XXIV 



Mr. Howard Saunders exhibited a mature male Scoter 

 [CEdemia nigra), shot by Mr. Chas. Fowler, of Chichester, 

 in August 1891. Mr. Fowler stated that he had seen the 

 two old birds, off and on, all the summer, withoiit thinking 

 of the probability of their breeding; but that early in August 

 he had come upon them with a brood of seven nestlings just 

 able to fly a short distance, and had shot the drake (see Zool. 

 180:2, pp. 151j 228). On making inquiries he was told that 

 the Scoter nested in Earnsley Marshes every year. 



^Ir. ScLATER exhibited a prepared wing and tail of the 

 Martineta Tinamou [Calodromas elegans), and pointed out 

 that this form of the Tinamidee had 12 rectrices, although 

 these feathers could not be discx'iminated from the adjacent 

 coverts without careful examination. 



There were 10 raetacarpo-digitals and 15 cubitals in the 

 wing. The fifth cubital remex was present and well deve- 

 loped, as in all the Tinami (see 'Ibis/ 1890, p. 82). There 

 were 3 feathers on the pollex {alula spuria) . 



Mr. ScLATER read an extract from a letter addressed to 

 him by Dr. G. Hartlaub, in which Dr. Hartlaub pointed out 

 that Dr. Bowdler Sharpe was in error in suggesting (Bull. 

 B. 0. C. iv. p. xx) that Pennula ecaudata (King) and P. 

 sandvAchensis (Gm.) were identical. Dr. Hartlaub had com- 

 pared the Cambridge specimen of the former with the Leyden 

 specimen of the latter, and had found them distinct. The 

 notseum of P. sandivichensis was marked by great blackish 

 spots, whereas iu P. ecaudata the upper })arts were of a uni- 

 form brown. It was possible that Latliam^s ''Dusky Rail ''■' 

 might belong to P. sandwichensis and not to P. ecaudata. 



A communication was read from the Hon. "Walter 

 Rothschild containing the descri[)tion of a new species 

 of Heuiiguathus from the island of Lanai in the Sandwich 

 group. He proposed for it the name of 



Hemignathus laxaien'sis, sp. n. 

 H. similis H. ohscurn, sed ro.stro valde longiore ct crassiore, 



