73 L^oL xliii. 



ways Alcemon differs from the rest of the Alaiidida?, and 

 therefore it was of great interest to see what the downy 

 chick was like. The down tracts are the same as in other 

 genera of Larks which I have examined {Alauda, Galerida, 

 Calandrella^ Otocorys), but are more voluminous ; the supra- 

 orbital and occipital tracts are so well marked that they have 

 fused to cover the whole crown, while the humeral, spinal, 

 and femoral cover most of the back — in fact, this species has 

 greatest development of down of any nidicolous species I 

 have examined. The down is creamy-white. The confirma- 

 tion of the Alaudine character in the downy chick of this 

 species shows the importance of the study of nestlings. 



Mr. Withers Y gave a short account of a recent ornitho- 

 logical trip to Central Spain, and exhibited examples of some 

 of the birds collected. 



Mr. Witherby stated that he and his wife were received 

 with great kindness by the authorities of the Natural History 

 Museum of Madrid, and that they were extremely grateful 

 for much assistance given to them, especially by the Director 

 (Dr. Bolivar) and Sr. Don A. Cabrera, while Sr. Don A. Gil 

 Lletget, the Spanish ornithologist, had very kindly invited 

 them to his estate at the foot of the Gredos Mountains, 

 where a most interesting collection of birds was made. Col- 

 lections were also made in the Guadarrama Mountains from 

 an alpine station belonging to the Museum, in the neighbour- 

 hood of Aranjuez on the Tagus, and around Daimiel in La 

 Mancha. 



Among the birds exhibited were Coal-Tits from the 

 Guadarrama which Mr. Witherby considered not separable 

 from the British form Parus ater britannicus, a single Cross- 

 bill from the forests of Pinus sylvestris in the same mountains, 

 which appeared to be like the Mallorcan form Loxia citrvirostra 

 balearica ; Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers of the form Dri/ohates 

 minor huturlini from Aranjuez ; Bearded Tits Panurus h. 

 biarmicus from reed-beds near Daimiel ; and from Mr. Gil's 

 estate near Candeleda, Long-tailed Tits of the South Spanish 

 form JE. c, irhii, Dartford Warblers and Blackbirds like the 



