Vol. xii.] 82 



egg fully coincided with those described and figured by 

 Mr. Campbell and Mr. North in Australia. 



Dr. Sharpe apologized to Mr. Munt for having for a 

 moment suggested that there had been some mis-identifica- 

 tion of this extraordinary egg, and he was quite satisfied that 

 it was really the egg of a Satin Bower-bird, as stated by 

 Mr. Munt. 



Mr. W. L. Sclater exhibited an example of a small Rail 

 (Porzana marginalia, Hartl.), recently obtained by Mr. Bris- 

 tow in the neighbourhood of East London in Cape Colony, 

 and presented to the South African Museum by the same 

 gentleman. This species had been described by Hartlaub 

 from a specimen obtained in the Gaboon by Aubry Lecomte ; 

 it had been also obtained at Ondonga in Ovampoland by 

 Andersson, but had not hitherto been met with elsewhere 

 in South Africa. It was not represented in the British 

 Museum, and appeared to be a rare bird. 



Mr. F. W. Frohawk gave an account of the nesting 

 of Anser albifrons in captivity, and the hatching of 

 one young bird in the extensive grounds belonging to 

 Mr. Jos. F. Green at Blackheath. The nest was built on 

 a bank some distance (about 30 yards) from a long sheet 

 of water ; five eggs formed the clutch, three of which 

 were addled, one broken, and one hatched. The nest was 

 much compressed, being flush with the ground, evidently 

 caused by the excess of wet weather, which no doubt had 

 some ill-effect on the eggs. The young bird was seen 

 swimming between five adults in single file ; they all landed 

 and began feeding at once. As they were on the opposite 

 shore of the lake, the precise colouring of the soft parts of 

 the young bird could not be plainly seen, but both bill and 

 feet appeared to be of a purplish brown. None of the Geese 

 were pinioned, and were in the habit of taking long flights over 

 the district, always returning to the grounds where they had 

 now been for some years. One of the addled eggs, a clean 

 perfect specimen, was exhibited ; it measured exactly 3| inches 

 by 2yg inches. 



