37 [Vol. xv. 



very much disposed to individual variation, the birds in- 

 habiting Marocco and Algeria are remarkably constant in 

 their coloration. 



Hub. Marocco and Algeria. 



Type in Witherby collection. 



Mr. Witherby also exhibited some Hawfinches from 

 Algeria, and remarked that Cabanis's description (J. f. O. 

 1862, p. 259) of the Algerian Hawfinch, which he had called 

 Coccothraustes buvryi, seemed to have been entirely over- 

 looked until its rediscovery by Dr. Hartert (Vog. Pal. Fauna, 

 p. 57) . Former descriptions of Coccothraustes vulgaris buvryi, 

 Cab., being meagre, Mr. Witherby detailed its characters as 

 follows : — 



Bill averaging smaller than in C. vulgaris, being both finer 

 and shorter ; white tips to tail less extensive. 



In the male the head, lores, nape, and upper tail-coverts 

 are greenish brown and never chestnut ; the rump is ashy 

 grey instead of brown ; the underside is of a purer pink than 

 in typical C. vulgaris ; the white spots on the inner web of 

 the first four primaries are smaller, while in the fourth primary 

 the spot, instead of being extended downwards towards the 

 base of the feather, as is almost invariably the case in 

 C. vulgaris, remains a confined spot. 



In the female the head, rump, and upper tail-coverts are 

 greenish grey instead of dark brownish, while the underside 

 is much more grey than in typical C. vulgaris. 



Mr. W. P. Pycraft exhibited the skull of a Hawfinch 

 [Coccothraustes vulgaris), and pointed out a peculiar modifi- 

 cation of the inner surface of the beak-sheath, which appeared 

 to have been hitherto overlooked. At the region of the 

 gape there was found, on each side of the lower jaw, a large 

 rounded boss, having a finely striated surface. On the 

 palate, immediately above, was an oblong horny pad, similarly 

 striated. These protuberances doubtless served as crushing- 

 organs. The underlying bones were in no way affected by 

 these curious structures. 



