1891] MR. F. E. BLAAUW ON POEPHILA MIKABILIS. 465 



The registered additions to the Society's Menagerie during the 

 month of September were 92 in number ; of these 61 were acquired 

 by presentation, 1 7 by purchase, 4 by exchange, 3 were bred in the 

 Gardens, and 7 were received on deposit. The total number of 

 departures during the same period by death and removals was 79. 



Amongst the additions I may invite special attention to the fol- 

 lowing: — 



1. A Dorsal Hyrax {Hyrax dorsalis) from Sierra Leone, pre- 

 sented by C. Burney Mitford, Esq., Colonial Treasurer, Sierra Leone, 

 received September 3rd. 



This species is new to our list. It may be compared with the 

 specimen of Hyrax capensis, which is now in the cage alongside 

 of it. 



2. A collection of animals from the territories of the Imperial 

 British East Africa Company, presented by Keith Anstruther, Esq., 

 of that Compariy's service. These comprise a specimen of a rare 

 Monkey — the Mozambique Monkey {Oercopithecus rufo-viridis), of 

 which no examjile has reached the Society since 1860. The present 

 specimen is from the Kilimanjaro district. Mr. Anstruther also 

 sent us a pair of Ostriches, of which only the female has readied us 

 alive. It appears to belong to the form with blue naked skin named 

 Struthio molybdophunes by Dr. Cabanis (J. f. O. 1884, p. 229). 



Mr. Keith Anstruther has recently changed his quarters from 

 Taveta to Malindi, where Hippopotamuses are abundant, and lias 

 kindly undertaken to make every endeavour to procure for us a 

 young pair of this animal, which we much require. 



3. Two Cormorants from New Zealand, presented by the Earl of 

 Onslow, G.C.M.G., Governor of New Zealand, through the kind 

 intervention of Captain F. H. Salvin, who is, as is well known, 

 sj)ecially interested in birds of this group. These birds seem to be 

 referable to the Pied Shag, Phalacrocorax varius (see Buller's 'Birds 

 of New Zealand,' ed. 2, ii. p. 149, pi. xxxviii.), but do not quite 

 agree with Sir W, Buller's description. 



4. A young Agami Heron {Ardea agami) from Surinam, presented 

 September 25th by Mr. Frank Fisher. This Heron is new to the 

 Society's list. 



The Secretary exhibited, on behalf of Mr. F. E. Blaauw, C.M.Z.S., 

 a stuffed example of a young Wondrous Grass-Finch {Poephila mira- 

 bilis), bred in captivity at his house (S'Graveland, Hilversum, 

 Holland), together with a nest and egg of this species, and read some 

 extracts from his letter on the breeding of this bird : — 



" The male of my pair of Poephila mirabilis is exactly like the 

 bird represented in Gould's ' Birds of Australia.' The female is a 

 little smaller and has no lengthened tail-feathers. The head at the 

 first aspect looks black, but when examined closely is found to have 

 a dark red glow, and even to have some dark red feathers. The 

 breast is of a very pale bluish pink ; the rest of the plumage resembles 

 that of the male, but all the colours are more indistinct. The 

 young when they left the nest were conspicuous by the three beautiful 



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