210 MR. M. A. C. HINTON ON ABNORMAL [Mai*. 21^ 



19. Spermestes bicolor. 



Spermestes bicolor (Eraser) ; Buttik. Notes Leyd. Mus. vii. 

 p. 202 (Sofore Place, St. Paul's River), viii. p. 261 (Monrovia and 

 Junk Rivers), x. p. 62 (Schieffelinsville), xi. pp. 125, 134 (Mount 

 Olive), xii. p. 205 (Robertsport) ; Reichen. Yog. Afrikas, iii. p. 151 

 (1904). 



No. 17. Two 6 , one $ adult. St. Paul's River, Jan. 13, 1905. 



AH three specimens are in partial moult. 



20. Spor^ginthus melpodus. 



Estrelda melpoda (Yieill.) ; Buttik. Notes Leyd. Mus. viii. 

 p. 260 (Oldfield and Scliieffelinsville), xi. p. 134; id. Reisebilder 

 Liberia, ii. p. 417 ; id. Notes Leyd. Mus. xii. p. 205 (Robertsport). 



SporcegintMis melpodus Sliarpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xiii. p. 325 

 (1890). 



No. 13. A 6 adult. St. Paul's River, Jan. 6, 1905. 



No. 13. One d" and two $ adult. St. Paul's River, Jan. 17, 

 1905. Bill red. Feeds pax-tly on grasses. 



[This is a very vicious biixl and has the faculty of being able 

 (several acting in consort) to kill small snakes, first of all attacking 

 the eyes of the snake. They then ctit it into small pieces, carry 

 them to the nests, where the snake rots — insects swarm on the 

 decaying flesh, and on these insects the young birds feed. 

 Native name " Pessa Silisi."'] 



3. On some Abnormal Eemains of the Red Deer (Cervus 

 elaphus) from tlie Post-Pliocene Deposits o£ the South 

 of England. By Martin A. C. Hinton ^". 



[Received Tebruary 15, 1905.] 



The object of this communication is to place on record the 

 discovery in various Post-Pliocene deposits in the South of England 

 of certain remains of Deer which present characters of an 

 abnormal nature. The specimens consist of more or less perfect 

 frontal bones, each bearing a greater or less portion of a tyneless 

 antler attached to a very long pedicle. 



The first specimen is in the British Museum and is thus referred 

 to in Mr. Lydekker's Catalogue : — 



" Cervus elaphtis. 



" 45379. Eragment of the frontal and antler of a very young- 

 individual ; from the Pleistocene of Ilford. Brady Collection." 



In Mr. William Davies's Catalogue of the Brady Collection is 

 the following description of this specimen : — 



" Cet^vus sp. undetermined. 



" Part of a frontal bone with a long pedicle, having the basal 

 * Communicated by Dr. C. W. Andrews, F.Z.S. 



