31 [Vol. xxi. 



to renew these observations, frequently having as many as 

 sixteen Griffon Vultures in view at the same time, and often 

 within a few feet of the spot where I stood. After observing 

 them closely I was convinced that this bird has the power 

 of independent movement over the two outermost quill- 

 feathers, and, to a less extent, over the third also. That is 

 to say, two feathers can be stiffly erected so as to assume 

 an almost vertical position, while the remaining primaries 

 retain their normal horizontal plane. This faculty, I take 

 it, has been acquired to compensate for the shortness of the 

 tail, which materially restricts the steering-power of this 

 species." 



Mr. JouRDAiN also exhibited an abnormally coloured 

 clutch of eggs of the Tree-Pipit {Anthus trivialis), in which 

 the ground-colour was pale blue and entirely devoid of 

 markings. 



Mr. R. H. E/EAD exhibited a number of clutches of eggs 

 of the Tree-Pipit, and one of the Meadow-Pipit [A.pratensis), 

 showing a tendency to the same type of colouring. 



Dr. R. BowDLER Sharpe exhibited some specimens of birds 

 from the neighbourhood of Kambore on the Lower Congo 

 and from the Upper Lualaba River, collected by Mr. Sheffield 

 A. Neave. Examples of several rare and little-known species 

 were exhibited, such as Layonusticta nitidula,HsLri\., Platystira 

 peltata, Sundev., &c. 



Dr. Sharpe also exhibited a curious specimen of a Coly 

 which had been shot by Mr. F. Vaughan-Kirby in the 

 Lydenburg district of the Eastern Transvaal. It was of a 

 pale sandy fawn-colour; all the quills, with the exception of 

 the innermost secondaries, being blackish, and the base of 

 the primaries chestnut like the primary-coverts ; the head and 

 throat hoary cream -colour ; the remainder of undersurface 

 from the fore-neck downwards fawn-colour, shading into light 



