332 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society . 



considered he was justified in constituting them a distinct 

 genus, to which he gave the name of Erpetoichihys * or 

 serpent-fish. As both the specimens, however, were im- 

 perfect, he could not at that time complete his description 

 of the species, which, from the locality where they were 

 found, he named the E. Calabaricus. 



He was now, however, able to exhibit perfect specimens 

 of this curious fish, which he had just received from the 

 Eev. Alexander Eobb, and was glad to say his previous 

 views of its generic differences were confirmed, and the 

 fish showed a total absence of ventral fins. 



The largest specimen measured 12 J inches in length by 

 rather more than half an inch in breadth, and the head 

 measured 1 inch in length. 



(2.) Dr John Alex. Smith exhibited several of our rarer British Birds 

 — Grus cinerea (Common Crane), Lanius excubitor (Great Grey 

 Shrike), Picus major (Great Spotted Woodpecker), Thalassi- 

 droma pelagica (Stormy Petrel), Bomby cilia garrula (Bohemian 

 Waxwing), Astur palunibarius (Goshawk) — and Birds showing 

 accidental varieties in plumage. 



Dr Smith said he had to call the attention of the members 

 to the recent occurrence of several birds which were rare or 

 occasional visitors to this country ; and also to others, show- 

 ing varieties from the ordinary character of their plumage. 

 He would mention the birds of which he had notes, nearly 

 in the order in which they had been captured. 



1. Grus cinerea (Flein.), The Common Crane. 

 This beautiful specimen was shot at Boness, in the island 

 of Unst, Shetland, in the beginning of July last, and has 

 been presented by Thomas Edmonston, Esq., to our Museum 

 of Science and Art. It is now a very rare visitor to Britain, 

 although it appears to have been seen more frequently in 

 ancient times. 



2. Lanius excubitor (Penn.), The Great Grey Shrike. 

 Of this species no less than four specimens have been 

 recently noticed — one having been shot near Alloa in 



* The name of the fish has since been changed to Calamoichthys Calabaricus 

 (see detailed description in Trans. Roy. Soc. Edin. vol. xxiv. 1866). 



