Vol. xxv.] 84 



Mr. Ogilvie-Grant exhibited and described examples of 

 a new species of Marsh Weaver-Finch which he proposed 

 to call 



Ortygospiza ansorgei, sp. n. 



Adult male. Most nearly allied to 0. atricollis (Vieill.), 

 but the black of the cbin and throat extends over the fore- 

 neck and gradually merges into the dark grey of the under- 

 pays ; only the middle of the breast is chestnut, and the 

 black and white bars on the underparts, especially on the 

 chest, are narrower and much less numerous ; the upperparts 

 are darker brown. Iris chrome-orange ; upper mandible 

 dark red-brown, lower crimson-lake ; feet pale burnt-umber. 



Total length ca. 37 inches; wing 1*95; tail 1*0; tarsus 

 0-65. 



A second male, probably less mature, has a very small 

 patch of white on the chin, and the chest very narrowly, the 

 sides and flanks more widely barred with black and white. 



Adult female. Very similar to the female of O. atricollis, 

 but with the upperparts, breast, belly, and flanks darker. 



Hab. Gunnal, Portuguese Guinea, 28-30. vii. 09. 



Dr. W. J. Ansorge, in whose honour this species is named, 

 procured three examples of this very distinct Weaver. 



Obs. O. polyzona, Temm., from S. Africa is easily distin- 

 guished by its conspicuous white chin. A curious allied 

 form from the marshes near Lake Bangweolo has recently 

 been described by Mr. Neave under the name of Paludi- 

 passer locustella ('Ibis/ 1910, p. 251). This genus should 

 certainly have been compared with Ortygospiza and not 

 with Spermestes, the bill in the former being very similar in 

 structure. 



Mr. W. P. Pycraft made some interesting remarks on 

 the systematic position of Pithecophaga jefferyi, Ogilvie- 

 Grant, the great Monkey-eating Eagle of the Philippine 

 Islands. His observations were based on a preliminary 

 study of the skeletal characters of the specimen which had 

 recently died in the Zoological Gardens, Regent's Park. 

 Pie had compared the skeleton of this splendid bird with 



