23 [Vol. xiii. 



Mr, H. F. Witherby exhibited the following birds 

 obtained by him this year in the oak-woods of South-western 

 Persia : — 



An example of Syrnium aluco and some specimens of Sitta 

 ccpsia, which were remarkable for their exceedingly pale 

 coloration. A specimen of Dendrocopus danfordi, which 

 differed slightly from typical examples of that species in its 

 longer bill, in its paler colour on the breast, and in the 

 broken character of the black line, which in typical examples 

 of D. danfordi extended from the moustachial stripe, entirely 

 encircled the ear-coverts, and joined the occiput. Some 

 specimens of the very pale form of Parus lugubris, recently 

 named by Dr. C. E. Hellmayr P. lugubris dubius (J. f. 0. 1901, 

 p. 173), and an example of Garrulus atricapillus, which had 

 a very pale-coloured mantle, were also shown. 



Dr. Sclater exhibited a specimen of the rare Australian 

 bird, Broadbent's Bristle-bill {Sphenura broadbenti *), which 

 had been kindly, sent to him by Mr. Robert Hall, of 

 Melbourne. It had been obtained by one of his correspon- 

 dents in Heytesbury Forest, Victoria, which was described 

 by Mr. Hall as " dense and dark, but not very large in area/' 

 and which was now being gradually opened up, so that 

 its recluse birds would probably disappear. Dr. Sclater 

 remarked that this was the finest and largest of the three 

 species of the Australian genus Sphenura, and that there 

 was no specimen of it in the British Museum, to which 

 institution he proposed to present the specimen in Mr. H all's 

 name. 



Dr. Sclater also called attention to the beautiful specimen 

 of the Greater Bird of Paradise (Paradisea apoda) now living 

 in the Insect House at the Zoological Society's Gardens. 

 It had been received from the Zoological Gardens, Calcutta, 

 on June 15th, and was then in full dress, but began to moult 

 at the end of June, shedding all its ornamental plumes in 



* Sharpe, Cat. B. M. vii. p. 26 ; Gould, Suppl. B. Austr. pi. 23. 



