Notice of the Passer montanus, the Tree Sparrow. 69 



and not merely distinctive of an immature fish, it seems to 

 occupy a middle position between the Genus Urogymnus of 

 Gray — "Tail without a spine ;" and the Genus Trygon — "Tail 

 with one or more serrated spines ;" as having " Tail with spine 

 bordered and tipped with membrane ;" otherwise I am inclined 

 to place this fish under the Genus Hemitrygon of Miiller 

 and Henle. which is distinguished by having a " tail with a 

 hem-like fin on the under side only." In the British Museum 

 Catalogue of 1851 there are only two species given under this 

 genus, one from the Chinese Seas, and the other from the 

 Adriatic ; so that this large species may possibly not have been 

 previously described; and I would accordingly, while waiting 

 for more information on the subject,give it the provisional name 

 of Hemitrygon JJkpam. I have presented one of the specimens 

 of this fish to the Natural History Museum of the University. 



Sir William Jardine said, the account given by the natives 

 of the young fish entering the maternal organs was very inte- 

 resting ; the Rays were considered the analogues of the Mar- 

 supiata among animals, and it would be very curious indeed 

 should a peculiarity of this kind be common to both. The 

 thanks of the Society were voted to Mr Archibald Hewan, Old 

 Calabar, for his kindness in forwarding to this country the 

 specimens of the Uhpam. 



(2 ) Notice of the Passer montanus, the Tree Sparrow, shot near 

 Dunbar. By John Alexander Smith, M.D. 



The Passer montanus, the Tree Sparrow (exhibited), was 

 shot at Pitcox, near Dunbar, by Dr C. Nelson, and was 

 the first specimen he had seen killed in Scotland. It is 

 distinguished from the common sparrow by its smaller size, 

 by the chestnut colour of the top of the head, which is also 

 more divided from the colours of the back, by the sides of the 

 neck being white, by a distinctly-defined black spot on each 

 cheek, and by two white stripes on the wing, there being only 

 one in the common sparrow. Our books on ornithology state 

 generally that this bird has never been observed in Scotland. 

 From its considerable resemblance, however, to the common 

 sparrow, it might be easily overlooked. Mr Keddie, assistant 

 to Mr Sanderson of George Street, informed me he had seen 

 specimens of this bird, some five or six years ago, frequenting 



