Vol. xiv.] 90 



" I now come to the nomenclature of these races or sub- 

 species^ and the objection of some ornithologists to trinomials. 

 I may at least point out the object, and to my mind great 

 advantage, of trinomials, even if I should not at present 

 make any converts. Nomenclature was invented to make 

 the reference to species or families as easy as possible; 

 surely, therefore, it ought to be made short and simple. 

 I think, therefore, that any unbiassed person ought to 

 perceive that it is easier to remember and shorter to write 

 1 Aluco flam me a nigrescens' than to call this form ( The 

 dark insular race of Aluco flammea from the Island of 

 St. Vincent.'" 



The Hon. Walter Rothschild also exhibited a number of 

 Ratite eggs laid, in 1904, by birds in his possession. They 

 consisted of — 



4 eggs laid by two female birds of Casuarius icnappendi- 



culatus ; 

 2 eggs of Casuarius papuanus. 



These six eggs were laid in the Zoological Gardens, Regent's 

 Park. 



2 eggs of Dromceus nova-hollandice ; 

 2 eggs of Rhea americana ; 

 2 eggs of Rhea darwini. 



All these were laid in the park at Tring. Thirteen young 

 Emus were hatched, and eleven are doing well. The only 

 male Rhea (an albino of R. americana) which had, as yet, 

 begun to sit, had six of its own and four eggs of R. darwini 

 placed under it, but it was disturbed by some cart-horses 

 and forsook the eggs. 



The Hon. N. Charles Rothschild exhibited some skins 

 of rare birds collected by himself, the Hon. Francis R. 

 Henley, and Mr. A. F. R. Wollaston in Egypt and the 

 Soudan : — 



