explained a peculiarity in the struc- 

 ture of the ligaments of bivalve shells, and pointed out the pecu- 

 liarity of some mactraceous shells which had this part, contrary to 

 the general structures, inclosed in the cartilage pit, observing that 

 this structure was found in his genus Gyiathodon, and in a new genus, 

 which Mr. Graj^ had called at the British Museum Mulinia, of which 

 he described five species ; and he also stated the necessity for forming 

 a new genus, of which Mactra Sprengleri may be regarded as the tj'pe. 



Mr. Han'ey, of Teignmouth, exhibited various fossils from Devon- 

 shire. Of these, sections in different directions had been made, and 

 the surfaces highly polished. The structure was thus rendered 

 beautifully apparent. 



Mr. Hai-vey also'exhibited various specimens of Asterias&nd Ophiura 

 fiom the Devonshire coast, and explained the mode by which they 

 had been prepared, 



Mr. Gould brought under the notice of the Meeting several spe- 



