272 



so conical as the other ; thirdly, it is of a uniform pale olive-colour, 

 without any appearance of tubercles or darker spots. 



It has been suggested that the difference between the two eggs is 

 so great that they cannot have been laid by the same species of bird. 

 They both differ considerably from the egg of the Galeated Cas- 

 sowary ; and Mrs. Turner assures me that they were both brought 

 from New Britain, by her husband and the captain of the ship, 

 with the living bird, to Sydney ; they were divided by lot, and he, 

 having the choice, selected the tuberculated egg : so that, if they 

 are not the eggs of the Mooruk, it would indicate that there must 

 be two Cassowaries inhabiting New Britain, both different from C. 

 galeatus. 



There is so great a similarity in colour and texture of the smooth 

 egg with the ground-colour of the other egg between the tubercles, 

 that it has been suggested that the tuberculated egg is the perfect 

 egg of the bird, and the smooth egg that of a very immature or 

 sickly specimen ; but under any circumstances I have considered it 

 desirable that both specimens should be figured. 



May 11, 1858. 



John Gould, Esq., F.R.S., V.P., in the Chair. 



The following papers were read : — 



1. Synopsis of the American Ant-birds (Formicariidje). By 

 Philip Lutley Sclater. Part III. containing the 

 Third Subfamily Formicariin^;, or Ant-Thrushes. 



(Aves, PI. CXLIII.) 



Subfam. III. Formicariin^e. 



Habitus maffis turdinus : rostrum subulatum, validiusculum, rec- 

 tum, apice incurva et dente finali instructa : alee breves : 

 cauda brevis, plerumque brevissima, vix rotundata sed plerum- 

 que quadrata : pedes magni, ambidatorii, tarsi longi, scepe 

 longissimi, digitis gracilibus et elongatis : ptilosis mfa et brun- 

 nea, nigro varia : sexus plerumque similes. In terra apud 

 sylvas densas vivunt, ibique nidificant. 



It is difficult, in this as in many other cases, to draw a precise line 

 and say where the last subfamily ought to end and the present one 

 to begin. In order to determine this accurately, it would be de- 

 sirable to know a little more of the habits and other peculiarities of 

 some of these birds. My idea is, that the present section ought to 



