Vol. xi.] 34 



in ' The Ibis ' for 1890 (p. 385), Mr. Robert Hall, of Boxhill, 

 Victoria, had lately issued a very useful il Key " containing 

 the names and short characters of 767 species of Australian 

 birds. Mr. Sclater admitted that he ought to have mentioned 

 this work in his Address. But what he thought more 

 specially necessary was a a Handbook " on the same subject, 

 embracing more copious particulars drawn up in a less con- 

 densed form. 



Mr. Howard Saunders exhibited, on behalf of Mr. E. 

 Williams, of Dublin, a specimen of the Pectoral Sandpiper 

 {Heteropygia maculata) shot at Belmullet, in Co. Mayo, 

 early in last October. It proved to be a young bird in its 

 full autumn plumage, and at first sight appeared to be rather 

 small, but it was identical with specimens of undoubted 

 H. maculata in the British Museum, with which Mr. Saunders 

 had compared it. 



On behalf of Mr. E. Bidwell, who was unable to be 

 present at this Meeting, Mr. Howard Saunders exhibited 

 two eggs of the Common Curlew {Numenius arquata), taken 

 on Chobham Common, Surrey, in 1897. The history of 

 these eggs had been thoroughly investigated by Mr. John A. 

 Bucknill, the author of the " Birds of Surrey," and the 

 evidence of the breeding of the Curlew in this southern 

 county was beyond question. The eggs were somewhat 

 abnormal in appearance, being more than usually spotted, 

 but the evidence as to the finding of the nest and the 

 description of the bird, left no doubt as to the genuineness 

 of the discovery. 



Mr. Robert H. Read exhibited some interesting nests 

 and eggs which he had found during the present year, 

 including: — Song-Thrush's nest with three of its own eggs 

 and a Cuckoo's, the only instance of this kind he had 

 ever met with; also a set of six eggs of the Song-Thrush; 

 nest of Bullfinch with white eggs spotted with bright rust- 

 red, rather an uncommon variety ; Spotted Flycatcher's nest 

 built inside the old nest of a Blackbird. Red-backed 



