544 



exteriore utrinque rotundato, postice supra apicem prominente, 

 in medio retuso ; columella recta, long a, angusta. 

 Long. ^j. Hab. Mazatlan. Mus. Hanley. 

 A single individual of this exquisitely-sculptured shell was found 

 in washing the large Spondyli and Patellce of that coast. 



5. On the Indian Pheasants bred in the Menagerie. 

 By D. W. Mitchell, B.A., Secretary to the Society. 



(Aves, PI. CXLVII.-CXLIX.) 



On the 4th of July in the year 1857, the survivors of a large col- 

 lection of Himalayan Game Birds, which had been formed for Her 

 Majesty the Queen and for the Zoological Society, were landed at 

 Blackwall in Mr. Green's East Indiaman the " Prince of Wales." 



This collection was got together by great and liberal exertions on 

 the part of the Governor-General Viscount Canning, aided by the 

 zealous co-operation of Lord William Hay, Capt. Hay, Major Ram- 

 say, Mr. Brian Hodgson, Mr. Keene, Capt. James the acting Re- 

 sident at Darjeeling, and other officers, to whom the great Silver 

 Medal of the Society has been presented in commemoration of their 

 services. 



When the vessel left Calcutta, eight pairs of Impeyan Pheasants 

 and eight pairs of the Horned Pheasant (Ceriornis melanocephala) 

 were carefully stowed in proper cages ; but after having escaped the 

 first danger of overpowering heat in the Bay of Bengal, they unex- 

 pectedly and somewhat unaccountably relapsed into sickness, and 

 died in the cool weather after crossing the line. 



The agent of the Society, Mr. James Thompson, who had been 

 sent out to take charge of the birds, notwithstanding this serious 

 loss, succeeded in delivering alive and in perfect health four other 

 very interesting species, the results obtained from which have fully 

 equalled my most sanguine expectations as to the reproduction and 

 final acclimatation in Europe of all the gallinaceous birds which are 

 found in the temperate and more elevated zones of the Himalaya. 



The birds were brought down to Calcutta and shipped in the be- 

 ginning of March. Their confinement during the voyage necessa- 

 rily interrupted the natural period of breeding ; but as soon as they 

 were established in the provisional aviary which had been prepared 

 for them, two of the species, Gallophasis albocristatus and Gallo- 

 phasis horsfieldii, paired and began to lay. The eggs of the former 

 were unproductive ; but out of ten of the latter, nine birds were 

 hatched, were very skilfully reared by the personal attention of the 

 Superintendent, Mr. John Thompson, and notwithstanding the ex- 

 treme lateness of the season, were successfully preserved throughout 

 the winter of 1857-58, making strong and fully-developed birds m 

 the following spring. 



In the month of April 1858 the whole of the imported birds, 

 having passed the winter with very slight protection, were in full 

 health and vigour, and laid freely. The species were as follows : — 



