Vol. xxvii.] 78 



Dr. ScLATER also exhibited a fine adult male specimen 

 of M. squamatus procured by Captain Wingate in South- 

 west Hunan, and presented by him to the British Museum 

 {cf. ' Ibis/ 1900, p. 602, pi. xii). 



Dr. ScLATER then read a letter from Mr. W. Eagle Clarke, 

 in which he stated that in his excursion last autumn he had 

 met with marvellous success during a five weeks' stay at 

 St, Kilda. Examples of 94 species of birds had been 

 obtained. Of these 54 were on migration. Two of them 

 were new to Scotland, and one {^Anthus pennsylvanicus, Lath.) 

 to Great Britain. 



Mr. Norman H. Joy showed several smooth stones, of the 

 shape of melon-seeds, but smaller, found in Gulls' nests 

 from Annet, Scilly Isles. They had probably been swallowed 

 and retained for some time in the stomachs of the Gulls. 



He also showed some beetles which are specially attached 

 to the nests of certain birds, one being found only in the 

 nests of Sand-Martins, and others in those of Owls and 

 Starlings. He asked Members to send him old Owls' nests 

 and the nests of sea-birds from outlying islands ofP the British 

 coast. 



Mr. Clifford Borrer exhibited a specimen of the Greater 

 Black-backed Gull (Lanes marinus, Linn.), shot last January 

 in Norfolk. The bird had been sent to him by Mr. Pashley, 

 the taxidermist at Cley, who informed him that when killed 

 it had a piece of wood twelve inches long projecting from its 

 breast, and that the skin surrounding it had entirely healed. 

 Although Mr. Pashley had seen some strange instances of 

 the sMallpwing powers of these birds, he was not prepared 

 for what he found on dissection. The piece of wood had 

 extended the gullet about two inches past the entrance to 

 the stomach. In company with Dr. Kay he had examined 

 the bird before its gullet was removed, and they both con- 

 sidered it extraordinary that the bird should have been able 

 to fly strongly and remain in good condition under such 



I 



