No. 123. 



ABSTRACT OF THE PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON* 



June 3rd, 1913. 



Prof. E. W. MacBride, M.A., D.Sc, F.R.S., Vice-President, 

 in the Chair. 



The Minutes of the last Scientific Meeting were confirmed. 



Mr. D. Seth-Smith, F.Z.S., Curator of Birds, exhibited the 

 egg and young of the Mikado Pheasant (Calophasis miJcado), a 

 rare species, described first in 1906, from the mountains of 

 Formosa. Some living specimens had been imported in 1912 by 

 Mr. Walter Goodfellow, and the owners of these birds had 

 entrusted the eggs to the Zoological Society, where they were 

 being hatched. 



The egg was cream coloured and very large compared with 

 those of allied species of pheasants, being 57 x 41 mm. 



The incubation period proved to be twenty-eight days, instead 

 of twenty-four as in the majority of pheasants, and the young 

 when newly hatched were very large, and had the quill-feathers 

 better developed than v.'as the case in allied species. 



Sir Arthur H. Church, K.O.V.O., F.R.S., read a paper, com- 

 municated by the Secretary, entitled " Notes on Turacin and the 

 Turacin-bearers." 



This paper contains a summary of the chief facts as to the 

 composition, properties, and occui-rence of turacin, the soluble 

 crimson pigment of the Musophagidse, Special stress is laid upon 

 its constancy of composition, the limitation of its occurrence to 



* This Abstract is published by the Society at its offices, Zoological G-ardena, 

 Eegeut's Park, N.W., on the Tuesday following the date of Meeting to which 

 it refers. It will be issued, along with the ' Proceedings,' free of extra charge, 

 to all Fellows who subscribe to the Publications ; but it may be obtained on the 

 day of publication at the price of SLrpence, or, if desired, sent post-free for 

 the sum of Six Shillings per annum, payable in advance. 



