Miscellaneous. 313 



from the shafts of the feathers like a pinnate leaf ; those bars broad 

 and mottled with black ; two middle feathers without white tips. 



Younger 1 *, form. — As above described, but with the second primary 

 slightly the longest. 



J)i mentions. — Total length of skin, from tip of bill to end of tail, 

 about 10£ inches ; wing 7-j ; tail 5} inches. 



Colours. — Very similar to the above, but with the grayish colour 

 extending over the whole of the head. Under parts much darker, but 

 with more numerous white rounded spots. Under tail-coverts fulvous 

 with black lines. The fine white tips of the external tail-feathers 

 tinged with fulvous. 



Hab. South America. 



Obs. — The distribution of the colours upon the upper surface of 

 the body, in this handsome species, resembles in some degree that of 

 Scoloj)ax rusticola, or of $. minor. 



It is not similar to any other species known to me, and can at once 

 be recognized by the silky white tips of the external tail-feathers. 

 These cross the feathers obliquely, and are so arranged that when the 

 cuneiform tail is expanded, they form a continuous margin upon the 

 ends of those three feathers. 



This is one of the few species of this family which have pretensions 

 to beauty. Two specimens are in the collection of the Academy. — 

 Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 

 vol. iv. p. 236. 



FORMER EXISTENCE OF GIGANTIC BEARS IN IRELAND. 



To Richard Taylor, Esq. 



Phil. Hall, Leeds, March 5, 1850. 



My Dear Sir, — Having just read with much interest in the last 

 number of the 'Annals,' my friend Dr. Ball's announcement of the 

 former existence of gigantic bears in Ireland, probably coexistent 

 with Megaceros, together with Professor Owen's valuable remarks on 

 the same, it appeared to me that a ray of light is thrown on this 

 question in one of Archdeacon Maunsell's letters respecting the gi- 

 gantic deer, found at Rathcannon, and now in the Museum of the 

 Royal Dublin Society. It is addressed to Lord Viscount Northland, 

 and dated Limerick, April 7th, 1824, in which, after describing the 

 above noble skeleton, he says, " I have also a skull of a dog of a large 

 kind (at least of a carnivorous animal), which I found lying close to 

 some of the remains, and which I will transmit with the bones of his 

 old acquaintance." 



Now, as Archdeacon Maunsell appears somewhat uncertain whether 

 the said skull was really that of a dog, might it not have been that 

 of the gigantic bear ? If the identical specimen can still be traced 

 and examined, after so many years, it might afford additional evidence 

 upon so important a discovery. 



Again, Professor Owen thinks it an interesting question to ascer- 

 tain whether these ursine remains were contemporaneous with Mega- 

 ceros or not, which could be decided by the relative antiquity of the 

 formation in which they are found, i. e. peat or marl. Dr.* Ball di- 



