22 



golden-yellow hairs ; those on the outer side are of a bright rust 

 colour ; they have no pencil of hairs at the tip. The hairs of the 

 moustaches are numerous, long, and of a black colour. The incisors 

 of both upper and under jaws are deep orange. 



Mr. Fraser read his descriptions of, and observations upon, some 

 new species of Insessorial Birds, belonging to the genus Agrilorhinus. 



" In the northern parts of South America and in Mexico," Mr. 

 Fraser observed, " are certain small birds, resembling the Warblers 

 in size, and in having a slender beak ; they differ, however, in having 

 the beak stronger and compressed ; the upper mandible straight, or 

 even slightly recurved ; its apical portion strongly hooked, and di- 

 stinctly notched ; its cutting edges are curved inwards, so as to in- 

 close the corresponding edges of the under mandible. But the most 

 remarkable character consists in the existence of three or four small 

 notches in the edge of the upper mandible, on either side, and behind 

 the ordinary notch which characterizes the Dentirostres. 



" The Prince of Musignano first noticed these peculiarities in a 

 bird from Mexico, and described them in the ' Nuovi Annali delle 

 Scienze Naturali,' where he used the name Agrilorhinus to distin- 

 guish generically the bird in question. 



" I have now the honour of laying before the meeting four new 

 species of this interesting genus ; three from a collection belonging 

 to the Earl of Derby, which I am informed was made at S'** Fe de 

 Bogota, and one from the Society's museum, the precise habitat of 

 which is not known ; there are reasons, however, for believing it to 

 be a Mexican bird. 



" The Prince of Musignano is of opinion that the genus Agrilo- 

 rhinus has affinities both with the SittincE and Sylvicolin(B. The 

 strong notch in the upper mandible, its distinctly curved point, and 

 the compressed form of the beak, combined with the well-developed 

 vibrissa, lead me to believe that this genus ought rather to be re- 

 garded as a somewhat aberrant form of Laniadce. 



Agrilorhinus Bonapartei. Agr. in toto niger, humeris exceptiSi 



his cterulescenti-cinereis. 

 Long. tot. 6^ unc. ; rostri, | ; «/<?, 3 ; caudce, 3 ; tarsi, |. 

 Hab. S'» Fe de Bogota. 



Agrilorhinus humeralis. Agr. in toto niger, humeris exceptis, 



his coerulescenti-cinereis . 

 Long. tot. 5 unc. ; rostri, 7 lin. ; al(&, 2J; Cauda, 2^ ; tarsi, J. 

 Hab. S'* Fe de Bogota. 



This bird only differs from the preceding species in its smaller 

 size. 



Agrilorhinus olivaceus. Agr. olivaceus, corpore subtiJs jmlli'- 



diore, et fiavido tincto. 

 Long. tot. 4 unc. ; rostri, ^ ; alee, 2 ; cauda, 2 ; ta7-si, f . 

 Hab. Mexico.? 

 This specimen is probably a female. 



