Vol. xix.] 86 



cannot be doubted, since its spread in a flock of birds is 

 effected in much the same way as in crowded human 

 communities. 



" I would throw out as a possible suggestion that a Pigeon 

 Avith the disease regurgitates some acorns from its crop, and 

 that these are subsequently eaten by an unaffected Pigeon. 

 I have no proof of this, but it is neither impossible nor 

 unlikely. 



" The bacilli are short with round ends and resemble those 

 of rabbit-septicsemia or fowl-cholera. They belong to a 

 large group of bacilli known as the ' hsemorrhagic-septicsemia 

 group ' and will grow readily on any of the ordinary media, 

 such as gelatin, agar, &c. 



"The disease usually starts by the bacilli settling on the 

 mucous membrane of the back part of the tongue and fauces, 

 which become red. Soon, however, the redness is masked 

 by thick yellowish exudate, which is well marked in the 

 specimen exhibited. The bacilli in this exudate multiply 

 very quickly and form poisons called toxins, which are 

 absorbed and eventually find their way into the bloody so 

 that other organs, especially the liver and spleen, become 

 enlarged and locally diseased. The glands around the 

 pharynx are also greatly enlarged. 



" The fever lasts for from two to three w^eks, during 

 which time the birds lose many of their feathers and 

 eventually die, their bodies being usually much emaciated.''^ 



Mr. E. BiDWELL remarked that a pair of Herons {Ardea 

 cinerea) had this year nested in Kew Gardens on the base 

 of the fountain in the pond near the palm-house. Their 

 first nest had been destroyed when the water was turned on 

 during Easter Monday, but they had subsequently rebuilt it. 



Mr. W. R. Ogilvie-Grant described and exhibited 

 examples of two new birds from the Mpanga Forest, near 

 Fort Portal, Uganda : — 



Apalis denti, sp. n. 



Adult female. Most nearly allied to A. rufogidaris (Fraser), 



