466 MR. BOULANGER ON IGUANA TUBERCULATA. [NoV, 3, 



pearl-like excrescences which are placed at each corner of the bill. 

 They form a triangle, of which two are of a very fine pearl-like 

 blue, and the third of a pale buff-colour. When the bird opens its 

 mouth the buff-coloured pearl is found to be the real corner of the 

 bill, whilst on each side is a blue pearl. The beak itself is of a 

 shining black colour, the head is grey, the throat lighter. The 

 breast is a greyish buff, gradually melting into the yellowish white 

 of the belly. The back is olive-green, and the tail-coverts bluish 

 green. 



" The egg is white. The nest, as will be seen, has no roof to it, 

 as have the nests of most Australian Grass-Fiuches, but is an open 

 construction of some dried weeds and grass, and was placed in a little 

 wooden box, of which the front was open. 



" Five little birds came out, and at the age of about three weeks, 

 I think, flew out, and were very active and independent from the 

 beginning. The old birds have fed them entirely on canary-seed 

 and white millet. They used no ants'-eggs or anything of that sort. 



"They seem to be perfect vegetable-feeders. How the plumage 

 of the young birds changes 1 hope to be able to let you know 

 later." 



The Secretary exhibited, on behalf of Prof. E. C. Stirhng, of the 

 University, Adelaide, C.M.Z.S., an original water-colour drawing of 

 the new Australian Mammal, Notoryctes typlilops, prepared from 

 a pencil-sketch taken from life. Prof. Stirling had written as 

 follows : — 



" This drawing represents the animal in an observed attitude, and 

 shows one or two of the characteristics which I have described. 

 The ground is the red sand so prevalent in the interior, and is 

 coloured from a sample I brought down. The ' tussocks ' are those 

 of Ariodia irritans, the Porcupine-Grass or spinifex of the Interior, 

 some of the tussocks being in flower. For the sake of the distance 

 and perspective they have been represented proportionately too 

 small; but the sketch conveys very well the idea of the kind of 

 country the animals are found in, i. e., bare sand, with scattered 

 tussocks of this pointed grass." 



Mr. Boulanger exhibited an Iguana with reproduced tail, and 

 made the following remarks : — 



" The specimen of Iguana tuberculata, from Curagao, which I 

 exhibit, was received a few days ago at the Natural History 

 Museum. It is interesting for having the tail regenerated — -a some- 

 what unusual occurrence in this well-known Lizard, and especially 

 for the remarkable appearance of the restored portion. The caudal 

 scales in Iguana are disposed in verticils, but on the regenerated 

 organ they are arranged quiucuncially ; and instead of the black 

 annuli we have a black dorsal stripe. This stripe begins at the base 

 of the regenerated portion, a little to the right, at the posterior edge 



