332 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 
considered he was justified in constituting them a distinct 
genus, to which he gave the name of Erpetoichthys^ 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. Calaharicus. 
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 12J 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 excuhitor (Great Grey 
Shrike), Picus major (Great Spotted Woodpecker), Thalassi- 
droma pelagica (Stormy Petrel), Bomhycilla garrula (Bohemian 
Waxwing), Astur palumharius (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 (Flem.), 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 excuhitor (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 Calaharicus 
(see detailed description in Trans. Roy. Soc. Edin, vol. xxiv. 1866). 
