73 [Vol. xix. 



web towards it, it is found that the inner web vibrates so 

 that its edge becomes invisible^ and when travelling at the 

 rate of 20 miles an hour the low humming sound is produced. 

 Microscopically the outer musical feather is differentiated 

 in that it possesses no less than eight hamuli, which hook 

 over the inturned. edges of the proximal radii and thus keep 

 the rami taut as the strings of a harp. In the other feathers 

 of the tail only five hamuli occur on each radius.^'' 



Skins of the following species were shown : — 



GalUnago radclii, the eastern representative of G. coelestis. 



G. delicata (Wilson's Snipe) from U.S. America. 



G. Hohilis from Brazil. 



G, frenata ^ „ _, . 



_ r from S. America. 



G. parayuayce J 



G. dubia from Japan. 



G. aucklandica from Auckland I., New Zealand. 



G. nigripennis from S. Africa. 



G. major (the Double Snipe) ) „ v 



G. gallinula (the Jack Snipe) J 



G. so lit aria ") „ , . 

 ^ , >■ irom Asia, 



Cr. meg a la J 



G. stenura (Pin-tailed Snipe) from India. 



"Of these, GalUnago raddii is found to bleat like the 

 common species and G. delicata produces a peculiarly high- 

 pitched and penetrating sound. 



"As regards the rest, G. nobilis, G. frenata, G.paraguaycB, 

 and G. dubia make sounds of varying intensity. G. auck- 

 landica makes a feeble sound, G. nigripennis, G. solitaria, 

 and G. megala are provided with numerous musical feathers, 

 whereas no sound can be produced with feathers from 

 G. major, G. gallinula, and G. stenura. G. gallinula, according 

 to Wolley and Buturlin, does bleat, and the sound is likened 

 to that made by a horse ' galloping on a hard road.-* " 



Dr. Ernst Hartert exhibited an example of a new sub- 

 species of Ammodramus, which he proposed to call 



-?' Ammodramus savannarum iNTRicATUs, subsp. n. 

 Most nearly allied to A, savannarum savannarum (Gmel.) 



