290 



and that the first indication of sex is the change of colour of the 

 legs from black to yellow, which change takes place earlier than the 

 change of plumage in the young birds. 



This person was in the service of Governor Moore for some time 

 in the Falkland Islands. 



I am, Sir, 

 P. L. Sclater, Esq., Your most obedient servant, 



fyc. fyc. fyc. James Hunt. 



I may remark, that these birds are well represented as sexes on 

 the same plate in Mr. Cassin's account of the birds procured by the 

 U. S. Naval Astronomical Expedition in Chili (see that work, pi. 24). 



With regard to the " Ashy-headed Goose " which is figured in 

 Gray and Mitchell's ' Genera of Birds ' as Bernicla inornata, I am 

 enabled to confirm what I before stated, that King's Anas inornata 

 is not the same bird. Mr. G. R. Gray has shown me the type of 

 King's description, which is now in the British Museum ; and it is 

 clearly not our " Ashy-headed Goose " of the Gardens, but perhaps 

 hardly different from the true "magellanica." The Ashy-headed bird 

 should therefore bear the name poliocephala given to it in the B.M. 

 Catalogue published in 1844. 



Mr Gould exhibited to the meeting a specimen of the American 

 species Regulus calendulus, which was shot in a wood on Loch Lo- 

 mondside by Dr. Dewar about five years since. 



He also exhibited a specimen of the Night Heron, which had been 

 shot at Combe Abbey, the seat of the Earl of Craven. 



The following extract was read from a letter addressed to Mr. 

 Gould by his son Mr. Charles Gould, dated Eastbourne, May 3, 



1858:— 



" In the course of my walk yesterday, I came close to a sand-pit 

 rather suddenly ; a number of Rabbits were playing about, who 

 scampered off as soon as they became aware of the dread proximity 

 of man, leaving behind them six or seven nondescript companions 

 about their own size, sedately playful, awkward, and grotesque ; at 

 the distance at which I first saw them I was quite at a loss to ima- 

 gine what they were. Finding they were curious rather than shy, 

 I approached nearer, and found them to be young Fox Cubs ; they 

 allowed me to venture within about 15 yards of them, and then re- 

 tired, without any indecorous haste, one by one into their holes." 



