,^,,^;v^';|i|r::.

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^f?^LO^Z

THE IBIS,

QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY.

EDITED BY

PHILIP LUTLEY SCLATER, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.S.,

SECRETARY TO THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OP LONDON.

VOL. II. 1890.
SIXTH SERIES.

Cognovi omnia volatilia coeli.

LONDON:

GURNEY AND JACKSON, 1 PATERNOSTER ROW.

(Successors to J. VAN VOORST.)

1890.

AlF.UE Y FLAMMASf

RRTNTED BY TAYLOR AND FRANCIS,
RED LION COURT, FLEET STREET.

PREFACE.

A Preface is, we suppose, necessary for the thirty-
second, as for the preceding volumes of ' The Ibis,'
but we need not detain our readers long on the
present occasion.

It will perhaps be observed that the second volume
of the Sixth Series of this Journal is not quite so
bulky as those which immediately precede it ; but it
will be allowed, we trust, that it does not fall behind
them in interest or variety. By the list of contri-
butors it will be seen that the Editor has received
valuable support from many of the older members of
the British Ornithologists' Union, for which he begs
leave to tender them his most hearty thanks. He
would, however, venture to suggest that some of the
younger members, by whose names the roll of the
B. O. U. is annually increased, should take a more
decided interest in our favourite subject. It is diffi-
cult, no doubt, and becomes every year more difficult,
to find new ground to work and new birds to describe ;
but in the Anatomy, Osteology, and Pterylography of
Birds there is still an ample field open, and one which
will yield abundant fruits to energy and experience.
It should be always recollected that, of the twelve
thousand birds known to science, eleven thousand or

IV PREFACE.

more are only known to us by their dried skins, their
beaks, and their feet. These organs, although affording
valuable help towards a preliminary arrangement, are,
as we are now beginning to discover, by no means
sufficient to establish the correct place of any bird in
the Natural System.

It may also be added, for the benefit of those who
are not well qualified for the examination of the above-
named structures, that much still remains to be done
in the study of the habits and nidification of exotic
species. Field-notes on this subject, based on personal
observation, are always most valuable. As regards
the birds of many parts of the world, such informa-
tion is still sadly deficient, although great advances
have recently been made in this direction.

P. L. S.

3 Hanover Square, London, W.
Sept, 1st, 1890.

BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION.
1890.

[An asterisk indicates an Original Member.]

Date of
Election.

1881. William Randal, Earl of Antrim; St. James's Palace,
London, S.W.

1887. Frederick Charles Aplin ; Bodicote, Banbury.

1888. Oliver Vernon Aplin ; Bloxham, Banbury.

1885. James Backhouse, Jun., F.Z.S. ; 2 Eton Terrace, Harrogate.
5 1879. Valentine Ball, F.R.S. ; Science and Art Museum, Dublin.

1889. Richard James Balston, F.Z.S. ; Springfield, Maidstone.

1890. Francis Hubert Barclay; Knott's Green, Leyton.

1872. Hanburv Barclay, Colonel, F.Z.S. ; Cross Oak, Great Berk-

hampstead, Herts.
1885. Hugh G. Barclay ; Colney Hall, Norwich.
10 1884. Henry E. Barnes, Lieut. ; Commissariat Department, Aden.
1881. Richard Manliffe Barrington, LL.B. ; Fassaroe, Bray, co.

Wicklow.
1885. E. F. Becher, Major R.A., F.Z.S.; care of Rev. W. Becher,

Wcllow-green Cottage, Wellow, Newark-on-Treni, Notts.
1884. Frank E. Beddard, F.Z.S., Prosector to the Zoological Society

of London ; 13 Castlcbar Road, Ealing, London, W.
1875. John Biddulph, Colonel, Bengal Stan' Corps, F.Z.S. ; Ajmere,

Rajput ana, India.
k 1880. Edward Bidwell ; 1 Trig Lane, Upper Thames Street, Lon-
don, E.G.
1884. C. T. Bingham, Major, F.Z.S. • Deputy Conservator of Forests,

Moulmein, Burma.

1873. W. T. Blanford, F.R.S., F.Z.S., &c. ; 72 Bedford Gardens,

Kensington, London, W.
1878. William Borrer, M.A., F.L.S. ; Cowfold, Horsham.

Date of
Election.

1885. William F. Bbockholeb; Claughton-on-Brock, Garstang,
Lancashire.

20 1890. Hahky Brinsley Brooke ; 33 Egerton Gardens, Kensington.

1868. Thomas Edward Buckley, B.A., F.Z.S.; Millerton House,
Inverness, N.B.

1872. Sir Walter La why Buller, K.C.M.G., Sc.D., F.R.S., C.M.Z.S.,
&c. ; Wellington, New Zealand, and 15 Victoria Street,
Westminster, S.W.

1884. E. A. Butler, Lieut.-Col. ; Herringfleet Hall, Lowestoft.

1884. Geoffrey Fowell Buxton ; Sunny Hill, Thorpe, Norwich.
25 1889. Eweh Somerled Camerok, F.Z.S. ; Burgar, Evie, Orkney.

1888. John Duncan Cameron; Low wood, Bethersden, near Ashford,
Kent.

L879. Thomas David Gibson Carmichael, F.Z.S. ; Chiefswood, Mel-
rose, Lanarkshire, N.B.

1888. James Carter; Burton House, Masham, Yorkshire.
L890. Charles John Philip Cave; Ditcham Bark, Petersfield.

.30 1888. Walter Chamberlain, F.Z.S. ; Harborno Hall, Harborne,
near Birmingham.
1884. Abel Chapman; Roker, Sunderland.
1882. Robert. William Chase ; Southfield, Priory Road, Birmingham.

1889. Stephenson Robert Clarke, F.Z.S.; Croydon Lodge, Croydon.
1880. William Eagle Clarke, F.L.S. ; Science and Art Museum,

Edinburgh.
35 1870. Edward Henry Stuart, Lord Clifton, F.Z.S.; Dumpton

Bark, Ramsgate.
1880. E. H. Coopeb, Lieut.-Col., F.Z.S. ; 42 Portman Square,

London, W.
1874. John Cordeaux; Great Cotes, Ulceby, Lincolnshire.
1888. William Wilfrid Cordeaux, Lieut. 2nd Dragoon Guards;

Queen's Bay's Cavalry Depot, Canterbury.

1882. Charles B. Cory, F.Z.S. ; 8 Arlington Street, Boston, Mass.,

U.S.A.
40 1882. Philip Crowley, F.Z.S. ; Waddon House, Waddon, Croydon.
L877. J. J. Dalolkisii ; 8 Atholl Crescent, Edinburgh.
1874. Charles G. Daneord, F.Z.S. ; Villa des .Ids d'eau, Bout do
Briques, Pas-de-Calais, France;, and Conservative Club,
St. James's Street, London, S.W.

1883. James Davidson; ;52 Drumsheugh Gardens, Edinburgh.
L884. William Rux ton Davison, F.Z.S. ; care of Messrs. Dawson

& Son, Booksellers, 121 Cannon Sheet. E.C.

Date of

Election.

45 1889: William Henry Dobie, M.R.C.S. ; 22 Upper Northgato Street,
Chester.

1883. Scrope B. Doig; Public Works Department, Bombay.
] 880. Arthur Dowbbtt, F.Z.S. ; Castle Hill House, Reading.
1805. Henry Ebleb Dresser, F.L.S., F.Z.S. ; Topclyffe Grange,

Farnborough, Beckenham, Kent.
*Henry Maurice Drummond-Hay, C.M.Z.S., Lieut.-Col., Royal
Perth Rifles ; Seggieden, Perth.
50 1S90. James A, G. Drummond-Hay : Coldstream Guards, Victoria
Barracks, "Windsor.

1878. W. Arthur Dtjrnford; Elsecar, Barnsley.

187b'. George Le C. Egerton, Commander R.X. ; The Lodge, Stoke
Road. Gosport.

1870. Daniel Giraud Elliot, F.R.S.E., F.Z.S., &c. ; Fuller Build-
ings, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S.A.

1884. Algernon Elliott, Assist. Comm., Amraoti, Berar.
55 1800. Henry John E laves, F.Z.S. ; Preston, Cirencester.

1870. Artuur Humble Evans, M.A., F.Z.S. ; 9 Harvey Road, Cam-
bridge.

1888. William Evans, F.R.S.E. ; IS a Morningside Park, Edin-
burgh.

1873. H. W. Feilden, Lieut.-Col., C.M.Z.S.: West House. Wells,
Norfolk.

1886. Harold Stuart Ferguson, Lieut. Nail Brigade ; Trevaudrum,

Travancore.
60 1890. Lionel Fisher ; Kandy, Ceylon.

1884. Henry Oeo Forbes, F.Z.S. ; Canterbury Museum, Christ-
church, New Zealand.

1880. William Foster ; The Hill, Witley, Surrey.

1887. W. W. Foavler, M.A. ; Lincolu College, Oxford.

180.3. Rev. Henry Elliott Fox, M.A. ; 12 South Bailey, Durham.
65 1881, Percy Evans Freke ; 9 Sydenham Road, Dundrum, co.
Dublin.

1881. Hans Gadoav, Ph.D., F.Z.S.; Zoological Museums, Downing

Street, Cambridge.
1880. Cuarles William Francis. Earl of Gainsborough ; Exton

Park, Oakham.
1 885. Sir Ralph Payne Gallavey, Bart. ; Thirkleby Park, Thirsk.
L879. Ernest Gibson ; 1 Eglinton Crescent, Edinburgh.
j0 -Frederick DuCane Godman, F.R.S.. F.Z.8., &e. ; 1«» Chandos

Street. Cavendish Square, London. W.

Date of
Election.

*Percy Sanden Godman, B.A., C.MJZ.S. ; Muntham, Horsham.
1874. H. H. Godwin-Austen, Lieut.-Col., F.R.S., F.Z.S., &c. ; Shal-
ford House, Guildford.

1884. J. G. Goodchild, F.Z.S. ; Museum of Science and Art, Edin-

burgh.

1886. William Graham, F.Z.S. ; Manor House, Crayford, Kent.
75 1890. Willtam R. Ogilvie Grant; 0 Stanhope Place, Hyde Park,

W.
1878. Henry Grey, Bengal Staff Corps ; care of Messrs. Grindlay
& Co.

1885. F. H. H. Guillemard, M.A., M.D., F.Z.S. ; Eltham, Kent.

1876. Alrert C. L. G. Gunther, M.A., M.D., F.R.S., F.Z.S. &c. ;

Keeper of the Zoological Department, British Museum
(Natural History), London, S.W.
1870. John Henry Gxjrney, F.Z.S. ; Keswick Hall, Norwich, and
Athenaeum Club.
8o 1890. Joshua Reynolds Gascoign Gavatkin ; Manor House,
Potherne, Devizes.

1887. John Pleydell Wilton Haines; The Lodge, Gloucester.

1886. Edward Hamilton, M.D., F.L.S., F.Z.S. ; 16 Cromwell Place,

S.W.
1889. Gerald Barrett Hamilton ; Kilmannock House, New Ross,
Wexford.

1877. Edward W. Harcourt, F.Z.S. ; Nuneham Park, Abingdon.
85 1883. Lewis Vernon Harcourt ; Malwood, Lyndhurst, Hants.

1876. H. C. Harford, 99th Regiment ; Stapleton Lodge, Chelsea

Road, Southsea.

1877. E. Hargitt, F.Z.S. ; 1 Gladstone Villas, South View, Basing-

stoke, Hants.
1868. James Edmund Harting, F.L.S., F.Z.S. ; Linnean Society,

Burlington House, Piccadilly, W.
1873. John A. Harvie-Brown, F.Z.S. ; Dunipacc House, Larhert,

N.B.
90 1868. Rev. Herrert S. Hawkins, M.A. ; Beyton Rectory, Suffolk.

1887. Charles T. Hebeert, F.Z.S. : 12 Hereford Gardens, London,

W.
1884. C. J. Holds worth ; Oxenholme, Westmoreland.
1877. E. W. H. Holdsworth, F.Z.S. ; 84 Clifton Hill, St. John's

Wood, London, N.W.

1888. Herbert Knight Horsfield ; ( )akfield Terrace, Headingley,

Leeds.

IX

Date of

Election.

95 1881. Robert James Howard ; Hawkshurst, Blackburn, Lancashire.
*Wilfrid Hudleston Hudleston, M.A., F.R.S., F.Z.S. ;
8 Stanhope Gardens, S.W.
1879. Baron A. von Hugel; Museum of Archaeology, Cambridge.
1890. Allan Octavian Hume, C.B. ; Simla, India.
1890. Henry Charles Vicars Hunter; 7 Bury Street, St. James's,
S.W.
ioo 1870. Hedworth Hylton, Lord Hylton, F.Z.S. ; Merstham House,
Red Hill, Surrey.
1870. Leonard Howard L. Irby, Lieut.-Col., F.Z.S. ; 14 Corn-
wall Terrace, Regent's Park, N.W. ; Army and Navy Club,
Pall Mall, London, S.W.

1888. Frederick J. Jackson, F.Z.S. ; 13 Westbourne Square, London,

W.
188G. Harry Berkeley James, F.Z.S. ; The Oaks, AVoodmansterne,
near Epsom.

1889. Frederick Ponsonby Johnson ; Castlesteads, Brampton,

Cumberland.
105 1880. Henry Robert Kelham, Major Highland Light Infantry;

Roy don Lodge, Camberley, Surrey.
1882. Philip M. Kermode ; Seabridgc Cottage, Ramsey, Isle of Man.
1882. Rev. Edw. Ponsonby Knubley, M.A.; Stavely Rectory, Leeds.
1884. Herbert Langton ; 11 Marlborough Place, Brighton.
1881. Hon. Gerald Lascelles; Queen's House, Lyndhurst.
no 1885. George La wson, C.B. ; 36 Craven Hill Gardens, Hyde Park,

London, W.
1876. William Vincent Legge, Col. R.A., F.Z.S. ; Commandant's

Office, Hobart Town, Tasmania.
1868. Hamon Le Strange, F.Z.S. ; Hunstanton Hall, King's Lynn,

Norfolk.
1875. Paget Walter Le Strange, Col. R.A. ; Dol-llan, Llandyosil,

South Wales.
1886. Harold Littledale, B.A. &c. ; Vice- Principal, Tho College,

Baroda.
1 1 5 *Thomas Lyttleton, Lord Lilford, F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c. ; Lilford

Hall, Oundle, and 18 Princes St., Cavendish Si]., London, W.
1874. John Hayes Lloyd, Col., F.Z.S.; Sudley House, Bognor, Sussex.
1889. Arthur Purvis Loyd, F.Z.S. (Late Major 21st Hussars);

3 Queen's Mansions, Victoria Street, S.W.
1^77. J. Ltjmsden, F.Z.S.; Arden House, Alexandria, N.B.
1886. Rev. Hugh Alexander Mactherson ; 20 Cecil Street, Carlisle.

Date of
Election.

120 1875. JonN Wingfield Malcolm, F.Z.S. ; 7 Great Stanhope Street,
Mayfair, London, W.
1878. Henry Stacy Marks, R.A., F.Z.S. ; 17 Hamilton Terrace,

St. John's Wood, London, N.W.
1870. C. H. T. Marshall, Col., F.Z.S., Secretary to H.H. The
Nizam, Hyderabad, Deccan ; 18 Connaught Square, W.

1878. Rev. Murray A. Ma'ttiew, M.A., F.L.S. ; Bucklaud Dinham,

Frome, Somersetshire.
1883. Edmund Gustavus Bloomfield Meade-Waldo ; Hope Hill,
Lymington, Hants.
125 1886. John Guille Millais, F.Z.S. ; 2 Palace Gate, Kensington, W.

1879. Frederick Shaw Mitchell; Hornshaws, Clitheroe, Lancashire.
1890. Thomas James Monk ; St. Anne's, Lewes, Sussex.

1864. Alexander Goodman More, F.L.S. , &c. ; 74 Leinster Road,

Rathmines, Dublin.
1887. George Morgan, Lieut. -Col. ; Biddlesden Park, Brackley.
130 1886. George Muirhead, F.Z.S.; Mains of Haddo, Aberdeen.

1890. Albert Irving Muntz; Umbersladc, Birmingham, and

Trinity College, Cambridge.

1889. Christopher John Naylor; Brynllywarch, Kerry, Mont-

gomeryshire.
1885. Edward Neale ; 43 Charlotte Street, Portland Place, London,

W.
1882. Thomas Hudson Nelson ; Apsley House, Redcar, Yorkshire.
135 1876. HdghNevill; Newton Villa, Godalming.

1872. Francis D'Arcy William CLOUGn Newcome ; Fcltwell Hall,

Brandon, Suffolk.

1890. C. M. Hayes Newington (Major Kings Regt.); Lee, Kent,

and Army and Navy Club.
*Alfred Newton, M.A., F.R.S., F.Z.S., Professor of Zoology
in the University of Cambridge ; Magdalene College, Cam-
bridge.
*Sir Edward Newton, M.A., K.C.M.G., F.L.S., C.M.Z.S. ;
23 Wellington Esplanade, Lowestoft.
14° 1886. Howard Hill John Nicholls, M.R.C.S. ; The Moat, East-
bourne.
1876. Francis Nicholson, F.Z.S. ; Oakfield, Ashley Rd., Altrincham.
1887. George Cameron Norman, F.Z.S. ; 68 Lombard Street, E.C.
1882. Eugene William Oates, F.Z.S. ; care of Grindlay & Co., 55

Parliament Street, London, S.W.
1889. Bertram Savile Ogle; Hill House, Steeple Aston, Oxford.

XI

Date of
Election.

145 *Sir John W. P. Campbell Orde, Bart., F.Z.S., late Captain

42nd (Royal Highland) Regiment; Kilmory House,
Lochgilphead, Argyllshire, N.B.

1883. Henry Parker, C.E., F.Z.S. ; care of Messrs. Hutchison &

Co., 4 Guildhall Chambers, 33 Basinghall Street, E.C.

1880. Thomas Parkin, M.A., F.Z.S. ; Fairseat, High Wickham,

Hastings.

1884. R. L. Patterson, F.L.S. ; Croft House, Holywood, co.

Down.
1886. E. Cambridge Phillips ; The Elms, Brecon.
150 1886. E. Lort Phillips, F.Z.S. ; 22 Bolton Street, Piccadilly,

London, W.
1888. George Thorne Phillips; Wokingham, Berkshire.
1883. Thomas Mayer Pike, M.A. ; care of R. H. Porter, 18 Princes

Street, Cavendish Square, London, W.
1888. Mervyn Owen Wayne Powys, B.A., F.Z.S. ; 33 Great Cum-
berland Place, Hyde Park, W.
1888. Eustace Radclyffe ; Hyde, Wareham, Dorset.
J55 1872. R. G. Ward law Ramsay, Major, F.Z.S.; Whitehill, Roscwell,

Midlothian.
1879. Herbert Eyelyn Rawson, F.Z.S. ; St. Stephen's Club, S.W.
1888. Robert H. Read ; 8 Great George Street, Westminster,

S.W.
1877. Savile G. Reid, late Capt. R.E., F.Z.S.; Otterhead, Taunton.
1873. Sir Oliver Beauchamp Coventry St. John, Colonel R.E.,

F.Z.S. ; care of Messrs. H. S. King & Co., 65 Cornhill,

London, E.C.
160 1883. William Herbert St. Quintin, F.Z.S.; Scampston Hall,

Rillington, Yorkshire.
*Osbert Salvin, M.A., F.R.S., F.Z.S., &c; 10 Chandos Street,

London, W., and Hawksfold, Fernhurst, Haslemere.
1870. Howard Saunders, F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c. ; 7 Radnor Place,

Hyde Park, London, W.
*Philip Lutley Sclater, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.S., &e. ; Secretary

to the Zoological Society of London, 3 Hanover Square,

London, W.

1881. J. Scully, F.L.S., F.Z.S., Surgeon-Major; care of Messrs. H.

S. King & Co., 65 Cornhill, London, E.C.
165 1873. Henry Seebohm, F.Z.S. ; 22 Courtheld Gardens, London, S.W.
1^80. Humphrey Patricius Senhouse, B.A. ; The Fitz, Cocker-
mouth, Cumberland.

Date of
Election.

1871. Richard Bowdler Sharpe, F.L.S., F.Z.S. ; Senior Assistant.
Zoological Department, British Museum (Natural History),
South Kensington, London, S.W.

1886. "William Carstairs Shaw ; Bank of Madras, Madras.
1870, G. Ernest Shelley, F.Z.S. , late Captain, Grenadier Guards;

10 Thurloe Square, London, S.W.
170 1865. Rev. Charles William Shepherd, M.A., F.Z.S.; Trotters-
cliff e Rectory, Maidstone, Kent.

1881. F. B. Simson, F.Z.S.; Broom Hill, Spratton, Northampton.

1882. Rev. Henry H. Slater, M.A., F.Z.S. ; Irchester Vicarage,

"Wellinghoro', Northamptonshire.
1878. George Monlaw Slaughter, Brigade-Surgeon ; Farningham,

Kent.
1864. Rev. Alfred Charles Smith, M.A. ; Old Park, Devizes, Wilts.
175 1874. Cecil Smith, F.Z.S. ; Lydeard House, Taunton, Somersetshire.
1881. Thomas Southwell, F.Z.S. ; 10 The Crescent, Chapel Field,

Norwich.
1875. A. C. Stark ; The Cottage, Whiteparish, near Salisbury.
1889. William Stoate ; The Colony, Burnham, Somerset.

1881. Robert Wright Sttjddy, Lieut.-Col. 2nd Manchester Regi-

ment, India ; care of E. W. H. Holdsworth, 84 Clifton
Hill, St. John's Wood, London, N.W.
180 1887. Frederick William Styan, F.Z.S. ; 23 Upper Bedford Place,
London, W.C., and Shanghai, China.

1887. John Swinburne ; Shona Ranch, St. John's, Apache Country,

Arizona, F/.S.A.

1882. Charles Swinhoe, Col. Bombay Staff Corps, F.L.S., F.Z.S. ;

Avenue House, Cowley Road, Oxford.
1884. W. C. Tait, C.M.Z.S. ; Oporto, Portugal.

*Edward Cavendish Taylor, M.A., F.Z.S. ; 74 Jermyn Street,
London, S.W.
185 1873. William Bernhard Tegetmeier, F.Z.S. ; 16 Alexandra
Grove, North Finchley, N.

1889. Edward Priaulx Tennant; 40 Grosvenor Square, W., and

The Glen, Innerleithen, N.B.
1886. Horace A. Terry, Captain 43rd Light Infantry; Burvale,
Walton-on-Thames.
*Rev. Henry Baker Tristram, M.A., LL.D., F.R.S., C.M.Z.S.,
tire, Canon of Durham ; The College, Durham.

1890. John Tristram Tristram-Valentine; 1 Sheffield Gardens,

Kensington, W.

Date of
Election.

90 1864. Henry Morris Upcher, F.Z.S. ; Sheringham Hall, Norfolk,

and Felt well Hall, Brandon.
1890. Stephen Venour ; Fern Bank, Altrincham, Cheshire.
1881. Willoughby Verner, Capt. Bine Brigade; Junior United

Service Club, S.W.
1884. A. S. Verey ; Heronsgate, near Bickmans worth.
1889. H. Howard Vyse ; Stoke Place, Slough.
195 1886. H. D. Wade-Dalton, Lieut.-Col. Middlesex Begiment; Mhow,

Bombay.
1881. Thomas, Lord Walsingham, F.Z.S. ; Eaton House, Eaton

Square, London, S.W., and Merton Hall, Thetford, Norfolk.

1874. Charles Bygrave Wharton, F.Z.S.; Hounsdown, Totton,

Hants.
1878. Henry Thornton Wharton, M.A., F.Z.S. ; Madresfield,

Acol Boad, Priory Boad, West Hampstead.
1884. Joseph Whitaker, F.Z.S.; Bainworth Lodge, Mansfield, Notts.
200 1887. Jeffery Whitehead ; Southwood, Bickley, Kent.

1887. Scott Barchard Wilson, F.Z.S. ; Heatherbank, Weybridge

Heath, Surrey.

1888. Charles Joseph Wilson; 16 Gordon Square, W.C.

1871. E. Perceval Wright, M.D., F.L.S., F.Z.S., Professor of Botany
in the University of Dublin.

1875. Charles A. Wright, F.Z.S.; Kayhough House, Kew Gardens,

Kew.
205 1876. Claude W. Wyatt ; Adderbury, Banbury.

1889. James B. Young, Commander B.N.

1878. John Young, F.Z.S. ; 64 Hereford Boad, Bayswater, London,

W.
1877. J. H. Yule, Major, Devon Begiment ; Jullundur, Bengal.

Extra-Ordinary Member.

1860. Alfred Bussel Wallace, F.Z.S. ; Corfe View, Parkstone,
Dorset.

Honorary Members.
1886. Thomas Ayres ; Potchefstroom, Transvaal.
1860. Dr. Eduard Baldamus ; Moritzwinger, No. 7, Halle.

1890. Hans, Graf von Berlepsch, C.M.Z.S. ; Miinden, Hanover.
1860. Dr. Jean Cabanis, C.M.Z.S., Berlin.

5 1870. Dr. Otto Finsch, C.M.Z.S. ; Delmenhorst, near Bremen.

Date of
Election.

1880. Heinricii Gatke, C.M.Z.S., Heligoland.
1860. Dr. Gustav Hartlaub, C.M.Z.S., Bremen.
1800. Edgar Leopold La yard, C.M.G., F.Z.S.
1869. August von Pelzeln, C.M.Z.S., 01 >er< lolling, Vienna.
io 1890. Count Tommaso Salvadori, M.D., C.M.Z.S.; Zoological
Museum, Turin.

Foreign Members.

1890. Joel Asaph Allen, C.M.Z.S. ; American Museum of
Natural History, Central Park, New York.

1872. Prof. J. V. Barboza du Bocage, C.M.Z.S. ; Royal Museum,

Lisbon.
1880. Louis Bureau, M.D. ; Ecole de medecine, Nantes.

1873. Prof. Robert Collett, C.M.Z.S. ; Zoological Museum, Chris-

tiania.
5 1872. Dr. Elliott Coues, C.M.Z.S. ; Smithsonian Institution, Wash-
ington, D.C.

1875. Marchese Giacomo Doria, C.M.Z.S., Genoa.

1890. Dr. Emin, Pasha, C.M.Z.S. ; Bagamoyo, East Africa.

1872. Dr. Victor Fatio, C.M.Z.S., Geneva.

1872. Dr. Henry Hillyer Giglioli, C.M.Z.S.; Peal Institute di
Studii Superiori, Florence.
io 1872. George N. Lawrence, C.M.Z.S.; 45 East 21st Street, New
York.

1872. Baron De Selys Longchamps, Liege.

1866. Dr. Julius von Madarasz ; National Museum, Buda-Pesth.

1872. Dr. A. J. Malmgren, Helsingfors.

1883. Prof. Othniel Charles Marsh, C.M.Z.S. ; Yale College, New-
haven, U.S.A.
15 1881. Dr. Adolph Bernard Meyer, C.M.Z.S., Director of the Royal
Museum, Dresden.

1872. Dr. A. von Middendorff, Dorpat.

1872. Prof. Alphonse Milne-Edwards, C.M.Z.S. ; Jardin des Plantes,
Paris.

1890. M. Emile Oustalet, C.M.Z.S. ; Museum d'Histoire Naturelle,
Jardin des Plantes, Paris.

1872. Prof. Gustav Radde, C.M.Z.S., Tiflis.
20 1880. Robert Ridgway, C.M.Z.S. ; Smithsonian Institution, Wash-
ington, D.C.

CONTENTS of VOL. II.— SIXTH SERIES.

(1890.)

Number V., January.

Page

I. On the Ornithology of Northern Borneo. By B. Bowdler
Sharpe, F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c. With Notes by John White-
head.— Part V 1

II. On the supposed Occurrence of StrLv parvissima, Ellinarj,

in New Zealand. By W. W. Smith 24

III. On the Coloration of the Young in the Psittacine Genus
Eclectus. By Dr. A. B. Meyer. (Plate I.) 26

IV. An Attempt to Diagnose the Pico-Passerine Group of
Birds and the Suborders of which it consists, By Henry
Seebohm, F.Z.S 29

V. Notes on the Birds of Palawan. By John Whitehead.
(Plate II.) 38

VI. On tbe Alimentaiy Canal of the Martineta Tinamou
(Calodromas elegans). By Frank E. Beddard, M.A., Prosector
to the Zoological Society of London, Lecturer on Biology at
Guy's Hospital 61

VII. Notes on the Island of Palma in the Canary Group.

By H. B. Tristram, D.D., F.B.S. (Plate III.) 67

VIII. Bemarks on the Fifth Cubital llemex of the Wing in

the Carinatoe. By P. L. Sclater, Ph.D., F.B.S., &c. ... 77

XVI CONTENTS.

Page

IX. A List of the Birds of the Islands of the Coast of Yuca-
tan and of the Bay of Honduras. By Osbert Salvin, M.A.,
F.R.8., &c 84

X. On the Birds of the Bonin Islands. By Henry Seebohm,
F.Z.S 95

XI. Notices of recent Ornithological Puhlications : —

1. Aitchison on the Zoology of the Afghan Border . . 108

2. Allen on the Species of Cyclorhis 109

3. Allen on new South-American Birds 110

4. Aplin on the Birds of Oxfordshire 110

5. Berlepsch on new Neotropical Birds 111.

6. Berlepsch on Birds from Brazil and North Peru . . Ill

7. Berlepsch's Notes on Neotropical Birds 112

8. Biittikofer on a new Gallinule 112

9. Biittikofer on Birds from South-western Africa . . 112

10. Chapman on a new Humming-bird 112

11. Chapman on the Genus Xipkorhynehus 113

12. Dalgleish on Nests and Eggs from Paraguay . . .113

13. Etheridge on the Birds of Lord Howe Island . . .114

14. Giglioli's Eirst Report on the Results of the Ornitho-

logical Investigation of Italy 114

15. Leverkuhn on the Legendary History of the Hoopoe . 115

16. Leverkuhn on Variations in the Coloration of Birds . 116

17. Leverkuhn on the Literature of Syrrhaptes . . .116

18. Menzbier and Severtzow on the Ornithology of Turke-

stan 116

19. Meyer on scarce Varieties of Tetrao 117

20. Muirhead on the Birds of Berwickshire 117

21. Ridgway on new Costa-Rican Birds 117

22. Robinson on Albino Birds 118

23. Salvadori on Three new Birds from Burmah . . .118

24. Salvadori on the Birds collected by Feain Burmah . 118

25. Shufeldt on the Osteology of the Tubinares and Stega-

nopodes 120

26. Shufeldt on the Osteology of the Herons .... 120

27. Sousa on new Collections from Angola 120

28. Stejneger on Japanese Nutcrackers 121

29. Stejneger on Japanese Wrens 121

Page

30. Tristram's Catalogue of his Collection 121

31. Van Kempon on rare Birds of the North of France . 122

32. Waterhouse's ' Index Generum Avium ' 123

33. Winge on Pallas's Sand-Grouse in Denmark . . . 123

XII. Letters, Extracts, Notices, &c. : —

Letters from Count T. Salvadori ; J. H. Gurney, Esq. ; Dr. It.
W. Shufeldt ; Eobert Ridgway, Esq. ; R. Lloyd Patterson, Esq.
Extract from a Letter from Count Salvadori; Note on Spo-
diopsar fuscogularis ; The Southern Range of the Ccerebidaj ;
The Raffles Museum at Singapore; Ornithological Works in
Progress 124

Number VI., April.

XIII. On the Ornithology of Northern Rorneo. By R.
Bowdler Sharpe, F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c, Zoological Department,
British Museum. With Notes by John Whitehead. — Part VI
(Hate IV.) 133

XIV. Notes on the Paradise-birds of British New Guinea.

By A. P. Goodwin, of Lismore, N S.W 150

XV. On a Collection of Birds made by the late Mr. J. S.
Jameson on the Aruwhimi River, Upper Congo. By Captain

G. E. Shelley, F.Z.S. (Plate V.) 156

XVI. On some of the Birds of the Sandwich Islands. By
Scott Wilson, F.Z.S. (Plate VI.) 170

XVII. On the Development of the Feet of Cypselus melba.

By L. Zehntner, Cand. Phil., of Bern 196

XVIII. An attempt to Diagnose the Subclass Coram 'formes
and the Orders, Suborders, and Families comprised therein.

By Henry Seebohm, F.Z.S _ 200

XIX. Descriptions of three new Species of Flycatchers. By

R. Bowdler Sharpe, F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c 205

XX. On the Young of Pallas's Sand-Grouse (Syrrhaptes
paradoxus). By Alfred Newton. (Plate VII.) .... 207

SER. VI. VOL. II. I,

xviii CONTENTS.

Page

XXI. On the Columbine Genus Macropygia and its Allies.

By Major R. G. Wardlaw Ramsay, F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c. . . . 214

XXII. On a new Genus of the Order Columbia. By Major

R. G. Wardlaw Ramsay, F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c 246

XXIII. Notices of recont Ornithological Publications : —

34. Allen on the Genus Elainea 247

35. Bocage on Birds new to the Island of St. Thomas,

West Africa 248

36. Bartlett on Weavers and Finches 248

37. Chapman on Amazilia ceneo-brunnea 249

38. Hickson's < Naturalist in North Celobes ' .... 249

39. Kempon on Pallas's Sand-Grouse in Northern France . 250

40. Lumholtz's Adventures in Queensland 250

41. Moyer on rare Paradise-birds 251

42. Meyer and Helm's Report on the Ornithological Ob-

serving-Stations for Saxony for 1888 251

43. Nicholson's Translation of Sundevall's ' Tcntamen ' . 251

44. Ninni on the Venetian Long -tailed Titmouse . . . 252

45. Noll on Extinct Birds 252

46. Oates's ' Birds of British India ' 252

47. Oates's ' Matabele-land.' (Second Edition.) . . . 255

48. Pleske's ' Ornithographia Rossica ' 255

49. Pleske on the Birds of Prjovalski's Journeys in Cen-

tral Asia 256

50. Ridgway on the Genus Xipliocolaptes 256

51. Ridgway on the Genus Sclerurus 257

52. Ridgway on Birds from Galapagos 257

53. Salvadori on Additions to Papuan Ornithology . . . 258

54. Salvadori on Pallas's Sand-Grouse in Italy .... 259

55. Saunders's ' Manual of British Birds ' 259

56. Shufeldt on the Osteology of the Water-Birds . . .260

57. Shufeldt on the Macrochires ........ 2(i0

58. Shufeldt on the Herons 261

59. Smith on the Birds of Lako Brunner District, New

Zealand 261

XXIV. Letters, Extracts, Notices, &c. : —

Letters from J. H. Gurncy. Esq. ; Dr. G. Hartlaub ; and A.

CONTENTS. XIX

Pag.
H. Everett, Esq. Birds of the Bollenden-Ker Range, Queens-
land ; New extinct Swan in New Zealand ; the Generic term
Calodromas. Obituary — George Cavendish Taylor ; Jose Au-
gusta) de Sousa ; Carl Hunstein ; Ladislas Taczanowski ; Jose
Arevalo y Baca ; Edward Thomas Booth 262

Ntjhiser VII., July.

XXV. On the Ornithology of Northern Borneo. By R.
Bowdler Sharpe, F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c, Zoological Department,
British Museum. With Notes by John "Whitehead. — Part VII.
(Plate VIII.) 273

XXVI. On Photodilus baclius, with Remarks on its Syste-
matic Position. By Frank E. Beddard, M.A., F.R.S.E.,
F.Z.S., Prosector to the Zoological Society of London . . . 293

XXVII. On the Principal Modern Breeds of the Domestic
Fowl. By W. B. Tegetmeier, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U 304

XXVIII. On the Habits of the Hoatzin (Opisthocomus
cristatus). By J. J. Qtjelch, B.Sc. (Lond.), C.M.Z.S., Curator

of the British Guiana Museum 327

XXIX. On the Range of the Guacharo {Steatomis caripcnsis)

in South America. By P. L. Sclater, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.S. . 335

XXX. On a new Finch from Midway Island, North Pacific.

By Scott B. Wilson, F.Z.S. (Plate IX.) 339

XXXI. Notes on some Birds collected by Dr. G. Radde in

the Transcaspian Region. By H. E. Dresser, F.Z.S. . . . 342

XXXII. Note on Turnix beccarii, Salvadori. By W. R.
Ogilvie Grant 344

XXXIII. On some new and rare Francolins. By W. R.
Ogilvie Grant (Nat. Hist. Museum). (Plates X., XL) . . 345

XX CONTENTS.

Page

XXXIV. Extracts from the Letters of Mr. J. Graham Kerb,

Naturalist to the Pilcomayo Expedition 350

XXXV. On a small Collection of Birds from Mount Penrisen,
Sarawak. By R. Bowdler Sharpe, F.L.S., &c 366

XXXVI. On the Identity of Chnjsotis coeligena with Psittacus
dvfresnianus. By Count T. Salvadobi, C.M.Z.S 307

XXXVII. Notices of recent Ornithological Publications : —

60. Backhouso on European Birds 371

61. Barrows on the English Sparrow in North America . 372

62. Berlepsch on Birds from Upper Amazonia .... 372

63. Eurbringer on Stringojis and lynx 373

64. Hume and Oates's 'Nests and Eggs of Indian Birds' . 371

65. Leverkiihn on Variations in the Coloration of Birds . 374

66. Mcrriam's Keport for 1888 375

67. Meyer's Illustrations of Birds' Skeletons 376

68. Modigliani on the Birds of Nias 376

69. More's List of Irish Birds 376

70. Nehrling's North-American Birds 377

71. Bidgway on Birds from St. Lucia, the Abrolhos Islands,

and the Straits of MageDan 37?

72. Salvador! on Additions to Papuan Ornithology . . . 378

73. Sclater on the Tracheophone Passeres 378

74. Seebohm on the Classification of Birds 379

75. Shufeldt on the Osteology of the Water-Birds . . .381

76. Shufeldt on Progress in Avian Anatomy 381

77. Stejneger and Lucas on Pallas's Cormorant .... 382

78. Tschusi zu Schmidhoffen's ' Ornithologisches Jahrbuch' 382

79. Woodford on the Head-hunters of the Solomon Islands 382

XXXVIII. Letters, Extracts, Notices, &c. :—

Letters from Dr. H. Burmeistcr ; H. E. Dresser, Esq. ; John
J. Dalgleish, Esq. Butorides virescens in Cornwall; Pliyllo-
s copus superciliosus in the Scilly Islands ; Turtur orientalis in
Great Britain ; Valuable Addition to the National Bird-Col-
lection ; The Catalogue of Birds in the British Museum ; New
Bird-books in preparation ; Pelagodroma in the Canaries ; Anni-
versary Meeting of the British Ornithologists' Union, 1890;
Obituary— J. H. Gurney 384

CONTENTS. XXI

Number VIII., October.

Page

XXXIX. Notes on Irish Ornithology. By Henry Seebohm. 397

XL. On the Foot of the Young of lynx torquilla. By Dr. A.
Gunther 411

XLI. Notes on Birds from the Papuan Region, with Descrip-
tions of some new Species. By A. B. Meter, M.D., C.M.Z.S.,
Director of the Royal Zoological Musoum of Dresden. (Plate
XII.) 412

XLII. On some Birds of the Argentine Republic. By A. H.
Holland. With Notes by P. L. Sclater 424

XLIII. Further Notes on tho Birds of the Canary Islands.
By E. G. Meade-Waldo. (Plate XIII.) 429

XLIV. Notes on some Birds obtained at Madeira, Deserta
Grande, and Porto Santo. By W. R. Ogiltie Grant (Nat.
Hist. Mus.). (Plate XIV.) 438

XLV. Notices of recent Ornithological Publications : —

80. The British Museum Report for 1890 445

81. Burmeister on Patagonian Birds 447

82. Burmeister on the Fauna of Patagonia 448

83. Christy's ' Birds of Essex ' 448

84. Clarke on the Birds of Jan Meyen Island .... 449

85. Everett on the Birds of Borneo 450

86. Hargitt on the Picidas 450

87. Hartert and Kutter on East-Indian Birds and Eggs . 452

88. Hartlaub on Birds of China 453

89. Oustalet on a new Tinamou 453

90. Pycraft on the Bird's Wing 453

91. Records of the Australian Museum 454

92. Reid on the Birds of the Lucknow Museum .... 455

93. Ridgwa^'s 'Birds of Illinois' 455

94. Sharpe's Catalogue of the Stnrniformcs and Abnormal

Passeres 456

95. Shufcldt on the Anatomy of Speotijto 458

96. Shufeldt on the North-American Passeres .... 458

97. Shufeldt on the Position of Chama'a 459

CONTENTS.

98. Shufeldt on the Osteology of the Water-Birds . . 460

99. Stejnegcr on Birds from Kauai, Hawaiian Islands . 460

100. TschusizuSchmidhoffenVOrnithologischesJahrbuch' 461

101. Tschusi zu Schmidhoffen on Pallas's Sand-Grouse . 461

102. Zeledon on the Birds of Costa Pica 462

XLVI. Letters, Extracts, Notices, &c. : —

Letters from W. W. Smith, Esq.; Lt.-Col. E. A. Butler;
Heer F. E. Blaauw ; A. H. Everett, Esq. Syrrhaptes para-
doxus in Captivity. A Tame Cuckoo. New Breeding Birds in
the Trondhjcm District ; International Ornithological Congress
of 1891; Breeding of Falco babylonicus ; The Gatke Collection.
Obituary — W. K. Parker. J. H. Gurney (Correction of an
Error) 462

Index of Scientific Names 471

Index of Contents 485

Titlepage, Preface, List of Members, and Contents.

THE IBIS.

SIXTH SERIES.

No. V. JANUARY 1890.

I. — On the Ornithology of Northern Borneo. By R.
Bowdler Sharpe, F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c. With Notes by
John Whitehead. — Part V.*

Order PSITTACI.

194. Pal^ornis longicauda.

Palaornis longicauda (Bodd.) ; Salvad. Ucc. Born. p. 22;
Sharpe, Ibis, 1877, p. 9 ; id. P. Z. S. 1879, p. 325 ; Bruggem.
Abhandl. Bremen, v. p. 454; Blasius, Verh. zool.-bot. Ges.
Wien, xxxiii. p. 23 (1883).
a. d juv. Benkoka, Nov. 1, 1885.

[Common in the lower reaches of rivers, especially near
the higher swampy growth.

I have seen these birds settle in large flocks in the high
trees, and but for the continual shower of falling leaves,
which they were nipping off, should not have known they
were there. Not met with at any distance inland.

Native name " Bian."]

194 a. LiORICULUS GALGULUS.

Loriculus galgulus (L.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 26 ; Sharpe, Ibis,
1876, p. 36; id. P. Z.S. 1879, p. 325, 1881, p. 791; Bruggem.
t. c. p. 454 ; Blasius, t. c. p. 24.

* Continued from < The Ibis,' 1889, p. 448.

SER. VI. VOL. II. B

2 Mr. R. B, Sharpe on the

a. $ ad. Labuan, July 2, 1885.

b. 2 ad. Sandakan, April 22, 1885.
[Common in Labuan, frequenting fruit-gardens.
Native name " Trepas."]

Order PICARLE.
Fam. Trogonid^e.

195. Harpactes whiteheads

Harpactes whiteheadi, Sharpe, Ibis, 1888, p. 395, pi. xii.
a,b. 6 2 ad. Kina Balu, March 19-24, 1888.

c. 8 ad. Kina Balu, April 2, 1888.

[This beautiful Trogon was met with on my second expe-
dition, at 4000 feet, where it frequented the dark and wet
patches of old forest. These birds generally sit in the higher
branches of the lower forest trees, and seldom move, except
to take short flights from perch to perch. They generally
keep their dull-coloured backs to the hunter, thus rendering
themselves more like a bunch of dead leaves, for which they
may often be mistaken. The plumage is so soft that if the
birds fall from any height they are spoilt as specimens,
bunches of feathers coming out of these soft " puff-balls."

On the 4th of April, whilst I was taking shelter from the
rain under some palm-leaves, one of these Trogons settled
on a tree quite close to me ; it uttered every now and then
a peculiar growling note, swaying its tail backwards and
forwards, spreading out the feathers with each movement,
and every now and then making a short flight to capture
some insect, and settling on another perch.

The young birds in nestling-plumage are similar to the
female, but there is little or no distinction in colour between
the throat, breast, and the rest of the lower parts. The pen-
cilling of the wing-coverts is not nearly so fine, the yellow and
black stripes being broader. The colour of the back is not so
bright, being mixed with greyish down. I have a young male,
in which the crimson feathers of the back and breast are mixed
with the brown nestling-plumage. The soft parts are as
figured in 'The Ibis' (/. c), having been taken from my
sketches made from the freshly killed bird.

Ornithology of Northern Borneo. 3

Native name for all Trogons " Buroug angi," or the
'« Omen bird."]

196. Harpactes kasumba.
Harpactes kasumba (Raffl.).

Pyrotrogon kasumba, Salvad. t. c. p. 29; Blasius, t. c. p. 24;
Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1881, p. 791.
a. 6 ad. Benkoka, Oct. 12, 1885.

197. Harpactes diardi.

Harpactes diardi (T.) ; Sharpe, Ibis, 1879, p. 239 ; id,
P.Z. S. 1881, p. 791.

Pyrotrogon diardi, Salvad. t. c. p. 29.

a. ? ad. Benkoka, Sept. 11, 1885.

b, c. $ ad. Benkoka, Oct. 1885.

198. Harpactes duvauceli.

Harpactes duvauceli (T.) ; Sharpe, Ibis, 1879, p. 239 ;
id. P. Z. S. 1881, p. 792; Briiggem. t. c. p. 454.

Pyrotrogon duvauceli, Salvad. t. c. p. 29; Blasius, t. c,
p. 25.

a. $ ad. Benkoka, Oct. 13, 1885.

b. 2 ad. Benkoka, Nov. 5, 1885.

199. Harpactes orescius.

Harpactes orescius (T.) ; Sharpe, Ibis, 1888, p. 395.
Orescius gouldi (Sw.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 31.

a. 6 ad. Kina Balu, Jan. 18, 1888.

b. 6 ad. Kina Balu, Feb. 3, 1888.

c. S ad. Kina Balu, April 19, 1888.

d. 2 ad. Kina Balu, May 20, 1888.

A specimen in the British Museum was the sole authority
for the occurrence of this species in Borneo before Mr. White-
head's ascent of Kina Balu. The specimen in question was
purchased at the sale of Baron Laugier's collection in 1837,
and it is doubtful whether the locality is authentic; but
Mr. Whitehead has now placed the Bornean habitat of the
species beyond a doubt.

[Met with on Kina Balu, from 1000 to 3000 feet, but
nowhere common, frequenting shady spots in old forest. I
have noticed that all Trogons are more active in the early

b2

4 Mr. R. B. Sharpe on the

morning and evening ; during the rest of the day they are
seldom seen. Iris black; gape cobalt-blue, darker at base
of bill and on lower mandible ; skin round eye whitish blue,
feet slaty blue. I procured a brown Trogon on Kina Balu
on the 23rd of March, 1887, which is possibly the young
of this species ; but the markings seem to me to be too coarse,
and it may be the immature stage of some Trogon which
inhabits the mountain and is yet undescribed.]

Fam. Capitonid^e.

200. Megaljema chrysopsis.

Megalcema chrysopsis, Goffin; Sharpe, Ibis, 1877, p. 8.
Chotorhea chrysopsis (Goffin) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 32.

a. 6 ad. Benkoka, Sept. 1, 1885.

b. 6 juv. Benkoka, Sept. 22, 1885.

201. Megal^ma versicolor.

Megalcema versicolor (Raffl.) j Sharpe, Ibis, 1876, p. 35 ;
id. P. Z.S. 1879, pp. 245, 326; id. Ibis, 1879, p. 239;
Briiggem. t. c. p. 454.

Chotorhea versicolor, Salvad. t. c. p. 33.

Chotorhea versicolor, var. borneensis, Blasius, t. c. p. 25.

a. 2 ad. Lawas River, March 23, 1886.

b. $ ad. Lawas River, April 5, 1886.

[Iris and bill black; feet dull greenish blue.]

202. Megal^ema mvstacophanes.

Megalcema mystacophanus (T.) ; Sharpe, Ibis, 1876, p. 35,
1879, p. 239.

Chotorhea mystacophanus, Salvad. t. c. p. 34.

a. 2 imm. Benkoka, Sept. 1, 1885.

b. d ad. Benkoka, Sept. 5, 1885.

c. d. $ ad. et juv. Kina Balu, March 6, 1887.
e. 2 juv. Kina Balu, Feb. 28, 1887.

/. 2 juv. Kina Balu, March 19, 1888.

[The commonest Bornean Barbet, frequenting the higher
branches of forest trees. I have often seen these birds
holding on to a tree and pecking like a Woodpecker.

It has a peculiar note, which it utters when perched high
up in the tree, " Pooh pooh lentogok lentogok."

Ornithology of Northern Borneo. 5

Native name " Lentogok." Found on Kina Balu up to
3000 feet.]

203. Cyanops pulcherrima.

Megalcema pulcherrima, Sharpe, Ibis, 1888, p. 393, pi. xi.
fig. 2.

a. ? ad. Kina Balu, Jan. 29, 1888.

b, c. 3 ad. Kina Balu, Feb. 16, 20, 1888.

[I discovered this fine Barbet at 5000 feet in high forest,
but it is, perhaps, more at home on the mountain at about
8000 feet. It has a hooting-note rather like that of the last
species. An immature bird is of a much less vivid green, and
has the blue on the throat and head duller and greener than
in the adults, and the golden collar is absent. The soft parts
were given in f The Ibis ' (/. c.) .]

204. Cyanops monticola.

Cyanops monticola, Sharpe, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (6)
iii. p. 424 (1888).

a. J ad. Kina Balu, March 24, 1888.

b. ? ad. Kina Balu, March 28, 1887.

[Met with on my first expedition at about 3000 feet, and
again during my second at the same altitude. This bird at
first sight bears a strong resemblance to the young of M. mysta-
cophanes, so much so that it has remained nearly two years
undescribed, though I had little doubt that it was a good
species, the bill being quite distinct from that of M. mysta-
cophanes, to say nothing of the colour. I was glad to find
that Mr. Sharpe, at last, took my view as to its distinctness.]

205. Xanthol^ma duvauceli.

Xantholcema duvauceli (Less.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 38 ; Sharpe,
Ibis, 1879, p. 240; id. P. Z. S. 1881, p. 792; Blasius, t. c.
p. 26.

Megalcema duvauceli, Sharpe, Ibis, 1876, p. 35, 1877, p. 9 ;
Briiggem. t. c. p. 454.

a, b. rf ? ad. Lawas River, Feb. 28, 1886.
c,d. S ? ad. Lawas River, Feb. 26, 1886.

[Met with in numbers on some fruit-bearing forest trees.
Iris and bill black ; feet slaty green.]

(! Mr. R. B. Sharpe on the

206. Calorhamphus puliginosus.

Calorhamj^hus fuliginosus (T.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 39 ; Sharpe,
Ibis, 1876, p. 34, 1877, p. 9, 1879, p. 240; id. P. Z. S. 1881,
p. 792.

a. 6 ad. Kina Balu, Feb. 15, 1887.

b. j ad. Kina Balu, March 1887.

c. d. <J ? a<3. Kina Balu, April 1888.

[Common, frequenting the lower slopes of Kina Balu up
to 1000 feet. It is found in old forest in small flocks, feed-
ing high in the trees.]

Fam. PieJDiE,

207. Iyngipicus aurantiiventris.

Iyngipicus awantiiventris , Salvad. t. c. p. 41, tav. iv. fig. 2 ;
Sharpe, Ibis, 1879, p. 240; id. P. Z. S. 1881, p. 792; Hargitt,
Ibis, 1882, p. 29 ; Blasius, t. c. p. 27.

a. ? ad. Kina Balu, Feb. 13, 1887.

b. $ ad. Kina Balu, March 25, 1887.
e,d. 6 2 ad. Kina Balu, April 15, 1888.

[Met with on Kina Balu from 2000 to 3000 feet, but by
no means common. Seems to prefer the Casuarina trees.
Iris white ; bill slaty blue ; feet dull green, soles yellow.]

208. Iyngipicus auritus.

Iyngipicus auritus (Eyton) ; Hargitt, Ibis, 1882, p. 42.

Iyngipicus fusca-albidus, Salvad. t. c. p. 42; Sharpe, P. Z. S.
1879, p. 326 ; id. Ibis, 1879, p. 240.
a, b. ? ad. Labuan, July 1885.

c. d ad. Labuan; Dec. 15, 1885.

[Iris hazel ; bill and feet greyish black. Fairly common
in Labuan, frequenting gardens and other open places.
Nests in dead trees in the beginning of June.]

209. Xylolepes validus.

Xylolepes validus (Reinw.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 43 ; Sharpe,
Ibis, 1876, p. 36, 1877, p. 9, 1879, p. 240 ; id. P. Z. S. 1879,
p. 326, 1881, p. 792 ; Blasius, t. c. p. 27.

a. d ad. Benkoka, Sept. 15, 1885.

b. ? ad. Benkoka, Oct. 11, 1885.
[Iris dark lake.]

Ornithology of Northern Borneo. 7

210. Hemicercus sordidus.

Hemicercus sordidus (Eyton) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 46; Sharpe,
Ibis, 1879, p. 240 j Hargitt, Ibis, 1884, p. 247.

a. £ ad. Benkoka, Sept. 22, 1885.

b. 6 ad. Benkoka, Nov. 2, 1885.

[Iris claret-colour ; bill and feet slaty black.]

211. Lepocestes porphyromelas.

Lepocestes porphyromelas (Boie) j Salvad. t. c. p. 48 ;
Sharpe, Ibis, 1877, p. 9, 1879, p. 242.

a. 6 ad. Kina Balu, Feb. 21, 1887.

b. $ ad. Kina Balu, March 23, 1887.

[Reaches an altitude of 5000 feet on Kina Balu. Iris
claret-colour ; bill straw-yellow ; feet greenish brown.]

212. Gecinus puniceus.

Callolophus puniceus (Horsf.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 49 ; Sharpe,
Ibis, 1876, p. 36, 1879, p. 242; id. P. Z. S. 1881, p. 792-
Blasius, t. c. p. 28.

Gecinus puniceus, Bniggem. t. c. p. 454 ; Hargitt, Ibis
1888, p. 176.

a. d ad. Kina Balu, March 27, 1888.

b. 2 ad. Benkoka, Oct. 15, 1885.

[Found up to 2000 feet on Kina Balu. Iris claret-colour ;
bare skin round eye pale blue ; upper mandible black, lower
mandible straw-yellow ; feet brownish yellow.]

213. Chrysophlegma humii.
Chrysophlegma humii, Hargitt, Ibis, 1889, p. 231.
Callolophus mentalis (T.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 49; Sharpe, Ibis

1877, p. 9, 1879, p. 242.

a, b. J ? ad. Benkoka, Oct. 14, 1885.

c. $ ad. Lawas River, March 29, 1886.

d. $ ad. Kina Balu, March 14, 1887.

[Found up to 2000 feet on Kina Balu. Iris dark lake ;
bill greyish blue; feet dull green.]

214. Chrysophlegma malaccense.

Callolophus malaccensis (Lath.); Salvad. t.c. p. 50; Sharpe,
Ibis, 1876, p. 35, 1879, p. 242.

Gecinus malaccensis, Briiggem. t. c. p. 454.

8 Mr. R. B. Sharpe on the

Chrysophlegma malaccense, Hargitt, Ibis, 1886, p. 270.

a. £ ad. Lawas River, April 9, 1886.

b. ? ad. Benkoka, Sept. 15, 1885.
[Iris dark lake.]

215. Alophonerpes pulverulentus.

Alophonerpes pulverulentus (T.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 51 ; Sharpe,
P. Z. S. 1879, p. 326 ; id. Ibis, 1879, p. 242 ; id. P. Z. S.
1881, p. 792.

a. $ ad. Padas River, May 1, 1886.

b. $ ad. Lawas River, April 5, 1886.

c. ? ad. Benkoka, Sept. 27, 1885.

[Fond of frequenting forest on the borders of swamps.
Iris black ; feet and bill dull bluish white.]

216. Thriponax javensis.

Thriponax javensis (Horsf.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 52 ; Sharpe,
P. Z. S. 1879, p. 326; id. Ibis, 1879, p. 243; id. P. Z. S.
1881, p. 792; Hargitt, Ibis, 1885, p. 145 ; Blasius, t. c. p. 28.

a. S ad. Benkoka, Oct. 25, 1885.

b. ? ad. Labuan, Dec. 13, 1885.

c. ? ad. Labuan, Aug. 10, 1885.

217. TlGA JAVANENSIS.

Tiga javanensls (Ljung.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 54; Sharpe,
Ibis, 1877, p. 9, 1879, p. 243 ; id. P. Z. S. 1879, p. 326,
1881, p. 792.
a, b. £ ? ad. Labuan, July 12, 1885.

[Most common near the coast. Iris black; bill bluish
white ; feet dull green.]

218. Gauropicoides rafflesii.

Gauropicoides rafflesii (Vig.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 54; Sharpe,
1879, p. 243.

Tiga rafflesii, Briiggem. t. c. p. 455.
a, b. S ? ad. Kina Balu, May 6, 1888.

Reaches an elevation of 2000 feet on Kina Balu.

219. MlGLYPTES GRAMMITHORAX.

Miglyptes tristis (Horsf.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 56 ; Sharpe,
Ibis, 1876, p. 36, 1879, p. 243; id. P. Z. S. 1881, p. 792;
Briiggem. t. c. p. 155; Blasius, t. c. p. 29.

Ornithology of Northern Borneo. 9

Miglyptes grammithorax , Malh. ; Hargitt, Ibis, 1884,
p. 191.
a. ? ad. Padas River, June 6, 1885.

[Iris lake; feet dull greenish brown.]

220. Miglyptes tukki.

Miglyptes tukki (Less.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 57 ; Sharpe, Ibis,
1876, p. 36, 1879, p. 243; id. P. Z. S. 1881, p. 792; Hargitt,
Ibis, 1884, p. 193 ; Bruggem. t. c. p. 455 ; Blasius, t. c. p. 29.
a. £ ad. Kina Balu, Sept. 5, 1885.

[Iris dark lake ; bill greyish black ; feet brown.]

221. MlCROPTERNUS BADIOSUS.

Micropternus badiosus (T.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 58 ; Sharpe,
Ibis, 1879, p. 243; id. P. Z. S. 1881, p. 792; Hargitt, Ibis,
1885, p. 6 ; Blasius, t. c. p. 30.
a, b. <$ ? ad. Benkoka, Sept. 9, 1885.

222. Sasia abnormis.

Sasia abnormis (T.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 60 ; Sharpe, Ibis,
1889, p. 243; Bruggem. t. c. p. 455.

a. 6 ad. Kina Balu, March 25, 1887.

b. S ad. Kina Balu, Jan. 13, 1888.

[This peculiar little bird is found sparingly in old forest,
where it frequents the smaller trees and low growth. Reaches
up to 1000 feet on Kina Balu. Iris lake-red; bare skin on
face dull pink ; bill black ; feet orange-brown. Native name
" Tickbaden."]

Fam. Indicatorid.e.

223. Indicator archipelagicus.

Indicator archipelagicus, T. ; Salvad. t. c. p. 61 ; Sharpe,
Ibis, 1877, p. 8, 1879, p. 244.
a. S ad- Benkoka, Sept. 22, 1885.

Fam. Cuculid.e.

224. Chrysococcvx xanthorhynchus.

Chrysococcyx xanthorhynchus (Horsf.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 62 ;
Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1879, p. 327, 1881, p. 792.

Cuculus xanthorhynchus, Sharpe, Ibis, 1879, p. 244.
a. ? ad. Abai, Dec. 29, 1887.

10 Mr. R. B. Sharpe on the

[Not common in Northern Borneo, where it frequents the
tops of the highest trees, making it difficult to obtain speci-
mens. Its note is " Kievik, kievik/' by which name the
natives call it. Iris lake ; bare skin round eye and bill ver-
milion ; feet dull green ; bill in the female dark brown, more
reddish at base.]

225. SuRNICULUS LUGUBRIS.

Surniculus lugubris (Horsf.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 63 ; Sharpe,
Ibis, 1877, p. 8, 1879, p. 244; id. P. Z. S. 1879, p. 328,
1881, p. 792 j Blasius, t. c. p. 30.
a, b. <§ ? ad. Lawas River, April 5, 1886.
c. <$ ad. Kina Balu, March 1887.

[I met with this species in numbers on the Lawas River :
they frequent the tops of low trees, and utter a loud whistling
note. Iris hazel; feet and bill black.]

226. Penthoceryx pravatus.

Penthoceryx pravatus (Horsf.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 63; Sharpe,
Ibis, 1879, p. 244.
a. $ ad. Benkoka, Sept. 21, 1885.

227. Cacomantis merulinus.

Cacomantis merulinus (Scop.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 64 ; Sharpe,
Ibis, 1876, p. 34, 1877, p. 7, 1879, p. 244; id. P. Z. S. 1879,
p. 328, 1881, p. 792.
a. Ad. Labuan, May 1886.

228. Hierococcvx fugax.

Hiero coccyx fugax (Horsf.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 65; Sharpe,
Ibis, 1877, p. 7, 1879, p. 245.
a, b. $ ad. Kina Balu, April 1888.

c. S ad. Kina Balu, April 26, 1888.

d. ? juv. Kina Balu, April 23, 1888.

[Met with on Kina Balu, about 3000 feet. I found this
species laying in the nest of Culicicapa ceylonensis, on the
29th April. The egg was creamy white, slightly spotted with
pale yellowish brown and grey, forming a complete zone at
the larger end : axis 0*9 inch, diam. 0'65. Iris and bill
light brown ; feet and skin round eye bright yellow ; base of
bill yellowish green.]

Ornithology of Northern Borneo. 11

229. HlEROCOCCYX NANA.

Hierococcyx nanus, Hume, Str. F. v. p. 490 (1877).
a. ? ad. Benkoka, Nov. 2, 1885.

The first recorded occurrence of this species in Borneo.
The specimen has been identified by Captain Shelley.

[Only one specimen seen. Iris black ; skin round the eye
bright straw-yellow ; feet king's yellow.]

230. Hierococcyx bocki.

Hierococcyx bocki, Wardlaw-Ramsay, Ibis, 1886, p. 157;
Sharpe, Ibis, 1888, p. 394.

a. S ad. Kina Balu, Feb. 28, 1888.

b, c. S ? ad. Kina Balu, March 1888.
d. $ ad. Kina Balu, April 20, 1888.

The occurrence of this species on Kina Balu is interesting,
as showing a very distinct relation between the avifauna of
the mountain and that of High Sumatra.

[This rare Cuckoo frequented Kina Balu at about 4000
feet. It was evidently the pairing-season in March, as they
were then very noisy, whistling a good deal in the tops of
the trees, especially towards evening.]

231. Hierococcyx sparverioioes.
Hierococcyx strenuus, Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1879, p. 327.

a. Juv. Labuan, Nov. 7, 1887.

[One specimen shot, evidently on migration. Iris light
brown; feet and skin round eye pale yellow.]

232. CUCULUS M1CROPTERUS.

Cuculus micropterus, Gould ; Oates, Handb. B. Burm. ii.
p. 104 (1883).

a. d ad. Lawas River, March 29, 1886.

b. 3 ad. Lawas River, April 7, 1886.

[Apparently new to Borneo. Only two specimens seen,
frequenting the banks of the river. This species has a loud
whistling note. Iris black ; skin round eye bright yellow.]

233. CUCULUS POLIOCEPHALUS.

Cuculus poliocephalus, Lath. Ind. Orn. i. p. 214; Sharpe,
Ibis, 1879, p. 394.
? Cuculus himalayanus, Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1879, p. 327.

12 Mr. R. B. Sharpe on the

a, b. <$ ? ad. Kina Balu, Feb. 1888.
c. ? ad. Kina Balu, March 13, 1888.

[This Cuckoo frequented the higher ranges of Kina Balu
up to 9000 feet, and I saw one specimen much higher. The
note is exactly like that of Cyanops pulcherrima, and 1 have
often stalked the supposed Barbet and shot a Cuckoo. Iris
brown ; legs, gape, and skin round eye king's yellow.

I have a young bird which has the throat and upper part
of the breast rich brown instead of grey like the adults.
There is a ring of brown round the back of the neck. The
wing-feathers and back are also much barred with the same
colour.]

234. COCCYSTES COROMANDUS.

Coccystes coromandus (L.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 67.
a. ? ad. Labuan, Dec. 29, 1885.

[Apparently rare. I have only met with two specimens
during my visit to Borneo.]

235. EUDYNAMIS MALAYANA.

Eudynamis malayana, Cab. & Heine, Salvad. t. c. p. 68 ;
Sharpe, Ibis, 1876, p. 34, 1879, p. 245 ; id. P. Z. S. 1879,
p. 328.
a. (J ad. Labuan, Nov. 30, 1885.

236. Rhopodytes erythrognathus.

Rhopodytes erythrognathus, Sharpe, Ibis, 1877, p. 8 ; id.
P. Z. S. 1879, p. 246; id. Ibis, 1879, p. 245; id. P, Z. S.
1881, p. 793.

Rhamphococcyx erythrognathus (Hartl.) ; Salvad. t. c.
p. 74.

Phcenicophaes erythrognathus, Bruggem. t. c. p. 455.

a. d ad. Kina Balu, April 1888.

b. S ad. Kina Balu, March 15, 1888.

[Common throughout Northern Borneo, ranging on Kina
Balu up to 1000 feet. They frequent the lower branches of
high and the tops of low trees, especially where the jungle is
thick and tangled. They hop slowly through the jungle, the
tail being kept horizontal Avith the body. Iris king's
yellow ; upper mandible and half the lower one pea-green,

Ornithology of Northern Borneo. 13

the rest dull reddish ; feet dull leadeu blue ; bare skin on
face scarlet.

Native name " Nampak."]

237. Rhinortha chloroph.ea.

Rhinortha chlorophaa (Raffl.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 69 ; Sharpe,
Ibis, 1876, p. 34, 1879, p. 245, 1881, p. 792; Briiggem. t. c.
p. 455 ; Blasius, t. c. p. 32.

a. d ad. Benkoka, Sept. 5, 1885.

b. ? ad. Kina Balu, April 1, 1887.

[In habits similar to Rhopodytes erythrognathus, with the
same peculiar quiet and skulking manner. Iris dark brown ;
bill pea-green ; bare skin on face emerald-green j feet dull
cobalt-blue.]

238. POLIOCOCCYX SUMATRANUS.

Rhopodytes sumatranus (Raffl.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 73 ; Sharpe,
Ibis, 1879, p. 245; Blasius, t. c. p. 32.

Zanclostomus sumatranus, Briiggem. t. c. p. 455.

[I also saw this species at Abai, frequenting a patch of
jungle on the coast, but did not obtain a specimen.]

239. Zanclostomus javanicus.

Zanclostomus javanicus (Horsf.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 75 ;
Sharpe, Ibis, 1879, p. 245; id. P. Z. S. 1881, p. 793;
Blasius, t. c. p. 33.
a. <$ ad. Kina Balu, March 1887.

[Not so common as the last two species, though similar
in habits. This bird has a higher range than the last two
species, for I met with one on Mt. Ophir, in Malacca, at
3000 feet. This species has a peculiar note like "kick
kick/' Iris black ; bill coral-red; feet brownish black.]

240. Centrococcyx eurycercus.

Centrococcyx eurycercus (Hay) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 78 ;
Sharpe, Ibis, 1877, p. 8; id. P. Z. S. 1879, p. 328, 1880,
p. 793 ; Blasius, t. c. p. 39.
a, b. $ ? ad. Labuan, Jan. 1886.

c. d. <$ ? ad. Labuan, June 1886.

[This large and powerful Cuckoo frequents the small

14 Mr. R. B. Sharpe on the

tangled patches of forest, being rarely met with in the larger
stretches of old forest. The natives say that it often feeds
upon flesh, killing and eating birds that have been snared,
if left long in the traps. I have no doubt that it would take
the young from nests, and have watched two little Fly-
catchers (Rhipidura javanica) very busy attacking and trying
to dinve this Cuckoo from a tree where they probably had a
nest.

The note is loud, " buh bull/' uttered many times, as the
bird sits, generally towards the evening, in some prominent
position.

Native name " Bubut," probably from the note.

Iris, feet, and bill black.]

241. Centrococcyx javanensis.

Centrococcyx javanensis (Dumont.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 76 ;
Sharpe, Ibis, 1876, p. 34.

Centropus javanensis, Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1879, p. 328; id.
Ibis, 1879, p. 246.

a. $ imm. Labuan, May 1885.

b. Juv. Labuan, Aug. 18, 1885.

[This species, unlike the last, is seldom seen except in the
" Hang "-grass plains near the edges of clearings.

This Cuckoo may often be turned up in the coarse grass
plains within a few yards, when it rises with a slow flapping
flight, often soaring long distances, seldom more than a few
feet above the grass, and then dropping suddenly out of sight.

It is plentiful in Labuan, and, like C. eurycercus, is most
often heard towards evening as it perches on some low post
or bunch of beaten-down grass.

I had an egg given me, supposed to be of this species,
which was white ; it was found on the ground under some
tangled growth.

Native name " Bubut."

Iris brown j bill and feet black.]

Fam. BucerotidjE.

242. Buceros rhinoceros.

Buceros rhinoceros, L. ; Sharpe, Ibis, 1879, p. 246 ;
Elliot, Monogr. Bucerot. pi. iv.

Ornithology of Northern Borneo. 15

Buceros rhinocerosoides (T.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 37.
a. <$ ad. Benkoka, Oct. 6, 1885.

[Iris dark lake ; bill red and. yellow ; feet dull yellow.

This large Hornbill is fairly common,, frequenting the
high fruit-bearing forest trees. I have seen eleven flying in
one flock, when they could be heard a great distance off, the
noise they make with their wings being very loud.

Native name "Sungung."]

243. Rhinoplax vigil.

Rhinoplax vigil (Forst.) ; Elliot, Monogr. Bucerot. pi. x. ;
Sharpe, Ibis, 1879, p. 248.

Rhinoplax scutatus (Bodd.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 88.
a. Ad. Benkoka, Oct. 9, 1885.

[Fairly common in most old forests, frequenting the tops
of high trees. It utters a loud deep cry, " Lentodoon " (from
which it gets its native name), and then goes off into a fit of
laughter, which may be heard at a great distance.

I saw them on Kina Balu up to 3000 feet.

The native idea is that the heavy knob on the bill is used
for hammering the gutta and gum round the hole when it
closes up the female in the nest.]

244. Anthracoceros convexus.

Anthracoceros convexus (T.) ; Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1879,
p. 329; id. Ibis, 1879, p. 246; Elliot, Monogr. Bucerot.
pi. xii.

Hydrocissa convexa (T.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 80 ; Sharpe,
Ibis, 1877, p, 7, 1879, p. 246.
a, b. 6 ? . Labuan, May 28, 1885.
c. $ juv, Pulo Gaya Island.

[Young birds have the bill dull pea-green ; feet dull cobalt ;
eye not so dark as the old birds.

Adults have the bill light yellow, with a black mark on
end of casque ; eye lake ; skin at base of bill light blue.

Common on most small islands near the sea-coast ; I have
never met with this Hornbill far inland. It has a curious
screaming cry, which is frequently uttered.

Native name " Lekup."]

16 Mr. R. B. Sharpe on the

245. Anthracoceros malayanus.

Ant hr acoceros malay anus (Raffl.); Elliot, Monogr. Bucerot.
pi. xv.

Hydrocissa malay ana (Raffl.) ; Salvad. t. o. p. 83.

Hydrocissa albirostris (Shaw) ; Sharpe, Ibis, 1879, p. 246.
a,b. 6 ? . Benkoka, Oct. 2, 1885.
c. 6 . Kina Balu, April 20, 1887.

[cj. Bill white; feet black; iris dark lake.
$ . Bill, iris, and feet black.

Fairly common in old forest. Met with on Kina Balu at
1000 feet. The small black-billed bird is doubtless the hen
of the white-billed bird, as they are generally seen together,
and the sexing also proves it.]

246. Anorrhinus comatus.

Anorrhinus comatus (Raffl.) ; Elliot, Monogr. Bucerot.
pi. xxxix.

a. 6 ad. Benkoka River, Sept. 12, 1885.

b. ? . Benkoka River, Nov. 13, 1885.
Recorded from Borneo for the first time.

[Iris dull greenish yellow ; skin on face pale cobalt ; bill
white, blackish at tip ; feet black.

Met with in a forest on the Benkoka River. Unlike the
other species mentioned, this Hornbill frequently settles on
the ground.

Some birds have white and others black tails. This is
apparently only a difference of age, as the British Museum
contains Malayan specimens with black and with white tails
from the same locality.]

247. Anorrhinus galeritus.

Anorrhinus galeritus (T.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 79 ; Sharpe,
Ibis, 1879, p. 246; id. P. Z. S. 1881, p. 793; Elliot,
Monogr. Bucerot. pi. 42.

a. Ad. Kina Balu, April 23, 1887.

b. Ad. Sandakan, April 14, 1885.

c. d. $ 2 ad. Benkoka, Oct. 11, 1885.

Adult. Iris lake ; bill black, sometimes white-striped ; feet
black ; skin on face pale blue.

Ornithology of Northern Borneo. 17

Jr. Iris blue ; bill dull red at tip, pea-green at base ;
skin on face bright king's yellow.

[Fairly common. Also occurs on Kina Balu up to 1000
feet. I fouud a nest of this species in an old tree, the
female and a young one being securely fastened in by gums
and resins. The curious part, however, was that there were
no less than five other Hornbills feeding her, including
males and females. I shot three birds at the tree on the
first day, before I discovered the nest, which had evidently
been used many times, judging by the excrement at the foot
of the tree ; and on the following day there were two other
birds feeding the imprisoned hen. The Hornbills build up
the hen in a tree, leaving only a small hole through which
to feed her : this is done for defensive purposes against
large tree-lizards and monkeys.

The young bird taken was well feathered and lived a long
time, feeding voraciously on boiled rice and fruit j but the
little fellow made such an incessant noise (like a wet cork
rubbed on a bottle) that I had frequently to send him to
some distance from my hut. This one day caused his death,
through my boy putting the basket in a place where the bird
got too much sun, which killed it. The hen bird was so
weak after her imprisonment that for a long time she was
unable to fly. The curious change of colour in the soft
parts which the young bird undergoes before becoming
adult is interesting.]

Fam. Merofid^e.

248. Merops sumatranus.

Merops sumatranus, Rafll. ; Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1879, p. 329;
id. Ibis, 1879, p. 248 ; id. P. Z. S. 1881, p. 793.

Merops bicolor, Salvad. t. c. p. 90; Sharpe, Ibis, 1876,
p. 33, 1877, p. 5.

a,b. 6 2 ad. Abai, March 2, 1888.
c. 6 ad. Benkoka, Oct. 21, 1885.

[Fairly common in open places. In habits similar to all
the rest of the family. Nests in holes in the ground, laying

SER. vi. — VOL. II. c

18 Mr. R. B. Sharpe on the

four or five round white eggs about the beginning of June.
Axis 0*95 inch, diam. 0*9.

Native name " Tarnpa-Kuro."]

249. Nyctiornis amicta.

Nyctiornis amicta (T.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 91 ; Sharpe, Ibis,
1877, p. 6, 1879, p. 248; id. P. Z. S. 1881, p. 793.

a. <$ ad. Kina Balu, April 1888.

b. <? ad. Benkoka, Sept. 14, 1885.

[Fairly common, frequenting high forest, where it sits
solitary on the lower boughs of trees, making short flights
after insects. It has a peculiar loud cry which I have often
mistaken for the cackling of geese, wondering where the
latter could be, and quite expecting to see some in one of
the native campongs. Native name " Darah leihier," i. e.
" blood-neck." Iris straw-yellow.]

Fam. Alcedinid^e.

250. Alcedo bengalensis.

Alcedo bengalensis, Gm. ; Salvad. t. c. p. 92 ; Sharpe, Ibis,
1877, p. 6; id. P. Z. S. 1879, p. 329.
a. $ ad. Benkoka, Sept. 12, 1885.

[Only a winter visitor to Borneo, arriving in Palawan on
its way south about the middle of September. Native name
" Mantis."]

251. Alcedo meninting.

Alcedo meninting, Horsf . ; Salvad. t. c. p. 93; Sharpe,
P. Z. S. 1879, p. 329; id. Ibis, 1879, p. 248.
a, b. c? ? ad. Labuan, Dec. 1885.

c. 6 juv. Labuan, May 1886.

d. ? ad. Benkoka, Oct. 19, 1885.

[Fairly common about large rivers near the sea-coast.]

252. Alcedo euryzona.

Alcedo euryzona, T. ; Salvad. t. c. p. 95; Sharpe, Ibis,
1879, p. 248.

a,b. 6 2 ad. Kina Balu, March 1887.
c, d. J $ ad. Kina Balu, April 12, 1888.

[Iris dark hazel. In the female the upper mandible is

Ornithology of Northern Borneo. 19

black, the lower one dull vermilion ; feet also vermilion.
The young male has the bill black, with a pinkish tinge •
feet dull black. Met with sparingly on the rocky streams
which come from Kina Balu.

At one of my camps a pair used to pass up-stream in the
dusk of early mom, piping as they flew. In an hour or so
the birds would return down-stream, flying a few feet above
the water and cutting off bends by going into the forest.
They were very shy, and it was a long time before I obtained
a specimen.]

253. Pelargopsis leucocephala.

Pelargopsis leucocephala (Gm.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 95 •
Sharpe, Ibis, 1876, p. 33, 1879, p. 249 ; id. P Z S 1879'
p. 329, 1881, p. 793.

a. 2 ad. Lawas River, April 16, 1886.

b. d ad. Benkoka, Nov. 20, 1885.
[Iris black ; bill and feet coral-red.

Common on the tideways of rivers, and I do not think it
goes for any great distance inland from the coast. It has a
disagreeable harsh note, which it utters when perched,
stretching out its neck and cocking its tail to give full force
to its music. I watched one of these birds in Palawan which
had perched on the top of a tree, making flights at some
fishes swimming on the surface some distance out at sea.]

254. Ceyx dillwynni.

Ceyx dillwynni, Sharpe; Salvad. t. c. p. 99; Sharpe Ibis
1879, p. 249 ; id. P. Z. S. 1879, p. 330, 1881, p. 793.

a. J ad. Lawas River, April 5, 1886.

b, c. s 2 ad. Sandakan, April 24, 1885.
d. S ad. Kina Balu, Aug. 20, 1887.

[Iris black; feet and bill coral-red.

Common. Often will the traveller see a small bright
yellow bird pass him in the forest like a little express train,
whistling as though it were important to let every one know
it was coming. Then suddenly the whistling ceases and the
bird has perched, often at some distance away, where it sits
motionless until again disturbed. It often frequents small

c 2

20 Mr. R. B. Sharpe on the

forest-streams, but I should doubt if it ever feeds ou fish.
This is one of the Bornean " Burong angi/' or (fomen birds."
Met with on Kina Balu up to nearly 3000 feet.

On the 5th April I found a nest of this Kingfisher which
was in a hole in a bank in the forest ; it contained two eggs,
which were nearly hatched. The whole nest was swarming
with ants. Egg white; axis 0"9, diam. 0'75. I have often
noticed that when large forest-trees become uprooted, and
have a large quantity of earth held by the roots, the
earth has been bored for nesting-holes, probably by this
bird.]

255. Halcyon coromanda.

Halcyon coromanda (Lath.); Sharpe, Ibis, 1879, p. 249;
id. P. Z. S. 1879, p. 331, 1881, p. 793.

Callialcyon coromanda, Salvad. t. c. p. 101.
a, b. 6 $ ad. Labuan, May 1886.
c. Juv. Labuan, May 1886.

[A swamp-loving species, frequenting the beds of " Nippa "
palms near the coast.]

256. Halcyon pileata.

Halcyon pileata (Bodd.) ; Sharpe, Ibis, 1876, p. 33, 1879,
p. 249; id. P. Z. S. 1879, p. 331.

Entomobia pileata, Salvad. t. c. p. 102.
a. d ad. Lawas, April 5, 1886.

[Iris black ; feet and bill coral-red.

A winter migrant to Borneo, arriving in Palawan on its
way south about the 24th September. It frequents the open
patches of swamp-rice, perching on the forest-trees which
surround them, making short flights at anything that it can
see in the swamp around.]

257. Halcyon chloris.

Halcyon chloris (Bodd.) ; Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1879, pp. 246,
332, 1881, p. 793.

Saui'opatis chloris, Salvad. t. c. p. 103.
a. $ ad. Labuan, July 5, 1885.

[Iris dark brown ; upper mandible black, lower one dull
white ; feet dull pink.

Ornithology of Northern Borneo. 21

Common along the sea-coast, perching on some elevated
spot, from which it makes short darting flights on its prey,
which is exposed at low tide. This bird has a peculiar harsh
cry, which is " Kang kang." The head is thrust forward and
the tail cocked at right angles to the back. They nest in
holes in trees, and are generally met with in pairs. Native
name " Kang kang."]

258. Halcyon concreta.

Halcyon concreta (T.) ; Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1881, p. 793.
Caridagrus concreta, Salvad. t. c. p. 102.

a. $ ad. Benkoka, Sept. 13, 1885.

b. $ ad. Benkoka, Oct. 10, 1885.

c. ? ad. Benkoka, Oct 22, 1885.

[Met with in true forest, where it sits motionless on some
branch, generally only a few feet from the ground. Iris
black ; bill king's yellow ; feet paler yellow.]

259. Carcineutes melanops.

Carcineutes melanops (T.) ; Sharpe, Ibis, 1879, p. 249 ;
id. P. Z. S. 1881, p. 793.

Lacedo melanops, Salvad. t. c. p. 104.
a, b. <$ ad. Benkoka, Oct. 1885.

c. ? ad. Benkoka, Oct. 12, 1885.

d. ¥ ad. Kina Balu, March 1887.

[Fairly common, frequenting true forest. Met with on
Kina Balu up to 2000 feet. Iris stone-grey ; bill coral-red ;
feet dull yellow.]

Fam. Coraciid^e.

260. EURYSTOMUS ORIENTALIS.

Eurystomus orientalis (L.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 105 ; Sharpe,
Ibis, 1877, p. 7, 1879, p. 249 ; id. P. Z. S. 1879, p. 332, 1881,
p. 793.

a. (J ad. Lawas River, April 9, 1886.

b. ? ad. Kina Balu, April 1888.

c. ? ad. Kina Balu, March 14, 1888.

[Iris dark hazel ; feet and bill orange-red. Common,
frequenting open places, especially dead trees that have been

22 Mr. R. B. Sharpe on the

left standing after forest fires. It perches on some high
branch, from which it makes short flights at insects, return-
ing often to the same perch.

The note is " Kick kick/' sounding somewhat like the
noise made by coachmen to horses.

Native name " Lahi."]

Fam. CaprimulgidjE.

261. Caprimulgus macrurus.

Caprimulgus macrurus, Horsf. ; Salvad. t. c. p. 117 ; Sharpe,
P.Z. S. 1879, p. 332; id. Ibis, 1879, p. 250.

Caprimulgus salvadorii, Sharpe, Ibis, 1877, p. 4.

a. ? ad. Kina Balu, April 1888.

b. S ad. Abai, Dec. 11, 1886.

c. (J ad. Labuan, Aug. 14, 1888.

[Common in open places and on the edges of forest. In
the evenings it may be seen on Labuan plain in numbers
sitting on the ground, making short flights from place to
place. The name of " Ice-bird " mentioned in Jerdon, and
derived from its peculiar note, which sounds exactly like a
stone thrown on thick ice, is the best description of the sound
it utters. It is met with on Kina Balu up to 2000 feet. It
generally nests in open places, and I have seen a nest on the
sea-shore under the shelter of a tree just above high-water
mark. The eggs are two in number, laid in April and other
months, of a pale creamy yellow, with a slight pinkish tinge,
blotched all over with pale grey, and less so with pale brown.
None of these spots and blotches are distinct. Axis 1*25,
diam. 0*9. Native name " Tampa-Kampa."

There is another species of Caprimulgus in Borneo which I
failed to obtain, but which is, I believe, Lyncornis temmincki,
a species common in Malacca, but only observed by myself
about the foot of Kina Balu. This species has a very peculiar
habit of flying high in the heavens just as the last rays of the
setting sun are fading away, with wings held well above the
body, uttering a pretty whistling note " Teta bow, teta bow."
This Nightjar may be seen by the dozen exactly at 6.10 p.m.
So well timed was their flight that I could set my watch by

Ornithology of Northern Borneo. 23

them. After ten minutes' flight the bird comes to the earth,
and may be seen flitting over the rice-fields, now and then
soaring up after some insect, often settling on some dead
branch or post, where its pretty note becomes changed to a
frog-like croak. A few minutes before sunrise the bird takes
another flight high in the sky, and " Teta bow » may be heard
for a few minutes, when it drops to the earth, on which it
rests, remaining silent and sleepy during the heat of the day
until a few minutes past 6 p.m.]

Fam. Cypselid^e.

262. Cypselus infumatus.

Cypselns infumatus, Scl. ; Salvad. t. c. p. 119; Sharpe,
P. Z. S. 1879, p. 333.
a, h. $ ? ad. Kina Balu, Jan. 18, 1888.

[Fairly common.]

263. CoLLOCALIA FUCIPHAGA.

Collocalia fuciphaga (Thunb.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 120.
a. S ad. Lawas River, July 13, 1885.

264. Collocalia linchi.

Collocalia linchi, Horsf. & Moore; Salvad. t. c. p. 121;
Sharpe, Ibis, 1879, p. 250 ; id. P. Z. S. 1881, p. 793.
a, b. <$ ad. Kina Balu, March 2, 1887.

[Very plentiful wherever the rocks form small caves
suitable for nesting in. The nests of this species are com-
posed almost entirely of moss, a little saliva being used to
fasten the structure to the rock. Eggs two, small, white,
very often misshapen; laid in February. Axis 0*7, diam.
0-45.]

265. Dendrochelidon comata.

Dendrochelidon comata (T.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 123; Sharpe,
P. Z. S. 1879, p. 334; id. Ibis, 1879, p. 250.

Macropterus comatus, Sharpe, Ibis, 1876, p. 33.
a, b. <$; c. ? ad. Lawas River, April 4, 1886.

[Only met with on the Lawas, where they frequented
some dead trees at the water's edge.]

24 Mr. W. W. Smith on Strix parvissima.

266. Dendrochelidon longipennis.
Dendrochelidon longipennis (Rafin.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 122;

Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1879, pp. 246, 334; id. Ibis, 1879, p. 250.
Macropterijx longipennis, Sharpe, Ibis, 1876, p. 33.

a. £ ad. Benkoka, Sept. 15, 1885.

b. $ ad. Labuan, Aug. 19, 1885.

[This beautiful Swift is a common species, especially where
the country is fairly open and old dead trees remain : these
are its favourite perches.]

267. ChjEtura coracina.

Chtetura coracina (S. Mull.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 124 ; Sharpe,
P.Z. S. 1879, p. 335.
a. Ad. Pulo Gaya.

[Rather a local species, frequenting the vicinity of forests.
I have noticed this Swift entering holes in trees, where no
doubt they nest.]

268. HlRUNDINAPUS GIGANTEUS.

Several times seen flying high in Labuan.
[To be continued.]

II. — On the supposed Occurrence of Strix parvissima, Elhnan,
in New Zealand. By W. W. Smith.

Sir Walter Buller, in concluding the histories of Spilo-
glaux novce-zealandics and Sceloglaux albifacies (B. of N. Z.
2nd ed. vol. i. p. 205, 1888), writes: "The two forms of
Strigidse described above are the only ones inhabiting New
Zealand of which we have, as yet, any positive knowledge."
In a footnote on the same page, Sir Walter quotes from
'Out in the Open/ a series of papers by the late Mr. T. H.
Potts, which have been published in several journals.
Mr. Potts, referring to the occurrence of a " very small
Owl " in New Zealand, says, " From the information that
has been gleaned about this rare bird, it would appear that
one of its habitats used to be the woods about the Rangitata
River; one was captured with the hand on the bank of a
creek at no great distance from Mount-Peel forest." Having

Mr. W. W. Smith on Strix parvissima. 25

lived five years near the gorge of the Rangitata River, and
having during the whole time collected and made lists of the
birds of the district, and knowing all particulars regarding
the two captures which Mr. Potts refers to as having oc-
curred in the district, I think I am able to explain the matter
clearly.

In May 1880, Mr. Mitton, then manager of Mount-Peel
Station, brought me a small living Owl, which he desired
me to stuff and mount for him. He stated that it had been
captured with the hand the previous afternoon by one of the
shepherds, on his way home from Peel forest. In handing
it to me he remarked that it was " surely a different kind of
Owl/' as it was so much smaller than any he had seen. I,
however, explained to him at the time that it was none other
than an exceptionally small " Morepork " {Spiloglaux nova-
zealandke), and was no doubt a female, a fact which I sub-
sequently verified while dissecting the specimen. It was an
immature bird, the general plumage being slightly darker
than many I have seen, and it lacked much of the distinct
and neat markings of grey and white on the wings and breast
peculiar to adult birds of that species. After being mounted,
it was sent to some of Mr. Mitton's friends in Christchurch,
but to whom I cannot at present say. A few weeks after
the above-mentioned capture, the same gentleman brought
me a slightly larger bird, which he had captured near the
gorge. Since then I have taken two diminutive females in
different localities and in similar plumage; but, excepting
their smaller size, there was nothing to lead anyone with a
slight knowledge of this little Owl and its variations to sup-
pose them to belong to a smaller or distinct species.

Sir Walter Buller was careful to note that Mr. Potts
" records the species on hearsay evidence " ; but very little
importance can be attached to such in the absence of a bond
fide specimen captured in the colony, or at least some more
positive proof of its existence here, as these birds belong to
the most perfectly explored division of our fauna. I think,
if such a species as the supposed Strix parvissima had existed
in our country, it would have long ago come under the notice

26 Dr. A. B. Meyer on the Coloration

of some of the many able collectors who have been long
resident in New Zealand.

Sir Walter has explained {op. cit. p. 193) that there is
" considerable variation in size " in Spiloglaux novce-zealan-
di<e, and mentions one he received from Mr. W. T. L.
Travers as "unusually small in all its proportions"; he also
describes the specimen in the Leiden Museum as " equalling
in size small examples of Spiloglaux novce-zealandice" ; indeed,
the subject is so exhaustively treated in his great work, that
no more need be added here. No New-Zealand colonist has
ever had such facilities for collecting and studying the habits
of our remarkable birds, and for examining collections in all
parts of the world, as this distinguished ornithologist.

The fact of the specimen of the so-called Scops nov<e-
zealandice in the Leiden Museum being labelled " Nouvelle
Zelande " without more definite authority, is, I think, sufficient
to justify Sir Walter Buller in excluding the species from
his work on the birds of New Zealand.

III. — On the Coloration of the Young in the Psittacine Genus
Eclectus. By Dr. A. B. Meyer.
(Plate I.)
The colour of the young of those species of the genus
Eclectus in which the males are green and the females
red has often been discussed, and every possible opinion
has been maintained by various writers. I myself have
had at different times very different and erroneous notions
on this question, which, however, I believe I have settled
definitely in my paper " Ueber die Farbung der Nestjungen
von Eclectus, Wagl." (f Zeitschrift f iir wissenschaftliche Zo-
ologie/ vol. xxxvii. pp. 146-162). In this I proved that the
young males are green and the young females red from the
nest, as had been asserted by some authors before. In spite
of this, Dr. Gadow (Bronn's ' Klassen und Ordnungen des
Thierreichs/ vol. vi. pt. iv. Aves, p. 585) has even recently
(1889) stated that the young ones are " reddish, but not yet
green/' This is, no doubt, a mistake.

Two young females of E. roratus were figured by me in

of the Young of Eclectus. 27

the year 1884 from a pair hatched in captivity (f Zeitschrift
fur die gesammte Ornithologie/ vol. i. p. 274, pi. xvi.), and
I am now able to offer a figure (Plate I.) of a young male of
the same species, hatched in captivity by the same gentle-
man whom I had to thank five years ago for the two females
— Mr. P. Hieronymus, then of Karlsruhe, now of Blankeu-
burg in the Harz.

I need not describe in detail the plumage of the young
male (No. 12,000, Mus. Dresd.) now figured, as all its cha-
racteristics are clearly shown in the Plate, and as the plumage
from the very beginning equals that of the adult in the
brilliancy of its green, blue, and red. It is, however, re-
markable that all these colours of the adult male appear
in this early stage of development of the plumage of the
nestlings.

The young bird figured was not quite seven weeks old
when it died ; it lived from the 24th of June till the 9th of
August, and died from suffocation by accident. The dissec-
tion proved it to be a male. Its mate, still living, is, judging
from its green colour, likewise a male.

I may draw attention to the fact that the pair hatched
by Mr. Hieronymus in the year 1884 consisted of two females,
and that the pair recently hatched consisted of two males.
I suppose that this also may occur in a state of nature, but
that just as often the pair may be composed of male and
female. As to this point I am not aware that trustworthy
observtions have been made ; the few as yet published will be
found in my paper already quoted (Z. f. wiss. Zool. xxxvii.
pp. 150, 151). Practical bird-breeders are of opinion that
the first brood of the year are usually males and the second
females. This may be the result of some observations^ but I
do not believe that it is a rule which can be relied upon. In
a covey of Partridges there are said to be always more cocks
than hens. The facts known as to the relative number of the
two sexes in birds are very scanty and not at all to be relied
upon. (See Darwin's ' Descent of Man/ 1871, vol. i. p. 306 ;
v. Hensen, ' Physiologie der Zeugung/ 1881, p. 205; C.
Diising, ' Die Regulirung der Geschlechtsverhaltnisse/ 1884,
p. 184, &c.)

28 On the Coloration of the Young of Eclectus.

Mr. Hieronymus has hatched since the year 1884 from the
same female Eclectus, with two different males, a series of
young ones, but, unfortunately, pairs were only reared on
two occasions ; besides these only single males were reared.
In cases when the embryos died in the egg, the sex was not
determined, though the embryos have been generally pre-
served. Nevertheless it may not be without interest to
enumerate the whole series of eggs deposited : —

1884. First deposit, 2 embryos.

Second deposit, 2 females, which lived five and six
weeks, and were figured by me (Z. f. ges. Orn. i.
pi. xvi.).

Third deposit, 1 embryo and 1 green male, which
was reared.

1885. First deposit, 1 embryo and 1 green male, which was

reared, and which was given to me by Mr. Hiero-
nymus in the 8th month of its life. It lived with
me for three years, and was killed by accident.
Second deposit, 2 unimpregnated eggs.

1886. First deposit, 1 embryo and 1 green male.
Second deposit, 2 embryos.

Third deposit, 1 embryo and 1 green male, reared.

1887. First deposit, 2 embryos.
Second deposit, 2 embryos.

1888. First deposit, 2 embryos.
Second deposit, 2 embryos.

Third deposit, 1 embryo and 1 unimpregnated egg.
Fourth deposit, 2 unimpregnated eggs.
Fifth deposit, 2 unimpregnated eggs.

1889. First deposit, 2 unimpregnated eggs. — N.B. In these

last cases the female paired with another male.
Second deposit, 2 green males, one of which is now
figured (Plate I.) from the stuffed skin; the other
is still living.

At the same time Mr. Hieronymus paired a female of
Eclectus cardinalis (Bodd.) from Ceram with the male bird

On the Pico-Passerine Group of Birds. 29

which had been productive with the female of E. roratus,
and got the following results : —

1888. First deposit, 2 embryos.
Second deposit, 2 embryos.

Third deposit, 2 unimpregnated eggs.

Fourth deposit, 2 young birds, which died after one

or two days.
Fifth deposit, 1 green male (which was reared) and 1

embryo.

1889. First deposit, 2 embryos.

Second deposit, 2 unimpregnated eggs.
Third deposit, 2 unimpregnated eggs.

Therefore from all these deposits of eggs only two females
and seven males have been reared and of these only four
males are still living. The sex of these four males is only
determined by the colour of the plumage, a character, how-
ever, which appears to be entirely trustworthy. As Mr. Hie-
ronymus has placed nineteen of the embryos in my hands,
ten of which are in pairs, I may, perhaps, still succeed by
microscopical investigation in determining the sexes, and
thus ascertain whether the male sex prevails or not, and
whether a pair among them does not sometimes consist of
male and female.

IV. — An Attempt to Diagnose the Pico-Passerine Group of
Birds and the Suborders of which it consists. By Henry
Seebohm, F.Z.S.

In my investigations into the osteology of the Grallo-Galline
and Ardeo-Anserine group of birds (Ibis, 1888, p. 415, and
1889, p. 92) I have found that however constant a cha-
racter might be in one or more groups, there were almost
sure to be other groups in which it broke down. In inves-
tigating the large group of birds consisting of the Passeres
and the Picarise, it seems as if osteological characters ceased
to be entirely reliable, and required the assistance of other
characters to make the diagnoses of the subdivisions complete.

30 Mr. H. Seebohm on the

It appears to be impossible to construct a diagnosis of the
Passeres founded solely on osteological characters. All the
Passeres are segithognathous, but other birds, obviously not
Passerine, are also segithognathous. Most of the Passeres
have only one notch on each side of the posterior margin of
the sternum ; but some Passeres have two, and many birds
not at all Passerine have only one. In most Passeres the
outer episternal process or manubrium is well developed and
forked, but in some Passeres it is not forked, and in some
birds not Passerine it is forked. It seems therefore to be
necessary to call in some other characters, not osteological,
to complete the diagnosis.

The deep plantar tendons are the muscles which, when
contracted, close the foot, and enable the bird to grasp its
perch or seize its prey. The different ways in which these
plantars are arranged afford characters which appear to be
of some value in the classification of birds. They run down
the back of the tarsus, sometimes side by side, but generally
crossing each other about the middle of that bone. The
inner and, when they cross, always the front plantar, is
named the flexor perforans digitorum ; the outer and, when
they cross, always the hind plantar, is named the flexor longus
hallucis ; but for the sake of brevity we may call the former
the front plantar, because it generally moves the front toes,
and the latter the hind plantar, because it generally closes
the hind toe. The most common arrangement of the plan-
tars is that found in the Common Fowl, and may therefore
be called the Galline arrangement. In this bird, when the
front plantar reaches the base of the tarsus it splits into
three tendons, one of which leads to each of the three front
toes. The hind plantar leads to the hind toe, but where it
crosses the front plantar it sends down a branch (called the
vinculum) to the front plantar, apparently to utilize its
superfluous strength, which would otherwise be wasted on
so feeble an organ as the hind toe of the Common Fowl and
other similarly formed birds. The size of the vinculum varies
according to the feebleness of the hallux. Where the hallux
is absent or very small the vinculum absorbs the whole of

Pico-Passerine Group of Birds. 31

the hind plantar (or nearly so) ; but where the hallux is
much used (as in the Herons) the vinculum becomes very
small, and disappears altogether in the Bittern and in most
of the Passeres. The Passerine arrangement of the plantars
thus intergrades with the Galline arrangement, of which
it may be regarded as a modification. Two other slight
modifications of this arrangement appear in some of the
Falconidee.

In comparison with the Galline arrangement of the plan-
tars and its modifications, the Picine arrangement appears to
be quite distinct. It only occurs in zygodactyle birds, but
not in all of them. In the typical Picine arrangement the
front plantar leads to the outer front (or 3rd) toe only, the
hind plantar dividing into three, to lead to the two hind
(the 1st and 4th) and the inner front (or 2nd) toes. A
slightly modified form of this arrangement occurs in the
Trogonidae, where the front plantar leads to the two front
toes (the 3rd and 4th), and the hind plantar to the two hind
toes (the 1st and 2nd). In the Picine arrangement, whether
typical or Trogonine, the front plantar does not lead to the
second toe.

There remains yet a third arrangement of the deep plantar
tendons, which differs from either of the other two, or from
any of their modifications, to such an extent that it seems
to denote, in the birds which possess it, that it has been
derived by inheritance from a common ancestor, and has not
been independently acquired by any of them. It also
appears in two slightly differing forms, which have been
unitedly called synpelmous. In synpelmous birds the plan-
tars do not cross each other at the back of the tarsus (as in
all other birds), but coalesce at the point where they usually
cross. The peculiarity of this arrangement consists in the
remarkable fact that the hallux is contracted by a tendon
from the front plantar (instead of the hind plantar, as in all
other birds), sent down, in the Caprimulgidse and their
allies after, and in the Alcedinse and their allies before, its
coalescence with the hind plantar, the coalesced plantars
splitting into three to contract the three front toes. In the

32 Mr. H. Seebohm on the

Caprimulgine arrangement, whether typical or Alcedine, the
hallux is contracted by the front plantar.

I therefore propose to associate the synpelmous Picariae
in an Order by themselves, and consequently to exclude them
from the Pico-Passeres.

Pico-Passeres.
The Pico-Passeres contain nearly half the species of
existing birds, and are, on the whole, the most highly deve-
loped. In the arrangement of their palatine bones they
are generally segithognathous, but some of the more aberrant
families contain species which are schizognathous, desmo-
gnathous, or saurognathous. Of the innumerable characters
which they all possess the following appear to be specially
valuable for their diagnosis : —

1. They have no ambiens muscle.

This character excludes all birds except the Podicipes, the
Striges, the Alcidae, the Syndactyly and some of the Casuarii,
the Psittaci, the Tubinares, the Col um bye, and the Hero-
diones.

2. The myological formula of the muscles of the thigh
is AX or AXY (the accessory femoro-caudal is never present,
whilst the femoro-caudal and the semitendinosus are never
absent) .

This character excludes the Casuarii, the Striges, the
Podicipes, the Columbae, and many other birds.

3. In their pterylosis the spinal feather-tract is never
interrupted by a naked tract on the hind neck.

This character excludes the Herodiones.

4. In the arrangement of the deep plan tars, the hallux is
always in direct connection with the hind plantar.

This character excludes the synpelmous Picariae, or Syn-
dactyli.

5. The dorsal vertebrae are all heteroccelous.

This character excludes the Psittaci, the Gavio-Limicolse
(of which the Alcidae are a family), and some other birds.

6. They have no supraorbital fossae for the reception of
the nasal glands.

Pico-Passerine Group of Birds. 33

This character excludes the Tubinares.

Each of these six characters appears in every Pico-Passerine
bird ; each of them is also found in some bird which is not
one of the Pico-Passeres ; but the combination of the six
characters is never found in any bird which is outside the
limits of the Pico-Passeres.

The order to which we have restricted the name Pico-
Passeres may be easily divided into five suborders, which
appear to be natural groups.

Passeres.
There has been some difference of opinion as to the exact
boundaries of this group. If the Passeres be diagnosed as
agithognathous birds, with a cacum and a nude oil-gland, the
Eurylsemidse will be admitted and the Upupidae will be ex-
cluded. If they be diagnosed as birds with free plantar
tendons, and a spinal feather-tract uninterrupted between the
crown and the upper back, the Upupiclte will be admitted
and the Eurylaemidse excluded. If they be diagnosed as
agithognathous birds with free plantars, both the Eurylsemidae
and the Upupidse will be excluded. The last-named diag-
nosis is so incomparably the best, the two characters accepted
being so very much more exclusively Passerine than the two
rejected, that it seems wisest to adopt it, with all its con-
sequences. The Passeres may therefore be diagnosed as
follows : —

1. They are segithognathous.

2. The hind plantar is free from the front plantar.

The division of the Passeres into families is a complicated
question, which must be deferred to a future paper.

Eurylcemi.
If the Broadbills be regarded as too aberrant a family to
be admitted into the suborder Passeres, they must be allowed
to constitute a suborder by themselves. They are unques-
tionably very nearly allied to the Passeres ; they possess
caeca, the oil-gland is nude, and in their pterylosis they
agree with Hirundo and other aberrant Passerine birds.

SER. VI. — VOL. II. i)

34 Mr. H. Seebohm on the

They have only one notcli on each side of the posterior
margin of the sternum, but their manubrium is not forked.
Neither of these characters is, however, exclusively Pas-
serine, or universally so. They are syndactyle, by no means
a Passerine character. They are very easily diagnosed.

1. They are segithognathous.

2. They have Galline plantars.

3. The oil-gland is nude.

It is necessary to add the last character in order to exclude
the Turnicidse and the Thinocoridse, which possess the first
two characters.

Upupce.
The Upupse (including the Irrisoridse) differ from all exist-
ing birds in combining two characters.

1. The hind plantar is free from the front plantar.

This character excludes, so far as is known, all birds except
a few of the Herodioncs and most of the Passeres.

2. The feet of the coracoids are bridged over by the union
of an outer with an inner episternal process.

This character excludes, so far as is known, all birds except
the Meropida?, the Bucerotidse, the Gallinse, and a genus of
Cuculidse.

The question is, which of these two characters is the oldest
in the Upupse ? It seems to me to be most probable that the
Passeres and the Herodiones have independently lost the
vinculum which connected the front plantar with the hind
plantar in the feet of their common ancestors, and that the
Upupse, like the Gallinse, have acquired an episternal bridge,
independently of the Meropidse and the Bucerotidse ; whilst
the extremely exceptional arrangement of the plantars in
the synpelmous Picarise has been inherited from a common
ancestor. These conclusions, if sound, make it necessary to
remove the Upupse from the Picarise to the Pico-Passeres,
and to transfer the Cathartse from the Raptores to the
synpelmous Picarise.

The Upupse are Passerine in having the hallux very large
and in having only one notch (or fenestra, as the case may

Pico-Passerine Group of Birds. 35

be) on each side of the posterior margin of the sternum.
The arrangement of their plantar tendons is precisely the
same as that of the Passeres. The fact that, like the Buc-
conidae, the Galbulidae, the Rhamphastidae, and many of the
Capitonidae, they are desmognathous, cannot be regarded as
of much importance ; but it must be admitted that they are
not at all Passerine in their pterylosis. The spinal feather-
tract has an interscapular fork, as in Cypselus, Caprimulgus,
Coracias, &c. ; and the infei'ior tract is completely forked on
each side of the breast, as in most of the Scansores. To find
a combination similar to that of Upvpa, it would probably be
necessaiy to descend as low as the Gfavise or Limicolae.

Scansores.

The Scansores are a clearly defined group of birds, per-
haps nearest allied to the Trogons, but having so many
characters in common with the Upupae, the Eurylaemi, and
the Passeres, that they may be associated with them in an
Order.

So far as is known, the Scansores are the only birds in
which the front plantar (flexor perforans digitorum) leads
only to the third digit (the middle toe of anisodactyle birds,
or the outer front toe of zygodactyle birds) . This character
alone is therefore sufficient to diagnose the Scansores ; but
the further character may be added that they are zygodactyle
[i. e. the outer front toe, or fourth digit, is reversed, and
becomes the outer hind toe) . The latter character, however,
is not confined to the Scansores, but is also found in the
Pseudo-Scansores (Coccyges, Musophagi, Striges, and Psit-
taci), and to some extent in Pandion and Leptosomus.

In the arrangement of their palatal bones the Scansores
vary in a remarkable manner. The Indicatoridae resemble the
Passeres in being aegithognathous ; the Capitonidae are, some
of them, aegithognathous and some desmognathous; thePicidse
are schizognathous, but the split vomer and small maxillo-
palatines are so peculiar that they have been called sauro-
gnathous ; whilst the Rhamphastidae, Galbulidae, and Buc-
conidae are desmognathous.

d2

36 Mr. H. Seebohm on the

The femoro-caudal and semitendinosus muscles are always
present, but the ambiens and accessory femoro-caudal are
always absent. The accessory semitendinosus is nearly
always present, but is absent in some of the Picidae.

The Galbulidae and the Bucconidae have caeca and a nude
oil-gland. The Rhamphastidae, the Capitonidae, and the
Indicatoridae have no caeca and a tufted oil-gland. The
Picidae have also a tufted oil-gland, and the caeca are either
absent or only rudimentary.

In the arrangement of their feather-tracts these families
do not differ very much from each other. In none of them
is there an interscapular fork to the spinal tract, as there is
in Upupa; but in all of them there is a post-scapular bare
spinal space, as in Eurylcemus and Hirundo. In the Indicato-
ridae, the Galbulidse, and the Bucconidse the spinal tract passes
between the scapulars and then divides into two branches,
one of which passes on each side of this bare space ; but in the
Picidae, the Rhamphastidae, and the Capitonidae this fork is
omitted, and the spinal tract suddenly ends in a bare dorsal
space. The arrangement of the feather-tracts on the rump
varies, but that on the underparts is remarkably constant.
There are two distinct feather-tracts on each side of the
breast, coalescing on the shoulder (as in Upupa), except in
the Galbulidae, where they coalesce along the whole line.
The Galbulidae are also abnormal in having a transverse
clavicular feather-tract on each side of the breast.

From these characters the suborder Scansores and the six
families it contains may be diagnosed as follows : —

1. The fourth digit is reversed.

2. The front plantar leads to the third digit only.
The Scansores may be subdivided into two groups : —

A. Passerine Scansores, with caeca and with a nude oil-gland.

Bucconidce : vomer absent ; a clavicular feather-tract on
each side of breast.

Galbulidae : vomer present ; no clavicular feather-tract on
each side of breast.

Pico-Passerine Group of Birds. 37

B. Picine Scansores, without caeca and with a tufted oil-
gland.

Picida: vomer slender, pointed, split; maxillo-palatines free.

Indicatoridae : vomer bifid ; maxillo-palatines free ; spinal
feather-tract surrounding a post-scapular naked space, but
otherwise continuous.

Capitonidce : vomer bifid ; maxillo-palatines sometimes free,
sometimes coalesced ; spinal feather-tract interrupted by the
absence of the anterior postscapular fork.

Rhamphastidce : vomer truncated ; maxillo-palatines co-
alesced.

+ Heterodactyli.

The Trogons are very curious birds. They agree with the
Scausores and the Pseudo-Scansores in having two toes in
front and two behind ; but they differ from both those groups
(and from all other birds) in having the second digit (the
inner front toe of anisodactyle birds) reversed. In a hete-
rodactyle bird the hallux is the outer of the two hind toes,
whereas in a zygodactyle bird the hallux is the inner one.
This perfectly unique arrangement of the toes is correlated
with a perfectly unique arrangement of the deep plantar
tendons. The front plantar leads to the two front toes, and
the hind plantar to the two hind toes. This arrangement
(apparently so simple and natural) is in strong contrast with
those of the two zygodactyle groups. In the Scausores the
front plantar leads to the third digit only, whilst in the
Pseudo-Scansores the hind plantar leads to the first digit
(the hallux) only.

In other respects the Trogons are also remarkable. They
combine the cranial characters of Caprimulgus with the
pterylosis of Motacilla, and the thigh-muscles and sternum
of Alcedo. They are schizognathous and holorhinal ; and
they are the only birds in the Order of Pico-Passeres which
permanently retain their basipterygoid processes.

The Heterodactyli consist of one family only, the Tro-
gonidse.

38 Mr. J. Whitehead on the

V. — Notes on the Birds of Palawan. By John Whitehead.

(Plate II.)

I left Labuan on 18th June, 1887, in a small trading-
steamer belonging to a Chinaman who had several stores on
the southern end of Palawan. The steamer landed us at
Taguso, on the S.E. coast (many miles south of Puerto
Princesa), promising to return in two and a half months ;
but as she did not turn up until nearly four, I was unable to
change my collecting-ground to the N.W. coast, as I had
intended. When we landed in Taguso there were no Spaniards
there, and the natives were doing much as they liked. Pala-
wan is notorious for the bad characters which have taken
refuge there from the Sulu and other islands ; and twice
since I have been in the "Far East" have the Sulus
murdered the Chinese and sacked their stores.

In the interior of Palawan is another race, nearly related
to the Bornean Dusans and Muruts ; these people are under
the thumb of the coast Sulus. The Sulus will not allow a
Dusan to sell any jungle- produce to the Chinese, but oblige
the Chinese to buy from them, as middle men. As one
Sulu said to me, when I asked questions on this subject,
" How was he to get a living if things were otherwise ? "

All my attempts to make friends with the Dusans failed;
the Sulus, though promising to help me, were all the time,
I believe, influencing the Dusans against me, they thinking,
no doubt, that my real object was to trade direct with the
natives inland. After two weeks' palavering, I went some
miles inland to visit a chief, but he would give me no assis-
tance. A few days later I went to the mountains, my own
men carrying sufficient provisions for three days ; but the
natives we met were very uncivil, refusing even to show us
the right paths.

A few days after my return to the coast some fifty Dusans
came to the store and threatened to attack us if we went
inland again. As my party only numbered nine, and there
was nothing to be gained by such short expeditions, I did
not attempt the interior again in that direction.

Birds of Palawan. 39

Some weeks afterwards I made friends with a Dusan chief
some distance off, and spent a week on a mountain about
2000 feet high. On this hill I collected Crijptolopha montis,
but no other mountain-species. I should rather doubt if an
island like Palawan, which has no land above 6000 feet in
altitude, has a very numerous highland fauna.

The continued rain during the first months of my sojourn
in Palawan made preserving large specimens very difficult,
most of my birds being obliged to be dried before the fire.

The accommodation we had to put up with was very bad,
the store being placed on the edge of a mud-swamp. I built
my bed up with empty oil-cases and planks. At high water
the sand inside the shed became quite soft. Numbers of
disgusting land-crabs would heave up heaps of wet, stink-
ing, black mud during the night all over the store, and often
enough you would find a small eruption within a few feet
of your bed in the morning. Then there was a peculiar red
boiled-looking lobster, which made great heaps all over the
place.

The Chinese smoked opium during a greater part of the
day and were all ill with fever; this was only to be ex-
pected from the position of their house. All my men and I
myself suffered from this several months after we had left
the island.

I will now try to give some account of our collecting-
grounds. The coast is fringed with high forest, reaching
inland about half a mile ; this fringe is probably left by the
natives to break the wind and to shelter their rice-crops.
In this forest Megapodes abound, Pittas and Jungle-fowl are
plentiful, and, more rarely, that prince of birds, Polyplectron.
In the trees above the most numerous are the various species
of Pigeons and screaming Parrots, but nearly all the small
species in the following list may be met with.

Behind this band of forest are plains of coarse grass, inha-
bited by two species of Quails, Cisticolce, and Centrococcyges ;
a few white Egrets attend the Sulu cattle. This sort of
scenery continues until you reach the foot of the mountains,
no great distance from the coast. When the great rush of

40 Mr. J. Whitehead on the

birds from the far north takes place these plains have a
much more lively aspect ; hundreds of Wagtails, Pipits,
Snipes, and other small Waders are continually flyirrg up on
your approach.

The swamps at the river-mouths have also their occupants
■ — Sunbirds, Rhipiduras, and several species of Herons and
Kingfishers, which are not met with elsewhere.

Towards the middle of September, after we had collected all
the resident species within our reach, the sea-coast, with its
rocky points and estuaries, was by far the most attractive hunt-
ing-ground; for about that time the great winter migration
from the north reaches the coasts and forests of Palawan.
Most Waders passed between 5 and 6 p.m., all in one direction,
S.W. ; if a small flock settled and was disturbed, never did
the birds return, but still hurried on their southward course.
By continuing this line of flight they would touch Balabac,
and then turn due south down to the coast of Borneo, where
some remain for the winter, but most seem to travel further
still. When the wind was blowing gales from the S.W.,
bringing up heavy clouds loaded with rain, then was the
liveliest time for moving ; on calm, and even moderate days,
it was seldom worth while to visit the coast. All these great
travellers were as fat as butter, and in no state for a bird-
collector.

The number of species as yet recorded from the island of
Palawan is 157, of which 36 are peculiar to that island, 19
are found only in the Philippines, 36 in the Malayan, but
not in the Philippine region, and 13 are common to both
regions. Then there are no less than 49 migrants, which
distribute themselves over the Eastern Archipelago during
the northern winter. One species {Cryptolopha montis) is
Bornean and not Malayan, one (Dendrophila frontalis) is
Malayan but not Bornean, and one (/Egithhia viridis) has "
been hitherto only found in Borneo and Sumatra. Lastly
comes Gallus bankiva, which is found throughout the Malayan
and Philippine regions, but of which I believe no specimens
are as yet known from Borneo.

Of 36 species peculiar to the island, 5 only have their

Birds of Palawan. 41

allies in the Philippines; 4 others are forms distinct from
those of either the Malayan or Philippine regions.

The Malayan forms predominate by 36, as against 19 from
the Philippines; but there is a curious absence of several
weak-winged Malayan genera, such as Trogons and Barbets,
in the list. The Timeliine birds are all peculiar to Palawan,
and the two Pittas arrive from the Philippines ; so that if
there ever was any connexion between Palawan and Borneo,
or with any other Malayan territory now more remote, it
must have existed for only a short period of time. As
yet, I believe, no species of Merops has been met with in
Palawan, which is curious, as in the large adjacent islands
this genus is very plentiful.

The species in the following list peculiar to Palawan are
marked thus f.

Migrants *.

P. = Philippine region only.

M. = Malay region only.

The nomenclature is mostly taken from Mr. Sharpens
article on my collection from Palawan published in this
Journal in 1888 (p. 193).

1. Cacatua h^ematuropygia. P.

Common ; generally met with in pairs ; has a slow flapping
flight, and often screams when on the wing. During the
heat of the day Cockatoos rest in the shade high up in the
trees, where they carry on their flirtations, screaming and
erecting their crests and performing many antics. Towards
evening they fly in flocks to the rice-fields, doing much harm
before the harvest.

Eye black, orbit white ; bill pale blue, white at the tip ;
feet dull blue. Sulu, " Agi."

2. Tanygnathus luzonensis. P.

Very common. This Parrot is one of the first birds that
attracts the traveller's attention in Palawan, as it flies swiftly
from forest to forest in small flocks, screaming loudly. In
flight the wings are often kept much below the level of the
body. This species frequents the tops of high trees, feeding

42 Mr. J. Whitehead on the

on various jungle fruits, but often during the heat of the
day they hide amongst thick-foliaged trees only a few feet
from the ground, from which they dash out with loud
screams when disturbed.

Bill rosy red ; feet horny green ; the pupil black, with a
small black ring round it.

3. Prioniturus cyaneiceps. f.

This beautiful little Parrakeet is nearly as common as the
last species, but it was some time before I could make them
out to be different birds, owing to the swift flight of both
species ; then, again, the curious racket tail-feathers were
not visible, nearly all the birds being in full moult. In
August, however, I collected some beautiful specimens of
both sexes whilst they were feeding on some fruit-bearing
trees only a few feet from the ground.

The racket tail-feathers apparently grow without the
web on the shaft, as in some immature feathers the stem
was still buried in the shell and bare, whilst in the young of
both sexes the short shafts are slightly webbed ; so that it
would seem that the bird does not itself destroy the web of the
two centre tail-feathers, as the Motmots are known to do.

Eye black ; bill dull white ; feet greenish.

4. ASTUR TRIVIRGATUS. M., P.

Only one young bird shot.

5. Spizaetus limnaetus. M.
Scarce.

6. Spizaetus philippinensis. P.
Obtained by Dr. Platen.

7. BUTASTER INDICUS. *.

8. Haliaetus leucogaster. M., P.

9. Spilornis bacha. P.

A specimen of this species shot by me, in a rice-field, fell
from a high tree, and the crown of its head struck on a log,
completely cutting every feather off. As it seemed to me a
bird I had met with in Borneo, I did not preserve it.

Birds of Palawan. 43

10. Pernis ptilonorhynchus. M.
Only one specimen procured.

11. Falco peregrinus. *.

A winter migrant, arriving about the middle of September.

12. Hypotriorchis severus. #.

I met with this little Hawk several times on the sea-coast,
and often started before daylight to a point on the coast
where it used to pass,, but unfortunately never got within
shot.

13. Circus spilonotus. *.

I saw a white Harrier, which was probably of this species
(as it is very common in Borneo), on the 12th September.

14. Pandion haliaetus. *.
One or two seen on the coast.

15. Baza leucopais. f- (Plate II.)
Baza leucopias, Sharpe, Ibis, 1888, p. 195.

If this species is confined to Palawan, it will be interesting
to find a strong- winged bird keeping to such a limited area.
I rather expect it will be met with in the Philippines, which
are so near to the eastern parts of Palawan.

Mr. Sharpe begs me to state that his name of leucopais
(Xevtcos, white ; iral<i, a child) was misprinted leucopias, and
he wishes it changed back to his original spelling.

16. Syrnium whiteheadi. %.

The loud " hoo, hoo," of this fine Owl first attracted my
attention, I remember, one evening when returning to the
shed under which we lived, being quite startled by the loudness
of its note. I several times saw these birds during the day
in the swamps, but they had probably been disturbed from
the forests close at hand. On the mountains inland I heard
several.

Orbit pink; eye and bill black.

This is the Syrnium wiepkeni of Blasius, who described
Platen's Palawan collection {cf. Ibis, 1888, p. 372). As
to the question of priority of names, I have written to

4 I Mr. .J. Whitehead on the

Mr. Bowdler Sharpe and add liis reply \ ''It. ii certainly
unfortunate that both you and Dr. Platen collected at
the sann time in Palawan, and that the nan en l»y

\>r. Blasius and myself ihould clash, I do not think,
however, that the priority of titlei claimed by Dr. Bla im
can be maintained for a moment. I might have described
your collection many weel before I <li<l puiili Ii the paper,
but I W6 glad i" accept the offer of the Editors of ' The
11,1 ' to illustrate it with two plates. I therefore kept it.
bacli fill the April number of that Journal, and I con-
tented myself wii.h nutting :i notice in 'Nature' to the
effect that I had described your collection, and that the
account would appear in April, Dr. Bis iui appeari to have
publii bed his descriptions <>(* the new i pedes in tin- Laudable
di ire to procure cr« 'lif. for liis countryman, l)r, Platen ; and
if these description had appeared in ' Ornii ' in anything like
reasonable time, we might have had some difficulty in deter-
mining the qu( tion of priority, I find, however, that the
April number of ' Ornis,' with l>r. Blasius's paper in it, was
delivered in Londou in the middle of June, and allowing
liberally for delay in receiving the number, there can l><;
little doubt that 'The Ibis' appeared long before it. As to
the preliminary descriptions in a Brunswick newspaper,
on which Dr, Blasius bases bis priority of names, I should
never think of allowing such ;i title to take precedence of
one published in b regular manner, and I think you are
quite right in adopting all the names whicb I gav< to your
speci(

I J 8( OPS EVBRBTTI, I ,

I find that Mr, Sharpe has not much faith in his Scops
fuliainoicif wlndi in all probability is only the ymi^ of &
everettii

\H. N i:.<»\ : < i i iii.a'I A. I .

Met with by Dr. Platen only.

I '.). 'I'll in PON A x ii a in. ru i. | .

'I'h i iii i < Woodpecker was mel with in some <il the fori ti

Birds of Palawan. 45

in fair numbers, but was very rare in other localities, keeping
high up in the trees.
Eye pale yellow.

20. Chrysocolaptes erythrocephalus. f.
Fairly common in certain localities.

Eye lake-red ; feet greenish olive ; bill pale yellow at the
tip, then deeper ; at the base dull greenish.

21. TlGA EVERETTI. \.

22. -MuLLEKJPICUS PULVERULENTUS. M.

23. EuRYSTOMUS ORIENTALIS. M., P.

Only a few met with.

24. Alcedo bengalensis. *.

A winter visitant to Palawan, arriving about the 20th
September.

25. Alcedo asiatica. M.
Scarce.

26. Pelargopsis gouldi. P.

Scarce, frequenting the mangrove-swamps near the coast.

27. Ceyx rufidorsa. M.
Scarce.

28. Halcyon pileata. *.

A winter migrant, arriving about 23rd September.

29. Halcyon coromanda. M., P.
Scarce.

30. Halcyon chloris. M., P.

This species was more common in July than in other
months, but by September had entirely disappeared, pro-
bably having left for Borneo.

31. Anthracoceros lemprieri. f.

This interesting Hornbill is by no means rare, but is diffi-
cult to shoot, frequenting high trees.

32. CHiETURA GIGANTEA. M.

Fairly common, but requires a good shot to bring it down,
flying swiftly and very high.

46 Mr. J. Whitehead on the

33. Callocalia troglodytes. P.
Met with on the north-west coast.

34. Callocalia fuciphaga. M., P.
Common.

35. Batrachostomus cornutus. M.
Only one specimen collected.

36. Caprimulgus macrurus. M.
Fairly common.

37. Caprimulgus manillensis. P.
Met with by Dr. Platen only.

38. Cuculus sonnerati. *.

1 believe only a winter visitor.

39. Cuculus canoroides. *.
Met with by Dr. Platen only.

40. Cacomantis merulinus. M., P.
Fairly common, frequenting the grass plains.

41. Hierococcyx strenuus. *.
Met with by Dr. Platen only.

42. Chrysococcyx xanthorhynchus. M.
A few seen.

43. SURNICULUS LUGUBRIS. M.

Scarce.

44. EUDYNAMIS MINDANENSIS. P.

See my note on this species (' Ibis/ 1888, p. 409). The
Palawan species is the true E. mindanensis and not E. ma-
lay ana. The young female has a greenish gloss on the
plumage, while that of the male is blue.

45. Dryococcyx harringtoni. f.

Fairly common ; habits similar to those of Rhamphococcyx
erythrognathus of Borneo.

46. Centrococcyx eurycercus. M.
Scarce.

Birds of Palawan. 47

47. Centrococcyx affinis. M.
Fairly common.

48. Lanius luzonensis. *.

A winter visitor, arriving about 25th September.

49. Graucalus sumatrensis. M.
Fairly common.

50. Lalage DOMINICA. M.
Met with by Dr. Platen only.

51. Artamus leucogaster. M.
Met with by Dr. Platen only.

52. Pericrocotus igneus. M.
Fairly common.

53. Pericrocotus cinereus. *.

A winter visitor, arriving about the 19th September, in
small flocks. They frequent the jungle trees that fringe the
coast and migrate south-west.

Eye, feet, and bill black.

54. Hyloterpe whiteheadi. f.
Scarce ; met with in old forest.

55. Chibia palawanensis. f.

Fairly common, frequenting the edges of forest.

56. BUCHANGA PALAWANENSIS, sp. nOV. f.

This species is not B. leucophcea, being a smaller and much
darker bird, and having a jet-black patch of feathers over
the nostrils. The eye in B. leucophcea is brick-red, and in
this new species dark grey, so I venture to describe it under
the name of Buchanga palawanensis.

Adult male. General colour above dark steel-grey. Win°-s
darker and Avith a greenish gloss ; quills black ; inner web
of primaries sooty black. Tail near the base slightly lighter
than the back, but deepening to sooty black at the end, with
a slight greenish gloss. Nasal bristles and a small part of
the forehead next the bill black; feathers round eye and
ear-coverts sooty black. Under surface dark steel-grey,
without much gloss on the throat; under wing-coverts sooty

48 Mr. J. Whitehead on the

grey, with steel-grey edgings. Bill and legs black ; iris dark
grey.

Total length 9'5 inches ; tail to tip of outer feather 4-8 ;
wing 5*2.

Female. Like the male, but slightly smaller.

57. Hemichelidon sibirica. *.
Met with by Dr. Platen only.

58. Rhipiduea nigritorquis. P.

Fairly common, frequenting the mangrove-swamps on the
coast.

59. SlPHIA LEMPRIERI. f.

Fairly common, frequenting the low growth in the old
iorest.

60. SlPHIA ERITHACUS. f-

Fairly common, frequenting the low and tangled growth
near the ground in old forest. I found a nest of this species
on the lower slopes of one of the mountains ; it was placed
amongst some dead palm-leaves, about three feet from the
ground, and composed of the same leaves, but lined with fine
plant-stalks. The eggs were two in number, of a pale blue
colour, slightly spotted at the larger end with red.

Eye black ; mandible black, lower light cobalt ; feet
white.

61. Xantholestes panayensis. P.
Frequents the old forest.

62. Cryptolopha montis.

This, perhaps the most interesting discovery of my expe-
dition to Palawan, throws a light on what may be expected
from the highlands of that island, that they will probably
be found to have an ornis similar to that of the highlands of
Borneo. I discovered this little Flycatcher first as a new
species on Kina Balu (Borneo), and then met with it again for
the first time in Palawan. It was shot on the top of a small
mountain about 2000 feet high, and is the only highland
form as yet procured in Palawan.

Birds of Palawan. 49

63. Muscicapa griseisticta (Swiuhoe). *.

A winter migrant to Palawan, arriving about the 10th
September.

64. Hypothymis azurea. M., P.
Fairly common.

65. Zeocephalus cyanescens. t-

Fairly common in the forests, frequenting the lower
branches of high trees.

Eye black ; bill and legs cobalt-blue; inside of mouth
bright green.

The adult female differs from the male in having a greyish-
brown back, light brown wings, each feather being centred
with dull black, tail reddish brown, dusky brown at the tip.
Some are light brown on back and wings, with rusty brown
flanks and white abdomen. Young males are like the females.

66. Acrocephalus orientalis. *.
Met with by Dr. Platen only.

67. HlRUNDO RUSTICA. #.

A winter visitor, arriving in September,

68. HlRUNDO JAVANICA. M., P.

Fairly common.

69. Oriolus palawanensis. f-

Fairly common, frequenting high trees in old forest.

70. Oriolus xanthonotus. M.

Scarce.

71. Pitta sordida. P.

Found in fair numbers in the forest near the coast.

Young different from the adults. Above dull brownish
green ; rump bright blue ; head rusty brown; cheeks, nape, and
sides of head rusty black, forming a distinct ring round the
back of the head ; throat dusky black, with broad white band
stretching across to the sides of the neck ; chest rusty brown ;
abdomen and under tail-coverts pale pink. Wings as in the
adult, but without the bright shoulder-patch, which is greenish

SER. vi. — VOL. II. E

50 Mr. J. Whitehead on the

blue, with the outermost feathers centred with white, forming
a distinct band.

72. Pitta erythrogastra. P.

Fairly common, like the last species, and met with on the
mountains inland up to 2000 feet. The Sulu name for this
bird is " Wou wa," which, when whistled, is similar to this
Pitta's note.

Eye hazel ; legs slate-blue ; bill black.

The young are quite different from the adults, being of a
dark brown above, with slate-blue tails and pinkish-brown
breasts, running into pale pink on the abdomen ; neck and
upper breast-feathers edged with brown ; bill orange-red at
tip and base, rest black.

73. TURDINUS RUFIFRONS. f.

Common, but difficult to shoot, owing to its habits, fre-
quenting, as it does, the tangled masses of herbage near the
ground.

Eye almost white ; legs and lower mandible pale blue,
upper mandible black.

74. Mixornis woodi. f-

Fairly common, frequenting the thick forest-growth near
the ground.

Eye dull yellow.

I found a nest of this species, which was placed in
a creeping bamboo, about three feet from the ground, and
contained two eggs, which were white spotted with red.
The nest is a loose ball of leaves slightly lined with fine
stalks.

75. Anuropsis cinereiceps. f.

Scarce, frequenting the thick tangled masses of jungle. I
took a nest of this species on 2nd September. The nest, which
was placed close to the ground and made of bamboo-leaves,
contained two blue eggs thickly speckled with dark brown.

76. Ptilocichla falcata. f«

Fairly common in certain localities, frequenting the tangled
growth on the ground.

Birds of Palawan. 5 1

Eye hazel; legs horny brown; beak black, lower inau-
dible dull white at the base.

77. Irena tweeddalii. f.

Fairly common, though local, feeding on fruits and berries.
Eye brick-red in male, brown in female; feet and bill
black.

78. Pycnonotus cinereifrons. f.

79. Phyllornis palawanensis. f.

Fairly common, frequenting the more open spots in the
forest.

80. tEgithina viridis. Borneo aud Sumatra only.

81. Micropus melanocephalus. M.

82. lOLE STRIATICEPS. f.

83. Criniger frater. f.

84. Criniger palawanensis. f.

It is very difficult to distinguish these last three species
when in the forest.

85. MONTICOLA SOLITARIUS. *.

A winter migrant, arriving about the 26th September.

86. ClTTOCINCLA NIGRA. f.

Rather local, not easily shot, frequenting the thick low
growth close to the coast and generally keeping well out of
harm's way. The note is a " chick, chick," sharply uttered.
The young were fully fledged by the end of June. They are
spotted with brown above and on the throat and wings, like
the young of the Robin; the primaries are edged with brown;
abdomen white.

Adults : eye, feet, and bill black. Young : feet and bill
bluish white.

87. Phylloscopus borealis. *.

A winter visitor, arriving about 16th September.

88. ClSTICOLA CISTICOLA. M.

Eye hazel ; legs and lower mandible flesh-colour, upper
light brown.

e 2

52 Mr. J. Whitehead on the

Fairly common on the grass-plains, but difficult to collect,
as you never know exactly where the bird is in the long
grass. It suddenly starts up within a few yards, and flies
with a jerky flight for about fifty yards, when it is again lost
sight of in the long grass. But it will settle at times on
the lower branches of the small trees which stud these
plains, and may then be easily approached.

89. Orthotomus ruficeps. M.
Scarce.

90. MOTACILLA FLAVA. *.

A winter visitor, first seen on 13th September, when the
vanguard passed in a south-westerly direction. In October
they were still migrating in hundreds, but were mostly
young birds.

91. Anthus gustavi. *.

Mixed up with the flocks of Motacilla flava ; first seen
about 20th September.

92. Anthus maculatus. *.
Obtained by Mr. A. H. Everett.

93. Partjs amabilis. f-

This beautiful little Titmouse is fairly common in the
forest, frequenting the high trees in small parties, probably
families. The young were fully fledged in the beginning of
September.

I do not believe that Parus elegans was found in Palawan
by Professor Steere, though a skin of P. elegans in the British
Museum is labelled as from that island. But the date it
bears is too near to the dates on other specimens of the same
species from Luzon, to make it at all doubtful where the
bird really came from. All specimens of Parus collected by
Dr. Platen and myself in Palawan are P. amabilis.

Eye and bill black ; bill at base bluish ; feet dull cobalt-
blue.

The description of the adult female (in B. M. Catalogue,
vol. viii. p. 22) from typical specimens collected by Professor

Birds of Palaivan. 53

Steere really applies to the adult male only, so I take it
that they were wrongly sexed.

Adult female. Head greenish black, slightly greener on
throat ; a pale yellow collar at the back of the neck ; back
olive-green, slightly grey on the rump. Upper tail-coverts
greenish black ; tail brownish black, tipped and marked as
in the male, but to a very much less degree. Wings dark
brown, marked as in the male, but not nearly so pronounced ;
primaries externally washed with greenish yellow, but quills
not tipped with white ; rest of the under surface slightly
duller than in the male.

The young are brown above, more greenish on the lower
back, with a distinct yellow collar, as in the female ; beneath
pale yellow, with a slightly greyish tinge on the throat.
Some young males have the adult plumage on the throat and
breast, but the back is much mingled with immature feathers,
which have faded into rusty brown. The white spots on
the wings and tail often become worn off.

94. Dendrophila frontalis. M. (but not Bornean).
This Nuthatch is fairly common in the more open country,

especially amongst the dead trees, which are left standing,
often in numbers, in the rice-fields. This, curiously enough,
is not the Bornean species, D. corallipes (which has bright-
red legs, and is of a richer colour in plumage), but is the
true D. frontalis of Java, Sumatra, and other islands. Thus
it is doubtful whether Dendrophila frontalis reached Palawan
via Borneo. D. cenochlamys of the Philippines is more like
the Bornean species, both being more brightly coloured than
D. frontalis, but the Philippine bird is brown-legged like
D. frontalis. The orbital skin of the typical D. frontalis is
lemon-yellow, that of the Palawan D. frontalis grey.

Sulu, " Baltelik."

Eye straw-yellow ; bill vermilion ; orbital skin grey ; legs
light brown.

95. MYZANTHE PYGMiEA. P.

Scarce, feeding on small fruits and berries.

54 Mr. J. Whitehead on the

96. Prionochilus johann^e. f.

Fairly common, frequenting open places in the forests,
feeding on small fruits.

In Mr. Sharpe's paper on my Palawan collection, he did
not describe the female, so I add a description : — General
colour above olive-green, with a bright yellow patch on the
rump ; head slightly grey, with a dull yellow patch on the
crown ; wing-coverts and tail brownish black, edged with
greenish yellow ; primaries edged with grey ; sides of face
and ear-coverts greyish brown, with a distinct white cheek-
stripe, followed by a brown line along the side of the throat ;
under surface bright yellow, slightly deeper on the fore neck ;
throat almost white, slightly mingled with yellow ; flanks
dull greyish yellow.

This species has a longer bill than P. wanthopygiua of
Borneo, its nearest ally.

97. ClNNYRIS SPERATA. P.

This little Flower-pecker was rather scarce ; most of my
specimens were collected in a large swamp, where the trees
at the time were in flower, and were frequented by nearly all
the other Sun-birds found in Palawan. The females, how-
ever, are very difficult to obtain ; during four months I only
procured one specimen.

98. ClNNYRIS AURORA. f.

Fairly common in certain localities, where the country is
open enough ; in habits and note exactly resembling C. pec-
toralis. On a large plain, studded here and there with
clumps of bamboo and low trees, I collected a few pairs, all
of which had nests, on the 29th June. The nests hang from
the ends of the boughs, often in a very exposed position.
The eggs are two in number, and are similar to those of
C. pect oralis.

99. Chalcostetha insignis. M.
Very common in the mangrove-swamps.

100. iETHOPYGA SHELLEYI. t-

Fairly common, frequenting the edges of old forest.

The female is, I believe, undescribed, and is above bright

Birds of Palawan. 55

olive-green, greyer on head and rump ; wings brown out-
wardly, edged with reddish brown. Two centre tail-feathers
olive-green, with a black blotch near the tip, which in certain
lights is metallic green ; rest of tail black, tipped with olive-
yellow, edged outwardly near the base with reddish yellow.
Under surface greyish olive on the sides of the face, throat,
and breast ; abdomen pale yellow, deepening on the under
tail-coverts.

Faded females are dull brown above ; pale greyish brown
on the throat, breast, and flanks.

101. Anthreptes malaccensis. M.
Scarce.

102. Arachnothera dilutior. f.

Plentiful in the mangrove-swamps, feeding amongst the
flowers.

Eye hazel ; orbit sulphur-yellow ; feet dull blue.

103. CORONE PUSILLA. f.

Plentiful in all old jungle, feeding entirely on fruit. This
species never seems to settle on the ground or to visit the
vicinity of native villages, and I never saw it near the Sulu
cattle. Here we find in Palawan an interesting member of
the Crow family which has attained none of the pernicious
habits that make his more civilized brethren in other parts
of the globe so renowned. It will be interesting to see if,
when Palawan becomes opened up for planting and its
forests destroyed, its Crow will become more civilized too,
and change its present mode of life into that of a garbage-
eating pilferer. I am afraid civilization will benefit the Crow
as little as it does the native, so that our philanthropic
European race will improve them both, as it generally does,
off the face of the earth.

But to return to the Crow : it is, no doubt, one of the
most interesting birds in Palawan, and may often be noticed
making nights from forest to forest, with neck outstretched,
and uttering a peculiar "Ka-ka-gug-gug" note. During
flight the wings are often held below the body, the primary
feathers only being used with a quick flittering motion.

Eye, bill, and feet black.

56 Mr. J. Whitehead on the

104. Sturnia violacea. *.
Met with by Dr. Platen only.

105. Calornis panayensis. P.
Scarce.

106. EULABES PALAWANENSIS. f.

Fairly common.

107. OXYCERCA EVERETTI. f.

A few collected ; feeding on rice or grass-seeds.

108. MUNIA JAGORI. P.

Common on the native rice -fields.

109. OSMOTRERON VERNANS. M.

Common on the more open spaces, frequenting the small
clumps of trees found on the plains.

110. Treron nasica. M.
Habits as of the last species.

111. Carpophaga .enea. M.

Very plentiful, frequenting the swamps during the heat,
and the jungle fruit-trees early and late in the day.

112. Carpophaga bicolor. M.

Common on all the small islands round Palawan.

113. Leucotreron leclancheri. P.
Met with by Dr. Platen only.

114. Turtur dussumieri. P.
Met with by Dr. Platen only.

115. Calcenas nicobarica. M.
Met with by Dr. Platen only.

116. Ptilopus melanocephalus. M.

Fairly common, mingling in flocks with Osmotreron vernans,
and in like localities.

117. Chalcophaps indica. #.

A migrant to Palawan, I believe, as it was very common
when we first arrived in the island, but by September none
were to be met with.

Birds of Palawan. 57

118. TlJRTUR TIGRINA. M.

Scarce and very local.

119. MACROPYGIA TENUIROSTRIS. P.

Fairly common, frequenting thick undergrowth and low-
jungle.

120. PoLYPLECTRON NAPOLEONIS. f-

This splendid little Pheasant is scarce and local, all my
specimens having been collected in one forest, and although
my men set hundreds of snares in other forests we never met
with another during three months. One female was eaten
by a wild cat in one of the traps, and I rather expect this
little tiger destroys numbers of this beautiful bird.

This species, like the Argus Pheasant, has its " showing-
off" arena, a neatly-swept patch some three or four feet in
diameter ; the chosen spot is generally in some unfrequented
part of the forest. I often noticed that this ring had a small
hump of earth in the middle, where no doubt the male birds
show off their splendid plumage and perhaps do battle.
Their battles, if they have any, must be very short and deci-
sive, as the double spurs of the cock would be sufficient to
cut his adversary into bits.

I am inclined to think that the birds pair and are not
polygamous, as we collected three pairs; but that was not
during the nesting- season, which is probably in the months
of December and January.

Eye dark hazel j skin round eye and patch on cheek of the
male reddish pink ; legs blackish brown.

Mr. A. H. Everett gives the name as " Tandikan " ; but
the natives of Palawan call it " Sulu Malak" and "Dusan
Bertik."

121. Gallus bankiva. M., P. ; but, as yet, not found in
Borneo.

Common in the forests. I captured a cock and two hens,
which soon became tame.

122. EXCALFACTORIA CHINENSIS. M.

Fairly common on the open plains.

58 Mr. J. Whitehead on the

123. TURNIX N1GRESCENS. P.

Mr. Ogilvie Grant [vide Ibis, 1889, p. 459) has shown me
T. nigrescens of Tweeddale, from which it is impossible to
separate the Palawan bird ; but Professor Blasius has named
a species from this island, T. haynaldi, which may be dif-
ferent from those collected by myself.

This species is fairly common on the coarse grass plains,
especially in dry localities, where the grass is poor. If
flushed more than once it would often fly straight into the
forests which bordered these plains, thus rendering further
pursuit impossible.

On the 3rd of September I found a nest containing three
eggs hard set. The birds had made a decided nest of grass-
stems amongst some tufts of grass and low-growing shrubs
in a stony place. The eggs are of a dull greenish grey,
finely speckled all over with black. The male was sitting.

Legs pale yellow. Bill at base king's yellow, tip black.
Feet yellow, with a slight greenish shade.

1^3 a. Megapodius cumingi. See my notes, Ibis, 1888,
p. 411.

124. ^Egialjtis geoffroyi. *.

Arrives in flocks about the middle of August, and seemed
to have taken up its quarters, not moving on so rapidly as
other species.

125. tEgialitis dubia. *.

First seen on 30th July, singly or in pairs.

126. iEGIALlTIS CANTIANA. *.

Arrives about 17th September.

127. .ZEgialitis mongolica. *.
Only one shot, on 25th September.

128. .ZEgialitis vereda. #.
Met with by Dr. Platen only.

129. iEGIALITIS PERONI. M.

The only resident species.

Birds of Palawan. 59

130. Charadrius fulvus. *.

Begins to arrive in small flocks about 20th September ;
generally rests but a short time, and flies far out to sea
only a few feet above the water.

131. Charadrius helveticus. *.

Only one specimen obtained on 3rd of October ^apparently
much later than C. fulvus in its southward movement.

132. Strepsilas interpres. *.

First seen on 19th September, rapidly passing S.W., gene-
rally in pairs.

133. ESACUS MAGNIROSTRIS. *.

Only one obtained.

134. Glareola orientalis. *.

135. llmicola platyrhyncha. *.
Met with by Dr. Platen only.

136. NUMENIUS UNEATUS. *.

Only a few seen, singly, on and after September 3rd.
Whimbrels were more plentiful, migrating in small flocks;
but I failed to obtain one.

137. Tringoides hypoleucus. *.
Plentiful after 30th of July.

138. TOTANUS CALIDRIS. #.

First seen on 17th September, plentiful a few days later,
migrating quickly in small flocks.

139. TOTANUS BREVIPES. *.

A few seen on and after September 10th.

140. TOTANUS GLAREOLA. *.

First seen on July 30th.

141. Terekia cinerea. *.

Only one shot, on 20th September, feeding in company
with other small Waders.

142. Tringa ruficollis. *.

First seen on 17th September. This little Stint did not
seem to be in such a hurry to get south as most of the other

60 On the Birds of Palawan.

species, spending a few days about the same place, migrating
in pairs or in small flocks.

143. Gallinago megala. *.
First seen on 30th September.

144. Amaurornis PHffiNICURA. M.
Met with by Dr. Platen only.

143. Rallina fasciata. M., P.

Fairly common and resident, frequenting the jungles and
hills far inland. The young are covered with black down,
and were fully fledged in the middle of July.

Eye brick-red. Legs pink. Upper mandible black, lower
greyish blue.

146. Herodias intermedia. #.

A winter migrant, arriving about the 10th September.

147. BlJBULCUS COROMANDUS. *.

A few noticed with the Sulu cattle in July, but their
numbers were greatly increased during September.

148. Demiegretta nigra. *.

In numbers on the north-west coast in the beginning of
October.

149. Ardea sumatrana. M.

A scarce but, I believe, a resident species.

150. BUTORIDES JAVANICA. M., P.

Scarce.

151. GORSACHIUS MELANOLOPHUS. M., P.

Rather rare. For description of its eggs see the continua-
tion of my Bornean notes, which will appear shortly.

152. Sterna bergii. All over the east.
A few seen.

153. Sterna sinensis. *.

A winter migrant, arriving about the 20th September,
mixed with flocks of the next species.

154. Anous stolidus. M.

On the Martineta Tinamou. 61

155. Sterna melanauchen. M.
Met with by Dr. Platen only.

156. Hydrochelidon hybrida. *.

A winter migrant, arriving in small flocks about the 20th
September.

157. Fregata minor. *.

Fairly common, frequenting the coast during rough
weather.

VI. — On the Alimentary Canal of the Martineta Tinamou
(Calodromas elegans) *. By Frank E. Beddard, M.A.,
Prosector to the Zoological Society of London, Lecturer
on Biology at Guy's Hospital.

Mr. W. H. Hudson, in a paper upon the habits of certain
South-American birds f, makes the following observations
upon a remarkable point in the anatomy of the Martineta
Tinamou : — " The structure of the intestinal canal in the
Martineta [i. e. Calodromas elegans] is most extraordinary,
and totally unlike that of any other bird I have ever dis-
sected ; the canal divides near the stomach into a pair of
great ducts that extend almost the entire length of the
abdominal cavity, and are thickly set with rows of large
membranous clam-shaped protuberances."

This passage, as well as a general account of the bird,
is repeated in the recently published ' Argentine Orni-
thology'of Messrs. Sclater and Hudson, where, however,
the wording has been slightly altered, as in the latter work
tc claw "-shaped is written instead of e/am-shaped. It is
perfectly evident from the quotation that Mr. Hudson had
noticed some remarkable divergence from the normal struc-
ture of birds in dissecting the " Martineta," but it would be
difficult to surmise what this peculiarity is from reading

* This paper was communicated to the Meeting of the British Asso-
ciation at Newcastle in September last.

t " On the Birds of the Rio Negro of Patagonia," P. Z. S. 1872, p. 546.
See also Sclater and Hudson, Argent. Orn. ii. p. 214.

62

Mr. F. E. Beddard on the Alimentary

Mr. Hudson's remarks. I am, however, through the kind-
ness of Mr. Sclater, able to set this question at rest. Mr.
Sclater received a number of specimens of this Tinamou from

Fiff. 1.

Caeca of Nothura maculosa, distended with alcohol, nat. size.
l..i, large intestine ; s.i, small intestine.

Mr. D. A. Shennan, F.Z.S., of Negretti, Villa Nueva, Buenos
Ayres, whose attention he had specially drawn to this curious
point in its structure. These specimens, carefully preserved

Canal of the Martineta Tinamou. 63

and packed in several large glass bottles placed in a case,
were, with great liberality, handed over to me by Mr. Sclater
for study and description.

On opening the first individual, I saw directly that Mr.
Hudson had not in any way exaggerated the remarkable
appearance presented by a part of the alimentary canal;
but that instead of being diverticula of the stomach, as might
possibly be inferred from Mr. Hudson's description, the two
tubes in question az'e simply the caeca, which, in this bird,
as in so many others, lie across the abdominal cavity and
reach as far as the gizzard.

So far, then, there is nothing abnormal about the anatomy
of Calodromas elegans ; it would be abnormal, in fact, if it
did not possess caeca : these appendages of the alimentary
tract are invariably (so far as our present knowledge goes)
found in the Crypturi; they are proportionately of large
size, and like those of Gallinaceous birds in being rather
thin. This will be seen by the figure of the caeca of Nothura
maculosa (fig. 1, p. 62), taken from those of a fresh specimen
which have been distended by alcohol.

It was an extremely difficult task to distend the caeca of
Calodromas ; they were tolerably full of semidigested food,
among which was a great quantity of minute sharp-edged
pebbles ; these were forced against the walls of the caeca by
the pressure of the water employed to clean out the alimen-
tary tract, and easily cut their way through. In no case was
it found possible to make a good permanent preparation of
the caeca ; but in one instance the caeca remained distended
for a sufficiently long time to enable Mr. Smit to make
the accurate drawing which is reproduced in the accom-
panying woodcut (fig. 2, p. 64).

From that drawing it will be at once seen that the caeca
of Calodromas elegans not only differ from those of all
other Crypturi, but that their form is quite unique among
birds. Instead of beiug simple tubes, the caeca of Calodromas
are furnished with numerous minute diverticula, which are
crowded together and are particularly well developed in the
lower part of the caeca. Towards the free extremities the

64

Mr. P. E. Beddard on the Alimentary

Fig. 2.

Caeca of Calodromas elegans, nat. size, inflated : L.I, large intestine
s.i, small intestine ; c, csecutn.

Canal of the Martineta Tinamou.

05

Fisr.

l.i:

»!•.; ■

One of the caeca of Calodromas elegant, laid open to show the structure of
the inner surface. (Letters as in fig. 2.)

SER. VI. VOL. II.

66 On the Martinet a Tinamou.

diverticula get less and less marked until we arrive at the
apex, which is quite smooth. These diverticula are the
" claw-shaped protuberances " of Mr. Hudson, and this de-
scriptive term was by no means badly chosen; each diver-
ticulum tapers towards its extremity and is bent inwards,
thus assuming a decidedly claw-like shape.

The appearance of the interior of the caecum is illustrated
in fig. 3, p. 65, and is not by any means unlike the reticulum
of a ruminant's stomach. Each of the diverticula is marked off
by a raised valvular ridge. Towards the apex of the caecum,
where the diverticula are less prominent as such, the valvular
ridges are quite as well marked as they are posteriorly;
they are, indeed, rather more conspicuous, though this is
not very well shown in the figure, which, however, represents
the caecum flattened out. An interesting peculiarity about
these valvular projections is, that towards the apex those run-
ning transversely, or nearly so, to the long axis of the caecum
get to prevail over those running longitudinally. The effect
of this is to produce a spiral arrangement, and the last inch
of the caecum (at any rate in one specimen, where it was
very obvious) was marked by a simple spiral valve, all trace
of the connecting ridges marking the surface out into areas
having vanished.

There is here an interesting resemblance to the Ostrich *,
which may possibly be more than a mere superficial likeness.
In any case the remarkable form of the caeca of Calodromas
elegans is due to the presence of these valve-like folds, which
produce constrictions on the outer surface, between which
the caecum tends to bulge out. Posteriorly the intervals
between the folds are so greatly produced into external pro-
tuberances that, until a dissection is made, one is tempted
to regard the protuberances as regular diverticula of the
caecum, which they are, strictly speaking, not, any more
than the intervals between the spiral valve of the Ostrich's
caecum, or the sacculations of the mammalian caecum. It
is perhaps a little difficult to make such a distinction, but I
regard the folds as having appeared first and as having, in a
way, caused the appearance of the diverticula.

* See Sir Everard Home, ' Comparative Anatomy,' vol. i.

Notes on the Island of P alma. 67

VII. — Notes on the Island of P alma in the Canary Group.
By H. B. Tristram, D.D., F.R.S.

(Plate III.)

Mr. Meade- Waldo concludes his interesting paper in the
last < Ibis/ on the " Birds of the Canary Islands/' by ex-
pressing his surprise that he has found so much to tell after
all that has been written upon them. I can only follow him
by the confession that I feel he has exhausted the subject,
and that were it not for the imperative order of our Editor, I
should not have ventured to take up my pen. The island of
Palma certainly claims especial notice at the hands of the
ornithologist, from its peculiar features, from what it does pos-
sess in the way of bird-life, and from what it does not possess.
The peculiarities of the avifauua of Fuerteventura and Lan-
zarote may be easily explained by the fact that they are, if
not geologically (for they are as purely volcanic in their
origin as the other members of the Canarian group), yet
biologically simply western outliers of the Great Sahara,
and have derived their forms of life from there across the
narrow sea which separates them from the African coast.
The comparatively low elevation of the volcanic rim which
girds each of these islands, and which rarely rises above 2000
feet, has forbidden the growth of the evergreen forest which
crowns, or has crowned, the heights of all the other islands
above 3500 feet. This has acted and reacted by attracting
the cloud -belt which always hangs on their north and north-
eastern sides, securing plentiful supplies of water, and
nourishing the forests, which thus attract and sustain a rich
variety of animal and vegetable life. Consequently in Fuerte-
ventura for certain, and in Lanzarote, so far as we know,
there is no trace of what we may term the peculiar Canarian
Avifauna. The Houbara Bustard, the Courser, the Trum-
peter Bullfinch, the Sandgrouse are all manifestly immigrants
from the Sahara. Mr. Meade- Waldo's new Chat (Pratin-
cola dacotice) is certainly, so far as we know, peculiar ; but
we must bear in mind the fact that the opposite coast of

f2

68 Canon Tristram — Notes on the

Africa is unexplored, and that quite possibly the scanty
scrub of the African coast-line is its true motherland.

There is, however, one bird of Fuerteventura which deserves
special notice, the Titmouse, rightly designated by Mr.
Meade-Waldo Parus ultramarinus, though it seems to be
invariably smaller than any Algerian specimens, and gene-
rally to have a broader white band on the forehead. We
may easily trace its passage from the southern shores of the
Mediterranean along the western coast-line of Morocco, till it
crossed the narrow sea to Fuerteventura. Here it has re-
mained unmodified, excepting for its slightly smaller size, a
result not to be marvelled at in the barren desert plains and
bare wadys of the island, with such scanty scrub as to ren-
der it difficult for even a Titmouse to find sustenance. In-
deed, were it not for the occasional patches of cultivation,
with a few palms and fig-trees, I do not see how the bird
could long survive. But when crossing from the south end of
Fuerteventura, it took up its abode in the wooded islands of
Canaria, Tenerife, and Gomera, with their magnificent belts
of evergreen forests, it found abundant food, and attained the
full size of its Algerian progenitor, with a much darker back,
and it lost entirely the white tips to the wing-coverts,
which neither Mr. Meade- Waldo nor I have ever detected
in a single specimen from any of the three above-mentioned
islands. In another respect the Tenerife Tit differs from that
of Palma. It is found in all localities and situations from the
shore to the desolate cumbres, 5000 feet above the sea. It is
equally at home on the house-roofs of Orotava, the gardens of
country-houses, the evergreen forests, and the naked cliffs on
the summit of the Paso del Croce of Canaria. Not so, as Mr.
Meade- Waldo has shown, the Parus palmensis. I am cer-
tainly unable to explain why there should be such a contrast
in several respects between the avifauna of Palma and that
of its close neighbours, while these only differ among them-
selves in the presence or absence of certain species caused
by the intervention of man.

Palma is, to me, the most attractive member of the Canary
group. Though more affected by human colonization than

Island of Palma. 69

Gomera, it possesses greater natural variety of soil and
scenery and has some unique features. On the map it is
laid down pear-shaped, with the narrow end pointing due
south. As we approach it from the east its profile is again
exactly like a pear, a bold round mountain-mass, with pre-
cipitous sides, but gradually sloping from the neck till its
southern point is lost in the sea. Closer examination explains
very simply this formation. Originally a circular volcanic
mass of 7600 feet in height, with a central crater, Palma
must have been a larger edition of what the far more ancient
Gomera is to-day. During some convulsion the lava burst
through the southern side of the crater, and poured forth its
stream into the sea, thus forming the neck of the pear, and
leaving in the centre of the island avast hollow cup, known as
the Caldera, or caldron, 7 miles in diameter from north to
south, and 5 from east to west, with its inner sides some-
times 5200 feet deep, and that an absolutely sheer precipice,
the bottom of the Caldera being 2400 feet above the sea-level.
On the north-west of the island there is no available
anchorage, even for the smallest craft ; while the only
anchorage on the east is a partially sheltered roadstead, with
a small artificial harbour, at Ciudad de Santa Cruz. This is
the metropolis of the island, and one of the best and most
interesting cities of the whole Canary group, with a noble
ancient church, and a handsome town-hall erected by the
Emperor Charles V. There is a thoroughly old-world air
about the place, with its clean streets, running one above
the other, parallel to the shore, very much like a miniature
Funchal, its well-stored and attractive-looking shops, and
the quaint and bright costumes of both men and women,
indicating at once whether they hail from the north-west
or south of the island. There is a comfortable Spanish
fonda, but foreigti visitors are rare. Only one did we meet
with — an intelligent and cultured Bavarian physician, bent on
investigating the hygienic character of the country. There
is no consul or consular agent, and until this year, when for
the first time the interinsular steamers call once a week,
thanks to the enterprise of Messrs. Norwood, Brothers, there

70 Canon Tristram — Notes on the

was no communication with the outer world, save by wretched
little schooners ; and the only trade of any importance
was that with Havana, chiefly consisting in the export of
onions. Happy, bright, rather lotus-eating, troubled for
the most part with neither poverty nor riches, the people
of Palma might be taken for lineal descendants of the cul-
tivators of the garden of the Hesperides.

The land rises steeply from the shore at Santa Cruz de
Palma or, as it is universally called there, La Ciudad, and
a finely engineered road, the only one of the kind in the
island, zigzags up the hill for several miles, affording magni-
ficent views at every turn, and then runs southwards through
a sloping plain to Buenavista. Everywhere the land is care-
fully cultivated from the shore upwards. Every kind of fruit,
from the pine-apple and orange to the cherry and the plum,
thrives at one elevation or another. One of the staples of
the island is a tine quality of silk, grown, spun, dyed, and
woven on the spot ; its cigars pass as the choicest Havanas ;
and its wines are the best in the Canaries. What can a
reasonable man desire which he may not find in Palma ?
And besides, there is or, perhaps I should say, there was, till
yesterday, a chance of discovering a new species of bird.
This latter, however, was not one of our pleasures of antici-
pation when we landed at Ciudad, though it was the most
agreeable of the pleasures of surprise. We inquired after
local naturalists on our arrival, but without success. How-
ever, in a country where visitors are few, news spread
quickly, and soon we had a call from one gentleman who had
been collecting the Lepidoptera of the island, and who brought
his collection to show to us ; and from another, the editor of
the local paper, who was really a botanist, and brought some
specimens of a local subalpine plant ( Viola pahnensis) , which
only grows, at a height of 7000 feet, in two spots, where, from
his information, we afterwards found it.

Our first day's expedition was to an evergreen forest, some
four miles N.W. of Ciudad, where we had reason to believe
we should meet with the "Turqueze" Pigeon, whatever
species it might be. The first part of our ride was rugged and

Island of P alma. 71

bold , but through a comparatively bare country, zigzagging
across tremendous barrancos, with their steep sides full of
caverns, and fine Canary pines clinging to the cliffs wherever
they could find a foothold. All these swarmed with Choughs
(Pyrrhocorax graculus), now busily employed in domestic
duties, and perching indiscriminately on the ledges and on the
pines. The ridges between each barranco are carefully cul-
tivated, and cottages and gardens bright with geraniums,
roses, and fuchsias were scattered about in every possible spot,
while the rugged track was fringed with the overhanging
boughs of fast-ripening and tempting-looking peaches. The
Choughs stalked about the little fields, like Rooks at home,
and a couple of specimens were at once secured. The Swifts
(Cypselus unicolor and C. pallidus) dashed up and down the
barrancos, the latter more numerous lower down, the former
affecting the higher parts of the mountain -sides. As we
ascended, the barrancos became less deep, and at length we
turned up a path on the crest between two gullies, and soon
entered the forest, merely scrub at first. Half an hour's ride
through the dense underwood brought us into the true forest,
and under a magnificent pine-tree, which overshadowed a
copious spring, we dismounted and picketed our horses.
Here we were certain from several signs that the Pigeons
must come to drink. Through the glen by our side flowed
a little perennial stream, overshadowed with the dense foliage
of the teiJ, the laurel, the vinatigo, the ebony, and many
others. Meade- Waldo at once proceeded up the glen, and
had not left me for many minutes, when a Chaffinch's note
caught my ear, and soon I saw the white wing-bars of a bird
which crossed from the other side to the pine under which I
sat, followed immediately by another. They were evidently
courting, and I secured my first pair of Fringilla jjalmce*, of
which a figure (PI. III.) is given herewith. Mr. Meade-
Waldo observes that the note differs slightly but markedly
from that of Fr. tintillon ; and in this he is undoubtedly cor-
rect, though I found here, not for the first time, that my
hearing is not so good as it was fifty years ago.
* [//. Ibis, 1889, pp. 510, 511.— Ed.]

72 Canon Tristram — Notes on the

Soon after I had secured my Chaffinches, I saw one and
another Columba laurivora, with their unmistakable long tail,
dash down the glen, but far out of shot, and I proceeded up
the forest to rejoin my companion. Two more C. laurivora,
two ineffectual shots ; but I secured another Chaffinch, and
the Robin, which in no way differs specifically from that of the
Island of Tenerife. This, I observe, has been recently de-
scribed by a German naturalist as distinct*; but I cannot
admit its validity, though certainly the coloration is more in-
tense than in most, not all, British specimens, but not more
so than in examples from Andalusia. I have examined the
large series in the British Museum, and in Lord Lilford's,
Mr. Seebohm's, and my own collections, and I cannot draw any
line. In fact, there are British specimens which will exactly
match every other. Still it is an interesting fact worthy of note,
that all the Robins from Palma, Canaria, and Tenerife are of
the deeper hue, those from Gomera of the paler. I soon met
Meade-Waldo, who had also seen several C. laurivora, and
had added the Chaffinch, Sparrow-Hawk, and various other
birds to his bag. Later in the day he shot a Pigeon, which
I marked down in the barranco; but so dense was the under-
growth, and so rugged the cliff-sides, that after an hour's
vain attempts to retrieve it, we had to abandon the quest.

I may mention here that in Palma we frequently found
scattered Canary pines mingled with the evergreen forest, an
occurrence never noticed in Gomera, and very rare in Tene-
rife, where the pine begins about 5000 feet up, at the point
where the laurel ceases.

Three days later, our appetites whetted by the discovery of
the new Tit and Chaffinch, and the sight of the big Pigeon,
we started on horseback for the circuit of the island — one
of the most delightful rides I ever enjoyed. We took the
south road from La Ciudad, and after passing Buenavista
turned straight up the mountain, passing a straggling belt of
chestnut well stocked with Chaffinches, and then at once
entering the lovely laurel-forest. Here the Chaffinch was
still not uncommon, and it seems to have a much wider per-
* [Erithacus superbm, Konig, J. f. 0. 1880, p. 183.— Ed.]

Island of Palrna. 73

pendicular extension than its ally in the other islands ; for I
found it in the pines and shot my last specimen nearBuena-
vista, not 500 feet above the sea. The views as we climbed
the mountain were magnificent and ever varying. At length
we reached the summit of the pass, over 5000 feet above the
sea. The laurels extend to the very crest; but there at once all
is changed. We are standing on the rim of the Caldera, the
mighty caldron, into which we look down, while we can see
the eastern slopes to the sea on the other side. The rim is
here notched to the depth of about 1000 feet, and has thus
afforded a good pass for the mountaineer. The descent
within is rapid, and instead of laurel we have scattered pines,
which clothe both the slopes of debris and the perpendicular
cliffs alike, and we have all the southern tongue of the island
spread before us as far as the eye can reach, plainly
showing where the lava had once burst through the walls of
the crater. We had been keeping a keen look out for the
Tit, of which Meade-Waldo had shot the type a few days
before, in the laurel, but could find none, till we came to the
piues. Here they were soon heard, and he secured several
specimens. He has so fully and accurately described this bird,
that I can add nothing. Here also I secured a Goldcrest
from the top of a pine-tree, which fortunately fell to earth,
instead of remaining, as they usually do, near the end of an
inaccessible bough. It was exactly like those of Tenerife and
Gomera, and quite distinct from the Madeiran bird, but is, in
my belief, a thoroughly good species, which has been described
by Mr. Seebohm (' Brit. Birds/ vol. i. p. 459) as Regulus
teneriffce. It approaches the Firecrest in some particulars,
especially in having the black band on the sides of the crest
continuous across the forehead, from which the black band
is separated by a whitish band ; but it differs from Regulus
ignicaplllus in having greyish-white lores like R. cristatus.
I have examined large series of R. cristatus from every
locality — Japan, Himalayas, Algeria, and Europe — and find
no variation in these points, and the distinction holds good
in every specimen obtained in the Canaries.

It is to be regretted that Mr. Seebohm has merely inci-

74 Canon Tristram — Notes on the

dentally described and named this bird, without anywhere
giving a formal diagnosis, so that it has escaped general
notice.

But to return to our ride. We skirted along the eastern
side of the Caldera till at the southern end we climbed its
rough broken walls for an hour, and descended by a gentle
slope upon the southern plain of the island. The course of
lava-streams could be easily traced in many directions. We
put up at the clean little town of Los Llanos, where is a
cigar-factory and some silk-weaving, and which was a con-
venient centre from which to work the inside of the Caldera.
Our first day's expedition, and that from dawn till after sunset,
was to the basin of the Caldera, which we entered over the
ridge we had climbed yesterday, but several miles lower
down, and then turned sharp to the north. The bottom of
the crater has a diameter of less than five miles and contains
several farms, the wine of which is in repute. But our
object was the forest, sadly wrecked and destroyed by waste-
ful and reckless cutting. Were it not that the Canary pine,
unlike any other species with which I am acquainted, sends
up shoots from the stump or root of every felled tree, which
become small timber in the course of a few years, I fear the
pine would soon become extinct in Palma. A mountain-
brook ran down the centre of the Caldera, but did not appear
to attract any bird save the Grey Wagtail. We had hoped
to find the new Tit in some numbers ; but though scattered
all over the inner sides of the Caldera, where there were
pines, the number of individuals was few, and the labour of
climbing these precipitous slopes with a gun was most ex-
hausting. Though geologically the most interesting, this
was our poorest ornithological day in Palma. There was
evidently no harvest to be reaped in the south, so we deter-
mined to move quarters to the N.W. end of the island, where
we heard of fine forests of pine facing the sea. This was a
14 hours' ride. We had to cross the ridge, still 1500 feet
high, which forms the southern wall of the channel through
which the lava poured, and then, crossing the bed, a width of
two miles, to mount again to the crest of the northern wall,

Island of Pahna. 75

3000 feet high. The soil all the way to the south point is
rich and well cultivated, vines, fruit-trees of all kinds,
tobacco, onion, and maize being the principal crops. But
there were not the birds we wanted. Plenty of Ravens,
Choughs, Rock Doves, Pipits, Canaries, Linnets, Buntings,
and Goldfinches, — only the birds that accompany cultivation.
And after we had reached the western crest, and rode for
hours northwards along the heights, though we had a highly
developed agricultural country stretching from the heights
to the shore, its very richness became monotonous and un-
interesting. At length, towards evening, as we were nearing
the N.W. corner of the island, we saw in front of us the
beginning of a real pine-forest, not straggling trees like
those of the Caldera. Our destination was a straggling
village of isolated farmsteads, each in the centre of its own
vineyard. We were received by the village shopkeeper, who
did his best for us and put us up tressel-beds behind the
counter. The pine-forests extend for many miles on the
higher part of the outer side of the Caldera, right round
from the N.W. to the N.E. of the island • and here is the
true home of the Palma Titmouse, though Mr. Meade-
Waldo did twice find it beyond the limits of the pine.

The only other birds which seemed plentiful in the pine-
forest were the Chiffchaff and the Goldcrest and, near its
outskirts, the Blackbird. Our day's ride along the top of
the Cumbre, skirting the pine-forest, in fact, on the rim of
the old crater, was magnificent, though long, and I know
nothing so grand in Tenerife as the view across the Cal-
dera from one of the highest points of its rim, the Pico
de Muchachio, 7600 feet above the sea. The rim looked
very even all round, as though we were standing on the
edge of a titanic boat. At first it was quite clear, and we
looked down 5200 feet on to the farms and fields we had
visited two days before. It required a young and cool head
to look down that precipice from the saddle on a path not
more than a yard wide. I preferred to dismount and lie
down to peep. I am not aware that in any other part of the
world have I ever looked down a cliff sheer for more than

76 Notes on the Island of Palma.

5000 feet. But this is said to be the deepest crater in the
world. It is only at this point that the wall of rock is ab-
solutely perpendicular.

In a few minutes a volume of cloud came rolling up the
southern gap in the crater, and filled it to Avithin 1000 feet
of the rim with what seemed a solid mass. Very wonderful
it was to see the sharp rim on which we sat standing out
in a perfect circle, with only a piece broken out to the south.
We were able to tell exactly the height of the clouds, for
we knew exactly the measurement of our position and that
of the pass from the Ciudad opposite, which was just
reached by the clouds. The top of Gomera peered up like a
little island, and the Peak of Tenerife beyond, but not a
trace of the Canadas of Tenerife ; all below 6000 feet was
buried. There was not the slightest haze. There was not
a ripple on that pavement of cloud. The crown of Gomera
looked so close that at first we thought it must be a piece of
the edge of our own crater, and Tenerife looked not twenty
miles off. Of course the sea was equally covered with the
drapery, and we had an unbroken panorama on all sides.
Above us the Choughs soared in flocks till almost lost to
sight in the empyrean, the Swifts dashed about us, but
other life there was none. We were on the Cumbre, or barren
heights, and could see how exactly the cloud-line is limited
to the forest-zone or, perhaps, rather fixes its limits, while
all above it is dreary, barren desolation. Nor does this
daily-recurring cloud result in rain. On this, as on other
occasions, we passed through the cloud to the coast, where
rain had not fallen for weeks. It was in the northern laurel-
forests, after we left the pines, that we had our most inter-
esting rambles and scrambles after Pigeons, both White-tail
and Bar-tail, which with their results have been so fully
described by Mr. Meade- Waldo in the last number of ' The
Ibis.'

On the Fifth Cubital Remex in Carinatse. 77

VIII. — Remarks on the Fifth Cubital Remex of the Wing in
the Carinatse. By P. L. Sclater, Ph.D., F.R.S., &c.

One of the most remarkable discoveries in the ptilosis of
birds that has been made of late years is that the fifth
cubital remex (or fifth secondary) is entirely absent in
many groups. This curious fact appears to have been first
pointed out by M. Z. Gerbe in 1877, in a communication
made to the Zoological Society of France*.

M. Gerbe writes as follows : —

" Chez les Rapaces, les Pigeons, les Echassiers et les Pal-
mipedes, il y a atrophie complete de Pune des remiges secon-
dares, et cette atrophie, qui parait etre originelle, porte
invariablement sur la cinquieme. Ses satellites, c'est-a-dire
sa couverture superieure et sa couverture inferieure, prennent
un deVeloppement normal, et occupent leur place, respective,
comme si elles accompagnaient la penne qui fait defaut.

" Ni les vrais Passereaux, ni les Zygodactyles (les Perro-
quets excepte's) ne presentent cette singuliere anoinalie."

After a lapse of ten years, during which period no one
seems to have alluded to the subject, Wray, in the course of
his studies of the bird's wing, undertaken during the prepa-
ration of specimens for the Index-series in the British Mu-
seum of Natural History, rediscovered this phenomenon, and
described it, in his valuable paper on the Morphology of
the Wings of Birds, as follows f : —

" The chief, most interesting, and most puzzling modifica-
tion of the cubital feathers is that in a great many birds the
fifth remex is always undeveloped, its coverts being normally
developed and present. This occurs probably in all birds
except Fhoznicopterus%, G-allinse, Passeres, and a few Picariae.
Up to the present I have never met with a trace of this

* Bull. Soc. Zool. de France, ii. p. 289 (1877).

t " On some Points in the Morphology of the Wings of Birds," by
Richard S. Wray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1887, p. 343. I am much indebted to
the Publication Committee of the Zoological Society of London for their
permission to reproduce Wray's excellent illustrations of this subject.

% [This inclusion of Phcenicopterw amoug the quincubital birds is an
error. As will be shown below, Phcrnicoptenis is aquincubital. — P. L. S.]

78 Mr. P. L. Sclater on the

feather in a vestigial condition. If the figures of the prepa-
ration of the distal part of the cubitus of the Golden Eagle
(see figs, b, b') be compared with those of the Pheasant (see

© 6

<t, a'. Drawings of preparations of the distal cubital remiges, with their
attached tectrices majores, of the Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus).

a, Dorsal view ; a', ventral view. (This shows the " quincubital"

condition.)
/»., V . Drawings of preparations of the distal cubital remiges, with their
attached tectrices majores, of the Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos).

b, Dorsal view; b', ventral view. (This shows the " aquincubital

condition.")
] , 2, 3, &c. the remiges (R), numbered from the wrist-joint ; D.C, dorsal
tectrix major ; V.C, ventral tectrix major; III, ulna.
(From P. Z. S. 1887, p. 346.)

figs, a, a'), the exact nature of this modification is at once
apparent. In the Pheasant {a, a') the fifth remex is present

Fifth Cubital Remex in the Carinatse. 79

with its coverts, showing all normal relations ; in the Golden
Eagle (b, b') the coverts are present but no remex. The
former condition may be termed quincubital, the latter aquin-
cubital. Such is the constancy of one or the other condition
in each natural group, that I have as yet met with no excep-
tions anywhere, except among the so-called Picarise, many
of which are, and most of which probably will turn out to be,
quincubital. The Goatsuckers are a quincubital, while the
Swifts are quincubital*. Pterocles is aquincubital ; Goura is
aquincubital. Of course exceptions may turn up, seeing that
of the whole number of birds but a comparatively few have
as yet been tested for this point."

Besides M. Gerbe and Wray, the only author who has as
yet touched upon this subject is Dr. Gadow, who, in his
recent paper " On the Numbers and on the Phylogenetic
Development of the Remiges of Birds/'' read before the Zoo-
logical Society in December 1888 (see P. Z. S. 1888, p. 655),
after alluding to the discovery of this phenomenon by the
authors above mentioned, adds to his tables of the numbers
of remiges in the bird's wing the condition of the fifth cubital
remex (whether present or absent) in the different groups,
so far as it was known to him. Simultaneously with
Dr. Gadow I had been making some researches on the same
subject, which were materially assisted by the preparation in
the laboratory of the Prosector in the Zoological Society's
Gardens of a certain number of birds' wings, arranged so as
to show the state of the fifth cubital remex very readily. It
is a pity, I think, that any knowledge on this curious point
once acquired should be lost, so that, although I cannot add
much to the subject, I propose to run through the various
orders of Carinate birds f, and to show in what cases yet
known to us the fifth cubital remex is present or absent, or
sometimes present and sometimes absent, and, in the case of
variable groups where it is desirable to be quite positive,
on what exact species the observations have been made.

* [Some Swifts seem to be aquincubital. See below. — P. L. S.J
t As adopted in the arrangement given in my paper " On the present
State of tbe 'Systema Avium','' Ibis, 1880, p. 410.

80 Mr. P. L. Sclater on the

I. Passeres. In all the true Passerine birds yet examined
the fifth cubital remex is present. Gerbe, Wray, and Gadow
alike agree to this. It is nevertheless very desirable that all
the abnormal forms of Passeres should be examined with
reference to this point.

II. Picari^s. The Picarian birds have not the same homo-
geneous structure as regards their cubital remiges as the
Passeres. We will therefore consider their six divisions or
suborders seriatim.

a. Pici. In all the Woodpeckers yet examined the fifth
c. r. has been found present. 1 have before me prepared
specimens of Colaptes auratus, Picus major, Tiga shorei,
Centurus striatus, and lynx torquilla.

b. Cypseli. In the Trochilidae the fifth c. r. is apparently
present, in the Caprimulgidse it is absent, in the Cypselidae
it is sometimes present and sometimes absent.

In true Cypselus, as stated by Wray, the fifth c. r. is
present, as it is also in the Tree Swift (Dendrochelidon) .
But I find it absent in a specimen of a species of Collocalia,
which is certainly a member of this family.

c. Anisodactylcs . In the Anisodactylous Picarians, as a
rule, the fifth c. r. is present. Out of the twelve families
enumerated in my above-mentioned paper (see Ibis, 1880,
p. 40]), I have found the following genera, so far as they
have been examined, to be quincubital : — Colius, Buceros,
Upupa, Merops, Todus, Podargus, and Steatornis.

Dr. Gadow adds Coracias to the list. He also gives the
fifth c. r. as present in Alcedo and Halcyon.

But my observations induce me to believe that there is a
singular anomaly in this respect in the Alcedinida?. I find
the fifth c. r. present in Alcedo ispida, Cittura sanguirensis,
and Ceryle americana, but absent in Halcyon vagans and
H. chloi'is. What is still more remarkable, it seems to be
absent in Ceryle alcyon, though it is certainly present in a
specimen of C. americana now before me.

d. Heterodactyla, e. Zygodactyly, and f. Coccyges. In
these three remaining suborders of the Picarians the fifth

Fifth Cubital Remex in the Carinatse. SI

C r. appears to be always present. I have examined Rham-
phastos, Selenidera, Aulacorhamphus, Indicator, Megalama,
and Xantholcema, and many genera of Cuculidse*, as also
Curythaix and Schizorhis. Dr. Gadow's researches, so far as
they go, show the same result, and he also gives it as present
in Trogon.

Therefore, as a rule, we may say that the Picarians are
quincubital, except the families Cypselidse and Alcedinidse,
in which some forms are aquincuhital.

III.-X. Psittaci, Striges, Accipitres, Steganopodes,
Herodiones, Odontogloss.e, Palamede^e, and Anseres.
In all members of these eight classes yet examined the fifth
c. r. is wanting. Dr. Gadow's tables agree with my obser-
vations on this subject. Wray (see above, p. 77) has stated
that the fifth c. r. is present in Phosnicopterus. But this is
certainly not the case in examples of two species of this
genus which I have examined (P. anti quorum and P. igni-
paUiatus), and I believe that Wray was in error on this
point. Dr. Gadow agrees with me in registering Phoeni-
cupterus as having no fifth c. r.

XL Columbje and XTI. Pterocletes. In the Columbre,
as also in Pterocles, I believe the fifth c. r. to be absent. This
is also stated by Dr. Gadow, but more observations are re-
quired upon these birds.

XIII. Galling. In the typical Gallinee generally the
fifth c. r. is fully developed (see illustrations of Phasianus,
above, p. 78). But this is not, perhaps, the case in Mega-
podius, where Mr. Beddard found it absent in a specimen of
Megapodius rubrifrons. The Cracidse likewise require further

* The species of Cuculidfe examined were : —

Rhinococcyx curvirostris. Piaya cayana.

Pyrrhocentor celebensis. Ooccyzus ainericanus.

Centropus, sp. inc. Diplopterus nsevius.

Eudynaruis orientalis. Saurothera doroinicaua.

taitensis. Geococcyx affinis.

Cacomantis sepulchralis. Guira piririgua.

lanceolatus. Crotophaga aui.

Cuculus canorus. sulcirostris.

SER. VI. VOL. II. G

82 Mr. P. L. Solater on the

examination, but I find a fifth c. r. present in species of Crax,
Penelope, Pipile, and Ortalis.

XIV. Opisthocomi and XV. Hemipodii. In Opistho-
comus, which I have carefully examined, the fifth c. r. is
present, as in the Gallinse. It is likewise present in Turnix.
I have examined Turnix sykesi.

XVI. Fulicari.e. In the Rails, so far as they have yet
been examined, the fifth c. r. is absent.

XVII. Alectorides. The Cranes and their allies are
not in unison as regards the fifth c. r. In Grus, Aramus,
and Eurypyga, according to Dr. Gadow, this remexis absent,
but present, according to the same authority, in Psophia,
Cariama, and Rhinochetus. I can confirm this as regards
Psophia crepitans.

XVIII. LimicoljE. No true Limicolse have the fifth
cubital remex developed, so far as they have yet been ex-
amined. In Parra it is also absent.

XIX. Gavi,e. As might have been expected, the Gavise
imitate their close allies the Limicolae in having no fifth c. r.

XX. Tubinares and XXI. Pygopodes. The same is, I
believe, the case in the Tubinares and Pygopodes. The fifth
c. r. is absent.

XXII. Impennes. In the Penguins the remiges are not
sufficiently differentiated to enable us to come to any conclu-
sion as to the fifth c. r.

XXIII. Crypturi. In the Tinamous, as in the Gallinas,
the fifth c. r. seems to be always present. Mr. Beddard has
kindly ascertained for me that this is undoubtedly the case
in the following species of this group : — Nothoprocta perdi-
caria, Tinamus solitarius, Crypturus noctivagus, and Calo-
dromas elegans. Prepared wings of Nothura maculosa and
Rhynchotus rufescens now before me show the fifth c. r. well
developed.

Thus the Carinate birds may be divided into three cate-
gories as regards the presence or absence of the fifth cubital
remex : —

Fifth Cubital Remex in the Carinatae.

83

1. Fifth cubital remex
present.

i. Passeres.

II. Fifth cubital remex
sometimes present,
sometimes absent.

II. Picarite.

xiv. Opisthocomi.
xv. Hemipodii.

xiii. Gallinae.

xvn. A lee tor ides.

xxiii. Crypturi.

III. Fifth cubital remex
absent.

in. Peittaci.

iv. Strides.

v. Accipitres.

vi. Steganopodes.

vn. Herodiones.

viii. Odontoglossyp.

ix. Palamedeae.

x. Anseres.

xi. Columbae.

xu. Pterocletes.

xvi. Fulicarife.

xvtii. Limicolfe.
xix. Gavite.
xx. Tubinares.
xxi. Pygopodes.

Summary.

1. The fifth cubital remex of Carinate birds is abnormally
absent, except in the Passeres, Opisthocomi, Hemipodii,
and Crypturi, and in some Picarise, Gallinse, and Alectorides.

2. In the Picarise it is generally present, except in some
Cypselidse and Alcedinidae.

3. In all the Gallinae it is present except in the Megapodes.

4. In the Alectorides it is generally absent, except in
Psophia, Cariama, and Rhinochetus.

5. Both the dorsal and the ventral tectrix major of the
fifth cubital remex, when it is absent, are fully developed.

6. We know of no intermediate stage between the full
development of the fifth cubital remex and its entire absence.

o2

84 Mr. O. Salvia on the Birds of the

IX. — A List of the Birds of the Islands of the Coast of
Yucatan and of the Bay of Honduras. By Osbert Salvin,
M.A., F.R.S., &c.

[Conclusion*.]

Addenda.

Before proceeding to analyse the foregoing lists, I have to

add the names of the following species accidentally omitted

therefrom : —

■f 147a. Buteola brachyura.

Buleola brachyura (Vieill.) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. i.
p. 201.

Buteo brachyura, Ridgw. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. viii. p. 578.

Cozumel I.

Included by Mr. Ridgway in his list, but not represented
in Mr. Gaumer's collection. The species has a wide range
in tropical America, but is rare on the mainland of Central
America.

147b. Ictinia plumbea.

Ictinia plumbea (Gm.) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. i.
p. 364.

Ruatan I.

A species of wide range in tropical America and not
uncommon in Central America, especially in the pine-forests
of the lowlands.

I have further to state that, until recently, I have always
looked upon Vireo olivaceus as a winter visitor to Mexico
and Central America. We have, however, recently received,
both from Mr. W. B. Richardson and Mr. Blancaneaux, eggs
of this species along with the parent birds ; so that its resi-
dence in Eastern Mexico and British Honduras is proved,
and almost certainly extends to the Bay Islands, whence
skins have been sent us.

* For preceding parts see * Ibis,' 1888, pp. 241-265 ; 1889, pp. 359-379.

Islands of the Coast of Yucatan, fyc. 85

Summary.

The apparent number of species found in the islands under
consideration thus becomes 215, but from these must be de-
ducted No. 52, Hirundo erythrogaster x swainsoni, to all ap-
pearance a hybrid; the total thus becomes 214.

In the list of 214 species, as thus amended, we find the
names of 79 which belong to birds which annually migrate
from North America to Mexico, Central or South Ame-
rica, or the West-Indian Islands, and either reside during
the winter months on the islands now under consideration,
or rest there during passage in autumn and spring. The
only point which I propose to notice in connexion with these
migratory species is that we find several that occur here at
almost, if not quite, the western limit of their range. The
following species come under this category : — Turdus fus-
cescens, T. alicios, Protonotaria citrea, Dendrceca ceerulescens,
D. discolor, D. palmarum, and Perissoglossa tigrina. The
remaining migratory species are birds of wider range, which
spread much further westwards in their spring and autumn
flight; their presence therefore on these islands is of no
special interest.

Of the remaining 135 species, 27 are birds which fre-
quent the sea-coast or marshes adjoining, and are of very
wide range, so that their presence also is of no special
significance.

This leaves 108 species, belonging to no less than 84 genera,
the distribution of which I propose to examine. They are
given in the annexed table (pp. 86-89) .

Before analysing the list in detail, it is necessary to
examine the 32 birds which form the resident fauna of Meco
Island. In the first place we find here no less than 9 genera,
represented by as many species, which are not found on any
of the other islands. All of these genera are characteristic of
the fauna of the mainland. Of the species, Phoenicothraupis
insularis alone is an island race, and is also found on Mugeres
Island. The only species that has any special West-Indian
affinity is Elainea martinica, and this is of very doubtful
value.

86

Mr. O. Salvin on the Birds of the

%

P 5

3 5

15

1. Turdus

1- grayi

2. Melanoptila

2. glabirostris ...

3. Harporhynchus

3. guttatus

4. Mimus

4. gilvus

5. Polioptila

5. cjesiogaster ...

6. bilineata

6. Troglodytes

7. beani

7. Dendroeca

8. petechia

9. bryanti

8. Vireo

10. calidris

11. olivaceus

12. magister

13. bairdi

14. ochraceus

9. Cyclorhis

15. flaviventris ...

16. insularis

10. Tacbycineta

17. albilinea

11. Coereba

18. cvanea

12. Oerthiola

19. caboti

13. Eupbonia

20. affinis

14. Spindalis

21. benedicti

15. Pyranga

22. roseigularis ...

16. Phoenicothraupis ...

23. insularis

17. Euconietis

24. spodocephala

18. Cardinalis

25. coccineus

19. Guiraca

2fi. parellina

20. Spermophila

27. moreleti

21. Phonipara

28. intermedia ...

*

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Inlands of the Coast of Yucatan, fyc.

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38.

39.
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41.

Brought forward
Spizella

29. pinetorum ..,
Embernagra

30. verticalis

Cbrysomitris..

31. mexicana

Agelseus

32. phceniceus

Icterus

33. giraudi

34. cucullatus

35. auratus

36. gularis

Quiscalus

37. macrurus ,

Cyanolyca

38. yucatanica ,

Xanthura

39. luxuosa

Camptostoma

40. imberbe

Elainea

41. martimca

Myiopagis

42. placens

Pitaugus

43. derbianns

Myiobius

44. sulphureipygius

Pyrocephalus

45. rubineus

Contopus

46. brachytarsus

Myiarcbus

47. magister

48. yucatanensis

49. lawrencii

Tyrannus

50. melancbolicus

51. griseus

52. magnirostris

Pipra

53. mentalis

Hadrostomus

54. aglaiae

Attila

55. cozumelse

56. citriopygius

Carried forward 19

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Mr. O. Salvin on the Birds of the

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42. Dendrornis

57. eburneirostr-is

43. Dendrocincla

58. horaoolirous

44. Tbamnophilus

59. doliatus

45. Lampornis

60. prevosti .,

47- Auiazilia

62. cinnaroomea

63. forficatus

49. Qhsetura

65. gaumeri

50. Nyctibius

66. jamaicensia

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67. albicollis

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70. dubius

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77. suleirostris

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59. Coccyzus

79. minor

60. Ehamphastos

80. carinatus

61 . Conurus

4 81. astec

62. Chrysotis

4 82. auripalliatus

4 83. auturunalis

84. xantbolora

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Islands of the Coast of Yucatan, fyc.

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86. pbalamoides

88. ruficauda

89. bracbyura

90. anthracina

Geranospizias

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Tigrisoma

95. cabanisi

96. autumnalis

98. leucocepbala

100. passerina

101. ruflpennis

102. jamaicensis

Crax

103. globicera

Ortalia

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104. vetula

105. albiventris

107. giganteus

108. gyninostoina

17

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Totals

32

28

29

90 Mr. O. Salvin on the Birds of the

I think therefore that Meco, so far as its birds are con-
cerned, should be considered an integral part of the mainland
of Northern Yucatan*.

This removes 9 genera and as many species from the list,
and leaves 75 genera and 99 species to be examined.

Of the 75 genera, Melanoptila is the only genus found in
the islands and the adjoining mainland to the exclusion of
the rest of Central America, and Spindalis is the only genus
belonging to the West Indies to the exclusion of the conti-
nent. Forty-three genera are common to the islands, the
continent, and to some one or more of the West Indies. The
remaining 30 (or 31, including Melanoptila) are shared by the
islands and mainland to the exclusion of the West Indies.

It will thus be seen that the relationship of the islands
to the mainland is very much closer than it is to the West
Indies, so far as regards genera, though Spindalis is a re-
markable exception.

Next, as regards species, of which there are 99 to be con-
sidered (i. e. 108, less 9 belonging only to Meco). Of
these 17 are common to the islands, the mainland, and one
or more of the West Indies ; 67 [i. e. 76, less 9 Meco birds)
are common to the islands and the mainland to the exclusion
of the West Indies ; 4 are common to the islands and West
Indies to the exclusion of the mainland ; and 11 are peculiar
to the islands alone.

Of the 67 species found on the islands and mainland to
the exclusion of the West Indies, 10 are found nearly ex-
clusively on the mainland immediately adjoining the islands ;
the remaining 57 are of wider range. The 10 species are
the following : —

1. Melanoptila glabrirostris. 6. Cyanolyca yucatanica.

2. Vireo magister. 7. Myiarchus yucatanensis.

3. Pyranga roseigularis. 8. Centurus dubius.

4. Spizella pinetorum. 9. Centurus rubriventris.

5. Icterus auratus. 10. Chrysotis xantholora.

* I have not been able to find any trace of Meco Islaod on the chart ;
but there is a place marked as El Meco on the mainland near the coast
opposite Mugeres Island. Mr. Gaumer's labels, however, give Meco

Islands of the Coast of Yucatan, fyc. 91

The four species found in the islands and the West Indies
to the exclusion of the mainland are : —

1. Polioptila ccesiogaster?, Cozumel, Ruatan, and Bahamas.

2. Dendroeca petechia, Cozumel and Jamaica.

3. Elainea martinica, several islands and Lesser Antilles.

4. Tyrannies magnirostris, Mugeres and Cuba.

Besides these the following species, though also found on
the mainland, belong rather to the West-Indian fauna : —

Vireo calidris, Cozumel and most of the West-Indian
islands.

Tyrannus griseus, Cozumel and all the more northern
Antilles.

Crotophaga ani*, Cozumel, Ruatan, and the Antilles
generally.

+ Zenaida amabilis, Holbox, Mugeres, and most of the An-
tilles.

-Engyptila jamaicensis, Holbox, Mugeres, Cozumel, and
Jamaica.

To complete the list of birds with special West-Indian
affinities, the following peculiar species must be added : —

Cerlhwla caboti, Holbox and Cozumel, nearest to C. buha-
mensis of the Bahamas.

Spindalis benedicti, Cozumel, nearest to S. pretrii of Cuba
and S. zena of the Bahamas.

Lastly, the species peculiar to the islands are 11 in num-
ber, viz. : —

1. Harporhynchus guttatus, Cozumel.

2. Troglodytes beani, Cozumel.

3. Vireo bairdi, Cozumel.

4. Cyclorhis insularis, Cozumel.

Island so distinctly, that I infer that the place he visited -was some small
island or cay that has escaped the cartographers. It must, however be
well wooded to harbour such birds as species of Micometis, Embemagra.
Cyanolyca, Pijira, Attila, Dendromis, Thamnophilus, Trogon, Rhamphastos.
&c, &c.

* It seems proper to consider this species as "West Indian, so far as the
islands now under consideration are concerned. It is, however, the pre-
valent species at Panama.

92 Mr. O. Salvin on the Birds of the

5. Certhiola caboti, Holbox and Cozumel.

6. Spindalis benedicti, Cozumel.

7. Phmiicothraupis insular is, Meco, Mugeres.

8. Phonipara intermedia, Holbox, Cozumel.

9. Attila cozumel®, Cozumel.

10. Chlorostilbon forficatus, Holbox, Mugeres, Cozumel.

11. Centurus canescens, Ruatan.

All of these are of mainland affinities, except Certhiola
caboti and Spindalis benedicti.

It will be seen from the foregoing lists that the affinities
of the birds of these islands, as a whole, as might have been
expected from their position, are largely on the side of those
of the mainland. Still there is a West-Indian element, only
just to be traced in Northern Yucatan by the presence of
such birds as Petrochelidon fulva (not yet noticed on the
Yucatan islands), Zenaida amabilis, and Engyptilajamaicensis,
which is more strongly developed in the islands. At the same
time it is clear that the West-Indian birds found on them
are either specifically identical or so closely related as to be
separable only by some slight modification of colour.

These differences being so slight, it is hardly possible that
the West-Indian element in these islands can be due to any
ancient land-connexion with the West Indies. For, from
Prof. Agassiz's contour map of the Caribbean Sea ("Three
Cruises of the ' Blake/ " i. p. 98, fig. 57), it will be seen that
the whole of Northern Yucatan and the islands adjoining
are separated from Cuba by a depth of over 1000 fathoms,
and the Bay Islands from Jamaica by over 500 fathoms, and
that all the islands themselves lie within the 100-fathom line
of the mainland coast. If there had been any recent land-
connexion, a supposition which the similarity of the birds
alone would justify, the mainland, as well as the West
Indies, would hardly fail to show such a connexion in a much
more pronounced manner, and we should find, not the
strong contrast that exists between the faunas of Cuba and
Jamaica and the mainland, but a large number of features
in common.

The alternative supposition to account for the West-Indian

Islands of the Coast of Yucatan, §c. 93

element in these islands is that the birds have reached them
at no distant date by flight. When we consider that the
trade-wind blows almost continuously over Cuba and Jamaica
in the direction of Yucatan and this coast for several months
in the year, it is hardly a matter of wonder that some West-
Indian birds do stray so far west.

We should, however, expect to find more of them on the
mainland. That this is not the case may be due to the
imperfect way in which nearly the whole of this coast has
been explored. No collections whatever have been made
from any point between Belize and Cape Catoche, and the
coast of British Honduras has only been touched in a very
imperfect way.

I anticipate therefore that as our knowledge of the imme-
diate mainland becomes more advanced, the peculiarities of
these islands as regards their West-Indian element will
diminish, if not altogether disappear.

I have hitherto treated of these coast-islands as a whole,
but on examining them in detail they split up naturally into
three groups. Leaving Meco out of the question, Holbox
and Mugeres may be classed together, Cozumel by itself, and
the Bay Islands of Ruatan and Bonacca by themselves.

Holbox and Mugeres. — The bird-fauna of these islands
closely resembles that of the mainland. Of the 70 recorded
specimens, 26 are migrants, 1 has a very wide range, and 43
form the more localized resident fauna. Of these 43 species,
the following 6 are more or less associated exclusively with
the West Indies :— (1) Certhiola caboti (also found on Co-
zumel), a peculiar species, but very closely allied to C. baha-
mensis ; (2) Phonipara intermedia (also found on Cozumel),
very close to P. olivacea of the West Indies and to P. pusitla
of the mainland ; (3) Elainea martinica (also found on
several other islands), a common species of the Lesser An-
tilles, but very closely allied to E. paguna of the mainland ;
(4) Tyrannus magnirostris, identical with the Cuban bird.
The remaining two are (byZenaida amabilis and (6) Engy-
ptila jamaicensis, both also found on the mainland. Of the
37 mainland forms, Phcenicothraupis insularis and Chloro-

91 Birds of the Islands of the Coast of Yucatan.

stilbon forficatus alone can at present claim to be peculiar,
but both of them are also found on other islands. Holbox
and Mugeres therefore have a very decided mainland affinity
as regards their birds, a very slight peculiarity, and a West-
Indian element, due most probably to quite recent or not
distant casual immigration.

Cozumel. — The larger size of Cozumel and the greater
time spent over the examination of its fauna gives us a total
of 159 species as found within its limits. Of these 65 are
migrants and 27 birds of very wide range. This leaves 66
as the number of resident species, with more or less restricted
limits ; 52 of these are also characteristic of the mainland,
4 are shared with other islands, 4 are strictly West-Indian, and
6 are peculiar. Of the latter, Spindalis benedicti is the only
one with West-Indian affinity, the others are modified main-
land forms. Harporhynchus ocellatus, one of these, is remark-
able as representing a genus not found nearer than the State of
Vera Cruz or the northern shore of the Gulf of Mexico. Its
presence in Cozumel must be attributed to casual introduc-
tion at a somewhat remote date, due perhaps to the severe
northern storms which prevail in this region during the
winter months.

Thus Cozumel would seem to have been separated from
the mainland for a considerable period, during which time it
has received casual immigrants from the West Indies, from
North America, and from the mainland, some of them at
dates sufficiently long ago to allow of their modification.

Ruatan and Bonacca. — These islands are very different
in their physical features from those just mentioned. They
are high, attaining an elevation of about 1200 feet, and have
the upper portion covered with pines, instead of being low
islands of recently elevated coral limestone. Mr. Gaumer's
collections from these islands include specimens of 72 species,
of which 42 are migrants, and 5 are of very wide range. The
remaining 25 also belong almost exclusively to the main-
land ; but there is a decided element amongst these, with an
affinity to the coast of Yucatan and its islands rather than
to the coast immediately opposite. This is shown by the

On the Birds of the Bonin Islands. 95

presence of Vireo magister, V. ochraceus, Centurus rubri-
ventris, and C. canescens. Crotophaga ani is the only West-
Indian representative, and also belongs to Cozumel. It is
difficult to account for this northern element, unless it be
due to the northerly gales already mentioned. The trade-
winds that strike the Bay Islands blow over the widest part
of the Caribbean Sea and bring no stragglers from the
West Indies.

X. — On the Birds of the Bonin Islands.
By Henry Seebohm, F.Z.S.

The arrival of a small box of bird-skins from the Bonin
Islands makes it possible to clear up some of the difficulties
which have surrounded the avifauna of this interesting but
neglected group.

Mr. P. A. Hoist left Yokohama on the 6th of April, 1889,
and spent the greater part of May, June, July, and August
on the Bonin Islands, calling at some of the Seven Islands
both in going and returning. Collections were made at the
following localities : —

Hatchinow-Shima, or Fatsizio Island, about 200 miles
south of Yokohama;

Muco-Shima and Nakondo-Shima, two of the Parry
Islands, nearly 600 miles south of Yokohama ;

Chichi-Shima, or Peel Island, about 40 miles further
south ;

Haha-Shima, or Hillsborough Island, one of the Coffin
Islands or Baily Islands, about 40 miles south of Peel
Island.

The Bonin Islands were visited in 1827 by Captain
Beechey, during the voyage of the ' Blossom/ but the zoo-
logical discoveries were not published until 1839 (' The
Zoology of Captain Beechey's Voyage to the Pacific and
Behring's Straits, performed in H.M.S. Blossom under the
command of Captain F. W. Beechey in the years 1825-28 : '
Ornithology, by N. A. Vigors).

In 1828 they were visited by Baron F. H. von Kittlitz ;

9G Mr. H. Seebolim on the

and an unfinished paper, " Ueber die Vogel der Inselgruppe
von Boninsinia," appeared in the ' Memoires presented a
l'Academie Imperiale des Sciences de St. Petersbourg par
divers Savaus/ 1830, pp. 231-248, which was followed in
1833 by some figures and short text in the third part of
Kittlitz's " Kupfertafeln zur Naturgeschichte der Vogel."

For the last sixty years our information respecting the
Bonin Islands and its ornithology has been of the most
meagre character. In 1854 they were visited by Mr. Stimp-
son, who found examples of four species on the islands, which
are included in a " Catalogue of Birds collected by the United
States North Pacific Surveying and Exploring Expedition, in
command of Capt. John Rodgers, United States Navy; with
notes and descriptions of new species M (Cassin, Proc. Acad.
Nat. Sc. Philad. 1862, pp. 312-327).

In 1882 Blakiston and Pryer published a paper on the
Birds of Japan in the ' Transactions of the Asiatic Society of
Japan ' (vol. x. p. 84), in which a few waifs and strays of orni-
thological information respecting the Bonin Islands occur.

Mr. Hoist writes : — " It seemed to me quite solemn when
the ' Suruga Maru ' cast anchor in 25 fathoms of water at
Port Lloyd, on Peel Island, one of the central group of the
Bonins, between high rocks and lofty gloomy hills, which
shelter the harbour almost on every side. The bay has a
circumference of more than three miles, and the mountains
are covered with small palm trees and other tropical vegeta-
tion. The islanders soon made their appearance in sanpans
and canoes, and were most of them half-naked Japanese.

" No bird can be said to be very abundant on Peel Island,
but Hypsipetes squamiceps is the most so. It is very good
eating, and is said to be very fat in the winter. There are a
good many Blue Rock-Thrushes (Monticola solitarius), but I
have only found one kind of Warbler, Cettia diphone. I
have seen a pair of Buzzards and a Raven, besides some
small Sandpipers and a flock of about twenty Gulls. Pigeons
are said to be common in winter. There are plenty of a
good-sized deer, some weighing as much as 250 lb., and
green turtles as large as 400 lb. -, also wild goats, wild boars,
wild cats, flying foxes, &c.

Birds of the Bonin Islands. 97

" During the whole time I have been, on Peel Island we
have had almost continuous rains, with very few fine days;
but the islanders inform me that this is very exceptional,
and that their rainy season is October and November. The
islanders are the laziest, sleepiest, and most disobliging
people I have ever met with, and I am tormented with
mosquitoes and horse-flies.

" I have visited the Parry Islands, about forty miles north
of Peel Island ; but we had heavy rain all the time. I have
also been to the Baily Islands for a couple of days, where we
had the thermometer at 95° in the shade. I have heard of a
Sea-Eagle which had come to the north end of Stapleton
Island during the last three winters, but it is never seen
during summer."

CORVUS MACRORHYNCHUS JAPONENSIS.

Mr. Hoist has sent an example of the Japanese race of the
Oriental Raven from Peel Island, and one from Nakondo-
Shima, an island belonging to the Parry group, about
40 miles further north.

The bill is thick (upper mandible at nostrils 75 inch
high), and the general size is large (wing from carpal joint
13^ inches) ; but Japanese examples are frequently larger.
The feathers of the throat are lanceolate, but those of the
upper breast are not. The feathers of the mantle are glossed
with green and have dark bases. The example from Peel
Island has some white on both wings, being apparently
a partial albino.

Geocichla terrestris.

Kittlitz's Ground Thrush was discovered in 1828 on one
of the Bonin Islands, and was described under the name of
Turdus terrestris (Kittlitz, Mem. pres. a TAcad. St. Petersb.
par divers Savans, 1830, p. 244). The type is in the Museum
of the Imperial Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg ; there
is a second example in the Vienna Museum, and a third in
the Leyden Museum.

Mr, Hoist failed to secure specimens of this interesting bird.
ser. vi. — VOL. II, H

98 Mr. H. Seebohm on the

MERULA CEL.ENOPS.

This well-marked species of Thrush was originally dis-
covered by Mr. Naraiye on Miaco-Shima, one of the Seven
Islands south of Yokohama, in latitude 34° (Stejneger, Proc.
United States Nat. Mus. 1887, p. 484). The types (male and
female) are in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington,
and no example was known in European collections until I
secured one (a male) in the Pryer Collection. Mr. Hoist
has now sent me a pair (male and female) from Hatchinow-
Shima (or Fatsizio Island) in latitude 33°, where he remarks
that they are common. This species is very similar to
Merula protomomelana (Tardus dissimilis, Seebohm, P. Z. S.
1879, p. 805, pi. lxiv.), but differs in having grey instead of
orange-chestnut axillaries. The female very closely resembles
the female of Merula chrysolaus, but the brown of the upper
parts is more russet (less olive) and the orange-chestnut of
the underparts darker in the island species.

MONTICOLA CYANUS SOLITARIUS.

The Eastern Blue Rock Thrush is a common bird on the
Bonin Islands. Mr. Hoist has sent me seven adult males,
four adult females, and one male in first spring plumage,
collected in April and May on Peel Island, together with four
eggs from a clutch of five. He has also sent two males and
one female, collected in July on the same island, which are
in the plumage of birds of the year. A female collected on
the 1st of August on Haha-Shima (one of the southern
or Baily Group) is in the same plumage. A male obtained
on 27th of June on the last-mentioned island, and a female
on the 13th of June on Muco-Shima (one of the northern
or Parry Group), are young in first plumage.

Hypsipetes squamiceps.

The Bonin-Island Bulbul was discovered by Kittlitz in
1828, and named by him Oriolus squamiceps (Kittlitz, Mem.
pres. a I' Acad. Imp. des Sciences de St. Petersbourg, par
divers Savans, 1830, p. 241). Shortly afterwards he iden-
tified his species with its Japanese ally, and adopted Tem-
minck's specific name; but no longer believing it to be an

Birds of the Bonin Islands. 99

Oriole, and doubting Temminck's assertion that it was a
Thrush, he decided that it was a Roller, and called it
Galgalus amaurotis (Kittlitz, Kupfertafeln zur Naturgesch-
ichte der Vogel, p. 8, pi. xii. fig. 1). From 1832 the two
species remained confused together until 1884, when the
Bonin- Island Bulbul reappeared in ornithological literature
under the name of Hypsipetes squamiceps (Meyer, Zeitsch.
ges. Orn. i. p. 211).

The acquisition of twelve examples from Chichi-Shima (or
Peel Island), Haha-Shima (or Hillsborough Island, one of
the Baily Islands), and Nakondo-Shima (one of the Parry
Group) enables me to confirm Dr. Meyer's conclusion that
the two species differ both in size and colour. Three females
vary in length of wing (from carpal joint) from 4*85 to
5*1 inches, and in length of tail from 4*5 to 4'8 inches ;
whilst eight males vary in length of wing from 5"1 to
5*45 inches, and in length of tail from 4*7 to 5*0 inches.
The bill (from frontal feathers) measures in the females
•85 inch, and in the males from "85 to 1'05 inch. The tarsi
of the females measure "95 inch, and those of the males vary
from "95 to 1*05 inch. The colours of the soft parts are
described as follows : — " Bill and tarsi slate-grey ; irides
light brown." An example of young in first plumage closely
resembles the adult, but has the crown uniform brown like
the back.

Cettia diphone.

The Bonin Bush Warbler was originally described under
the name of Sylvia diphone (Kittlitz, Mem. pre*s. a PAcad.
des Sciences de St. Petersb. par divers Savans, 1830, p. 237),
from examples obtained from the Bonin Islands in 1828. An
imperfect example was described in 1884 as having been
obtained by Mr. N. Ota on the Bonin Islands (Blakiston,
Amended List of the Birds of Japan, p. 56) ; and there is an
example in the Pryer Collection, probably from the same
source.

Mr. Hoist has sent three examples from Chichi-Shima
(Peel Island) and two from Muco-Shima (one of the Parry
Group), collected in May and June.

h 2

100 Mr. II. Seebohm on the

The Bonin Bush Warbler is very closely allied to Cetlia
cantillans, from which it does not differ in colour.

The examples sent are four males and one young in first
plumage. The adults differ from adult examples of Cettia
cantillans in the following particulars : —

Culmen "69 to "7 inch (instead of "5 to "6 inch), wing from
carpal joint 2"2 to 23 inches (instead of 21 to 2"28 inches),
tail 2"46 to 2"56 inches (instead of 2"0 to 2 3 inches), tarsus
•93 to "98 inch (instead of "89 to "9 inch). The length of
wing is about the same, but the culmen, tail, and tarsus are
longer. There are ten tail-feathers, of which the outer ones
are *4 inch shorter than the longest. The relative proportion
of the primaries is about the same in both species.

Hapaloptehon familiare.

Mr. Hoist has sent twelve examples of this curious little
Timeliine Warbler, which was originally discovered in 1828
on the Bonin Islands, and described under the name of Ixos
familiaris (Kittlitz, Mem. pres. h l'Acad. Imp. des Sciences
de St. Petersb. par divers Savans, 1830, p. 235). In 1848 it
was doubtfully referred to the genus lor a (Gray, Gen. B. i.
p. 199), and in 1854 the genus Apalopteron (scr. Hapalopteron)
was invented for its reception (Bonaparte, Compt. Rend,
xxxix. p. 59). This genus was degraded in 1869 to the rank
of a subgenus of Pycnonotus (Gray, Hand-list of Birds, i.
p. 271), but it is not known that any of these writers ever
saw an example.

Until its affinities can be more accurately determined it is
probably wisest to allow it to remain in the genus which
Bonaparte created for it ; but it appears to be not distantly
related to Stachyrhis (a genus represented in Borneo) and to
Stachyrhidopsis (which is represented in Formosa) . Mr. Hoist
has sent examples of male, female, and young, which scarcely
differ in plumage. The bill is long, stout, and curved ; the
tarsus is long, and the feet are stout ; the nostrils are
covered by an operculum ; the rictal bristles are fairly well
developed ; the scutellation of the tarsus is very obscure ; the
wings are considerably concave ; the first primary is more

Birds of the Bonin Islands. 101

than half the length of the second ; the second primary is
about as long as the secondaries ; and the third primary is
between the seventh and eighth. The soft parts are described
as follows : — " Bill and tarsi black ; irides light brown."
The upper parts are olive-green and the underparts bright
yellow, shading into dull olive on the flanks ; there is a ring
of white feathers round the eye ; forehead black ; lores
yellow ; superciliary stripe black j ear-coverts black ante-
riorly, yellow posteriorly. The outer webs of the quills are
margined with yellow. Tail-feathers twelve, rather pointed,
and of nearly equal length. Axillaries, under wing-coverts,
and inner margin of quills pale yellow. Wing from carpal
joint 2-7 to 2-6 inches; tail 2'4 to 2'25 inches; culmen '74
to -65 inch; tarsus 1*0 to '9 inch. The dates are 13th of
June to 2nd of August, and the localities Muco-Shima and
Nakondo-Shima (two of the Parry Islands) and Haha-Shima
(one of the Baily Islands).

Fringilla kjttlitzi, sp. nov.

The Bonin Island Greenfinch was discovered by Kittlitz
in 18.28, but was not regarded by its discoverer as distinct
from the European species. It most nearly resembles Frin-
gilla sinica in size, agreeing with that species and with F.
kawarahiba (and differing from the European species) in
having the bases of the secondaries yellow on both webs. It
has much less yellow at the base of the tail-feathers than
any of its allies, and less on the inner webs of the quills
than the other, two eastern species. The crown and nape
of F. sinica are grey, those of F. kawarahiba brown, and
those of F. kittlitzi olive.

Mr. Hoist has sent three examples from Nakondo-Shima
(one of the Parry Islands), and two from Haha-Shima (one
of the Baily Islands) .

Fringilla montifringilla.

A single example of the Common Brambling was caught
on the steamer about thirty miles north of the Bonin Islands
early in April. This species is a common winter visitor to
all of the Japanese Islands, occasionally wandering as far
south as the Loo-Choo Islands.

102 Mr. H. Seebohm on the

Chaunoproctus ferreirostris.

The Bonin Grosbeak was discovered in 1827 on one of the
Bonin Islands, during the voyage of the ' Blossom/ and was
originally described without any record of the locality whence
it was procured (Vigors, Zool. Journ. 1828, p. 354) ; the
types are now in the British Museum. It was rediscovered a
year later, and redescribed as Fringilla papa (Kittlitz, Mem.
presentes a. FAcad. Imp. des Sciences de St. Petersb. par
divers Savans, 1830, p. 239). It is figured in Bonaparte and
SchlegeFs ' Loxiens/ pis. 37, 38 (p. 32), as Chaunoproctus
papa.

Mr. Hoist did not succeed in obtaining this curious
species, but he heard that it was to be found on the Baily
Islands.

HlRUNDO RUSTICA GUTTURALIS.

An example of the Eastern race of the Common Barn
Swallow is dated the 3rd of May from Peel Island, and is
described as one out of two, which were seen for one day
only on their spring migration. This bird is a common
summer visitor to Japan.

BUTEO VULGARIS PLUMIPES.

Mr. Hoist has sent four examples of the Eastern race of
the Common Buzzard from Peel Island, not far from the
centre of the Bonin group. Two of these examples are
young, with barred tail-feathers, and the other two do not
appear to be very old, as there are traces of bars on several
of the tail-feathers. In all the examples the tarsi are
feathered for more than half their length.

Carpophaga ianthina.

The Japanese Fruit Pigeon was procured by Kittlitz on
the Bonin Islands in 1828. One of his examples is in the
Senckenberg Museum in Frankfort, and a second is in the
Museum of the Imperial Academy of Sciences in St. Peters-
burg. The latter has been made the type of a new species,
Ianthoznas nit ens (Stejneger, Proc. United States Nat. Mus.
1887, p. 421), on the ground that the head is brown instead
of slate-grey ; but as this is not the case with the Frankfort

Birds of the Bonin Islands. 103

specimen, it is probable that the difference is due to abrasion.
Mr. Hoist did not procure this bird on the Bonin Islands,
though he saw a Pigeon on Peel Island and obtained its eggs,
but he has sent an example from Hatchinow-Shima (Fatsizio
Island), which does not differ from Japanese specimens.

Carpophaga versicolor.

The Bonin Fruit Pigeon was discovered on one of the
Bonin group of islands in 1827 by Captain Beechey during
the voyage of the ' Blossom/ and was named Columba metal-
lica (Vigors, Zool. Captain Beechey's Voyage, p. 25). In
consequence of most unreasonable delay in the completion
of the part relating to the Mollusca the results of the voyage
were not published until 1839. In the meantime two events
happened which made the use of this name impossible. In
1828 F. H. von Kittlitz spent a fortnight on the Bonin
Islands and also discovered the Fruit Pigeon which is pecu-
liar to them, and described and figured it in 1832 under the
name of Columba versicolor (Kittlitz, Kupfertafeln zur Na-
turgeschichte der Vogel, p. 5, pi. v. fig. 2). Not only was
Vigors's name thus antedated by that of Kittlitz in conse-
quence of the provoking delay, but it was otherwise, and,
so far as appears, quite independently applied to another
species of Fruit Pigeon from the Island of Timor (Temminck,
Planches Coloriees, no. 562) in 1835. In the same year
the Bonin species was named Columba kittlitzii (Temminck,
Planches Coloriees, page following text to no. 578).

Kittlitz's type of this handsome bird is in the St. Peters-
burg Museum, and there is a duplicate in the Senckenberg
Museum in Frankfort, but VigoiVs type appears to have
been lost. Mr. Hoist has obtained for me a male from
Nakondo-Shima, one of the Parry Group of the Bonin
Islands. It is dated the 15th of September, and is moult-
ing both its primaries and its rectrices. The soft parts are
described as follows : — " Bill greenish yellow ; tarsi dark red ;
irides dark blue."

Carpophaga versicolor can never be confused with its
Japanese ally. It is a much larger and much paler bird,

104 Mr. H. Seebohm on the

measuring from one to two inches longer in the wing, and
an inch longer in the tail. The bronze on the wing-coverts
is green in all positions, and the ground-colour of the under-
pays is lavender instead of dark bluish grey.

Charadrius fulvus.

The Asiatic Golden Plover was found on one of the Bonin
Islands by Captain Kodgers (Cassin, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc.
Philad. 1862, p. 321), doubtless on migration.

TOTANUS INCANUS.

An example of the American Wandering Tattler was pro-
cured by Mr. Hoist on Peel Island on the 11th of May. The
whole of the underparts are barred, the nasal groove extends
for two thirds of the length of the bill, and the back of the
tarsus is very imperfectly scutellated. It is sexed a female.
Wing from carpal joint 69 inches. The soft parts are
described as follows : — " Bill slate-grey ; tarsi yellow ; irides
light brown." It appears to be a fully adult bird, doubtless
on its way north to breed.

TOTANUS INCANUS BREVIPES.

An example of the Asiatic Wandering Tattler was pro-
cured on Peel Island on the 1st of June. The belly is
nearly all unspotted white ; the nasal groove only extends
along half the length of the bill ; and the scutellations at the
back of the tarsus are very perfect. It is sexed a male.
Wing from carpal joint 6*2 inches. It is described as being
very shy ; it was in the company of a mate which was not
procured. From the barring on its upper tail-coverts and
the traces of pale margins on many of the feathers of the
upper parts, I take it to be a bird of the previous year.

It was probably an example of this race which was pro-
cured by Captain Kodgers on one of the Bonin Islands
(Cassin, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc. Philad. 1862, p. 109).

TOTANUS HVPOLEUCUS.

The Common Sandpiper was procured on one of the Bonin
Islands by Captain Rodgers (Cassin, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc.
Philad. 1862, p. 322), and was recorded under the name of

Birds of the Bonin Islands. 105

Tringoides empusa. Mr. Hoist obtained an example on Peel
Island on the 11th of July.

Larus cachinnans.

An immature example of a large Gull procured by Mr.
Hoist on Peel Island appears to belong to Pallas's Herriug
Gull. It was one of a party of perhaps twenty birds, which
disappeared shortly after his arrival in April.

DlOMEDEA ALBATltUS.

There are five eggs of Steller's Albatros in the Pryer
Collection, which are labelled as having come from the Bonin
Islands. They vary in size from 4-7 by 2'9 inches to 4*3 by
3*0 inches. They are creamy white, profusely speckled with
russet at the large end.

Steller's Albatros was discovered by the illustrious tra-
veller whose name it bears on the coast of Kamtschatka,
and was described in 1780 (Pallas, Spicilegia Zoologica,
pt. v. p. 28). It is a common species in the Japanese seas,
and is generally found in company with a dark form, which
has been regarded by some ornithologists as the young.
Others have described it as specifically distinct; but it seems
probable that the two forms represent a dimorphic species,
like Fulmarus glaeialis, Stercorarius pomarinus, Stercorarius
richardsoni, Ardeajugularis, &c. The dark form was figured
on plate 963 of the ' Planches Enluminees ; of D'Aubenton
under the title of L' Albatros de la Chine. Upon this plate
the name of Diomedea chinensis was founded in 1820 (Tem-
minck, Man. d'Orn. i. preface, page ex) ; but its author
appears to have changed his mind in 1828, and renamed it
Diomedea brachyura (Temminck, Planches Coloriees, Genus
Diomedea, 75th livraison). It was afterwards rediscovered
and redescribed under the name of Diomedea derogata
(Swinhoe, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1873, p. 786).

ffiSTRELATA HYPOLEUCA.

Some years ago I received a few birds from Mr. Snow,
of Yokohama, which had been collected on Krusenstern
Island in the North Pacific Ocean. Amongst these was the
skin of a small Petrel, which I gave to the British Museum

106 Mr. H. Seebohm on the

along with the rest of my Tubinares when that group was being
arranged by Mr. Salvin. This skin is the type of (Eatrelata
hypoleuca (Salvin, Ibis, 1888, p. 359), and remained unique
until I received an adult and young from Mr. Hoist. The
soft parts of the adult are described as follows : — " Tarsi
bluish pink; bill black; irides dark brown; pupil blue/'
These skins were obtained on the 16th of June on Nakondo-
Shima, one of the Parry group of the Bonin Islands. The
young bird is moulting from its downy stage into the adult
plumage, and appears not to have left the nest.

Nycticorax crassirostris.

Mr. Hoist has been fortunate enough to procure an example
of this much disputed species. It is a female with very short
crest, and was obtained on Nakondo-Shima, one of the Parry
Islands, on the 15th of June.

The Bonin Night Heron was originally discovered by
Captain Beechey during the voyage of the ' Blossom ' in
1827, but was not named until 1839 (Vigors, Zool. Captain
Beechey's Voyage, p. 27). In the meantime it was redis-
covered in 1828, and identified, in 1833, with Ardea cale-
donica (Kittlitz, Kupfertafeln zur Naturgeschichte der Vogel,
pt. iii. p. 27). Vigors's type was once in the Museum of the
Zoological Society, and was transferred to the British Mu-
seum, where it now is, all assertions to the contrary ( Walden,
Trans. Zool. Soc. ix. p. 238) notwithstanding.

The Bonin Night Heron is vinous grey above and white
below; the head and crest are black, and the occipital
plumes, what there is left of them, appear to have been
white. The superciliary streak is white, and the axillaries
are white. The soft parts are described as follows : — " Tarsi
light yellow, with greenish scales in front; bill black, green-
ish yellow at base ; irides light yellow." Wing from carpal
joint 11 inches; tail 4'3 inches ; bill, from frontal feathers,
2*8 inches; tarsus 3*3 inches ; middle toe with claw 3 inches ;
height of bill at nostrils *9 inch.

It appears to be quite distinct from Nycticorax manillensis,
which has reddish axillaries and a rufous superciliary streak ;

Birds of the Bonin Islands. 107

but it only differs from Nycticorax caledonica in having the
bill slightly stouter, measuring from 1 to '9 (instead of from
•9 to -8) inch at the base of the nostrils.

SULA LEUCOGASTRA.

The Common Booby was procured on the Bonin Islands
by Mr. Stimpson in 1854 (Cassin, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc.
Philad. 1862, p. 325), and has already been recorded as
breeding on these islands (Blakiston and Pryer, Trans. As.
Soc. Japan, 1882, p. 102). Mr. Hoist has sent an adult
male and an adult female from Peel Island, obtained on the
11th of May. He states that this species is common on the
lonely islands, especially on Long Island or Minam-Shima,
whence he has sent an egg. The egg measures 2-5 by 1*6
inches, and is greenish white with very little superfluous
chalk on the surface. The colours of the soft parts of the
birds are not given, but the bill appears to be pale yellow,
and the feet yellowish green.

Phaeton rubricauda.

Mr. Hoist writes that there is a bunch of the tail-feathers
of the Red-tailed Tropic-bird in the Tokio Museum labelled
Bonin Islands. I have a skin which was procured by Mr.
Snow in the spring of 1883 on Krusenstern Island, about
forty degrees to the east of the Bonin Islands. Mr. Hoist
was told that a white bird with red tail was common at
certain seasons on the Parry Islands.

Thus the Bonin Islands appear to have derived their resident
birds from various sources. After the winter visitors have
been eliminated there remain only 15 residents. Of these,
Diomedea albatrus, (Estrelata hypoleuca, Sula leucogastra,
and Phaeton rubricauda are ocean-birds with ranges of con-
siderable extent, leaving only 11 resident land-birds. Of
these Corvus japonensis, Monticola solitarius, and Buteo plu-
mipes are Japanese birds, leaving the following eight species
peculiar to the Bonin Islands : —

1. Geocichla terrestris, which is not very nearly allied
to any other species, but is probably connected with
G. sibirica.

108 Recently published Ornithological Works.

2. Hypsipetes squamiceps, which is doubtfully distinct from
H. pry er i of the Loo-Choo Islands.

3. Cettia diphone, which has its nearest ally in C. cantillans
from Japan.

4. Hapalopteron familiare, which may be allied either to
a species from Formosa or the Malay Archipelago.

5. Fringilla kittlitzi, which is most nearly allied to F. ka-
ivarahiha from Japan.

6. Chaunoproctus ferreirostris, which may be an ally of
Coccothraustes personatus changed in colour, or of Loxia
enucleator, which has changed the size of its bill.

7. Carpophaga versicolor, which may be an offshoot of
C.ianthina from Japan, or of C.griseigularis from the Philip-
pine Islands.

8. Nycticorax crassirostris, which is doubtfully distinct
from N. caledonica of Australia.

XI. — Notices of recent Ornithological Publications.
1. Aitchison on the Zoology of the Afghan Border.

[The Zoology of the Afghan Delimitation Commission. By J. E. T.
Aitchison, M.D., CLE., F.R.S., F.L.S. Trans. Linn. Soc. 2nd ser. Zool.
v. pt. 3. London : May, 1889.]

The authorities objected to have more than one Naturalist
attached to the Afghan Delimitation Commission. Conse-
quently Dr. Aitchison, whose "special calling is that of a
Botanist/-' had to undertake the zoological work also, and
being unprovided with proper assistants and not able to
induce the natives to collect for him, did not make such
extensive collections as might well have been formed in the
interesting district explored and under the favourable cir-
cumstances of the expedition.

In his summary of the results Dr. Aitchison tells us that
specimens of 123 species of birds were obtained, and 14
others were recognized. " Amongst these there are only
three new species, namely, a Woodpecker (Gecinus gorii,
Hargitt), a Sparrow (Passer yatii, Sharpe), and a Pheasant

Recently published Ornithological Works. 109

{Phasianus principalis, Sclater). With few exceptions all
the birds observed were migratory, the exceptions being the
Pheasant, Raven, Rook, Carrion-Cro w, Jackdaw, Sparrow,
Starling, the Sky-Lark (Alauda arvensis), the Large-crested
Lark (Galerida cristata), the Bokhara Lark {Melanocorypha
bimaculata), the Wall-creeper (Tichodroma muraria), the
Bittern (Botaurus stellaris), an Owl, several of the Raptores,
the Black-breasted Sand-Grouse (Pterocles arenarius), and a
Red-legged Partridge (Caccabis chukar).

" As spring advances, birds are seen to arrive, following
each other very rapidly, such as Aedon familiaris, Sylvia,
Saxicola, Motacillcs, Lanius, Pastor, Merops, Coracias, &c.
The various Ducks are then leaving, except the Brahminy
(Casarca rutila), which breeds there and is resident through-
out the year. The largest number of species occur in the
genera Saxicola (8), Lanius (6), Sylvia (5), Motacilla (5),
and Emberiza (4)."

The special section on birds is prepared by Mr. Sharpe,
who adds to the names of the species such synonymy as bears
upon their distribution in the neighbouring parts of Central
Asia, and the necessary remarks on the specimens. Dr.
Aitchison appends occasional field-notes. The localities and
dates of the specimens obtained are precisely recorded, and
maps are given to show the routes traversed by the Naturalist.
Coloured figures are given of Gecinus gorii, Passer yatii, and
Phasianus principalis.

2. Allen on the Species of Cyclorhis.

[On Cyclorhis viridis (Vieill.) and its near Allies, with Remarks on
other Species of the Genus Cyclorhis. By J. A. Allen. Bull. Am. Mus.
Nat. Hist. ii. p. 123.]

Mr. Allen has had the advantage of examining 46 speci-
mens of Cyclorhis collected at Chapada in Matto Grosso by
Mr. H. H. Smith. The information derived from this fine series
and from other quarters has enabled him to correct and sup-
plement the observations on this somewhat difficult genus
lately published by Graf v.Berlepsch and by the Editor of this

110 Recently published Ornithological Works.

Journal (Ibis, 1887, p. 320, and 1888, p. 83) . He recognizes
10 species and 3 subspecies of Cyclorhis, of which he gives
a synoptical table.

3. Allen on new South- American Birds.

[Descriptions of new Species of South-American Birds, with Remarks
on various other little-known Species. By J. A. Allen. Bull. Am. Mus.
Nat. Hist. ii. p. 137.]

Mr. Allen describes as new species Thryothorus macrurus
from Bogota, T. longipes from Ecuador, Platyrhynchus bifas-
ciatus from Matto Grosso [H. H. Smith), P. insularis from
Tobago, Euscarthmus ochropterus and Sublegatns virescens, both
from Matto Grosso (H. H. Smith), and Empidonax lawrencii
(= Ochthceca flaviventris, Lawrence) , and proposes a new sub-
specific na.me(Thamnophilus doliatus mexicanus)fov the Central
American form of T. doliatus. He also gives interesting
notes on other obscure species — amongst others on Tanagra
carulescens, Wied ( = Porphyrospiza jmlchra, Sharpe), and
on certain species of Habrura, Phyllomyias, and Ornithion.
Mr. Allen has now the Lawrence Collection to work upon,
and full access to the types of Lefresnaye and Prince Max.
of Wied. We are glad to see that he is making good use
of his opportunities.

4. Aplin on the Birds of Oxfordshire.

[The Birds of Oxfordshire. By O. Y. Aplin, M.B.O.U. With a map.
8vo. Oxford: 1889.]

The author is one of three ornithological brothers, whose
' Birds of the Banbury District ' we noticed favourably in
this Journal for 1883, p. 375. In conjunction with the above
members of his family, and availing himself of the assistance
of Mr. W. Warde Fowler and others, he has now extended
his researches so as to embrace the entire county, the result
bein°- a work which will bear comparison with any similar
treatise on local avifaunas. The introductory sketch of the
natural features of Oxfordshire, with the changes wrought by
drainage, game-preserving and other causes, is excellent, and
a good map, which should always accompany a work of this

Recently published Ornithological Works. Ill

kind, facilitates reference to the places mentioned. The
Alpine Chough shot at Broughton in April 1881 forms the
subject of a coloured frontispiece, and the author points out
that not only did the bird show no signs of confinement, but
that also, on inquiry, no instances of escapes were forth-
coming. All the remarks upon the various species appear to
be correct as well as concise, while several interesting facts
are set forth ; and the entire work is characterized by a com-
plete absence of "padding;" We think that Mr. Aplin
would have acted wisely in following the arrangement set
forth in the " B. O. U." List, rather than that of the 4th
edition of "Yarrell"; for the sequence in the latter was obvi-
ously and necessarily a compromise, and should never have
been accepted as a pattern.

5. Berlepsch on new Neotropical Birds.

[Descriptions of new Species and Subspecies of Birds from the Neo-
tropical Region. By Hans von Berlepsch. Auk, v. p. 449.]

In this article are described as new species or subspecies
Campy lor hynchus zonatus costaricensis, Certhia mexicana al-
bescens, Basileuterus godmani from Veragua, Eucometis spodo-
cephala pallida from Yucatan, E. s. stictothorax from Veragua,
E. cristata affinis from Venezuela, Icterus gularisyucatanensis,
Myiobius ridgwayi from Rio, and Synallaxis coryi from
Merida.

6. Berlepsch on Birds from Brazil and North Peru.

[Systematisches Veizeichniss der von Herrn Gustav Garlepp in Bra-
silien und Nord-Peru, im Gebiete des oberen Amazonas, gesammelten
Vogelbalge. "Von Hans von Berlepsch. J. f. 0. 1889, p. 97.]

Our friend Hans Graf v. Berlepsch writes on the collections
made by Gustav Garlepp, primarily an insect-collector, sent
out by Dr. Staudinger of Dresden, who has passed up the
Amazons into Peru. The present paper gives an account of
a small series obtained in 1884 at Fonteboa and Tunantins
on the Middle Amazons. The 28 specimens are referred to
18 species, amongst which the most noticeable are Oporornis

112 Recently published Ornithological Works.

agilis, a winter migrant from North America, and Phae-
thornis filippii, a scarce Humming-bird, of which the true
home was previously uncertain.

7. Berlepsctis Notes on Neotropical Birds.

[Notes on some Neotropical Birds belonging to the United States
National Museum. By Hans von Berlepscli. Proc. U. S. N. M. 1688,
p. 559.]

This is a series of very useful notes upon " obscure speci-
mens " belonging to the U. S. National Museum which have
been sent to Graf v. Berlepsch for examination by the autho-
rities of that establishment. The main portion of the paper
is devoted to the Trochilidae, upon which, as we all know,
the Graf is a leading authority. At the close of the commu-
nication are given the results of an examination of six of
Mr. Lawrence's types belonging to other families of Birds.

8. Biittikofer on a new Gallinule.

[On a new Species of Gallinule. By J. Biittikofer. Notes Leyden
Mus. xi. p. 191.]

The new Gallinule is Porphyrio bemmeleni from Sumatra,
allied to P.poliocephalus. It is based on a specimen received
alive at the Zoological Gardens, Rotterdam, now in the
Leyden Museum.

9. Biittikofer on Birds from South-western Africa.

[Third List of Birds from South-western Africa. By J. Biittikofer.
Notes Leyden Mus. xi. p. 193.]

A new consignment of birds received from Mr. van der
Kellen from Gambos on the Upper Cunene contains exam-
ples of 62 species, 15 of which were not included in Mr.
Buttikofer's two previous lists of birds from this district.
The total number of species of which examples have been
received from this collector is now 195.

10. Chapman on a new Humming-bird.

[Description of a new Species of Humming-bird of the Genus Amazilia.
By Frank M. Chapman. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. ii. p. 163.]

Recently published Ornithological Works. 1 1 3

Amazilia aneobmnnea is based on a single specimen in the
American Museum of Natural History, said to be from
Bogota. It is quite a distinct species, but. comes nearest to
A. laivrencii, Elliot.

11. Chapman on the Genus Xiphorliynchus.

[A Revision of the Genus Xiphorliynchus, Swainson, with Descriptions
of two new Species. By Frank M. Chapman. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat.
Hist. ii. p. 153.]

Mr. Chapman has revised the species of the peculiar Den-
drocolaptine genus Xiphorliynchus , having for his material
the specimens of the Lafresnaye Collection, those of the
U. S. N. Museum, and of the Lawrence, Maximilian, and Ver-
reaux Collections now in the American Museum of Natural
History. He describes three species as new, namely, X. vene-
zuelensis (the Venezuelan form of X. trochilirostris), X. dorsi-
maculatus, based on a single specimen supposed to be from
Cayenne, and X. rufidorsalis from Matto Grosso (H. H. Smith) .
Altogether nine species are recognized, of which a key is
given. Mr. Chapman has " not examined" X. pucherani,
which is unquestionably a good species of this genus, and
not of Drymornis, as he suggests.

12. Dalgleish on Nests and Eggs from Paraguay.

[Notes on a Collection of Birds and Eggs from the Republic of Paraguay;
By J. J. Dalgleish, M.B.O.U. Proc. R. Phys. Soc. Edinb. x. p. 73.]

Mr. Dalgleish gives interesting notes on the nesting and
eggs of 28 species of birds collected by his former corre-
spondent in Uraguay, who has now settled in Paraguay, in
the Estancia of Ytanu, about 80 miles south of Asuncion.
The species were determined by the Editor of this Journal
from specimens sent to him by Mr. Dalgleish. Three eggs
of Chauna chavaria taken from the nest on Dec. 20th, 1887
are described as " of an elongated oval form, and dull white
colour, measuring on an average 3£-g by 2£0 inches."

ser. vi. — VOL. II.

114 Recently published Ornithological Works.

13. Etheridge on the Birds of Lord Howe Island.

[Lord Howe Island, its Zoology, Geology, and Physical Characters.
The Australian Museum, Sydney. Memoirs, no. 2. Sydney : 1889.]

Mr. R. Etheridge, Jr., in his report on the general zoology
of Lord Howe Island, devotes several pages to a very interest-
ing account of its birds, of which about 40 species are now
known. Nine of these, as shown by Mr. Etheridge's Table
(p. 17), are restricted to the island. They belong to Aus-
tralian genera except the Thrush (Merula vinitincta). One
of them, Gerygone thorpei (Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W.
1887, ii. pt. 4, p. 677), is a recent discovery made by Mr.
Etheridge's expedition. The extinct Notornis alba (Ibis,
1873, p. 295, t. x.) was not heard of. The Woodhen of Lord
Howe Island {Ocydromus sylvestris) "unless protected " will
shortly share the fate of the Notornis. " At the present
time its range is confined to the extreme southern end of the
island, in Erskine Valley, and the ground around the sea-girt
base of Mount Gower. It is even now rare and difficult to
obtain, and would be impossible of capture were it not for
the fact that its curiosity overcomes its shyness. Its gradual
extinction is probably due to the ravages committed by the
wild domestic cats. During a journey to Mount Gower,
primarily to procure specimens, only one individual was
seen, and during the whole of our residence there those well
acquainted with their haunts could obtain but four others.
Ocydromus sylvestris can be attracted within gun-shot by
any continuous and varied noise, such as knocking two stones
together, striking against a tree, occasional whistling, and
other peculiar but discordant noises."

14. Giglioli's First Report on the Results of the Ornitho-
logical Investigation of Italy.

[Primo Resoconto dei risultati della inchiesta Ornitologica in Italia.
Parte prima, Avifauna Italica. Elenco sistematico delle specie di Uccelli
stazionarie o di Passaggio in Italia, con nuovi nomi Volgari, e colle notizie
sin qui fornite dai collaborator! nella inchiesta Ornitologica. Compilato
dal Dottore Enrico Hillyer Giglioli. 8vo. Firenze : 1889, pp. 706.]

The first results of the participation of Italy in the Inter-

Recently published Ornithological Works. 115

national Ornithological Congress of 1884 at Vienna were the
establishment by the Minister of Agriculture of an " Uffizio
Ornitologico" at Florence, in connection with the well-known
collection of Italian Vertebrates in that city, and the nomina-
tion of Dr. Giglioli as the Director of the new Office. The
Director commenced his duties by the preparation and pub-
lication of the excellent ' Avifauna Italica/ noticed in this
Journal in 1886 (Ibis, 1886, p. 516). He has now taken a
second step in advance. Like Austria, Germany, and some
other countries, Italy, under Dr. Giglioli's guidance, has
inaugurated a large corps of observers scattered over the
kingdom, who report to the " Uffizio Ornitologico " on the
birds of their different districts. The list of these collabo-
rators is, it will be seen, a long one. The present volume gives
us an abstract of their reports on each of the 450 species enu-
merated in the ' Avifauna Italica/ These are systematically
arranged under the generic and specific names adopted in the
Avifauna, to which a full list of the various local names is
appended. Thus, on turning to the name of any particular
species, we find the mode and time of its occurrence in Italy,
from north to south, and in Sicily and Sardinia, succinctly set
forth. An excellent idea of its distribution is thus gathered
at a glance.

It is interesting to note that all researches in Sardinia
have as yet failed in ascertaining the occurrence of Sitta
whiteheadi in that island. It would appear therefore that
this species is absolutely restricted to Corsica.

15. Leverkiihn on the Legendary History of the Hoopoe.

[Der Wiedehopf in den Legenden der Araber. Von Paul Leverkiihn.
Zool. Garten, 1889, p. 173.]

Herr P. Leverkiihn translates into German, from Curzon's
' Monasteries of the Levant,' a curious Arabic legend about
King Solomon and the Hoopoe (Upupa epops). Apparently
Herr Leverkiihn only knows Curzon's work from an American
edition, 1856. We may therefore inform him that this
well-known book was originally published in London by
Murray in 1849.

i 2

116 Recently published Ornithological Works.

16. Leverkiihn on Valuations in the Coloration of Birds.

[Ueber Farbenvarietaten bei Vogeln. Von Paul Leverkiibn. J. f. O.
1889, p. 121.]

Herr Leverkiihn continues his account of cases of general
or partial albinism and other variations in colour which occur
in various birds. The present article contains his notes on
examples of such cases observed during a visit to the Museums
of Bremen, Gottingen, and Kiel — altogether in 41 species.

17. Leverkiihn on the Literature of Syrrhaptes.

[Litterarisches iiber das Steppenbubn, zweite Revue, nebst Original-
Mittheilungen iiber die 1888er Invasion, von Paul Leverkiibn. Monatsscb.
Deutscb. Ver. Scbutze Vogelw. xiv.]

The number of papers and articles on this well-worn
subject is very large. Herr Leverkulm's second attempt at
some account of it gives us references to more than 200
titles, and other information which may be useful to those
at work on it. Seven eggs laid in North Germany and
Jutland are described. The supposed eggs from Kent re-
ferred to by the author are now well known to be suppo-
sititious.

18. Menzbier and Severtzow on the Ornithology of Turkestan.

[Dr. N. A. Severtzow. Ornithologie du Turkestan et des Pays adjacent,1?.
Par M. le Docteur M. A. Menzbier. Liyr. 2. Text and Atlas. Folio.
Moscou: 1889.]

We have already noticed (Ibis, 1889, p. 388) the first
livraison of this important work, and given some indication
of its origin and scope. The second livraison now before us
continues the account of the Diurnal Raptores. The accom-
panying atlas contains coloured lithographs of Hierofalco
uralensis (two plates) and Leptopcecile sophice.

It appears that the whole work will extend to six volumes,
which can only be acquired by subscription to the amount of
£30. Mr. R. H. Porter is the English agent for this
publication.

Recently published Ornithological Works. 117

19. Meyer on scarce Varieties o/Tetrao.

[Ueber einige seltene Exeruplare von Rackel- und Birkwild in Museum
Ferdinandeuni zu Innsbruck. Von Dr. A. B. Meyer. Ferdinandeums-
Zeitschrift, 1886, p. 225.]

Dr. A. B. Meyer, who is, as we all know, our chief autho-
rity on, the Grouse and their hybrids and variations, now
gives us an account of certain specimens belonging to the
Museum. Ferdinandeum of Innsbruck, which have been
entrusted to him for examination. Five of these curious
freaks of nature are here described and commented upon.
They are hybrids or varieties of Tetrao urog alius and
T. tetrix.

20. Muirhead on the Birds of Berwickshire.

[The Birds of Berwickshire, with remarks on their local distribution,
migration, and habits, and also on the folk-lore, proverbs, popular rhymes,
and sayings connected with them. By George Muirhead, F.R.S.E.,
F.Z.S., &c. Vol. I. 8vo. Edinburgh : 1889.]

This is the first instalment of a work which, as the title
indicates, is far more than a mere account of birds as ob-
served in Berwickshire alone. Its wealth of illustration — ■
nearly every chapter or article having a beautifully etched
vignette — makes it quite a drawing-room book ; in fact we
remember nothing like it since the publication of Wise's
' New Forest/ some five-and-twenty years ago. The letter-
press has evidently been prepared with great care, its style
is excellent and scholarly, a vast amount of antiquarian and
etymological research is displayed, and altogether the book
commends itself to a far wider circle than that of the mere
ornithologist. Those who have not subscribed to it are to
be pitied, for to them the price is considerably (and justly)
raised.

21. Ridgway on new Costa-Rican Birds.

[Notes on Costa Rican Birds, with Descriptions of Seven new Species
and Subspecies and One new Genus. By Robert Ridgway. Proc. U.S.
Nat. Mus. 1888, p. 537.]

The authorities of the National Museum of Costa Rica

118 Recently published Ornithological Works.

have sent Mr. Ridgway a large collection of birds from that
country for examination. Amongst these the following new
species and subspecies are represented : — Zeledonia coronata,
Microcerculus orpheus, Geothlypis caninucha icterotis, Xipho-
colaptes emigrans costaricensis, Picolaptes gracilis, Sclerurus
canigularis, Picumnus flavotinctus , Dendrornis punctigula, and
Dendrocolaptes variegatus. Notes on other rare species are
given. The position of the new genus Zeledonia (at first
believed to be Pteroptochine, cf. Ibis, 1889, p. 262) is still
uncertain.

22. Robinson on Albino Birds.

[Notes on some Albino Birds presented to the U.S. National Museum,
with some Remarks on Albinism. By Lieut. Wirt Robinson. Proc.
U.S. Nat. Mus. 1888, p. 413.]

Mr. Robinson gives an account of some albino specimens
in the U.S. National Museum, chiefly examples obtained by
himself in Virginia, and discusses the theory of albinism
without coming to any definite conclusions.

23. Salvadori on three new Birds from Burrnah.

[Descrizione di tre nnove specie di uccelli raccolte nei Monti Carin da
Leonardo Fea. Per T. Salvadori. Ann. Mus. Civ. Genova, ser. 2, vii.
p. 363.]

These three species, discovered by Sign. Fea on the Karen-
nee mountains, are named Suthora fea, Malacias castano-
pterus, and Poliopsar fuscogulai'is* .

24. Salvadori on the Birds collected by Fea in Burmah.

[Uccelli raccolti nei Monti Carin a Nord-est di Tounghoo nel Pegu
presso Rangoon e Tounghoo e nel Tenasserim presso Malewoon. Per
Tomaso Salvadori. Ann. Mus. Civ. Genova, ser. 2, vii. p. 369.]

Sig. Leonardo Fea having now returned to Europe to
recruit his health, and having brought his last collection with
him, we are supplied with a complete account of the birds by
Count Salvadori in his usual excellent style. Fea's recent

* On this species, cf. Sharpe, Ibis, 1880, p. 580, and Salvad. infra, p. 130.

Recently published Ornithological Works. 119

collecting-grounds have been Malewoon, near the eastern ex-
tremity of Tenasserim, in Pegu near Rangoon and near Tong-
hoo, and in Karennee. Of these three series, that of Karennee
is by far the largest and most important, and the account of
it occupies the greater part of Count Salvador's memoir.
Karennee, as will be seen on looking at the map in Mr. Oates's
' Handbook to the Birds of British Burmah/ lies between the
north-eastern corner of Pegu and the river Salween, and is
hitherto chiefly known to us ornithologically from Mr. Ward-
law Ramsay's explorations*. Sig. Fea claims to have pene-
trated into its unknown recesses further than any other
explorerf. During his two journeys into the Karennee
mountains in 1887 and 1888 he accumulated 467 specimens
of birds, which are referred by Count Salvador! to 165 species.
Of these the greater number are also found in the higher
districts of Tenasserim, and have been already noted as met
with in Karennee by Mr. Wardlaw Ramsay. But Sig. Fea's
investigations have added, about 60 species to this avifauna.
Of these 60 three have been described as new in a previous
paper (see above, p. 118), and five others are now characterized
under the names Cypselus minusculus, Cyornis dialiltsma,
Zosterops mesoxantha, Pomatorhinus imberbis, and Merula
subobscura. Moreover five other species of which specimens
were obtained by Sig. Fea are new to the Burmese list,
though known from adjoining countries.

While we heartily congratulate Sig. Fea on his brilliant
discoveries in this and other branches of zoology, and agree
to the truth of the proverb " Philosophus non habet patriam,"
we cannot help remarking that it is not creditable, either to
our own government or to Englishmen generally, to leave
the exploration of British India to be undertaken by natu-
ralists of other nations.

* Cf. Ibis, 1875, p. 348, and other papers by the same author and by
Lord Tweeddale.

t Cf. Boletiuo d. Soc. Geagr. Ital. 1888, p. 854.

1.20 Recently published Ornithological Works.

25. Shufeldt on the Osteology of the Tubinares and Stega-
nopodes.

[Observations upon the Osteology of the Orders Tubinares and Stega-
nopodes. By Dr. P. W. Shufeldt. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. xi. p. 253.]

In this article Dr. Shufeldt describes and illustrates the
skeletons of Oceanodroma furcata and Fuhnarus glacialis
rodgersi, and summarises the points in which they differ. In
like manner he describes the skeleton of Diomedea albatrus,
and states his agreement with Forbes's views (Scient. Mem.
p. 434) as to relationship of the Tubinares. He then turns
to the Steganopodes, and discusses at full length the osteology
of Sula bassana and a skull of Pelecanus fuscus.

26. Shufeldt on the Osteology of the Herons.
[Osteological Studies of the Subfamily Ardeinee. By R. W. Shufeldt,

M.D., C.M.Z.S. Journ. Comp. Med. & Surg., July 1889.]

This memoir is chiefly devoted to a full account of the
osteological characters of Ardea herodias, which is well
chosen as a type of the true Ardeina:. Some general
observations are prefaced, in the course of which the author
well remarks that many of the nine genera into which recent
authors have divided the North-American Ardeinse are super-
fluous, and that they may be safely reduced to two — Ardea
and Nycticorax.

27. Sousa on new Collections from Angola.

[Aves de Angola de explora^o do Sr. Jose de Auchieta. Por Jose
Augusto de Sousa. Jorn. Sci. Math. Phys. e Nat. Lisboa, 2a ser. no. 2,
1889, p. 113.]

M. de Sousa, Conservator of the Zoological Section of the
Lisbon Museum, gives an account of two Angolan collec-
tions recently received from Sr. Anchieta. The first, from
Catumbella, contains examples of 36 species, amongst which
are two specimens of an A^gialitis, allied to JE. venusta and
JE. mechorsi, but presenting some differential features, also
the first example of Hydrochelidon nigra received from An-
gola. The second collection, from Quissanga, in Benguela,
contains specimens of 29 species.

Recently published Ornithological Works. 121

28. Stejneger on Japanese Nutcrackers.

[Review of Japanese Birds. — VIII. The Nutcracker (Nucifraga caryo-
catactes maerorhynchos). By Leonhard Stejneger. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus.
1888, p. 425.]

Dr. Stejneger has studied the Nutcrackers and come to the
conclusion that the correct names for the two slightly dif-
ferent forms of this widely spread species are Nucifraga
caryocatactes maerorhynchos and N. c. brachyrhynchos. As
regards the Japanese Nutcrackers, his material " contradicts
Mr. Seebohm's suggestion that the resident bird is to all
intents and' purposes identical with the resident form in
Europe." On the contrary, he considers it identical with
the Siberian or slender-billed form, N. c. maerorhynchos.

29. Stejneger on Japanese Wrens.

[Review of Japanese Birds.— IX. The Wrens. By Leonhard Stej-
neger. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. 1888, p. 547.]

Continuing his studies on Japanese birds, Dr. Stejneger
now discusses the Wrens, of which he assigns two forms to
the Japanese Empire, Troglodytes fumigatus, from Yezo,
Hondo, and Kiusiu, and T. f. kurilensis, from the Kurile
Islands.

30. Tristram's Catalogue of his Collection.

[Catalogue of a Collection of Birds belonging to H. B. Tristram, D.D.,
LL.D., F.R.S. Durham: 1889.]

Our much-valued friend and correspondent, Canon Tris-
tram, has every reason to be proud of his collection of birds
which embraces more than 17,000 specimens, and is certainly
one of the most important of English private collections, after
that of Messrs. Salvin and Godmau. Like most other orni-
thologists, he began with " British birds," adding in 1844
specimens obtained in Switzerland and North Italy. Then
a residence in Bermuda and a visit to North America induced
him to study and collect the feathered tribes of the Nearctic
Region. To these were subsequently added the fruits of his
well-known expeditions to Algeria and Palestine, with the

122 Recently published Ornithological Works.

particulars of which all readers of ' The Ibis ' must be well
acquainted. Not many ornithologists of the present day
have enjoyed equal opportunities of studying their favourite
subject in the field, or have done it with such good results.
Not only as an observer and collector, but also as a chronicler
of his notes and discoveries, few of us, indeed, can compete
with Canon Tristram !

During these last twenty years our friend has devoted his
special attention to the avifauna of the islands of the Pacific
and Indian Oceans, and, aided by his numerous correspon-
dents in these far-away parts, in the shape of naval officers,
missionaries, and consuls, has achieved, as will be seen by
reference to his catalogue, very successful results. Nestor
productus of Norfolk Island, Monarcha dimidiata of Raro-
tonga (both now extinct), and Pericrocotus teginue of the
Loo Choos, are prizes that even a national museum would be
proud to possess. Besides these and many other rarities,
there are about 128 " types " in the series.

The Catalogue begins with the Ratitse and ends with the
Passeres. Under the head of each genus the species are
arranged in alphabetical order. The specimens are designated
by letters, and the sex, locality, date, and name of collector
are attached when known. Thus we find the much-discussed
Grebe of Vancouver's Island entered as " Podiceps occiden-
talis, Lawr., b. $ . Breeding-plumage. Vancouver's Island.
— Burn [lege Brown — Ed.]. Mus. Sir W. Jardine. Speci-
men described Ibis, 1887, p. 98/' [See also Ibis, 1887,
pp. 259, 361 ; 1888, p. 148.— Ed.]

31 . Van Kempen on rare Birds of the North of France.

[Sur quelques Oiseaux rares du Nord de la France. Par Ch. Van
Kempen. Bull. Soc. Zool. France, xiv. p. 104.]

M. Van Kempen gives a list of a mounted collection of
rare birds said to have been procured near Dunkirk, of which
he has lately become the possessor. It comprises examples
of three species — Sula fiber, Procellaria conspicillata, and
Diomedea fuliginosa — which we are certainly surprised to hear

Recently published Ornithological Works. 123

of. But we fear that the account given of their history is
not very satisfactory.

32. TVaterhouse's 'Index Generum Avium.'

[Index Generum Avium. A List of the Genera and Subgenera of
Birds. By R H. Waterhouse, A.L.S., Librarian to the Zoological Society
of London. London : R. H. Porter, 1889.]

As is stated in the preface to this work, the 'Index
Generum Avium ' consists of an alphabetical list of about
7000 terms that have been employed or suggested by various
authors, since the date of the twelfth edition of Linnreus's
' Systema Naturae/ as generic and subgeneric names for birds,
and of references to the places and dates of their publication.
No attempt has been made to discriminate between these
various terms as to which of them should be most correctly
employed. Such points are left for the decision of those who
use the ' Index/ But so much time is often lost in ascer-
taining where and when a generic name was first given, that
it is believed that the information thus accumulated in a
handy form cannot fail to be of much practical value.

One of the most active and experienced members of the
B. O. U. has kindly favoured us with his opinion of the
present work as follows : —

" The idea of Mr. Waterhouse's book is excellent, and only
those who work at synonymy day by day and year by year,
as the writer is compelled to do with the ' Catalogue of Birds/
can comprehend what a boon has been given to us by the
work now offered to the public. It is by far the most com-
plete and carefully compiled Index to the Genera of Birds ;
and by the attention which the author has given to verifying
his references, the value of the book will be rendered per-
manent, and it will not be easily superseded, as the compila-
tions of some of his predecessors in the same field of literature
have been."— R. B. S.

33. Winge on Pallas's Sand Grouse in Denmark.

[Om Steppenhonen (Syrrhaptes paradoxus) i Danmark i 1888. Sam-
menstillet af Herluf Winge. Vidensk. Meddel. naturh. ForenW Kio-
benhavn, 1889, p. 57.]

124 Letters, Extracts, Notices, §c.

Mr. Herluf Winge has put together in this memoir what
seems to be a very complete account of the invasion of
Sywhaptes paradoxus into Denmark in 1888. The incur-
sion commenced on April 26th, when examples were observed
near Vordingborg. On the first days in May they were
numerous in many localities. Mr. Winge gives exact details
as to the occurrences observed in every part of Denmark.
A map of the localities would have rendered this part of the
subject more intelligible.

XII. — Letters, Extracts, Notices, tyc.

We have received the following letters addressed to the
Editor of' The Ibis:'—

Turin Zoological Museum,

October 27, 1889.

Sir, — Allow me to send you a few remarks on Mr. Water-
house's ' Index Generum Avium/ of which I have lately
received a copy. It is a most useful book to the working
ornithologist, and I do not wish to criticize it, but only to
point out a few omissions and mistakes which have occurred
to me on a cursory look through it. I cannot find the
following genera mentioned : —

Erijthrotriorchis, Gurney, MSS. ; Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1875
(April 20), p. 338 ; Gurney, Ibis, 1876, p. 65 ; id. List Diuru.
B. of Prey, p. 45 (1884).

Hirundolanius , Clarke, Trans. N.Z. Inst. xiii. p. 454 (1881) ;
Buller, B. of New Zeal. 2nd ed. i. p. 119.

Ionocicca, Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. ser. 2, iii. p. 236
(1886).

Lambruschinia, Salvad. Cat. Uccelli Sardegna, p. 128
(1864).

Mellopitta, Stejneger, Stand. Nat. Hist. iv. Birds, p. 466
(1885) ; id. Auk, vi. p. 79 (1889).

The date (1839) attributed to Bonaparte's ' Introduzione '
to the birds of the ' Fauna Italica/ where the generic names
Bonasia, Casarca, Cettia, Chettusia, Chlorospiza, Citrinel/a,

Letters, Extracts, Notices, fyc. 125

and Erismatura are mentioned, is wrong, as I have already
shown (Ibis, 1888, pp. 320-325), and ought to be 1841. The
mistake is avoided as regards the genera Lusciniopsis and
Pseudoluscinia, so that I suppose that the sheets containing
the other generic names were printed before my paper
appeared.

The genus Chettusia, Bp. (Iconogr. F. I. Tntrod. p. 9, 1841,
not 1839) , is not mentioned also on p. 115, tabl. xli. of the same
work, as Mr. Waterhouse states. On the plate xli. (dated
1838) there is only the name Vanellus gregarius, and in the
accompanying text Chettusia gregaria is simply the Italian
name printed under that of Vanellus gregarius (cf. Ibis, 1888,
p. 323, note).

Erythrospiza, Bp., was established before the " Saggio/'
pp. 53, 141 (1831), in the work which bears the title ' Sulla
seconda edizione del Eegno Animale del Barone Cuvier;
Osservazioni/' p. 80 (1830), (cf. Ibis, 1888, p. 320, note).

Eurhynchus, not quite correctly attributed to Latreille, was
mentioned by Lesson, ' Tr. d'Orn/ p. 183 (1831), and Used
by him, ' Complements de Buffon, Ois./ p. 603 (1837), before
Gray, 'List Gen. B.' p. 53 (1840).

Microglossia, Geoff r. St.-Hilaire. As Mr. Waterhouse
rightly states, Vieillot published this genus in the ' Galerie
des Oiseaux/ i. p. 47, pi. 50, only the date 1825 is not quite
exact. In fact he took it from Geoffroy St.-Hilaire, who, in
a memoir, " Sur les Appareils de la Deglutition et du Gout
dans les Aras Indiens, ou Perroquets Microglosses " (Mem.
du Mus. x. pp. 186-198, pi. 11. figs. 13, 14, 16, 1823), pro-
posed the French name " Microglosse." The memoir was
read the 6th July, 1821, but was not printed till 1823 ; at
the end of it (p. 198) there is a note in which Geoffroy St.-
Hilaire states that the genus Microglosse had already been
published in the ' Galerie des Oiseaux ' by Vieillot, to whom
he had communicated his memoir.

From all this it is quite evident that the date of the genus
Microglossia must be between 6th July, 1821, and 1823. I
may remark, by the way, that the ' Galerie des Oiseaux ' was
published in eighty-two parts, from 1820 to 1826 (see Engel-

126 Letters, Extracts, Notices, fyc.

mann's ' Bibliotheca Historico-naturalis '); I found this out
while preparing the volume on the Parrots for the British-
Museum Catalogue, and I am afraid that the name Micro-
glossus (1821-23) will have to give way to Solenoglossus,
Zanzani (1821), or to Probosciger , Kuhl (1820), if we can
use Ruhr's name, which appears to me very doubtful.

Plictolophus, amended for Plyctolophus, Vieill., was used,
according to Reichenow (Journ. f. Orn. 1881, p. 23), by
Le Maout in 1853 (Hist. Nat. Ois. p. 106), and this is prior
to Finsch (Die Papageien, i. p. 265, 1867).

Podicipes, the corrected form of Podiceps, is attributed by
Mr. Waterhouse to Babington (' Catalogue of the Birds of
Suffolk/ p. 200, 1884-86). But it was suggested before
by Gloger (Journ. fur Ornith. 1854, p. 430, note), and it was
also used, previously to Mr. Babington, by Elliott Coues in
his ' Check-List of North-American Birds,' p. 129 (1882).

Yours &c,

T. Salvadori.

Northrepps,

Nov. 19, 1889.

Sir, — I am desirous of putting on record the following
short notes : —

The Rev. Edmund Fitch, who has recently returned to
England after a residence of over four years at Chagga, in
Eastern Africa, about 4500 feet above the sea-level, on the
southern slope of Rilima-njaro, has presented to the Norwich
Museum a specimen of Buteo augur, a species which he in-
forms me is abundant about Chagga, nesting in trees at a
height of from twenty to thirty feet, and preying chiefly on
snakes, which Mr. Fitch has often observed these Buzzards
carrying in their talons when on the wing.

I am indebted to Mr. Fitch for two skins obtained at
Chagga of birds which are not mentioned in Captain Shel-
ley's Rilima-njaro list, published in the P. Z. S. 1885, p. 222.
One of these is an immature specimen of Pseudotantalus ibis,
which was shot while perched on the roof of Mr. Fitch's

Letters, Extracts, Notices, fyc.

127

house, and was the only individual of this species seen by
him at Chagga ; the other is an example of Scopus um-
bretta, a species which Mr. Fitch informs me frequents in
small numbers the streams which descend the mountain's
side.

Another matter to which I am desirous of alluding is the
difference in size between the African Short-eared Owl, Asio
(Phasmoptynx) capensls, and the allied Madagascar race, which
Schlegel (Mus. P.-B. Revue, Noctuse, p. 3) called " Otus
capensis major." Mr. Sharpe, in his Catalogue of the
Striges (p. 241), gives it as his opinion that " the difference
in size is not sufficient to make one think that the Madagascar
bird is really distinct."

I have been led to a conclusion the reverse of Mr. Sharpe's,
after taking the following measurements from specimens of
both races in the Norwich Museum : —

Smaller Race.

Wing. Tarsus. Middle toe s. u.

in. in. in.

c?,Casa Vieja, Spain 11-30 2-10 1-15

c? , Tangier 11-80 2-10 1-10

Tangier (not sexed) 11-45 2-00 1-05

6 , Natal 11-85 2-10 1-10

KingWilliam'sTown, South

Africa (not sexed) 11-35 2-10 1-20

2 , Potchefstrooni 11-70 2-10 1-10

2, Potchefstrooni 11-65 2-10 1-00

2 , South Africa 11-50 1-90 1-10

Larger Race (all from Madagascar).

Wing. Tarsus. Middle toe s. u.

in. in. in.

6 13-10 2-30 1-30

6 12-40 2-20 1-20

6 ■-.., 13-80 2-20 1-20

2 13-80 2-20 1-10

Not sexed 13-20 2-30 1-40

Do..., 13-10 2-30 1-35

Do 13-40 2-40 1-40

I may add that the Spanish example above referred to,

128 Letters, Extracts, Notices, fyc.

which was presented to the Norwich Museum by Col. Irby,
by whom it was shot on 10th November, 1870, differs from
other examples that I have seen in having the back of the
head and neck very regularly cross-barred with narrow
bands of brown, lighter than the brown of other parts of the
feather, each feather being for the most part crossed by three
such bands. I suspect that this may be an indication of
immaturity, though probably one that is subject to consider-
able individual variation.

In a very young bird from Tangier, which had evidently
but just left the nest, and which was kindly lent to me by
Lord Lilford, there are traces of nuchal markings somewhat
similar in character to those on the Spanish specimen at
Norwich, but much less regular and conspicuous, and also
less sharply defined.

I may add that in this young bird the light cross-bars on
the scapulars are more clearly defined than in the adult, and
also that the blackish tint on the face is more extended,
nearly surrounding the eyes, and reaching from thence to
the edge of the disc.

Yours &c,

J. H. GlJRNEY.

Smithsonian Institution,

Washington, D.C.,

Nov. 16, 1889.

Sir, — A letter from Professor Alfred Newton which
appeared in ' The Ibis ' of October 1889, having reference
to the use to which certain young birds put the terminal
claw of their pollux digits, has interested me not a little.
Opisthocomus I have never seen, either young or old, in the
flesh, but I have seen young Grebes assist themselves in
their terrestrial locomotion in precisely the manner which
Professor Newton so admirably describes. These, however,
are not the only birds that so use their clawed thumbs to
assist themselves in their first attempts at progression. So
long ago as 1882, in my f Contributions to the Anatomy of
Birds/ on page 776, I say that " Mr. James Bell, of Florida,

Letters, Extracts, Notices, t$c. 129

an excellent observer of the habits of birds in their native
haunts, had that same morning (Dec. 28, 1881) narrated to
Mr. Ridgway how, when he was in Florida, he had noticed
that the young of Ionornis martinica actually put these claws
to practical use by holding on to twigs in climbing out of
their nests, and sometimes even suspended themselves as
Bats do/' These claws are large in the Californian Condor,
and it would be interesting to know whether the young of
the Cathartidae put them to similar uses.

Yours &c,

R. W. Shufeldt.

United States National Museum,

Washington, November 22, 1889.

Sir, — In the last number of ' The Ibis ' Mr. J. H. G-urney,
Jun., remarks (p. 572), that Colymbus aclamsi " is only dis-
tinguished from ... C. glacialis by the white colour of the
bill and a slight difference in its shape." Having on various
occasions compared specimens of the two birds and noted
other differences, I desire to say that in true C. aclamsi the
whitish colour of the bill is the least important distinctive
character, since C. glacialis occasionally has a more or less
light-coloured bill. In C. adamsi the exposed culmen is
longer than the tarsus, while in C. glacialis it is shorter : in
C. adamsi the head and neck are glossed with violet-blue, and
the white spots on the scapulars are decidedly longer than
broad ; while in C. glacialis the head and neck are glossed
with green, and the white spots on the scapulars about as wide
as they are long. These differences are quite constant, and
therefore young birds may readily be distinguished by the
comparative length of exposed culmen and tarsus. (Cf.
1 Manual of North-American Birds/ p. 7, where, however, by
an accidental transposition of the words " shorter " and
" longer," in paragraphs c1 and c2 respectively, the relative
length of culmen and tarsus in the two species is made to
appear exactly the opposite of what is actually the case.)

Yours &c,

Robert Ridgway.

ser. VI. — VOL. II.

130 Letters, Extracts, Notices, §c.

Croft House, Holy wood,

Co. Down,
December 1, 1889.

Sir, — Allow me to record in your pages the recent occur-
rences in this and the adjoining county of several examples
of the Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopus major),
generally quite a rare bird in the north of Ireland. One was
shot near Newry on or about 23rd October; a second was
shot and two others seen near Gilfoi'd on 4th November ;
and about the same time another was shot near Donaghadee —
all three places in this county ; while on 29th November a
fourth specimen was shot at Glenarm, co. Antrim.

Yours &c,

It. Lloyd Patterson.

Extract from a Letter from Count Salvadori. — Mr. Ogilvie-
Grant (Ibis, 1889, p. 449) states that my Turnix beccarii
(Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. vii. p. 675) " from Celebes appears to be
absolutely identical with T. rufescens, Wallace.''' Later on
(op. cit. p. 465) he is not so certain, and says that T. ru-
fescens from the island of Semao will " probably prove to be
identical with T. beccarii from Celebes." But as Semao
belongs to the Timor group, a different subregion from that
of Celebes, where the land-birds are mostly peculiar to the
island, I think that Mr. Grant should have given the same
indulgence to my species as he has to T. rufescens (kept
distinct from T. saturata and T. maculosa), and should have
allowed that, judging from the locality, it may prove to be
different. The two type specimens of T. beccarii are in the
Museum of Genoa, and may easily be obtained from the
Director for comparison, if Mr. Grant wishes to settle the
question.

Note on Spodiopsar fuscogularis. — With reference to Mr,
Sharpens remarks on Spodiopsar fuscogularis (Ibis, 1889,
p. 580), Count Salvadori writes to say that he has washed the
throat of the typical specimen very carefully, but that it
remains unchanged, and the dark colour is still there. Besides,

Letters, Extracts, Notices, fyc. 131

as he has already remarked (Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. ser. 2, vii.
p. 421), IS. fuscoyularis is different in structure from S. bur-
manicus; he has compared it with many specimens of the latter,
and cannot match it with any of them as regards the shape
of the bill, which is longer and thinner in S. fuscogularis.

The Southern Range of the Ccerebida. — In his Report on
the progress of Ornithology in 1886 (Wiegm. Arch. 53 Jahrg.
ii. Bd. p. 114), Dr. Reichenow points out that in the 11th
vol. of the Catalogue of Birds (p. 1) I have committed an
error in stating the southern range of the Ccerebidre to stop
at the Gulf of Guyaquil on the western slope of South
America. My statement was undoubtedly an oversight, as a
species of this family, Conirostrum cinereum, has been ob-
tained by Jelski (cf. Tacz. Orn. Per. i. p. 425) and by Nation
(Cat. B. xi. p. 16) near Lima; by d'Orbigny near Tacna
(d'Orb. Voy. Ois. p. 875) ; and by Whitely near Arequipa
(P. Z. S. 1867, p. 984). In the same district Diglossa brnn-
neiventris was also obtained by Whitely. But Tarma,
Paucartambo, and Sicasica, other localities mentioned by
Dr. Reichenow as proving the existence of the last-named
species in Western Southern America south of Guyaquil,
are not on the Pacific, but on the Atlantic slope of the
Andean range. The fact is that these two high-ranging
species of Coerebidse are found on both sides of the water-
parting as far south as about 18° S. lat. — P. L. S.

The Raffles Museum at Singapore.-^-Mr. Davison, writing
from Singapore on the 1st November last, gives us a favour-
able account of the progress of the Museum under his charge.
The collection, he says, is rapidly increasing, in fact faster than
he can keep up with the additions, especially in the entomo-
logical department. In March next Mr. Davison and Mr.
Ridley, the botanist, have arranged to make a collecting-
expedition into the mountains of the Malay Peninsula, where,
judging from what has been recently done in Perak, they
ought to make some grand discoveries. Mr. Davison is plan-
ning later on to bring out handbooks on the birds and mam-

132 Letters, Extracts, Notices, tyc.

mals of the Straits Settlements and adjacent protected States,
for which end he is busy collecting notes and specimens.

Ornithological Works in Progress. — We understand that
Messrs. Sotheran & Co. intend to carry out the scheme of
producing a monograph of the Birds of Paradise, which was
always a pet idea of the late John Gould. The letterpress
will be written by Mr. Bowdler Sharpe, who will utilize
many of the plates of Gould's ( Birds of New Guinea/ but
the work will also contain illustrations of all the new species
described since Mr. Gould's death. The plates are,' we
understand, nearly all drawn, and the work will appear
early in the present year.

Mr. F. Clifton, of Lynmouth Cottage, Hoyard Road,
Dorking, has been engaged for several years in collecting
materials for a work on the fauna of Surrey, and asks the
kind assistance of such of the members of the B. O. U. and
other ornithologists connected with the county as may be
able to give him information on some of the rarer species.

Mr. Miller Christy, F.L.S. (of Chignal St. James, Chelms-
ford), announces his intention of publishing a volume on the
birds of Essex, provided a sufficient number of subscribers
can be obtained. The work will extend to about 250 pages,
with a map and numerous illustrations, and will at the
same time form one of the special memoirs of the Essex
Field Club.

Mr. James Backhouse, Jr., F.Z.S., has in preparation a
' Handbook of European Birds/ to be published, in an 8vo
form, during the ensuing spring by Messrs. Gurney and
Jackson, at a subscription price of 7s. 6d.

The proposed work is intended to treat of European birds
only, but, it being by no means easy in some cases to decide
which species deserve to be thus described, two Appendices
will be added : one comprising a list of strictly Asiatic or
African birds which have only casually occurred within Euro-
pean limits ; the other a list of the Nearctic (North American)
species of which records are extant as having been met with
in Europe.

THE IBIS.

SIXTH SERIES.

No. VI. APRIL 1890.

XIII. — On the Ornithology of Northern Borneo. By R.
Bowdlek Sharpe, F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c, Zoological Depart-
ment, British Museum. With Notes by John White-
head.—Part VI *

(Plate IV.)

Order COLUMB^E.

270 1- Treron capellei.

Treron capellei (V.) ; Salvad. Ucc. Bora. p. 285 j Briiggem.
Abhaudl. nat. Ver. Brem. v. p. 461 (1877) ; Sharpe, Ibis,
1877, p. 23, 1879, p. 265.
a, b. <$ ? ad. Lawas River, April 14, 1886.
c, d. 6 2 ad. Benkoka, Nov. 7, 1885.

[Common in forests, frequenting high trees, where it
obtains its food. This Pigeon has a peculiarly harsh call ;
in fact all the species of this genus that have come under
my observation have peculiarly disagreeable notes.

Native name " Puni lanquok."

Iris black j bill pea-green ; feet king's yellow.]

* Continued from p. 24.

f Loriculus galgulus {antea, p. 1) having been numbered '< 194 a," the
correct number of this species is 270.

SER. VI. VOL. II. L

134 Mr. R. B. Sharpe on the

271. Trekon vernans.

Treron vernans (L.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 286 ; Bruggem. t. c.
p. 461 ; Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1879, p. 318, 1881, p. 799.

a. $ ad. Labuan, July 16, 1885.

b. <J ad. Labuan, May 27, 1886.

c. d ad Kina Balu, April 1888.

[Very common in Labuan, often congregating in fairly
large flocks. It nests in gardens, especially in orange-trees,
where it makes a frail nest and lays two white eggs (axis l'l,
diam. 085) about the middle of May and at other dates.
Found up to 1000 feet on Kina Balu.

This species has a beautiful eye, the iris being composed
of rings of yellow, pink, and blue ; bill green ; feet dull
pink.]

272. Treron fulvicollis.

Treron julvicollis (Wagl.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 288; Blasius,
Verb. z.-b. Gesellsch. Wien, xxxiii. p. 66 (1883) ; Sharpe,
Ibis, 1879, p. 265 ; id. P. Z. S. 1881, p. 799.
a. d ad. Labuan, May 1886.

[Apparently only a migrant to Labuan, where it occurs
rarely.]

273. Ptilopus jambu.

Ptilonopus jambu (Gm.) j Salvad. t. c. p. 289; Bruggem.
t. c. p. 536; Sharpe, Ibis, 1877, p. 23; id. P. Z. S. 1879,
p. 348, 1881, p. 799.

a. <? ad. Kina Balu, March 11, 1888.

b, c. $ ? ad. Labuan, June 1888.

d. ? juv. Labuan, June 30, 1888.

["Visits Labuan in numbers in the month of June, which
is about the beginning of the S.E. monsoon; during other
months it is not to be met with.

Met with on Kina Balu up to 3000 feet.

Native name " Puni Gumballi."]

274. Carpophaga ^enea.

Carpophaga anea (L.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 290; Bruggem.
t. c. p. 461 ; Blasius, t. c. p. 67 ; Sharpe, Ibis, 1876, p. 51 ;
id. P. Z. S. 1879, p. 348, 1881, p. 799.

Ornithology of Northern Borneo. 135

a. 6 ad. Pulo Gaya, May 4, 1885.

b. J ad. Benkoka, Sept. 14, 1885.

[Iris dark lake; tip of bill blue; the rest muddy lake-red,
like the feet.

Common in the forests, feeding on fruits high on the
tops of the trees, often out of shot. This Pigeon has a loud
booming "coo." The natives have often told me that there
are two forms of this Pigeon in Borneo— a large species that
is generally found in pairs, and a small one that goes about
in flocks ; but I must say that I do not place any faith in
their statements.

Found on Kina Bam up to 1000 feet.
Native name " Pergum."]

275. Carpophaga badia.

Carpophaga badia (Raffl.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 291; Sharpe,
Ibis, 1888, p. 396.

a, b. $ ad. Kina Balu, Feb. 27, 1888.
c. ? ad. Kina Balu, March 10, 1888.

[Fairly common, though local, on Kina Balu, on which
mountain, if the forest be suitable, it is found up to 6000
feet. It frequents high trees, like C. <enea, to which species
it assimilates in habits ; the note, however, is deeper. One of
my men found a nest of this Pigeon, which was placed in
the thick (old rice-field) jungle, and not in the forest. This
is a common habit of many forest species, to seek out quiet
spots in thick tangled jungle, where no doubt they are freer
from the attacks of monkeys, which must be the worst enemies
birds have in the tropics ; for two bright white eggs would
have but a faint chance of concealment if placed in a forest-
tree.

Iris pale dull yellow ; skin round eye and on the nostrils
and feet muddy pink.]

276. Carpophaga bicolor.

Carpophaga bicolor (Scop.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 292 ■ Sharpe
P. Z. S. 1879, p. 349.

Myristicivora bicolor, Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1881, p. 799.

l 2

136 Mr. R. B. Sharpe on the

a. <$; b, c. ? ad. Pulo Tega, April 28, 1886.
d. 8 ad. Pulo Eno, Dec. 29, 1885.

[This beautiful Pigeon is seldom met with on large islands,
but loves to frequent the small islands round the coast, in
which it at times fairly swarms. It affects the tops of the
high fruit-bearing forest-trees, when on looking up some-
times you may see a tree fairly alive with them, and the
birds themselves squabbling, feeding, and driving one another
about from branch to branch. I have often seen them at
sea, making flights from island to island, no doubt in quest
of fresh fruit-trees.

Though the plumage of this species is as plain as " black and
white " can be, yet when perched high on some dead bough
or amongst the leaves in the full glare of the sun it is a most
difficult bird to see. One might think it was a bird that
would be seen anywhere, but in the full glare of the sun
these plain colours, when looked at from below, are a real
protection.

Iris black ; skin round eye, nostrils, and feet dull slaty
blue ; rest of bill black.]

277. Chalcophaps indica.

Chalcophaps indica (L.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 299; Briiggem.
t. c. p. 536; Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1879, p. 346.
a,h. c?; c, d. $ ad. Labuan, July 1886.

[Common in the S.E. monsoon, when this little Pigeon is
caught by hundreds by the natives, who build a small covered
place on the ground, round which they place some grain,
and then attract the Pigeons with a peculiar bamboo calling-
instrument, with a booming note like that of the birds (cf.
Burbidge, P. Z. S. 1879, p. 347). The Pigeons then settle,
and are noosed in numbers by the native only a few feet off.
This bird has a tender skin, and is difficult to preserve
neatly. The flesh is very sweet and much sought after by
all in the East. "Where these Pigeons come from, or where
they go to, I am unable to say ; but I never met with a
native who had seen their nest.

Native name "Punei tanah/' or " Earth Pigeon."]

Ornithology of Northern Borneo. 137

278. Macropvgia emiliana.

Macropygia emiliana, Bp. Consp. ii. p. 58 (1854).
a. S ad. Kina Balu, Feb. 11, 1887.
h. <$ ad. Kina Bala, March 20, 1887.
c. 5 ad. Kina Balu, April 1888.

This is probably the same bird as that sent from Brunei
by Mr. Treacher in 1879 and determined by me as M. ienui-
roslris (Ibis, 1879, p. 265).

[Met with sparingly on Kina Balu up to 2000 feet. On
the 13th of January I found two nests, one of this species
and the other of M. ruficeps. Both these Doves were nesting
amongst some bracken fern only a few feet from the ground ;
the plumage of the birds is so easily mistaken for the dry
fern that the protection afforded by the coloration is perfect.
The nest was composed of a few dead twigs, and contained
one white egg nearly hatched.

Iris pale yellow; bill dark brown ; feet dull pink.]

279. Macropygia ruficeps.

Macropygia ruficeps (T.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 298.
a, b. $ ad. Kina Balu, Feb. 9, 1887.
c, d. S ? • Kina Balu, March 1887.
e. <S juv. Kina Balu, March 16, 1888.
/. 6 ad. Kina Balu, April 15, 1888.

Count Salvadori has mentioned this species as a likely
bird to be found in Borneo, but this is the first really
authentic record of its occurrence there.

[Iris greyish yellow; bill brownish black; feet dark pink.

Similar to the last species in habits, but very commou
on Kina Balu, frequenting open paddy-fields at 1000 feet,
and I have seen them in forest up to 9000 feet. I found
a good number of nests of this species, but they never con-
tained more than one egg. The latter is creamy white.
Axis 1*1, diam. 0*8. The birds nest from January to May.]

280. Calcenas nicobarica.

Calcenas nicobarica, Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1879, p. 348; id. Ibis,
1879, p. 265.

138 Mr. R. B. Sharpe on the

a,b. S 2 ad. Pulo Tega, April 24, 1886.
c. ? juv. Pulo Tega, April 21, 1886.

[Very plentiful on the small islands at some distance from
the coast. This Pigeon migrates from island to island, and
was very common on Pulo Tega in April, where in most
months it would be difficult to find a bird. It frequents the
ground, and flies up into the trees when alarmed, making
a considerable noise with its wings. The note is a powerful
"coo." The natives say that they nest in numbers on
some small islands further out to sea. One of my birds,
evidently a young one, has a black tail.

Iris dark greyish black ; bill and nasal skin black ; feet
dull dark pink ; soles of feet king's yellow.

A fresh-killed bird is covered with grey powder on the
head, breast, and neck, which adds greatly to its beauty.

Native name " Burong Jinguni/"]

Order GALLIN/E,
Fam. Phasiantid4£.

281. Argusianus grayi.

Argusianus grayi (Elliot) ; Salvad. t, c. p. 305 ; Bruggem.
t. c. p. 463; Sharpe, Ibis, 1877, p. 23, 1878, p. 267.
a, b. 6 ? ad. Benkoka, Oct. 1885.

[The Bornean Argus Pheasant is fairly common in forests
which are not hunted too much by natives, who, I believe,
especially round Kina Balu, have caused the extermination
of some of the ground-birds, making them so rare that it is
necessary to go well inland to obtain most species of game-
birds. This fine Pheasant frequents the true forest, most
frequently localities that are -slightly hilly. It is seldom
seen alive, though one day I walked close to a hen in the forest,
which ran quickly out of sight ; but the rain had soddened all
the paths, so that the tell-tale leaves did not give her warning
of my approach. One of my boys shot a pair, and a fine male
caught in a snare was half eaten by a wild cat before we
found it. The Argus calls out frequently in the daytime,
especially when there is a loud noise, such as a clap of

Ornithology of Northern Borneo. 139

thunder or a tree falling, and often the firing of a gun will
cause it to cry out, making the forest resound with its power-
ful voice. The males make large arenas in the forest, which
embrace circles of a yard and a half in diameter, neatly
swept of all leaves and twigs. They roost in trees near
these spots.

Native name " Burong Kruhi."

Bare skin on the head cobalt-blue ; iris grey ; legs ver-
milion, the divisions of the scales being well marked and of
a paler colour.]

Earn. Perdicid^e.

282. Bambusicola erythrophrys, sp. n. (Plate IV.)

Bambusicola hijperythra (nee Sharpe, 1879) ; Sharpe, Ibis,
1887, p. 454.

cf ad. Similis B. hyperythra, sed capitis lateribus et facie
laterali aurantiaco-rubris distinguenda, gutture nigri-
cante. Long. tot. 10, culm. -95, alas 5 '8, caudle 1*8,
tarsi 1*85 poll. Augl.
$ ad. Mari similis, sed gutture minime nigro.

When Mr. Whitehead's specimens first arrived in 1887, I
took them to be hen birds of B. hyperythra described by
me from Mr. Treacher's Lawas collections in 1879. I
have ventured to describe them now as belonging to a new
species, as Mr. Whitehead feels convinced that they con-
stitute an adult pair of birds, and the difference in the colour
of the eyebrow between the Kina Balu specimens and B. hy-
perythra is well marked.
a, b. 6 2 ad. Kina Balu, March 3, 1887.

[This Partridge frequents the thick bamboo-jungle on the
steep slopes of Kina Balu from 2000 to 4000 feet. It was
extremely difficult to obtain specimens owing to the impos-
sibility of getting about in the parts frequented by these
birds. Besides, no doubt, the rat-trapping Dusaus have had
something to do with their rarity.

Iris greenish brown; bill black; skin round eye dull pink,
that on throat brighter; legs salmon-pink.]

110 Mr. 11. B. Sharpe on the

283. Arborophila charltoni (Eyton).

a. ? ad. Benkoka, Sept. 3, 1885.

b. 6 ad. Benkoka, Oct. 12, 1885.

This species was first obtained in Borneo by Mr. W. H.
Pryer, who procured it near Sandakan, but by some over-
sight it was not included by me in my description of his
collection (P. Z. S. 1881, p. 790).

[Apparently a very local species. I found this forest
Partridge fairly common on the Benkoka River, and no-
where else. It frequents the ground in true forest.

Native name " Lenticong/'

Iris brown ; bill black ; feet dull yellowish green.]

284. llOLLULUS ROULOUL.

Rollulus rouloul (Scop.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 308 ; Blasius, t. c.
p. 69; Sharpe, Ibis, 1876, p. 51, 1879, p. 270; id. P. Z. S.
1881, p. 800.

Rollulus rulrul, Briiggem. t. c. p. 463.

a. 6 ad. Benkoka, Sept. 15, 1885.

b. ? ad. Sandakan, April 18, 1885.

[Fairly common, frequenting the ground in the forest.
Bill and iris black ; feet and base of bill and skin round
eye coral-red.]

285. ExCALFACTORIA CHTNENSIS.

Ewcalfactoria chinensis (L.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 311 ; Sharpe,
Ibis, 1878, p. 419; id. P. Z. S. 1879, p. 350.

Coturnix chinensis (L.) ; Briiggem. t. c. p. 350.
a, b. c? ? ad. Labuan, July 15, 1885.

c. ? ad. Ki'na Balu, Feb. 1888.

[Common in open plains, and found on Kina Balu up to
1000 feet. These birds nest in the " Liang "-grass plains,
and lay five or six dark olive-green eggs, which are speckled
all over with black and dark-brown spots; axis 1, diam. -85.
I found a nest in the middle of February, and have seen them
in other months.

Feet orange-yellow ; iris lake-brown; bill black.]

Ornithology of Northern Borneo. 141

Fam. Megapodiid^e.

286. Megapodius cumingi.

Megapodius cumingi, Dillwyn ; Salvad. t. c. p. 302 ;
Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1879, p. 319; id. Ibis, 1879, p. 267; id.
P. Z. S. 1881, p. 800.
a, b. 6 ? . Pulo Tega, April 23, 1886.

[See my notes in ' Ibis' for October 1888, p. 411.

Common on the small islands off the coast.]

Order ORALLY.
Fam. CharadriiDjE*.

287. ESACUS MAGNIROSTRIS.

Orthorhamphus magnirostris (Geoffr.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 212.

(Edicnemus magnirostris, Seebohm, Geogr. Distr. Charadr.
p. 89 (1887).
a. 6 ad. Abai, Feb. 27, 1886.

[This large Stone Plover is seldom met with on the coast
of Borneo. During my four years' collecting in the East I
only saw three individuals. They frequent the sandy bays,
either singly or in pairs. I once saw one of these Plovers
hunting the large sand-crabs which abound at low water on
the coasts. These crabs have wonderful power of dodging,
stopping dead, and then running at full speed in the opposite
direction ; so it took the Plover some long time before it
could deal the crab a blow with its powerful beak.

Iris pale yellow ; feet creamy yellow ; bill black, brighter
yellow at base.]

288. Squatarola helvetica.

Squaturola helvetica (L.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 313 ; Sharpe,
Ibis, 1879, p. 270; id. P. Z. S. 1881, p. 800.

Charadnus helveticus (L.) ; Seebohm, t. c. p. 102.
a. Labuan, Dec. 8, 1887.

[Visits Labuan during the migration in small parties of
three or four, but is never seen in flocks.]

* All the Charadriidse have been determined for us bv Mr. Seebohm.

142 Mr. R. B. Sharpe on the

289. Charadiuus fulvus.

Charadrius fulvus (Gm.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 313; Seebohm,
Geogr. Distr. Charadr. p. 99 (1887) ; Bruggem. t.c. p. 536;
Sharpe, Ibis, 1879, p. 51 ; id. P. Z. S. 1879, p. 350 ; id. Ibis,
1879, p. 270.

a. 2 ad. Benkoka, Nov. 9, 1885.

b. ? ad. Labuan. Dec. 29, 1885.

c. ? ad. Labuan, Jan. 10, 1886.

[Common in Labuan during migration, many apparently
remaining some time on the island.]

290. iEGTALITIS PERONI.

JEyialitis peronii (T.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 315 ; Sharpe, P. Z. S.
1879, p. 250.

Charadrius peronii, Seebohm, Geogr. Distr. Charadr. p. 66
(1887).
a,b. <J ? . Pulo Tega, N. Borneo, April 24, 1886.

[The only resident Plover, generally seen in pairs on the
sand-spits and bays round the coast. The eggs are three in
number, placed in the full glare of the burning sun amongst
the sea-drift. They are of a buff colour, thickly blotched
with sepia at the larger end, speckled and marked to a lesser
degree all over with the same colour and lighter grey ; some-
times they are speckled and streaked all over without any
blotches at the large end. Axis 1*3, diam. *95.]

291. ^Egialitis cantiana.

Charadrius cantianus (Lath.) ; Seebohm, Geogr. Distr.
Charadr. p. 168 (1887).
a. $ . Labuan, Jan. 31, 1886.

[Met with mixed amongst the large flocks of M. geoffroyi.]

292. iEGIALITIS DUBIA.

JEgialitis dubius (Scop.); Salvad. t.c. p. 316; Sharpe,
Ibis, 1876, p. 51 ; id. P. Z. S. 1879, p. 350.

Charadrius dubius, Bruggem. t. c. p. 463.

Charadrius minor, Wolf & Meyer; Seebohm, Geogr. Distr.
Charadr. p. 130 (1887).
a, b. S ? • Pulo Tega, N. Borneo, Aprit 24, 1886.

[A winter visitor, generally seen singly or in pairs on the
sea-coast.]

Ornithology of Northern Borneo. 143

293. iEGIALITIS GEOFFROYI.

JEgialitis geoffroyi (Wagl.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 318; Sharpe,
P. Z. S. 1879, p. 350, 1881, p. 800.

Charadrius geoffroyi, Seebohra, Geogr. Distr. Charadr.
p. 146 (1887).
a, b. d" $ • Labnan, Jan. 10, 1886.

[The commonest winter visitor, remaining late enough to
attain its full summer plumage.]

294. Glareola orientalis.

Glareola orientalis, heach; Salvad. t.c. p. 319; Sharpe, Ibis,
1876, p. 51, 1877, p. 23 ; id. P. Z. S. 1879, p. 351 ; Seebohm,
Geogr. Distr. Charadr. p. 258 (1887) ; Briiggera. t. c. p. 536.
a. ?. Labuan, Nov. 11, 1887.

[I myself only met with one specimen in Labuan, though
I saw others that had been shot by natives.]

295. Strepsilas interpres.

Strepsilas interpres (L.) ; Salvad. t.c. p. 320; Sharpe,
P. Z. S. 1879, p. 351; id. Ibis, 1879, p. 270; Seebohm,
Geogr. Distr. Charadr. p. 410 (1887).
a. $ ad. Mouth of Lawas River, April, 16, 1886.

[A few seen, even as late as May.]

296. Tringa ruficollis.

Actodromas salina (Pall.) ; Salvad, Ucc. Born. p. 234.

Tringa minuta ruficollis, Seebohm, Geogr. Distr. Charadr.
p. 437, pi. xv.

Tringa salina, Briiggem. t. c. p. 463.
a, b. <$ ? . Pulo Tega, N. Borneo, April 24, 1886.

[Met with in small flocks on the sea-coast during the
winter season; but, like all the rest of the Sandpipers, it is
only common, or apparently so, during the time it is actually
moving south or north.]

297. Tringa subminuta.

Tringa subminuta (Midd.) ; Seebohm, t. c. p. 438.
a. Abai, N. Borneo, Dec. 30, 1887.

[Met with on a large and swampy plain in small flocks.]

144 Mr. K. B. Sharpe on the

298. Tringoides hypoleucus.

Tringoides Iiypoleucus (L.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 326; Sharpe,
Ibis, 1876, p. 52; id. P. Z. S. 1879, p. 351, 1881, p. 800.

Tot anus hypoleucus, Bruggem. t. c. p. 464; Seebuhm, Geogr.
Distr. Charadr. p. 271 ; Blasius, t. c. p. 71.
a. s ad. Pulo Gaya, May 1, 1885.

[Fairly common, some apparently remaining throughout
the year,]

299. ToTAXUS GLAREOLA.

Tot anus glareola (L.) ; Salvad. t. e. p. 327 ; Sharpe, P. Z. S.
1879, p. 351 ; id. Ibis, 1879, p. 271 ; Bruggem. t. c. p. 646;
Seebohm, t. c. p. 365.
a, b. Ad. Labuan, August 14, 1886.
c. ? ad. Benkoka, Nov. 9, 1885.

[Fairly common in the migratory season, frequenting the
borders of swamps.]

300. ToTANUS BREVIPES.

To t anus in c anus (Gm.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 329; Sharpe, P.Z.S.
1879, p. 351.

Totanus incanus brevipes, Seebohm, t. c. p. 361.
a. ? ad. Labuan, Jan. 10, 1886.

[Frequenting the borders of the mangrove swamps during
the winter months.]

301. NUMENIUS UROPYGIALIS.

Numenius uropygialis, Gould; Sharpe, Ibis, 1876, p. 52;
id. P. Z. S. 1879, p. 351, 1881, p. 800.

Numenius pfiaeopus (L.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 333.

Numenius phaopus variegatus, Seebohm, t. c. p. 330.
a, b. J $ ad. Labuan, Aug. 14, 1886.

[Fairly common in small parties of five or six during the
winter months.]

302. ScOIiOPAX GALL1NAGO.

Scolopax gat/inago, L. ; Seebohm, t. c. p. 484.
a. Ad. Labuan, Nov. 26, 1885.

[Only one specimen, brought to me by one of my col-
lectors.]

Ornithology of Northern Borneo. 145

303. SCOLOPAX MEGALA.

Gallinago megala, Swinli. ; Salvad. t. e. p. 334-.

Scolopax megala (Swinh.) ; Seebohm, t. c. p. 4/9.
a,b. rf ? . Abai, N. Borneo, Dec. 25, 1887.

[This was apparently the commonest Snipe in Borneo,
nearly all the Snipes shot in that island and Palawan being
of this species.]

Count Salvadori reckoned that this Snipe would surely
occur in Borneo, but this is the first authentic instance of
the species having been found there.

Fam. Ralltd^e.

304. Hypotjenidia striata (L.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 336;
Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1879, p. 352.

a. c? . Labuan, July 27, 1885.

[Iris brown ; bill dull pink ; feet dull grey. Scarce.]

305. Rallina fasciata.

Raltina fasciata (Raffl.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 337; Sharpe,
P. Z. S. 1879, p. 352 ; Bruggem. t. c. p. 464; id. Ibis, 1879^
p. 271.]
a. [Wing only.] Kina Balu, 1888.

[Very common in Palawan, but I only saw one Bornean
specimen, in the hands of a Kina Balu Dusan.]

306. Ortygometra cinerea.
Ortygometra cinerea (V.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 339.

a. s ad. Tampassuk Plain, February 18, 1886.

[Iris lake; bill yellow, the under mandible tinged with
lake at base ; feet dull olive-green.

Scarce in Borneo, but in Java I saw numbers walking
about on the water-plants in ponds.]

307. Erythra phcenicura.

Erythra phmnicura (Penn.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 340; Sharpe,
P. Z. S. 1879, p. 352, 1881, p. 800; id. Ibis, 1879, p. 271. '
a. (J . Labuan, July 14, 1885.

[Tris light yellowish brown; bill greenish yellow; feet
olive-brown.

146 Mr. R. B. Sharpe on the

Fairly common in open places; often found at some
distance from the swamps.]

Fam. Ardeid^e.

308. Ardea sumatrana.

Ardea sumatrana, Raffles ; Salvad. t. c. p. 344 ; Sharpe,
Ibis, 1879, p. 271, 1881, p. 800.
a. $ ad. Abai, N. Borneo, March 6, 1886.

[Iris straw-yellow.

Not very common, but a resident species.

Native name " Orok/'J

309. Ardea purpurea.

Ardea purpurea, L. ; Salvad. t. c. p. 345 ; Sharpe, Ibis,
1877, p. 24 ; id. P. Z. S. 1879, p. 352 ; Blasius, t. c. p. 71.
a. $ ad. Benkoka, Oct. 3, 1885.

[Only a few seen, on the large swampy plains.]

310. Demiegretta sacra.

Demiegretta sacra (Gm.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 346 ; Sharpe,
P. Z. S. 1879, p. 353.
a. ? . Abai, Dec. 12, 1886.

[A winter visitor, frequenting rocks at low water and
small uncovered patches at high tide.

Eye king's yellow.]

311. Herodias torra.

Herodias torra, Frankl. ; Salvad. t. c. p. 347.
a. $ ad. Benkoka, Oct. 3, 1885.

[Iris straw-yellow ; bill yellow ; legs black.]

312. BUBULCUS COROMANDUS.

Bubulcus coromandus (Bodd.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 350 ;
Briiggem. t. c. p. 537 ; Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1881, p. 800.
a. 6 ad. Benkoka, Oct. 17, 1885.

[Very common, apparently remaining throughout the year,
but I believe that only non-breeding birds do so, as I never
met with a native who had seen this Egret nesting.

Native name " Burong Know!/']

Ornithology of Northern Borneo. 147

313. Ardeola speciosa.

Ardeola speciosa (Horsf.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 351.

Ardea speciosa, Brliggem. t.c. p. 464.
a. $ . Benkoka, Oct. 13, L885.

[Iris light yellow ; bill black, the lower mandible yellow ;
legs dull green.

Only one specimen met with in Borneo, but in Java, where
there is much open rice-land, this species is very common.
Often enough, when passing a field, you do not observe this
little Heron until suddenly dozens of snow-white wings (the
small and dull-coloured body being difficult to see) open and
slowly flap away.]

314. BUTORIDES JAVANICA.

Butorides javanica (Horsf.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 351 ; Sharpe,
Ibis, 1876, p. 52; id. P. Z. S. 1879, p. 353, 1881, p. 800.
a. ? . Kina Bala, March 20, 1887.
h. 2 • Lawas River, April 6, 1886.

[Fairly common, frequenting rivers, but more especially
mangrove swamps. I met with a fine adult bird in a rocky
stream at the foot of Kina Balu.]

315. GORSACHIUS MELANOLOPHUS.

Gorsachius melanolophus (Raffi.) ; Salvad. t, c. p. 354 ;
Sharpe, Ibis, 1879, p. 271.
a. 6. Benkoka, Oct. 29, 1885.

[Scarce. I met with this species nesting in Palawan.
The nest was placed amongst the tangled masses of under-
growth a few feet from the ground, and contained two white
eggs, slightly greenish, on 27th June. Axis T9, diam. 1*45.]

316. Ardetta cinnamomea.

Ardetta cinnamomea (Gm.); Salvad. t. c. p. 354; Sharpe,
P. Z. S. 1879, p. 353.
a. ? . Labuan, June 30, 1886.

[Fairly common, frequenting paddy-fields.

Iris straw-yellow ; feet olive-green ; bill brown, lower
mandible yellow.]

148 Mr. R. B. Sluirpe on the

317. Ardetta sinensis.

Ardetta sinensis (Gm.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 354; Sharpe, Ibis,
1877, p. 24.
a. .<?. Abai, Feb. 18, 1886.

[Scarce, frequenting reed-beds in rivers. It often sits
stretched upright until yon are within a few yards, in which
position this small Heron is about as narrow a bird as can be
imagined.

Iris bright yellow ; bill black, lower mandible yellow ;
feel and legs green, yellow behind.]

318. Nycticokax griseus.

Nycticorax griseus (L.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 356.
a. S- Labuan, June 25, 1886.

Mr. Motley obtained this species in Banjermassing. This
is the first record for Labuan.

[Only one specimen seen, which was brought to me by a
native in Labuan. I had a shot at an undoubted N. griseus,
in adult plumage, on the Benkoka River.]

Fam. Ciconiid.e.

319. Leptoptilus javanicus.

Leptoptilus javanicus (Horsf.); Salvad. t.c. p. 358; Sharpe,
Ibis, 1879, p. 272.
a. <?. Abai, N. Borneo, Feb. 24, 1886.

[Iris dull grey ; neck pale yellow, spotted with black ; bill
dirty white ; feet black.

Generally seen only where the plains are of very great
extent, standing about solitary, sometimes settling on low
trees.]

Order ANSERES.
Fam. Anatid,e.

320. MARECA PENELOPE.

Mareca penelope (L.); Sharpe, Ibis, 1877, p. 24.
a. Ad. Tampassuk.

The Wigeon has only been met with once before in
Borneo, Mr. Everett having procured a specimen near Bin-
tulu in November 1875.

Ornithology of Northern Borneo. 149

[I came across a small flock of Wigeon on the Tampussuk
plain, two of which I shot, one a male just getting the adult
plumage.

This is the only time I met with Ducks in the East.]

Fam. Pelecanid.e.

321. Fregata minor.

Fregata minor (Gm.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 364.
a. 2 ad. Labuan, July 8, 1886.

[Fairly common off the coast of Borneo, especially during
high winds. This bird has a wonderfully steady flight, often
remaining for hours high in the air without apparently
moving its wings. The natives in Palawan believe that it
lives on air.

Bill greyish blue ; iris black; pouch reddish pink.]

32.2. Plotus melanogaster.

Plotus melanogaster (Penn.) ; Salvad. t. c. p. 367 ; Sharpe,
P. Z. S. 1879, p. 353.
a, b. 6 ? . Benkoka River, Sept. 27, 1885.

[See my notes in ' The Ibis' for October 1888, p. 412.]

Fam. Laridje.

323. Sterna burgh.

Sterna cristata, Steph. ; Salvad. t. c. p. 3/6.

Sterna bergii, Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1879, p. 353.
a. ? . Labuan, July 1886.

[Fairly common on the coast, where I believe it to be a
resident species.]

324. Anous leucocapillus.

Anous leucocapillus, Gould; Sharpe, Ibis, 1878, p. 415.
a. <$ . Padas, June 2, 1886.

First met with in Borneo off Sarawak by the late Governor
Ussher. Mr. Everett has also procured Anous slolidus.

[I picked this bird up one evening on the shore, where it
was resting, apparently much fatigued. Another settled on
the awning of a steamer off the coast one evening.

Iris, bill, and feet black; inside of mouth yelluw.]
[To be continued.]

SER. VI. VOL. II. M

150 Mr. A. P. Goodwin on the Paradise-birth

XIV .—Notes on the Paradise-birds of British New Guinea.
By A. P. Goodwin, of Lismore, N.S.W.

In the early part of 1889 I left my home on the Richmond
River for the purpose of visiting New Guinea, where I
intended to spend a few months in collecting ornithological
specimens and in acquiring for myself that knowledge of
the feathered tribes which can only be gained by personal
observation.

I arrived at Port Moresby at a very favourable moment,
for only a few days after my landing I had an opportunity of
joining an exploring party whose object was to reach the
summit of Mount Owen Stanley. The leader of the expe-
dition was Sir William Macgregor, then Governor or Ad-
ministrator of that recently acquired British colony. I
gladly embraced the opportunity, and it is sufficient here to
say that 1 made the journey along with Sir William as far
as Mount Musgrave, where he left some members of the
expedition, while he himself, with a few select followers,
made a successful ascent of Mount Owen Stanley*.

On his return to Mount Musgrave I again joined His
Excellency on his homeward march, which was also suc-
cessfully accomplished.

During that short and decisive trip into the heart of
British New Guinea I was fortunate enough to meet with
examples of twelve different species of Paradise-birds, a
short account of which will, I think, be interesting to those
who have not had the opportunity of seeing these splendid
birds in their native haunts.

Our expedition followed the course of the Vanapa River,
on the banks of which we heard the cry of the Twelve-wired
Bird of Paradise (Seleitcides niger), but, time not permitting
us to go hunting, we did not procure a specimen of this, one
of the finest birds of the whole family. The Twelve-wired
Paradise-bird inhabits the swampy districts near the coast,
where it is not easily obtained. Its call can be heard, at a

* See Proc. Roy. Geogr. Soe. 1889, p. 005, for an account of this
expedition.

of British New Guinea. 151

long- distance and is a double note, difficult to imitate even
by the natives.

Leaving the Vanapa River, we ascended the lower moun-
tains, where we encountered the King Bird of Paradise
(Cicinnurus regius), of which we secured several specimens
during our first day's march. This was the first time I had
seen this little bird in all its beauty. Its legs, when it is
alive, are of a clear cobalt-blue colour. I had previously
only seen prepared specimens, in which the legs become
black and shrivelled. I found it to be a restless little crea-
ture, not easily seen in the dense scrub, nor was it met
with above an altitude of 2000 feet. Its food consists of
seeds and berries, of which there is abundance in this
locality.

The next Paradise-bird met with was the Ragei's Paradise-
bird (Paradisea raggiana), which is also found on the lower
ranges of the mountains, and is rarely ever seen above an alti-
tude of 3000 feet. One evening I observed a number of
this species flying from one tree to another, evidently feed-
ing and dancing, as I am told is their habit. P. raggiana
lives on fruit, which generally grows on high trees in Papua ;
and as nature has provided these birds with a thick skin to
keep their long plumage from falling out, it requires a strong-
charge of the gun to bring them to the ground. It is to be
regretted that the long red plumes soon lose their brightness
after death.

We came across the magnificent Rifle-bird (Ptilorhis ntag-
nifica) on Mount Kowald, as also on Mount Belford, at an
altitude of 3000 feet and over. This bird haunts the dense
scrub, usually in the neighbourhood of the running streams.
It is solitary and wild and shy, requiring some skill to secure
it. On Mount Belford, at the altitude of 4000 feet, we first
heard the call of Lawes's Paradise-bird (Parotia lawesi), the
local form of the Six-wired Bird of Paradise, but did not
succeed in obtaining a specimen until we had crossed the
Joseph River and ascended Mount Musgrave to the same
altitude. Here I secured an example of this beautiful bird.
Our camp was near one of their play-grounds, so 1 had a good

m2

152 Mr. A. P. Goodwin on the Paradise-birds

opportunity of watching this bird's movements. It has a
strong resemblance to the Silky Bower-bird of New South
Wales [Ptilonorhynchus holosericeus) both in form and
habits. It has a similar bill, beautiful blue eyes, and strong
legs, and, like tbe Bower-bird, is very cautious, restless, and
swift. It has also a similar flight. Although P. laivtsi
does not build a bower, still it has its play-ground, where a
number of these birds (from six to eight) may be found
playing together. The play-ground may be easily known by
the colour of the soil and by the clearance of the surrounding
underbrush.

The Sickle-billed Paradise-bird (Drepanornis cervinicauda)
resorts to the same zone, but is very seldom seen. We were
unable to sight one, although we heard its call several times
during our stay in the mountains. It keeps to the topmost
branches of the highest trees, where it pours out its song,
which is said to resemble that of the Nightingale.

At an altitude of 5000 feet we came across the Superb
Bird of Paradise (Lophorhina minor). This species flutters
about on the highest perches it can find, and looks no larger
than a butterfly. It is needless to say that few specimens of
it were secured. Its call is similar to that of Parotia lawesi,
but is not so strong. The most striking feature of this
beautiful little bird is its cape, which it has the power to
expand so as to form a half-circle over its back. On Mount
Musgrave, at an altitude of 6000 fe^t, we also came across a
fine species of Epimachus (E. macleayante). Up to that time
only one specimen of this splendid bird was known. This
had been discovered two years previously by Mr. Belford,
who was at this time one of our party. This specimen had
been sent to Sydney, where Dr. Ramsay, of the Australian
Museum, had described it. This bird differs materially from
Epimachus maximus in that the breast and flank-feathers
are of a rusty colour shaded with purple. It inhabits the
mountain regions at an altitude of from 6000 to 9000 feet,
above which no Paradise-birds were found. The call of
E. macleayancn is a shrill double note, similar to the striking
of a pair of clappers.

of British Nelo Guinea. 153

In the same locality we procured several female specimens
of the Stephanie's Paradise-bird (Astrarchia stephania),
being the first examples of that sex yet discovered. The
male bird, of which there is only one specimen known, was
described by Dr. Meyer of Dresden from a specimen sent to
Europe by the late Mr. Hunstciu. It may be noted that,
although we remained for some time in the same locality, no
specimen of this rare species was seen after the first day or
two. As I had not the good fortune to come across one
myself, I am unable to give much information on this very
interesting discovery.

The Golden-winged Bird of Paradise {Biphyllodes chry-
soptera), it is safe to say, is only found in the interior, as
we did not come across it until we were on the Knutsford
range.

The only new Bird of Paradise discovered during the expe-
dition was a bird very similar to the Golden Bird of Para-
dise (Xanthomelus aureus), and I have no doubt it will prove
to be a species of this genus when the specimen comes to be
examined. It was met with on ascending Mount Owen
Stanley; I therefore propose to name it Xanthomelus mac*
gregori, in honour of our leader — the first white man who
has reached the summit of this range. It is of the same
size as its prototype, with head, back, and wings of a golden-
orange, but the breast and abdomen are black. The feathers
on the head are parted in the middle and form a small crest
in front ; the beak and feet are similar to those of X. aureus.
The tail in the single specimen obtained had been shot away.
The Birds of Paradise are usually divided into three groups,
to the first and second of which all the above-named species
belong. The third group consists of the Bower- birds, the
most interesting of which that we met with was one of the
genus Amblyornis, also a new bird to science* As it was
found on Mount Musgrave, I propose to call it Amblyornis
musgravianus. It is somewhat larger than A. subalaris, and
measures about 10 inches from the tip of the beak to the
end of the tail ; the wings and back are of a dull darkish
green ; the throat, breast, and belly of a uniform brown ■

154

Mr. A. P. Goodwin on the Paradise-birds

under the wings of a yellowish brown. The crest is of a
deep golden-orange, slightly streaked with darkish brown
and the centre^feathers tipped with the same colour. The
iris is brown, the base of beak horn-colour, and the feet are
black. Like the rest of the Bower-birds, it is of a shy dis-
position, and it requires great patience and prudence to obtain
specimens. It is keen-sighted and quick of motion ; its
notes, of which there are several, are clear and sharp. During
our stay on Mount Musgrave I had frequent opportunities

Fig. 1.

] lower of AmUyornis musgravianus.

of observing this interesting bird. I had never seen a more
beautiful bower or play-ground than that which it constructs.
It was, however, eclipsed by another which I came across on
our return journey on Mount Musgrave, namely that of
Ambhjoruis subalaris. The first bower of A. musgravianus
met with was constructed of moss. It was about two feet
high, and built evenly round a small tree, looking at first sight
like a marble fountain. The small sticks placed in various
positions on the tree gave the idea of jets of water. The

of British New Guinea.

155

outer rim of the playground was about three inches higher
than the inside course, which was smooth and even.

One day on Mount Belford, the member of the party from
which it takes its name came into camp with a specimen of
A. subalaris, and urged me not to leave without seeing the
playground of this species. I am glad to say I followed his
advice. At a short distance off the bower from the back
looks like a cartload of sticks rounded on the top. On going
round to the front I saw the most beautiful building ever

IV. 2.

Bower of Ambli/oniix subnhiris.

constructed by a bird, to which, however, my poor description
cannot do justice. The edifice (fig. 2) was dome-like, only
half covered over, and exposed to view inside a ring or circus.
In the centre of this was built a bank of moss, decorated
with flowers and seed, out of which grew a small tree inter-
laced with sticks. The A. subalaris is smaller than the one
I have named A. musgraciauus, but otherwise similar in
colour.

1 was certainly well rewarded for my trouble on this occa-

]5G Capt. G. E. Shelley on Birds

sion, and felt much indebted to Mr. Belford for having
shown me the most interesting sight which I witnessed
during the whole of the expedition.

This concludes my notes, which were taken under many
disadvantages incidental to a pioneer undertaking ; but if I
have given any new information on the subject of Paradise-
birds, be it ever so little, I shall feel that 1 have been well
rewarded for the hardships which I endured.

XV. — On a Collection of Birds made by the late Mr. J. S.
Jameson on the Aruwhimi River, Upper Congo. By
Captain G. E. Shelley, F.Z.S.

(Plate V.)

In 1882 I had the pleasure of describing Mr. Jameson's orni-
thological collections from Matabele Land*. It is with the
greatest regret that I now have to give a final list of the birds
obtained by this ardent young naturalist during his residence
at Yambuya, on the Upper Congo, where he was stationed
with the rear guard of the Stanley Expedition for the relief
of Emin Pasha. His untimely death has been a loss to
science, wdiich naturalists will regret equally with the loss of
those scientific pioneers of ornithology in Eastern Africa,
Drs. G. A. Fischer and R. Bohm, both cut off in their prime,
when there was every reason to expect that their work had
only just commenced. Mr. Stanley is more celebrated as
an explorer than as a naturalist, and the unfortunate death
of Mr. Jameson, who would have contributed much to the
scientific interest of the expedition, is therefore the more
to be deplored.

Small though the present collection be, it will be found to
be of great interest to students of Ethiopian ornithology,
and is in some respects extremely important as regards the
geographical distribution of species, as it serves to show how
small is our knowledge of the range of African birds, and
how little we are acquainted with the physical configuration

* See ' Ibis,' 1882, pp. 230, 349.

from the Aruwhimi River. 157

of the interior of Africa, which might give us some explana-
tion of the distribution of species. The majority of the
birds collected on the Aruwhimi are identical with species
from the Lower Congo, and as these are mostly the same as
the forms of Gaboon, the affinities of the avifauna of these two
districts receives ample confirmation. Thus, when a species
inhabiting the Gold Coast or the Niger Region is represented
by an allied species in Gaboon or in the Congo district, the
Aruwhimi bird will be found to belong to the Congo species
and not to that of the Gold Coast. But this is not inva-
riably so ; for the Pholidornis discovered by Mr. Jameson is
allied to the species of the Gold Coast, as are also Pytelia
schlegcli and Diaphorophya blissetti, which are purely Guinean
species, Many birds recorded by Mr. Sharpe as found in the
Niam-ISSiam country, from Mr. BohndorfFs collection in
1884*, are now shown to have an intermediate habitat, and a
zoological connection is thus established with the Monbuttu
country explored by Emin Pasha. Mr. Jameson's collection,
therefore, limited though it be by reason of the distractions
and responsibility of his position at Yambuya, is of great
importance for our knowledge of the geographical distri-
bution of African birds, and had he lived there is no doubt
that he would have addeds greatly to the renown of the
Stanley Expedition, to which he contributed a considerable
sum of money and ultimately sacrificed his lifef.

In the accompanying paper 1 have quoted only from
articles which refer immediately to the ornithology of the
Congo district and the adjacent countries. Reference should
be made to the papers on Dr. Bohm's and Dr. Fischer's
collections in the ' Journal fur Ornithologie/ where several
Congo species are recorded.

1. ASTURINULA M0NOGRAMM1CA.

Asturinula monoyrammica, Sharpe & Bouvier, Bull. Soc.

* See Journ. Linn. Soc. (Zool.) xvii. p. 419.

t [Mr. Jameson died at Bangala, on the Upper Congo, on the 17th of
August, 1888. See notice of his death, Proc. R. Geogr. Soc. x. p. 646.
—Ed.]

158 Capt. G. E. Shelley on Birds

Zool. France, ii. p. 472 (1877) ; Sharpe, Journ. Linn. Soc.
xvii. p. 437 (1881).
Yambuya.

2. MuSCICAPA GRISOLA.

Muscicapa ffrisola, Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. iv. p. 151
(1879) ; Rcbw. J. f. O. 1887, p. 300 (Manyanga), p. 305
(Leopold ville).

Yambuya.

3. Muscicapa lugens.

Muscicapa lugens, Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. iv. p. 155
(1879).

An adult specimen from Yambuya, agreeing with the type
in the British Museum.

4. Artomyias fuliginosa.

Artomyias faliginosa, Sharpe & Bouvier, Bull. Soc. Zool.
France, ii. p. 479 (1877) ; Rchw. J. £. O. 1887, p. 305
(Leopoldville).

Bolobo, Upper Congo.

Agrees with specimens from the Gaboon. There is also a
specimen in the British Museum from Landana, collected
by M. Petit.

5. Terpsiphone cristata.

Terpsiphone melampyra, Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1873, p. 717;
Sharpe & Bouvier, Bull. Soc. Zool. France, i, p. 45 (187(5).

Terpsiphone cristata, Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. iv. p. 354
(1879); id. Journ. Linn. Soc. xvii. p. 425 (1881); llchw.
J. f. O. 1887, p. 300 (Manyanga).

$ ? ad. and some males out of plumage. Yambuya.

0. Diaphorophya castanea.

Diaphorophya castanea, Sharpe & Bouvier, Bulh Soc. Zool.
France, ii. p. 479 (1877).

Diaphorophya castanea, Rchw. J. f. 0„ 1887, p. 305
(Leopoldville).
$ ? , Yambuya.

from the Aruwhimi River. 159

7. DlAPHOROPHYA BLlSSETTt.

Diaphorophya blissetti, Sharpe, Ibis, 1873, p. 173, pi. iv.
fig. 1 ; id. Cat. B. Brit. Mus. iv. p. 141 (1879).

<$ ad., Yambuya.

Agrees with the type in the British Museum, but seems
to have the chestnut on the sides of the face a little more
extended.

8. Bias musicus.

Bias musicus, Sharpe & Bouvier, Bull. Soe. Zool. France,
i. p. 308 (1870) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. iv. p. 142 (1879) ;
Rchw. J. f. O. 1887, p. 309 (Kibondo).

2 £ & 2 ? , Yambuya.

9. AcROCliPHALUS TURDOIDES.

Acrocephalus fulvolateralis, Sharpe & Bouvier, Bull. Soc.
Zool. France, i. p. 307 (1876).

Acrocephalus turdoides, Seebohm, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. v.
p. 95 (1881).

Acrocephalus arttndinacens, Rchw. J. f. (). 1887, p 301
(Manyanga).

5 in autumn plumage. Yambuya.

10. COSSYPHA BARTTELOTI, Sp» 11. (Plate V. fig. 2.)

Similar to C. cyauocampter, but of a pale ochreous buff
instead of cinnamon-rufous below. Total length 6"6 inches,
wing 3-4, tail 3#7> tarsus 1*1.

$ , Yambuya.

This new species differs markedly in the coloration of the
underparts from C. cyawocampter of the Gold Coast, of which
I have seen four specimens. 1 have named it after Major
Edmund Musgrave Barttelot, who lost his life in the same
expedition as Mr. Jameson.

11. Erythropygia ruficauda.

Erythropygia ruficauda, Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. vii.
p. 78, pi. xv. fig. 2 (1883); Rchw. J. f. O. 1887, p. 301
(Manyanga).

Two adults from Yambuya.

160 Capt. G. E. Shelley on Birds

12. Eremomela badiceps.

Eremomela badiceps, Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. vii. p. 164
(1883).

Stipltrornis badiceps, Rchw. J. f. O. 1887, p. 306 (Leo-
poldville) .

One immature specimen from Yambuya.

13. Camakoptera brevicaudata.

Camaroptera brevicaudata, Sharpe & Bouvier, Bull. Soc.
Zool. France, i. p. 307 (1876) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus.
vii. p. 168 (1883) ; Rchw. J. f. O. 1887, p. 301 (Manyanga).

An adult specimen from Yambuya.

14. HVLIA PRASINA.

Hylia prasina, Sharpe & Bouvier, Bull. Soc. Zool. France,
i. p. 306 (1876) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. vii. p. 172
(1883); Rchw. J. f. O. 1887, p. 309 (Kassongo).

An adult bird from Yambuya.

15. BURNESIA LEUCOPOGON.

Drymceca leucopogon, Cab. ; Sharpe & Bouvier, Bull. Soc.
Zool. France, i. p. 42 (1876).

Burnesia leucopogon, Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. vii. p. 207
(1883); Rchw. J. f. O. 1887, p. 30i (Manyanga), p. 306
(Leopoldville).

cJ ad., Yambuya.

16. BtJRNESIA BAIRDI.

Burnesia bairdi, Sharpe, Cat* B. Brit. Mus> vii. p. 207

(1883).

Two specimens from Yambli^ a.

17. Cisticola ruficapillA.

Cisticola rtificapitta, Sharpe & Bouvier, Bull. Soc. 2ool.
France, i. p. 306 (1876) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. vii.
p. 248 (1883) ; Rchw. J. f. O. 1887, p. 306 (Leopoldville).

Two adults from Yambuya-.

18. MACROSPHENtJS FLAVICANS.

Macrosphenus flavicans, Cass. ProC. Philad. Acad. 1859,
p. 42; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. vii. p. 530 (1883).

An apparently young bird from Yambuya. In my collec-

from the Aruwhimi River. 161

tion there is an adult from Landana, so that the range of
this bird extends from Gaboon to the Congo and as high up
as the Aruwhimi River. Cassin supposed his genus Macro-
sphenus to be nearly allied to Bernieria, but beyond an out-
ward similarity of a long bill and a green and yellow plumage
there is little real resemblance. Bernieria has a compressed
bill, with very evident rictal bristles, while Macrosphenus
has a broadened and depressed bill, with very tiny rictal
bristles, scarcely perceptible. It has also a long silky plu-
mage on the rump and flanks, as in some of the Honey
Suckers. I think that Macrosphenus is a Timeliine genus
standing by itself, without any near allies.

19. TURDINUS FULVESCENS.

Turdinus fulvescens, Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. vii. p. 545
(1883).

? , Yambuya.

This specimen seems to be identical with one of Duchaillu's
from Gaboon, and we have others from the same country
which appear to agree with Reichenow's description of his
new Turdinus albipectus (J. f. O. 1887, p. 307) from Leo-
poldville.

20. NiCATOR CHLORIS.

Nicator chloris, Sharpe & Bouvier, Bull. Soc. Zool. France,
ii. p. 480 (1877); Gadow, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. viii. p. 166
(1883) ; Rchw. J. f. O. 1887, p. 300 (Manyanga), p. 307
(Rivariva).

Two specimens from Yambuya.

21. Nicator vireo.

Nicator vireo, Sharpe & Bouvier, Bull. Soc. Zool. France,
ii. p. 480 (1877) ; Gadow, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. viii. p. 166
(1883) ; Rchw. J. f. O. 1887, p. 300 (Manyanga), p. 305
(Lcopoldville).

An adult male from Yambuya.

22. Dryoscopus leucorhynchus.

Drijoscopus leucorhynchus, Rchw. J. f. O. 1877, p. 21,
1887, p. 305.

162 Capt. G. E. Shelley on Birds

An adult and an iin mature bird from Yambuya. The
latter is much mixed with chocolate-brown, and is probably
a female, as described by Dr. Gadow (Cat. 13. Brit. Mus. viii.
p. 132).

23. Dryoscopus tricolor.

Dryoscopus tricolor, Rchw. J. f. O. 1877, p. 103.

A female from Yambuya.

This bird seems to agree very well with the description of
the type specimen, which was likewise a female, from Chin-
chonxo, but the lower back and rump are light grey, much
mixed with white and mottled with white bases to the
feathers.

24. ClNNYRIS SUPERBUS.

Cinnyris superbus, Shelley, Monogr. Nect. p. 197, pi. 60
(1876) ; Sharpe & Bouvier, Bull. Soc. Zool. France, i. p. 41
(1876) ; Sharpe, Journ. Linn. Soc. xvii. p. 428 ; Rchw. J. f. O.
1887, p. 306 (Leopoldville).

3 $ & ? , Yambuya.

25. Cinnyris chloropygils.

Cinnyris chloropygius, Shelley, Monogr. Nect. p. 257, pi. 79
(1876); Sharpe & Bouvier, Bull. Soc. Zool. France, i. p. 41
(1876) ; Rchw. J. f. O. 1887, p. 306 ( Leopold viile).

3 <$ , Aruwhimi River.

26. Cinnyris angolensis.

Cinnyris angolensis, Shelley, Monogr. Nect. p. 279, pi. 87
(1876) ; Sharpe & Bouvier, Bull. Soc. Zool. France, i. p. 304
(1876) ; Sharpe, Journ. Linn. Soc. xvii. p. 428 (188 1) ; Rchw.
J. f. O. 1887, p. 306 (Leopoldville).

^ $ ad. and one young. Yambuya.

27. Cinnyris obscdrus.

Cinnyris obscurus, Shelley, Monogr. Nect. p. 291, pi. 92
(1879).

J ad., Yambuya.

28. Anthreptes hypodila.

Nectarinia col/aris, Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1873, p. 717.

from the Aruwhimi River. 163

Anthothreptes subcollaris, Echw. J. f. O. 1887, p. 30]
Manyanga).

Anthodiata hypodila, Shelley, Monogr. Nect. p. 345, pi. 111.
figs. 1, 2 (1880).
3 8 , Yam buy a.

29. Anthreptes aurantia.

Anthreptes aurantia, Shelley, Monogr. Nect. p. 337, pi. 109
(1879).

Anthothreptes aurantia, Rchvv. J. f. O. 1887, p. 301 (Man-
yanga).

Yambuya.

30. Anthreptes tephrol.ema.

Anthreptes tephrolcema, Shelley, Monogr. Nect. p. 333,
pi.. 72. fig. 2 (1880).

Anthothreptes tephrolainia, Rchw. J. f. O. 1887, p. 303
(Leopold ville) .

$ , Yambuya.

31. Pholidornis jamesoni, sp. n. (Plate V. fig. 1.)
Similar to P. rubrifrons, but distinguished by havin"- the

whole of the face chestnut, and not spotted with ashy grey.

<$ , Yambuya.

I have compared this specimen with the type of P. rubri-
frons (Sharpe & Ussher).

32. HlRUNDO GORDONI.

Hirundo gordoni, Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. x. p. 168
(1885).

Hirundo semirufa, Bchw. J. f. O. 1887, p. 308 (Kassongo),
p. 309 (Kibondo).

£ , Yambuya. Wing 4'3 inches.

33. Hirundo puella.

Hirundo puella, Sharpe & Bouvier, Bull. Soc. Zool. France,
i. p. 38 (1876); Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. x. p. 154.
Lower Congo.

34. Hirundo nigrita.

Hirundo nigrita, Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. x. p. 148.

164 Capt. G. E. Shelley on Birds

Waldenia nigrila, Sharpe & Bouvier, Bull. Soc.Zool. France,
i. p. 38 (1876).

2 ? ad., Yambnya.

35. MOTACILLA CAMPESTRIS.

MotaciUa campestris, Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. x. p. 370,
pi. 6. figs. 1, 2.
2 J" , Yambuya.

36. Passer diffusus.

Passe?' diffusus, Sharpe & Bouvier, Bull. Soc. Zool. France,
i. p. 49 (1876, Landana, Chinehonxo) ; Rchw. J. f. O. 1887,
p. 305 (Leopoldville) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xii. p. 336
(1888).

One adult specimen from Yambuya.

37. Onychognathus hartlaubi.

Onychognathus hartlaubi, Sharpe, Journ. Linn. Soc. xvii.
p. 427 (1884).

5 ad., Yambuya.

This species has also been obtained by M. Bohndorff in
the Niam-ISiam country.

38. Ploceus nigerrimus.

Malimbus nigerrimus, Sharpe & Bouvier, Bull. Soc. Zool.
France, i. p. 47 (1876).

Ploceus nigerrimus, Rchw. J. f. O. 1887, p. 305 (Leopold-
ville) ; Shelley, Ibis, 1888, p. 87.

£ $ , Yambuya.

By no means rare in collections from the Gaboon and
Lower Congo. Emin Pasha has also found it in the Mon-
bnttu country.

39. Ploceus bohndorffi.

Ploceus bohndorffi, Rchw. J. f. O. 1887, pp. 214, 307
(Stanley Falls).

6 ad., Yambuya.

This is a form of Ploceus abyssinicus (Gm.), from which it
differs merely in the slight extension of the black on the
crown, showing an approach to P. texlor of the west coast.

from the Aruwhimi River. 165

40. Ploceus nigricollis.

Symplectes nigricollis, Rchw. J. f. O. 1887, p. 301
(Manyanga) .
2 <$ , Yambuya.

41. ESTRELDA NONNULA.

Estrelda nonnula, Shelley, Ibis, 1886, p. 330.

Habropyga tenerrima, Rchw. J. f. O. 1887, pp. 213, 307
(Stanley Falls), p. 307 (Kibongi).

Males and females from Yambuya.

This pretty Weaver Finch was discovered by Emin Pasha
in Equatorial Africa, and specimens were sent home by him
from the Monbuttu country. Mr. Bohndorff met with it on
the Upper Congo, and the present occurrence at Yambuya
considerably increases its range to the westward.

42. PYTELIA SCHLEGELl.

Pytelia schlegeli, Sharpe, Ibis, 1870, p. 482, pi. 14. figs. 2, 3 ;
id. Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xiii. p. 304.

<$ juv., Yambuya.

Not to be separated from the Gold-Coast specimens. This
is rather an unexpected species in the Upper Congo region, and
is evidently a parallel occurrence to those of the Pholidomis
and Diaphorophya blissetti. Perhaps the adult bird may be
found to be specifically distinct, like Pholidomis jamesoni.

43. NlGRITA BICOLOR.

Nigrita bicolor, Sharpe & Bouvier, Bull. Soc. Zool. France,
iii. p. 75 (1878) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xiii. p. 318.
6 ad., Yambuya.
The range of this Nigrita is also thus greatly extended.

44. Nigrita canicapilla.

Nigrita canicapilla, Sharpe & Bouvier, Bull. Soc. Zool.
France, i. p. 48 (1876) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xiii.
p. 315; Rchw. J. f. O. 1887, p. 307 (Kibongi).

<$ ? , Yambuya.

The sexes are alike in plumage. This is a very interesting
extension of the range of this species.

SER. VI. — VOL. II. M

166 Capt. G. E. Shelley on Birds

45. Spermestes poensis.

Spermestes poensis, Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Musi xiii. p. 262.

cJ <j> , Yambuya.

The sexes are alike in plumage, according to Mr. Jameson's
determinations. The range of the species is hereby greatly
extended into the interior of Africa.

46. Pyrenestes coccineus.

Pyrenestes coccineus, Sharpe & Bouvier, Bull. Soc. Zool.
France, iii. p. 74 (1878); Rchw. J. f. O. 1887, p. 301 (Man-
yanga) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xiii. p. 253.

2 6 ad., Yambuya.

The two specimens have perfectly black backs.

47. Spermospiza guttata.

Spermospiz a guttata, Sharpe & Bouvier, Bull. Soc. Zool.
France, i. p. 49 (1876) ; Rchw. J. f. O. 1887, p. 307
(Kibongi).

c? ad., Yambuya.

Agrees well with examples from Gaboon.

48. Penthetriopsis macrura.

Penthetria macrura, Sharpe & Bouvier, Bull. Soc. Zool.
France, i. p. 49 (1876) ; Sharpe, Journ. Linn. Soc. xvii.
p. 426 (1884) ; Rchw. J. f. O. 1887, p. 305 (Leopoldville).

Penthetriopsis macrura, Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xiii.
p. 220.

<$ ad., Lower Congo.

49. Pyromelana flammiceps.

Euplectes flammiceps, Sharpe & Bouvier, Bull. Soc. Zool.
France, i. p. 47 (1876).

Pyromelana flammiceps, Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xiii.
p. 228; Rchw. J. f. O. 1887, p. 308 (Kassongo).

S ad., Lower Congo.

50. Merops malimbicus.

Merops malimbicus, Sharpe & Bouvier, Bull. Soc. Zool.
France, i. p. 304 (1876) ; Dresser, Monogr. Merop. p. 87,
pi. 19 (1886).

<$ ad., Lower Congo.

from the Aruwhimi River. 167

51. Merops superciliosus.

Merops superciliosus, Sharpe & Bouvier, Bull. Soc. Zool.
France, i. p. 40 (1876), ii. p. 475 (1879) ; Dresser, Monogr.
Merop. p. 71, pi. 17 (1886) j Rchw. J. f. O. 1887, p. 308
(Kassongo) .

<J ? , Yambuya.

52. Merops albicollis.

Merops albicollis, Sharpe, Journ. Linn. Soc. xvii. p. 435
(1884); Dresser, Monogr. Merop. p. 47, pi. 13; Rchw.
J. f. O. 1887, p. 306 (Stanley Falls).

53. Melittophagus gularis.

Meropiscus gularis, Sharpe & Bouvier, Bull. Soc. Zool.
France, i. p. 304 (1876).

Melittophagus gularis, Dresser, Monogr. Merop. p. 123,
pis. 28, 29.

54. EURYSTOMUS AFER.

Eurystomus afer, Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1873, p. 716; id. &
Bouvier, Bull. Soc. Zool. France, i. pp. 39, 303 (1876) ;
Sharpe, Journ. Linn. Soc. xvii. p. 434 (1884) ; Rchw. J. f. O.
1887, p. 305 (Leopoldville).

Yambuya.

55. Halcyon cyanoleuca.

Halcyon cyanoleuca, Sharpe, Monogr. Alced. p. 189, pi. lxix.
(1869) ; id. & Bouvier, Bull. Soc. Zool. France, i. p. 39
(1876) ; Sharpe, Journ. Linn. Soc. xvii. p. 435 (1884).

56. ISPIDINA PICTA.

Ispidina picta, Sharpe & Bouvier, Bull. Soc. Zool. France,
i. p. 40 (1876) ; Sharpe, Journ. Linn. Soc. xvii. p. 435
(1884).

Alcedo picta, Rchw. J. f. O. 1887, p. 308 (Kassongo).

57. COSMETORNIS VEXILLA.RIUS.

Macrodypteryx sperlingi, Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1873, pp. 626,
717.

Cosmetornis vexillarius, Sharpe, Journ. Linn. Soc. xvii.
p. 434 (1884).

A specimen without the long quills of the breeding-season.

n 2

168 Capt. G. E. Shelley on Birds

58. Cypselus apus.

Cypselus apus, Heugl. Orn. N.O.-Afr. i. p. 142 (1870) .
One specimen without label, but doubtless from Yambuya.

59. CHiETURA CASSINI.

Chatura cassini, Scl. P. Z. S. 1863, p. 205 (Gaboon).
An adult bird from Yambuya.

60. Ch^tura sabinei.

Chcetura sabinei, Hartl. Orn. W.-Afr. p. 25 (1857).
One specimen from Yambuya.

61. Mesopicus xantholophus.

Dendropicus africanus, Sharpe & Bouvier, Bull. Soc. Zool.
France, i. p. 312 (1876) (nee Gray).

Mesopicus xantholophus, Hargitt, Ibis, 1883, pp. 173,421 ;
Sharpe, Journ. Linn. Soc. xvii. p. 430 (1884) ; Rchw. J. f. O.
1887, p. 302 (Leopoldville).

Originally described from Gaboon, this species was also
found on the Lower Congo by Lucan and Petit, and after-
wards by Bohndorff in the Niam-Niam country. It evi-
dently extends throughout the Congo region.

62. Campothera. permista.

Campothera maculosa, Sharpe & Bouvier, Bull. Soc. Zool.
France, i. p. 17 (1876) (nee Sw.).

Campothera permista, Sharpe & Bouvier, t. c. p. 312;
Hargitt, Ibis, 1883, p. 478; Sharpe, Journ. Linn. Soc. xvii.
p. 431 (1884) ; Rchw. J. f. O. 1887, p. 302 (Leopoldville).

Another Gaboon species which inhabits the Lower Congo
and evidently extends throughout the entire Congo region to
the Niam-Niam country.

63. COLIUS NIGRICOLLIS.

Colitis nigricollis, Sharpe & Bouvier, Bull. Soc. Zool.
France, i. p. 50 (1876) ; Sharpe, Journ. Linn. Soc. xvii.
p. 434 (1884) .

Ad., Yambuya.

64. Chrysococcyx klaasi.

Cuculus klaasii, Sharpe & Bouvier, Bull. Soc. Zool. France,
i. p. 52 (1876); Sharpe, Journ. Linn. Soc. xvii. p. 433

(1884).

from the Aruwhimi River. 169

Chrysococcyx klaasi, Rchw. J. £. O. 1887, p. 308 (Stanley
Falls).

Ad., Yambuya.

65. Chrysococcyx smaragdineus.

Chrysococcyx smaragdineus, Rchw. J. f. O. 1887, p. 302
(Leopoldville) , p. 308 (Kassongo).
One young bird from Yambuya.

66. Trachyphonus purpuratus.

Trachyphonus purpuratus, Marshall, Monogr. Capiton.
p. 151, pi. lx.

Ad., Yambuya.

This is the Gaboon species, and not T. goffini of the Gold
Coast.

67. Barbatula scolopacea.

Xylobucco scolopaceus, Marshall, Monogr. Capiton. p. 115,
pi. xlvii.

Lignobucco consobrinus, Rchw. J. f. O. 1887, p. 309.

Two specimens from Yambuya.

These two specimens show the greenish-yellow margins to
the feathers of the upper surface, as described by Dr. Reich-
enow in his Kibondo examples ; but the difference is so slight
that young specimens of B. scolopacea from the Gold Coast
are, I consider, indistinguishable.

68. Chalcopelia afra.

Peristera afra, Sharpe & Bouvier, Bull. Soc Zool. France,
i. p. 52 (1876).

Chalcopelia afra, Shelley, Ibis, 1883, p 323.
Ad., Yambuya.

69. LOBIVANELLUS SUPERCILIOSUS.

Lobivanellus supe?'ciliosus, Rchw. ; Seebohm, Geogr. Distr.
Charadr. p. 201, pi. 9.

£ ad., Aruwhimi River; $ juv., Yambuya.

70. iEGIALITIS MINOR.

Charadrius minor, Wolf & Meyer ; Seebohm, Geogr. Distr.
Charadr. p. 130.
cf, Yambuya.
A young bird.

170 Mr. Scott Wilson on some

71. Tringa subarquata.

Tringa subarquata, Sharpe & Bouvier, Bull. Soc. Zool.
Prance, i. p. 313 (1876) j Seebohm, Geogr. Distr. Charadr.
p. 419.

Aruwhimi River.

A young bird in winter plumage. It has been found on
the Lower Congo and probably follows the course of that
river on its winter migration.

72. Tringoides hypoleucus.

Actitis hypoleuca, Sharpe & Bouvier, Bull. Soc. Zool.
France, i. p. 18 (1876).

Tot anus hypoleucus, Seebohm, Geogr. Distr. Charadr.
p. 371.

? ad., Yambuya.

XVI. — On some of the Birds of the Sandwich Islands.
By Scott Wilson, F.Z.S.

(Plate VI.)

It may be advantageous to preface these notes by a few
geographical remarks as well as by a slight sketch of the
leading physical features of the islands of the Hawaiian
group, and especially of their forests, with which the
existence of their feathered inhabitants is so closely bound
up that the destruction of the one involves the extinction of
the other. It is, alas ! only too probable that both are
doomed in a very near future, so that these notes will
possess a melancholy interest for naturalists ; but it will be
quite needless for me to add another to the many descriptions
already published of these lovely islands *.

Anyone turning to Mr. Wallace's ' Island Life' (chap, xv.)
will see that the Sandwich Islands form one of the most
remote groups in the world, rising from ocean-depths which
average about 3000 fathoms, whence Mr. Wallace infers that
during the whole of their existence they have been as com-

* Of late they have been brought into prominent notice owing to the
heroic devotion of Father Damien, the martvr of Molokai.

Sandwich-Island Birds. 171

pletely severed from the great continents as they are now.
Indeed they lie some 2100 miles from the nearest point in the
American continent (San Francisco), and they are at about
the same distance from Samoa and the Marquesas on the
south, and from the Aleutian Islands towards the north, though
some widely scattered reefs and atolls, six or seven hundred
miles off, serve to connect them with the other Pacific
islands.

The Hawaiian group stretches from south-east to north-
west for about 350 miles ; but though so extensive, it is
entirely volcanic and its principal island possesses two active
volcanoes, the lava-streams from which render a large part
of its area a treeless and barren waste. There are eight inha-
bited islands — Hawaii, Maui, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoo-
lawe, Kauai, and Niihau. Of these, Kahoolawe and Niihau,
the two smallest, have no forests remaining. Hawaii is the
most southerly and by far the largest of the group, having
an area of 4100 square miles, and being well compared by
Mr. Wallace to Devonshire, " with which it closely agrees both
in size and shape, though its enormous volcanic mountains
rise to nearly 14,000 feet high." Maui, Oahu, and Kauai,
each about the size of Hertfordshire or Bedfordshire (again
to use Mr. Wallace's comparison) come next in point of area,
and these are followed by Molokai, Lanai, Niihau, and
Kahoolawe in the order here named.

On my first visit to the large island of Hawaii (coming
from Honolulu) in May 1877, I landed at Kealeakakua Bay,
on its west coast, the scene of Captain Cook's unfortunate
death. Throughout the district of Kona, as this part of the
island is named, the forest begins at an elevation of about
1100 feet, and stretches for some six miles up the slopes of
the great mountain Mauna Loa (13,700 feet). For some
considerable distance the more abrupt slopes of Mauna
Hualalai (8275 feet) are also covered with dense forest.
A great portion, however, of this island, especially the region
from the sea-board to 1100 feet, is, as already stated, a
desert waste of beds of clinkers and of lava-streams, which
have rolled down to the sea from its three great volcanos—

172 Mr. Scott Wilson on some

Mauna Kea (13,805 feet), Mauna Loa, and MaunaHualalai
— and accordingly the total extent of forest is comparatively
small. Most parts of the interior are thickly wooded to an
elevation of about 6000 feet, above which the ohia trees
{Metrosideros polymorpha) become mere scrub, and other
forest-trees disappear entirely. Certain districts, even of the
interior, as, for instance, the vast grassy plains of Waimea,
have been entirely denuded of wood, partly through the
ravages of feral cattle, partly through fires and other causes
quite independent of volcanic action, so that the forests
occupy at the present time but an inconsiderable extent of
this island. Moreover the existing wooded region is be-
coming smaller year by year, owing to the countless herds
of cattle which roam through its depths and have already
so thrown it open that the impenetrable jungle of primeval
Hawaii is a thing of the past. It is to be feared that if no
check is put to the depredations of these destructive animals,
and if trees are not planted to replace the great tracts of
mighty giants which, in certain districts, are dying by hun-
dreds, the forests of Hawaii will, at no distant date, become
a matter of history. I am glad to say that several large
land-owners are becoming alive to this danger, notably my
friend Mr. W. H. Purvis, who, being an excellent botanist
and practical tree-planter, has been one of the first to recognize
the extreme danger of allowing this disforestation to go on,
and who, by fencing in his lands against cattle, will assuredly
by this wise proceeding preserve some part of the forest, and
with it its many interesting birds, for the study of naturalists.
I feel sure that all intelligent residents will agree with me
that these beautiful islands, well named " the Paradise of the
Pacific," would lose much of their charm were their native
birds, conspicuous for the brilliancy of their plumage, and
remarkable from their peculiarities, to be replaced by the
noisy Mynah, the pugnacious Sparrow, and the Singapore
Dove, all of which introduced species have already obtained
a firm footing on the island of Oahu, and now fill its wooded
ravines, formerly the home of far rarer and more beautiful
species.

Sandwich-Island Birds. 173

I have gone at some length into this question, as, by so
doing, I may draw to it the attention of the Hawaiian
Government, as well as that of the large land-owners, and
their combined action cannot be too soon brought into
effect if the entire disforestation of the Hawaiian Archipelago
is to be prevented. It would be a disgraceful thing if such
a Garden of Eden should be bereft of its birds, more especially
as I am convinced that these islands have a great future
before them as the great health-resort for the inhabitants of
San Francisco flying from its unhealthy and treacherous
climate, to say nothing of the vast number of tourists who
will flock, in yearly-increasing numbers, to see the volcanic
wonders of Hawaii, from all quarters of the globe. All these
visitors may be expected to take an intelligent interest in
the avifauna of the islands they visit or make their home,
and on their behalf I appeal to the land-owners and to the
Legislature of Hawaii to unite in protecting their country's
birds. I would suggest that not only should forest-lauds be
fenced in as far as practicable, but that no exotic birds should
be introduced. Several species of Hawaiian birds, which
were to be found in Cook's time, and others which were
obtained even so late as 1840, have become extinct, and it
would not be rash to say that ere another century has elapsed
but few native species will remain.

After this exordium, I will now attempt to give my readers
some idea of the aspect of a Sandwich-Island forest. I shall
enumerate the principal trees, more especially those which
are frequented by birds that enliven the sublime solitude of
the forest depths with the sweet ripples of their music — music
" which gentlier on the spirit lies than tired eyelids on tired
eyes." The ohia {Metrosideros polymorpha) is the queen of
Hawaiian forest-trees, often attaining a height of from 90 to
100 feet, with a bole large in proportion. These giants are
generally encircled to the greater part of their height by a
climbing tree (Frey cinetia arborea) , which seems literally to
coil around them, while its scarlet-tufted bracts and showy
red fruit add yet another shade of colour. The ohia belongs
to the Myrtacece, but the white stamens of the myrtle are

174 Mr. Scott Wilson on some

here replaced by crimson of the most brilliant hue, or in some
varieties by orange, and in others by creamy buff. The
crimson- flowered variety is, however, by far the most general,
and the colour of its blossoms is only rivalled in brilliancy
by the bright plumage of two species of birds I shall pre-
sently more particularly mention, both of which are ever to
be seen sporting among its branches and probing its highly-
coloured flowers for the nectar, as well as for the insects,
which they contain. The ohia attains its greatest size in the
lowest forest zone, from 1100 to 2500 feet, but it is to be
found as high as 6000 or even 8000 feet. It well deserves
its specific name, as one would at first hardly recognize the
stately forest giant as belonging to the same species as the
low-growing stunted shrub found in the mountain-region,
were it not that these bushes, dwarfed as they are, are often
a blaze of crimson flowers, being more floriferous than the
forest-trees. The stunted ohia bushes found in the mountain-
region have often a particularly dingy appearance, which
still further disguises their identity. This peculiar appearance
is due to a fungus (Fumago vagans, Pers.), a species which
Mr. George Murray, of the British Museum of Natural
History in Cromwell Road, has kindly identified for me,
informing me that it is widely distributed throughout Europe
and North America.

Next in importance, both in size and quantity, comes the
koa [Acacia koa) ; and this, if the candle-nut (Aleurites
triloba) is excepted, is the only other forest-tree worthy of
the name. The koa, unlike the ohia, is never found in the
lower forest-zone, nor does it occur as a shrub in the upland
region. I think this fine acacia seldom grows below 3500
nor much above 5000 feet. In the comparatively dry soil
at an elevation of about 4000 to 5000 feet it flourishes best,
and in this region attains a great size. It is not so lofty as
the ohia, and has a much more spreading habit than that
tree ; its bole is nearly equal in circumference to that of the
ohia, and it was from gigantic specimens of this tree that
the natives used formerly to hollow out their large war-
canoes. The wood is very hard and extremely durable ; it

Sandwich-Island Birds. 175

takes, moreover, a high polish and is beautifully grained ;
indeed, in the opinion of experts its superiority over
mahogany is undeniable, and I must say that some cabinets
made of koa in the possession of the King are of extreme
beauty. This fine forest-tree has a smooth trunk and large
acacia-like leaves, which, in colour, resemble those of the
Eucalyptus, but in certain lights possess a peculiar lustre of
their own. It has an inconspicuous flower, but its bean is
large, being some eight inches in length; still neither its flower
nor fruit are any attraction to birds, and it is for the insect-
life alone, found among its branches and among the mosses
which deck them, that several species of birds frequent its
feathery groves.

The next tree in point of size to the two already considered
is the kukui or candle-nut (Aleurites triloba), a widely-
distributed Polynesian species, but in the Hawaiian Archi-
pelago only found in large tracts on the island of Kauai,
although it is met with on all the other islands. The only
birds I have ever observed to frequent its groves are the
several species of Chasiempis, and occasionally Psittirostra
psitlacea. The kukui, though not much frequented by
birds, deserves a word of mention, as the swelling park-like
country of large districts on the island of Kauai owes much
of its beauty to the stately clumps of this handsome tree.
The delicately-indented foliage of the kukui has, like that
of the koa, a lovely silvery appearance in certain lights, and
its compact tree- like foliage and gracefully-shaped leaves
earn for it the] palm of beauty amongst Sandwich-Island
trees. I may mention incidentally that its ribbed nuts are
largely used in the manufacture of native jewellery, and also
that the same nuts pounded are considered to be a great aid
to digestion.

Besides these three, the undergrowth of a Sandwich-Island
forest is chiefly composed of the following, their frequency of
occurrence being indicated by the order in which their names
are given :— The alii (Dodoncea viscosa), the aaka or neia
(Myoporum santalinum), the iliahi or sandalwood (San-
talum album), which is very local, the mamane (Sophora

176 Mr. Scott Wilson on some

chrysophylla), confined to the higher region of Hawaii only,
the ohia ai {Eugenia malaccensis) , another very local tree,
but the deep green foliage and pink fruits of which combine
to make it very attractive. To these must be added the
numerous species of gigantic tree-lobelias and the huge
tree-ferns, which latter are often over twenty feet in height
and four to five feet in circumference, the dark brown stems
and feathery fronds adding greatly to the beauty and tropical
aspect of a Hawaiian forest. These ferns are, moreover,
interesting from an ornithologist's point of view, as being
the favourite hunting-ground of the Akihiloa (Hemignathus
obscurus), which bird finds a soft material for its slender bill
to work in, and also insects innumerable, in the brown stems
of these graceful plants.

I have now enumerated most of the trees to be found in
any quantity in the island of Hawaii, which may be said
to be fairly typical of the entire archipelago, although, as is
the case with its avifauna, the several islands each possess
peculiar species. But I must leave this for my forthcoming
work, in which I propose to describe in detail the forests
found on the different islands of the group.

Although these are the principal trees constituting a forest
on Hawaii, one must not pass over the numberless creepers
which, especially in the lower and damper forest-zone, hang
in festoons from tree to tree, and thus form a complete net-
work of graceful greenery. Nor must one omit to make
mention of that most graceful of Hawaiian ferns, Gleichenia
hawaiiensis, to the tangled masses of which is due the
impenetrability of parts of the forests on the Sandwich
Islands, and especially on Lauai, which possesses but few
feral cattle. This fern seems to revel alike in damp and dry
soil, as it is as often found in great masses on the compara-
tively dry sides of the steep ravines, as in great fantastic
festoons hanging over the forest streamlets. The filmy ferns
and the moisture-laden mosses, which find their homes on
the tree-trunks in the sombre forest-depths, are interesting
alike to the botanist and to the lover of the beautiful in
nature. And it is in a great measure to the numerous

Sandwich-Island Birds. 177

species of ferns and graceful creepers that a Hawaiian forest
owes much of its beauty, though one cannot help lamenting
the absence of epiphytal orchids, which form such a lovely
feature in many tropical forests. In some few favoured spots
the broad-leaved banana rears its stately head, and here, in
these sheltered spots, its grand leaves are perfect in their
beauty, not torn to ribbons by the blustering wind, as one
sees them around Honolulu and in other exposed positions.
Among other fruits found in the lower forest-zone are the
prolific guava, the orange, and the mango, on the fruits of
all of which in their season certain birds delight to feed.

But now to turn to the birds which inhabit the forests
whose beauties I have just endeavoured to indicate. I in-
tend the present paper as a slight sketch to be elaborated in
the large work which in due time I hope to publish on the
ornithology of the Sandwich Islands ; and accordingly. I
shall not here attempt any critical examination of the
distribution of the species among the different members
of the group, nor to treat any of the species in an ex-
haustive manner. Indeed, on this occasion, I shall merely
mention a few, of which my knowledge is, I trust, suf-
ficient to guard me against the commission of any grave
errors, while most of them are also birds concerning which
I do not expect to gain much more information from inves-
tigations which, at my request, are still being carried on in
regard to other species.

I may add that what I have to say of the habits of the
birds is derived entirely from my own observations.

1. ACRULOCERCUS* NOBILIS. " O-O."

This, the Royal Bird of modern times, is perhaps the best
known of any species to both the natives and foreign resi-

* As, in my forthcoming work, I intend to adopt Prof. Cabanis's
generic term Acrulocercus in place of Moho or Mohoa, one or the other
of which has been commonly used, I may here give my reasons for pre-
ferring the former. Prof. Newton has pointed out to me that, as a generic
name, Moho dates only from Gray's ' Genera of Birds ' (i. p. 96) in 1847, in
which year Prof. Cabanis published Acrulocercus (Archiv fiir Naturgesch.
xiii. p. 327). Gray was careful not to quote Moho as a " genus " founded

178 Mr. Scott Wilson on some

dents in the islands. It is doubtful whether in ancient days
it was from the yellow feathers that grow beneath its wings,
or from the still more beautiful yellow feathers of the now
extinct Drepanis pacifica, next to be mentioned, that the
state robes of kings and chiefs were wrought. It was the
privilege of those classes alone to wear them ; and it cannot
be denied that they formed a becoming apparel, as mag-
nificent and beautiful as anything that the triumphs of
civilized art can now produce. The fine statue of King
Kamehameha I., which stands in front of the Government
House in Honolulu, represents the great conqueror who
first consolidated the sovereignty of the various islands,
draped in his Mamo — as this feathered cloak is called in the
Hawaiian language — and its texture is wonderfully repre-
sented by the sculptor's art. Looking upon it, and remem-
bering that the kings and chiefs of Hawaii-nei were a race
of giants, most of them being over six feet in height, we
can well understand what an imposing effect must have been
produced by one of them thus clad. The fabrication of the
great yellow war-cloak of Kamehameha I. had been going
on through the reign of eight preceding monarchs. The
ground-work is of coarse netting, to which are attached,
with skill, now impossible to be applied, the delicate feathers,
those on the border being reverted. Its length is four feet,

by Lesson (Tr. d'Orn. p. 302) in 1831, as has been commonly supposed ;
and indeed, tbose who turn to Lesson's work will find that he simply
under this name indicates a group of the genus Philedon of Cuvier, and
abstains, both in this passage and in his later work of 1837 (Compl. Buffon,
Oiseaux, p. 149), from using Moho in a strictly generic sense. The amend-
ment of Moho into MoJwa, proposed in 1852 by Keichenbach (Handb. sp.
Ornithol. p. 333), brings the name dangerously near Mohoua of Lesson
(1837), which is as valid or invalid as his Moho. Furthermore it is certain
that Moho applied to this bird originated in an error, possibly a misprint for
" Hoho" — an old form of writing its native name — perpetrated by Ellis
(Narrat. Voy. Cook and Clerke, ii. p. 156) in 1782, unfortunately repeated
by Latham (Gen. Synops. Suppl. p. 120), and thence copied by Sonnim
(Hist. Nat. Buffon, xviii. p. 286) and others. " Moho " is the Hawaiian
name for Rallus ecaudatus, King, and applied to any other bird only
excites a smile.

Sandwich-Island Birds. 179

and it has a spread of eleven feet and a half at the bottom,
the whole having the appearance of a mantle of gold.
The examples of the cloaks and capes which I examined
were all of the lighter shade of yellow which belongs to the
feathers of the present species ; and though it is possible
that those of both this and Drepanis pacifica were used
indiscriminately, one can hardly doubt that the preference
would not be given to those of the latter, so long as they
were procurable.

The ancient kings had a regular staff of bird-catchers,
who were expert in their vocation. They made use of the
sticky juice of the bread-fruit, called in Hawaiian " Pilali/'
and of the tenacious gum of the fragrant " olapa," a common
tree in some parts of the forests, smearing the stuff about
the branches of a flower-covered ohia, often fastening an
example of the scarlet Vestiaria coccinea, of which more
presently, as an additional attraction to the Royal Bird
whose pugnacity was well known ; and in his eagerness to
attack his brilliant rival, he would fall an easy victim to the
device. That large numbers of the O-o must have been
taken in old days is clear from the numbers of u leis," or
wreaths of feathers, that now remain in the possession of
the natives, who still set so great a store by them that it is
but rarely that a traveller is able to purchase one as an
interesting relic of a past state of things. I was fortunate
in obtaining a small one at the price of fifty dollars, for the
construction of which it is reckoned that two hundred birds
must have been sacrificed. The Hon. C. R. Bishop possesses
some very fine examples, and the contents of a small tin box
of them I estimated at being worth ten thousand dollars.
What the value of a cloak or cape may be it is impossible to
say. At the ceremony of opening the Hawaiian Legislature
in 1888, two capes were donned by two of the native
officials, and very imposing they looked, though the effect
could not be compared with that produced by the flowing
war- cloak.

This very striking and, to Hawaiians, most interesting
bird is preeminently a Honey- sucker, extracting the nectar

180 Mr. Scott Wilson on some

with its long tubular tongue from the flowers of the ohia and
from the great tree-lobelias, of which the curved tubular
corollas are perfectly adapted in shape to the O-o's bill ; and
though I have on several occasions observed it feeding ou the
fruit of the banana, I believe honey to be its principal suste-
nance. In a state of captivity it has been kept with success
by feeding it on the juice of the sugar-cane.

It has a very peculiar call-note, whence its native name
is derived ; but here I may insert some extracts from my
notes taken in the district of Kona, where it is still fairly
common : —

" We shot two O-os to-day ; but these birds are extremely
difficult to obtain, as they are constantly on the move from
tree to tree, hardly ever at a less height than 90 feet from
the ground. Their cry is somewhat harsh and resembles
the sound of the letter O, repeated twice, with a well-
marked pause between ; it is, however, extremely difficult of
imitation by the human voice. The yellow axillary tufts
are very conspicuous when this bird is on the wing, and its
dipping mode of flight somewhat resembles that of the
Magpie, while its long tail still further suggests a resem-
blance to that bird. The O-o exhibits a decided preference
for the extreme top of any tree on which it alights, and
when thus perched may be seen continually jerking its long
plume-like tail up and down at a right angle to its body, all
the while uttering its harsh cry."

As mentioned above, it is an extremely wary bird and
most difficult of approach when met with in the ohia-forest,
so that the only occasions on which I was enabled to watch
it at close quarters were amongst the foliage of the arbores-
cent lobelias, of which plants it is particularly fond.

The males vary considerably in length, the finest specimen
I obtained measuring 13 inches from bill to tip of tail ; but
most of those I shot were considerably smaller. The female
is smaller than the male. I never obtained a bird in imma-
ture plumage, nor did I find a nest ; but from its evident
preference in the breeding-season, May and June, for the
topmost branches of the lofty ohia trees, I conclude that it

Sandwich-Island Birds. 181

chooses its nesting-place amongst their highest branches,
which are some 90 to 100 feet from the ground. I venture
to say that its nest will never be taken, as not even a
Hawaiian, bold, skilful, and withal utterly reckless climber
as he is, would be able to scale these forest giants.

The ordinary vertical range of this bird is from 1200 to
4000 feet ; but I am told by my friend Mr. Ashford Spencer
that he has observed it at certain seasons of the year in the
forest around the sheep-station of Kalicha, which is above
6000 feet.

It is probable that the O-o, like other birds, follows its
food, migrating to this high mountain-region as soon as the
ohia tree is out of flower in the lower forest-zone.

I only met with this species in the island of Hawaii.

2. Drepanis pacifica. " Mamo."

Of this extremely rare and apparently extinct species I
procured a single specimen from a collection which was
formed by Mr. Mills, of Hilo in Hawaii, some thirty years
Ego or more. The fact of its native name being the same
as that of the war-cloaks already spoken of, seems to suggest
that they must have received it from this bird, and that
probably in olden times they were chiefly wrought of the
beautiful golden-yellow feathers from its back, which are
much deeper in colour, as they are larger and longer, than
the axillary tufts of Acrulocercus nobilis.

I could obtain no information as to the period when this
species was last observed, but I saw some feather-wreaths
(" leis ") which were composed of its plumes.

The specimen I brought home has since been beautifully
remounted by Mr. Cullingford of Durham, and is now in
the Museum of the University of Cambridge. I am not
aware of the existence of a second in this country.

3. Vestiaria coccinea. "Iiwi."

This beautiful species, which is generally distributed
throughout the entire archipelago, is by far the most
conspicuous of its birds on account of its gorgeous scarlet
plumage, the brilliancy of which is greatly heightened by

SER. vi. — vol. n. o

182 Mr. Scott Wilson on some

the contrast of its deep black wings and tail. It is a bird
well known to every Hawaiian, owing to its attractiveness of
colour, but still more from the fact that its breast-feathers
were largely used in the fabrication of the famous feather
capes and helmets of ancient times, which were worn only
by the chiefs, and thus its name " Iiwi " occurs in many
an ancient tale of Hawaiian chivalry, and in their " meles "
or songs, which every native loves so well to chant.

The immature birds are not so well known to the natives,
or are else referred by them to a distinct species called in
Hawaiian " Iiwipopolo," an error into which Mr. Dole, in
his well-known ' Catalogue of Hawaiian birds/ also falls,
describing a young specimen of the present species under
the name of Drepanis rosea ; and that he fell into this error
is hardly to be wondered at, seeing that the yellowish and
spotted plumage of the immature birds is so very unlike that
of the adult. The note of the " Iiwi " is a very peculiar
one, clear and powerful for so small a bird — ta-weet, ta-weet,
ta-wee-ah. The flute-like clearness of this call-note is
unsurpassed by that of any other Sandwich-Island species.

The " Iiwi " has, however, besides this note a somewhat
sweet and plaintive song, which I heard on a few occasions,
usually soon after sunrise. The call-note first mentioned is,
however, by far the most characteristic, and is the most
frequently heard. 1 regret to say that I did not obtain the
eggs of this bird, but I found a nest which seems to have
belonged to it. Perhaps I may as well quote from my notes
made at the time (June 10, 1887, Kona, 5000 feet) : —

" There are a number of stunted ohia trees (Metrosideros)
growing right among the clinker beds of a comparatively
recent lava-flow, which is as yet destitute of any herbaceous
vegetation save for a few ferns growing here and there in
the crevices of the lava blocks. These trees are a mass of
crimson blossom, and among their branches the Iiwi was
in great numbers busily engaged in probing the flowers in
search of nectar. We found a nest in one of the small
trees, which probably belonged to this bird, as it was the
only species we observed in this vicinity ; and this supposi-

Sandwich-Island Birds. 183

tion is strengthened by the fact of our shooting two quite
young birds soon afterwards."

As I feel sure that this nest belongs to Vestiaria coccinea,
I may briefly describe it as a round and shallow cup, 4 inches
in diameter, composed of mosses and dry bents of grass, the
inside being lined with slender rootlets.

The food of the Iiwi consists chiefly of honey, which it
finds in the blossoms of the ohia ; no doubt it also preys on
the small insects found in the flowers of this tree ; but I
should be inclined to say that it lives on honey to a greater
extent than does any other Sandwich-Island species ; and I
am led to this conclusion by the fact that a stream of honey
will usually drip from the bill of a freshly killed specimen,
which I have but rarely observed to occur in any other
species — once only, indeed, with Himatione sanguinea, and
twice with Acrulocercus nobilis.

I have seen this bird at an elevation of 6000 feet in the
district of Kona in Hawaii, and I am informed that it is
abundant at certain seasons of the year above Kalicha, a
sheep-station on the same island at a higher elevation still.
The fact to be noted is that Vestiaria follows its food, and
when the ohia is over at 2000 feet it is in full flower at
5000 ; thither therefore it migrates.

There is a tree, Strongylodon lucidum, found on the island
of Hawaii, the scarlet leguminous flowers of which mimic
in a most perfect manner, both in colour and shape, the
curve of a Iiwi's bill, and is therefore known by the natives
by the name of " Nukuiiwi " (bill of the Iiwi). I must also
note with regard to its vertical range that this bird is
frequently to be observed on the sea-beach, to which uncon-
genial region it is driven by the high winds from its forest
home. The same remark applies to the " Apapane," Hima-
tione sanguinea.

4. Himatione sanguinea. " Apapane."

This species, like the Vestiaria, in company with which it
is commonly seen, is distributed throughout the whole
group, and the vertical range is practically identical. Its

184 Mr. Scott Wilson on some

principal food is also honey, which it obtains from the
flowers of the ohia ; but I have no doubt it feeds also on
the small insects with which those flowers abound, and I
have often found insects in dissecting it. Although I did
not find a nest of the Apapane. I shot a female on May 24th,
1887, at Kaawaloa, in the district of Kona, in the ovary of
which was an egg almost ready for expulsion, a circumstance
which enables me to fix approximately its breeding-time,
which seems to be rather later than that of the Iiwi, for I
had shot several of the young of that species before this
date. I never, however, obtained specimens of the Apapane
so young as those of the Iiwi, although I have many imma-
ture examples in which not a trace of the crimson plumage
is to be seen. In this stage they differ so much from the
adult (as is also the case with Vestiaria) that it is not easy
at first to believe they are of the same species, and my
natives were quite sure I was wrong when 1 told them so.
The note of the Apapane is a feeble though clear tiveet,
tweet, but it also has a pretty simple song generally heard
soon after sunrise or towards sunset. In its flight the white
under tail-coverts are very conspicuous and serve to easily
determine this species on the wing. I am quite unable to
distinguish between specimens from the various islands.

5. Himatione virens. " Amakihi " *.

So far as I have observed, this little bird feeds almost
entirely on insects and finds its favourite hunting-grounds
on the oaka or bastard sandalwood (Myoporum santalinum),
the alii (Dodoncea viscosa), the opiku, the orange, the koa
(Acacia koa), and the mamane (Sophora chrysophylla) . It
also frequents the ohia, preferring its lower branches and
the stunted form of the mountain district. Very unobtru-
sive in its movements, this species may be seen among the
undergrowth of the forest diligently searching every limb
and the slenderest branches for its prey. At Mana (3500
feet) in January I found it in great numbers on the mamane
trees which abound in that district, and are at that season

* The name applied to most of the yellow-green species of Himatione.

Sandwich-Island Birds. 185

in full bloom. I suppose it may occasionally feed on honey,
but I never found it so doing, and at any rate it must do so
much less than its ally H. sanguinea. Moreover it hunts
rather among the ground foliage of the trees than the flower-
ing branches. Its commonest note is a low " tweet/' which
is something like that of a European Goldcrest {Regulus
cristatus), but it has besides a sweet though short song.
It is peculiar to the Island of Hawaii and ranges from the
lowest forest-zone to 5000 feet or higher.

6. Himatione chloris. " Amakihi."

This species is found on the islands of Oahu, Molokai,
and Lanai, and, I believe, on Maui, but not on Hawaii or
Kauai, and I have often with delight watched it searching
for its insect food among the low shrubs of ohia which
cover the sunny slopes of the ravines on Molokai, an island
better known, alas ! to the world as the Leper Island, but
which, in my opinion, is the most lovely island of the group.
It is seldom visited by travellers on account of the leper-
settlement being situated on its shores, and thus the beauties
of its forest scenes ai'e but little known. On Oahu, in the
district of Halemanu (house of the birds), this species seems
to frequent more especially the depths of the steep and
densely wooded ravines, and loves above all trees the
gigantic Lobeliacea, the strange foliage and great heads of
the purple flowers of which plants are so striking a feature
of a Sandwich-Island forest, and one, I believe, only to be
met with in these Pacific isles. On the island of Lanai all
the specimens which I obtained were shot in some fine
guavas quite 30 feet in height, which fringed the edge of
the streamlet of the deeply wooded Waiapaa ravine. The
birds were so busily engaged in hunting for insects which
abound in the guavas, that I had an excellent opportunity
of observing their graceful movements. Here I saw the old
birds feeding the young with small flies, larvae, and other
insects. Examples of this species obtained on the three
islands already named are distinguished from each other
according to locality, and I have elsewhere indicated the

186 Mr. Scott Wilson on some

differences which enable them to be separated (see P. Z. S.
1889, p. 446). In general appearance a brightly coloured
example of this species strongly reminds one of the Willow
Wren, particularly in form. I hope in my forthcoming
work to figure specimens from the different islands, and
thus to aid in distinguishing between the several forms.

The vertical range of the species is from the lowest forest-
zone up to 2500 feet.

7. Himatione maculata. " Amakihi."
Himatione maculata, Cab. Mus. Hein. i. p. 160 (jr.).
This species is peculiar to the island of Oahu, and is fairly
common in the district of Halemanu (house of the birds),
where there is still some forest remaining. Of its habits, I
have only to remark that they seemed to be identical with
those of Himatione chloris, but as at the time I did not
recognize the fact of their being distinct species, perhaps not
much reliance is to placed on this observation. The specific
name applied to this bird is unfortunate, and was founded on
immature specimens, as the adult male has no traces of spots.
I myself only obtained immature specimens, but thanks to
the kindness of the authorities of the Museum of the Aca-
demy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, I have been
enabled to examine an adult male obtained by Town send, of
which the following is a brief description : — Very similar to
adult male of H. chloris, but with the olive upper plumage
darker and tinged with yellow ; forehead hardly brighter than
the crown of the head, but a distinct though indefinitely
marked yellowish streak over the eye ; lores brownish black •
chin, cheeks, auriculars, and throat clear golden yellow, which
colour pervades the breast and belly, becoming very pale,
almost white, on the abdomen ; lower tail-coverts pale
yellow.

8. Himatione Montana.

Himatione montana, Scott Wilson, P. Z. S. 1889, p. 446.
This hitherto undescribed species I obtained in the moun-
tain-region at Lanai, at a spot called Lanaihale (the house

Sandwich-Island Birds. 187

of Lanai), at an elevation of about 3000 feet. The brilliant
yellow of the underparts of the male caused the late Mr. W.
M. Gibson (to whom the greater part of the island of Lanai
belonged), in a conversation which I had with him soon after
my landing in Honolulu, to refer to this bird as the Canary -
like Amakihi, and when I held the freshly-killed male in my
hand his accurate description of its brilliant yellow colour
made me feel sure I had obtained the bird he had spoken of.
As I only obtained two specimens, male and female, and
these on the same day and in the same locality, I can say
nothing of its habits ; but I may as well quote from my
journal some short notes, taken on the spot where we found
this species : —

" 1st June, 1888. — To-day we took two natives, one of
them armed with an axe with which to clear the path for us.
The day was fine, and the trail by which one ascends to the
plateau was consequently in good order, and we arrived there
without accident. Here we tied up our horses, and then all
of us started down a narrow forest-path, the same which we
had followed the day before. For a few hundred yards it is
very much overhung with ferns [Gleichenia) and the climbing
tree (Freycinetia arborea), and we had to stoop down almost
on our knees, which was very tiring work.

" After this thick bit it becomes opener, owing to the
uumber of wild pigs ; and here F. and I, with one of the
natives, waited, as it was at this spot that Mr. Gibson had
shot some birds the previous day. I was very unlucky in
shooting several birds which I could not find : Mr. Gibson
soon returned with several birds, but of the same species that
I had already obtained in Hawaii. From here we started
about 12 o'clock, following the path, to try to make the
summit of the mountain. The path soon emerges from the
thick scrub and comparatively tall trees on to a plateau,
where the scrub only reaches one's knees. From this open
plateau we had a magnificent view of the west side of the
island, with Molokai and Maui in the far distance, sur-
rounded by a bright blue sea. The path then ascends gra-
dually till we reach a point overlooking Palawai Valley,

188 Mr. Scott Wilson on some

which looks a mere dot in the landscape, so far is it below
us. We followed the path a little higher, where it becomes
very steep, and the rich light-yellow soil is very slippery
from here to the top of the mountain ; the ohia and other
trees are here of considerable size, but we could neither hear
nor see any birds. However, at a point called Lanaihale, on
our return journey, I caught sight of a bright yellow bird in
an ohia bush, a few yards down the side of the gulch : I put
my gun instantly to my shoulder and fired, down came the
bird ; F. and I scrambled down the gulch, and fortunately
found it. Its breast was of a brilliant yellow, far brighter in
tint than the plumage of any other species I have as yet
obtained ; its legs and bill were a light pink ; in dissecting it
I found some small larvae."

No words of mine can convey an idea of the difficulties
and dangers of collecting in the mountains of Lanai, diffi-
culties due to the almost impenetrable bush which covers
the mountain-plateau, to the fogs which render riding ex-
tremely dangerous, and to the rains which make the nearly
perpendicular mountain-trails dangerous even to a sure-footed
Lanai horse. Indeed, hardened as I was to ei steep bits " in
my island travels, I must confess that the first trip we made
into these mountains surprised me. I must here mention
that the discovery of this interesting species is due to the
kindness of my friend Mr. Henry Gibson, in kindly acting
as our guide on our explorations of these mountain-regions,
and also to Mr. Jesse Moorhead's unvarying kindness to me
during a stay of some weeks' duration under Mr. F. H. Hav-
selden's hospitable roof.

Genus Hemignathus. " Akihiloa."

Thanks to the authorities of the Museums of Liverpool and
Berlin, I have been able to demonstrate, I think indubitably,
the existence of six perfectly distinct species of this remark-
able genus in place of the two, or at most three, which had
been before recognized. The paper containing my remarks
on the subject was printed in 'The Annals and Magazine of
Natural History ' (ser. 6, vol. iv. pp. 400-402) for November

Sandwich-Island Birds. 189

1889, and I here need only give a brief summary of the chief
facts. I found each of the islands of Hawaii and Kauai to
be inhabited by two distinct species, a large one and a small
one, and obtained examples of all four; while I have ascer-
tained that the island of Oahu also had two other species, spe-
cimens of which I have examined, though I myself did not
meet with a single bird of the genus there, owing, no doubt,
to the destruction of the forests on that island. These six
species are as follows : —

1. H. obscurus (Gmel.).~) u

v . . 5- Hawaii.

2. H. olivaceus (Lair.). J

3. H. lichtensteini, mihi. ") ^ ,

4. H. lucidus, Licht. J

5. H. stejnegeri, mihi.") ^

6. H. hanapepe, mihi. J

Of which nos. 2, 4, and 6 may be regarded as belonging to
the subgenus Heterorhynchus. All the birds of this genus
are very shy and difficult of approach, and consequently my
notes on their habits are meagre; but as no observations of
the kind seem to have been ever made before, my own will
be almost like the breaking of new ground. I propose to
treat of these species according to what seems to be their
affinity, and begin with No. 1 of the above list, which, as it
happens, is also the species which has been known for the
longest time : indeed Latham's type specimen, procured on
Cook's third voyage, when the Sandwich Islands were first
discovered, still exists in very decent condition in the Liver-
pool Museum, and through the kindness of Mr. T. J. Moore
I have been able to compare it with my own specimen obtained
over one hundred years later.

9. Hemignathus obscurus.

Hookbilled Green Creeper, Latham, Synops. i. p. 703.

Certhia obscura, Gmelin [ex Latham).

This is the larger of the two species peculiar to the Island
of Hawaii, where it occupies the lower forest-zone, say from
1100 to 2500 feet, among the large ohia trees. It invariably
chooses a rotten or half-dead tree for its hunting-ground, and

190 Mr. Scott Wilson on some

this, I imagine, is because its slender bill, of which the
maxilla does not very greatly exceed the mandible in length,
requires soft material to attack.

It is more unobtrusive and quiet in its movements than
any other member of the genus which I saw, and its sombre
colour is so nearly that of the tree-trunks, that but for its
clear and characteristic call-note, I doubt whether I should
have obtained a single example. At Olaa in the district of
Puna, a place renowned in ancient times for its bird-catchers,
lived, when I was there, an old native, by name Hawelu, an
excellent observer and well skilled in the almost forgotten
art*, who told me that this was an extremely rare species.

It was he who obtained the only specimens known to be in
existence of the " Moho/'' or short-winged Rail, of which one
was exhibited by Prof. Newton at a meeting of the Zoological
Society in January, 1889 (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1889, p. 5) f-

10. Hemignathus lichtensteini.

Hemignathus lichtensteini, Wilson, Ann. & Mag. N. H.
ser. 6, vol. iv. p. 401.

H. obscurus, Lichtenstein, Abhandl. k. Akad. Berlin, 1838,
p. 449, t. v. fig. 1 [nee Gmelin).

This species, mistaken by Lichtenstein for the last, was
obtained by Deppe in Oahu many years ago. I did not meet
with it in a brief expedition made in the remaining forests in
that island, and I believe that it must be nearly, if not quite,
extinct. I am only aware of the existence of a single speci-
men— the type, which Prof. Mobius most kindly gave me the
opportunity of comparing with the true H. obscurus. Un-
fortunately it seems to be a female.

11. Hemignathus stejnegeri. (Plate VI. fig. 2.)
Hemignathus obscurus, Stejneger, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus.

1887, p. 93 {nee Gmelin, nee Licht.).

* Poor Hawelu, since my return to England, has been removed to
Molokai as a leper.

t This species received from Mr. Dole the name of Pennula millsi (see
Ibis, 1880, p. 241) ; but it is undoubtedly the " Rail with very short
wings and no tail " of Captain King (see the narrative of Cook's ' Third
Voyage,' vol. iii. p. 119), whose name for it, Rallus ecaudatus, applied in
1784, antedates even that of Gmelin. Cf. Newton, P. Z. S. 1889, p. 5.

Sandwich-Island Birds. 191

H. stejnegeri, Wilson, Ann. & Mag. N. H. torn. cit. p. 400.

Of this well-marked species, which I am now enabled to
figure for the first time, Mr. V. Knudsen sent specimens to
Dr. Stejneger, who showed them to me in Washington, and
described them, though with some doubt, as belonging
to H. obscurus. Having met with that species on Hawaii,
it was plain to me, so soon as I got the present one in
Kauai, that they were absolutely distinct, and as such I have
described them, dedicating this one to Dr. Stejneger, who
has done so much for the ornithology of the Sandwich Islands
that he well deserves the honour of having this finest species
of the genus named after him.

In regard to its habits I cannot give much information, as
it is a very scarce bird and shy of approach. It lives on
insects, which it finds under the bark of half-rotten trees,
particularly of the ohia, the chief forest-tree on Kauai, the
island to which this species is peculiar, and it there seems to
range from the lowest forest-zone to 3000 feet or perhaps
higher, the greatest height on Kauai (Waialeale) being 4000
feet.

Through the kindness of Prof. Mobius, I have been able to
state that the Hemignathus procerus of Prof. Cabanis — a
description of which I have not yet been so fortunate as to
meet with — is identical with H. stejnegeri.

Being thus furnished with the species of Hemignathus
proper, I now come to those which may form the subgenus
Heterorhynchus, and the first of these, I take, is

12. Hemignathus olivaceus.

Heterorhynchus olivaceus, Lafr. Mag. de Zool. 1839, pi. x.;
Eev. Zool. 1840, p. 321.

This is the second and smaller species of the Island of
Hawaii, to which I believe it to be peculiar, and the first
specimens of it that I obtained were from the district of
Kona at a height of about 5000 feet. In this district it fre-
quents only the koa trees, running up and along their great
smooth trunks and limbs in its search for insects. In the
mamane woods, near Mana, I subsequently found it in con-

192 Mr. Scott Wilson on some

siderable numbers in the month of January, when these trees
are in full flower, resembling laburnums with their golden
clusters. The bark of large examples of this tree is easily
detachable, but although I was never able to approach near
enough to watch the precise way in which the extraordinarily-
shaped bill of this species is brought into play, I conclude
that therewith it does detach the bark, and then seizes the
insects beneath with its long tongue.

13. Hemignathus lucidus.

Hemignathus lucidus, Licht. Abhandl. Akad. Berl. 1838,
p. 451, t. v. figs. 2, 3.

This species has been most wrongly confounded with the
preceding, as anyone may perceive who examines specimens
of the two, for the present has by no means the same very
remarkable form of mandible as H. olivaceus. I hope to
give figures of both in my forthcoming work. H. lucidus
formerly inhahitcd Oahu, but I did not meet with it, and fear
that, like H. lichtensteini, it may have become extinct ; there
are, however, many more specimens of H. lucidus existing in
collections than of H. lichtensteini.

14. Hemignathus hanapepe. (Plate VI. fig. 1.)
Hemignathus hanapepe, Wilson, Ann. Mag. N. II. torn. cit.

p. 401.

This species is the only one of the genus to which the
natives have given a different name — " Akihiloa," or " Aki-
aloa, as it is often called, being applied by them to all the
rest, while " Nukupuu " (from Nuku, bill) is used for this
alone. That it is a very scarce bird in the forests of Kauai
is pretty clearly shown by the fact that my friend Mr. Francis
Gay, of Makaweii, in that island, who for some years past has
paid attention to its birds, had never seen specimens of this
one, until I showed him those which I had been fortunate
enough to procure in the forest surrounding the little moun-
tain-house belonging to the Sinclair family in the district of
Hanapepe, after which I named my new discovery. In this
house, to which Mr. Robinson most kindly accompanied me,
some five hours' ride from any other habitation, and at an

Sandwich-Island Birds. 193

elevation of some 3000 feet, I stayed for ten days. It is
completely surrounded by forest on three sides, but on the
fourth has a fine outlook to the sea, and across a stupendous
and thickly-wooded ravine, which separates the mountain-
plateau from that on which Mr. Knudsen's small mountain-
residence is situated, and where he forms the collections he
has sent to Dr. Stejneger in Washington.

In coloration this species much approaches H. olivaceus,
but differs chiefly in the form of its bill. The male, as will
be seen by the Plate (Plate VI. fig. 1), shows a very brilliant
yellow, and I may say that on this account when I shot my
first specimen, which was on a lofty ohia tree, I thought it
was a Himutione parva, and was therefore greatly delighted to
find, in picking it up, that I had secured a specimen which
was quite new to me. It was, however, known to my native
guide, who at once gave me his name for it ; and this, as I
subsequently learned through Mr. Gay, was correct.

The female, which I intend to figure in my work, is of a
much duller colour, and the slaty colour of her upper parts
enables one to distinguish her easily enough even when she
is engaged in hunting for insects at a great height from the
ground. I am assured by the natives that this species also
lives upon oranges and bananas, and I have every confidence
in the assertion.

15. Oreomyza bairdi. " Alakihi."

This species was first obtained by Mr. Knudsen in Kauai,
to which island it is peculiar, and an excellent description
given of it by Dr. Stejneger (Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. x.
pp. 99, 100), to which I can only add that the bill is light brown
tinged with pink, and the legs are light pink. It is usually
met with in small flocks of from eight to twelve, and is a
particularly active bird in running up and down the limbs
and trunks of the high trees in search of insects. Its short
tail, in Dr. Stejneger' s opinion, indicates its terrestrial habits;
but I only observed it at some considerable height from the
ground, in the lofty ohia trees, for the dead branches of
which it evinces a decided preference. It is the most active

194- Mr. Scott Wilson on some

bird of the Hawaiian forests in its movements, and from its
short tail and compact form bears a decided resemblance to
our Nuthatch (Sitta europaa). Its note is a simple twit,
twit, twit, repeated constantly.

It seems to range to the elevation of 3000 feet.

Some examples of this bird have the forehead white, and
Dr. Stejneger, in a letter to Professor Newton, raises the
question of there being two distinct species. I do not think
there is more than one species, as all my examples were
obtained in one locality ; but at the same time the variation
in plumage does not seem to be due to sex.

16. PsiTTIROSTRA PSITTACEV. " Ou."

This well-known species is distributed throughout the
group, and I obtained specimens from every island, save from
Oahu, where I have good reason to believe it has become
extinct, or else extremely scarce. I do not detect any appre-
ciable difference between specimens from the various islands,
although I think those I obtained on Lanai are brightest in
plumage. The size and shape of the curiously-formed bill of
this species varies considerably, especially in the males, in
some of which the maxilla is remarkably elongated and de-
curved.

Next to Vestiaria coccinea it is perhaps the most notice-
able of the forest-birds of the islands, the bright yellow head
and neck of the adult males rendering them very conspicuous
in their straight dashing flight from tree to tree. The imma-
ture males and the females, which want this distinctive feature,
might easily be mistaken for the sombre-clad Phceornis obscura,
but the constant twittering the Ou almost invariably makes
while feeding at once betrays its identity. Freshly killed
examples possess a peculiar scent, which I did not observe
as belonging to any other forest-dwelling species, and which
is probably due to their extremely varied fruit-diet. Neck-
laces (" leis^) used sometimes to be made from the bright
green feathers of the back and underparts of this bird, but they
were commonly used in combination with the black feathers
of Acrulocercus nobilis and the scarlet feathers of Vestiaria

Sandwich-Island Birds. 195

coccinea. I saw a feather wreath thus made at Olaa, in the
district of Puna, which I attempted to purchase ; but the
native woman wanted a very high price for it, which I was
disinclined to give. Though Psittirostra, as remarked above,
is generally distributed throughout the group, in no districts
does it seem to be abundant. I think that the locality, in
which I found it in the greatest numbers was among the
trees clothing the abrupt sides of the deep ravine which
runs down to the leper-settlement on the island of Molokai.
Very lovely these little birds looked, flying continually to
and fro, up and down this stupendous gorge, their yellow
necks flashing in the bright sunlight, as they darted out
from among the dark green ohias or from the silvery foliage
of the kuhui {Aleurites triloba).

The food of Psittirostra consists entirely of fruits, and
chiefly of that of the Freycinetia arborea, the ripe red seeds
of which I in most cases found when dissecting them. 1
noticed also, particularly in one locality, on the outskirts
of a forest in the district of Kona, that a very large propor-
tion of the fruits of this climber were eaten away at the apex,
and in this wood Psittirostra was especially abundant. I,
however, shot examples as they were busily engaged in feed-
ing on the small crimson fruit of the wild mulberry (Morus
papyri/era), the juice of which had dyed their throats a deep
crimson. In districts where the guava is found, Psittirostra
also feeds on its fruits ; and I kept one alive for several days,
feeding it solely on the fruit of this tree.

The vertical range of this species extends from the lowest
forest-zone up to 3000 feet.

17. Ph^eornis obscura. " Omao."

This sombre-coloured bird is still fairly common in the
forests of Hawaii, while a very nearly allied species, P. mya-
destina, recently described by Dr. Stejneger (Proc. U.S. Nat.
Mus. x. p. 90), inhabits the island of Kauai. The Omao
is a very tame bird, and though it does not court man's
society, it shows little fear of him. Indeed, it was no un-
common occurrence for one to alight within a few yards of

196 Herr. L. Zehntner on the Development of

me and begin its melodious song, which much resembles that
of our Common Thrush, though inferior in volume. It is,
nevertheless, so varied and sweet, that the bird is fairly en-
titled to be called Hawaii's Nightingale. Mr. D. H. Hitch-
cock of Hilo told me that many years ago the natives used to
bring him the young of this species, which, for the sake of
their song, he kept in a cage.

The habit of singing, like a Lark on the wing, possessed
by P. myadestina, as mentioned by Dr. Stejneger on Mr.
Knudsen's authority, was observed by me in both species ;
but the gentleman last named is incorrect in applying the
name of " Uapauau " or " Ou " to the one recently described.
The call-note of P. obscura is a particularly clear tweet, very
easily recognized, but it also utters a very remarkable hissing
sound when approached. Its flight is slow, and I have fre-
quently shot it as it was flying from tree to tree. It pos-
sesses also the very peculiar habit (not noticed by Mr. Knudsen
in regard to P. myadestina) of shaking its wings when
perched on a branch, as if it were shivering with cold or
seized with an attack of ague.

The vertical range of this species extends from the lowest
forest-zone up to 5000 feet.

XVII. — On the Development of the Feet o/Cypselus melba.
By L. Zehntner, Cand. Phil., of Bern."*

Being at present engaged in a study of the development of
Cypse/us melba, especially directed towards the elucidation of
its osteological peculiarities, I publish the following inter-
esting results, reserving details for a forthcoming work.

As is well known, the genus Cypselusis distinguished from
all others by the remarkable reductions in the feet. Accord-
ing to Huxley's law, we find in birds the first toe provided
with two, the second with three, the third with four, and the

* Translated (by permission) from a paper in the ' Zoologischer An-
zeiger' (No. 319, 1889), entitled "Zur Entwiaklung von Cypselus melba
(Alpensegler)," von L. Zehntner, Cand. Phil, in Bern.

the Feet 0/ Cypselus inelba. 197

fourth with five phalanges. Cypselus and also, according to
Sclater (P. Z. S. 1865, p. 596) and Forbes (Ibis, 1882, p. 390),
Panyptila so far differ from this plan that the third and fourth
toe have each only three phalanges, while the other Cypselidae
display the normal condition. The genus Cypselus thus
lacks one phalanx in the third toe and two in the fourth.
This reduction has been long known, but never more closely
investigated. It was to be expected that embryology would
lead to the required explanation, and I therefore undertook
the research, the more readily as material was easy to be
obtained in Bern, where, on the tower of the cathedral,
Cypselus melba nests. All the extremities were investi-
gated, and the following is a bi'ief statement of the result : —
In embryos of the 5th and 6th days the skeleton of the
foot shows a series of continuous and diverging bars of
cartilage, which could only be partially followed into the toes.
On the 8th day the appearances are changed. Not only are
the three principal divisions of the limb plainly separated,
but also to a certain extent the phalanges (see fig. 1, p. 198).
Metalarsale i. corresponds in position to about the middle of
M. ii., and bears the two phalanges of the first toe. M. n.,
in., and iv. are connected proximally by the distal tarsal row,
distally they are free. Their phalanges are plainly recogniz-
able ; only the boundary between the last phalanx but one
and the one which bears the claw has quite vanished, and is
represented by a broad dark band; the distal end of the
claw-bearing phalanx is not sharply marked. On the other
hand an embryo of ten days shows an appearance (fig. 2)
which leaves little to be desired in the way of clearness. I
find the first toe with two, the second with three, and the third
and fourth with four phalanges each. These numbers are
repeated in the adult Pteroclidse and in most Caprimulgidse.
The difference from the normal bird's foot is now reduced to
a single phalanx missing in the fourth toe. I believe I have
also found this. Fig. 3 represents a condition which is slightly
younger than fig. 1 . In the second toe we see one, in the third
two, and in the fourth three separate phalanges. After these
there follows in each toe (the first is unfortunately injured)

SEK. VI. — VOL. II. p

198

Herr. L. Zehntner on the Development of

an unjointed cartilaginous streak, which in the next stage
(fig. 1) is divided into two phalanges. We have thus also
in the fourth toe, at a certain period, the normal number of
phalanges, viz. three separate phalanges and a bit of carti-
lage which corresponds to two phalanges, into which it is
later split up. The first phalanx, however, comes into very-
near relation with metatarsale iv., and finally fuses with it,
before the claw-bearing phalanx is differentiated. In fig. 1
there is no longer any trace of this phalanx. To return to
fig. 2, the first phalanx of the second and third and the

Fiar. 2.

Fijr. 1.

Fig. 3.

Embryonic feet of Cypselus nielba.
Fig. 1. Of the eighth day.

2. Of the tenth day.

3. Of a stage rather earlier than in fig. 1 .

first (really second) of the fourth toe are spherical, with
nearly even articular surfaces. The second phalanx of the
third toe is very short, broader than long, in fact disk-
shaped. This is the case to a greater extent with the second
phalanx of the fourth toe. The two terminal phalanges of
the three outer toes are much more slender and are all of a
similar form.

The question now arises — What is the fate of the second
phalanx of the third and fourth toe ? In an embryo of the
12th day they are present, and even more conspicuous than
on the 10th day. In the third toe the phalanx in question
gets more quadrangular in form, in the fourth rounder. The

the Feet of Cypselus melba. 199

first phalanx of the three outer toes has lost its spherical
form and become cubical. In the ungual phalanges, in
which the bending towards the lower side may be seen, the
formation of the nail has begun. In nestlings of the 14th day
a fusion has commenced. Unfortunately the limbs in this
and in older stages, on account of their thickness, do not allow
of a sufficiently accurate observation of the process of fusion.
Sections, which I have not yet been able to prepare, would
probably give the desired result. Yet I believe that I may
safely say that in the third toe the second and third phalanges
fuse, in the fourth toe the metatarsal and the first phalanx,
and the second and third phalanx. At any rate I have
observed in several preparations in the upper part of the
second phalanx of the third toe a slight transverse groove,
probably the last trace of an earlier separated condition.
And in the fourth toe the second (that is, actually the
third) phalanx is in very close relation with the fourth —
a fusion has thus commenced. The main fact is, that origi-
nally the normal number of phalanges is present, if only for
a short time, and that they are afterwards diminished by
fusion. The cause of this fusion is possibly that the foot,
which serves to catch hold of rocks, walls, beams, &c, re-
quires to be strengthened, and this strengthening is pro-
duced by a reduction of the joints.

A. further peculiarity of Cypselus is the short strong
humerus and the disproportionately long hand. In the full-
grown wing the length of the hand to that of the arm is as
7:5. This remarkable condition is only found in Cypselus
and iu the Trochilidee. It is interesting to find that this con-
dition is only the result of secondary modifications. I find
in a series of stages the following proportions : —

Humerus.

8 days' embryo 1

10 ,, „ 1

12 „ „ 1

W „ „ 1

16 „ „ 1

Newly hatched young . . 1

Chick of three weeks .... 1

Full-grown 1

Radius.

Manus.

0-86

1-71

1-12

2-31

112

2-32

1-12

2-30

1-12

2-36

1-27

2-43

1-42

310

1-44

:;-47

r :i

200 Mr. H. Seebolim on the

It follows from this table that in an 8 clays' chick, contrary
to what we find in the adult, first the humerus is longer than
the radius, and secondly the arm is longer than the hand. The
contrast would be greater in this stage if the length of its
skeleton could be taken as representing the length of the
hand. But this is impossible owing to the absence of a
definite boundary to the skeletal parts distally, and there-
fore the length of the wing from the radial carpal is taken
to represent that of the hand. This stage (that of the
8 days' embryo) lasts but a short time. As the above table
shows further on, the proportions alter in an embryo of
10 days ; the radius is longer than the humerus and the
hand longer than the arm — not strikingly so, but still dis-
tinctly. From the 10th day onward to hatching there is
no further change in the proportions. All three regions of
the wing grow at a nearly equal pace. Afterwards, during the
nesting-stage, the forearm and, to a much greater degree,
the hand grow out of these proportions. It appears that
the nestling, as far as its anterior extremity is concerned,
becomes a Cijpselus after the time of hatching. The humerus,
even on the 16th day, has much resemblance to the definite
form, while the hand has to grow considerably.

As Jeffries (" On the Claws and Spurs of Birds' Wings,"
Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist. vol. xxi. p. 301) has already
pointed out, the thumb of Cijpselus has a claw. This is first
formed on the 10th day. In this stage the second finger
also has a slender claw, as I have discovered by a suitable
preparation. The claw of the pollex remains for some weeks
after hatching ; the claw of the index finger very rapidly
disappears. As regards the carpus and tarsus, I shall treat
of this subject in my complete memoir.

XVIII. — An Attempt to Diagnose the Subclass Coraciiformes
and the Orders, Suborders, and Families comprised therein.
By Henry Seebohm.
The Coraciiformes differ from all other birds in the arrange-
ment of their deep plantar tendons. There is amongst birds,

Subclass Coraciiformes. 201

as well as amongst mammals, some variation, even amongst
allied species, in the modification of these muscles ; but this
variation only occurs within comparatively narrow limits*
In nine genera of Accipitres I have found that the inside or
front plantar {flexor perforans digitorum) divides into three
tendons at the foot of the tarsus, the three tendons leading
to the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th digits respectively ; whilst the out-
side or hind plantar {flexor longus hallucis) divides into two
tendons at the foot of the tarsus, one leading to the hallux
and the other to the 2nd digit. In the Osprey {Pandion
haliaetus) this arrangement is modified ; the front plantar is
the same as in the nine other genera of Accipitres ; but the
hind plantar, instead of dividing into two, divides into four,
and leads to each of the four digits* The Scansorial arrange-
ment of the deep plantar tendons is very different from this ;
the front plantar leads to the 3rd digit only, whilst the hind
plantar leads to the 1st, 2nd, and 4th digits. The hetero-
dactyle arrangement differs, again, from all these modifi-
cations ; the front plantar leads to the two front toes (the
3rd and 4th digits), whilst the hind plantar leads to the two
hind toes (the 1st and 2nd digits). But all these apparently
wide deviations from the common type may be generalized
as follows : — The flexor perforans digitorum never leads to
the hallux, and the flexor longus hallucis always does, except
in those cases where the hallux is absent or so small that it
does not receive any tendon from either of the deep plant ars.
In the Coraciiformes exactly the opposite is the case. The
hallux is always present, and always receives its tendon from
the flexor perforans digitorum, and not from the flexor longus
hallucis. The two plantars are always more or less coalesced,
as they are in the Accipitres, Anseres, &c, but may easily be
separated by gently tearing them asunder. In very many
cases it is not necessary to do this, inasmuch as the tendon
to the hallux branches off from the flexor perforans digitorum
before the two plantars coalesce.

It is scarcely possible that such a remarkable condition of
the deep plantar tendons could have been independently
acquired by two groups of birds.

202 Hr. M. Seebolim on the

It is now fifteen years since this unique arrangement of
the deep plantar tendons in certain birds was recorded
(Garrod, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1875, p. 344), but there are suffi-
cient reasons to account for the small importance which was
attached to the discovery. Two years before Garrod pub-
lished his paper on the deep plantar tendons, he promulgated
a new classification of birds, founded chiefly on the muscles
of the thigh, the presence or absence of cseca, and the con-
dition of the oil-gland, whether nude or tufted. Amongst
the birds which possess the Coraciine arrangement of the
deep plantar tendons are some with caeca and a nude oil-gland,
some with no caeca and a tufted oil-gland, and others with no
cseca and a nude oil-gland. There is also one group with an
ambiens muscle, which none of the others possess. It is
therefore quite obvious that Garrod could not give to this
feature of the arrangement of the deep plantar tendons the
importance which I have ventured to attach to it, without
completely throwing overboard the main characters upon
which his new classification was based.

It does not appear that either Garrod or Forbes ever ex-
amined the deep plantar tendons of the Humming-birds.
The Trochilidse and the Cypselidse constitute the Cypseli-
formes of Garrod, and the Macrochires of Nitzsch, and have
been regarded by most ornithologists as closely allied families.
Two important papers, however, have taken up a contrary
opinion (Shufeldt, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1885, p. 886, and Journ.
Linn. Soc, Zoology, 1889, p. 374), and in the latter the
author mentions the arrangement of the deep plantar ten-
dons. To verify the statement there made I have had the
feet of three Humming-birds dissected by three independent
experts, and in every case it has been found that the deep
plantar tendons are not Coraciine, but very closely resemble
those of the Eurylsemi.

I propose therefore to remove the Trochili from the com-
panionship of the Cypselidse and place them as a suborder of
the Pico-Passeres.

If the Coraciiformes be regarded as one of the six sub-
classes into which the class Aves is divided (and the import-

Subclass Coraciilornies. 203

ance of the character appears to warrant such a course), we
may divide it into two orders, which may be diagnosed as
follows : —

1 Mimogypes. — No lateral bare tracts on the neck ; front
plantar leading to hallux ; basipterygoid processes present ;
to which may be added, ambiens muscle present.

This order contains the Cathartidse of the New World.
I have examined the feet of several species and find that
the flexor perforans digitorum always leads to the 1st, 2nd,
and 3rd digits, whilst the flexor longus hallucis sometimes
leads to the 3rd and 4th, and sometimes to the 2nd, 3rd,
and 4th digits, but never to the hallux.

The Scansores having been disposed of amongst the Pico-
Passeres, and the Coccyges having been elevated to the rank
of an order, the Picarise, as thus restricted, appear to form
a natural group, which may be diagnosed as follows : —

Picari^e. — Hallux always present, and connected with the
flexor perforans digitorum, and not with the flexor longus
hallucis : no ambiens muscle.

This order may be divided into three suborders, which
may be diagnosed as follows : —

Halcyones. — Front plantar leading to hallux ; well-de-
fined lateral bare tracts on the neck ; spinal feather-tract
not forked on the back : to which may be added, palate
desmognathous ; vomer not ossified ; basipterygoid processes
absent.

CoracIjE. — Front plantar leading to hallux ; well-defined
lateral bare tracts on the neck ; spinal feather-tract forked
on the upper back ; oil-gland nude or absent.

Bucerotes. — Front plantar leading to hallux ; no lateral
bare tracts on the neck ; no basipterygoid processes ; to
which may be added, episternal processes perforated to receive
the feet of the coracoids.

It is possible that the Halcyones and the Coracise ought
not to be divided upon their spinal feather-tracts, but upon
the condition of their young at birth. The Caprimulgidae
are born covered with down. It is possible that this may
also be the case with the Podargidse and the Steatornithidae.

204 On the Subclass Coraciiformes.

Leptosomus, with its powder-down patches like the Podargidse,
seems to have so many affinities with the Coraciidse that, in
the absence of information as to the condition of their young
at birth, I have not ventured to separate them.

The Halcyones contain four families : —

Todidce. — Halcyones with cseca and large tufts to the oil-
glands ; two notches on each side of the posterior margin of
the steruum.

Momotida. — Halcyones with no cseca ; tufts of oil-gland
very small or absent ; one or both of the notches on each
side of the posterior margin of the sternum converted into
foramina.

Coliidce. — Halcyones with neither central nor lateral bare
tracts on the breast.

AlcedinidcB. — Halcyones with tufted oil-gland and no cseca ;
two notches on each side of the posterior margin of the
sternum ; well-defined central and lateral bare tracts on the
breast.

The Coracise consist of seven families : —

Cypselida. — Coracise with no cseca; all four toes directed
forwards.

Caprimulffida. — Coracise with cseca and basipterygoid pro-
cesses ; dorsal vertebrse heterocoelous.

SteatornithidcB. — Coracise with caeca and basipterygoid
processes ; dorsal vertebrse opisthocoelous.

Podargidae . — Coracise with a powder-down patch on each
side of the rump ; ten rectrices ; no oil-gland.

Lepiosomidce. — Coracise with a powder-down patch on each
side of the rump ; twelve rectrices ; nude oil-gland.

Coraciidce. — Coracise with no powder-down patches ; no
basipterygoid processes ; well- developed cseca ; episternal
processes not perfected to receive the feet of the coracoids.

Meropidce. — Coracise with the episternal process perforated
to receive the feet of the coracoids.

The Bucerotes consist of only one family, the Bucerotidse.

The importance of the character upon which I have ven-
tured to found the subclass Coraciiformes has been to some ex-
tent admitted by some American ornithologists (cf. Stejneger,

On three new Species of Flycatchers. 205

Stand. Nat. Hist. iv. p. 371), but it seems to me that it is
not a natural arrangement to associate with the Coracii-
formes birds with galline plantars, like the Cuculi, the Mu-
sophagi, and the Trochili; birds with Passerine plantars,
like the Upupse ; birds with Picine plantars, like the Scan-
sores ; and birds with Trogonine plantars, like the Trogones ;
whilst birds with Coraciine plantars, like the Cathartes, are
excluded. This is, of course, a matter of opinion ; but to
include the Meropidse and the Bucerotidae in the Halcyones
(or Alcedinoidese, op. cit. p. 395), which are described as having
the " dorsal tract simple between the shoulders," appears to
me to be inconsistent with fact. So far as I can judge from
an examination of specimens of three species of Merops,
the spinal feather-tract is forked between the shoulders in
the Meropidse, though perhaps not quite so far forward as
in the Coraciidse, whilst the spinal feather-tract of the Buce-
rotidae is described by Nitzsch as double in some species and
simple in others on the interscapular region. After the
Bucerotidse and the Meropidse have been removed from the
Halcyones, the remaining families can be described as not
having the spinal feather-tract forked either on the upper
or lower back, a character which greatly simplifies their
diagnosis.

In conclusion, I take the opportunity of correcting an
unfortunate blunder in my paper on the Pico-Passeres (Ibis,
1890, p. 36). At the bottom of the page the names Bucco-
nidse and Galbulidse should be transposed.

XIX. — Descriptions of three new Species of Flycatchers.
By R. Bowdler Sharpe, F.L S., F.Z.S., &c.

Amongst a few birds presented to the British Museum by
Dr. G. Vorderman is an example of a small Siphia from
Mount Gedeh, in Java, which appears to me to be unde-
scribed. It belongs to the plain-coloured group of the
genus, and its nearest ally seems to be the female of Siphia
caruleata (Cat. B. iv. p. 457), which has also whitish legs,
but which differs in having a blue tail.

206 Ou three new Species of Flycatchers.

I propose to attach the name of Dr. Vorderman to this
new Flycatcher, in recognition of his twelve years' work in
the Indo-Malayan Archipelago.

(1) SlPHIA VORDERIVIANI, Sp. n.

^uviv'i ^-dult male (Mount Gedeh). General colour above brown,
the head like the back; the upper tail-coverts bright fer-
ruginous, contrasting with the back ; tail also ferruginous,
dusky brown on the inner web ; lesser wing-coverts like the
back; remainder of coverts and quills dusky brown, edged
with brown like the back, a little more rufous on the margins
of the secondaries ; the median series tipped with fulvous
spots, slight traces of which are seen on the greater coverts ;
lores fulvescent ; ear-coverts and sides of face dark brown,
with fulvous shaft-stripes ; cheeks and chin whitish, becom-
ing tinged with orange-rufous on the throat, this colour
spreading over the breast ; lower breast and abdomen pure
white, including the under tail-coverts ; thighs ashy ; sides
of body and flanks olive-brown ; under wing-coverts white,
with dusky bases : " lores yellow " {A. G. Vorderman) .
Total length 4-1 inches, culmen 05, wing 2-21, tail T8,
tarsus 06.
Hah. Java.

(2) SlPHIA ELOPURENSIS, Sp. n.

Adult. Similar to S. vordermani, but distinguished by its
olive-brown upper tail-coverts and outer web of the tail-
feathers, which resemble the back, and do not show the
rufous of S. vordermani. Total length 43 inches, culmen
0-55, wing 2-25, tail 1'6, tarsus 06.

Hah. Elopura, N.E. Borneo [H. Prijer).

I have had an example of this little Flycatcher for some
time in the Museum, but have hesitated to describe it, as it
looks so much like the female of one of the other species. Now
that Dr. Vorderman has discovered an allied species in Java,
and has sent the male, it is evident that there is a represen-
tative form in Borneo which is worthy of a name.

(3) PlEZORHYNCHUS FLORENCI/E, Sp. U.

Adult male. Above blue-grey, the lesser wing-coverts like

On the Young of Pallas' s Sand- Grouse. 207

the back ; the rest of the wing-coverts and quills dusky
brown, edged with grey ; tail-feathers blackish, with grey
margins ; crown of head a little more dusky grey than the
back, especially on the forehead, lores, cheeks, and throat,
the two latter being blackish j below the eye a white spot ;
ear-coverts slaty grey, surmounted by a broad white eyebrow,
the white extending a little behind the ear-coverts on the
sides of the neck ; lower throat, fore neck, and chest blue-
grey ; breast and remainder of under surface of body bright
cinnamon-rufous, including the under tail-coverts ; thighs
grey ; under wing-coverts blue-grey, washed with cinnamon ;
quills dusky, ashy along the inner web : " bill and legs slaty
blue ; iris black " (C. M. Woodford) . Total length 63 inches,
culmen 0*65, wing 3*1, tail 2'45, tarsus 0*7.

Adult female. Like the male, but entirely grey on the
head and neck, and without black on the cheeks or throat ;
no white on the eyebrow or sides of neck: "bill and legs
slaty blue; iris black " (C. M. TV.). Total length 6 inches,
culmen 0*65, wing 3*0, tail 3'45, tarsus 0'7.

Young male. Similar to the female, but with a little black
on the head and face, and some white round the eye.

Hub. Island of Ilubiana, Solomon Archipelago.

This new species bears at first sight some resemblance to
Monarcha inomata in the colour of the abdomen and the
grey upper surface, but the close-set plumage of the forehead
and the white eyebrow serve to distinguish P.florencia, the
former character placing it in the genus Piezorhynchus.
Here its nearest ally is P. richardsi, but it is grey instead of
black, and has only a white eyebrow instead of a white hinder
crown.

XX. — On the Young of Pallas' s Sand-Grouse (Syrrhaptes
paradoxus). By Alfred Newton.

(Plate VII.)

Pending the publication of Dr. Rudolf Blasius's promised
report, which I trust will enable me to discharge the duty,

208 Prof. A. Newton on the

laid upon me by the Editor of ' The Ibis/ of telling, from
the beginning, in its pages the story of the latest irruption
of Syrrhaptes into Europe, I think it advisable to give the
readers of this Journal the particulars of one of the most
gratifying results of that remarkable event. This seems the
more necessary since the main fact was announced by me at
the last meeting of the British Association for the Advance-
ment of Science, held at Newcastle-upon-Tyne in September
1889, when I had the pleasure of exhibiting to those present
a specimen of the chick of Syrrhaptes paradoxus — the first,
so far as I know, that had ever been brought to the notice
of any body of naturalists, and, moreover, one that had been
hatched in a free state in this island.

The readers of Mr. H. A. Macpherson's interesting little
pamphlet* will be aware that in 1888 Major Chadwick in-
formed Mr. Harvie-Brown that the gamekeeper of the
former, with the aid of a spaniel-dog, about the end of June
in that year, discovered some newly hatched Sand-Grouse on
the sand-hills of Moray, which at the time were frequented
by companies of from two to three hundred birds of this
species. By the kindness of those gentlemen I was placed
in communication with this gamekeeper, by name Alexander
Scott, who in answer to my enquiries favoured me with an
account so satisfactory that I had no hesitation in accepting
it. Though extracts from his letters to me have been already
printed by Mr. Macpherson, it seems due to the observer
that all his information should be here inserted. Writing
to me on the 16th of February, 1889, Scott stated: —

" About the Sand-Grouse, I may mention that one day last
summer, the latter end of June, in going my rounds I started
a pair of Sand-Grouse, which allowed me to get within about
ten yards of them. I was surprised to see they only flew
about forty yards. I went to where they got up and ex-
amined the place, when I first got one young and then
another, about ten yards apart.

* The Visitation of Pallas's Sand-Grouse to Scotland in 1888. By
Rev. II. A. Macpherson, M.A. London : 1889 (Porter, Princes Street,
Cavendish Square).

Young of P 'alias's Sand- Grouse. 209

" I had them in my hands,, and having seen the old birds
several times, as well as having them dead in my possession,
and knowing the peculiar foot they have got, I at once
examined the young ones' feet, and found the three small
toes, with the pad underneath the small foot, so that I could
not be deceived. I have not the slightest doubt but that they
were the young of the Sand-Grouse. I may mention that
I do not think they came to maturity, as I have often seen
the old birds without the young ; but that I cannot be sure
about, as I did not want to disturb them but as little as
possible. I should also have mentioned that, as far as 1
could judge, the birds would be about three or four days old
when I found them. You may make any use of this, as I
have given a true report of what I have seen."

Again, in a letter to me, dated the 25th of the same
month, he added : —

" The young Sand- Grouse, when I saw them first, were
crouching close to the ground, — were it not for a dog I
had with me, I might not have seen them. After I had
them in my hand and put them down, they crouched again
close to the ground. I did not look if there were any more
of the brood, as I was afraid I might tread on them.

" The nature of the ground where they were found was
sand, with tufts of bent or long rough grass growing on
it, the same as generally grows on sand near the seaside/'

On my making these statements known to Mr. Macpher-
son, he lost no time in going to Moray and in seeing Scott,
of whom he writes {op. cit. p. 27) : — "We put him through
a cross-examination, with the result that he fully confirmed
his oral and written statements previously received."

Satisfied as I was in my own mind as to the truth of the
evidence just adduced, I could not but regret that no pro-
fessed ornithologist should have seen so interesting an object
as the young Syrrhaptes, and I feared that a grand oppor-
tunity, never to occur again, had been lost. However, about
noon on the 9th of August, 1889, there was delivered to me
a small box, marked outside " Live Bird." Accustomed as
I am to receive unexpected consignments of this kind, I of

210 Prof. A. Newton on the

course proceeded to shut the windows before I opened the
package, lest the captive should escape. My precaution in
this case was needless. I found the poor prisoner had been
already liberated by death; but I leave my readers to judge
of my feelings when, instead of the pied Sparrow or something
just as valuable, which long experience has taught me to regard
as the ordinary occupant of boxes similarly delivered, I found
that for which I was wholly unprepared. As I carefully
raised the lid there was before me the down-clad chick of
what might, so far as the first glance went, be a Tern, a
Plover, or a Sandpiper. But as I lifted it from its scanty
bed of dry grass the next moment revealed to me

— " the feet of the Queen of the yellow sands,"

and I was certain that 1 had in my hand a young Syrrhaptes !

The following is a description which I immediately drew
up :—

Weight a little more than ^ oz. Length, in a prone
position, from tip of bill to coccyx 33 in. ; tibia *86 ; tarsus
to tip of middle claw '9 ; carpal joint to tip of longest digit
•68 ; nostril to tip of bill "22 ; anterior canthus to tip of bill
•46. Outer toe united to middle toe to within -05 of tip, inner
united to middle to within 1 of tip. No trace of hind toe.

Bill blackish-grey, paling into dusky horn-colour towards
the tip, no trace of armature on culmen, mandible rather
more livid. Bare skin round eyes dusky bluish-grey. Irides
dull hazel. Soles pale ochre; claws dusky white.

Downy plumage. Immediately above each nostril is a
cream-coloured V pointing forwards, succeeded by a rich
brown triangle, also pointing forwards, with a black terminal
margin produced backwards to bound on each side a
cream-coloured mesial stripe. Behind these triangles a
cream-coloured patch reaching to anterior canthus and
succeeded by a rich brown L-shaped patch, extendiug from
the eyebrow to the black boundary line of the mesial stripe.
This patch, barred with black, on tips of down, is invaded
by one arm of a cream-coloured patch, the general tendency
of which is to gird the hind head like a coronet, but runs
forwards in the midst to meet the mesial stripe, while the
lateral patch of rich brown, interrupted on the top of the
head by irregular cream-coloured frecklings, is produced
backward and becomes paler, though still mottled with

Young of P 'alias's Sand-Grouse. 211

black. Immediately beneath the eye is a curved brown
patch,, streaked with black, then a large cream-coloured space,
running backward to join the coronet, bearing a quadran-
gular brown patch beneath the mandible and in a line with
the eye, and another directly below the ear. The chin is
more tinged with buff, and this colour extends all over the
front and lower parts of the body and legs to the claws.
Along the ridge of the neck is a light brown streak tinged
with sienna, which, edged on either side by a light sienna
streak, is continuous along the back till just above the
lumbar region, where these streaks unite and form a conspi-
cuous stripe that extends to the coccyx, being bordered on
each side by a streak of very deep brown — almost black —
slightly mottled with sienna. The upper part of the back
and wings is mottled sienna and dark brown, with irregular
lines or patches of cream-colour, one of which forms a
crescent on the upper part of the humerus, while another is
very distinct just below the edge of the forearm. The
lumbar region shews two distinct pairs of cream-coloured
patches, one extending over the articulation of the femur,
the other further back. The flanks are covered with tufts
of down of the same cream-colour, sienna, and rich brown,
the first perhaps predominating so as to form a line parallel
to the axis of the femur.

The forehead and chin are beset with long hairs, black on
the former, but on the latter dusky at the base of the bill,
and afterwards cream-coloured — the last are continued over
all the throat and breast.

I had hardly finished the above description when a letter
from Major Chadwick reached me by post. It was dated
the 8th of August (the preceding day), and informed me
that, knowing how anxious I had been the year before to see
the young of Syrrhaptes, he had sent me the example just
described, " found at Binsness to-day." I must apologize
to that gentleman for disobeying his command, which was to
return it to him as soon as I had looked at it, that he might
have it stuffed ; but I telegraphed and wrote to him that it
was absolutely necessary for me to have its portrait taken
before I could send it back, and accordingly, having in the
meanwhile ascertained by telegraph that Mr. Frohawk was
at home and willing to depict it, I forwarded it the same
night to him, whereby he was able to execute, within forty-

212 Prof. A. Newton on the

eight hours of the bird's death, the very successful drawings
which he has since transferred to stone in illustration of this
paper (Plate VII.). Subsequently the bird was sent to Mr.
Cullingford, of the Museum of the University of Durham,
by whom it was preserved with his accustomed skill, and
was exhibited by me at the meeting of the British Associa-
tion as before mentioned. If my readers will take the
trouble to compare Mr. Frohawk's figures with my descrip-
tion they will, I think, admit that the discrepancies are only
those of a kind which can hardly fail to occur when a speci-
men is viewed by different eyes. I must add, however, that
the bird being dead, the expression given to it in the side
view of its head is, of course, imaginary — there being nothing
to guide him or me as to the truth in this matter. I
never saw the living chick of a Sand-Grouse, and the only
representation of one with which I am acquainted is that of
Pteroe/es alchata in the ' Proceedings of the Zoological
Society ' for 1866 (pi. ix. fig. 2), while I am not sure whether
that was drawn from the living bird or not. The general
resemblance in pattern of the clothing of the two will be
manifest ; but it is easy to observe individual differences —
such, for instance, as the apparently more hooped form of
the white markings on the body of Pterocles and the absence
of the two lateral white lines on the head of Syrrhaptes.

An additional reason for my satisfaction at being able to
give a description and figures of this little bird is that thereby
may be set at rest several reports which have been current
on the Continent to the effect that the young of Syrrhaptes
had, on more than one occasion and in more than one
country, been found, and that they Mere covered with black
down. When I first heard of these reports I suspected that
the young of Crex pratensis or of some other Ralline form
had been mistaken for that of Syrrhaptes, and I now feel
sure that it was so.

It remains to mention the circumstances under which the
example sent to me by Major Chadwick wras obtained. That
gentleman, to whose kindness I am so much indebted, was
good enough to answer my enquiries as follows : —

Young of P 'alias's Sand-Grouse. 213

" When I returned from Norway at the end of July, I
asked what had been seen at Binsness, and the keeper told
me that some Sand-Grouse had appeared again, and that he
had lately seen two birds fly from the water across a wood
to the sandhills. So, a day or two after, I went a walk round,
and at last I saw two Sand-Grouse get up together. They
flew only about fifty yards, so I waited nearly an hour to try
and find out where they would go to ; but it was no use as
they, being shy birds, had seen me. The next day I stalked
them, and got to the back of a hillock close to them, where
I saw them feeding on the ground. Being nearly in the
same place I concluded that they must have eggs and young.
I had no dog with me, so I did not try to look. Next day
the keeper and I went to the same place and put the birds
up. Then we began to search, and at last the dog found close
to us the young one I sent to you. They are very difficult to
find. We did not look for any more, as I did not wish to take
any more or to disturb the birds ; but I have no doubt there
were two more. You are quite welcome to exhibit the
bird, as I dare say not many have been seen. I fancy it is
the same pair that bred here last year, as it was close to the
same place."

I subsequently learned that Major Chad wick was accom-
panied on this occasion by the very man and dog who found
the young birds in 1888.

Mr. Cullingford, after skinning the specimen, obligingly
sent me its body, and I forwarded the contents of its crop to
Mr. Robert Service of Maxwelltown, who was so good as to
inform me that, young as the bird was, he found it to contain
45 seeds, three of which were those of Rye-grass (Lolium
perenne), one of Tufted Hair-grass {Air a caspitosa), and one
of Broom (Cytisus scoparius) — which last I had myself seen.
Though he was careful to sow all these seeds without delay,
only three of them germinated, namely, two of Poa annua
and one of Polygonum persicai'ia, the vitality of the rest
having apparently been destroyed by the spirit in which they
had, though only for a few hours, been immersed ; but it
is possible that some were unripe.

SER. VI.— VOL. II. Q

214 Major R. G. Wardlaw Ramsay on

The fact of this paradoxical species having newly-hatched
young — for I cannot suppose the bird sent to me could have
been more than two or three days old — so late in the season
as the 8th of August seems to be especially remarkable.

Magdalene College, Cambridge,
19 January, 1890.

XXT. — On the Columbine Genus Macropygia and its Allies.
By Major R. G. Wardlaw Ramsay, F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c.

The genus Macropygia is one about which but little has
been written. It is at first sight a perplexing group, and
this fact, perhaps, has prevented many ornithologists from
even attempting to identify the specimens which they may
have happened to find in local collections. Such are the
variations in plumage in this genus, and so closely allied are
many of the species, that it is only by an examination of a
large series that satisfactory conclusions can be arrived at.

•The only systematic treatment which this genus has
received is that of Count T. Salvadori (Orn. Pap. vol. iii.
p. 132), and perhaps may be added that of Professor Schlegel
(Mus. d. Pays-Bas, Columbse).

With a view to secure sufficient materials for a revision
of this group, I have endeavoured to collect as large a
number of specimens as possible ; and I here take the oppor-
tunity of acknowledging the kindness and courtesy of Dr.
A. B. Meyer for the loan of specimens from the Dresden
Museum, of Dr. Gestro, to whom T was introduced by Count
Salvadori, for an interesting series from the Museum at
Genoa, and, lastly, of Canon Tristram for placing his speci-
mens at my disposal. These examples, together with the
already large series in the National Museum, augmented, as it
has been of late years, by the collections of the late Marquis
of Tweeddale, and Messrs. Hume, Salvin and Godman, and
Seebohm, have given me an opportunity such as has not
been previously enjoyed by anyone for working out the
srenus.

the Genus Macropygia. 215

At the outset the student of Macropygia is apt to be per-
plexed by the great variations in plumage in the same species.
On closer examination, however, it will be found that this diffi-
culty is more apparent than real, and that the plumages con-
form to a fairly definite and uniform system. But although
this is so among specimens of the same species, a real difficulty
presents itself when the attempt is made to differentiate the
species themselves in an intelligible manner — so inconstant
are most of the characters to which many of them owe their
specific rank.

It is generally in the treatment of immature specimens
that most difficulty is encountered ; and I would here like
to note that there are certain marks indicative of imma-
turity, some, or all of which, are to be invariably found in
birds under a certain age. Of these I may mention black
bases to the feathers of the head, excess of rufous, especially
on the tips of the wing-coverts, secondaries, and tertiaries,
black or blackish feathers on the breast with rufous tips and
sometimes rufous centres, and a white or whitish chin and
throat, or the feathers of these parts having white shafts.

I find that the species, with a very few exceptions, natu-
rally fall into several well-marked groups. In some of
these groups the sexes differ, but in others they are alike.
The rule holds good, I think, with two exceptions, that when
the plumage of the adult is more or less of a uniform colour
(as in M . phasianella and M. magna), the sexes are alike,
whereas in the groups in which the adult males are parti-
coloured (as in M. tusalia and M. amboinensis) the sexes
differ.

The genus Macropygia, Swainson, is confined to the
Oriental and Australian Regions of Mr. Wallace (' Geogr.
Distrib. Animals'). Its known range is from Nepal on the
north and west, to the New Hebrides on the east, and the
Australian continent on the south.

In habits Macropygia is a Ground-Dove of a tame nature,
very partial to open glades and clearings in dense forest,
especially when covered with a secondary growth of low
scrubby jungle. It is generally found singly or in pairs, and

q2

216 Major R. G. Wardlaw Ramsay on

on being flushed it only flies a short distance and alights on
some convenient branch, spreading out its tail like a fan as
it does so. Its food is composed of seeds and berries, one
very favourite fruit being the Chilli [Capsicum fastigiatum) ,
of which it consumes an enormous quantity.

A very great difficulty which I have experienced in work-
ing out this genus, has been caused by the lack of reliably
sexed specimens. I regret to find that the symbols on the
labels of even the best collectors are not to be implicitly
trusted. Collectors are too ready, and I do not except
myself from the category, to trust their native taxidermist
to determine the sex ; indeed, this is often unavoidable.
Natives are quite capable of doing it if they will ; but
I know from experience that, if they have preconceived
ideas as to what sex a specimen ought to belong to,
very often down goes the symbol on the label without
any dissection. It is also impossible to make a native
understand that, if the sexual organs, from mutilation or
otherwise, are not distinguishable, it is far better to record
no sex than to guess it. But no, that is not " Rama-
sawmy's " way of reasoning ! " Master " has told him to be
sure and sex every bird, and " Master " will be " plenty
angry " if he doesn't ; and so one or other symbol, as likely as
not the wrong one, is put down to perplex the unfortunate
naturalists at home. If field-naturalists would append their
initials to the sexual symbol, as a guarantee that the dis-
section was made by them personally, the value of their
collections to the worker at home would be much enhanced.
For the above-mentioned reasons I have had considerable
difficulty, in some cases, in determining which are adult
females ; and it is just possible that some of my con-
clusions may be found to be erroneous.

There is one specific title in the genus which has caused a
good deal of difficulty — CoJumba macroura, Gmel. The
late Lord Tweeddale has satisfactorily cleared this up, and
his views will be found recorded by Capt. Legge (' Birds of
Ceylon/ p. 699).

The specimens so marked in the British Museum belong
to the true M. amboinensis, Linn.

the Genus Macropygia. 217

The geographical distribution of the genus will best be
shown by the table given at the conclusion of this article.

In general appearance Macropygia perhaps resembles
Turtur more than any other genus. It has 12 rectrices.

Anatomically, Professor Garrod (P. Z. S. 1874, pp. 249-
251) has shown that Macropygia belongs to the subfamily
Columbin.ee, having Columba, JLctopistes, and Turtur for its
allies. These genera are distinguished by the presence of an
oil-gland, cseca, and an ambiens muscle.

Genus I. Macropygia, Swains. Class. Bds. ii. p. 348 (1837).

" Wings moderate, rounded ; the first and second quills
graduated, and much shorter than the third. Tail long,
graduated, the feathers very broad and obtuse. The rump-
feathers very thick-set. Bill short, the gonys angulated.
Tarsus plumed. Hinder toe longer than the tarsus."

Type Columba phasianella, Temm.

Syn. Coccyzura, Hodgs. J. A. S. B. xii. p. 936 (1843).

Type Coccyzura tusalia, Hodgs.

I shall now proceed to enumerate the species, which I
have divided into five groups, with fairly well-defined dis-
tinguishing characters.

Group A. — The head, nape, and mantle in the adult male
unbroken metallic green or purple. Transverse bars on
the tail conspicuous above. Sexes dissimilar.
Confined to the Oriental Region.

1. Macropygia tusalia.

Coccyzura tusalia, Hodgs. J. A. S. B. xii. p. 937 (1843).

Macropygia tusalia (Hodgs.), Jerdon, Bds. India, iii. p. 473.

Macropygia leptogrammica, Schleg. Mus. P.-B. iv. Co-
lumbee, p. 107 (part.) ; Wald. Ibis, 1875, p. 459 ; Wardl.
Rams. Ibis, 1877, p. 468 ; Oates, Bds. Burm. ii. p. 295.

Adult male. Forehead, chin, and throat vinaceous buff;
head, nape, mantle, and sides of the neck shining metallic
green, with purple or bronze reflections according to light ;
back, wings, wing- and upper tail-coverts dark brown, each
feather tipped and barred with claret-brown; two central
pairs of rectrices more or less clearly barred with claret-

218 Major II. G. Wardlaw Ramsay on

brown above, third pair reddish brown with a slaty bar, and
the three outer pairs slaty, with dark bars and a chestnut spot
on the inner web : beneath the breast is vinaceous, more or
less barred with dark metallic green and tipped with bronzy
green or amethyst; the belly and under tail-coverts buff;
axillaries and flanks slate-coloured.

Adult female. Somewhat like the male, but the lower sur-
face is transversely barred, each feather being barred with
buff or white and tipped with metallic green or purple ; the
belly and under tail-coverts buff or more or less barred.

Young. In the immature bird the head is transversely
barred above, either with or without indications of metallic
colour according to age. The plumage is more rufous
beneath, especially on the breast. The chestnut spot on the
outer tail-feathers is brighter, and the tail-feathers are
tipped with rufous. Wing 7 to 7 "5 inches, bill from gape 1,
tail 7*5 to 8, tarsus 0*9.

Iris white, surrounded by a rim of pale lilac ; orbital skin
grey, with an inner rim of purple ; bill blackish ; legs pur-
plish pink (W.R.).

Hob. This species is found throughout all the hill-ranges
of Northern India (as far west as Nepal), Assam, Munipur,
Burma, and Tenasserim. It probably extends across Yunnan
and Southern China, but it has not been recorded thence ;
it reappears, however, in Hainan in the following race.

2. Macropygia swinhoii.

Coccyzura minor, Swinhoe, P. Z. S. 1871, p. 397 (Hainan).

This is a very dark race of M. tusalia, which, so far as is
known, is peculiar to the island of Hainan. The transverse
bars on the tail are nearly obsolete in some specimens. It
is really not smaller than the typical race, although, from
the make-up of the skins, it would appear so. I have
therefore thought it best to supersede so inappropriate a
title as " minor."

Hab. Hainan.

the Genus Macropygia. 219

3. Macropygia leptogrammica.

Columba leptogrammica, Temm. PI. Col. 560 (1835) .

I.Columba unchall, Wagl. Syst. Av., Columba, no. 38
(1827).

Macropygia walik-mehra, Reichenb. Taubenvogel, p. 86,
no. 191 (1862).

Macropygia leptogrammica, Schleg. Mus. P.-B. iv. Co-
lumbae, p. 107 (part.).

Macropygia, sp., Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1887, p. 443.

Adult male. Like M. tusalia but smaller. Wing 6*5 to
7 inches. The barring of the upper surface is conspicuously
broader and more rufous, and the metallic colours less
bright. It is interesting to note that the Javan male has
the head like the Indian bird, that is, green with purple
reflections, while the Sumatran male has the reverse, purple
with green reflections. The plumage is much more rufous
below, and the tail-coverts cinnamon-rufous rather than buff.

Adult female. From want of sexual determinations I
cannot write with certainty, but in an apparently adult
female, so marked by Wallace, from Java, the head and
mantle are barred brown and rufous like the rest of the
upper surface ; a slight tinge of purple is on the head ; the
feathers of the neck, mantle, and breast with transverse
bars of golden brown, tipped metallic green with purple
reflections : beneath fulvous isabelline barred with dark
brown; under wing-coverts, axillaries, and flanks rufous.

Young. Much like the female, but with the bars on the
neck and mantle pale buffy in place of rufous, and the
metallic colour confined to the bars on the breast.

Iris yellow ; eyelids and feet red ; feet red ( Wallace) .

Hab. The hills of Sumatra and Java up to 7500 feet ; the
Malay Peninsula.

From the latter locality I have only seen one specimen,
which was obtained in the hills of Larut in Perak by
Mr. Wray . It is a male with a wing of 6'8 inches. It belongs
to the M. leptogrammica and not the M. tusalia form,
but differs in the irregularity of the tail-bars, which are
bent instead of going straight across the tail.

220 Major R. G. Wardlaw Ramsay on

Mr. Blyth (Ibis, 1870, p. 73) is, I believe, responsible for
the statement that M. leptogrammica is found in Celebes.
This locality is doubtless erroneous. There is a specimen
from the Leiden Museum in the National Collection which
is marked Celebes. But it is evident that the label has been
transposed or that some mistake has occurred; for the
specimen in question does not even belong to the Malayan
form, but to the Indian M. tusalia race.

Our next group is a large one, and is found in both
regions, one species, M. emiliana, Bp., being found on both
sides of the Straits of Lombock.

Group B. — Plumage of adults uniform or nearly so. Pre-
vailing colour chestnut or cinnamon-rufous. Sexes alike
or nearly so.

Section a. — Of large size.

4. Macropygia phasianella.

Columba phasianella, Temm. Trans. Linn. Soc. xiii.p. 129;
id. PL Col. 100 ; Gould, Bds. Australia, v. pi. 75.

Adult. General colour above chestnut-brown, below cinna-
mon-rufous, deepening into chestnut on the abdomen and
lower tail-coverts. Occiput metallic amethyst, with green
reflections ; a slightly viuous tinge on the breast ; primaries
dark brown ; under wing-coverts, axillaries, and inner mar-
gins of primaries rufous ; three outer pairs of rectrices with
a broad black band extending towards the base on the inner
web.

According to Gould the sexes are alike.

Iris blue with an outer circle of scarlet ; orbital skin
bluish lilac ; feet red {Gould). Wing 75 to 7*9 inches, tail 9,
bill 1, tarsus 1.

Young. An immature bird, marked female (Port Molle,
Queensland, ' Alert '), has recorded : iris red ; bill reddish ;
legs and feet red. It is of a much redder chestnut, especially
on the crown, the upper wing-, and upper and lower tail-
coverts ; the mantle is browner ; beneath it is minutely
freckled with dark brown; the sides of the head and neck

the Genus Macropygia. 221

pale brown, with an appearance of bars from the feathers
having dark bases and a dark spot on the outside of each web.

Hab. Australia.

Mr. Gould has an interesting note on the habits of this
species (Handb. B. Austr. ii. p. 114). The type specimen,
which is in the British Museum, is not adult, the lower
surface being transversely barred ; the tail-feathers are very
much pointed. This latter character, as well as the shape
of the rectrices, varies much in different specimens.

5. Macropygia tenuirostris.

Columba phasianella, Temm. PI. Col. 100 (Manilla), nee
Trans. Linn. Soc. xiii. p. 129.

Macropygia tenuirostris, G. R. Gray, List Bds. Brit. Mus.
Columba?, p. 39 (1856) (Philippines) ; Schleg. Mus. P.-B. iv.
Columbre, p. 109; Wald. Trans. Z. S. ix. p. 218 (p. 382) *;
id. P. Z. S. 1878, p. 288 (p. 594) ; Sharpe, Ibis, 1888, p. 203
(Palawan).

Macropygia eurycerca, Tweedd. P. Z. S. 1878, p. 288
(Negros) (p. 594) et p. 952 (Mindanao) (p. 643), et 1879,
p. 73 (Basilan) (p. 651).

Adult. Like M. phasianella, but more purple-brown above ;
the head, neck, breast, and under surface cinnamon -rufous,
with a vinous tinge on the occiput ; the mantle brown,
minutely freckled with rufous, and tipped with amethyst ;
wing-coverts more or less tipped with rufous.

A specimen from Luzon {Meyer) in the same plumage as
the male, and marked female, is in the British Museum. Con-
sidering this specimen, together with the very emphatic state-
ment of Mr. Gould (Handb. B. Austr.) as to the identity of
the sexes of M. phasianella, and also my own experience of
M. rufipennis in the Andaman Islands, I feel constrained to
assume that the sexes are similar throughout the group.
However, there are specimens, which have no appearance of
youth, which differ markedly ; one of them, which perhaps is a
young bird, has the head bright rufous with a vinous tinge ;

* The numbers in brackets after references to Lord Tweeddale's writings
refer to the ' Memoir.'

222 Major R. G. Wardlaw Ramsay on

upper surface dull brown, tipped with rufous ; nape and mantle
pale rufous, barred with dark brown, with a metallic green
tinge ; upper tail-coverts freckled with rufous : beneath deep
chestnut with dark transverse bars.

Young. One specimen marked female (Basilan, Everett) is
evidently young ; it has the throat and breast blackish
brown, with a central streak or spot of rufous on each
feather.

Another young female from S. Mindanao is brown above,
edged with rufous, especially on the wing-coverts; head
bright chestnut, feathers dark at the base ; nape more or
less broadly barred with pale rufous or chestnut. Wing
7"4 to 7'7 inches, tail 8'7, tarsus 0*9. Iris yellow, with an
outer rim of crimsou ; orbital region and base of bill
crimson; bill light brown ; feet carmine {Everett).

Hab. Philippine Islands, Palawan, Sulu Islands.

The birds found in Negros and S. Mindanao have been
described by the late Lord Tweeddale as M. eurycerca.

On examination of a series of seventeen specimens from
different islands I fail to see how this species can stand.
The colour of the back in all species of Macropygia varies
much ; the rufous edging to the wing-coverts, relied on
by Lord Tweeddale, is also a varying quantity, and besides
that, it is distinctly visible even in the type specimen, and
broadly so in the S. Mindanao birds, which Lord Tweeddale
has himself referred to M, eurycerca (I. c).

The S. Mindanao birds are, however, a good deal smaller;
wing &6 inches. Palawan and Sulu birds do not differ, but
the latter agree with S. Mindanao birds in size.

6. Macropygia emiliana.

Macropygia emiliana, Bp. Consp. ii. p. 58 ; Reichenb.
Taubenvogel, p. 88, no. 197 (pt.).

Macropygia tenuirostris, G. R. Gray; Schleg. Mus. P.-B.
iv. Columbce, p. 109 ; Sharpe, Ibis, 1890, p. 137.

Adult. Like M. tenuirostris, but smaller, and at all
times to be readily distinguished by its colour being both
lighter and brighter and having a distinctly vinous tinge ;

the Genus Macropygia. 223

occiput, nape, and mantle metallic amethyst, with traces of
the same on the breast ; all the feathers above minutely
freckled with rufous : beneath bright vinous chestnut ; three
outer pairs of tail-feathers broadly tipped with rufous.

I am somewhat in doubt as to what the plumage of the
adult female is like.

It would seem as though in this group of Macropygia the
sexes do not differ, but at the same time there are specimens
in the British Museum which are marked female, and which
show no signs of youth. They are of a duller chestnut-brown
than the males j head like the male, but a little darker ; upper
surface without amethyst and more or less barred, especially
on the nape and mantle, which are of a brighter chestnut ;
beneath rufous, with transverse bars on the breast. One
female specimen, from Java, evidently young, has the
breast-feathers blackish with rufous centres. Wing 6'7 to
7 inches, tail 7*5 to 8*2, tarsus 08, bill 1.

Hab. Lombock, Java, and Borneo.

This is the only species of the genus which is found on
both sides of the Straits separating the Oriental and Aus-
tralian Regions. It is the connecting-link between M.phasia-
nella and its outlying races.

7. Macropygia modiglianii.

Macropygia modiglianii, Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civ. Genova,
ser. 2, iv. p. 559, pi. viii. f. 2.

This is simply a darker and rather larger race of M. emi-
liana, intermediate between it and M. tenuirostris. Wing
73 inches, tail 7'5, tarsus l'l, bill 1.

Its coloration is also conspicuously brighter, especially in
the amethystine of the upper surface, nape, and mantle, and
the vinous tinge of the back and upper tail-coverts, which is
much brighter on the latter. The legs and feet are much
more massive. Iris, dusky blue with a double circle of white
externally in the male, red in the female ; bill chocolate ;
feet red (Modigliani) .

Hab. Island of Nias.

I have to thank the officials of the Museum at Genoa for
the loan of the type specimen of this species.

224 Major It. G. Wardlaw Ramsay on

Count Salvadori describes the female as being like the
male, but with very faint purple and golden reflections on
the neck, and with transverse bars of black, especially on the
nape and upper part of the back.

8. MACROPYGIA K.UFIPENNIS.

Macropygia rufipennis, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xv. p. 371
(1846) ; Walden, Ibis, 1873, p. 315 (p. 247) ; Hume, Str.
Feath. ii. p. 266 (1874).

Adult. General colour above chestnut, browner than in
M. emiliana, but without the vinous tinge; the mantle
minutely freckled with rufous and barred with brown :
beneath, chin, throat, and sides of head paler chestnut,
remainder of the lower surface chestnut, barred with brown,
brighter on the abdomen, which is freckled; amethystine
reflections on the breast and sides of neck ; under wing-
coverts, axillaries, inner webs of the primaries, and the lower
tail-coverts cinnamon-rufous.

Young. Younger birds have the bases of the feathers of
the crown and a spot on the outside of each feather dark
brown, giving the head the appearance of dark striations ;
the back is much browner and less chestnut in some, and
the breast is of a uniform bright chestnut ; the mantle, as
in the young of most species, is brown, transversely barred
with yellowish or whitish buff or pale chestnut ; the pri-
maries are almost entirely rufous both above and below.

The sexes do not differ.

In examining the very large series in the British Museum,
I have based my conclusions only on the specimens which I
believe to have had their sexes determined by Mr. Davison
or myself. I regret to say that little reliance can be placed
on the sexual determinations of the taxidermist who made
up a large proportion of the skins, at first in Mr. Davison's
service, then in mine, and lastly in that of Capt. Wimberley.

I have been led to a different conclusion from Mr. Hume
(/. c), who thought the unbarred birds were the older. I
find that excess of rufous, and especially the dark striation of
the head, is nearly always indicative of youth. Wing 7*3 to
7 '7 inches, tail 8, tarsus 1, bill 0*9. Iris light blue, encircled

the Genus Macropygia. 225

by a ring of carmine ; orbital skin leaden blue ; bill and legs
purplish pink.

Hab. Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

This is an outlying race of M. phasianella, and has, per-
haps, departed more than any of the other races from the
original type.

Mr. Blyth has an interesting note on its habits in confine-
ment, in the J. A. S. B. vol. xv. p. 371.

The next species seems naturally to find a home in this
group, but for the fact that its sexes differ. If it is not
included here, it must stand in a group by itself.

9. Macropygia ruficeps.

Macropygia ruficeps, Temm. PI. Col. 561 (1835) ; Nichol-
son, Ibis, 1881, p. 155 ; Sharpe, Ibis, 1890, p. 137.

Macropygia assimilis, Hume, Str. Feath. ii. p. 441 (1874);
Oates, Bds. Burm, ii. p. 296.

Adult male. General colour above dark chestnut, almost
brown on the back ; head conspicuously paler ; nape, mantle,
sides of head and breast darker, with a vinaceous tinge, and
with metallic green or amethyst reflections : beneath cinna-
mon-rufous, with a slightly vinous tinge, whitish on the
throat, and the pectoral feathers more or less broadly tipped
with white.

Younger males, nearly adult, differ in having some of the
feathers of the nape and mantle with bars of dark metallic
green or purple, giving a spotted appearance, and also a
trace of very dark metallic barrings on the outer edges of
the breast-feathers. Wings brown, wing-coverts broadly
edged with, and the margins of the inner web of the pri-
maries and the axillaries, rufous. Yet younger males are
rather darker in plumage and have the bars more pro-
nounced; and the breast is also black-spotted as in the
female.

Adult female. Head and tips of wing-coverts bright
reddish chestnut; nape, back and tail brown; mantle the
same, freckled with pale brown ; upper tail-coverts narrowly
tipped with chestnut or rufous : beneath more or less
uniform cinnamon-rufous ; the feathers of the throat and

226 Major R. G. Wardlaw Ramsay on

breast blackish brown, with a rufous spot at the tip, giving
the breast the appearance of being black-spotted.

In the younger female the plumage is darker and more
mottled in appearance, more black showing on the throat
and breast and the bases of the feathers of the head : beneath
rufous, pectoral feathers blackish, tipped with rufous. One
specimen from Bantam (Forbes) in Canon Tristram's col-
lection, which is marked a female, is very markedly rufous
above, especially on the wing- and upper tail-coverts.

Javan birds have the wing 5*8 inches, tail 7, tarsus 075,
bill 0-85. Tenasserim and Burmah birds (M. assimilis,
Hume) are rather larger : Aving 6*1 inches, tail 6"8 to 7:1.

The only Bornean specimen which I have examined,
obtained by Mr. Whitehead on Kinabalu, is a young male,
and is even smaller than Javan birds, having the wing 5*3
inches and the tail 5*7.

Birds from Java, Sumatra, and Borneo seem to be all
alike in plumage, and to have the dark metallic green
barrings on the nape and mantle more pronounced than in
those from the Burmese countries.

Hob. Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Malay Peninsula, Tenasserim,
Burmah.

The great mass of evidence from the series of birds, many
of them carefully sexed, either by Mr. Davison or myself, goes
to show that in this species the sexes differ. It is true that
one of Mr. Davison's Tenasserim specimens in male plumage
is marked female ; but it is obvious that the symbol has been
added to the label by a native collector, and not by Mr. Davi-
son himself, who made his symbols in quite a different
manner.

In almost every instance in which my conclusions as re-
gards sexual plumages have been confuted by specimens of a
reliable collector, I have found something irregular about
the label.

Iris pearly white (pinkish or brown in the young) j or-
bital skin pale blue-grey, with an inner ring of blue ; bill
pale brown ; legs and feet brownish pink or red.

the Genus Macropygia. 227

Section b. — Of small size.
Confined to the Australian Region.

10. Macropygia rufa.

Macropijgia rufa, E. P. Ramsay, Pr. Linn. Soc. N. S. W.
ii. p. 287 (1878) (Havannah Harbour, Sandwich I.) ; id.
Ibis, 1882, p. 314 ; Tristr. Ibis, 1879, p. 194.

Adult male (Vate, New Hebrides, Mus. Tristr.). Above
chestnut-brown, browner on the upper tail-coverts : beneath
paler and more hazel; under wing-coverts and axillaries
bright rufous ; tail beneath pale chestnut, three outer pairs
of rectrices buff, with a broad band across the centre of the
feathers and extending towards the base of the inner web.
Iris orange ; bill black ; legs dull red. Food, seeds (Layard) .

Another specimen (Erromanga, Mus. Salv. and Godm.) is
somewhat duller in plumage and is said to have had the iris
yellow ; bill black ; feet red.

Adult female (Tanna, Mus. Salv. and Godm.). Like the
male, but paler and less rufous above : beneath a uniform
cinnamon-brown, more rufous on the under tail- coverts ;
the feathers of the breast black at the base, giving it a
mottled appearance, and forked as in some species of Ptilo-
nopus. Iris yellow ; feet cherry. Food, berries (Richards) .

Another specimen from Aneiteum is like the last, but
darker above, more fawn-colour below, some of the breast-
feathers freckled with white ; the lower tail-coverts rufous.
Wing 59 to 6-3 inches, tail 6'6 to 7'3, tarsus 0'8 to 0*9,
bill 0-7 to 0-8.

Hah. New Hebrides.

I think there is little doubt that all these specimens
belong to the same species.

Mr. Layard has suggested that this species is the Columba
ferruginea, Forster, said to have come from Tanna ; but from
the description of that bird in the ' Descr. Anim.' it is evi-
dently Treron fulvicollis with a wrong locality.

11. Macropygia mackinlayi.

Macropygia mackinlayi, E. P. Ramsay, Pr. Linn. Soc. N.
S. W. ii. p. 286 (1878) (Tanna).

228 Major R. G. "Wardlaw Ramsay on

What this bird, from the Island of Tanna, can be I do
not know. Mr. E. P. Ramsay suggests (/. c.) the likelihood
that it is the same species as the last, but it is difficult, from
his description, to realize such a possibility. Certainly none
of the four specimens described above approach to the re-
markable characters ascribed to M. mackinlayi. On the
other hand, it does not seem likely that an islaud of the size
of Tanna should contain two distinct species of small Macro-
pijffia.

I append Mr. E. P. Ramsay's description of his type spe-
cimen : —

" The whole of the upper surface dark ashy brown, darker
on the wings, the second, third, and fourth primary quills
with an inconspicuous narrow line of white on the outer
edge of the outer web; the rump and upper tail-coverts,
wing-coverts and scapularies minutely freckled with ashy
white, giving a powdery appearance to those parts : the
under surface is of a light ashy brown, blackish in the centre
of the chest-feathers, which are forked ; the throat and the
whole of the under surface minutely freckled with a light ashy
tint ; under wing-coverts and inner webs of quills ashy white ;
tail ashy brown, lighter below the outer feathers, above
blackish, the tips ash-white, and an oval cream-coloured
patch occupying the central portion of the feathers and
extending over the outer web to the base; the blackish
colour to the inner web extends in a wedge-shaped stripe along
the shaft ; the next feather similar, but without the whitish
mark on the inner web ; an oval oblique spot of cream-colour
on the inner web only on the third quill ; the fourth, fifth,
and sixth without spots and of a uniform ash-brown ; under
tail-coverts creamy white ; tarsi olive-brown ; bill black.
Total length 12 inches; bill from forehead 0*6, from base of
nostril 0"5 ; wing 6'1 ; tail to central feathers 6-8, to outer
3-6; tarsi 085, middle toe and nail 1.-05. Sex female.

" Hab. Island of Tanna.

" This interesting species has the peculiarity of having
the feathers forked as in some of the Ptilonopi.

" Notwithstanding the great differences in coloration be-

the Genus Macropygia. 229

tween this and the previous species {M. mackinlayi) from
Tanna, they may hereafter prove identical : the style of
markings is very similar ; but the bill in M. rufa is stronger
and more rounded at the tip ; both have comparatively weak
bills, and on the whole are very slightly built birds/'

12. Macropygia rufo-castanea.

Macrbpygia rufo-castanea, E. P. Ramsay, Pr. Linn. Soc.
N. S. W. iv. (1880) p. 314 (read June 1879); Ogilvie- Grant,
P. Z. S. 1888, p. 200.

Macropygia arossi, Tristr. Ibis, 1879, p. 413 (San Cris-
toval, Solomon Is.).

Female, adult (Guadalcanal*, Mus. Brit.). Above reddish
chestnut : beneath cinnamon-rufous, paler on the throat ;
tail beneath the same, much brighter on the outer pair
of feathers, and the three outer pairs having a dark band
across each feather extending towards the base of the inner
web ; primaries, beneath, bright cinnamon-rufous on the
inner web ; under wing-coverts and axillaries cinnamon-
rufous ; breast-feathers forked as in M. rufa, black at base
and tipped with rufous. Wing 5*7 inches, tail 6*3, tar-
sus 0*7, bill 0*7. Iris orange ; bill black; feet red {Wood-
ford).

Female, young. Head-feathers black at base and a black
spot on either web; tail-feathers more pointed. Wing 5*3
inches. Iris reddish brown ; bill black ; legs dull pink.

Female, younger. Like the last, but the breast-feathers not
forked. Wing 5*7 inches. Iris brown ; bill black ; feet red
{Woodford).

I have not seen an adult male, but it is probably like the
female, with the exception, perhaps, of the spotted breast.
I have examined an immature male, however, the type of
M. arossi, in the museum of Canon Tristram; it is nearly
adult and is like the female, but the breast-feathers are not
forked. Another young male is in the British Museum : it
is like the last, but slightly barred above. Wing 5*3 inches.
Iris light drab ; feet dark cherry. Food, berries (San Cris-
toval, Richards).

Hab. Solomon Islands.

SER. VI. VOL. II. R

230 Major R. G. Wardlaw Ramsay on

13. Macropygia nigrirostris.

Macropygia nigrirostris, Salvad. Ann.Mus.Civ.Genova,vii-
p. 972 (1875) ; id. Orn. Pap. iii. p. 149 ; Scl. P. Z. S. 1877,
p. 111.

Adult male (New Guinea). Above rich chestnut-brown,
darker on the head, paler on the nape and mantle, which has
a shade of dark vinous or purple ; upper tail-coverts and
central rectrices above very distinctly barred with blackish
brown, as in M. leptogrammica, three outer pairs above un-
barred : beneath somewhat paler and more rufous ; the under
wing- coverts and axillaries rufous ; tail rufous with a dark
band across each feather extending towards the base of the
inner web.

The female is probably similar ; the one described by
Count Salvador! (/. c.) appears to be immature.

A young female from N. W. New Guinea is dark brown
above, obscurely barred with rufous, the head having the
appearance of dark striations ; the mantle is barred with light
rufous, and the upper tail-coverts and tail with blackish
brown : beneath pale rufous-brown, barred with dark brown,
the belly and lower tail-coverts rich cinnamon-rufous.
Wing 5*8 inches, tail 6'6, tarsus 0*8, bill 0*7.

The bill in the birds from New Guinea is very stout.
They agree otherwise with specimens from the New Britain
group, but the latter are rather browner in the back.

A young male from the foot of the Astrolabe Mts. (Forbes) is
brown above, the feathers tipped with rufous, which is much
paler on the nape and mantle ; the tail irregularly barred with
rufous, as in a specimen of M. leptogrammica from Perak re-
ferred to above (p. 219) : beneath rufous, as in the young
female, the feathers of the breast blackish, with rufous tips and
rufous lines down the centres. Iris blue ; bill corneous ; legs
and feet reddish corneous (Forbes). But see Salvad. (l.s,c).

This specimen, at first sight, looks like a Cacomantis in the
hepatic stage.

Hab. New Guinea, New Britain, Duke of York Island,,
New Ireland *.

* When habitats are given in italics it means that I have not personally
examined specimens from that particular locality.

the Genus Macropygia. 231

This is the only species outside the M. tusalia group in
which the middle pairs of rectrices are conspicuously barred
above.

Group C. — Adult males chestnut-brown above, vinaceous
or barred, or both, beneath. Sexes dissimilar.

Section a. — Breast faintly vinaceous, with transverse bars.
Confined to the Australian Region.

14. Macropygia amboinensis.

Columba amboinensis, Linn. S. N. i. p. 286 (1766)
( Aniboina) .

Macropygia amboinensis, Wall. P. Z. S. 1863, p. 34; id.
Ibis, 1865, p. 389 (Bouru) ; Salvad. Orn. Pap. iii. p. 132.

Macropygia albiceps, Teinm. Mus. Lugd. (Bp. Consp. ii.
p. 56) ; Gray, List Bds. Trop. Is. p. 43 (error?).

Macropygia turtur (pt.), Schleg. Mus. P.-B. iv. Columbse,
p. 110.

Macropygia buruensis, Salv. Ann. Mus. Civ. Genova, xii.
p. 428 ; id. Orn. Pap. iii. p. 135.

Adult male. Head bright cinnamon-rufous, with a vinous
tinge, paler on the forehead, buffy white on the throat ;
whole upper surface bright chestnut-brown, the feathers of
the nape and mantle tipped with shining metallic greyish
green or amethyst ; faint, nearly obsolete, bars on the tail :
beneath tawny buff, paler on breast, where many of the
feathers are tipped with white, and deepening into rufous on
the abdomen and under tail-coverts ; under wing-coverts and
axillaries bright chestnut; tail beneath brown, the three
outer pairs of rectrices with the basal half and tip more or
less rufous ; the breast distinctly and the abdomen and under
tail-coverts faintly barred with dark brown.

In one specimen from Amboina, marked male, the under
surface is of a nearly uniform cinnamon-rufous brown, barred,
but without white tips to the pectoral feathers.

Adult female. Head and upper tail-coverts bright reddish
chestnut, tail browner ; back and wings brown, feathers
broadly tipped with chestnut, especially on the wing-coverts

r2

232 Major R. G. Wardlaw Ramsay on

and secondaries; nape and mantle pale buffy, barred with
very dark metallic green or purple or freckled with brown
without bars : beneath light chestnut-brown, darkest on the
abdomen and under tail-coverts, barred as in the male.

Younger birds are like the female, but less bright, the
feathers of the head being dark brown at the base and only
tipped with chestnut ; the breast not barred or only faintly
in some specimens, but breast and throat-feathers blackish
brown tipped with chestnut, giving a mottled appearance.
Wing 66 to 7-1 inches, tail 8 to 9, tarsus 0-9, bill 0-9.

Adult. Iris brown, with inner ring of grey j bill pinkish
corneous with tip sooty colour ; legs and feet faded pink.

Young. Iris lake-red ; bill pink ; legs and feet coral-red
(Forbes).

Hab. Amboina, Ceram, Bourn.

I cannot separate the Bouru birds from those of Ceram
and Amboina ; the number of bars on the breast-feathers,
which Count Salvadori gives as the difference in his Key to
the genus, is not constant in a series from either localities.

This may be conveniently taken as the central species of
which the following nine may be regarded as outlying races.
Together they form a well-marked group of the genus
Macropygia.

15. Macropygia albicapilla.

Macropygia albicapilla, Temm. Mus. Lugd. (Bp. Consp.
ii. p. 57 (Celebes)) • Walden, Trans. Z. S. viii. p. 85 (p. 185);
Meyer, Ibis, 1879, p. 137; Bias. Zeitschr. ges. On. iii.
p. 133 (1886).

Macropygia turtur (pt.), Schleg. Mus. P.-B. iv. Columbae,
pp. Ill, 112.

Adult male. Allied to M. amboinensis, but smaller, and
the upper surface more claret-brown, the head grey or
greyish buff in some, and whitish on the forehead ; the breast
with a metallic vinous tinge, in bold contrast to the rufous
throat.

Adult female. A bird marked female, apparently adult, is
like the female of M. amboinensis, but darker; beneath

the Genus Macropygia 233

rufous, unbarred, becoming ochreous brown on the abdomen
and under tail-coverts, which are irregularly barred or
freckled.

A young male {Wall.), Tondano, is like the female, but
faintly barred on the breast, and greyish, faintly metallic, on
the nape and mantle.

A yet older male {Wall.), Macassar, has the nape more
metallic, and a few feathers on the breast albescent. A still
older bird, male, Minahassa (Dresden Museum), is taking on
the claret-brown feathers above, as well as the metallic vinous
tinge on the breast, which is becoming distinctly barred.
It still retains the chestnut head.

A male a stage further on has nearly acquired its dark
adult plumage above, the head being in process of change
from rufous to grey, the lower surface as in the adult male.

There is, according to Professor Blasius, another variety
of plumage to which this species is liable, in which the head
is reddish brown in the adult male. I have not had the
opportunity of seeing such a specimen, but one or two of the
young birds described above have pale rufous heads. In any
case Professor Blasius is wrong in assuming that this variety
is the M. macassariensis, Wall., which, as I shall presently
show, is quite a different bird. Wing 6*1 to 6*3 inches, tail
7-6 to 8-4, tarsus 0-9, bill 0'9.

Birds from the Sula Islands seem a trifle smaller, wing 6
inches in a male, but otherwise identical.

Hah. Celebes, Sula Islands, Togian Islands.

16. Macropygia sanghirensis.

Macropygia turlur (pt.), Schleg. Mus. P.-B. iv. Columbse,
p. Ill (Sanghir and Siao).

Macropygia sanghirensis, Salvad. Atti Ace. Torino, xiii.
p. 1185 (1877-78); Bias. Ornis, 1888, p. 619, pi. iii.

Adult male. A representative of M. albicapilla, but larger
and easily distinguished by its darker colour, almost purplish
brown above, the head cinereous, paling to buff on the fore-
head; a vinous tinge on the crown blending into plumbeous
on the nape ; bright metallic amethyst on the mantle, with

234 Major R. G. Wardlaw Ramsay on

bronzy-green reflections, which is faintly continued across
the breast ; beneath also somewhat darker and more boldly
marked, the throat and upper part of the breast a kind of
greyish buff, in sharp contrast to the barred breast, which
has a decidedly vinous tinge, becoming metallic amethyst on
the sides ; the under wing-coverts, axillaries, as well as the
flanks, and thigh-coverts in some specimens, chestnut- brown.

Adult female. A specimen in the Dresden Museum I am
inclined to consider as an almost adult female. It is not
quite adult, as the bases of the head-feathers are still brown
or blackish. It is like the female M. albicapilla, but darker
chestnut above, the lower surface as well as the under wing-
coverts and axillaries being of a deeper rufous or red-brown,
barred only on the lower tail-coverts.

Young. Another specimen, which looks like a young male,
also in the Dresden Museum, is very dark brown above, and
in transition to the purplish brown of the adult ; the head
chestnut as in the female, and the mantle in process of ac-
quiring the metallic lustre : beneath ochreous brown, dis-
tinctly barred ; the under wing-coverts, axillaries, flanks, and
thigh-coverts deep chestnut-brown. Wing 6#9 inches, tail
8 to 8-5, tarsus 1, bill 0*9.

Hab. Sanghir Islands.

17. Macropygia doreya.

Macropygia doreya, Bp. Consp. ii. p. 57 (1854) (New
Guinea) j Salvad. Orn. Pap.iii. p. 140; Nehrk. J. f. O. 1885,
p. 34 (Waigiou).

Macropijgia turtur (pt.), Schleg. Mus. P.-B. iv. Columbse,
p. 115.

Macrojnjgia, sp., Meyer, Zeitschr. ges. Orn. i4 p. 215
(Aru).

I have found the treatment of the Macropygia inhabiting
New Guinea and the adjacent islands very difficult. A pro-
longed study of a large series of about fifty specimens (not
including those from Batchian, Gilolo, Miosnom, and the
New Britain Group, which are more easily distinguished),
from New Guinea (North-west and South-east), Aru Islands,

the Genus Macropygia. 235

Ke Islands, J obi, Misor, and Mafor Islands, leads me to the
conclusion that they are all races of one species ; but it will
be most convenient to consider them as distinct, for in the
genus Macropygia, if you once begin " lumping/'' it would
be difficult to know where to stop, and they are fairly con-
stant local races.

Adult male (N.W. New Guinea). Upper surface much as
in M. amboinensis, bright chestnut-brown, but the head de-
cidedly cinereous, the feathers tipped with vinous ; the fore-
head paler ; nape and mantle bright metallic green, with lilac
reflections ; beneath the throat and breast rich vinaceous,
each feather with two dark metallic-green cross bars, blending
into tawny buff on the abdomen and deepening into rich
reddish chestnut on the vent and lower tail-coverts ; under
wing-coverts, axillaries, and thigh-coverts chestnut.

Adult male (Mysol, Wall., Mus. Brit.) . Rather darker
brown above, but with traces of metallic green on the head.

Some male specimens are more cinereous on the head,
nape, and mantle, some more or less brown, vinous, or lilac on
the head, or more or less barred beneath • but the above-
described specimen from N.W. New Guinea may be taken
as typical.

In the S.E. promontory occur birds which are otherwise
typical, but without the faintest indications of barring, and
with the upper tail- coverts in the males much brighter rufous.
Alongside of these occur birds of which the males have the
breast barred, and the head and nape a deep slate-colour ;
these are identical with the bird which inhabits the D'En-
trecasteaux Islands (M. cinereiceps, Tristr.).

In the Am Islands is found almost typical M. doreya.

Adult female. General colour above chestnut-brown, head
rich reddish chestnut ; upper surface brown, feathers tipped
with chestnut, broadly so on the wing-coverts; the nape and
mantle paler, barred with dark metallic green and rufous ;
upper tail-coverts chestnut-brown ; beneath uniform rufous,
very faintly barred and freckled, especially on the breast,
deepening to chestnut on the under tail-coverts.

Younger birds are more mottled and freckled above with

236 Major R. G. Wardlaw Ramsay on

rufous and brown, and beneath the breast-feathers are
blackish, with white shafts, and the chin and throat white.
Wing 6-3 inches (N.W. Guinea), 6'8 to 6"6 (S.E. New
Guinea), tail 8, tarsus 0*9, bill 08.

Hob. The mainland of New Guinea and many of its
adjacent islands, including the Aru group.

The next three species are more or less closely allied to
M. doreya.

18. Macropygia keyensis.

Macropygia phasianella (pt.). Wall. Ibis, 1865, p. 389.

Macropygia turtur (pt.), Schlegel, Mus. P.-B. iv. Columbse,
p. 114.

Macropygia keyensis, Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civ. Genova, ix.
p. 204 (1876) ; id. P. Z. S. 1878, p. 89 ; id. Orn. Pap. iii.
p. 146.

Adult male. Like the typical M. doreya, but has the brighter
rufous upper tail-coverts of the birds of that species from the
S.E. Peninsula. The head pale cinnamon-brown, with a cine-
reous shade on the occiput, and the nape and mantle metallic
green. Beneath it differs from all the specimens I have seen
in its pale colour and the conspicuous barring on the whole
lower surface, the breast being faintly vinaceous.

It somewhat resembles M. maforensis, Salvad.

The type, which was collected by the ' Challenger ' Expe-
dition, is in the British Museum.

A young specimen from Ke, in the Genoa Museum, is very
dark in plumage, and the head beautifully mottled with
chestnut and black, from the bases being black and the tips
chestnut. There is a trace of metallic green on the mantle,
the feathers of which are dark brown with pale tips.

Hab. The Ke Islands.

19. Macropygia maforensis.

Macropygia turtur (pt.), Schleg. Mus. P.-B. iv. Columbse,
p. 115 (Mafoor).

Macropygia maforensis, Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. ix.
p. 204 (1870) ; id. Orn. Pap. iii. p. 148.

Adult male. Like M. doreya, but with the head and nape

the Genus Macropygia. 237

rich blue-slate, buffy brown on the forehead. Beneath very
pale tawny buff, the breast faintly vinaceous.

Female. I have seen one specimen, belonging to the Genoa
Museum, which, however, is not quite adult, having still the
chin and throat white.

Hub. The Island of Mafor.

20. Macropygia cinereicbps.

Macropygia cinereiceps, Tristr. Ibis, 1889, p. 558 (Fer-
gusson Island) .

Another outlying race of M. doreya, like M . maforensis and
M. keyensis, with the breast barred, but the head and nape
deep slate-colour.

Hab. The D'Entrecasteaux Islands, South-eastern New
Guinea.

I have not been able to examine the types, which are in
the York Museum, but Canon Tristram assures me that the
S.E. New Guinea bird in the British Museum is identical.

Section b. — Breast conspicuously vinaceous, without or
with only traces of transverse bars.

21. Macropygia batchianensis.

Macropygia amboinensis, var. batchianensis, Wall. Ibis,
1865, p. 389.

Macropygia lurtur, Schleg. Mus. P.-B. iv. Columba3,
p. 112.

Macropygia batchianensis, Salvad. Orn. Pap. iii. p. 136.

Adult male. Very similar to M. amboinensis, from which
it differs by the breast being conspicuously vinaceous, the
feathers tipped with whitish, unbarred, the head generally
paler, but in one specimen as in that species.

In two specimens the chin and throat are very rufous, and
there are faint traces of barring on the breast. A third
specimen, marked female (Wallace), is like the male, but
slightly barred below. I do not consider this reliable. It is
evidently a bought skin. It has, moreover, the largest
measurements in the series.

Adult female. Another specimen, so marked by Wallace, is
of the general rufous-brown type of the females of this group.

238 Major R. G. Wardlaw Ramsay on

Young birds the same, more or less mottled according to
age.

Wing 6-4 to 6-8 inches, tail 8-5, tarsus 0-9, bill t)-9.
Hab. Batchian, Ternate, Gilolo, Morty, Kajoa.

22. Macropygia griseinucha.

Macropygia griseinucha, Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. ix.
p. 204 (1876) (Miosnom), et xii. pp.430, 431 ; id. Orn. Pap.
iii. p. 140.

This species somewhat resembles M . doreya, but is browner
above, and the metallic nape and mantle are much more
conspicuous.

Two adult males are unbarred beneath, as in M. batchia-
nensis &n&M. carteretia, which they also resemble in the pale
tips to the vinaceous breast-feathers, but they have not the
rusty throat of M. batchianensis. A third specimen is slightly
barred below, and the breast-feathers have no pale tips, in
fact it is more like a typical M . doreya, intermediate between
it and M. batchianensis. Wing 6"5 to 6*8 inches, tail 7'7.

The above specimens are in the Genoa Museum, but I
have not had the opportunity of seeing a female. It is,
however, almost sure to be of the usual type.

Hab. The Island of Miosnom.

23. Macropygia carteretia.

Macropygia carteretia, Bp. Consp. ii. p. 57 (New Ireland) ;
Scl. P. Z. S. 1877, p. Ill, et 1879, p. 447 (New Britain).

A well-defined species of the M. batchianensis type, but of
a much duller and less chestnut-brown above.

Adult male. Head of a light vinous brown, paling on the
forehead, and conspicuously set off by the broad nuchal
patch of plumbeous metallic green, with purple reflections ;
beneath pale buff, breast clear vinaceous, very markedly
tipped with white in adult specimens, getting darker towards
the under tail-coverts, which are pale rufous ; under wing-
coverts and axillaries chestnut.

Adult female. Like the females of the whole group.

One nearly adult (Mus. Tristr.). Above chestnut-brown;
nape and mantle brown, freckled with paler, and slightly
barred with darker brown ; beneath rufous-brown, slightly

the Genus Macropygia. 239

mottled with darker colour on the breast, showing the last
traces of immaturity.

Young. Of the typical mottled plumage.

Iris lavender, with an outer circle of yellow.

A young male, Mowda Island (Richards) , also in Canon
Tristram's Collection, has the iris light red and the bill and
feet cherry-red. It is like the adult, but retains traces of
the barred nuchal patch, slight traces of barring on the
breast, and a few of the head-feathers have black bases.

Wing 7 inches, tail 9, tarsus 0'9, bill 0*85 to 1.

Hah. New Britain, New Ireland, Duke of York Island,
New Hanover.

Group D. — Adults earthy or rufous brown above, barred
beneath, no metallic colours. Sewes alike.

24. Macropygia magna.

Macropygia magna, Wall. P. Z. S. 1863, p. 497 (Timor) ;
id. Ibis, 1865, p. 389; Schleg. Mus. P.-B. iv. Columbfe, p. 108.

Male, apparently adult. Head dark cinnamon-rufous ;
nape and mantle minutely freckled and barred with dark
brown and buff; remainder of the upper surface brown,
more or less clearly barred and tipped with rufous, especially
on the wing-coverts : beneath buff, conspicuously barred with
dark brown, the breast-feathers tipped with paler; chin, throat,
and lower tail-coverts more rufous and unbarred ; under
wing-coverts, axillaries, and inner webs on the inner sides of
the primaries bright cinnamon-rufous ; tail, two outer pairs
of feathers rufous, with a long marginal dark spot on the
inner web.

Specimens presumably adult seem to vary somewhat,
especially in the depth of rufous beneath and the barring of
the nape and mantle, which is sometimes almost white.

Young. A young male is paler rufous above, and the head
has the black mottled appearance of immaturity ; the upper
tail-coverts are barred ; beneath rufous, the breast-feathers
being blackish, with rufous tips.

Iris pale golden orange; bill, legs, and feet pinkish
purple (Forbes). Wing 7'7 inches, tail 8*6 to 9, tarsus 0"95,
bill 0-95.

Hab. Timor.

240 Major R. G. Wardlaw Ramsay on

25. Macropygia macassariensis.

Macropygia macassariensis, Wall. Ibis, 1865, p. 389.

Macropygia albicapilla, Temm. (pt.), Bias. Zeitschr. ges.
Orn. iii. pp. 133, 179; Meyer, Ibis, 1879, p. 137.

Allied to M. magna. Above mouse-brown, minutely
freckled with yellowish buff on the nape and mantle, the
shoulder-coverts with traces of rufous tips; beneath, throat
and sides of head buffy brown, remainder of the lower sur-
face buff, barred with brown ; tail beneath with two outer
rectrices rufous, marked with a brown spot on the inner
web as in M. magna; under wing-coverts, axillaries, and
margin of the inner web of the primaries rufous ; the
shoulders dark brown. Wing 7*5 inches, tail 8, tarsus 0*95,
bill 0-95.

Professor Blasius and Dr. Meyer have been in error (//. cc.)
in assuming that because there are two varieties in the adult
plumage of M. albicapil/a, one of them must be M. macas-
sariensis, Wall.

One specimen, which I presume is the type, is in the
British Museum. It is marked M. macassariensis in Mr.
Wallace's writing. It does not belong to the same group
as M. albicapilla, but to the small group of which M. magna
and M. timor-laoensis, Meyer, are the only other species.

Hab. Macassar.

26. Macropygia timor-laoensis.

Macropygia, sp., Scl. P. Z. S. 1883, pp. 51, 195, 200.

Macropygia timor-laoensis, Meyer, Zeitschr. ges. Orn. i.
p. 214 (1884).

Adult male. Above, head dark brown, tipped with rufous,
buff, or white ; nape and mantle barred with white and brown
or dark metallic green ; rest of the upper surface pale hair-
brown freckled with white or buff ; wing-coverts, secondaries,
and tertiaries darker, broadly tipped with rufous ; beneath
buffy brown, broadly barred with dark brown, which has
metallic purple reflections on the breast ; lower tail-coverts
rufous, unbarred; under wing-coverts bright cinnamon-
rufous ; the two outer tail-feathers only, as in the last two

the Genus Macropygia. 2-fcl

species, with marks on the inner web. Wing 7*5 to 7'7
inches, tail 8 to 8'3, tarsus 1, bill 1.

The sexes appear to be alike. Specimens vary considerably
in the shade of brown as well as in the degree of barring.

Dr. Meyer has kindly lent me the types from the Dresden
Museum ; one is much darker than others above and much
more rufous below, most likely a younger bird.

Hab. Timor-laut.

The next group is a well-marked one, and has been sepa-
rated by Bonaparte as Reinivardtoenas. It looks exactly
like Macropygia except in plumage. I have retained the
generic title because it may be found, when Reinwardtcenas is
anatomically examined, that it differs from Macropygia, and,
further, had I suppressed it, a new title would have become
necessary for R. minor, Schlegel, since that name is already
preoccupied by Swinhoe for the Hainan race of M. tusalia.
The tail is exactly as in Macropygia.

Group E. — Of two colours, chestnut or slate and white ;
of large size.

Genus II. Reinwardtoznas, Bp. Consp. ii. p. 59 (1854).

1. Reinwardtosnas reinwardti.

Columba reinwardti, Temm. PL Col. 248 (Celebes) ; Knip,
Pig. ii. pi. 6.

Reinwardtcenas reinwardti, Wald. Trans. Z. S. viii. p. 85
(p. 185) ; Salvad. Orn. Pap. iii. p. 126.

Adult. Head, neck, and mantle pale lavender, darkest on
the latter ; primaries and wing-coverts dark brown, with a
purplish tinge ; the remainder of the upper surface rich
chestnut ; beneath nearly pure white as far as the abdomen,
which is lavender, getting deeper on the lower tail-coverts ;
rectrices, two outer pairs pale lavender, with a transverse bar
and tip of brown, the next pair barred with brown and tipped
with chestnut, the two next pairs chestnut, with a brown base
and a lavender bar ; under wing-coverts dark slaty, axillaries
lavender.

Sexes alike.

242 Major R. G. Wardlaw Ramsay on

Specimens from New Guinea have the breast pale lavender
in place of pure white.

Young. A young female from Andai has the upper surface
brown, changing into chestnut, the tail and wing-coverts as
in the adult, but much deeper chestnut; beneath, from the
breast, as in the adult : otherwise all the parts which are
lavender or white in the adult are dull earthy brown, with a
few lavender feathers tipped with rufous appearing on the head
and neck. Wing 8*7 to 9*3 inches, tail 10 to 12, tarsus 1-1,
bill 1 to 1-1.

Hab. Lombock, Flores, Celebes, and New Guinea, including
nearly all the intervening islands from Morty in the north
to Amboina in the south.

2. Reinwardtcenas minor.

Macropygia reinwardti minor, Schleg. Mus. P.-B. iv.
Columbaj, p. 106 (Soek).

Reinwardtcenas minor, Salvad. Orn. Pap. iii. p. 129.

I have not had the opportunity of examining specimens of
this species, but it is described by Count Salvadori as being
much smaller than the last and of a much purer white.

Hab. The Island of Misor.

3. Reinwardtcenas browni,

Macropygia browni, Scl. P. Z. S. 1877, p. 110.

Reinwardtcenas browni, Salvad. Orn. Pap. iii. p. 130.

Adult (type). Like R. reinwardti, but all the chestnut
parts replaced by slaty black ; the four outer tail-feathers
with a pale slaty patch across the middle.

Sexes alike.

Wing 9 inches, tail 10, tarsus 11, bill 1*1. Iris light
yellow, bill and feet cherry (Richards). Iris blue, with a
broad orange margin ; legs red (Brown) ,

Hab. New Britain, Duke of York Island.

Genus III. Turac<ena, Bp.
It has been the custom hitherto to treat Turaccena as an
ally of Macropygia ; and perhaps rightly so, for its habits

the Genus Macropygia. 243

seem to be somewhat similar. On the other hand, the tail
is not that of Macropygia, being quite plain and much less
graduated.

I am not aware that the anatomy of Turaccena, as distin-
guished from Macropygia, has ever been described, but I
fully expect to find that when its internal structure is
examined it will be found necessary to remove it from its
present position.

Genus Turacosna, Bp. Consp. ii. p. 58 (1854).
" Orbitse nudse, pedes brevissirni, cauda minus graduata."
Type Columba manadensis (Q. & G.).
Confined to the Australian Region.

1. Turaccena manadensis.

Columba manadensis, Quoy et Gaim. Voy. Astrolabe, Zool.
i. p. 248, pi. 30 (1830) (Manado).

Turaccena manadensis (Q. & G.), Wald. Trans. Z. S. viii.
p. 85 (p. 185); Meyer, Ibis, 1879, p. 137.

Adult. Head and throat white ; occiput, nape, mantle, and
breast bright metallic green, the feathers being brown at
the base, and metallic green at the tip, with a shade of dark
blue between. Remainder of the plumage very dark slate,
with a shade of purple on the upper surface, and the metallic
green breast gradually blending into purplish slate on the
belly.

Sexes alike.

Wing 7'5 to 8 inches, tail 9, tarsus 1, bill 1. Iris red
{Meyer). Orbits bare, red : bill and feet black {Wallace).

Birds from the Sula Islands are a trifle smaller, but other-
wise identical.

It feeds on different fruits, especially that of Capsicum
fastigiatum { Wallace) .

Hab. Celebes, Sula Islands.

All the birds in the British Museum seem to be adult
except one, which is much browner in plumage, especially
on the wings and tail ; the neck and mantle more plumbeous,
with green and bluish-purple reflections.

244

Major R. G. Wardlaw Ramsay on

Q
^

Australia. | *

New Hebrides.

* *

D'Entrecasteaux Islands.

Solomon Islands.

! *

New Britain Group.

*

Mafor.

Misor.

Miosnom.

New Guinea. |

*

Batchian, Ternate, Gilolo.

Aru Islands.

Ke Islands.

Bouru, Oeram, Amboyna.

*

Sanghir Islands.

*

Sula Islands.

*

Celebes.

31

Timor-laut.

Timor.

Flores.

Lombock.

*

Sulu, Palawan, Philippines.

* :

Borneo.

* *

Java.

*

* *

Nias.

* :

Sumatra.

*

*

Malay Peninsula.

*

*

Andamans, Nicobars.

* :

Burma, Tenasserim.

*

91?

Hainan.

: *

India, Assam.

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245

Australia. J

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Sulu, Palawan, Philippines.

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SER. VI. VOL. II.

4-

246 . On a new Genus of the Order Columbse.

2. TURAC(ENA MODESTA.

Turaccena modesta, Temm. PL Col. 552 ; Knip, Pig. ii.
p. 31 ; Wall. Ibis, 1863, p. 486.

Slate-colour, with reflections of green and lilac on the
head, nape, and mantle; primaries and tail brown, quite
plain.

Sexes alike.

Wing 8 inches, tail 8, tarsus 1, bill 1. Iris brick-red,
with an inner tinge of yellow ; orbits yellow ; bill and feet
black {Wallace).

Hab. Timor.

XXII. — On a new Genus of the Order Columbae. By Major
R G. Wardlaw Ramsay, F.L.S., F.Z.S.

In the ' Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South
Wales/ vol. vii. p. 116 (1883), Mr. W. A. Haswell has a
paper on the u Anatomy of Turaccena^ relating to the so-
called Turaccena crassirostris, Gould, which in reality does
not belong to that genus, as the tail alone is sufficient to
show.

Mr. Haswell proves that this species is not a Macropygia,
and moreover belongs to the subfamily Phapince rather than
to the Columbince, having no caeca, while an ambiens muscle
is present. The shape of the gizzard also removes it from
Macropygia.

The general appearance of Turaccena crassirostris is that of
Macropygia, and it has a tail resembling that genus ; but it
has a very massive bill, resembling Didunculus, and the
occipital feathers are lengthened into a crest, somewhat as
in Ocyphaps lophotes.

For this bird I propose the new generic name

Corypho:nas, gen. nov.

1. CORYPHCENAS CRASSIROSTRIS.

Turaccena crassirostris, Gould, P. Z. S. 1856, p. 136 (Gua-

Recently published Ornithological Works. 247

dalcanar); Wall. Ibis, 1865, p. 391; Sclat. P.Z.S. 1878,
p. 673; Ogilvie-Grant, P.Z.S. 1888, p. 199.

Reinwardtcenas crassirdstris, Salv. Orn. Pap. iii. p. 131.

Adult. Above, head dusky brown ; occipital feathers
lengthened into a greyish-brown crest ; whole plumage slate-
colour, darkest on the upper surface ; three outer pairs of
tail-feathers with a lavender central bar. Sexes alike.

Young. A young male (Guadalcanal1, ( Voy. of Herald')
in the British Museum, which is the type of the species, has
the head dark brown, tipped with dark chestnut ; the general
plumage above of a much darker slate-colour ; beneath dark
brown, passing into the slate of the adult. Iris reddish
brown ; bill and legs carmine {Woodford). Iris and orbital
skin carmine; bill and legs bright red.

Hab. Guadalcanar, Solomon Islands.

XXIII. — Notices of recent Ornithological Publications.

[Continued from p. 124.]

34. Allen on the Genus Elainea.

[Remarks on Individual and Seasonal Variation in a large Series of
Elainea from Chapada, Matto Grosso, Brazil, with a Revision of the
restricted Genus Elainea. By J. A. Allen. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist,
ii. p. 183.]

The receipt of a fine series of Tyrants of the genus Elainea
in Mr. H. H. Smith's extensive collection from Matto Grosso
has induced Mr. Allen to take up this difficult subject.
Drawing upon other sources besides, Mr. Allen accumulated
about 400 specimens for comparison, and amongst them
several important types.

Amongst the conclusions arrived at by Mr. Allen is that
the concealed white crest of Elainea is merely a feature of
the breeding-plumage in both sexes. This enables him to
unite Elainea mesoleuca with E. pagana, as has been already
suggested might have to be done, or rather with E. albiceps,
which is treated as a subspecies of E. pagana. The other
species of Elainea are noted and commented upon. As
Mr. Salvin has now positively decided that his Elainea

s2

248 Recently published Ornithological Works.

arenarum= Sublegatus glaber, we do not see why Mr. Allen
should demur to accepting this identification, in spite of the
apparent dissimilarity of the two figures.

35. Bocage on Birds new to the Island of St. Thomas, West
Africa.

[Sur deux especes a aj outer a la Faune Omithologique de St. Thome.
Par J. V. Barboza du Bocage. Jorn. Sci. Math. Phys. e Nat. Lisboa,
1889, p. 142.]

Prof. Barboza du Bocage adds two species to the avifauna
of the West African island of St. Thomas. One of these is
Euplectes aureus (Gm.), also known from Benguela, and the
other Nectarinia thomensis, a new species, peculiar to the
island.

36. Bartlett on Weavers and Finches.

[A Monograph of the Weaver-birds (Ploceiclpe) and Arboreal and Ter-
restrial Finches (Fringillidse). By Edward Bartlett. Parts III.-V.
4to. Maidstone: 1889.]

We are glad to see that Mr. Edward Bartlett is making
good progress with his illustrated work on the Weaver-birds
and Finches. Three parts were issued in 1889. The draw-
ings by Mr. F. W. Frohawk are in many instances very
good, and the colouring is generally well executed.

The species figured in the three parts are the following • —

Part III., Jan. 1889.
Muuia fuscata. Coccothraustes personatus.

malacca. melanurus.

Phrygilus fruticeti. Euplectes flanimiceps.

Pyrrhula erithacus.

Part IV., Aug. 1889.
Malimbus malimbicus. Pyrrhula erythrocephala.

cristatus. Cardinalis phoeniceus.

Munia atricapilla. Phrygilus alaudinus.
sumatrensis.

Recently published Ornithological Works. 249

Part V., Nov. 1889.

Ploceus nigerrimus. Munia ferruginosa.

castaneofuscus. maja.

Paroaria dominicana. pallida.

Munia minuta. melasna.

brunneiceps. forbesi.

formosana. spectabilis.

37. Chapman on Amazilia seneo-brunnea.

[Further Note ou Amazilia ceneo-brunnea. By Frank M. Chapman.
Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. ii. p. 182.]

Mr. Chapman has discovered that his Amazilia tsneo-
brunnea (op. cit. p. 163) is an " artefact/' composed of the
body of Chrysolampis moschita and the head and neck of
Chlorostilbon hteberlini.

38. Hickson's ' Naturalist in North Celebes.''

[A Naturalist in North Celebes, a Narrative of Travels in Miuahassa,
the Saugir and Talaut Islands, with Notices of the Fauna, Flora, and
Ethnology of the districts visited. By Sydney J. Hickson. London :
Murray, 1889.]

Mr. Hickson's principal object in visiting the Malay Archi-
pelago was to study coral-reefs and their structure, for which
purpose he selected Talisse Island, situated in the Straits
of Banka, north of Celebes, as his principal residence. He
also visited the Sangir and Talaut Islands, between Celebes
and the Philippines, and made an excursion into Minahassa.
Mr. Hickson naturally devoted his chief attention to marine
animals, but gives an excellent chapter on the land-fauna of
Talisse Island, and introduces other remarks about birds.
Mr. Hickson is decidedly of opinion that the white-billed
Tanygnathus of Celebes, which has been called T. albirostris,
and is regarded by Mr. Wallace as " certainly distinct/' is
only the hen of T. muelleri (cf. op. cit. p. 86) . At Salibabu,
one of the Talaut Islands, the brilliant little red and blue
Lory, Eos indica, was found to be abundant, and numerous
living specimens were obtained from the natives. Mr. Hick-
son observes that it is curious that this bird should be so

250 Recently published Ornithological Works.

common in the Talaut Islands, comparatively rare in the
neighbouring group of Sangir, and unknown in the
Celebes.

39. Kempen on P alias's Sand-Grouse in Northern France.

[Sejour des Syrrhaptes dans le Nord de la France en 1888. Par Ch.
Van Kempen. Bull. Soc. Zool. France, xiii. p. 145, et xiv. p. 18.]

M. Kempen gives particulars of the occurrence of Syr-
rhaptes paradoxus at Dunkirk, St. Omer, and in other localities
in the north of France, from May to December 1888.

40. Lumholtz's Adventures in Queensland.

[Among Cannibals: an account of Four Years' Travels in Australia
and of Camp-Life with the Aborigines of Queensland. By Carl Lum-
holtz. London : Murray, 1889.]

It has been left to a Norwegian naturalist to give us the
most graphic and entertaining account that has yet been
written of the wilds of the English colony of Queensland
and its native tribes. Mr. Lumholtz's narrative of his life
and adventures in company with the blacks of the Herbert-
River district will interest and instruct every one, and his
pages are full of information on the animal and vegetable
life of the country which he visited.

Many passages relate to the bird- life of Northern Queens-
land, where the avifauna has many peculiarities and possesses
a strong Papuan element, as evidenced by the presence of
the Cassowary and the Megapode. The playing-place of a
rare Bower-bird (Scenopceus dentirostris) was discovered
(p. 139) ; the " monotonous and persistent chattering " of
the " Towdala " ( Orthonyw spaldingi) was listened to ; the
King-Pigeon (Megaloprepia magnifica) was found breeding
(p. 214) ; and the beautiful Parrot, Platycercus pulcherrimus,
was observed to excavate its nest in the hillocks raised by
the Termites or white ants. Numerous other allusions to
birds will be found in Mr. Lumholtz's pages, and the whole
volume is well worthy of perusal for those who have any
taste for natural history.

Recently published Ornithological Works. 251

41. Meyer on rare Paradise-birds.

[Besclireibimg der bisher unbekannten Weibchen von Astrarchia Ste-
phanies unci Epimachus maeleayance. Von A. B. Meyer. J. f. O. 1889,
p. 321.]

Dr. Meyer describes the hitherto unknown females of
Astrarchia stephanice and Epimachus macleayana from speci-
mens obtained by Mr. Goodwin when in company with
Sir William Macgregor on his recent expedition up the Owen-
Stanley Mountains in South-eastern New Guinea*.

42. Meyer and Helm's Report on the Ornithological Ob-
serving-Stations for Saxony for 1888.

[IV. Jahresbericht (1888) der ornithologischen Beobacbtungstationen
iin Kbnigreich Sachsen, bearbeitet von Dr. A. B. Meyer und yon Dr. F.
Helm. Abb. u. Bericbt d. k. zool. u. antbropol.-etlmograpb. Mus.
Dresden, 1889.]

Of this report we wish only to repeat the terms of commen-
dation which we had the pleasure of bestowing on the last of
the same series (see Ibis, 1889, p. 120). The observers on
the present occasion were 122 instead of 134 in number.
The observations were made at 111 stations, and relate to
213 species. Nineteen of these are new to the Saxon list.

43. Nicholson's Translation of Sundevall's ' Tentamen.'

[Sundevall's Tentamen. [Metbodi NaturaUs Avium disponendarum
Tentamen.] Translated iuto Englisb, witb Notes, by Francis Nicholson,
F.Z.S. London : R. H. Porter, 1889.]

We cannot say that we think that there was any absolute
necessity for a translation into English of Sundevall's well-
known work. The most important parts of the ' Tentamen '
are given in Latin, and even Swedish itself is not a very
difficult language for an educated Englishman. But wTe
must nevertheless thank Mr. Nicholson for the pains he has
taken in the production of the present volume, and agree

* Similar specimens were exbibited by Mr. Goodwin at tbe Meeting
of tbe Zoological Society of London on November 19tb last (see P. Z. S.
1889, p. 451). These were subsequently purchased by Mr. Seebohm and
presented to the British Museum of Natural History.

252 Recently published Ornithological Works.

with him in the desire that its issue may tend to familiarize
ornithological students in this country with SundevalFs very
important work.

Mr. Nicholson has added some appropriate footnotes to
the translation, and has prefaced it with a portrait of the
author and a notice of his life. Two appendices contain a
summary of SundevalPs system and the outlines of two
amended arrangements of the Accipitres and Thrushes, which
were published subsequently to the ' Tentamen.'

44. Ninni on the Venetian Long-tailed Titmouse.

[Sulle recentissime opinioni intorno alle Specie Venete del Genere
Acredula, breve note di A. P. Ninni. 8vo. Venezia : 1889.]

Sign. Ninni maintains, in contradiction to what is stated
in the ' Inchiesta Ornitologica ' (v. s. p. 114), that the pre-
valent form of Acredula in Venetia is A. irbii, not A. rosea
nor A. caudata.

45. Noll on Extinct Birds.

[Die Veranderungen in der Vogehvelt im Laufe der Zeit. Von F. C.
Noll. Bericht d. Senckenb. natnrf. Gesell. Frankfurt am M. 1889, p. 77.]

A good popular essay on " the alterations of the Bird-
world during the progress of time " was read by Dr. F. C-
Noll at the Anniversary Meeting in 1888 of the Sencken-
bergian Society of Naturalists of Frankfort-on-the-Main,
and is now published, with additions, in their ' Bericht.' It
contains nothing novel. A useful list of the literature on
the subject is appended.

46. Oates's ' Birds of British India.'

[The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Pub-
lished under the authority of the Secretary of State for India. Edited
by W. T. Blanford. Birds.— Vol. I. By Eugene W. Oates. London:
Taylor and Francis. 1889.]

More than twenty-five years have now elapsed since
Jerdon's well-known ' Handbook of Indian Birds ' was com-
pleted. This is a long period for the progress of modern

Recently published Ornithological Works. 253

science, and it was quite time that another book on the avi-
fauna of British India should be written to take its place.
No one will dispute the sagacity of Mr. Blanford in select-
ing the well-known author of the ' Birds of British Burmah '
to undertake this arduous task, of which the first instalment
is now before us.

Three volumes only have been allowed for the portion of
the ' Fauna of British India ' relating to the Birds. As the
number of species added to the list since Jerdon's time has
been increased " by more than one half/' this will make it
rather a "tight fit," we should say. But after our friend
Mr. Howard Saunders has performed the feat of compressing
the birds of Great Britain into a single volume, Mr. Oates
may well hope to be able to get through his task in three.

In the present volume Mr. Oates treats of the first half of
the Passeres, and gives an account of the Corvidse, Cratero-
podidse, Sittidse, Dicruridas, Certhiidse, Regulidas, Sylviidse,
Laniidae, Oriolida;, Eulabetidaj, and Sturnidse belonging to
the Indian avifauna.

The Passeres and their subdivisions are discussed in some
preliminary remarks, but the scheme of general classification
of Birds to be adopted is postponed pending the complete
elaboration of Mr. Seebohm's new ' Systema Avium.'
Mr. Oates shortly defines the Passeres as having the " deep
plantar tendons passerine ; the palate aagithognathous." Ihe
first part of this definition is not, we think, very successful,
as the plantar tendons of the " Passeres " must necessarily
be " Passerine," but the peculiar structure of these tendons
is subsequently clearly explained.

As regards the difficult question of the arrangement of the
Acromyodian Passeres, Mr. Oates proceeds by dividing off
the Dicseida? as possessing a serrated mandible, and the
Alaudidae as having a scutellated tarsus. The remaining
families then fall into two groups, according as they have
nine or ten primaries. While these characters and others
subsequently mentioned seem to answer well for the purpose
of forming an analytical key, we must say that the result
arrived at by their aid is not a very natural classification.

254 Recently published Ornithological Works.

For example, we do not think the Dicruridse are well placed be-
tween the Sittidse and Certhiidae or the Hirundinidse between
the Ploceidse and Fringillidse. We are also a little surprised
to find the Paridse placed in the same family as the Corvidse,
though we fully admit that there is something to be said in
favour of the affinities of these two groups. But the fact is
that the Acromyodian Passeres are all so closely allied that
the exact arrangement to be adopted is a matter of com-
paratively little moment.

As regards the general execution of the work, we think
that Mr. Oates deserves the greatest credit for the labour and
pains he has bestowed upon it. The descriptions are nicely
written and concise, and the accounts of the distribution and
habits well drawn up. The woodcuts and keys to the species
add greatly to the value of the book, which will be of the
utmost value to the progress of Indian ornithology.

The following generic terms appear to be used for the first
time : —

1. Scceorhynchus, fam. Corvidse : type Paradoxornis rufi-
ceps, Blyth.

2. Thringorhina , fam. Crateropodidse : type Turdinus
guttatus, Tickell.

3. Rhopocichla, fam. Crateropodidse : type Brachypteryx
atriceps, Jerdon.

4. Sittiparus, fam. Crateropodidse : type Minla cinerea,
Blyth.

5. Lioparus, fam. Crateropodidse : type Proparus chrysaus,
Hodgson.

6. Hilarocichla, fam. Crateropodidse : type Pteruthius
rufiventer, Blyth.

7. Alophoiscus, fam. Crateropodidse : type Ixos phceoce-
phalus, Hartlaub.

8. Xanthiscus, fam. Crateropodidse : type Pycnonotus fla-
vescens, Blyth.

9. Dissemurulus, fam. Dicruridas : typeDicrurus lophorinus,
Vieill.

10. Elachura, fam. Certhiidse : type Troglodytes punc-
t at as, Blyth.

Recently published Ornithological Works. 255

11. Agropsar, fam, Sturnidse : type Gr acuta sturnina,
Pallas.

We may remark that Sittiparus has been already used by
Selys-Longchamps for a genus of Paridse. See Bull. Soc.
Zool. France, ix. p. 58 (1884).

47. Oates's ' Matabele-land.' (Second edition.)

[Matabele-land and the Victoria Falls, a Naturalist's Wanderings in
the Interior of South Africa, from the Letters and Journals of the late
Frank Oates, F.R.G.S. Edited by C.G.Oates. Second edition. London:
French & Co., 1889.]

We noticed in 1882 the first edition of this interesting
account of the journeyings of the late Frank Oates, who
died of fever in Matabele-land in 1875 (see Ibis, 1882, p. 109) .
The unsold copies of the first edition having been destroyed
by fire at the publishers, Mr. C. G. Oates has prepared a
second, to which certain ameliorations and additions have
been made. In his essay on the birds collected by Frank
Oates, Mr. Sharpe, as we are informed in the preface, has
" reconstructed the classification of the species on what he
conceives to be a sounder basis, has brought the nomencla-
ture up to date, and has made some necessary revisions."

48. Pleske' s ' Ornithographia Rossica.'

[Ornithographia Rossica. Die Vogelfauna des Russischen Reichs von
Th. Pleske. Band II. Lief. 2. Laubsanger (Phylloscopus). 4to. St.
Petersbourg: 1889.]

The second part of this important work, of which we have
already spoken (see Ibis, 1889, p. 566), is now before us.
It contains an account of the Phylloscopi of the Russian
Empire, which are numerous, and form a highly charac-
teristic group of the Palsearctic avifauna. Mr. Pleske recog-
nizes 17 species, and divides them into three subgenera —
Acanthopneuste, Phylloscopus, and Reguloides.

The single plate contains figures of the following species :—
Phylloscopus (Acanthopneuste) borealis, var. want ho dry as ;
P. (Acanthopneuste) nitidus ; P. (Acanthopneuste) viridanus ;

256 Recently published Ornithological Works.

P. (Acanthopneuste) plumbeitarsus ; P. (Acanthopneuste) te-
net lipes ; P. (Acanthopneuste) occipitalis (2 figs.).

49. Pleske on the Birds of Prjevalski's Journeys in Central
Asia.

[Wissenschaftliche Resultate der von N. M. Przewalski nacli Central-
iVsien uuternoromenen Reisen. Auf Kosten einer von seiner kaiserlichen
Hoheit dem Grossfiirsten thronfolger Nikolai Alexandrowitsch gespen-
deten summe herausgegeben von der kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissen-
schaften — Zoologischer Theil. Band II., Vogel. Bearbeitet von Th.
Pleske. Lief. 1. Folio. St. Petersburg : 1889.]

We are much pleased to find that a complete account of
the valuable zoological results of Prjevalski's expeditions
into Central Asia has been planned and commenced. It will
be issued by the I. Academy of Sciences of St. Petersburg,
at the cost of the Crown Prince Nicholas, who could hardly
have devoted his means to a more worthy object. The
second volume, devoted to the birds, is being prepared by
Herr Th. Pleske, who is in charge of the Bird-Collection of
the Academy's Museum, and the first livraison is now
before us.

The present number commences with the Turdoid Passeres,
and treats of the genera Turdus, Cinclus, Saxicola, Ruticilla,
and their allies. The text is in Russian and German, in
parallel columns, and is thus accessible to the whole civilized
world. Detailed lists are given of the specimens of each
species obtained by Prjevalski. The following species are
figured in this part : —

Plate I. : Pratincola insignis, Calliope tschebaiewi, and
Dumelicola major.

Plate III. : Arundinax aedon, Herbivocula armandi, H. in-
dica, H.fuscata, and H. affinis.

50. Ridgway on the Genus Xiphocolaptes.

[A Review of the Genus Xiphocolaptes of Lesson. By Robert Ridg-
way. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. xii. p. 1.]

Twelve species and subspecies of this giant genus of the
Dendrocolaptidse are admitted as valid in Mr. Ridgway's

Recently published Ornithological Works. 257

essay, and amongst them Xiphocolaptes sclateri, of Mexico,
X virgatus (locality unknown), X. ignotus, from Ecuador (?),
X cinnamomeus, from Eastern Brazil, and X major casta-
neus, from Bolivia, are described as new. We may perhaps
venture to question the advisability of founding new species
of this excessively difficult group upon single specimens from
uncertain localities.

51. Ridgway on the Genus Sclerurus.

[A Review of the Genus Sclerurus of Swainson. By Robert Ridffwav
I'i'oc. U.S. Nat. Mus. xii. p. 21.]

Mr. Ridgway reviews the members of this somewhat diffi-
cult genus of Deudrocolaptidse, and recognizes 9 species. He
describes as new S. canigularis, from Costa Rica, and S.
lawrencii, from " Bahia," but " locality probably erroneous."
He also resuscitates S. fuscus, from the " Upper Amazons "
( = Tinactorfuscus, Max., part.), but it is difficult to under-
stand how Pr. Max.'s type can have come from such a
locality.

52. Ridgway on Birds from Galapagos.

[Scientific Results of Explorations of the U.S. Fish-Commission
Steamer ■ Albatross.'— I. Birds collected on the Galapagos Islands in
1888. By Robert Ridgway. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. xii. p. 101.]

In April 1888 the U.S. Fish-Commission s.s. 'Albatross >
visited the Galapagos Islands, and the naturalist of the Expe-
dition, Prof. Leslie A. Lee, assisted by Mr. Charles H. Towns-
hend and Mr. Thomas Lee, made a very interesting collection
of birds there, which, we are told, '< would have been more
extensive had not other duties more closely connected with
the objects of the cruise prevented." Be this as it may,
examples of 47 species were actually obtained, out of 69 now
known to inhabit the group, and of these several are new to
science. Besides this two islands were visited upon which
no previous collections had been formed, and considerable
additions have been made to our knowledge of the exact
localities of the Galapagan species, so that Prof. Lee and his

258 Recently published Ornithological Works.

assistants have accomplished a most meritorious piece of
work, of Avhich Mr. Ridgway now gives us the results.

The new species described are : — Nesomimus macdonaldi,
from Hood I. ; N. personatus, from Abingdon I. ; Geospiza
conirostris and G. media, from Hood I. ; Cactornis brevi-
rostris, from Chatham I. ; C. hypoleuca (if not C. pallida,
Scl. et Salv.), from James I. ; Camarhynchus townsendi, from
Charles I.; C. pauper, from Charles I.; Pyocephalus mini-
mus, from Chatham I. Besides these the form of Pcecilo-
nelta bahamensis of the Galapagos is separated as P. galapa-
goensis. The Galapagan Mimi are constituted a new genus,
Nesomimus, distinguished by their longer and more com-
pressed bill and longer tarsus. Two specimens of the rare
Gull Creagrus furcatus, an adult male and an adult female in
perfect summer plumage, were obtained on Dalrymple Rock,
Chatham I., and are fully described by Mr. Ridgway. A
table, showing the different islands of the group in which
the 69 species now known to occur in the Galapagos have
been found, is added, and is followed by lists of the species
met with on each island. " It is very evident," says Mr.
Ridgway in his concluding remarks, with which we quite agree,
" that the avifauna of the Galapagos is by no means yet
exhausted as a field for promising research in the problem of
derivative origin of species." Albemarle Island, the largest
of the group, is still almost untouched, two others (Wen-
man and Culpepper) have not been explored at all, whilst
" it can safely be said that on none of the islands has any-
thing like a thorough investigation yet been made."

53. Salvadori on Additions to Papuan Ornithology.

[Aggiunte alia Ornitologia della Papuasia e delle Molucche. Per
Tommaso Salvadori. Parte prima : Aecipitres, Psittaci, Picarics. 4to.
Torino: 1889.]

Seven years are past since the third and last volume of Count
Salvador's ' Ornitologia della Papuasia e delle Molucche '
was published. The author now proposes to issue a supple-
ment to his former excellent piece of work, in order to bring
our knowledge of the subject up to the present period. Of

Recently published Ornithological Works. 259

this supplement, the present part, now before us, contains an
account of the recent contributions made to our knowledge
of the Rapaces, Parrots, and Picarians of the Papuan Sub-
region. The additional species are 35 in number, amongst
which four receive new names, namely, Urospizias polionotus,
from Timor-laut, Cacomantis arfakianus, from New Guinea,
Lamprococcyx poliurus, from Taraway I., and Tanysiptera
meyeri, from New Guinea.

54. Salvadori on Pallas's Sand-Grouse in Italy.

[Le ultime notizie intorno al Sirratte in Italia negli anni 1888 o 1889,
raccolte da Tommaso Salvadori. Boll. Mus. Anat. Comp. Torino, vol. iv.
no. 70.]

This is a second supplement to Count Salvador's account
of the occurrences of Pallas's Sand-Grouse in Italy in 1888
and 1889, ■ We have already noticed the original paper (see
Ibis, 1889, p. 130) and the first supplement (op. cit. p. 391).
Some of the few survivors of the invasion were met with in
the first three months of 1889, since when nothing more has
been heard of them. Count Salvadori appends to this paper
a very convenient tabular statement of all the Italian occur-
rences.

55. Saunders's 'Manual of British Birds/

[An Illustrated Manual of British Birds. By Howard Saunders.
Parts XVI.-XX. 8vo. London: 1889.]

Our former colleague's ' Manual of British Birds ' is now
complete, and the author has retired to the continent for a
short period to enjoy abetter climate and well-earned repose.
The compact volume thus quickly elaborated has met with
universal and well-merited approval. The first number was
issued on April 1st, 1888, and the twentieth and last on Nov.
1st, 1889. The birds considered by the author, in this last au-
thority on the subject, to be entitled to be called "British-" are
367 in number, exclusive of several doubtful forms on which
opinions differ. The species ascertained to have bred within
the United Kingdom during the present century are, as we

260 Recently published Ornithological Works.

are informed in the preface, about 200 in number. Seventy
more are " non-breeding wanderers " which have occurred
fewer than six times, and 59 others ' ' more or less infrequent
visitors/' while 38 annually make their appearance on migra-
tion or during the colder months.

We are much pleased to hear that Mr. Howard Saunders
has it in contemplation to prepare another volume, containing
a similar condensed account of such European species of
birds as are not yet known to occur in the British Islands.

56. Shufeldt on the Osteology of the Water-Birds.

[Contributions to the Comparative Osteology of Arctic and Sub- Arctic
Water-Birds. Part IV. By R. W. Shufeldt, M.D., C.M.Z.S. Journ.
Anat. & Physiol, xxiii. p. 537.]

Dr. Shufeldt continues his studies on the osteology of the
Arctic and Subarctic Water-birds (cf. Ibis, 1889, p. 568).
He now discusses the Auklets (Ceratorhyncha, Ptychorham-
phus, Simorhynchus , &c), of which, however, he has failed to
secure a good series for examination, except in the case of
Simorhynchus. He describes the skeletons of Simorhynchus
pusillus, S. crist at ellus , and Cyclorhynchus psittaculus, and
makes various remarks as to their resemblances.

57. Shufeldt on the Macrochires.

[Studies of the Macrochires, Morphological and otherwise, with the
view of indicating their Relationships and defining their several Positions
in the System. By R. W. Shufeldt, M.D., C.M.Z.S. Journ. Linn.
Soc. (Zoology) xx. p. 299.]

This long and elaborate memoir contains a mine of wealth
in the way of observations, and, as is always the case in
Dr. Shufeldt's papers, is excellently illustrated, but is, per-
haps, deficient in definite conclusions. The author harps
upon his old theme of the distinctness of the Swifts and
Humming-birds. He now, however, we are pleased to see,
withdraws from his former position that the Swifts should
be arranged among the Passeres, near the Swallows, and
proposes to form them into an Order of themselves under
the title " Cypseli," to be placed " just outside the enormous

Recently published Ornithological Works. 261

Passerine circle/' The " Trochili," as already suggested,
should form a separate order, as he is now more than ever
convinced. In the skeleton of the Trogons Dr. Shufeldt
finds nothing " that in any way points to their being related,
even remotely, to the Caprimulgi."

58. Shufeldt on the Herons.

[Osteological Studies of the Subfamily Ardeinae. Parts I. & II. By
R. W. Shufeldt, M.D., C.M.Z.S. Journ. Comp. Med. & Surg. x. pp. 218,

287.]

In these two articles Dr. Shufeldt discusses the osteo-
logical characters of Ardea and its near allies. The woodcut
illustrations are of the usual excellence. At the conclusion
the chief points are summarized in a series of twenty-six
definite statements.

59. Smith on the Birds of Lake Brunner District, New
Zealand.

[On the Birds of Lake Brunner District. By W. W. Smith. Trans.
New-Zealand Inst. xxi. p. 205.]

Mr. W. W. Smith gives us some very nice field-notes on
the birds of the district of Lake Brunner, Grey County, on
the west coast of the South Island of New Zealand, where
" the bush still remains in its primeval state, and many of the
anomalous and more specialized forms, now extinct east of the
Alps, enjoy in it a fairly genial home/' Among the species
still to be met with here are Stringops habroptilus, Nestor
meridionalis, Orthonyx ochrocephala, Xenicus longipes, and
Creadion carunculatus, while Apteryoc australis " exists in
considerable numbers in the bush round the Lake." But
the new " Midland Railway is now being pushed on through
the valley, so that many of these rare forms will very shortly
disappear."

SER. VI. VOL. II.

262 Letters, Extracts, Notices, tyc.

XXIV. — Letters, Extracts, Notices, &;c.
We have received the following letters : —

Northrepps,
16 December, 1889.

Sir, — A short time since, Mr. H. E. Dresser very kindly
permitted the Norwich Museum to acquire by exchange a
specimen from Jeddah of the Owl described by Mr. Sharpe
and figured in ' The Ibis/ 1886, pi. vi., under the name of
Bubo milesi.

Mr. Dresser informs me that this specimen has been com-
pared with the type in the British Museum and agrees
with it; but I find, on examination, that it also agrees (I
think, closely) with the original description of " Otus abys-
sinicus," given by Guerin-Meneville in the ' Revue de Zoo-
logie' for 1843, p. 321.

Mr. Dresser has been good enough to refer, at my request,
to the plate of Otus abyssinicus in the ' Voyage Abyss./
Zool. iii. Ois. pi. 3, and writes as follows : — " It is figured
without ear-tufts, which is noted in the letterpress as an
error, otherwise it would do pretty well for Bubo milesi."

In the accompanying letterpress the wing-measurement
of Otus abyssinicus is given as " 35 cent." (nearly equivalent
to 13| inches), but in the ' Revue de Zool/ no measurements
are given.

The following figures relate to the measurements of the
wing and tarsus only : —

Wing.

Tarsus.

in.

in.

Otus abyssinicus, as given in

the ' Voyage Abyss.' ....

13-75

Otus abyssinicus, as given by

v. Heuglin, and quoted by

Sharpe, Striges, p. 227 . .

13 to 15

1-70 to i

Type of Bubo milesi as de-

scribed by Mr. Sharpe . .

12-70

2-40

B. milesi from Jeddah, in

13-20

2-40

If the type of Otus abyssinicus still exists in Paris, it
would be very desirable that an Arabian specimen of Bubo

Letters, Extracts, Notices, <Sfc. 263

milesi should be compared with it; but meanwhile I am
disposed to consider Otas abyssinicus and Bubo milesi as one
and the same species, wThich, in that case, ought to stand as
Bubo abyssinicus. I am &c,

J. H. GURNEY.

Sir, — I beg leave to point out that Capt. Shelley's identi-
fication of my Estrelda nonnula with Habropyga tenerrima
(P. Z. S. 1888, p. 31) is an error. In H. nonnula the ground-
colour of the back is brownish olive ; in H. tenerrima of
Reichenow it is grey, and on this grey there are dark fasciae
not found in H. nonnula.

I believe these two species to be quite distinct, and
Dr. Reichenow is of the same opinion.

Yours &c,

Bremen, Feb. 15th, 1890. Q# Hartlaub.

Labuan, Borneo,
Jan. 20, 1890.

Sir, — I wish to place on record the occurrence in Borneo
of Fuligula cristata (Leach) and of a Phalarope, probably
Lobipes hyperboreus (Linn.), which has already been indi-
cated as a probable visitant to Borneo by Count Salvadori.
The latter specimen was shot at Baram Point in October,
but was too much mutilated for preservation. The Duck
was shot at Labuan in October, and identified by comparison
with the description in the last edition of YarrelPs ' British
Birds/

Yours &c.,

A. H. Everett.

Birds of the Bellenden-Ker Range, Queensland. — Appended
to the Report of Mr. A. Meston on the Government scien-
tific expedition to the Bellenden-Ker Range in Northern
Queensland, which has recently been presented to the
Parliament of Queensland, is a report on the zoology of the
expedition by Mr. C. A. De Vis, Curator of the Queensland
Museum, Brisbane. The expedition started from Cairns on

264 Letters, Extracts, Notices, fyc.

the sea-coast on June 20th, 1889, and kept the field ten
weeks. The well-known Australian collector Mr. Broadbent
was attached to it. It is stated that at the height of
5000 feet (nearly the limit of the height of the range) no
change of fauna takes place, some of the most familiar
birds of Queensland (such as Pachycephala gutturalis) being
met with in numbers on the top of the mountain, and other
more local kinds (e. g. Scenopceus dentirostris, Prionodura
newtoniana, and Sericomis gutturalis *) having been found
at all heights and on the summit. The list of birds
of which specimens were obtained embraces 79 species,
amongst which is an Owl, described as new under the name
Ninox lurida. Other rare species besides those above men-
tioned are Cracticus quoyi, Colluricincla boweri, and Gery-
gone fiavida. Nineteen other species are enumerated as
observed on Bellenden-Ker by Mr. Broadbent, but not
obtained. Mr. Meston also procured a nest and eggs,
believed to be those of the remarkable Bower-bird Prioni-
dura newtoniana.

New extinct Swan in Neio Zealand. — At a meeting of the
Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, New Zealand, on
October 3rd, 1889, Mr. H. O. Forbes, Director of the
Canterbury Museum, Christchurch, described an extinct
species of Swan from osteological remains which he had
discovered while excavating a cave recently exposed at
Sumner, on the estuary of the Heathcote and Avon Rivers,
a few miles distant from Christchurch.

The bones discovered consisted of three complete coracoids
and the proximal and distal portions of the humerus. They
differ very little from those of Chenopis atrata of Australia,
except in their greater size. The new species has been
named Chenopis sumnerensis. The Sumner cave was stated
to have been closed before the introduction of Chenopis
atrata into New Zealand. The extension of the Swans

* A new species lately described by Mr. Be Vis in the ' Proceedings '
of the Royal Society of Queensland from specimens obtained at Herberton
by Mr. Broadbent.

Letters, Extracts, Notices, Z$c. 265

to New Zealand in a former epoch was therefore a very
interesting fact in ornithology.

The Generic term Calodromas. — In February 1884, Mr.
Ridgway proposed to change the generic term Calodromas,
employed by Messrs. Sclater and Salvin in 1873 for a genus
of Tinamous, into Calopezus, stating that Calodromas was
preoccupied, " having been used for a genus of Coleoptera
by Goudot, 1832 (Rev. et Mag. de Zool.)."

This suggestion unfortunately escaped my notice, and was
not alluded to in ' Argentine Ornithology/ where the
species in question is called Calodromas elegans (Argentine
Ornithology, ii. p. 214) *.

My attention now having been called to this point, I am
not quite sure that I can agree with Mr. Ridgway. The
term in question was used in the ' Magasin de Zoologie ' for
1832 by Guerin (not by " Goudot in the Revue et Mag.
Zool. 1832"), and is there written Calodromus not Calodromas.

As the terms are not quite identical, and as, judging from
what Guerin says in his footnote, the derivations are not the
same, I see no difficulty in retaining Calodromas.

Had both terms been proposed in the same branch of
zoology the case might have been different.

P. L. Sclater.

Obituary. — George Cavendish Taylor, Jose Augusto de
Sousa, Carl Hunstein, Ladislas Taczanowski, Jose Are-
valo y Baca, Edward Thomas Booth. — We regret, through
inadventence, to have hitherto omitted to record the death of
Mr. George Cavendish Taylor, formerly a member of the
B. O. U., and well known to many of us. Mr. Taylor died
at his residence, 42 Elvaston Place, Queen's Gate, on the
30th of July last, at the age of 63 years.

The second son of the late Mr. Frederic Farmer Taylor, of
Chyknell, Salop, Mr. Taylor passed the first portion of his life

* The term was also omitted in Mr. Waterliouse's ' Index Generum
Avium,' and although duly mentioued in the ' Zoological Record ' for
1884 ( Aves, p. 67), was not registered in the Index of New Generic Names
to that volume.

266 Letters, Extracts, Notices, fyc.

as an officer in the 95th Regiment, and served his country in
the Crimea and elsewhere. After retiring from the army,
lie became a director of the London, Chatham, and Dover
Railway, and of other commercial undertakings.

Mr. Taylor was an ardent sportsman and an excellent
shot, and from early life was a collector of birds, more
especially those killed by his own gun, and a skilful preparer
of their skins.

In 1857-58 he visited Honduras in connection with the
scheme then afloat for carrying an inter-oceanic railway
across that country. In company with the preliminary
surveying expedition for the proposed line, he crossed that
Republic from Fonseca Bay to Omoa, and made a consider-
able collection of birds, of which he subsequently published
an account in this Journal.

In 1861 Mr. Taylor made an expedition to Florida, of
which also an account was given to the readers of ' The Ibis.'
One of the specialities of Mr. Taylor's private collection of
birds was a series of Ruffs (Machetes pugnax) , illustrative of
the highly variable plumage of the male of this bird. This
series, we are pleased to be able to announce, has been
secured by Prof. Flower for the National Collection.

We subjoin a list of Mr. Taylor's ornithological publi-
cations.

(1) "Account of a Visit to a Nesting-place of the Frigate-
bird (Fregata aquila, L.)," Ibis, 1859, p. 150.

(2) " On Birds collected or observed in the Republic of
Honduras, with a short account of a Journey across
that country from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean/'
Ibis, 1860, pp. 10, 110, 222, 311.

(3) "Five weeks in the Peninsula of Florida during the

spring of 1861, with Notes on the Birds observed there,"
Ibis, 1862, pp. 127, 197.

(4) a Birds observed during two Voyages across the North
Atlantic," Ibis, 1869, p. 388.

(5) "Ornithological Observations in the Crimea, Turkey,
Sea of Azov, and Crete, during the years 1854-55;
with Remarks on the Sivash, or Putrid Sea," Ibis,
1872, p. 224.

Letters, Extracts, Notices, tyc. 267

Jose Augusto db Sousa, one of the Conservators of the
National Museum at Lisbon, and specially in charge of the
collection of birds, died at Lisbon on the 13th of June last,
at the age of 52 years. When, on the death of Pedro V. of
Portugal in 1863, the zoological collections formed by that
monarch were transferred to the National Museum, Senhor
de Sousa, then one of the two conservators of the Royal
Gallery, entered the service of the museum and took charge
of the bird-collection. Since that period Senhor de Sousa
has been a frequeut contributor of short papers on ornitho-
logical subjects to the ' Jornal de Sciencias Mathematicas,
Physicas e Naturaes/ Most of these refer to specimens in
collections received by the National Museum from Angola,
Mozambique, and other Portuguese colonies in Africa.
Senhor de Sousa also contributed a paper on the ornithology
of Timor to the ' Bulletim da Sociedade de Geographia ' in
1883, and prepared catalogues of specimens of birds in the
National Museum of Lisbon — the Parrots and Birds of Prey
in 1869, and the Pigeons and Gallinaceous birds in 1873.

Carl Hunstein, the well-known German bird-collector,
perished, as has been lately ascertained, in a cataclysm, on
the west coast of New Britain, on the 14th of March, 1888.
Hunstein was born about 45 years ago at Homburg, in
Hesse-Cassel, and although a man of good education and
some means, commenced life as a house-painter. Being
unable to indulge his love of sport and out-door life in
Europe, he emigrated to America and subsequently proceeded
by San Francisco to New Zealand, in order to join the Thames
Gold-fields diggings. Thence he passed to Queensland on a
similar occupation, and when the New Guinea gold-fever
broke out, joined the second or third lot of diggers who started
from Cookstown to Port Moresby. As is well known, the gold
in New Guinea proved a failure, and Hunstein took to his
old occupation of collecting specimens of natural history,
sometimes in company with Goldie or Captain Redlich and
at other times alone. Most of the discoveries commonly
attributed to Goldie are said to have been made by Hunstein,

268 Letters, Extracts, Notices, fyc.

who was an ardent collector and a faithful and accurate ob-
server of nature. In 1882 Hunstein accompanied Dr. Finsch
on his trip up the Laloki River in British New Guinea. In
1884, when Dr. Finsch was proceeding in the f Samoa ' to
annex the German portion of New Guinea (now Kaiser-
Wilhelm's-land), he met Hunstein at Cookstown, just
returned from a most successful collecting-trip in the Horse-
shoe Mountains of the Owen-Stanley Range, and obtained
from him a splendid series of specimens, which were after-
wards described by Dr. Finsch and Dr. Meyer *.

Knowing the practical value of a man of Hunstein's
calibre, Dr. Finsch engaged him for the service of the
New Guinea Company of Berlin, but did not succeed in
getting him such an appointment as a man of his great
experience with natives deserved. Hunstein knew the Pa-
puans and their ways really well, and during nearly seven
years' sojourn amongst them never once had occasion to use
violent means of defence. When the great tidal wave
occurred on the west coast of New Britain, on the 13th of
March, 1888, Hunstein was in company with Herr von
Below, a coffee-planter from Celebes, along with four Malays
and twelve natives prospecting for coffee-lands on that coast.
The whole party was overwhelmed, and only two of the
natives were saved. No traces have ever been discovered
of the victims, and it was long before it was known what
had become of them.

Ladislas Taczanowski. — With much regret we announce
the death, on the 17th of January last, after a short illness,
of the well-known ornithologist Ladislas Taczanowski, Con-
servator of the Warsaw Museum. We are indebted to Dr.
A. Wrzesniowski, Professor in the University of Warsaw,
for the following particulars of his life.

Ladislas Taczanowski was born the 17th March, 1819, at
Jablona, in the Palatinate of Lublin. He began his educa-
tion at home, and was then admitted into the Gymnasium
at Lublin, which he left in 1838. After the death of his

* See Ibis, 1886, p. 237, and Zeitsckr. f. d. ges. Orn. 1885, p. 369.

Letters, Extracts, Notices, fyc. 269

father, between 1839 and 1859, he cultivated the land to
which he had succeeded. He then entered the public
service and was employed in special missions for the
governor of Radorn, where he was entrusted with the forma-
tion of a collection of the animals of the Palatinates of
Lublin and Radom, as the Government had intended to place
similar collections in the chief places of each Palatinate.
But this intention was not carried out. In 1855 Taczanowski
was appointed Conservator of the Zoological Museum of
Warsaw and remained in that post until his death.

Prom his childhood Taczanowski was distinguished by his
love for the study of nature ; the habits of birds above all
interested him. At first, for want of other materials, he
devoted himself to the study of the ornithological fauna of
the kingdom of Poland, especially of the Palatinates of
Lublin, Radom, and Augustovo. His transference to
Warsaw enabled him to pursue his studies with a scientific
method. In 1857, the directors of public education in
Warsaw delegated Taczanowski to proceed to Paris, where he
learnt the best methods of skinning and preserving animals.

The sphere of Taczanowski's scientific studies was con-
siderably extended when, in 1865, Dr. Benoit Dybowski
(Professor of the University of Leopol) and Victor Godlewski
began to study Eastern Siberia, and when, in 1866, Constantin
Jelski established himself at Cayenne and formed, with an
admirable zeal and with great success, collections of the
representatives of the fauna of that country. All the acquisi-
tions made in Siberia and in Cayenne were sent to Tac-
zanowski, who devoted himself to the study of the ornitho-
logical faunas of these countries as well as to that of the
Araneids of Cayenne.

In 1863, Counts Alexander and Constantine Branicky
made a voyage to the Upper Nile and gathered a rich
collection, which they presented to the Zoological Museum
of Warsaw. From that time the beneficent influence of the
Counts Branicky, especially that of Constantine, began to
aid the activity of Taczanowski, an influence which they
exercised by furnishing him with the best scientific materials

SER. VI. — VOL. II, u

270 Letters, Extracts, Notices, fyc.

for his studies. The two Counts provided him with the
means of taking a voyage to Algeria, where he spent the
winter of 1866-67.

When, in 1871, Jelski moved his quarters to Peru, Count
Constantine Branicky made him an allowance on condition
that he sent his zoological collections to Taczanowski. In
1875 Jelski was succeeded by Jean Stolzmann, who remained
in Peru till 1882, when, in consequence of the war with
Chili, he travelled from 1883 to 1885 in Ecuador.

In this way Taczanowski became possessed of rich materials
for his great works on the Birds of Siberia and of Peru.

The study of birds was the principal object of Taczanowski's
labours, but he also devoted himself to the study of the
Araneids. He made a large collection of these animals in
the neighbourhood of Warsaw, and published a list of known
species ; afterwards he described the species of certain families
from Cayenne and from Peru.

To Taczanowski the Warsaw Museum is principally in-
debted for its rich collections ; for his relations with the
Counts Branicky were turned to the profit of the Museum.
But amongst private individuals should be also mentioned
the names of Professor Dybowski and M. C. Jelski, who,
although not in good circumstances, sent all their collections
to the Museum. Count Muiszech and Prince Ladislas
Lubomirski also enriched it with their contributions.

Taczanowski was a member of the Society of Naturalists
of St. Petersburg, the German Ornithological Society, the
Zoological Society of France, the Zoological and Botanical
Society of Vienna, the Zoological Society of London, and
the American Ornithologists' Union. In 1887 he was made
honorary Dr. of Philosophy of the University of Cracow.

His published works and memoirs were numerous, alto-
gether about fifty. Of these the most important are his
' Birds of Poland ' (published in 2 vols, at Cracow, in
1882), his ' Ornithology of Peru ' (4 vols., 1884-86), and his
memoirs on the " Birds of Siberia," in the ' Bulletin of the
Societe Zoologique de France' and in the ' Proceedings of
the Zoological Society of London.'

Letters, Extracts, Notices, t$c. 271

Jose Arevalo y Baca. — With most sincere sorrow, Lord
Lilford writes to us, I announce the death of my esteemed
friend Don Jose Arevalo y Baca, Professor of Zoology in the
University of Valencia, who died on January 9th ult. of the
prevalent epidemic complicated by affection of the lungs, in
his 44th year. His memoir on the Birds of Spain, published
in 1887 *, is, so far as I know, the only one that has hitherto
appeared on the ornithology of the whole Iberian Peninsula,
and although not devoid of error, is a work of very con-
siderable merit and much laborious research. In judging
of this book, English ornithologists must take into considera-
tion not only the very meagre salaries of Spanish University
Professors, but also the very scanty supply of modern works
of zoological reference that are accessible to them. In the
case of Sefior Arevalo these difficulties were aggravated by
delicate health, and his untimely death has left a void in the
ranks of European ornithologists that will not easily be
rilled up.

Mr. Edward Thomas Booth, the founder and owner of
the well-known " Dyke Road Museum " of British Birds at
Brighton, died on the 8th of February last. Mr. Booth was
born at Chalfont St. Giles, in Buckinghamshire, on June 2nd,
1839, the only child of his father, Mr. Edward Booth, of
Marina, St. Leonards, by Miss Beaumont, of a well-known
Northumberland family. He was educated at Harrow and
Trinity College, Cambridge. Mr. Booth learnt bird-stuffing
when a boy, from Kent, the well-known bird-stuffer of Has-
tings, and, ccmmencing at an early period in life, spent the
greater part of his time in the field, studying our native birds
in their haunts in every part of the United Kingdom, and
collecting and preserving the specimens that fell to his gun.
These specimens were mounted in an artistic way, each species
in a separate case, with objects and painted backgrounds so
arranged as to represent the birds in situations similar to

* Aves de Espana. — Memoria premiada con accesit per la Real
Academia de Cienciaa Exactas, Fisicas y Naturales en elconcurso publico
de 1882 escrita por 1>. Jote Aievalo y Baca. 4to. Madrid, 1887.

272 Letters, Extracts, Notices, fyc.

those in which they were actually obtained, the arrangements
being in many instances copied from sketches taken on the
actual spots where the birds themselves were shot. In
making this collection Mr. Booth spared neither personal
trouble nor expense of any kind, and the results of his energy
and devotion to this one object were the finest and most
nearly complete collection of British Birds of this special
character ever yet formed.

About 15 years ago, his house in Vernon Terrace,
Brighton, being too small for his increasing collection,
Mr. Booth purchased some freehold land on the Dyke Road,
and erected a residence for himself and a special building
for his birds. Of the latter he issued a catalogue in 1876,
which describes the contents of 306 cases and gives exact
particulars of the mode in which the specimens were ob-
tained *. The Museum was open to the public at a fee of
one shilling a head, and the proceeds from admission were
given to Brighton charities.

The Booth Collection is stated to have been bequeathed
to the Trustees of the British Museum, but with restrictions
on its use which make it doubtful whether they will accept
the offer. Mr. Booth also issued, in numbers, between
the years 1881 and 1887, a well-illustrated work entitled
' Rough Notes on the Birds observed during twenty-five
years' shooting and collecting in the British Islands/ the
nature of which is correctly indicated by the title. Com-
pleted, it forms three handsome folio volumes, the plates
of which, lithographed and coloured from sketches by Neale,
represent the specimens in the Dyke Road Museum.

Mr. H. E. Dresser, who was well acquainted with the late
Mr. Booth, describes him, in his prime, as a strongly built,
very active and intelligent man, an excellent sportsman, and
one of the best field-naturalists he ever knew. A few years
ago Mr. Booth met with an unfortunate accident, and injured
his spine in a fall. This brought on partial paralysis, and
ultimately led to his death at the early age of 50 years.

* ' Catalogue of the Cases of Birds in the Dyke Road Museum,
Brighton.' By E. T. Booth. (Brighton, 1876.)

THE IBIS

SIXTH SERIES.

No. VII. JULY 1890.

XXV. — On the Ornithology of Northern Borneo. By R.
Bowdler Sharpe, F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c, Zoological Depart-
ment, British Museum. With Notes by John White-
head.— Part VII.*

(Plate VIII.)

I have come to the end of my description of Mr. White-
head's grand collection, and \ have now only to present to
the readers of * The Ibis ' a resume of the scientific results
of this memorable expedition. To do this in the most com-
prehensible manner, I have borrowed a leaf from the book
of my friend Mr. Osbert Salvin, F.R.S., whose comparative
tables of the avifauna of Cozumel and the other islands of
the Bay of Honduras (Ibis, 1890, pp. 86-89) gave such a
concise view of the zoo-geographical relations of those islands
with the neighbouring continent, that I feel that I cannot
do better than imitate it.

In the accompanying list the new species are printed in
black type, and those discovered for the first time in Borneo
by Mr. Whitehead are printed in small capitals.

* Concluded from p. 149.

SER. VI. VOL. II. X

274

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1. Circus

1. spilonotus ...

2. Astur

2. trivirgatus ...

3. soloensis

3. Accipiter

4. virgatus

5. rufotibialis,

sp. n.

4. Spizaetus

6. limnffitus

5. Lophotriorchis

7. kieneri ,

6. Neopus ,

8. nialayensis ....

7. Spilornis

9. BACHA

10. pallidus

8. Butastur

11. indicus

9. Haliaetus

12. leucogaster

10. Polioaetus

13. ichthyaetus....

11. Haliastur

14. intermedins .

12. Pernis

15. ptilonorhyncbus

13. Microhierax

10. latifrons

14. Faleo

17. communis

15. Cerchneis

18. tiununeulus ...

16. Pandion

19. haliaetus

17. Ketupa

20. ketupa

8. Bubo

21. orientalis

19. Heteroscops, g. n.

22. luciae, sp. n

10. Scops

23. lempiji

24. ruf'escens

21. Ninox

25. japonicus

26. bomeensis

22. Syrnium

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Ornithology of Northern Borneo.

275

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Brought forward . .
Corone

28. tenuirostris ..
Dendrocitta

29. ciuerascens

Cissa

30. minor

31. jefferyi, sp. n
Platysmurus

32. aterriuius

Oriolus

33. xanthonotus ..

34. vulneratus,

sp. n.
Ohibia

35. borueensis

Buchanga

36. stigmatops

Dissemurus

37. brachyphorus..
Tephrodornis

38. gularis

Hemipus

39. obscurus

40. picatus

Platylophus

41. coronatus

Artamides

42. normani,

sp. n.

43. surnatrensis ..
Chlamydochae-

ra, gen. n.

44. jefferyi, sp. n.
Pericrocotus

45. igneus

46. xanthogaster .

47. cinereigula,

sp. n.

48. MONTANUS ....

Lalage

49. culminata ....

50. terat

Hemichelidon ....

51. cinereiceps,

sp. n.
Alseonax

52. latirostris ....
Poliomyias

53. luteola

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Muscicapula

54. hyperytiira ...

55. westermanni ...

42. Xanthopygia

56. narcissixa

57. cyanonielagna ...

43. Tarsiger

58. hodgsoni

44. Hypothymis

59. occipitalis

45. Ehipidura

60. albicollis

61. perlata

62. javanica

46. Terpsiphone

63. affinis

47. Pkilentoma

64. pyrrhopterum

48. Rhinomyias

65. ruficrissa, s.n.

66. pectoralis

67. gularis, sp. n.

49. Culicicapa

68. ceyloneusis

50. Cryptolopha

69. tritirgata

70. montis, sp. n.

51. Abrornis§

71. schwaneri

52. Stoparola

72. cerviniven-

tris, sp. n.

73. thalassinoides...

53. Siphia

74. elegans

75. banyumas

54. Locustella

76. ochotensis

55. Pbylloscopus

77. xanthodryas ..,

56. Acrocephalus ,

78. orien talis

57. Horornis

79. oreophila, s.n

58. Geocichla

80. aurata, sp. n.

59. Merula

81. seebohmi,s.n

82. obscura

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Ornithology of Northern Borneo.

277

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Erythacus

83. cyaneus

Monticola

84. solitaria

Myiophoneus

85. borneensis

Tricbixus

86. pyrrbopygus ...
Copsychus

87. amoenus

Cittocincla

88. stricklandi

iEgitbina

89. Yiridissima

90. viridis

Cbloropsis

91. zosterops

92. cyanopogon ...

93. kinabaluen-

sis, sp. n.
Hemixus

94. connectens,

sp. n.

95. malaccensis

Micropus

96. melanoleucus ...

97. melanocepbalus
Criniger

98. phreoeephalus ..

99. ruficrissus

Tricholestes

100. criniger

Trachycomus

101. ochrocephalus
Pycnonotus

102. analis

103. simplex

Eubigula

104. montis

Oreoctistes

105. leucops,

sp. n.
Irena

106. criniger

Henicurus

107. borneensis,
sp. n.

Hydrocicbla

108. frontalis

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110. ruficeps

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114. everetti,

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122. schistochla-

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92. Rhinocicbla

123. treaclieri

93. Allocotops, gen. n.

124. calvus, sp. n.

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129. canicapil-
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Ornithology of Northern Borneo.

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98. Trichostoina

133. rostratum

99. Malacopterum

134. cinereum

135. affine

100. Kenopia

136. striata

101. Misornis

137. borneensis

138. montana,

sp. n.

102. Androphilus ..

139. accentor, s.n

103. CORYTIIOCICHLA ...

140. crassa, sp. n.

104. TuKDINULUS

141. exsul, sp. n.

105. Anuropsis ,

142. malaccensis ..

106. Lanius

143. lucionensis ..

107. Hyloterpe

144. hypoxan-

tha, sp. n.

145. griseola

108. Pterutiiius ,.,

146. ^eralatus

109. Dendrophila

147. corallipes,

sp. n.

110. ,£tkopyga

148. temmmcki ..,

149. siparaja

111. Chalcostetha

150. insignis

112. Cinnyris

151. hasselti

152. pectoralis

113. Arachnothera

153. julise, sp.n...

154. modesta

155. longirostris ...

156. chrysogenis ...

114. Anthothreptes

157. malaccensis ..

158. phcenicotis ...

115. Zosterops

159. AURIYENTER ...

160. clara, sp. n....
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161. monticola,

sp. n.

162. nigrimentum .

163. chrysorrhteum.

164. trignostigma...
117. Prionochilus

165. xantbopygius .

166. thoracicus

118. Hirundo

119. Motacilla

169. flava

120. Anthus

170. KICIIARDI .

171. gustavi

122. Calornis

123. Eulabes..'

124. Artamus

175. leucorhynchus.
125. Padda

126. Munia

178. brunneiceps ...

127. Chlorura

179. borneensis,

sp. n.

128. Erytbrura.,

180. prasina

129. Calyptomena

181. whiteheadi,
sp. n.

130. Psarisomus

183. psittacinus ...

131. Eurylffiinus

184. javanicus

185. ochromelas ...

132. Cymbirbyncbus ...

186. macrorbyn-

cbus

133. Corydou

187. sumatranus ...

102

64

100

37

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Ornithology of Northern Borneo.

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127

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134. Pitta

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188. arcuata

189. baudi

190. schwaneri

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191. ussheri

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192. cyanoptera ...

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135. Palieornis

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194. longicauda ...

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136. Loriculus

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195. galgulus

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137. Harpactes

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196. whiteheadi,

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197. kasumba

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198. diardi

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200. ORESC'IUS

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138. Megalaema.

201. chrysopsis

202. versicolor

203. mystacopbanes

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139. Cyanops

204. pulcherri-

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205. monticola,

sp. n.

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140. Mesobucco

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141. Calorbainphus

207. fuliginosus ...

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142. Iyngipicus

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208. aurantiiventris.

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209. auritus

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143. Xylolepes

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210. validue

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144. Hemicercus

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145. Lepocestes

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212. porpbyromelas

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146. Gecinus

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213. punieeus

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147. Cbrysophlegma ...

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215. malaccense ...

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216. pulverulentus .

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149. Thriponax

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217. javensis

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152

64

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282

Mr. R. B. Sharpe on the

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18
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151.
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157.
158.
159.
160.

161.

162.
163.
164.
165.
166.
167.
168.

169.
170.

Brought forward . .
Tiga

218. javanensis

Gauropicoides

219. rafflesii

Miglyptes

220. grammithorax

221.tukki

Micropternus

222. badiosus

Sasia

223. abnormis

Indicator

224. archipelagieus
Chrysococcyx

225. xanthorhyn-

chus
Suruiculus

226. lugubris

Penthoceryx

227. pravatus

Cacomantis

228. merulinus

Hierococcyx

229. fugax

230. NANA

231. BOCKI

232. sparverioides.
Cuculus.

233. micropterus .

234. P0LI0CEPIIALI\S

Coccystes

235. coromandus
Eudynamis

236. malayana ..

Khopodytes

237. ery'hrognathus
Rhinortha ,

238. chloroph.Ta
Poliococcyx

239. sumatranus
Zanclostomu8 ...

240. javanicus ...
Oentrococcyx ...

241. eurycercus...

242. javanensis...
Buceros

243. rhinoceros .
Rbinoplax

244. vigil

Carried forward

152
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Ornithology of Northern Borneo.

283

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Brought forward . . .

171. Antbracoceros

245. convexus

246. raalayauus ...

172. Anorrhiuus

247. COMATUS

248. galeritus

173. Merops

249. sumatranus ...
174. Nyctiornis

250. amicta

175. Alcedo

251. bengalensis ...

252. meninting

176. Pelargopsis

254. leucocephala...
177. Ceyx

255. dillwynni
178. Halcyon

256. coromanda ...

257. pileata

179. Carcineut.es

260. melanops

180. Eurystomus

261. orientalis

181. Caprimulgus

182. Cypselus

183. Collocalia

265. linchi

184. Dendrocbelidon ...
266. comata

267. longipennis ...
185. Cbcetura

187. Treron

270. capellii

271. vernans

272. fulvicollis
188. Ptilopus

189. Carpopbaga

274. senea

169

107

169

58

26

11

Carried forward ...

207

83

56

41

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284

Mr. R. B. Sharpe on the

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Brought forward ..
Carpophaga

275. badia

276. bicolor

190. Chalcophaps

277. indica

191. Macropygia

278. emiliana

279. ruficeps

192. Caloenas

280. nicobarica

193. Argusianus

281. grayi

194. Bambusicola

282. erythro-

phrys, sp. n

195. Arboropiiila

283. c'harltoni

196. Rollulus

284. rouloul

197. Excalfactoria

285. chinensis

198. Megapodius

286. cutuingi ,

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199. Eeacus

287. magnirostris

200. Squatarola

288. helvetica ...

201. Charadrius

289. fulvus

202. jEgialitis

290. peronii

291. cantianus ...

292. dubius

293. geoffroyi ...

203. Glareola

294. orien talis ...

204. Strepsilas

295. interpres ...

205. Tringa

296. ruficollis ...

297. SUBMINUTA

206. Tringoides

298. hypoleucus

Ornithology of Northern Borneo.

285

H

i-3

207. Totanus

299. glareola

300. brevipes

208. Numenius

301. uropygialis ...

209. Scolopax

302. gallinago

303. MEGALA

210. Hypotajnidia

304. striata

211. Eallina

305. fasciata

212. Ortygometra

300. cinerea

213. Erythra

307. phoenicura

214. Ardea

308. sumatrana

309. purpurea

215. Demiegretta

310. sacra

216. Herodias

311. torra

217. Bubulcus

312. coromandus ...

218. Ardeola

313. speciosa

219. Butorides

314. javanica

220. Grorsachius

315. melanolophus .

221. Ardetta

316. cinnamomea ..

317. sinensis

222. Ny cticorax

318. griseus

223. Leptoptilus

319. javanicus

224. Mareca

320. penelope

225. Fregata

321. minor

226. Plotus

322. melanogaster

227. Sterna

323. bergii

228. Anous

324. leucocapillus..

42

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286 Mr. R. B. Sharpe on the

In instituting comparisons between the avifauna of
Northern Borneo and that of the neighbouring countries, I
have not taken account of any Waders or Swimming-birds,
which are species of wide distribution and do not affect the
question in any way. I deal simply with Nos. 1-286 in the
foregoing list. It will be seen that Mr. Whitehead's expedition
added to the avifauna of Borneo no less than 25 genera, as
follows : — 1. Heteroscops, 2. Chlamydochera, 3. Hemichelidon,
4. Muscicapula, 5. Tarsiger (vel Nitidula), 6. Cryptolopha,

7. Horornis, 8. Geocichla, 9. Oreoctistes, 10. Henicurus, 11.
Phyller 'gates, 12. Staphidia, 13. Chlorocharis , 14. Brachy-
pteryx, 15. Orthnocichla, 16. Garrulax, 17. Allocotops, 18.
Androphilus, 19. Corythocichla, 20. Turdinulus, 21. Pteru-
thius, 22. Chlorura, 23. Psarisomus, 24. Cyanops, 25. Ar-
borophila.

Moreover, Mr. Whitehead procured examples of 67 species
not before known from Borneo : — 1. Accipiter rufotibialis,
2. Spilornis bacha, 3. Heteroscops lucice, 4. Cissa jefferyi, 5.
Oriolus vulneratus, 6. Hemipus picatus, 7 . Artamides normani,

8. Chlamydochara jefferyi, 9. Pericrocotus cinereigula, 10. P.
montanus, 11. Hemichelidon cinereiceps, 12. Muscicapida hype-
rythra, 13. M. westermanni, 14. Xanthopygia narcissina, 15.
Tarsiger hodgsoni, 16. Rhipidura albicollis, 17. Rhinomyias ru-
ficrissa, 18. R.gularis, 19. Cryptolopha trivirgata, 20. C.montis,
21. Stoparola cerviniventris , 22. Horornis oreophila, 23. G<?o-
cichla aurata, 24. Merula seebohmi, 25. Erithacus cyaneus,
26. Chloropsis kinabaluensis, 27. Hemixus connectens, 28.
Oreoctistes leucops, 29. Henicurus borneensis, 30. Phyllergates
cinereicollis , 31. Staphidia everetti, 32. Chlorocharis emilia,
33. Brachypteryx erythrogyna, 34. Orthnocichla whiteheadi,
35. Garrulax schistochlamys, 36. Allocotops calvus, 37. /Stfa-
chyris borneensis, 38. Turdinus canicapillus , 39. IT. magni-
rostris, 40. Mixornis montana, 41. Androphilus accentor,
42. Corythocichla crassa, 43. Turdinulus exsul, 44. Hyloterpe
hypoxantha, 45. Pteruthius ceralatus, 46. Dendrophila coral-
lipes, 47. Arachnothera julice, 48. Zosterops auriventer, 49. Z.
clara, 50. Dicaum monticola, 51. Anthus richardi, 52. CA/o-
rura borneensis, 53. Calyptomena whiteheadi, 54. Psarisomus

Ornithology of Northern Borneo. 287

psittacinus, 55. Harpactes whiteheadi, 56. H. orescius, 57.
Cyanops pulcherrima, 58. C. monticola, 59. Hierococcyx nana,
60. H. bocki, 61. Cuculus poliocephalus, 62. Anorrhinus coma-
tus, 63. Macropygia ruficeps, 64. Bambusicola erythrophrys,
65. Arborophila charltoni, 66. Tringa subminuta, 67. Scolopax
meg a la.

Some of Mr. Whitehead's most interesting discoveries
have been already figured in illustration of previous articles.
I am now able to add the portraits of two more of his new
species by Mr. Keulemans. These are—

1. Zosterops clara. (Plate VIII. fig. 2.)

Zosterops clara, Sharpe, Ibis, 1888, p. 479, 1889, p. 427.
Hab. Kina Balu.

2. Dictum monticola. (Plate VIII. fig. 1.)

Dicatum monticola, Sharpe, Ibis, 1887, p. 452, 1889, p. 428.
Hab. Kina Balu.

Of the 198 genera and 286 species of which I propose to
treat in the present compilation, it will be found that 74
genera and 127 species are, so far as we know, inhabitants
of the lowlands of Borneo only, and do not ascend the slopes
of Kina Balu at all.

This leaves us a total of 124 genera and 159 species which
are known to occur on the mountain. By adding Rallina
fasciata and Butorides javanica from the Wading-birds, we
have the exact number of species found on Kina Balu by
Mr. Whitehead, viz. 161, representing 126 genera. A large
number of these are birds inhabiting the lowlands of Borneo
which do not extend their range higher than 1000 feet up
the mountain. Thirty-four genera and 49 species do not
ascend above the 1000-feet limit ; but here also begins the
true avifauna of Kina Balu ; Chibia borneensis, Buchanga stig-
matops, Phyllergates cinereicollis, Rhinocichla treacheri, Chlo-
rura borneensis, and Collocalia linchi all descend within the
1000-feet limit.

In the next zone of Kina Balu, which Mr. Whitehead
fixes at from about 1000 feet to 3000 feet, there are 55 genera
and 59 species, but many more of the lowland birds reach

288 Mr. R. B. Sharpe on the

their maximum range up the mountain before 3000 feet —
Bubo orientalis, Tephrodornis gularis, Platylophus coronatus,
Lalage culminata, Alseonax latirostris, Poliomyias luteola,
Culicicapa ceylonensis, Siphia elegans, Alcippe cinerea, Poma-
torhinus borneensis, Dendrophila corallipes, AVthopyga sipa-
raja, Arachnothera longirostris , Motacilla melanope, Ery-
thrura prasina, Corydon sumatranus, Megalcema mystaco-
phanes, Iyngipicus aurantiiventris, Gecinus puniceus, Chryso-
phlegma humii, Gauropicoides rafflesii, Miglyptes tukki, Hiero-
coccyx fugax, Rhinoplax vigil, Ceyx dillwynni, Carcineutes
melanops, Caprimulgus macrurus, Ptilopusjambu, Macropygia
emiliana. A few lowland species extend their range beyond
the 3000-feet zone, but they disappear in the next zone
(3000-4000 feet) ; these are Oriolus xanthonotus, Arach-
nothera modesta, Calyptomena viridis, Pitta arcuata, Zanclo-
stomus javanicus, Alcedo euryzona. Only two other species
found in the lowlands seem to range beyond the 4000-feet
limit, viz. Lepocestes porphyromelas and Merula obscura.
Within the 3000-feet zone therefore 26 lowland genera and
29 lowland species disappear from the list, leaving 66 genera
and 83 species.

In this zone also there occur for the first time several
peculiar Kina Balu birds : —

Accipiter rufotibialis.
Dendrocitta cinerascens.
fCissa minor.
fPericrocotus cinereigula.
■fHemichelidon cinereiceps.
Myiophoneus borneensis.
Chloropsis kinabaluensis.
fCriniger ruficrissus.
■fRubigula montis.
Henicurus borneensis.
Stachyris borneensis.
■fMixornis montana.

A^ithopyga temmincki.
■fHarpactes oreskius.
Macropygia ruficeps.
Bambusicola erythrophrys.

Ornithology of Northern Borneo. 289

Those marked with a dagger (f) are apparently confined
to this zone, and therefore 2 genera and 7 species must be
deducted from the number remaining above the 3000-feet
zone.

There remain therefore 27 genera and 23 species, from
which must further be deducted Buchanga stigmatops, leaving
26 genera and 22 species.

In the next zone, from 3000 to 4000 feet, several more
genera and species reach their limit, and there are quite a
number of Kina-Balu species which do not ascend higher.
The list is as follows : —

Accipiter rufotibialis.
*Spilornis bacha.
*Oriolus vulneratus.

Oriolus xanthonotus.
*Hemipus picatus.

Pericrocotus xanthogaster.
* Rhinomyias ruficrissa.
*Geocichla aurata.

Chloropsis kinabaluensis.

Henicurus borneensis.

Phyller gates cinereicollis.
*Staphidia everetti.
*Turdinus canicapillus.
Arachnothera modesta.

Calyptomena viridis.
*Psarisomus psittacinus.

Pitta arcuata.
*Cyanops monticola.
Zanclostomus javanicus.
Alcedo euryzona.
Bambusicola erythrophrys.

Besides these, which disappear at a height of 4000 feet,
many other species appear for the first time and range into
the next zone. Such are : —

Cissa jefferyi.

Art amides normani.

SER. VI. — VOL. II. v

290 Mr. R. B. Sharpe on the

CMamydodera jefferyi.
Rhinomyias gularis.
Abrornis schicaneri.
Stoparola cerviniventris.
Hemixus connectens.
Hyloterpe hypoxantha.
Araehnuthera juVkb.
Dicmim monticola.
Calyptomena ivhiteheadi.

TVe thus deduct 14 genera and 21 species -which do not
reach beyond the 4000- feet zone, leaving 47 genera and 51
species.

In the next zone (4000-8000 feet) the following genera
reach their maximum altitude and disappear : —

1.

Cissa.

16.

Stachyris.

2.

Chibia.

17.

fCorythocichla.

3.

Art amides.

18.

■\Turdinulus.

4.

Chlamydochcera.

19.

Hyloterpe.

5.

fTarsiger.

20.

A^thopyga.

6.

Rhinomyias.

21.

Arachnothera.

7.

Abrornis.

22.

Zosterops.

8.

Stoparola.

23.

Dicaum.

9.

Hemixus.

24.

Calyptomena.

10.

fOreoctistes.

25.

Pitta.

11.

Herpornis.

26.

Harp act es.

12.

rBrachypteryx.

27.

Cyanops.

13.

fOrthnocichla.

28.

Lepocestes.

14.

t Gar rid ax.

29.

Hierococcyx.

15.

jAUocotops.

30.

Carpophaga.

Those genera marked with a dagger (f) are peculiar to this
altitude on the mountain.

The following species disappear below 8000 feet : —

1. Cissa jefferyi.

2. Chibia borneensis.

3. Artamides normani.

4. Chlamydochara jefferyi.

Ornithology of Northern Borneo. 291

5. Muscicapula hyperythra.

f6. Tarsiger hodgsoni.

7. Rhinomyias gularis.

8. Abrornis schicaneri.

9. Stoparola cerviniventris.

10. Merula obscura.

11. Hemixus cunnectens.
fl2. Oreoctistes leucops.

13. Herpornis brunnescens.

fl4. Brachypteryx erythrogyna.

tlo. Orthnocichla ivhiteheadi.

fl6. Garrulax schistochlamys.

fl7. AUocotops calvus.

18. Stachyris borneensis.

19. Stachyris poliocephala.
t20. Corythocichla crassa.
t21. Turdimdus exsul.

22. Hyloterpe hypoxantha.

23. ^Ethopyga temmincki.

24. Arachnothera jidice.
f25. Zoster ops clara.

20. Dicmun monticola.

27. Calyptomena ivhiteheadi.

28. P*7ta schicaneri.
f29. Harpactes ivhiteheadi.
t30. Cyanops pulcherrima.

31 . Lepocestes porphyromelas.
f32. Hierococcyx bocki.
f33. Carpophaga badia.

Those species marked with a dagger ( j-) appear to be pecu-
liar to the zone of 4000-8000 feet.

The species which make their first appearance in this zone
are : — Muscicapula hyperythra, M. ivestermanni, Tarsiger hodg-
soni, Rhipidura albicoUis, Cryptolopha trivirgata, C. montis,
Horornis oreophila, Oreoctistes leucops, Chlorocharis emilice,
Brachypteryx erythrogyna, Orthnocichla ivhiteheadi, Garrula-x
schistochlamys, AUocotops calvus, Androphilus accentor, Cory-

y2

292 On the Ornithology of Northern Borneo.

thocichla crassa, Turdinulus exsul, Pteruthius ceralatus, Zos-
terops clara, Pitta schwaneri, Harpactes whiteheadi, Cyanops
pulcherrima, Hierococcyx bocki, Cucidus poliocephalus, and
Carpophaga badia.

The highest zone, above the 8000-feet level, contains very
few characteristic genera and species, viz. only Heteroscops
lucice, Pericrocotus montanus, and Merula seebohmi.

The table which I have drawn out shows so clearly the
relationships of the various genera and species found on
Kina Balu that I need take up no more space to compare the
avifauna of this interesting mountain with the mountains of
surrounding countries. It is evident that the peculiar species
of Kina Balu are many, that several inhabitants of that
mountain are allied to forms inhabiting the high lands of
Sumatra and Java, and therefore those of the Malayan chain,
Mooleyit, and the Eastern Himalayas.

In drawing up this summary I have derived the greatest
assistance from Count Salvadori's works and memoirs on
Borneo and Sumatra, and from Mr. Hume's able resume
of the avifauna of Tenasserim (Stray Feathers, vol. vi.). I
also desire to record my acknowledgments to a most useful
paper by Dr. Vorderman entitled " Les Oiseaux de Sumatra et
leur presence dans les iles avoisinantes " (Nat. Tijdschr.
Nederl. Ind. xlix. An*. 4, pp. 381-442).

In conclusion I once more offer my congratulations to
Mr. John Whitehead on the success of an expedition planned
and executed with so much determination in the face of so
many obstacles and dangers, while his father, Mr. Jeffery
"Whitehead, who provided the " sinews of war," must feel
proud that his son has carried out one of the most important,
as well as one of the most successful scientific expeditions of
modern times — one, too, from which the gain resulting to
our ornithological knowledge has not yet been thoroughly
gauged.

Mr. F. E. Beddard on Pliotodilus badius. 293

XXVI.— On Photodilus badius, with Remarks on its Systematic
Position. By Frank E. Beddard, M.A., F.R.S.E.,
F.Z.S., Prosector to the Zoological Society of London.

The close association of Photodilus and Striae, which until
recently was very generally held by ornithologists, is prob-
ably largely clue to Nitzsch's researches into their pterylo-
graphy * So very similarly were these Owls found to be
organized in this particular that Nitzsch declined even to
separate them generically ; they were accordingly referred
by him to his genus Hubris. Before Nitzsch, however, Pho-
todilus had been judged, on the evidence afforded by its
external characters, to be closely allied to Strix.

External Characters {Pterylosis, Oil-gland, fyc).
The pterylosis of Photodilus has been described by Nitzsch,
who, as already mentioned, was influenced by the arrange-
ment of the feather-tracts to associate Photodilus and Strix
together.

I am not quite clear whether Nitzsch really describes the
pterylosis of Photodilus, or whether his remarks under
Hybris are only meant to refer to the Barn Owl; that the
latter supposition is true appears to be the opinion of
Professor Newton. On the other hand, I do not find any
distinct statement that the account of the pterylosis of
Hybris is meant to refer only to the genus Strix as we now
understand it ; if that were so, then Nitzsch's grounds for
uniting Strix and Photodilus would be rather slender.

The pterylosis of Hybris is stated by Nitzsch to be remark-
able for the fact that the two branches of each pectoral
tract join again behind the sternum; this was not at all
clearly the case in my specimen of Photodilus, but until I
have had an opportunity of examining Strix I reserve my
further remarks upon the value of pterylosis in the classi-
fication of the Owls.

The oil-gland of Hybris is said by Nitzscli to have two
minute feathers upon the apex, which cannot be accidental,
as they were constantly found. Nitzsch does nut say par-
* Pfcerylography, Engl. ed. p. 70.

294 Mr. F. E. Beddard on Photodilus badius.

ticularly whether he found these feathers in Photodilus ; I
did not myself succeed in finding them, though I made a
careful search. This is a point of difference worth noting
between the two genera, and it will be observed that in this
respect Photodilus differs from Strix and agrees with other
Owls.

The rectrices are 12, the remiges 21 in number.

Mr. Sharpe has observed another character which dis-
tinguishes Photodilus from Strix*, and allies it with the
Bubonine Owls (Syrnium, &c.) ; and I can quite confirm
his statement, from an examination of my specimen, that
the serration of the middle toe, which is to be found in
Strix,. is absent in Photodilus. The claw is, however, pro-
duced laterally into a knife-edge, as in other Owls.

External characters are therefore rather against the close
association of Photodilus and Strix. Nevertheless, Dr. Coues,
in his work on North- American Birds t, still retains the older
view; he associates together Photodilus and Strix (called
Aluco), mainly on account of external characters [not ptery-
losis), but also on account of the anchylosis of the furcula
with the sternum %. He particularly mentions that in both
genera "the inner edge of middle claw is serrate or jagged,
simulating the pectination seen in Caprimulgidae, to which
birds these Owls are curiously related through Steatornis."
In the paper just mentioned above, Mr. Sharpe pointed out
that Heliodilus and not Photodilus is the genus which in this
particular is akin to Strix. I have examined an example of
Strix in which the jagged edge of the toe in question was
very inconspicuous, and the question arises whether it does
not occasionally disappear altogether.

Osteology.
Skull. — The skull (fig. 1, p. 295) is less completely Bubo-
nine than I had at first thought it.

* A note on Heliodilus soumagnii, Grandidier, P. Z. S. 1879, p. 175.

t * Key to North-American Birds,' 2nd ed. 1884, p. 500.

\ There is not really this anchylosis ; hut an appearance of such is
caused hy the strong ligaments, which tie down the ends of the two
(separate) clavicles to the anterior end of the carina sterni.

Mr. F. E. Beddaid on Photodilus badius.

295

The interorbital septum is not flattened down to a thin
plate, which may even be here and there deficient ; it is, on
the contrary, of some thickness, though this is not so marked
as in Strix. Asio and Syrnium are not, however, very far
removed from Photodilus in this particular, though they are
rather on the Bubonine than the Strigine side. The inter-
orbital septum of Photodilus is, in fact, intermediate in its
characters between that of Strix and that of Syrnium.

Fur. 1.

Photodilus badius : base of skull. Nat. size.

The lateral ethmoid processes, although not so swollen as
in Strix, are not nearly so flattened as they are in Bubo, where
they are thin plates hardly thicker than a piece of paper.

On the other hand, the general proportions of the skull are
decidedly more like those of Bubo than of Strix.

The measurements are, length 63 millim., breadth 44
millim.

The palatines, though not so straight as in Strix, are less
bowed than in Bubo, and there is not that sharply marked

296 Mr. F. E. Beddard on Photodilus badius.

difference between their anterior and posterior regions that
there is in the latter genus. In this particular also they
approach Strix. Furthermore, in Syrnium and Bubo the
postero-internal edge of the palatine is sharply bent down ;
this is hardly marked in Strix or Photodilus.

In comparing the skulls of Strix and Bubo the presence
of two minute supraorbital bones in the latter is very notice-
able ; these are attached rather nearer to the anterior than
to the posterior margin of the orbit. In Strix, where the
configuration of the orbit from above is entirely different,
the same bones, if present, are not conspicuous, but must be
attached to supraorbital processes placed much further back.

Syrnium and Photodilus are midway between these two
extremes.

As the skull of Photodilus studied by Milne-Edwards*
was incomplete anteriorly, I have thought it worth while
to introduce some figures (figs. 2, 2 a, p. 297) into this paper
illustrative of certain facts which cannot be shown properly,
for the reasons stated, in Milne-Edwards's figures.

Milne-Edwards mentions particularly the absence in
Photodilus of those occipital convexities which are so striking a
feature in the skull of Strix; they are not, however, com-
pletely absent from the Bubonidee, though, if present (as in
Nyctea), they are very much less developed.

In Syrnium, as in Photodilus, they are completely absent.

The temporal fossse, as Milne-Edwards has remarked, are
deep, but they are not continuous with depressions appearing
on the occipital region of the skull ; it is rather important
to direct attention to this character, because it seems to be
diagnostic.

Strix flammea agrees with Photodilus, but in Bubo, Asio,
Speolyto, Nyctea, Ketupa, and Syrnium there is a deepish
fossa on each side of the head, which may be seen from
behind to be a prolongation backwards of the temporal
fossa. In this particular, therefore, the skull of Photodilus

* u Observations sur les affinity zoologiques du genre Photodilus,v etc.,
Nouv. Arch. Mus. 2e sei\ t. i. (1878), p. 185.

Mr. F. E. Beddard on Photodilus badius.

297

is like that of Strix, and unlike some genera, at any rate, of
Bubonidae.

In Bubo and Syrnium the maxillo-palatines are very large
and conspicuous, and are but little concealed by the over-
lying palatines ; in Strix, on the other hand, as I have
pointed out, these bones are comparatively small and largely
hidden by the palatines.

Fiart

The upper figure represents the posterior face of the skull of Nyctea nivea.
The lower figure gives a corresponding view of the skull of Photo-
dilus badius. Both are of the size of nature.

Photodilus is decidedly nearer to Strix in these points.

After describing the skull of Photodilus, Milne-Edwards
says that " it is with the representatives of the group of
Syrnium, not only in the conformation of the skull, but in

298 Mr. F. E. Beddard on Photodilus badius.

many other points, that Photodilus presents the closest
analogy." Prof. Newton *, however, is of opinion that it
should not be definitely referred to the Bubonine group,
but that it forms a connecting link between the Strigidse and
the Bubonidae. This statement refers apparently to the
osteological peculiarities of the skull and to the external
characters of the genera ; the latter are more Strigine, the
former Bubonine.

I quite agree with Professor Newton, and also with
M. Milne-Edwards, that Syrnium is the Bubonine type
which comes nearest to Photodilus.

In my above-given account of the skull which supplements
that of Milne-Edwards, attention is directed to many points
in which Photodilus agrees now with Syrnium now with
Strix.

It agrees with Strix : —

(1) In the absence of the extension over the occipital

region of the temporal fossse.

(2) In the comparatively narrow maxillo-palatines.

(3) In the approximately equal breadth throughout of

the palatine.

(4) In the slightly swollen prefrontal processes of the

ethmoid.

(5) In the comparative thicknesss of the interorbital

septum.

It agrees with Syrnium : —

(1) In the general configuration and proportions be-

tween length and breadth.

(2) In the prominent forehead.

(3) In the absence of occipital convexities.

The foot of Photodilus (fig. 3, p. 299) offers certain pecu-
liarities which distinguish it from that of all other Strigidse
which I have been able to study. At the same time, as re-
gards the proportions of the first two phalanges of the third
digit, it comes nearer to Strix than it does to Bubo ; these two

* Article " Owl," Encycl. Brit, xviii. p. 89.

Mr. F. E. Beddard on Photodilus badius.

299

joints are not subequal,but the second is decidedly the longest.
I take this opportunity of mentioning these points as
it appears to me * that, although no doubt trifling, they are
of some classificatory value from their constancy. Further-
more, as in Milne-Ed wards's f illustration the toes are left
unshaded and are not figured separately, it seems probable
that his skeleton was so far defective.

Ri°rht foot of Photodilus badius. Nat. size.

The peculiarity in the bones of the feet of Photodilus
concerns the three proximal phalanges of the fourth digit ;
the first two of these are fused, and the next following is of
about half the size of the compound bone, thus showing that
the size of the separate bones is equal, as in other Striges.

Ribs. — M. Milne-Edwards states {op. cit. p. 190) that " the

* Cf. Ibis, 1888, p. 339.
t Nouv. Arch. &c, he. cit. pi. 4.

300

Mr. F. E. Beddard on Photodilus badius.

ribs are, as usual, seven pairs, but that five of them articulate
directly with the sternum ; the first pair alone are floating
ribs, while in the little group of the Strigidae two pairs thus
remain in the condition of stylets ; the second rib has no
uncinate process, and the seventh, remarkable by its slender-
ness, is attached to the middle of the last sternal rib but
one." These statements are entirely borne out by his figure
(on plate 4) of the entire skeleton.

The skeleton which I have studied was evidently more
carefully prepared than that which furnished the material for
M. Milne-Edwards's admirable paper. In this specimen (see
fig. 4) the seven ribs mentioned by Milne-Edwards are, of
course, present ; but, in addition, there is a small free rib (1)
attached to the thirteenth vertebra on each side, about one

Fig. 4.

Ribs, pelvis, and sternum of Photodilus badius : 1, first rudimentary
(cervical) rib ; 2, second do. Nat. size.

eighth of the length of the next rib (2), and only furnished
with one attachment to the transverse process. Moreover,
the third (the first complete rib) on both sides of the body
has perfectly well-developed uncinate processes, which are

Mr. F. E. Beddard on Photodilus badius. 301

about half the length of those which follow and of a rather
different shape. The second rib also appears to me to show
a very faint trace of an uncinate process.

In Strix flammea, on the contrary, the first rudimentary
rib, that on the thirteenth vertebra, although extremely short,
has both a capitular and tubercular head ; the uncinate pro-
cesses appear to commence with the fourth rib; but I
should not like to be positive about the latter point.

In both these types the upper extremity of the last rib
is complete, and that of the penultimate rib is partially
covered by the extension forwards of the ilium.

In Bubo maximus the third rib has uncinate processes,
and there is (on one side) a minute trace of a ninth rib ; the
eighth rib is attached very nearly at the end of the seventh ;
the last two ribs are very completely covered at their
vertebral attachment by the ilium.

In Ketupa javanensis both the twelfth and thirteenth
vertebrae are furnished with rudimentary ribs, only attached to
the transverse processes. It is possible that in this case as in
others the main tubercular fragment is hardly ossified :
the penultimate rib is hardly covered by the ilium. In other
respects there are no differences from other Owls.

Of the dorsal vertebra of Photodilus the last three have
no hypapophysis. In this respect it agrees with Strix ; but
this fact appears to be of no moment in classification, for
Syrnium aluco, Bubo, and Athene noctua have the same
characters, while in Ketupa javanensis there are only two
dorsal vertebrae thus unprovided with hypapophyses.

The Pelvis. — The conformation of this bone has been de-
scribed by Milne-Edwards, who has figured it in two views ; the
following is his account of the bone (op. cit. p. 192): — "Le
bassin est beaucoup plus raccourci que celui des Effraies, et
par ce caractere il se rapproche un peu de celui des Cheveches,
des Ciccaba et des Nyctales ; les proportions relatives de la
portion praecotyloVdienne et de la portion postcotyloi'dienne
sont a peu pres les memes que chez ces oiseaux, tandis que
chez les Otus les fosses iliaques sont notablement plus longues
mais moins elargies. L'ecusson pelvien est aplati comme

302 Mr. F. E. Beddard on Photodilus badius.

celui des Nyctales et les angles ischiatiques sont peu pro-
eminents." There is another feature in the pelvis which
seems, besides those mentioned by Milne-Edwards, to be of
some importance. This is the pointed extremities of the
ilia, which overlap the last ribs ; these are perfectly well
figured by Milne-Edwards.

These conditions are exactly repeated in Striw; but in
Ketupa and Syrnium the antero-lateral processes of the
innominates are much more blunt and altogether shorter
in proportion.

Visceral Anatomy.

The viscera, and in fact the soft parts generally, of Photo-
dilus do not seem to have been ever studied.

The following notes may therefore not be without
interest : —

The liver-lobes are unequal in size, the right being rather
larger than the left. The liver-lobes are shut off by a
delicate membrane from the subomental space, which appears
to be formed by a fusion between the umbilical ligament and
the oblique septa. I just mention this arrangement without
for the present going any further into the matter, because
the character appears to be one of classificatory importance.

I find, in fact, that in the Barn Owl there is no septum
cutting off the liver in the way that has been described j but
in Asio otus I find such an arrangement repeated.

The caeca of Photodilus (fig. 5, p. 303) are, as in other
Owls, swollen at their extremities; it seemed to me as if
this swelling was more marked in Photodilus than in some
other types of Owls.

The gall-bladder is large, and its duct enters the small
intestines just at the top of the loop in front of the opening
of the hepatic duct, which is itself considerably above the two
pancreatic ducts ; these latter are side by side, and placed
about halfway up the distal side of the duodenal loop.

The syrinx is not very distinctive of the affinities of the
bird. The last three tracheal and the first two bronchial
rings are ossified ; the intrinsic muscles, which are not

Mr. F. E. Beddard on Photodilus badius.

303

strong, are attached to the second bronchial semiring (the
last of the ossified rings) .

The tensores patagii muscles are so far unlike those of Strix
that there is no fibrous band uniting the extremity of the
tendon of the /. p. brevis with the tendon of the t.p. longus.
As I have already pointed out *, at least two species of Strix
agree in possessing this fibrous band, which is probably
characteristic of the genus.

Fiar. 5.

Caeca of Photodilus badius. Twice the nat. size.

The foregoing description of the anatomy of Photodilus
badius tends to support the conclusion that this Owl cannot
be referred to the Strigine section, but that it must be in-
cluded among the Bubonine genera. Among the latter
Syrnium appears to be the form to which it is most closely
* 'Ibis,' 1888, p. 341.

304 Mr. W. B. Tegetmeier on Modern

allied. At the same time it is important to notice that it
does present certain points of resemblance to Strix. These
are not, however, in my opinion, sufficiently numerous or
important to lead to the conclusion that Photodilus occupies
a really intermediate position between the two families. The
structure of Photodilus does not necessitate either the crea-
tion of a separate family for its reception, or the amalga-
mation of the two generally recognized families into one.

XXVII. — On the Principal Modern Breeds of the Domestic
Fowl. By W. B. Tegetmeier, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U.

On the occasion of an exhibition of the various breeds of
poultry in the grounds of the Zoological Society of London in

September last, the Editor of ' The Ibis ' did me the honour
to suggest that an illustrated article on the subject of the
modern varieties might be interesting to ornithologists, and
requested me to undertake its production. I had much
pleasure in acceding to his request. For many years I have
been interested in the subject, not only from an anatomical,
but also from a practical standpoint. My first introduction
to Darwin was by Yarrell, thirty-five years ago, on which
occasion the author of the ' Origin of Species/ which was
not then published, came to my house to inspect a large col-
lection of crania and other preparations illustrating the
extent of variation in the domesticated Gallus ferruyineus.
Engravings of several of these, and some figures of the heads
of fowls of distinct breeds, were given in Darwin's ' Variation,
of Animals and Plants/ and it will be interesting to trace
the extension of variation in the several breeds since the
publication of that work in 1868 to the present time.

The breed which most closely resembles the wild Gallus
ferrugineus, from which Darwin thought all the domestic
varieties had descended, is (or, perhaps it would be more cor-
rect to say, was) the ordinary Game breed, one sub-variety
of which, known as the Black-breasted Red Game, from the
arrangement of colours in the male, differs from the wild
original chiefly in being of larger size and in the more

Breeds of the Domestic Fowl.

305

erect bearing of the tail. During the period that Game
cocks were bred for the cock-pit, the conformation of the
wild bird was but slightly departed from; but since the
establishment of competitive poultry shows, the breeders
have aimed at increasing the length of the neck and limbs,
the result being the production of such specimens as are
shown in figures 1 and 2, representing a Black-breasted

Fisr. 1.

K /? , ./> . ffciT-—^-^- -*: =■' -Stir "^-\

Black-breasted Red Game Cockerel.

Red Game cockerel arid pullet that have just assumed their
adult plumage, having been drawn, as were all the illustra-
tions to this article, in September from birds of the current
year. So successful have been the efforts of the fanciers to
produce long-limbed birds, that the hens not unfrequently
stand with the keel of the breast-bone raised 12 or 13 inches
from the ground. The feathers in this breed are now required

SER. VI. — VOL. II. z

306

Mr. W. B. Tec-etmcicr on Modem

to be firm, narrow, and closely pressed to the body, the long
flowing sickle tail-feathers of the male, that were formerly
admired, being reduced to scanty proportions. That so com-
plete a change should be effected in a few years is a striking
example of the power of the breeder to alter the type of a
breed by careful selection of brood-stock, — the object being
to produce breeds that should excel others in the conven-
tional fancy points, so as to be able to win prizes at compe-
titive shows, the sale-value of such birds for the purpose of

Fier. 2.

exhibition rising higher in some instances than jg50 each. It
is hardly necessary to remark that such birds as these re-
presented would be of no value in the cock -pit, as they would
at once be overpowered by birds of greater strength of limb.
The Malay breed, a young male of which in full plumage
is shown in figure 3, is one of much greater size than the

Breeds of the Domestic Foivl.

307

Game; the legs, though greatly elongate!, are thick and
massive, and the body more weighty than it appsars, as the
plumage is excessively close and firm, and so scanty that in
the older birds the naked skin often appears on the breast,
neck, and legs, turning bright red by exposure to the light

Fiar. 8.

Malay Cockerel.

and air. From the length of the legs and the necessity of
resting them, the males not nnfrequently assume the attitude
shown in the smaller figure, which has a ludicrous resem-
blance to that of a kangaroo. The comb in the Malay is
closely adpressed to the skull, and quite destitute of the ser-

z2

308

Mr. W. B. Tegetmeier on Modern

rations which characterize that of the wild G. ferrugineus
and the Game breed.

The Malay is one of the very few fowls of which the geogra-
phical title is correct. Typical specimens are frequently
brought from the Malay peninsula. Temminck figured the
variety, which he erroneously regarded as a distinct species,

Fisr. 4.

~r ~~-

Buff Cochin Cockerel.

under the name Gallus giganteus, and in the early period
of the Zoological Society specimens imported by Colonel
Sykes were shown as " Kulm Fowls."

The Malay has not greatly altered since Darwin's time, as
the object of the breeders of this variety was always to secure

Breeds of the Domestic Fowl.

309

great length of limb and neck and hardness of plumage, con-
joined with size and weight.

It has been supposed that the elongation of the modern
show Game has been obtained by crossing with the Malay ;
but there is no evidence to prove this, and, from a fancier's
point of view, more would be lost by introducing the coarse-
ness of limb and head than would be gained, as much time
would be required to " breed out " these characters.

Fig. 5.

Buff Cochin Hen.

A variety of the Malayan type, with shorter legs and ex-
cessively glossy plumage, has been for many years bred
largely in the south-western counties, particularly Devon and
Cornwall, being known as the Indian Game. It is an ex-
ceedingly weighty bird, having very large pectoral muscles,
and is admirably adapted for improving our domestic poultry
by crossing. It has, unfortunately for its utility, been
recently largely exhibited, and will probably be bred for

310 Mr. W. 15. Tegetmeier on Modem

feathers of a particular marking rather than for its useful
table properties. This breed, being very local at the time
that Darwin wrote, was not described by him.

Following the arrangement adopted by Darwin in his work
on ' Variation/ I now arrive at the Cochins, a geographical
misnomer, as these birds at the time of their introduction
were as unknown in Cochin China as in England, and came
from Shanghai, a port many hundreds of miles to the north.
Cochins (figs. 4 & 5, pp. 308, 309) are distinguished by their
great size and the abundance of fluffy plumage on the body,
the wing and tail-feathers being extremely short, so that
typical birds are quite incapable of flight. In the original
importations the legs (tarsi) were generally feathered. This
has been regarded as an important point by fanciers, and
much care has been bestowed on the production of feathers
on the legs and feet, so that in first-rate show-specimens the
foot-feathers are strong quills, often G or 8 inches in length.

On their first introduction they were abundant layers of
buff-coloured eggs, small in size when compared with that of
the bird. Exhibition specimens have been bred so exclusively
for show purposes, no attention having been paid to breed-
ing for egg-production, that they have lost this characteristic,
and are now generally very indifferent layers. Cochins offer
several points of difference from the older known breeds.
The long axis of the occipital foramen is vertical, in place of
being horizontal. The forehead has a deep frontal groove.
Their habits and nesting, when allowed to range, vary from
those of other fowls, and their voice is remarkably distinct.
These characteristics, into the consideration of which I can-
not enter fully in this paper, lead me to believe that the
Cochin had its origin in a species of G alius which has, like
the camel, wholly passed into a state of domestication.

The introduction of the Cochin into England some forty
years ago gave the first impulse to the exhibition of fancy
poultry and to the manufacture of new breeds by crossing
different varieties. Thus, the Brahmas did not, as alleged,
come from the river from whence they take their name,
where fowls of the character are quite unknown, but were

Breeds of the Domestic Fowl.

311

produced in America by crossing Cochins with a large grey
variety of Malays called Ohittagong. At first many of the
chickens were black, but by careful selection the colour and
markings were fixed in a few generations; and as they now
produce their own like they are regarded as a pure breed.
More recently a new variety, which now breeds fairly true

Fig. G.

Dorking Cockerel.

to colour, though still producing some black chickens, has
been formed in America by crossing the Cochin with the
Dominique, a Cuckoo-marked farm -yard fowl common in the
United States. This new breed, known as the Plymouth
Hock, is now very common in England, and is valuable as a
prolific layer, but, like all breeds derived from the Cochin,
is deficient in the size of the pectoral muscles and possesses
a vcllow skin.

312

Mr. W. B. Tegetmeier on Modern

The Langshan is a recently introduced Asiatic breed,
which at first closely resembled the black Cochin, but by
careful selection has been rendered much closer in plumage,
more resplendent in colour, and its quality as a table-bird
improved.

The Dorking of the present day (fig. 6, p. 311) is a large,
heavy, massive bird, which was greatly increased in size some

Fij?. 7.

Spanish Cockerel.

quarter of a century since by being crossed with a large
•Malay or Kulm cock, introduced by Col. Sykes. It still
retains the fifth toe, an unnatural excrescence, which renders
these heavy birds very liable to diseased feet. As a remark-
able illustration of the effect of competition, I may state
that one of the successful rearers of these birds some forty
years since was in the habit of cutting away the supernu-

Breeds of the Domestic Fowl.

313

raerary toe to prevent lameness in his fowls ; whereas, later
on, the most successful exhibitor of the breed used to look
over his chickens as they were hatched and at once destroy
any that had not five toes on each foot. This remorseless
process of selection eventuated in his strain being invariably
five-toed. Dorkings are of various colours, the white not
being as large as the darker varieties. The Surrey and Sussex
fowls, which constitute the bulk of the best birds sent to the
London markets, are largely crossed with the Dorking breed.

Fie:. 8.

^ £Jv %

Spanish lieu.

The Mediterranean breeds, as they are reared in this and
other countries where poultry shows are prevalent, have cer-
tain well-marked characteristics in common, namely, large,
thin, single, compressed combs, deeply serrated; these, in
show birds, must be erect in the cocks (fig. 7, p. 312) and

314 Mr. W. B. Tegctmeier on Modern

folded on the top of the head in the hens (fig. 8, p. 313).
The ear-lobe or lappet in all is white, as in the Indian speci-
mens of G. ferruginous, and in the breed known as Spanish
(figs. 7 & 8) this whiteness extends over the wliole face. At
the earlier poultry shows Spanish were rarely, if ever, seen
without a small proportion of red over the eyes, but at the
present time such birds would have no chance of winning
prizes at a competitive show. The size of the ear-lobe, about
half an inch square in the wild original, has been increased to
seven inches in depth by four or more in Avidth, and in many
old birds its growth would quite obscure the eyeball and
interfere with vision unless cut away.

The colour of the plumage in Spanish is black in both
sexes, although purely white chicks are occasionally pro-
duced, and sometimes a black bird will more or less com-
pletely assume white feathers at the autumnal moult. The
chickens, when just hatched, are clothed in black and white
down, whereas buff Cochin chickens are entirely buff, and
the various breeds approaching the colours of the G.ferru-
gineus have three characteristic broad stripes of dark brown
down the back, which are in strong contrast to the lighter
ground on which they are placed.

■In all the Mediterranean breeds, which may be taken to
include the varieties known as Spanish, Minorcas, Leghorns,
Andalusians, &c, the hens are non-sitters. The birds have
been selected for prolificacy, and the instinct for incubation
so rarely encouraged that it has at last ceased to prevail, and
not one hen out of fifty becomes " broody " or manifests any
desire to hatch her eggs. Before the advent of poultry shows
Spanish fowls were valued as prolific layers of large white
eggs, and those from the most prolific layers were selected
for the production of chickens. For the purpose of exhi-
bition, however, the birds have been selected for fancy points,
and prolificacy altogether ignored, the result being that the
variety is nearly useless for practical purposes, and has gone
out of general favour, except as a purely fancy fowl.

Minorcas, a breed that has for many years been largely
bred in the south-western counties of England, differ from

Breeds of the Domestic Fowl.

315

Spanish in having red faces, the white ear-lobe and wattles
being much less developed. They possess the prolificacy
that the Spanish have lost, and are most abundant layers of
large white-shelled eggs. They have, unfortunately for their
utility, lately come into fashion as exhibition fowls, the
object of the breeders being to develop the comb in the
cocks to the largest possible size that it is capable of assum-
ing whilst maintaining a plane surface and erect position.

Fie:. 9.

Silver-spangled Hamburg Cockerel.

Andalusians are another sub-variety of the Spanish or
Mediterranean type. In this breed the colour is slaty blue,
but the hens recently exhibited are characterized by a dark
margin or edging to breast- and body-feathers.

Leghorns are of the same general type, but with white
plumage and yellow legs (tarsi) . Since their introduction into

316

Mr. W. B. Tcgetmeier on Modem

this country from the United States, where the breed was
first carefully bred, they have been crossed with ordinary
Game, and brown, as distinguished from white, Leghorns
are an established breed.

Under the name of Hamburgs, a misnomer which was
first employed at one of the early Birmingham shows, several

Fi- 10.

Vs. *.. W'vSY-»

:J>!

Pencilled Hamburg.

distinct breeds of fowls are confounded together. The so-
called Spangled Hamburgs (fig. 9, p. 315) originated appa-
rently in England ; small competitive shows, which were con-
fined to the hens, having existed in the north for a long period.
In this breed, of which there are two sub-varieties, named,
according to the ground-colours, Gold- or Silver-spangled, the

Breeds of the Domestic Fowl.

317

feathers are tipped with a black mark, crescentic in some
strains and circular in others. The birds were formerly
called Mooneys or Pheasant-fowls. The combs are what are
known as double, being flat on the head, peaked behind, and
covered with small short sprigs. These breeds are of fair
size and are non-sitters. A sub-variety with the plumage
entirely black is known as the Black Hamburg.

Fig. 11.

White-crested Black Polish Cock.

Pencilled Ilamburgs (fig. 10, p. 316) are unquestionably
of continental origin ; they are well known in France as
Campines, and on their first introduction to this country were
termed Dutch every-day layers. They are smaller than the
spangled breeds, and are characterized by the feathers of the
hens (and those of both sexes before the moult into adult
plumage) being marked with several transverse bars of black
on a white or bav ground.

318

Mr. W. 13. Tcgetmcicr on Modern

The fowls known in tliis country as Polish and in France
as Race dc Padoue (fig. 11, p. 317) are characterized by large
feathered crests, which appear to necessitate a peculiar deve-
lopment of the frontal bones for their support. This protu-
berance, which assumes a hemispherical form, is seldom
completely ossified; it contains the anterior part of the

Fig. 12.

Spangled Polish Hen.

brain, which consequently is in a most abnormal form,
approaching that of an hour-glass"*.

The Polish breeds are of considerable antiquity, having
been described by Aldrovandus and figured by the old Dutch
painters. Beyond increasing the size of the crests and the

* Cf. Tegetmeier on « Skulls of Polish Fowls," P. Z. S. 1866, p. 366.

Breeds of the Domestic Fowl.

319

regularity of the markings but little alteration has been since
effected in these breeds. Figure 11 (p. 317) represents a cock
of the white-crested black variety, in which the ordinary
wattles are present in full size. In despite of the most per-
sistent efforts of the breeders, the white crests of the birds

Fie:. 13.

La Fleche Cockerel.

of this breed always show some black feathers over the beak ;
they are sometimes few in number, but are always present
unless they have been removed by violence.

In the Spangled Polish (fig. 12, p. 318) each feather in
the hens is banded by a black line on a white or bay ground,

3.20 Mr. W. B. Tegetmeier on Modern

and the wattles, like the comb, are reduced to a minimum and
replaced by feathers. All the Polish breeds are non-sitters.
I have given figures of a male and female of two different
varieties in order to call attention to the fact that the fea-
thers of the crest differ in the two sexes, in both, however,
taking the form of the tail-coverts ; so that they are lanceo-
late in the males and rounded in the females.

The rudimentary comb in the Polish breeds is crescentic
or two-horned, and is generally developed in an inverse ratio
to the feathered crest ; it is even possible to establish breeds
allied to the Polish retaining the deformed nasal bones, but
with enlarged combs and abortive crests. Several such breeds
exist in France, where crossing has been largely employed to
secure good birds for the table. In the La Fleche cock
(fig. 13, p. 319) the crescentic comb is fully developed in con-
junction with the peculiar deficiency of the nasal bones,
while the crest is extremely rudimentary and often absent.
In the breeds known in France as Gueldres and Bredas, the
combs and crests are both absent, and the only resemblance
between these birds and the Polish breeds, from which they
were apparently derived, is in the peculiar formation of the
nostrils and the nasal bones ; whereas in the Creve-cceurs and
Houdans, breeds that have been introduced into this country
since the time of Darwin's work on Variation, both the crest
and comb are present.

The plastic character of these varieties may be inferred
from the fact (which I have repeatedly proved) that in inter-
breeding half-bred Polish, in three generations the crest can
either be entirely got rid of or restored to its full size by
careful selection of the birds bred from.

Polish or crested fowls have been so long favourites with
amateurs that numerous sub- varieties, varying as to colours
&c, exist. In addition to the gold- and silver-spangled,
there are purely white Polish, others entirely black, and some
are Cuckoo-feathered. One of the most interesting, as illus-
trating a fact in variation well known to all raisers of new
breeds, is the buff or Chamois Polish. In this the feathers
are reddish buff, each one being tipped or spangled with

Breeds of the Domestic Fowl.

321

white. The breed may be regarded as Gold-spangled Polish,
in which the black spangle has been changed into white —
a process of easy accomplishment compared with the diffi-
culty of obtaining a breed in which the feathers that are
naturally red are changed into white. Thus, to revert to
the Game breed, Black-breasted Red Game are coloured
precisely like the wild G. ferrugineus. Nothing is more easy
than to produce, by crossing with a white bird, the variety

Fig. 14.

w/m

Scotch Grey Cock.

known as Pile Game, in which all the feathers that are
black in the original become white, the red remaining un-
changed. In the hands of a skilled breeder black and white
are more easily interchangeable than any other colours, a
fact which is in obvious relation to the more frequent oc-
currence of albinos amongst black species than those of lighter
colours.

ser. vi. — vol. ii. 2 a

322

Mr. W. B. Tegetmeier on Modern

Several breeds of fowls are characterized by what is termed
by fanciers " Cuckoo markings." The Plymouth Rock has
already been alluded to as a cross-breed. There are also
Cuckoo-coloured Dorkings, Polish, Cochins, &c. In the north
of England and Scotland a Cuckoo-marked breed known as
Scotch Grey (figs. 14 & 15) is frequent. In these birds the
feathers are marked with transverse bands, which are not so
defined as those in the hens of the pencilled Hamburgs,
the bands being dark slaty grey on a lighter ground.

Sebright Bantams (figs. 16 & 17) may be regarded as the

Fisr. 15

Scotch Grey Hen.

^t$£!*P~

most artificial of all breeds, inasmuch as the males not only
possess the plumage, but also the markings of the hens ;
every feather in this beautiful diminutive breed should be
" laced " or margined with black, like a sheet of mourning-
paper. The neck and saddle-feathers of the male should
resemble those of the female, and there should be a total
absence of long curved sickle-feathers in the tail.

Breeds of the Domestic Fowl.

323

Fig. 16.

Silver Sebright Bantam Cock.

Fig. 17.

Silver Sebright Bantam lien.

9 v O.

32t

Mr. W. B. Tegetmeier on Modern

This composite breed was produced by the late Sir John
Sebright by first crossing a Polish fowl with laced feathers
with a Bantam. When the required size and markings had
been obtained by careful selection, lie crossed again with
" hen -feathered cock," so as to introduce the female plumage
into the males of the breed, and then by careful selection he
established the breed, of which there are two varieties, one

Fig. 18.

^rr^\,^,\t,, XT. tim^S^-fl •-» '

Wyandotte lien.

with white, or, as it is called, silver, the other with rich bay
or golden ground.

In a recently manufactured American breed the laced or
dark-bordered feathers of the Sebright Bantam have been
obtained by careful crossing and selection, on a large bird,
evidently derived from one of the Asiatic breeds, such as the
Brahma: this breed is known as the Wyandotte (fig. 18).
^W ell-laced Wyandotte hens are now common, but it will

Breeds of the Domestic Fowl. 325

take some few years' careful selection to obtain the required
markings of the cocks in a perfect state.

Several distinct varieties exist in the smaller forms known
as Bantams; the Japanese (fig. 19) is one of the most
strongly characterized, the tail being of large size, the legs
short, and the breast very prominent. The Japanese Bantam

FLr. 19.

Japanese Bantam.

shows that, in spite of the difficulty, colour can be localized
in the fowl — the tails of many of these birds being black,
the remainder of the plumage white. In breeding Pigeons
nothing is easier than to localize colour, and to breed birds
with black tails and white bodies, or yellow wings on a white
ground &c, as may be desired ; but in fowls such feats in
breeding are very difficult and of rare accomplishment — facts,

326

On Modem Breeds of the Domestic Fowl.

the solution of which depends on what Darwin termed analo-
gous variation. In many species of Columbine birds the
colour is localized ; white heads, for example, exist in nature
in many species, but in the wild Galli and allied species no
such arrangements of colours are known, hence the difficulty
of producing such patterns in the varieties of the G.ferru-
ffineus.

The singular effect produced by the shafts of all the body-
feathers being curved from, instead of towards, the body is
shown in the Frizzled fowls (fig. 20), which may be produced

Fier. 20

White Frizzled Bantam Cockerel.

The breed is not in high favour,

of any size or colour
being especially delicate, owing to the rain at once pene-
trating to the skin in place of running off the plumage.

The illustrations show the most important breeds exhibited
at the show held in the Gardens of the Zoological Society.
Some few characteristic varieties Avere not entered, such as
the long-tailed breeds of Japan, in which the sickle-feathers

On the Habits of the Hoatzin. 327

of the tail attain a length of six, seven, or even more feet.
In these instances the growth must be continuous for many
months to attain the unusual length.

In the so-called Silk fowl the feathers have the barbs
entirely disconnected, so that the birds have a fluffy or woolly
appearance ; this in the ordinary white Silk fowl is conjoined
with a singular development of black pigment, which is de-
posited in the skin, the periosteum, and the inter-muscular
cellular tissue; but the silky feature may occur in other
breeds, and is occasionally found in very different species, as,
for example, in the Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus).

The plastic character of the species is evidenced by the
fact that within a few years it has been the desire of poultry-
fanciers to produce many of the varieties reduced to the
size of Bantams. This has been most successfully accom-
plished with the Game, the Malay, the Cochin, and several
others, specimens of which were exhibited at the show.

XXVIII. — On the Habits of the Hoatzin (Opisthocomus
cristatus). By J. J. CAuelch, B.Sc. (Loud.), C.M.Z.S.,
Curator of the British Guiana Museum.

The observations on which the following notes are based
were made in March, May, and October 1888, July 1889,
and January 1890; and as they extended over but short
periods at each time, no doubt several characteristics have
remained unnoted which more continuous attention would
have revealed.

The Hoatzin is known in British Guiana by the various
names of" Anna," " Hanna," " Canje, or Stinking Pheasant,"
and "Governor Battenberg's Turkeys;" but in the districts
where it is found the name of "Hauna" is the one most
commonly used. These birds are plentifully distributed along
the Berbice river above the town of New Amsterdam, along
the Canje creek, which opens into the Berbice immediately
below the same town, and along the Abary creek, one of
the higher branches of which leads into the Berbice river,
and along which the birds have most likely spread, by this

328 Mr. J. J. Quelch on the

channel, from the main stream. They are said to extend
upward along the Berbice and the Canje' for a considerable
distance ; but on this point I have no personal knowledge,
and reports which I have heard on the subject are conflicting.
Where the birds are most abundantly found, the banks of
the watercourses are lined by a thick, often impenetrable,
and variable growth, which is washed and partially swamped
by the water at high tide, and is fronted with a wide and deep
deposit of soft mud at low water. Among the plants, a
prickly and thorny, low-spreading, much-branched, legu-
minous shrub or tree, commonly known as the " Bundoorie
pimpler" {Drepanocarjms lunatus), which stretches out even
over the water, rising and falling with it, generally occurs
in more or less dense masses, together with the " Courida "
(Avicennia nitida), and a tall tree-like aroid, commonly known
as " Mucco-mucco " (Montrichardia arborescens) , which
grows most luxuriantly in the muddy and swampy districts ;
and the young leaves and the fruits of these plants furnish
almost the entire food of these birds. I have never seen
them on the ground, nor feeding on the low weedy growths
on its surface.

Almost invariably, where one or other of the three men-
tioned plants formed the nearly continuous growth by the
water, the birds there shot contained in their crops only the
leaves (or fruit) of that one plant ; but where the plants
were mingled, sometimes one and sometimes another had
been eaten.

This dense lining-growth furnishes the home of the birds.
In the early morning or the late afternoon they will be seen
sitting in numbers on the plants, while towards the middle
of the day, as the fierce heat of the sun increases, they betake
themselves to shelter, either in the denser recesses of the
growths, or among the individual trees of denser foliage, or
among the tangled masses of creeping and climbing vines,
which frequently spread over considerable areas of their
food-plants along the very edge of the water. At this time
one may pass, by boat, along the river without the faintest
idea of the proximity of the birds, unless a very sharp watch

Habits of the Hoatzin. 329

be kept up among the more leafy growths, or unless the
report of a gun causes them to utter their curious cry. Late
in the evening, after feeding, they will be seen settling
themselves down in suitable places for the night.

The cry of the Hoatzin is easily heard when they are dis-
turbed, and it is one of which it is not easy to give an exact
idea. It recalls slightly the shrill screech of the Guinea-
bird (Numida), but is made up of disjointed utterances,
like the notes "heigh" or "sheigh" (etas in " sleigh"),
pronounced with a peculiarly sharp and shrill nasal into-
nation, so as to be quite hiss-like. While they are treading,
the noise made is considerable, the cry being more continu-
ous and shriek-like.

Whether from the fact of their occupying situations where
they are but seldom disturbed or but little likely of being
pursued, or from a natural weakness of wing, the birds
are but seldom seen in flight ; and when they take to
the wing during disturbance, they do so but for very short
distances — a very exceptional flight being once observed of
a length of about forty yards with the wind, across a creek,
from a high growth on one bank to a lower level on the
other. Usually they rise almost with a jump from the
branch, seldom in a straight line, but with a marked convex
curve to the point where they alight. The flight of the
birds, in spite of their great expanse of wings in relation
to the weight of the body, is thus extremely awkward, and
the body presents a peculiarly humped appearance. During
their longer courses the wings are rapidly and violently
flapped.

When suddenly disturbed, as by the discharge of a gun
amongst a group of them, they fly or spring away for dis-
tances of but a few feet, while those in the immediate vicinity
show no other signs of alarm but the loud utterance of their
shrill cry. While springing from place to place, when they
are feeding or alarmed, they keep their wings fully expanded,
and inclined almost vertically when they have first alighted,
thus balancing themselves, the crest being then erect and
the tail raised and expanded. It is at such times especially

330 Mr. J.J. Quelch on the

that their plumage presents a really beautiful aspect, in spite
of their sober colouring.

The apparent awkwardness in placing themselves when
they alight is chiefly due, I believe, to the smallness of the
branches on which they usually settle, and which they are
unable firmly to grasp with their long toes, balancing them-
selves meanwhile by the expanded wings and tail ; but it is
also attributable, I think, though to a much less degree, to
a certain weakness in their legs — even though these are
thick and apparently strong-looking — since when they alight
on a thick limb a certain amount of instability is still
manifest.

This weakness of limbs seems to be still more evidenced
by the method of perching characteristic of the birds. At
any time during the heat of the clay they will be found rest-
ing on the branches, two or more together, the body directly
applied to the wood, and supported on the bare, thickened,
and hardened patch of skin which covers the flattened and
broadened surface of the posterior termination of the carina
sterni. This surface of the keel affords a firm base of sup-
port, and as the axis of the sternal keel is not parallel with,
but markedly inclined to, the spine, a slight tilt of the spine
from the horizontal brings the axis of the sternum close to
the vertical, and allows nearly the full weight of the bird to
be thrown on the sternal base, while the body of the bird
seems to be quite horizontal, owing to the fact that the
enormous looped crop, which is directly and closely applied
to the face of the furculum and sternum, causes a bulging of
the body in the front to balance the extension of the rump
behind. The feet of the bird while grasping the branch
here evidently support but a very small part of the weight
of the body, and are more concerned with its equipoise and
stability.

To judge from the conditions under which the birds at
present here exist, it would seem that the sluggish habit has
been brought about by a weakening of special muscles through
disuse. From the nature of their food no prolonged flight
is needed in order to procure it ; from the nature of their

Habits of the Hoatzin. 331

habitat they are little liable to be interfered with or pursued,
and, if troubled, they can easily take refuge without prolonged
nights. Even by man they are seldom meddled with, except
for scientific purposes, since a peculiar and unpleasant odour
attaches to the flesh, especially after death, and which seems
to be clue to the penetration of the fluid and gaseous con-
tents of the digestive tract. On this account they are not
generally eaten ; but a few cases have been reported to me
in which they have been utilized for food.

The nesting-time of the birds certainly extends from
December to July, and I think it very likely that it is
continuous throughout the year. From information given
to me in 1887, 1 was led to conclude that March and April
were their nesting-months j but as the result of my own
observation, chicks are to be found quite early in January,
and freshly- laid eggs in the early part of July, as well as
the intervening months.

The nests, which are made solely of a slightly concave
mass of dried twigs and sticks taken from the plants on
which they are built, and loosely laid on top and across each
other, are placed in conspicuous positions high up over the
water or soft mud, on the top of or amongst the bushy
growth, where they are fully exposed to the direct sunshine.
Almost invariably the plants thus built on were the close-
growing " Bundoorie pimpler/' though in a few cases I have
seen them on the courida, and on a " pimpler (or prickly)
palm " (Bactris major).

In October 1888, along the Abary creek, when nearly for
a fortnight the birds were under observation at frequent
intervals, no nests nor young birds were noticed, but as the
Bundoorie pimpler was almost entirely absent, and the lining
growth along the water-side consisted of mucco-mucco and
other plants, on the top of which it was impossible for the
birds to perch, and much more so to make nests, it may well
be that they were even then nesting, but in such positions
as to be screened from observation. Believing at that time
that the birds only nested from March to May, I made no
special attempts to search for nests ; nor have I yet had an

332 Mr. J. J. Quelch on the

opportunity of seeing whether, along the Berbice river and
the Canje* creek, nests are to be found on the Bundoorie
pimpler at that time of the year.

From the binding nature of the spiny twigs, the nests last
for a considerable time, and these are certainly made use of
again, possibly after more or less repair. The same nest has
been found in use after an interval of seven months.

Two or three eggs are laid at a time, both numbers
being about equally common in my experience ; and in one
special case six eggs were taken from a nest on which one
bird had been sitting, but whether they had been laid by
one bird or two birds there was nothing to show. The eggs,
which vary considerably in size, being usually as large as a
small-sized hen's egg, though often a good deal larger or
smaller, are easily seen from beneath the nest, owing to its
loose structure, and the whitish eggs, with scattered dark
reddish-brown blotches, more closely placed at the obtuse
pole, form a marked contrast with the greyish-brown twigs
of the nest. Even while the birds are sitting on them
the eggs must be kept fairly cool from below ; and this
evidently gives the explanation why a number of freshly laid
eggs that were placed to be hatched out by a common fowl
exploded one after another, much to the alarm of the foster
parent, who, however, stuck to the nest with the remainder
after each occurrence.

Soon after the hatching of the eggs, the nestlings begin
to crawl about by means of their wings and legs, the well-
developed claws on the pollex and index being constantly in
use for holding and hooking on to the surrounding objects.
If they are drawn from the nest by means of their legs, they
hold on firmly to the twigs both with their bill and wings ;
and if the nest be upset by means of a rod pushed up from
below, they hold on to all objects with which they come in
contact by means of bill, feet, and wings, making considerable
use of the bill, not only to reach objects above them, but
also, with the help of the clawed wings, to raise themselves
to a higher level. When the parent bird is driven from the
nest, owing to the close approach of a boat, generally through

Habits of the Hoatzin. 333

an opening cut in the floating Bundoorie pimpler, at high
water, or to the cutting and pulling of the branches by some
one who has waded through the soft mud, often up to the
thighs, at low water, then the young birds, unless they be
only quite recently hatched, crawl out of the nests on all
fours, and rapidly try to hide in the thicker bush behind.

One curious feature noticed with a nestling which had
been upset into the river was its power of rapid swimming
and diving when pursued. As soon as the hand was placed
close to it, it rapidly dived into the dark water, in which it
was impossible to see it, and would rise at distances of more
than a yard away. Owing to this power the little creature
managed to evade all my attempts to seize it, taking refuge
eventually far under the bushy growth, where it was impos-
sible to pursue it. The prolonged immersion which a
nestling will thus instinctively and voluntarily undergo, or
which an adult bird will bear in an attempt to drown it,
seems to me to be quite remarkable.

The nestlings, when resting on the bare sticks of the nest,
are observed to rest the weight of the body, as in the adult
birds, on the bare and thickened integument of the carina
sterni, the toes being spread out and the wings generally
drawn up to the sides.

I am unable to state from observation the method of feed-
ing of the nestlings. In very young specimens when the crops
were examined the food was found to consist of a cen-
tral portion of closely packed pieces of young and thin leaves,
apparently both of the courida and the Bundoorie pimpler,
surrounded by a finer more pulpy mass, which was thus in
contact with the walls of the organ, and which had evidently,
from its position, been more acted upon than the central
portion. The enclosed pieces of leaves were sometimes
nearly three quarters of an inch in length, quite ragged in
outline and much folded, so much so as to give the impres-
sion of a finely comminuted mass until they were carefully
unrolled. In nestlings of much larger size the food-mass of
the crop was considerably more comminuted, but it still con-
tained distinctly recognizable portions of leaves, and often

334 On the Habits of the Hoatzin.

these were from half to three quarters of an inch in
length.

From the nature of the food contents, I was led to believe
that the time of day at which the young birds were procured
made a considerable difference as to the state oi: the food
in the crop. The feeding-time of the adult birds is
evidently the early and late parts of the day, at which time
their crops are found to contain, and especially at their an-
terior part, quantities of large pieces of young leaves, and
sometimes these pieces consist of a half or nearly an entire
leaf, almost unaltered — the pieces packed against and be-
tween the wrinkled surface of the immensely developed
ruga being, however, seldom of this nature. Early in the
morning and late in the afternoon, before feeding-time, the
contents of the crop are but little recognizable, the fragments
being considerably altered, as well doubtless by the peculiar
warmth and moisture as by the special action of its strong
rugae. If the nestlings are fed by the parent birds with
small portions of the young foliage, which, owing to its soft-
ness and delicacy, the weakest condition of their jaws would
allow them to tear from the bills of their parents, either in
large or small portions, the long resting-time during the
night and the middle of the day would be sufficient to cause
a change in the leaf-pieces corresponding to that produced
in the adult birds.

The nestlings, even when quite small, are frequently found,
far away from any nest, climbing, by the help of their clawed
wings, after the parent birds during their feeding-time ; and
it seems a most likely thing, though 1 have never directly
observed it, that they are then fed with the tender leaves
which the parents pluck for them. Failing the proof from
direct observation, there seems to be no necessity for con-
cluding that the nestlings are fed by a regurgitation of the
food-mass from the crop of the adult birds, as Dr. Young has
been inclined to think likely ('Notes from the Leyden Mu-
seum,' vol. x. p. 171).

It was a very noticeable thing, during the various months
when the birds were under my observation, that a very

Range of the Gudcharo in S. America. 335

large proportion of those that were shot were by no means
in good plumage, a variable number of the quills of the
wings and tail, and sometimes the feathers of the crest, and
frequently those of the neck and breast, being only in pro-
cess of growth. So marked was this feature in October
1888, along the Abary creek, that I was inclined to regard
that season as a moulting-period (f Timehri/ vol. ii., new
series, 1888, p. 364) ; since then, however, I have found
them in very much the same condition in July 1889 and
January 1890.

This is all that I am at present able to furnish about the
habits and breeding of these birds ; but I trust soon to be
able to offer some additional notes on a few points that
have remained untouched owing to the want of definite
information.

XXIX. — On the Rangeofthe Gudcharo (Steatornis caripensis)
in South America. By P. L. Sclater, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.S.

The range of the very peculiar and isolated bird-type, Stea-
tornis, in South America is much wider than is usually
represented. Some time ago I made some investigations on
this point which 1 only partly published (see P. Z. S. 1866,
p. 130) . It may save future writers some trouble if I give
a few further remarks on the subject, principally taken from
my former notes.

The Guacharo was originally discovered by Humboldt and
Bonpland in 1799 in the cavern of Caripe, in the province of
Cumana, Venezuela*. I/Herminier, in 1834, obtained spe-
cimens from the same locality, and published an excellent
article f on the bird. Because I/Herminier lived in Gua-
deloupe, Gray, in his ' Genera of Birds ' (i. p. 44), gave that
island also as one of the localities of the Guacharo. But
this was a great error.

* See Humboldt, ' Journ. de Physique,' liii. p. 57 (1801).
t N. Ann. d. Mus. iii. p. 321 (1834) ; id. Coinpt. Rend. iii. p. 67 (1836) ;
id. Ann. Sc. Nat. ser. 2, vi. p. 60.

336 Mr. P. L. Sclater on the Range

Humboldt also met with a nocturnal bird in the caverns
of Icononzo or Pandi, near Bogota, where it is called Caca ;
and Roulin, who visited its breeding-places in the same
caverns in 1827, showed that this bird was the Steatornis
(Compt. Rend. iii. p. 94). Roulin also met with Steatornis
in the "Quebradanegra" or " Quebradahonda" of Guaduas,
in an adjoining canton of Bogota.

The occurrence of Steatornis in Trinidad was first made
known by Latham, who described it anew as the " Trinidad
Goatsucker" (Gen. Hist. B. vii. p. 365), from observations
and a specimen furnished to him by Mr. J. V. Thompson.
In 1838 M. Hautessier visited the caverns which it inhabits
on the sea near the Boca del Drago, at the north-west,
corner of that island*, and obtained specimens of the
bird and its nest and eggs (see Compt. Rend, vii. p. 474
1838; and Rev. Zool. 1838, p. 164). Another Guacharo
cave in Trinidad was visited by Mr. E. C. Taylor in 1863
(Ibis, 1864, p. 88) , and Sir Arthur Gordon (Governor of the
island) actually brought a specimen of the bird alive to
the Zoological Society's Gardens in 1869 (see P. Z. S. 1869,
p. 467).

Besides the cavern of Caripe in Venezuela, the Guacharo
is also found at Copas, north-west of Merida, in the ravine
crossed by the Puente Natural of Copas, as testified by Goer-
ing (P. Z. S. 1870, p. 779).

In British Guiana the Guacharo occurs in a cave near the
Indian village of Ackar, on the Upper Mazaruni River
(Brown, 'Canoe and Camp Life in Brit. Guiana/ p. 386),
and in the vertical rocks of Roraima (Salvin, c Ibis/ 1885,
p. 439).

In the U.S. of Colombia, besides the two localities indi-
cated by Roulin, the Guacharo is also found in the chasm
called " Hoyo del Aire," fourteen miles N.N.E. of Velez
(Holton's ' New Grenada/ New York, 1857, p. 263), and
near Sta. Elena, in the State of Antioquia (Scl. et Salv.
P. Z. S. 1879, p. 532).

* See also ' Report U.S. Fish Commission, 1884,' p. 90, for an account
of a visit to these caves (cf. Ibis, 1887, p. 477).

of the Gudcharo in S. America. 337

In Ecuador Buckley obtained an example of Steatornis at
Sarayacu, on the Bobonassa, a confluent of the Pastaza.

In Peru Steatornis was first noticed by Prof. Steere
(P. Z. S. 1878, p. 139). It was subsequently found by Rai-
mondi in the Grotto of Niilabamba, in the department of
Caxamarca, and at Tingo Maria, in the department of
Huanaco. The well-known collectors Jelski and Stolzmann
found it also in other localities in the departments of Junin
and the Amazonas (Taczanowski, Orn. Per. i. p. 200).
M. Stolzmann has published an interesting paper on this
subject (Bull. Soc. Zool. France, v. p. 198).

It appears therefore that Steatornis occurs in various loca-
lities in Trinidad, Venezuela, Colombia, Eastern Ecuador,
and Peru, where there are caverns suitable to its extraor-
dinary mode of life and habits.

I cannot ascertain that Humboldt ever gave the name
Caprimulgus steatornis to the Guacharo, as is commonly
alleged*. In the volume of the ' Journal de Physique/
usually quoted to this effect, he merely refers to it as a
species of Caprimulgus f.

The following list embraces, I believe, the principal re-
ferences to this bird : —

Caprimulgus, sp., Humboldt, Journ. de Physique, liii. p. 57
(1801); Humb. et Bonpland, Voy. aux Reg. Equinoct. Obs.
Astron. i. p. 295 (1810) .

Steatornis caripensis, Humboldt, Bull. Soc. Philom. Paris,
ser. 3, xvii. p. 51 (1817).

Trinidad Goatsucker, Lath. Gen. Hist. B. vii. p. 365

(1823).
Nyctibius steatornis, Stephens, Gen. Zool. xiii. pt. 2,

p. 91 (1825).

* See Gray and Mitchell, ' Genera of Birds,' i. p. 44, and elsewhere.

t " Cette meme roche calcaire sert de base a une autre plus neuve,
tres-blanche, tres-dense, tres-fossile, pleine de cavernes (Cueva del Gua-
charo), remplie de millions d'oiseaux (une nouvelle espece de Caprimulgw
qui donnent une graisse tres-usitee ici ; — Cueva de S. Juan, Cueva del
Cuchivano), quelquefois poreuse, couime celle de la Franconie, forrnant
des rochers de figure grotesque (Morros de S. Juan, de S. Sebastien)." —
Humboldt, Journ. de Physique, de Chime, d'Hist. Nat. Paris, liii. p. 57
(1801).

SER. VI.— VOL. II. 2 B

338 Range of the Gudcharo in S. America.

Steatornis caripensis, Humb. et Bonpl. Recueil d'Observ.
Zool. ii. p. 141, pi. xliv. (1833).

Steatornis caripensis, L'Herminier, Nouv. Ann. Museum
d'Hist. Nat. Paris, iii. p. 321, pi. xv. (1834).

Steatornis caripensis, I/Herminier, Comptes Rendus, iii.
p. 67 (1836).

Steatornis caripensis, L'Herminier, Ann. d. Sci. Nat. ser. 2,
vi. p. 60 (1836).

Steatornis caripensis, L'Herminier, Comptes Rendus, vii.
p. 474 (1838).

Steatornis caripensis, Hautessier, Rev. Zool. i. p. 164
(1838).

Steatornis caripensis, Miiller, Monatsb. Berl. Acad. 1841,
p. 172.

Steatornis caripensis, Miiller, Arcbiv fur Anat. 1842, p. 1.

Steatornis caripensis, Des Murs, Rev. Zool. vi. p. 33 (1843).

Steatornis caripensis, Funck, Bull. l'Acad. R. Bruxelles,
xi. pt. 2, p. 371 (1844).

Steatornis caripensis, Gray, Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 44
(1846).

Steatornis caripensis, L'Herminier, Rev. et Mag. Zool.
ser. 2, i. p. 321 (1849).

Steatornis caripensis, Scl. P. Z. S. 1855, p. 135 (Bogota).

Steatornis caripensis, Blanchard, Ann. d. Sci. Nat. ser. 4,
xi. p. 105, pi. iv. fig. 30 (1859).

Steatornis caripensis, Des Murs, Ool. Orn. p. 260 (1860).

Steatornis caripensis, Taylor, Ibis, 1864, p. 88.

Steatornis caripensis, Sclater, P. Z. S. 1866, pp. 125, 130,
145.

Steatornis caripensis, Leotaud, Ois. Trinidad, p. 65
(1866).

Steatornis caripensis, Koenig-Wartliausen, J. f. O. 1868,
p. 384.

Steatornis caripensis, Scl. P. Z. S. 1868, p. 73 {egg)>

Steatornis caripensis, Scl. et Salv. P. Z. S. 1868, p. 165
(Caripe).

Steatornis caripensis, Goering, Vargasia, i. p. 124 (1869).

Steatornis caripensis, Scl. P. Z. S. 1869, p. 467.

On a new Finch from Midway Island, N. Pacific. 339

Steatornis caripensis, Scl. et Salv. P. Z. S. 1870, p. 779
(Merida).

Steatornis caripensis, Garrod, P. Z. S. 1873, pp. 463, 526,
630.

Steatornis caripensis, Murie, Ibis, 1873, p. 81.

Steatornis caripensis, Garrod, P. Z. S. 1875, p. 344.

Steatornis caripensis, Brown, Canoe & Camp Life in British
Guiana, p. 386 (1876).

Steatornis caripensis, Scl. et Salv. P. Z. S. 1878, p. 139
(Caxamarca).

Steatornis caripensis, Scl. et Salv. P. Z. S. 1879, p. 532
( Antioquia) .

Steatornis caripensis, Taczanowski, P. Z. S. 1880, p. 208.

Steatornis caripensis, Newton, Enc. Brit. xi. p. 227 (1880).

Steatornis caripensis, Stolzmann, Bull. Soc. Zool. France,
v. p. 198 (1880).

Steatornis caripensis, Taczanowski, P. Z. S. 1882, p. 40.

Steatornis caripensis peruvianus, Tacz. P. Z. S. 1885,
p. 106.

Steatornis caripensis, Salv. Ibis, 1885, p. 439.

XXX. — On a new Finch from Midway Island, North Pacific.

By Scott B. Wilson, F.Z.S.

(Plate IX.)

The specimen from which the present figure is taken was

brought by me alive from Honolulu in January 1889.

About March of the preceding year, a small schooner
named the 'Mary Bohra' arrived in the Hawaiian Islands
from Japan, off the coasts of which country it had been
engaged in a fishing venture. Having met with many mis-
haps, the vessel put into port at Midway Island*, where there

* The following extract from the ' North Pacific Directory,' page 867,
may be of interest : —

" Brooks or Midway Islands. — This atoll is of much more interest than
its uninhabited and barren condition would warrant. It was discovered
by Captain N. C. Brooks, in the 'Gambia/ July 5th, 1859. He called
the two islands Middlebrook Islands, and took possession of them for the

2b2

340 Mr. Scott B. Wilson on a new

is a good harbour. At Midway Island, which is uninhabited,
Capt. Bohm and his companions found a species of Finch
common among the scrubby bushes which cover its surface.
Tt was so tame that it could be easily taken by the hand,
and about sixty specimens were captured.

After remaining here some considerable time, and refitting
as far as was possible under the circumstances, Capt. Bohm
set sail for the Hawaiian Islands, which it seems he was
fortunate ever to have reached, as the schooner was in a very
disabled condition when it touched at Niihau, a small island
adjacent to Kauai. Here Mr. George Gay, who manages
the prosperous sheep-ranch established on the island by my
friend Mr. Sinclair, supplied Captain Bohm with the neces-
sary stores, and he, in return for this courtesy, made Mr. Gay
a present of several specimens of the Finch from Midway
Island. The schooner, after this short stay at Niihau, pro-
ceeded to Honolulu, where Captain Bohm disposed of the
remainder of these interesting birds, of which he had some
forty specimens in all. They arrived all housed together in
a large cage, having been fed on biscuit and nothing else
during the voyage. Unfortunately I happened to be away
on Hawaii at the time of the schooner's arrival ; but on my
return to Honolulu some months later I was fortunate in
procuring a single specimen, which happened to be for sale,
and which, with considerable trouble and some good luck
(the bird escaped twice into the car during the railway-
journey across Canada), I succeeded in bringing alive to
England. I saw several more specimens of the same Finch
in cages in Honolulu. All were similar in plumage to my
bird, whence I conclude that the sexes are alike. My bird,
by means of its powerful bill, is able to force the wires of its

United States, leaving a Kamtschatkan as a settler. On his return he
kept its position a secret, and his discovery was utilized by the Pacific
Mail Company, who intended forming a depot here for their Trans-Pacific
steamers in preference to Honolulu, which was thought to be under
foreign influence, establishing here a coaling and refreshment station."
(The ' Mary Bohm ' found a quantity of coal at the time of her visit in
1887.— S. B. W.)

Finch from Midway Island, N. Pacific. 341

cage apart, and has reduced one of the wooden uprights which
go to form the framework of the cage to half its original
thickness by continually chipping at it. I should have pro-
cured two more specimens which the Hon. C. R. Bishop
of Honolulu had promised me, but for their having severed
the wooden bars of their cage and thus effected their
escape — let us hope to become naturalized on the island of
Oahu.

This bird has a very clear metallic note, which may be
expressed thus — chwit, chwee. It also twitters and chirps
as it hops from side to side of the cage, and is altogether
very lively in its movements. Since its sojourn in England
it has learnt several notes of the Common Sparrow, but
the note first mentioned is that which it most frequently
utters, and a very distinct and characteristic one it is.

The Finch appears to belong to a new genus, allied to
Psittirostra of the Hawaiian group, from which it differs in
its thicker bill, the upper mandible being less produced, and
showing a slight tendency to cross the lower mandible, as in
Loxia. The feet are remarkably large and strong. The
wings are moderate, reaching to about the end of the basal
third of the tail-feathers. The tail is slightly forked.

I propose to describe it as follows : —

Telespyza cantans, gen. et sp. n. (Plate IX.)
Head and sides of face olive-green, shading behind into
dark chestnut-brown on the back, where each feather has
the centre black ; body beneath bright greenish yellow, which
colour covers the throat and breast, shading into dull white
on the abdomen and under tail-coverts ; flanks, upper tail-
coverts, and rump chestnut-brown, of a somewhat lighter
shade than the back, the feathers on the flanks distinctly
streaked with black; primaries black, edged outwardly with
greenish yellow ; secondaries likewise black, but with much
broader edges of a clearer shade of yellow ; tail black, each
feather edged outwardly with greenish yellow ; bill and feet
horn-colour : whole length (about) 65 inches, wing 3*4,
tail 25, tarsus 1*1.

Hab. Midway island, North Pacific.

342 Mr. H. E. Dresser on Birds from

XXXI. — Notes on some Birds collected by Dr. G. Radde in
the Transcaspian Region. By H. E. Dresser, F.Z.S.

Last year I published (Ibis, 1889, pp. 85-92) a few notes on
a collection of Transcaspian birds sent to me for examination
and identification by Dr. G. Radde, of Tiflis. I have recently
received another small collection from the same source, which,
although there are no novelties, contains examples of several
species not included in the former lot, and it may therefore
interest the readers of ' The Ibis ' to have the following short
notes. Dr. lladde writes that, ere long, he proposes to start
on another journey, and as he promises to pay special atten-
tion to the ornithology of the country he will traverse, we
may look forward to the announcement of some interesting
and, probably, new discoveries on his return to Tiflis, which,
however, will not be until late in the autumn of the current
year.

The collection recently received contains specimens of
the following birds, viz. : —

Saxicola einschi, Heugl.

One old male in full breeding-plumage (Kuba-dagh, Kras-
novodsk, 9th February).

Pratincola caprata (Linn.).
One adult male (Merv, 14th June).

Cyanecula suecica (Linn.).

One adult male (Germab, 4th March), not differing from
specimens from Scandinavia.

Datjlias hafizi (Severtzoff).

One adult male (Derbent, 9th May).

Sylvia mystacea, Menetr.

One^male (Tedschcn, 20th March), which has the throat
somewhat less richly tinged with vinous pink, but does not
othe: vise differ from the specimens in the last collection,
referred to in my last notes (Ibis, 1889, p. 86).

Silvia orphea, Temm.

One adult female (Tschikischlya, 2nd April), belonging to
the eastern or large-billed form (S, crassirostris, Riipp.).

the Transcaspian Region. 343

Phylloscopus tristis, Blyth.

One adult male (Hodscha-kala, 14th March) .

Phylloscopus trochilus (Linn.).

Two males (Krasnovodsk, 19th and 20th April), which do
not differ from ordinary European examples.

Hypolais rama (Sykes).

Two males (Molla-kary, 15th April, and Hodscha-kala,
9th August) .

Aedon familiaris (Menetr.).

One adult female (Hodscha-kala, 10th May) .

LUSCINIOLA MELANOPOGON (Temm.) .

Two females (Artyk, 27th & 29th March), the former of
which has the crown very dark in tone of coloration.

Scotocerca inquieta (Cretzsch.).
One male (Merv, 2nd June) .

Larus bokharensis, Licht.

One male (Imam-baba, 18th June).

Sitta syriaca, Ehrenb.

One rather pale-coloured female (Keleti-Tschinar, 21st
February) .

Anthus campestris (Linn.).
One male (Balchau, 13th April).

Muscicapa parva, Bechst.

One very richly coloured male (Tsarins, 31st March).

Passer domesticus (Linn.).

One male (Taschta, 22nd June) of the brightly coloured
Indian form.

Passer hispanolensis (Temm.).
One adult male (Merv, 11th June).

Passer montanus (Linn.).

One adult male (Merv, 12th June).

Emberiza miliaria, Linn.

One adult female (Askabad, 18th February).

344 On Turnix beccarii, Salvadori.

Melanocorypha bimaculata (Menetr.).
One male (heights of Tuffigar, 30th June), which is inter-
esting as being in the first immature plumage.

Cypselus apus (Linn.).

One male (Krasnovodsk, 20th April).

Caprimulgus .egyptius, Licht.
One adult male (Tschat, May).

XXXII. — Note on Turnix beccarii, Salvadori.
By W. R. Ogilvie Grant.

In my paper on the genus Turnix, published in the October
number of ' The Ibis' for 1889, I stated (p. 449) that
in my opinion T. beccarii, Salvad., from S.E. Celebes, was
identical with T. rufescens, Wallace, from the island of
Semao, and that the latter (see pp. 465 &468) was doubtfully
distinct from T. maculosa from Australia, being intermediate
between this species and T. saturata from New Britain ; but
that, as Wallace had based his species on a single specimen,
apparently a nearly adult male, it was impossible at present
to estimate its value. Through the kindness of Count Salva-
dori, I have just received, for examination, from Sign. Gestro
the types of T. beccarii, Salvadori, which are preserved in
the Genoa Museum, and, having now these specimens before
me, am in a better position to settle the question. The two
types, the smaller of which only is sexed ( <$ ) by the col-
lector, though the larger is no doubt a female, are neither of
them fully adult specimens, and come under the headings
m2 and m3 in my key to the species of Turnix (see p. 452) :
" No defined rufous collar, but most of the feathers of the
upper surface (especially those of the nuchal region) with a
patch at the extremity rufous or rufous intermixed with
black ; scapulars edged with golden buff." They are exactly
identical in plumage with specimens of the Australian
T. maculosa of a similar age, and differ only from them in
being a smaller insular race.

On new and rare Francolins. 345

Wing.

Tail.

T. maculosa, $ .

30

•8

T. beccarii ( $ ) .

27

•8

T. maculosa, <$ .

2-7

•75

T. beccarii, <$ .

25

•7

I have little doubt that T. rufescens will also prove iden-
tical with T. maculosa, but this question cannot be settled
till more specimens are obtained from the Island of Semao.
In the meanwhile T. rufescens must stand, and T. beccarii
must be referred to T. maculosa.

XXXIII.— On some new and rare Francolins. ^Ur
By W. R. Ogilvie Grant (Nat. Hist. Museum).

(Plates X., XI.)

Having lately been at work on the Francolins with the view
of a complete revision of this rather difficult genus of the
Gallinae, I beg leave to offer to the readers of ' The Ibis '
some remarks on some new or little-known species of this
group.

1. Francolinus granti (and the allied forms).
This group of Francolins contains the species F. pileatus,
Smith, from South Africa ; F. kirki, Hartlaub, from Zanzibar
and East Africa ; F. granti, Hartlaub, from East and Central
Africa as far north as Shoa; and F. spilogaster, Salvadori,
from Harar. It is characterized by having the upper surface
reddish brown, and most of the feathers of the neck, back,
scapulars, and wing-coverts ornamented with a white shaft-
stripe. The species are all very nearly allied to one another,
and go through exactly the same phases of plumage. As an
example, it will be sufficient to state the changes which take
place in F. granti. Young birds of both sexes have the
back, scapulars, outer secondaries, and some of the wing-
coverts transversely barred with black and rufous, or buff on
either side of the white shaft-streaks ; and the lower back,
nimp, upper tail-coverts, and middle tail-feathers barred

346 Mr. W. R. Ogilvie Grant on

and vermiculated with black and buff. The adult females
apparently never lose these markings, though the white shaft-
stripes become narrower ; but in the males these bars gradu-
ally disappear with age, and in the oldest examples, with
long spurs, the upper surface is entirely devoid of cross-bars,
and the white shaft-streaks are greatly reduced in width.

Francolinus granti, Hartlaub.

(1865) Francolinus granti, Hartlaub, P. Z. S. 1865, p. 665,
pi. 39. fig. 1.

(1867) Francolinus rovuma, G. R. Gray, List Birds Brit.
Mus. pt. v. p. 52 [part.].

(1873) Francolinus schoanus, Heuglin, Nordost-Afr. iii.
p. 891.

The name F. rovuma was founded by G. R. Gray in 1867
on two specimens, one of which was labelled "East Africa,"
while the other was from the B ovum a Biver. These birds,
unfortunately, do not even belong to the same species, the
former being an adult male of F. granti, while the specimen
from Rovuma Biver is a female of F. kirki. F. schoanus,
Heuglin, is founded on a specimen of F. granti, and has, of
course, no connexion with F. pileatus, to which the author
compares it. The synonymy should stand as above.

In this species the chestnut shaft- markings are confined,
in both sexes and at all ages, to the upper chest, and are
never developed on the breast and belly. The measurement
of the wing varies considerably in individuals of the same
sex, and this is apparently due almost entirely to age. In
the male the wing varies from 5*2-6*0 inches ; in the female
from 5*2-5*7.

I have to thank Dr. Schauinsland for kindly forwarding
the type of this species, an adult female, for my inspection.

Francolinus kirki, Hartlaub.

(1867) Francolinus kirki, Hartlaub, P. Z. S. 1867, p. 827.

(1867) Francolinus rovuma, G. R. Gray, List Birds Brit.
Mus. pt. v. p. 52 [part.].

As above mentioned, Gray's F. rovuma was founded on birds
belonging to two species. The female from Rovuma belongs

new and rare Francolins. 347

to the present species. I have compared it with Dr. Hart-
laub's type, an adult male, kindly sent me by Dr. Schauins-
land, of the Bremen Museum, and except for the differences
in the plumage between the sexes, it is almost an exact coun-
terpart of the type. At all ages both sexes have a dark
chestnut oblong spot at the end of the shaft on the feathers
of the breast and belly.

In the male the wing varies from 57-5*9 inches; in the
female from 5 "4-5 • 6.

Francolinus spilogaster, Salvadori.

(1888) Francolinus spilogaster, Salvadori, Ann. Mus. Civ.
Genova, vi. p. 541.

Count Salvadori has been kind enough to lend me the type
specimen of this species, a very fine adult male. Its only
claim to rank as distinct from F. kirki appears to me to rest
in its greater size, which is considerable. In plumage there
is no difference, and I certainly incline to the belief that this
specimen is a fine old male of F. kirki ; but it is necessary to
see more specimens from Harar before this question can be
settled.

In the type the wing measures 6*5 inches.

2. Francolinus gariepensis (and its allies).

The group of Francolins of which F. gariepensis is typical
is easily distinguished from F. levaillanti and other allied
forms by the disposition of the two black and white stripes
which ornament the sides of the head. Both start from
the base of the upper mandible and reunite on the sides of
the neck; the lower circumscribes the white throat, and
separates it from the chestnut or buff-coloured cheek and
ear-coverts ; the upper passes above the eye and ear-coverts,
and, as already mentioned, joins the lower on the side of the
neck. In F. levaillanti the upper lines are confluent on the
nape and run down the middle of the neck.

Francolinus gariepensis was first discovered by Smith, and
the types, which he described and figured in his ' Illustrations
to the Zoology of S. Africa ' (plates 83 & 84), are preserved

348 Mr. W. R. Ogilvie Grant on

in our National Collection. They were obtained near the
sources of the Caledon and Vaal Rivers.

In 1889 Mr. Buttikofer (< Notes Leyden Mus.' xi. p. 76,
pi. iv.) described and figured a second western species
of this group from Gambos, which he named F. jugularis.
We have, in our collection, four specimens of this bird, two
of which were obtained by Mr. Monteiro in Benguela, which
is just north of Gambos, while the two others were obtained
further south in Great Namaqualand by Mr. Andersson.
These birds all bear out the characters given in Mr. Biitti-
kofer's description and figure of his F. jugularis, and, though
nearly allied to F. gariepensis, even a young male speci-
men (in which the white and black feathers are not deve-
loped on the chest), can be distinguished by the middle of
the lower breast and abdomen being paler buff and imma-
culate. The upper breast, too, in our specimens of F. jugu-
laris is not nearly so heavily marked as in F. gariepensis, and
many of the marks are black instead of rufous. The young
male of the western form has the back as strongly trans-
versely barred as F. gariepensis, but, as described by
Mr. Buttikofer, in the adult of the former the bars are
irregularly broken up and become little more than mere
vermiculations.

Francolinus shelleyi, sp.n.

I have now the pleasure of describing a third species of
this group, of which there are three male specimens in Capt.
Shelley's collection. These birds were obtained respectively
at Natal by Mr. Gordge ; on the Umvuli River, North Mata-
beleland, by Mr. J. S. Jameson; and in Swaziland by Mr.
T. E. Buckley.

This species may be distinguished at a glance from F. garie-
pensis and F. jugularis by having the middle of the lower
breast and abdomen white, irregularly and transversely marked
with rather wide black bars. This forms a marked contrast
with the upper breast, the feathers of which are rufous-
chestnut, with part of the whole of their inner web buff,
transversely marked and barred with black. As regards the

new and rare Francolins. 349

rest of the plumage, F. shelleyi resembles F. gariepensis in
having the pale-buff cross-bars on the feathers of the upper
surface clear and distinct in the adult, and in having the
feathers of the sides and flanks with wide longitudinal bands
of chestnut on the inner or both sides of the shaft. It dif-
fers from that species, aud resembles F.jugularis in having
a patch of white black- edged feathers on the upper chest.
In skins the legs are yellow ; the bill dark brown, yellowish
towards the base of the lower mandible. Wing 6'8 inches,
tail 2*4, tarsus 1*5.

Habitat. Natal ; Swaziland ; Matabeleland.

3. Francolinus griseo-striatus, sp. n. (Plate X.)
Top of head greyish brown ; lores, cheeks, ear-coverts, and
superciliary stripes reddish white ; a nearly white spot behind
the eye. Chin and throat white. Feathers on back of neck,
back, scapulars, and outer secondaries are dark chestnut
down the middle, and margined on either side by a black and
pearl-grey band ; the chestnut middles of the scapulars and
secondaries are irregularly marked with black. Wing-
coverts, lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts greyish
brown, finely vermiculated with black. Primaries and secon-
daries rufous chestnut, paler on the outer webs, and vermi-
culated and irregularly banded on both webs with black.
Tail rufous chestnut, the middle feathers paler on the outer
webs, and all are transversely vermiculated with black,
though this gradually becomes less marked on the outer
tail-feathers. Front neck and upper chest rufous-chestnut,
edged with white. Breast, belly, thighs, and under tail-
coverts buff ; the feathers on the sides of the breast, flanks,
and under tail-coverts with wide dull rufous shaft-stripes,
slightly vermiculated with black. Under surface of wings
silver-grey, vermiculated with pale buff.

In the skin the colours of the soft parts are as follows : —
Upper mandible dark brown, yellowish at tip; lower yellow,
with dark tip. Legs and feet bright yellow; spurs dark
brown. Wing 6*3 inches, tail 3*2, tarsus 1*7.
Habitat. Congo River.

350 Extracts from the

This species is founded on a single specimen, apparently a
fully adult male.

4. Francolinus castaneicollis. (Plate XI.)

(1888) Francolinus castaneicollis, Salvadori, Ann. Mus. Civ.
Genova, vi. p. 542.

Through the kindness of Count Salvadori I have received
the loan of the type of this beautiful species, which, so far as
I know, is still unique, and it is with his kind permission
that the accompanying figure is given.

This specimen was obtained in Shoa, where it was reported
as not uncommon, but Count Salvadori informs me that,
in spite of his instructions to his collector to procure addi-
tional specimens, none have as yet arrived.

The type, which is preserved in the Zoological Museum at
Turin, is apparently a fully adult female, and seems to re-
present a distinct group of Francolins, its style of plumage
being quite unlike that of any other known species. I shall
anxiously await the arrival of more specimens, and can only
hope that Count Salvadori will ere long receive examples of
the adult male.

XXXIV. — Extracts from the Letters o/Mr. J. Graham Kerr,
Naturalist to the Pilcomayo Expedition*.

Estancia Mate Grande,

Argentine Republic,

November 1889.

I had a very pleasant, though somewhat tedious passage,
arriving in Buenos Aires in the beginning of July. I re-
mained in the city of Buenos Aires till the middle of August,
at which time I got an invitation to go out and stay at an
estancia about eighty leagues to the westward of the city ;

* [Kindly communicated by Mr. A. Harvie-Brown from letters ad-
dressed to Prof. T. Bayley Balfour, F.R..S. As regards the " Pilcomayo
Expedition," see Ibis, 1889, p. 402. A subsequent letter to Prof. Balfour,
dated Buenos Ayres, Dec. 25, 1889, states tbat, after many delays, the
Expedition was just leaving for Corrientes, wbere it was proposed to halt
for a few days before proceeding up the Pilcomayo. — Ed.]

Letters of Mr. J. Graham Kerr. 351

and here I have been since. I shall now give you an account
of my impressions and doings since I arrived, making it as
condensed as possible. Firstly, as regards doings. The
' Maskelyne ' anchored off Buenos Aires on the morning of
Saturday, June 29th, having previously gone aground once
or twice on the soft mud. The anchorage for large ocean
steamers lies almost in the centre of the river — fifteen miles
from Buenos Aires shore ; and even here there is only about
25 feet of water in the channel, while on all sides are shoals
and mudbanks innumerable. However, we dropped anchor
all right between nine and ten o'clock. It was a beautiful
morning, the atmosphere unusually clear. To the S.W.
might be seen the domes of Buenos Aires and the forests of
masts of its shipping; a low line along the northern horizon
indicated the coast of Uruguay. About eleven o'clock, qua-
rantine formalities having been got through, we stepped into
the tender, and after a tedious journey of one and three-
quarter hours, we arrived within a quarter of a mile of the
passenger-mole. We now got into a large open boat, and
from that again into a small one, and by dint of much shov-
ing and gesticulating, this latter was brought within jumpable
distance of the mole, and so at last we arrived on terra firma.
The water of the river is very muddy, quite fresh, of course ;
and floating about its surface were millions of Camelates
{Pontederia azurea) , not yet in flower, however. My luggage
came on shore about 6 p.m., and I had to leave it in the
custom-house until next morning. I had great difficulty
in finding room at any of the hotels, the town being very
full just then. At last, however, I managed, by chumming
along with a fellow-passenger, to find accommodation at the
Hotel de Londres. On Sunday morning I repaired to the
mole to get my luggage through, and experienced less trouble
than I expected. The arsenical soap was what excited most
misgiving in the mind of the customs' officer. He felt it
and smelt it, and finally asked what it was worth. I put a
very modest value indeed upon it, and so he let it pass. He
absolutely refused, however, to allow my camera and box of
cartridges through. They must go to the custom-house,

352 Extracts from the

and so thither they went, and there the cartridges are still.
I remained for a week at the Hotel de Londres, and then
went to live at Palerma, a suburb of the city, where there
is a fine park and zoological gardens. Buenos Aires is a very
European-looking city. The streets all run at right angles
to one another and are equidistant. The city is thus divided
into blocks of 150 yards square, each containing a hundred
numbers. The numbers upon the houses in one set of
streets indicates their distance from the river, those upon
the other series their distance from a central street, the Biva-
davia. In this way it is impossible for a person to get lost,
for all he has to do is to go to the nearest corner, when the
number of the house on each side gives him the ordinates of
his position, one giving the number of squares distant from
the river, the other the number of squares distant from Biva-
davia, the central street of the city. The houses and public
buildings are built of brick covered with stucco, which gives
them a very unsubstantial appearance compared with the
great buildings at home. The architecture, on the whole, is
extremely disappointing. The houses in the city are several-
storeyed, in the form of hollow squares, the patio or court-
yard in the centre being open to the sky. The houses in the
suburbs are one-storeyed, and either in the form of a quad-
rangle or simply a straight row of rooms, opening en suite
and also by French windows on to the patio. Passing along
most of the important streets of the city are tramways, which
are very well patronized, the inhabitants never walking if
they can help it. This is due partly to the execrable pave-
ment. Bough cuboidal masses of stone are used for paving the
streets, but the contractors have invariably scamped the work,
laying down the paving blocks without any foundation, so that
in a short time the condition of the streets is worse than if
there were no pavement at all. Add to this the utter failure
of the drainage system, which causes the streets after a heavy
thunder-shower to be converted into rushing torrents. In
the centre of the city is a large square, the Plaza Victoria,
and in this are situated the chief public buildings — the
Government House, Cathedral, Congress Hall, &c.

Letters of Mr. J. Graham Kerr. 353

The time passed very slowly while I was living in Buenos
Ayres itself, so I was very glad to receive early in August an
invitation to go out to stay at the Estancia Mate Grande,
near the town of Nueve de Julio, right out in the pampas to
the west of the city. Accordingly, about 6 a.m. on August
13th, I left the hotel for the Once railway station, whence I was
to take train for Nueve de Julio. My luggage had been sent
on before, but when I arrived at Once I found that it had
not turned up. I determined, however, to go on without it,
having left instructions for it to be sent on after me. After
a cup of " cafe con leche" at the station, I took my seat in the
train, and punctually at 7.15 we started on our westward
journey. The train was on the " American " system, con-
sisting of long cars, with a passage running along from one
end of the train to the other. It was a cold day, and I found
the carriages very cold and draughty. In summer, on the
other hand, I believe passengers get nearly choked with dust.
The track was, of course, very much rougher than those at
home, but still there was wonderfully little oscillation. For
the first half of our journey we passed over the typical
Buenos Aires pampas-country, almost as flat as a cricket-field,
covered with close green turf (the indigenous grasses having
here succumbed to the introduced grasses), and dotted here and
there by a solitary omba-tree, the one tree indigenous to the
pampas (Phytolacca dioica). Towards the end of our journey
the character of the country changed; it became wilder;
the surface became undulatory, the omba-trees disappeared,
and we were amongst the great native grasses of the Pampas.
However, of these later on. This form of country continued
till we reached Nueve de Julio, between one and two in the
afternoon. The town, as is the case with most of the camp-
towns, was at some distance from the railway station ; there
was, as usual, a number of carriages waiting for passengers, and
stepping into one of these I was taken to the hotel, or rather
inn, of the village, arriving just in time for breakfast. It
will seem rather curious the idea of breakfast at 2 p.m., but
the meals here are quite different from what they are at
home. When one gets up in the morning one has a cup of

SER. vi. — VOL. II. 2 c

354 Extracts from the

cafe (con leche, if possible) and a little bread (and butter
also, if possible) ; this lias to suffice until breakfast, which is
taken about midday, or at least some time between eleven
and two ; finally we have dinner about seven o'clock. There
are thus just two regular meals in the day, breakfast and
dinner. To resume : I arrived at the inn or fonda, and at
once sat down to breakfast. The establishment belonged to
an Italian, and the cookery was therefore in the peculiar
style affected by that nation; it was characterized by a strik-
ing superfluity of garlic and of oil, and was, to a British
taste, excessively nasty. The staple soup at this place was
sopa de pan — consisting of warm water, in which floated the
scraps of bread left over from yesterday's meals. Then
came a sort of salt fish, as tough as a piece of wood and
floating in an ocean of red oil. Finally I tried a dish
called " biftek " in the carte, but which turned out to be
pieces of stewed leather, apparently. By this time all my
symptoms of hunger had disappeared, and I sallied out to
view the town. Nueve de Julio is a small place of a couple
of thousand or so inhabitants. Like all Spanish American
towns, it consists of a central plaza, laid out with grass and
shrubs, and a series of streets running at right angles to one
another. It is a very clean little place. The people appear
to be pretty decent, and what strikes one is the great polite-
ness and obligingness of the lower classes. Everybody goes
about armed with a revolver, and, if a native, with a big
knife, too. I suspect that this habit may have had some-
thing to do with the general politeness, a want of it being
punished with a dose of lead or steel. I did not come across
any English-speaking people in the place, but I managed to
get on all right by means of very ungrammatical Spanish,
resorting to French in case of difficulty. I always found
people who could speak French wherever I went. I re-
mained in Nueve two nights, in the vain hope that my lug-
gage might turn up ; there were no signs of it, however, so
I determined to start on the morning of the 15th for the
Estancia Mate Grande. On that morning, then, the volante
arrived at the door, to take me out to Mate Grande, a dis-

Letters of Mr. J. Graham Kerr. 355

tance of eight leagues. This volante was a peculiar sort of
carriage, between a buggy and a stanhope, it was drawn by
five horses and driven by a young native. Waving an adieu
to the landlord, we started off at a trot until we got clear of
the town, when the pace got into a smart gallop, and at this
we sped rapidly on our way. The road was a mere track
across the open pampa ; the ground was firm, without being-
dry enough to be dusty, and there was a pleasing soft-
ness about our motion, due to the absence of stones upon
the road ; at the same time there was plenty of shaking
about ; one wheel would occasionally sink down a biscacha-
burrow, sending one flying up into the air and making one
convulsively clutch the handrail. Our way varied in cha-
racter, now galloping wildly over a stretch of close green
turf, then moving more slowly through some swampy ground,
and anon threading our way cautiously through a lonely
laguna, with water over the axle-trees. This drive was my
first real view of the country out here ; here I had my first
glimpses of the Argentine fauna ; now I saw with my own
eyes many sights I had often read about. Altogether it was
an intensely enjoyable and interesting drive. It being now
towards the close of winter, the tall grasses of the pampas
were brown and withered ; here aud there might be seen a
stretch of beautiful close-cropped turf, generally on the
slope overlooking a lagoon, and in it a cluster of large
burrows resembling those of the rabbit, but twice as big ;
these I recognized as biscacha villages, their four-footed
owners not being visible ; but perched at the mouth of some
of the burrows was a pair of delightful little Prairie Owls,
sitting bolt upright close together, motionless as statues, save
for the slow rotation of their heads, keeping an eye on us as
we sped past. By the edge of a lagoon might be seen a
flock of dark-coloured Ibises, probing the mud with their
slender curved bills, and carrying one back in imagination
to the long past days of those Egyptian monuments on which
the sacred bird figures so prominently. Upon the other side
of the lagoon a group of tall Flamingoes of a beautiful rosy
pink colour appeared to dream away their existence, motion-

2c2

356 Extracts from the

less on one leg, and with their long necks coiled up on their
shoulders. Finally, picking his way daintily amongst the
tufts of long grass, might be seen a great Stork on the out-
look for snakes or any such animals as might be tempted
out of their winter sleep by the bright sunshine. When
we left Neuve the air was crisp and cold, the turf was
whitened by a crust of hoar-frost, and it was one of the
nearest approaches to one of Dr. Macfarlane's favourite
" bracing " mornings that I have experienced since my
arrival. Now, however, as the sun rose in the sky, the air
became more genial, and I was enabled to extract myself
from the thick rug in which I was enveloped. As we went
along we would have a cloud of Lapwings flying around us,
uttering harsh screams of " teru-teru." They were not
unlike our British Lapwing, but were larger, and were armed
with a strong and sharp-looking spur, of a pink colour, on
each wing. Flying about and feeding on the turf were
many Starling-like Icteridse, the one with a yellow breast,
the other with a breast and gorget of the most vivid scarlet.
Altogether I was immensely struck with the wonderful rich-
ness of bird-life as compared with what I had been accus-
tomed to at home.

However, to resume. About 12.30 p.m. this delightful
journey was brought to an end by our arrival at Mate
Grande. After devoting my attention to that prosaic but
necessary and enjoyable institution, a hearty breakfast, I set
out on a tour of inspection. Of this and of succeeding
days' walks, I shall now give you briefly the results, premis-
ing that my luggage arrived all right about a week later than
I did. The estancia-house is a one-storeyed cottage-like
erection, standing on the summit of a rounded elevation and
surrounded by a thick plantation to break the force of the
cold winds of winter. The houses about here are mostly
" ranchos," i. e. they are built of a framework of poplar-
trunks,, with walls made of mud and straw, mud floor, and
roof thatched with large rushes. This estancia-house, how-
ever, boasts of a wood floor and a galvanized iron roof. It
has three rooms — a large dining-room, and a small bed-room

Letters of Mr. J. Graham Kerr. 357

at each end. The kitchen, office, and accommodation for
servants are in detached ranches. Surrounding the house,
as I said, is a thick plantation or monte, composed of poplars,
peaches, willows, elders, and two leguminous trees, one a
kind of acacia with yellow flower-heads, the other a labur-
num-like tree, with drooping racemes of large white flowers.
"When I arrived here the aromas, as the acacias are called,
were in beautiful flower ; soon after they were joined by the
peaches, and now the white flowers of the " acacia," as it is
called here, take their places. Passing outside the monte
one is upon the open camp, rolling undulating land, covered
with coarse grass, varied by an occasional monte, marking
the position of an estancia-house. Owing to the long succes-
sion of wet seasons, the low-lying parts of the camp are
occupied by shallow lagoons of, on an average, a couple of
feet or so in depth. Covering the waters of these lagoons is
often a continuous mantle of cushiony Azolla of a rich car-
mine-brown colour, mixed with small pieces of Lemna with
elliptical thick " leaves/' In the deeper parts of the
lagoons grow thick beds of a tall rush, frequently reaching
a height of 9 or 10 feet. These rush-beds form the haunts
and resting-places of many kinds of water-loving birds.
The commonest of all amongst them is the little Rush
Spinetail (Phlceocryptes melanops), which may be seen
hopping nimbly from rush to rush a few inches above
the surface of the water, reaching down every now and
then to pick up an insect from amongst the carpet of lemna
and azolla. Its peculiar note at once draws one's attention.
Several sharp taps, such as are made by tapping a slate with
a slate pencil, are followed by a long-drawn sound resembling
that sometimes made when one twists a tight-fitting cork
in the neck of a bottle. The nest of this Spinetail is
also a very interesting structure, built of grass -leaves inter-
woven with extraordinary firmness, and covered in with a
domed roof; near the top of one side is the little round
entrance, covered by a projecting eave, and leading into a
beautifully warm little circular chamber, well lined with wool
and feathers. The nest is tied firmly between a group of rush-

358 Extracts from the

stems at a distance of about three feet above the surface of
the water. There is another beautiful little nest to be found
amongst the rushes ; this is in the form of a little cup made of
small bits of grass &c. cemented together, fixed to a single rush-
stem about four feet above the water. This nest is tenanted
by a most beautiful little bird (Cyanotis azarte) of about
the size of a wren, its plumage gleaming with the deepest
shades of yellow and black and green. Amongst the rushes,
too, are innumerable nests of Coots, Ducks, Grebes, and an
occasional Stork. There is an extraordinary number of
Ducks here, both of individuals and of species, and many of
them are extremely beautiful birds. When I first arrived
every laguna and Canada literally swarmed with them. [A
"laguna" is permanent, and a " Canada" is temporary.]
Perhaps the most numerous was a beautiful little Teal, with
sober vestments of clear grey (Querquedula versicolor) , and
with a bill of blue-grey, with a yellow patch on each side.
Shovellers, Pintails, and Chiloe Widgeons were also abun-
dant on every laguna. Not uncommon was the Rosy-bill
Duck {Melopiana peposaca), a large Duck nearly black in
colour above, but having a large tumid bill of deep pinky
red. Sailing majestically about some of the deeper lagunas
may be seen a pair of Black-necked Swans {Cygnus nigri-
collis), while on others their place was taken by the smaller
Coscoroba Swan, or Gansa, as the people call it {Coscoroba
Candida). It is rather smaller than the Black-necked Swan,
and resembles our European Swan in being nearly pure
white. Grebes are very abundant here. I have obtained on
this estancia alone four out of the five species known to
occur in the Republic. The finest of these is the Bright-
cheeked Grebe (Podiceps calipareus), obtained by Darwin at
Bahia Blanca. Above it is of a dark- grey colour, but beneath
it is of the snowiest white, smooth as the finest satin, while
each ear-covert is composed of hair-like feathers of a shining
metallic golden bronzy tint. The commonest of the Grebes
is, however, Rolland's Grebe (P. rollandi), which swarms on
every laguna. It is a much smaller bird than the last-
mentioned, has conspicuous white cheeks and a satiny breast-

Letters of Mr. J. Graham Kerr. 359

plumage of dark chestnut-colour. Talking about the Grebes
reminds me of a most interesting Duck that I have been
observing here a good deal, the Blue-billed Duck (Erismatura
ferruginea) . This is a Duck in name, but it has undergone
variations in external structure and in habits to an extraor-
dinary extent along the line of the Grebes. What drew my
attention to it was the first individual I saw ; it was swim-
ming, or rather floating on the surface of a lagoon. I ap-
proached to get within shot ; got within forty yards of the
bird and fired. However, the Duck was too sharp for me.
The pellets struck the water harmlessly all over the place
where the Duck had been. He had dived on seeing the
flash, and did it so well that I had considerable difficulty at
first in getting a specimen. The Blue-bill is thus quite equal
to a Grebe in his powers of diving. In structure, too, his
wings are exfremely small and almost useless for flight ; his
legs are placed right at the posterior end of the body ; the plu-
mage of his breast even is as satiny as that of a Grebe. The
tail of the Blue-bill is another of its peculiarities. Tail-coverts
are entirely absent ; the rectrices are about a dozen in num-
ber, very flat and stiff. When the tail is spread these form
a somewhat shovel-shaped and perfectly flat expansion, pro-
jecting quite suddenly from the blunt Grebe-like posterior
end of the body. Frequently when swimming, especially
when swimming rapidly, this flat tail is carried spread hori-
zontally beneath the surface of the water. At other times,
however, and especially when several Ducks are calmly
sailing to and fro in the sunshine, the tail is carried folded
together and cocked vertically right up in the air. This
increases the bizarre appearance of these Ducks, especially
when they indulge their Grebe-like habit of compressing
their air-chambers, so as to gradually sink downwards in the
water. In this way they will often submerge themselves
until nothing is visible above the surface but a head and neck
at one end, and, some distance from it, the tail. This habit
is so characteristic that I thought of speaking of this Duck as
the "cock-tail" Duck, but I concluded that this would be
rather too alcoholic a name. The Blue-bill Duck suits it pretty

360 Extracts from the

well, as the male has a bill of beautiful bright blue colour.
It is most amusing to watch the just-mentioned drake court-
ing the female. He commences operations after the ordinary
anatirie fashion, i.e. he slowly and with the utmost gravity
bobs his head up and down, trying to get a responsive bow from
the female. If this fails, he then resorts to a method of
courtship quite peculiar to himself. He stretches out his
neck on the surface of the water right in front of him, and
then ruffles up the feathers of his neck and inflates his crop
until his neck seems to disappear altogether ; then folding
his remarkable tail, fully spread, right forwards over his
back, like a fan, he advances towards the female, giving his
neck convulsive jerks the while, and presenting one of the
most extraordinary spectacles it is possible to conceive, re-
minding one, if of anything, of an Ornitkorhynchus.

Amongst the grasses of the dry ground we have another
facies of bird-life. Carrion-feeding birds abound, due to the
immense number of carcases littering the country in all
directions. Milvago chimango (a small carrion Hawk) and
the large almost Vulture-like Carancho (Polyborus tharus)
are the two common species. The latter does a good deal of
damage to stock, frequently picking the eyes and tongue out
of living sheep. Of Owls, the little Prairie Owl abounds, a
pair being seen on almost every biscachera. A Pipit (Anthus
correndera) and a Wren {Cistothorus platensis) are common
in the open camp. Especially near lagunas may be seen
several Icteridae : the Yellow-breast (Pseudoleistes virescens),
resembling a Blackbird with a yellow breast ; the Red-breast
(Leistes super ciliar'is) , like a Starling, with gorget and breast
of bright scarlet ; and Agelceus thilius, a smaller bird of a
deep black, with a bright yellow patch on each shoulder ;
then, lastly, among the common Icteridae, is the Cow-bird
(Molothrus bonariensis) , a little black bird, somewhat larger
than a Sparrow. The Cow-birds are well known from their
habit of frequenting the company of cattle. One constantly
sees them here perched and busily feeding on the sheep's back,
picking off, no doubt with relish, the various parasites
amongst the wool. Of Finches there are few here : a Spar-

Letters of Mr. J. Graham Kerr. 361

row, not unlike, but much prettier than our European Sparrow
(Zonotrichia pileata) , the small yellow-breasted Misto Finch
(Sy calls luteola), and the Red- billed Finch (Embernagra
platensis) are all common. The prettiest of the Finches are,
however, the Cardinal, said to be the finest Finch in' the world
(Paroaria cucullata), of clear slaty-blue colour, white be-
neath, and with a magnificent head-piece, gorget, and tall
pyramidal crest of the brightest scarlet imaginable, and the
Black-headed Siskin (Chrysomitris icterica), of bright yellow
tints with coaly-black head. The place of the Finches is,
however, in great part taken up by the Tyrannidse, which
are very numerous, both in individuals and species. Perched
on a withered hemlock by the water's edge may be seen the
Silver-bill Tyrant (Lichenops perspicillatus), with plumage
pure black, except the wings, which are equally pure white.
By-the-by, the frequency of black as a colour amongst the
birds here strikes one after the British avifauna, with its
three or four black birds. The Scissor-tail Tyrant is pretty
common here (Milvulus tyr annus), resembling in general
appearance a large Swallow, and characterized by the im-
mensely long outer rectrices of the tail, which is expanded
and closed during flight, so that the long feathers open and
shut like a pair of scissors. More worthy of being classed
as a Tyrant is the " Bien te veo " (Pitangus bolivianus) . It
is a bird somewhat larger than a Thrush, of a brown colour
above, black, head, with white eyebrows and yellow crest and
belly. It has an immense dagger-like beak, and looks really
worthy of its name. It constantly screams " Bien te veo "
(I see you well) in a loud and harsh voice, which is perhaps
the most prominent sound one hears in the monte. The list
of commoner birds here is closed by a few Dendrocolaptidse,
the most prominent among which is the Oven-bird (Furna-
rius rufus). This bird is not unlike a Thrush in appearance,
and its curious oven-like nests are to be seen everywhere in
the monte. The nests are spheroidal structures, built of
mud, about a foot in diameter, and attached to a tree or post.
At one side is the opening leading into the interior by a
cunningly curved passage. What strikes a European about

362 Extracts from the

the bird-fauna here is the predominance of Icteridse, Tyran-
nidse, and Dendrocolaptidse, three of the most distinctive of
South- American bird types. Owing to the predominance of
these forms, one does not hear the fine singing one has at
home ; its place is taken by a variety of harsh screams and
chirps.

I am afraid I must have wearied out all your patience with
this long-winded screed anent birds, so I will try to tell you
of the other departments more concisely. Of mammals, the
three prominent orders are Edentata, Rodentia, and Car-
nivora. Insectivores are, of course, entirely absent. Of
Edentates, two types of armadillo are common, the peludo
(Dasypus villosus) and the mulito (Praopus hybridus). Of
these two species the peludo is the larger, and is covered with
long coarse hair, while the mulito has a smooth coat, without
hair, except on the belly. Both are eaten by the natives,
and the mulito is esteemed a great delicacy. In habits both
are the same, burrowing in the ground in search of food. Of
Rodents, I have come across three species : the biscacha
(Lagostomus trichodactylus) , the "nutria" (Myopotamus
coypus), and the couejo (Cavia leucopyga). Of these the
biscacha is by far the most conspicuous and most numerous ;
its burrows are similar to those of the rabbit, but several
times as large. They are collected in colonies called " bisca-
cheras/' and around these is generally an expanse of beauti-
fully closely cropped turf. Growing on the biscachera itself
is frequently an extremely harsh and sharp grass, growing
in spiky tufts, called by the natives " paja brava." This
grass grows occasionally separate from biscacheras, but much
more frequently it denotes the position of a biscachera. The
biscacha is a big rodent, about three times the size of a
rabbit. It has a stiff rigid tail of about six inches in length.
When the animal is running this is carried projecting right
backwards, and the hind quarters being on a much larger
scale and higher in the air than the fore quarters, the whole
animal has a curious resemblance to a wheelbarrow trund-
ling along of its own accord. The biscachas are very bold
and inquisitive. If one quietly approaches them when they

Letters 0/ Mr. J. Graham Kerr. 363

are cropping the turf in front of their burrows towards dusk,
they retire close to the mouth of their burrows, and there sit
up on their haunches, after the manner of kangaroos, watching
the intruder and giving vent to various uncouth sounds of
indignation. These sounds are of a most uncanny nature.
A night or two after my arrival I happened to be walking
over the turf when it was nearly quite dark, when suddenly
I put my foot into a hole, and at once a chorus of the most
weird and unearthly groans and hisses arose from the ground
all around me. I had never heard of the vocal powers of the
biscachas, and I felt quite startled. I believe it is the males
chiefly who give vent to these sounds.

The coypu or nutria ("otter"!!), as it is ridiculously
termed in Spanish, is fairly abundant by the edges of the
larger lagunas. In habits and appearance it is simply an
enormous water-rat.

The conejo is a little cavy, about eight inches in length,
of a greenish-brown colour, and is very abundant amongst
the pajas by the side of the water.

Carnivora are well represented here, being in number of
species the predominant order of mammals. At the head of
those I have met with stands the puma [Fells conculor),
which is, however, not at all common. A young male, mea-
suring 6 feet 6 inches in total length, was killed on the
neighbouring estaucia of San Carlos during my stay, but I
have not been fortunate enough to come across any myself.
The commonest of the cats is the " gato raontes," something
like a miniature leopard, but only about the size of the wild
cat at home (Felis geofftoyi). This tiger-cat is quite com-
mon, and I have shot several. There is also another smaller
cat occurring in the neighbourhood, but it is less common
(F. jjasserum) . The most abundant of the carnivora, how-
ever, is a species of skunk (Mephitis p at agonic a) , about
23 inches in length, with beautiful silky dark-brown coat,
with a white longitudinal line along each side of the body
and a bushy white tail. He is a beautiful little animal, and
about sundown he may be seen taking his leisurely evening
stroll, with his white tail hoisted up iu the air as a signal to

361 Extracts from the

all to keep their distance. Armed with a similar, though
less highly developed organ of defence as the skunk, is the
" huron," a kind of large polecat, which is also fairly common
here (Galictis vittata). Next to the skunk, the handsomest
of the carnivores here is a fox (Canis azara), resembling in
size and appearance the European one, but with beautiful
silvery-grey fur. So much for the carnivores. The only
other mammals are a species of deer, which I have not met
with alive (Cervus campestris), and two species of opos-
sum, which I have not seen alive either. So the mammal
fauna, like the avifauna, is, on the whole, rich — 14 species,
of which 8 are abundant. I may mention that of birds I
have obtained examples of 79 species, all on this estancia
alone, so that you can have some idea of the wonderful richness
of the fauna, considering we are in a strictly temperate climate
and latitude 35° S. It quite takes my breath away when I
think of the Pilcomayo and lat. 20° S. I am afraid that I
have thoroughly tired you out with my long-windedness,
but I must plead as my excuse that I wish to give you as
complete an idea as possible of the general appearance of
nature here.

Had I written a month ago I might have declared the
flora of this place almost nil; writing now, I must say that it
is very luxuriant, richer, however, in individuals than in
species. In species it appears to be, in fact, poor ; and this
is not to be wondered at, for there is an utter want of that
variety in physical conditions which is the first. factor in
making a flora rich in variety of species. Here we have
nothing but rolling undulating camp, no wooded lands (the
plantations being quite modern), no mountain, not even
any absolutely permanent water. The consequence is that
we have the flora of the plain and nothing more. As I have
not any botanical work of reference out in the camp here, I
am afraid that my account of the flora will have to be very
meagre indeed.

Letters of Mr. J. Graham Kerr. 365

Buenos Aires City,

Sunday, Nov. 16, 1889.

I took my departure from Mate Grande rather suddenly
two days ago, so have had to postpone continuing your letter
till now. When I arrived at Mate Grande (Aug. 15th) it was
practically mid-winter, everything was parched and withered,
and the only plants in flower in the camp were a beautiful
little yellow oxalis, which carpeted the turf almost like
the buttercups at home, and that ubiquitous intruder, Stel-
laria media. The latter grows rather more luxuriantly than
at home, but otherwise appears to be quite unchanged. This
state of vegetation continued until nearly the middle of Oc-
tober, about which time we had two or three heavy thunder-
storms. This, coupled with a little warm weather, gave an
extraordinary impulse to growths, and vegetation sprung up
and grew as if by magic. The first of the noticeable
flowers to bloom in the spring were two verbenas, one
pelargonium scarlet and another lilac-coloured. The turf,
dotted with these and the little yellow oxalis, quite vied in
appearance with the meadows at home in spring. Besides
this yellow oxalis, there soon appeared two other species of
the same genus, one with a beautiful pink flower, the other pure
white. The biscacheras appeared to be characterized by their
growth of poisonous and otherwise disagreeable plants. Some
would be covered by a dense growth of tall hemlock, others
by a forest of mottle-leaved thistles ; on others, again, Urtica
uteris flourished, while on very many was to be seen a beauti-
ful apparently Loasaceous plant, with drooping white-petalled
flowers, and armed with an abundance of stinging hairs, even
on the petals. Although flowering plants were very numer-
ous as to individuals, in species they were very few. There
appeared to be a very great absence of rare plants. Of
everything that was to be seen at all, there was to be seen
an abundance. Of ordinary ferns I did not find any, but a
species of Marsilia, and one Azolla, were frequent.

3GG On a Collection of Birds from Sarawak.

XXXV. — On a small Collection of Birds from Mount Penrisen,
Sarawak. By R. Bowdler Sharpe, F.L.S. &c.

Since his return to Borneo, I regret to say that our friend
Alfred H. Everett's health has been so bad that he has not been
able to explore much personally. He has, however, sent a
hunter to Mount Penrisen (4400 feet), at the source of the
Sarawak River, in order, as he states, " to obtain a sample
of the highland fauna of Western Borneo for comparison
with that of Kina Balu." The collector being alone, and
the wet season being at its height, he obtained a very meagre
series of skins.

That Mr. Everett, in his suffering condition, should still
interest himself in the scientific exploration of Borneo is
only what we might expect from the indomitable pluck
which has carried him through personal hardships and diffi-
culties for so many years, and his efforts will be much
appreciated by his numerous friends in this country.

The collection is, as Mr. Everett says, a " meagre " one,
but it contains two birds of great interest, one being of a
genus, Eupetes, new to Borneo, and the other of a new
species of Siphia. The remaining species are the same as
from Kina Balu.

Earn. MuscicapiDjE.
Genus Siphia.
1. Siphia everetti, sp. n.
$ . Similis S. cyanece, sed minor et cauda nigra minime albo
notata distinguenda. Long. tot. G*0, culm. 0G5, alse
3*25, caudse 2*2, tarsi 075 poll. Angl.
5 . Similis S. cyanea $ , sed capite rufescente, loris et facie
laterali, gula et prsepectore rufescentibus distinguenda.
Long. tot. 6"0, culm. 0'7, alas 3*15, caudae 2*25,
tarsi 0*75.
This species is a small representative of Siphia cyanea, of
Hume, from Tenasserim, which appears to be a true Siphia,
belonging to the same group as S. pallidipes. The Bornean
form, however, is a much smaller bird, and is easily distin-
guished by the absence of white on the tail. The female

On Chrysotis coeligena and Psittacus dufresneanus. 867

resembles the lien of S. cyanea very closely, and has a white
patch on the fore neck, but the head, sides of face, throat,
and breast are more rufous than in S. cyanea. Like
the latter, it has some white on the inner webs of the tail-
feathers.

Fam. Timeliid/e.

2. Criniger gutturalis (Bp.) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus.
vi. p. 80.

It is rather curious that Mr. Everett's hunter should have
procured this species instead of the Kina Balu C. ruficrissus.
It is a bird of the low country, and was doubtless dis-
covered at no great height on Penrisen.

3. Hemixes connectens, Sharpe, Ibis, 1887, p. 446.
Compared with a specimen in Mr. Whitehead's collection

and found to be identical.

4. Eupetes macrocercus (T.) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus.
vii. p. 338.

This bird was met with on the top of the mountain. It is
quite new to Borneo.

5. Stachyris borneensis, Sharpe, Ibis, 1887, p. 449.

6. Turdinus canicapillus, Sharpe, Ibis, 1887, p. 450.

7. Turdinulus exsul, Sharpe, Ibis, 1888, p. 479.

8. Staphidia evebetti, Sharpe, Ibis, 1887, p. 447.

Mr. Whitehead has kindly lent me specimens of the
four species mentioned above, and I find that in every in-
stance the Penrisen specimens are identical with others from
Kina Balu.

XXXVI. — On the Identity of Chrysotis coeligena with Psit-
tacus dufresnianus. By T. Salvadori, C.M.Z:S.

The Amazon generally called Chrysotis dufresniana is the
bird figured by Mr. Sclater (P. Z. S. 1880, pi. ix. fig. 2) with
the pileum, or the front part of it, red. This bird was de-
scribed by Kuhl (Consp. Psitt. p. 78) as the adult of Psit-

368 Count T. Salvadori on Clirysotis coeligena

tacus dufresnianus, while as the young of the same species
Kuhl described the bird figured by Levaillant, Hist. Nat.
des Perr. ii. p. 53, pi. 91 (fronte aurantia ad oculos flava,
gents, gula collique lateribus carulescentibus). Dr. Finsch,
in his celebrated Monograph, has agreed with Dr. Kuhl's
identifications.

Tn 1880, while Mr. Sclater was about to publish the de-
scription of a supposed new Amazon, he received a specimen
of the same bird from Mr. Lawrence, who had bestowed on
it the name Chrysotis coeligena. Mr. Sclater adopted the
name proposed by Mr. Lawrence and published a figure of a
specimen then living in the Gardens of the Zoological Society
(P. Z. S. 1880, pi. ix. fig. 1). Mr. Sclater, speaking of this
bird, says : — " It was purchased of one of the London dealers
in February 1879, and was originally considered an imma-
ture example of Chrysotis dufresniana, to which species it is
most nearly allied. But it has remained without material
change since its arrival, and a closer examination leads me
to believe that it is not an immature bird."

There can be no doubt that Mr. Sclater was quite right
in considering the bird as distinct, and also as regards the
probability of the bird described by Dr. Finsch (Papag. ii.
p. 552) as the young of C. dufresniana being the supposed
new species. Mr. Sclater had not the opportunity of going
through the subject, otherwise he would easily have perceived
that the bird described by Kuhl and by Wagler (Mon. Psitt.
p. 594) as the young of Psittacus dufresnianus, as well as the
one figured on Levaillant's plate, were also of the same
species.

It is of the greatest importance to notice that the bird
figured by Levaillant was stated to be from Cayenne, and
that the typical bird described by Lawrence was from Guiana
(Ibis, 1880, p. 237), so that both birds were from the same
zoological region.

Unfortunately the name Chrysotis coeligena cannot stand,
as I shall presently show.

It seems that all the preceding authors but Wagler have
overlooked the fact that previously to Kuhl the name

and Psittacus dufresneanus. 369

Psittacus dufresnianus had already been used by Shaw (Gen.
Zool. viii. 2, p. 513, 1811), whose description was made after
Levaillant's plate 91 ; and as this represents the Cayenne bird,
with no red on the head and on the tail, it is quite clear that
C. coeligena is equal to C. dufresniana (Shaw) and that a new
name must be given to the Brazilian C. dufresniana (Kuhl),
for which I would propose that of Chrysotis rhodocorytha.

The synonymy, diagnostic description, and the habitat of
the two species will be as follows : —

~^"1. Chrysotis dufresneana (Shaw).

Le Perroquet Dufresne, Levaill. Hist. Nat. des Perr. ii.
p. 53, pi. 91 (1805) (ex Cayenna) .

Psittacus dufresnianus, Shaw, Gen. Zool. viii. 2, p. 513
(1811) (ex Levaillant); Steph. Gen. Zool. xiv. p. 106
(1826) ; Desm. Diet. Sc. Nat. xxxix. p. 103 (part.) (1826) ;
Cuv. Regn. An. i. p. 465 (part.) (1829).

Psittacus dufresnianus, junior, Kuhl, Consp. Psitt. p. 78
(1820).

? Psittacus coronatus, Licht. (nee Linn.) in Mus. Berol.
fide Kuhl, /. c.

Psittacus dufresnii, Kuhl, op. cit. p. 104 (1820).

Psittacus dufresneanus, junior, Wagl. Mon. Psitt. p. 594
(1832) ; Hahn, Orn. Atl. Papag. p. 91 (young), t. 71 (1837) ;
Cab. in Schomb. Guiana, iii. p. 724 (1848).

Chrysotis dufresnii, Sw. Class. B. ii. p. 301 (1837) ; Licht.
Nomencl. Av. p. 70 (part.) (1854).

Chrysotis dufresneanus (part.), G. R. Gr. Gen. B. ii. p. 422,
no. 13 (1846).

Chrysotis dufresniana (part.), Bp. Rev. et Mag. de Zool.
1854, p. 151, no. 100; ? G. R. Gr. List Psitt. Brit. Mus.
p. 80 (part.?) (1859) ; Pelz. Orn. Bras. p. 266 (note, part.)
(1871).

Chrysotis dufresnianus, Bp. Naumannia, 1856, Consp.
Psitt. no. 94 (part.) ; ? G. R. Gr. Hand-list, ii. p. 164, no.
8323 (part.?) (1870).

Amazona dufresniana, Schleg. Mus. P.-B. Psittaci, p. 52
(part.) (1864) ; id. op. cit. Revue, p. 27 (part.) (1874).

SER. VI. VOL. II. 2 D

370 On Chrysotis coeligena and Psittacus dufresneanus.

Chrysotis dufresnei, juv., Finsch, Die Papag. ii. p. 552
(1868) j Gieb. Thes. Orn. i. p. 682 (part. ?) (1872).

Chrysotis coeligena, Lawr. MS. ; Sclat. P. Z. S. 1879,
p. 815, 1880, p. 68, pi. ix. fig. 1 ■ Lawr. Ibis, 1880, p. 237;
Salv. & Sclat. ibid. p. 238 ; Rchnw. & Schal. Journ. f. Orn.
1880, p. 209 ; Sclat. Ibis, 1881, p. 414 ; id. List Vert. An.
(8th ed.), p. 348 (1883) ; Salv. Ibis, 1886, pp. 68, 509.

Androglossa caruligena, Rchnw. Journ. f. Orn. 1881,
p. 374 (Consp. Psitt. p. 214) ; id. Vogelbild. Nachtr. in the
text of no. 125 (1883).

Diagn. Clare viridis, fronte flavo-aurantiaca, facie tota
utrinque cyaneo tincta, speculo alari aurantiaco, caudse
apice flavicante, crassitie paullo minore quam in C. rho-
docorytha.

Hab. in Guiana.

Obs. Similis C. rhodocorythts, sed fronte non rubra,
speculo alari aurantiaco et cauda nullo modo rubra distin-
guenda.

-f- 2. Chrysotis rhodocorytha.

Psittacus dufresnianus, ad., Kuhl, Consp. Psitt. p. 78
(1820) ; Desm. Diet. Sc. Nat. xxxix. p. 102 (ad.) (1826) ;
Cuv. Regn. An. i. p. 465 (part.) (1829).

Psittacus dufresneanus, Wied (nee Shaw), Reise, i. p. 51
(1820), ii. pp. 335, 341 (1821) ; id. Beitr. iv. p. 225 (Siidl.
Brasilien) (1832) ; Burm. Syst. Ueb. ii. p. 183 (Mitt], u.
nordl. Bras.) (1856) .

Amazona dufresniana, Less, (nee Shaw), Tr. d'Orn. p. 190
(1831) ; Schleg. Mus. P.-B. Psittaci, p. 52 (part.) (1864) j
id. op. cit. Revue, p. 27 (1874).

Psittacus dufresneanus, ad., Wagl. Mon. Psitt. p. 594
(1832).

Chrysotis dufresneanus (part.), G. R. Gr. Gen. B. ii. p. 422,
no. 13 (1846).

Chrysotis dufresnii (part.), Licht. Nomencl. Av. p. 70
(1854).

Chrysotis dufresniana (part.), Bp. Rev. et Mag. de Zool.
1854, p. 151, no. 100; ? G. R, Gr. List Psitt. Brit. Mus.

Recently published Ornithological Works. 371

p. 80 (part. ?*) (1859) ; Pelz. Orn. Bras. p. 266 (note, part.),
pp. 448, liii. (1871) ; Sclat. & Salv. Nomencl. Av. Neotr.
p. 1 13, no. 18 (Brasilia) (1873) ; Sclat. P. Z. S. 1880, p. 68,
pi. ix. fig. 2; id. List Vert. An. (8th eel.), p. 348 (1883).

Chrysotis dufresnianus, Souance {nee Shaw), Rev. et Mag.
de Zool. 1856, p. 154 • Bp. Naumannia, 1856, Consp. Psitt.
no. 94 (part.) ; ? G. R. Gr. Hand- list, ii. p. 164, no. 8323
(part.) (1870).

Chrysotis dufresneana, Bolle {nee Shaw), Joum. f. Orn.
1S56, p. 170; Sclat. Cat. Am. B. p. 354, no. 2113 (1862).

Chrysotis dufresnei (part.), Finsch, Die Papag. ii. p. 551
(1868) ; Gieb. Thes. Orn. i. p. 682 (part. ?) (1872).

Androglossa dufresnii, Rchnw. {nee Shaw), Journ. f. Orn.
1881, p. 374 (Consp. Psitt. p. 214) (syn. emend.) j id. Vogel-
bild. Nachtr. 125 (1883).

Diagn. Viridis, pileo antico rubro, loris flavis, genis cyaneo
tinctis ; speculo alari rubro ; caudae apice flavicante et
fascia rubra subapicali obtecta uotata, crassitie paullo
majore quam in C. dufresneana (Shaw).
Hab. in Brasilia.

XXXVII. — Notices of recent Ornithological Publications.

[Continued from p. 261.]

60. Backhouse on European Birds.

[A Handbook of European Birds, for the use of Field-Naturalists and
Collectors. By James Backhouse, Jun., F.Z.S. 8vo. London : Gurnej
and Jackson, 1890.]

Mr. Backhouse has produced a useful book and one that
will, no doubt, be often referred to by working ornitholo-
gists. It is a pity, however, that he did not look after the
artist who drew the frontispiece more sharply. The " anal
region " in the typical bird is certainly not properly placed
between the legs, nor the " rump " halfway up the back.
We must also object to the author's usage of the term

* Gray mentions a specimen from Bogota, but I do not know to
which form it belongs.

2 d 2

372 Recently published Ornithological Works.

" Habitat," which, since the time of Linnseus, has been used
to express what Mr. Backhouse calls " Distribution/' and not
the kind of country to which a bird mostly resorts. Again, if
the Scutelliplantar Passeres are recognized as a separate group
they should be placed at the end of the typical Oscines, and
not in the middle of them. Mr. Backhouse does not exactly
define the limits of " Europe " as regarded from his point of
view, but appears to comprehend in it the Caucasus. He has
very wisely not troubled his readers with synonyms, which
in a volume of this character are well omitted. But his
nomenclature and general arrangement are such as must
commend themselves to his brother members of the B.O.U.

61. Barrows on the English Sparrow in North America.

[U.S. Department of Agriculture. Division of Economic Ornithology
and Mammalogy. Bulletin 1. The English Sparrow {Passer domesticus)
in North America, especially in its relations to Agriculture. Prepared
under the direction of Dr. C. Hart Merriam, Ornithologist, hy Walter B.
Barrows, Assistant Ornithologist. 8vo. Washington : 1889.]

This is a memoir of 606 pages on the great Sparrow-question,
and may well be believed, as Dr. Merriam claims for it, to be
the " most systematic, comprehensive, and important treatise
ever published upon the economic relations of any bird."
The Sparrow was only first introduced into America in 1850 ;
but it has so thriven as to have now spread all over the
eastern States, as is shown by the map attached to the
memoir, and in some favoured places to abound in enormous
quantities. The result arrived at, after full discussion, is
that the Sparrow is " a curse of such virulence that it ought
to be systematically attacked and destroyed," and it is shown
how this may be effected by poisoning, trapping, and netting.

62. Berlepsch on Birds from Upper Amazonia.

[Systematisches Verzeichniss der von Herrn Gustav Garlepp in Bra-
silien und Nord-Peru, im Gebiete des oberen Amazonas, gesammelten
Vogelbalge. Von Hans von Berlepsch. J. f. O. 1839, p. 289.]

Graf v. Berlepsch continues his account of Herr Garlepp's
bird-collections in Upper Amazonia (cf. supra, p. Ill), and

Recently published Ornithological Works. 373

now writes of the specimens obtained at various localities on
the Ucayali and Huallaga. After recording some interesting
notes by Garlepp upon the Toucans and Parrots of these
districts, the author proceeds to a systematic account of the
species represented in the collection. These are altogether
142 in number, concerning which many excellent critical
remarks are given. Cassicus pachyrhynchus is characterized
as a new species allied to C. hcemorrhous. Ornithion pusil-
lum olivaceum and Momotus brasiliensis ignobilis are two new
subspecies. Coloured figures are given (plate iii.) of two
rare Parrots, Ara couloni and Conurus roseifrons. Of the
latter, ten specimens were obtained by Herr Garlepp near
Tarapoto, and subsequently 31 more at Shanusi near Yuri-
maguas.

63. Fiirbringer on Stringops and lynx.

[Einige Bemerkungen iiber die Stellung von Stringops nnd den even-
tuellen Herd der Entstebung der Papageien, sowie iiber den systema-
tischen Platz von Jynx. Von Max Fiirbringer. J. f. 0. 1889, p. 236.]

Herr Marshall, in his ' Zoologische Vortrage/ has main-
tained that Stringops should be considered rather as a modern
degraded form than as the oldest and least developed mem-
ber of the Psittacine group. Dr. Fiirbringer now gives good
reasons why the latter view, which he has adopted in his
" Untersuchungen," should be upheld. He likewise writes on
the question of the local origin of the Psittaci, which some have
maintained must have been in the Oriental, and others in the
Australian Region, and shows that we have not yet materials
for properly discussing this difficult subject. As regards lynx,
which he has treated as the lowest and least-specialized type of
thePicidse,Dr. Fiirbringer also explains his views on this point,
and shows that they are not materially different from those
of Herr Marshall; only the latter writer is inclined to regard
lynx as a more specialized development of the Picidse, while
Dr. Fiirbringer thinks that it should rather be looked upon
as a more primitive form of that group.

374 Recently published Ornithological IVorks.

64. Hume and Oates's ' Nests and Eggs of Indian Birds.'

[The Nests and Eggs of Indian Birds. By Allan 0. Hume, C.B.
Second edition, edited by Eugene William Oates. Vol. I. With four
portraits. Pp. 397. 8vo. London : 1889. R. H. Porter.]

As a companion work to his ' Birds of British India/ the
first volume of which was noticed in our last number (above,
p. 362) , Mr. Oates has undertaken the preparation of a new
edition of Mr. Hume's f Nests and Eggs of Indian Birds/
of which the parallel volume, containing the accounts of the
nests and eggs of the species described in the first volume of
the former work, is now before us. Every one interested in
Indian Ornithology is well acquainted with Mr. Hume's
'Nests and Eggs/ and although it would have been much
better, in our opinion, to have incorporated all the informa-
tion on this subject into the pages of the ' Birds of India/
and thus to have only one work to refer to instead of two,
this course being impracticable on account of the exigencies
of space, we must all feel greatly indebted to Mr. Hume for
republishing his most useful work, and to Mr. Oates for
editing it. For many years after the publication of his
original work, Mr. Hume went on accumulating materials
for a second edition of his ' Nests and Eggs/ These mate-
rials have now been placed unreservedly in Mr. Oates's hands
and have been employed in the present work, which in
arrangement and nomenclature follows exactly the system
employed in the ' Birds of India.' The volume is appro-
priately illustrated by portraits of four leading Indian Orni-
thologists, Hodgson, Jerdon, Tickell, and Hume.

65. Lever kiihn on Variations in the Coloration of Birds.

[Ueber Farbenvarietaten bei Vogeln. Von Paul Leverhiihn. — III.
J. f. O. 1889, p. 245.]

Herr Leverkuhn continues his papers on variations in the
plumage of birds (cf. supra, p. 116), and now gives us an
account of those observed in the Museums of Metz, Stras-
burg, and Colmar. We regret to hear that the birds in the
first of these Collections are not well cared for, comprising
as they do many specimens referred to in Malherbe's great

Recently published Ornithological Works. 375

Monograph of the Pieidae. The German ornithologists
should see to this, as it would he a great reproach to them
not to keep things in such good order as their French prede-
cessors. The Strashurg Collection on the other hand is, we
are glad to say, spoken of as being in excellent condition.
Herr Leverkiihn gives us some interesting remarks on the
question of the two forms of Turdus turquatus (cf. Seebohm,
Ibis, 1888, p. 309).

66. Merriam's Report for 1888.

[Annual Report of the Department of Agriculture for the year 1888.
Report of the Ornithologist and Mainmalogist, C. Hart Merriam, M.D.,
for the year 1888. 8vo. Washington : 1889.]

Dr. Merriam's Report to the Commission of Agriculture
of the U.S.A. upon the operations of the Division of Econo-
mic Ornithology and Mammalogy for the year contains
several items of interest. It appears that " four flourishing
colonies of introduced Pheasants now exist in the Pacific
coast-region." One of these colonies is in Vancouver Island,
another on an island in Puget Sound, and the two remaining
colonies in Oregon. The birds in Oregon do not belong to
the ordinary Phasianus colchicus, or what we are accustomed
to call by this name in England — which is really a cross-race
between P. colchicus and P. torquatus, — but to three Eastern
Asiatic species, the Gold Pheasant [Thaumalea picta), the
Japanese, Phasianus versicolor, and the true Ring-necked
P. torquatus. They were imported in 1882 and subsequent
years, and seem to have thriven well. A new crime of the
American Crow {Corvus americanus) has been brought to light
— " the distribution of noxious seeds." A single pound of the
dried excrement of some of these birds was ascertained to con-
tain 1041 seeds of Poison Ivy {Rhus toxicodendron) and 341
seeds of Poison Sumach (Rhus venenata) . On testing these
seeds it was found that their vitality was unimpaired ; they
germinated even more quickly than fresh seeds. Although
of benefit to mankind in some ways, the final verdict is that
" the harm which Crows do appears to far outweigh the good."
The Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Hedymeles ludovicianus) , on

376 Recently published Ornithological Works.

the other hand, is shown to be " a valuable friend to the
farmer/' and to deserve " the most careful protection and
encouragement."

67. Meyer's Illustrations of Birds' Skeletons.

[Abbildungen von Vogel-Skeletten. Herausgegeben von Dr. A. B.
Meyer. Lief, x., xi. (1886), xii., xiii. (1888-89). 4to. Dresden:
1886-89.]

Four numbers of Dr. A. B. Meyer's illustrations of Birds'
skeletons have been issued since we last noticed this work
(Ibis, 1886, p. 371). The 13th number concludes the first
volume, which contains altogether 130 plates. A systematic
Index is now provided, which is a very convenient addition.

68. Modigliani on the Birds of Nias.

[Un Viaggio a Nias di Elio Modigliani. — Illustrato da 195 incisioni,
26 tavole tirate a parte, e 4 carte geografiche. Royal 8vo. Milano :
1890.]

" Tano Niha " or Nias is an island on the southern coast
of Sumatra, to explore which Sign. Modigliani made a
special expedition in 1886. The present volume gives us a
general account of his adventures and of the results arrived
at. Count Salvadori published a memoir on the birds ob-
tained by Sign. Modigliani in 1887 (Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen.
ser. 2, vol. iv. p. 16) and described the new species. The
following birds are now figured : — Syrnium niasense, Mi-
glyptes infuscatus, Calornis albirostris, Gracula robusta, Citto-
cincla melanura, Terpsiphone insularis, Macropygia modigli-
anii, and Carpophaga consobrina.

69. More' 's List of Irish Birds.

[A List of Irisb Birds, showing the species contained in the Science
and Art Museum, Dublin. By Alexander G. More, F.L.S., &c. Second
edition. 8vo. Dublin : 1890.]

This is a second and revised edition of Mr. More's ' List
of Irish Birds,' of which the first edition was published in
1885 (see Ibis, 1885, p. 44). The List is intended in the
first place as a catalogue of the specimens of Irish Birds
exhibited in the Dublin Museum of Science and Art. But

Recently published Ornithological Works. 377

the names of such Irish species as are not represented in the
Museum are added in a different type, so that the result is a
complete list of Irish birds. Short notes on the distribution
of each species are added.

70. Nehrling's North- American Birds.

[North- American Birds. By H. Nehrling, M.A.O.U. To be com-
pleted in Twelve Parts, with thirty-six coloured Plates, by Professor
Robert Ridgway, of the United States National Museum and Smith-
sonian Institution, Professor A. Goering, Leipzig, and Gustav Muetzel,
Berlin. Parts 1, 2. 4to. London : 1890.]

These are the first two numbers of what promises to be an
important work to American Ornithologists, although, if it is
intended to embrace all North-American Birds, we do not
quite see how it is to be completed in "twelve parts."
There is at present no popularly written book on the birds of
the U.S. brought up to modern date in existence, and Mr.
Nehrling's work would seem, certainly as regards its text, to be
likely to supply this desideratum. But notwithstanding the
undoubted talents of the artists combined to draw the illus-
trations, we cannot say that the plates are quite satisfactory.
The very fully coloured backgrounds mar the effect, and in
spite of the enormous advances made of late years in colour-
printing, it has not yet, in our opinion, arrived at perfect
success as regards birds, although it has some undoubted
advantages.

71. Ridgway on Birds from St. Lucia, the Abrolhos Islands,
and the Straits of Magellan.

[Scientific Results of Explorations by the U.S. Fish-Commission
Steamer ' Albatross.'— II. Birds collected on the Island of Santa Lucia,
West Indies, Abrolhos Islands, Brazil, and at the Straits of Magellan, in
1887-88. By Robert Ridgway. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. xii. p. 129.]

Mr. Ridgway writes of the birds obtained by the Natural-
ists of the U.S. Fish-Commission's Steamer ' Albatross '
at these three localities. At the first two places little was
obtained but what is already well known. At various ports
in the Straits of Magellan examples of 66 species of birds
were procured. Amongst these is a Geositta, from Elizabeth

378 Recently published Ornithological Works.

Island, referred with doubt to G. antarctica, for which the
alternative new name G. longipennis is proposed, and a
Upucerthia, allied to U. dumetoria, described as U.propinqua,
from Gregory Bay. The small Cormorant usually called Pha-
lacrocorax brasilianus (Gm.) is termed P. vigua (Vieill.),
as Gmelin's name is considered not to refer to this species.

72. Salvadori on Additions to Papuan Ornithology .

[Aggiunte alia Ornitologia della Papuasia e delle Molucclie. Per
Tommaso Salvadori. Parte seconda. Passeres. 4to. Torino : 1890.]

We have now before us the second part of Count Salva-
dori's account of the additions to the Papuan Ornis since the
completion of his great work on this subject. The first part
(noticed above, p. 258) referred to the Accipitres, Psittaci,
and Picarise. The present part relates to the Passeres, of
which 89 additional species are now recognized as belonging
to the Papuan Subregion. Of these 89 species, 84 are
recent discoveries, 1 was omitted by inadvertence, 1 is an old
species recently met with in the Timor-Laut group, and 3
(Edolisoma nehrkorni, from Waigiou, Dicruropsis guillemardi,
from Pisa, one of the Obi group, and Pachycephala meyeri,
from the Arfak mountains, New Guinea) are now described
for the first time. Numerous additional references and many
notes are also given upon the species enumerated in the
former work, so as to bring the whole information on the
subject up to date.

73. Sclater on the Tracheophone Passeres.

[Catalogue of the Passeriformes, or Perching Birds, in the Collection
of the British Museum. — Tracheophone, or the Families Dendrocolaptidse,
Formicariidas, Conopophagidse, and Pteroptochidoe. By Philip Lutley
Sclater. London : 1890.]

The fifteenth volume of the Catalogue of Birds in the
British Museum is devoted to the Tracheophonine Passeres —
a group distinguished from the normal Passeres by the
peculiar modification of their trachea, as first discovered by
Johann Muller. The Tracheophonine structure prevails, so
far as is yet known, only in four families of Passeres, all of

Recently published Ornithological Works. 379

which are absolutely restricted to the Neotropical Region.
These are theDendrocolapticlye, Formicariiclse, Conopophagidse,
and Pteroptochidie. In the present volume are catalogued
about 4482 specimens of Tracheophonce, as belonging to the
Collection of the British Museum. These have been referred
to 92 genera and 531 species, leaving only 28 species known
to the author, but not yet represented in the Collection. The
" types " in this portion of the series are especially numerous
and amount to no less than 172.

With the present volume is concluded the account of the
great Passerine series, which was commenced in June 1877,
by the issue of Mr. Sharpe's catalogue of the Colseomorphse
(vol. iii.), and has taken up thirteen volumes.

74. Seebohm on the Classification of Birds.

[Classification of Birds : an attempt to diagnose the Subclasses, Orders,
Suborders, and some cf the Families of existing Birds. By Henry See-
bohm. London : 1890. It. H. Porter. 54 pp.]

For several years past Mr. Seebohm, as is well known to
all readers of ' The Ibis,' has devoted much time and atten-
tion to the study of the principal characters upon which the
classification of Birds has been based by recent systematists.
As the results of his investigations, Mr. Seebohm has contri-
buted to this Journal several papers upon the diagnostic
characters of the orders of Birds and upon their component
families {cf. Ibis, 1888, p. 415 ; 1889, p. 92; 1890, pp. 29,
200). Having now finished his general survey, he has put
his observations together, and shows in the present work how
birds may be separated by absolute differential characters
into 36 " suborders/' He also gives two alternative schemes
for the combination of these ft suborders " into " orders " and
"subclasses." Putting aside these proposed combinations,
to both of which, we think, serious objections may be made,
we should say that Mr. Seebohm is, as we believe, the first
systematist who has succeeded in dividing Birds into a
tolerably natural series of families separable by absolutely
diagnostic characters. These characters are now presented
to us in the case of each suborder in an original and highly

380 Recently published Ornithological Works.

ingenious way. The characters having been shortly stated, a
tabular list of the 36 " suborders " is appended, and it is
shown in which of them each of the several selected charac-
ters occurs and in which of them it is absent. Thus it is
seen at a glance that the " suborder " under consideration is
the only one of the set of thirty-six that combines the whole
of the selected characters, though many other " suborders "
may possess one or more of them.

The principal characters taken by Mr. Seebohm as the
base of his System are : — (1) The condition of the young at
birth (to which very special importance was attached by
Sundevall) ; (2) the pterylosis ; (3) the number of cervical
vertebrae ; (4) the mode of arrangement of the deep plantar
tendons; (5) the manner of bifurcation of the nasal bones;
(6) the presence or absence of caeca ; (7) the condition of the
oil-gland (naked or tufted) ; (8) the condition of the palatal
bones, especially as regards the presence or absence of basi-
pterygoid processes ; (9) the arrangement of the femoral
muscles as worked out by Garrod ; (10) the position of the
digits; (11) the form of the dorsal vertebrae; (12) the
presence or absence of supraorbital fossae.

Perhaps the most startling innovation introduced by Mr.
Seebohm is the proposal to join the Mimogypes, or American
Vultures*, into one " Subclass " with his " Picariae" under
the name " Coraciifornies," which has already been put for-
ward in this Journal (cf. Ibis, 1890, p. 200). Mr. Seebohm
is of opinion that the remarkable deviation from the normal
structure shown by these two groups in the arrangement of
their deep plantar tendons could hardly have been acquired
independently. It is certain that the time has now come
when the Mimogypes, shown to differ from the true Acci-
pitres in so many trenchant characters, must claim to stand
as an Order apart, and that one of the forms of Mr. Seebohm's

* In the present work this group is denominated Cathartes (scr.
Cathartce). In the tables of his new system placed before the Zoological
Society at the Meeting on March 4th last it was designated by the appro-
priate term " Mimogypes." See also above, p. 203.

Recently published Ornithological Works. 381

Picarise* (i. e. Bucorvus) presents no small amount of resem-
blance to it. But we are not yet quite prepared to unite the
Mimogypes and Syndactyly in the same " Suborder/'

Whatever may be our appreciation of Mr. Seebohm's new
System, we must allow that the author has done an excellent
piece of work in thus summarizing the results to be arrived
at from the study of the labours of Nitzsch, Sundevall, Hux-
ley, Garrod, and Forbes, and in placing them before us in
such an intelligible form.

75. Shufeldt on the Osteology of the Water-Birds.
[Contributions to the Comparative Osteology of Arctic and Subarctic

Water-Birds. Part V. By R. W. Shufeldt, M.D., C.M.Z.S. Jouru.
Anat. & Physiol, xxiv. p. 89.]

Dr. Shufeldt continues his studies of the Arctic and Sub-
arctic water-birds (cf. supra, p. 260), and in the present
contribution to this subject descants on the skeleton of the
Puffins (Fraterculinse). In his conclusions he states that
there can be no question as to the right of admission of the
Puffins into the Alcidse, and that perhaps the creation of the
genus Lunda will prove to be a warranted step. The memoir,
as usual, is well and fully illustrated.

76. Shufeldt on Progress in Avian Anatomy.

[Progress in Avian Anatomy for the years 1888-89. By R. W.
Shufeldt, M.D., C.M.Z.S. Journ. Comp. Med. & Veterin. Arch., January
1890.]

Dr. Shufeldt has every claim to our attention when he
speaks of Avian Anatomy, and his address on the subject
read at the seventh Congress of the American Ornithologists'
Union, held at New York last year, will be read with interest.
We are pleased to see Dr. Shufeldt's announcement that
Messrs. Macmillan have accepted for publication his complete
treatise on the muscles of the Raven. A good modern text-
book on birds' muscles is much required, and will be very
useful to ornithologists.

* Picarise cannot properly be used for a group which does not contain
the Woodpeckers, so that we prefer the alternative name a Syndactyly "
for this group.

382 Recently published Ornithological Works.

77. Stejneger and Lucas on Pallas's Cormorant.

[Contributions to the Natural History of the Commander Islands. — X.
Contribution to the History of Pallas's Cormorant. By Leonhard Stej-
neger and Frederick A. Lucas. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. xii. p. 83.]

It seems certain that Pallas's Cormorant {Phalacrocorux
perspicillatus) is now an extinct species, like the Great
Auk and the Fregilupus of Bourbon. Dr. Stejneger has
already stated thus much (Pr. U. S. N. M. 1883, p. 65), and
now confirms what he has said. The fortunate Museums that
contain specimens of this noble bird are the British Museum,
the Leyden Museum, and the Museum of the Imperial Aca-
demy of Sciences at St. Petersburg. When in Bering Island
in 1882, Mr. Stejneger dug out of the cliffs at the N.W. end
of the island some bones of this extinct Cormorant, which are
now described by Mr. Lucas.

78. Tschusi zu Schmidhofen' s Ornithologisches Jahrhuch.

[Ornithologisches Jahrbuch. — Organ fur das paleearktische Faunen-
gebiet. Herausgegeben von Victor Bitter von Tschusi zu Schmidhofen.
Band i. Heft 1. 8vo. Hallein : 1890.]

The well-known authority on European birds, Victor,
Ritter von Tschusi zu Schmidhofen, has started anew Journal
of Ornithology, of which the first number is now before us.
It is to relate specially to European birds, but also, it appears,
to embrace those of the whole Palsearctic Region. The
present number contains papers on some scarce birds of Istria,
by Dr. S. v. Washington, on those of Prussian Silesia, by
C. Hoericke, on those of Moravia, by V. Capek, an account
of the breeding of Muscicapa parva in New Pomerania, by
Major A. v. Homeyer, and other smaller articles. We wish
the new enterprise success, but rather doubt whether there
is room for it.

79. Woodford on the Head-hunters of the Solomon Islands.

[A Naturalist among the Head-hunters : being an Account of Three
Visits to the Solomon Islands in the years 1886, 1887, and 1888. By
Charles Morris Woodford. London : 1890.]

The well-known explorer of the Solomon Islands has put

Recently published Ornithological Works. 383

his adventures and experiences " among the head-hunters "
into a nice little volume, which we can cordially recommend
to those who are interested in the study of Nature. Mr.
Woodford is an ardent collector of birds, and frequent allu-
sion to them will be found, throughout his pages. His col-
lections have been worked out by Mr. Sharpe and Mr. Grant
(see P. Z. S. 1887, p. 328, and 1888, pp. 182, 185).

Perhaps the best bird that he discovered was Macrocorax
woodfordi (P. Z. S. 1887, p. 332, pi. xxvii.). But we must
not suppose that the Avifauna of this most interesting group
of islands is by any means yet thoroughly known. Mr.
Woodford is certain "that when Bougainville, Choiseul,
Ysabel, and Malaita have been properly worked, many
hitherto unknown species will be added to our lists. The
mountains of Bougainville, over 10,000 feet high, never yet
ascended by white man or native, present a field from which
we may expect all sorts of prizes, not only in birds, but in
other orders.'"

In one of his chapters Mr. Woodford gives us a good
general account of the birds of the Solomon Islands as at
present known to us, from which we extract the following
passage : —

"As might be expected the Avifauna of the Solomons con-
tains many species identical with or closely allied to those
occurring on New Guinea and the neighbouring islands.
Some families, however, are altogether wanting, or are
represented by species that from long isolation have become
distinct.

" The Paradise-Birds, those gorgeous inhabitants of New
Guinea and the islands immediately adjacent, have no repre-
sentative in the Solomons, nor do they even reach New
Britain and Duke of York. Casuaries, although found in
New Britain and Duke of York Island, do not extend to the
Solomons, and I consider their absence another proof that
land-connection has never existed between the Solomons and
New Britain."

384 Letters, Extracts, Notices, fyc.

XXXVIII.— Letters, Extracts, Notices, %c.

We have received the following letters, addressed " to the
Editor" :—

Buenos Ayres,
Jan. 28, 1890.

Sir, — I wish to inform you that in the figure of Chatocer-
cus burmeisteri, published in ' Argentine Ornithology ' (vol. ii.
pi. xi.), there is a slight error. The two small stripes of
crimson-red, shaded with violet-blue, on the throat, are
represented as separated by an interval in the middle ;
whereas they are united there by two rows of smaller feathers
of the same colour, and in this manner form a bilobed half-
collar.

At the point immediately under the beak there are some
small white feathers, like a beard. These are not shown
in the figure.

Yours &c,

H. BURMEISTER.

Topclyffe Grange, Farnborough,
R.S.O., Kent.
Feb. 28, 1890.

Sir, — Some time ago, when examining specimens of
Rollers for the purpose of writing a monograph of that family,
I found, on comparing examples of the White-necked Roller
(Coracias ncevia) from various parts of Africa, that there are
certainly two clearly separable forms : one which has the
crown rufescent or vinaceous pink, inhabiting Abyssinia, the
Upper White Nile, Somaliland, Senegambia, and the Niger
district ; and the other, which has the crown pale olivaceous
green, inhabiting the Congo, Angola, Benguela, Damaraland,
Mozambique, the Transvaal, and South Africa generally.

I have not yet fully made out the geographical ranges of
these forms, but, so far as I can at present judge, the rufous-
crowned form is only found north of the equator, and the
olive-crowned form south of the equator.

Letters, Extracts, Notices, fyc. 385

Heuglin has remarked (Orn. N.O.-Afr. i. p. 173) that
there appear to be two forms, but he did not refer to the
difference in the coloration of the crown, and tried to separate
the southern and western birds from the north-eastern form.
Captain Shelley (Ibis, 1885, p. 399) has pointed out the
distinctive character in the coloration of the crown, and has
separated the two forms correctly, but has only made a sub-
species of the southern form, referring the northern species
to Coracias navia, and giving to the southern species the
name Coracias ncevia levaillantii .

I have been lately working out the synonymy of the
Rollers, and, as it appears to me that the olive-crowned bird
should be treated as a good species, the question arises as
to what specific name it should bear. The specific names
already bestowed on these two Rollers, which have hitherto
been generally united, are as follows : —

ncevia, Daudin, Traite d'Orn. p. 258 (1800).

pilosa, Latham, Ind. Orn. Suppl. p. 27 (1801).

crinita, Shaw, Gen. Zool. vii. part 2, p. 401 (1809).

nuchalis, Swainson, B. of W. Afr. ii. p. 110 (1837).

levaillantii, Riippell, Syst. Uebers. Vog. N.O.-Afr. p. 23
(1845).

Of these, the first, ncevia of Daudin, undoubtedly refers
to the northern or rufous-crowned species, as the author
states that the crown is red, and gives the habitat as " Sene-
gambia." Latham's pilosa appears to be also referable to
the northern species, but his description is very meagre, and
he merely gives " Africa " as the habitat. Shaw's name is
based, as was Latham's pilosa, on the Hairy Roller of Latham
(Gen. Syn. Suppl. ii. p. 27) and no description is given.
Swainson's nuchalis is also most certainly the northern
species, as he states that the crown is " vinaceous red; " and
RiippelPs levaillantii must also refer to the northern species,
for though he gives no description, he states that it is " com-
mon in the lowlands of Abyssinia." I may here remark
that Riippell refers to this bird as " Coracias levaillanti,
Temminck," but I cannot find that this name was ever pub-
lished by Temminck.

SER. vi. — vol. ii. 2e

386 Letters, Extracts, Notices, fyc.

From this it will be seen that all the specific names
hitherto applied to the two species refer properly to the
northern form, and I can see no alternative but to give a
fresh name to the southern or olive- crowned species. I pro-
pose therefore to call it Coracias mosambicus, retaining the
name of Coracias ncevius for the rufous-crowned (or northern)
species. Yours &c,

H. E. Dresser.

Edinburgh, May 3, 1890.

Sir, — In a small collection of skins lately received from
Madeira, I find a specimen which Mr. Salvin has identified
as (Estrelata mollis (Procellaria mollis, Gould, B. Austr. vii.
pi. 50). This bird was taken on the Ilho de Baixo, off Porto
Santo. This is a fact which you may consider sufficiently
interesting to place on record, more especially as I understand
that there are two specimens of the same bird in the Cam-
bridge Museum, obtained (as I am informed by Prof. Newton)
some 35 years ago by Mr. Robert Frere from near Madeira.
Although rather a rare species, it seems by no means im-
probable that it may be yet found breeding upon some of the
other rocks of the Madeiran group.

Yours, &cv
John J. Dalgleish.

Butorides virescens in Cornwall. — At the Meeting of the
Linnean Society on the 17th April last, Sir Charles Sawle
exhibited a specimen of the North-American Little Heron,
Butorides virescens, which had been shot by his keeper, W.
Abbott, on the 27th of October, 1889, on his estate, Penrice,
St. Austell, Cornwall. The specimen was brought to Sir
Charles in the flesh, and forwarded to Mr. Foote, birdstuffer,
Bath, for preservation.

Butorides virescens has a wide distribution over North and
Central America and the Antilles, and likewise visits the Ber-
mudas*. There is therefore no antecedent improbability of

* See Reid, Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus. No. 25, p. 244.

Letters, Extracts, Notices, fyc. 387

occasional stragglers being met with in Western Europe,
though this is the first recorded example killed in Great Britain.

Phylloscopus superciliosus in the Stilly Islands. — Mr. J.
H. Jenkinson (Crowborough, Tuubridge Wells) sends to 'The
Field' (April 12th, 1890, vol. lxxv. p. 518) the following
letter : —

" In ' The Field ' a short time ago it was announced in a
letter from Brighton that Messrs. Pratt had identified a
bird temporarily in their possession as ' Phylloscopus super-
ciliosus/ the Yellow-browed Warbler, which had been shot
several years ago in the Scilly Islands. More definite in-
formation respecting its capture was asked for, but was not
given, and it would probably therefore be supposed by readers
of ' The Field ' that some mistake had been made, and that
the bird in question did not belong to this rare species. It
is therefore satisfactory to be able to state that Messrs. Pratt
were quite right in believing the bird to be the ' Yellow-
browed Warbler/ and that it has been duly identified at the
Natural History Department of the British Museum. The
bird was shot in October, 1867, by Mr. A. Pechell, in the
Scilly Islands. I found on writing to him, that I had been
with him there at the time, and on looking back to my notes
of that year, 1 found that I had written a careful description
of the bird, and of its general appearance, &c, before it was
shot. The note especially was observed to be unlike that of
either the Goldcrest or the Firecrest, and there were other dif-
ferences, which made it very doubtful whether the bird be-
longed to either of those species. However, having been sent
over to Mr. Bodd, it Mas settled by him and Mr. Vingoe that
it was an immature Firecrest, and as such it has remained in
Mr.Pechell's possession ever since. A few days before this bird
was obtained, Mr. Pechell had shot one exactly similar to it,
but it was so injured by the shot that no attempt was made
to preserve it. I found, a day or two ago, that I had kept a
wing of this bird, which is of itself quite sufficient to identify
the bird as being of the same species as the other. These
two birds make the third and fourth specimens which have

388 Letters, Extracts, Notices, fyc.

occurred in Great Britain. The first was obtained by Mr. John
Hancock in September, 1838, near Newcastle, and appeared
in the old editions of Yarrell as the ' Dalmatian Regulus/
the second example was obtained at Cheltenham in the same
month and year as Mr. PechelFs two birds. "

Turtur orientalis in Great Britain. — At the Zoological
Society's Meeting on May 6th last, Mr. Seebohm exhibited
a specimen of the Asiatic Turtle Dove (Turtur orientalis),
which had been shot near Scarborough on the 23rd of
October 1889. This species (cf. Dresser, B. Eur. vii. pi. 463,
p. 45) is new to the British list, but is said to have occurred
twice in Scandinavia.

Valuable Addition to the National Bird-Collection. — Mr. F.
DuCane Godman, F.R.S., has made another valuable dona-
tion to the great Bird-collection in the British Museum in
the shape of a nearly complete series of birds from Florida,
U.S.A. This consists of about 2500 skins collected by
the well-known American naturalist, Mr. W. E. D. Scott, in
various parts of that State.

The Catalogue of Birds in the British Museum. — Amongst
the preceding notices of recent Ornithological Publications in
this Number will be found one of the fifteenth volume of the
British Museum Catalogue of Birds, containing the account
of the Tracheophonine Passeres, which has just been issued.
Before the present number of ' The ImV is published, the
thirteenth volume, by Mr. Sharpe, containing his account of
the last remaining families of the Oscinine Passeres, will pro-
bably have also been issued. These two volumes render the
catalogue of the great order Passeres complete. The 13
volumes devoted to this subject, of which the first was issued
in 1877, recognize 6480 species of Passerine Birds, represented
in the Museum, at the times of publication of the several
volumes respectively, by 61,034 specimens. But enormous
additions, it must be recollected, have been made of late years
to the groups catalogued in the earlier of these volumes.

Letters, Extracts, Notices, Sf<?. 389

The next four volumes of the Catalogue will be devoted to
the Picariae, and are said to be all in a more or less forward
state. That on the Woodpeckers, by Mr. Hargitt, will, we
believe, be issued very shortly. Our Honorary Member,
Count T. Salvadori, has undertaken the volume on the Parrots
(which, we suppose, will be the twentieth), and he will be resi-
dent in London during the autumn for the purpose of
preparing it.

New Bird-books in preparation. — Mr. Dresser is preparing
a supplementary volume to his ' Birds of Europe/ and has,
we believe, nearly 100 species to add to his former work.
Mr. Sharpe has made arrangements with Messrs. Sotheran
and Co. to publish a Monograph of the Paradise-birds, for
which, we understand, the plates contained in the c Birds of
New Guinea ' will be utilized, as far as they are available.
Mr. Seebohm is now engaged in passing through the press a
work on the Birds of Japan, and has, besides, a Monograph
of the Thrushes, with coloured figures of all the species, in
preparation.

-/- Pelagodroma marina in the Canaries. — Mr. Bartlett, during:
his recent visit to the Canaries, picked up a specimen of
Pelagodroma marina dead on the sea-shore near Las Palmas,
on the 26th February. Its occurrence in the Canaries has
already been noted by several observers (cf. S. G. Eeid, Ibis,

1888, p. 81 ; Tristram, Ibis, 1889, p. 14 ; Meade- Waldo, Ibis,

1889, p. 517) ; and it probably breeds on some of the adjoin-
ing islets, but few specimens of this Petrel have yet been
obtained in this locality. Concerning its synonymy, cf.
Salvin, in Rowley's Orn. Misc. i. p. 228.

Anniversary Meeting of the British Ornithologists' Union.
1890. — The Annual General Meeting of the British Orni-
thologists' Union was held at the rooms of the Zoological
Society, 3 Hanover Square, on Wednesday, the 21st May, at
6 p.m., Mr. P. L. Sclater, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.S., in the
Chair.

390 Letters, Extracts, Notices, fyc.

The Minutes of the last Meeting having been read and
confirmed, the Committee presented their Report, in which
it was stated that, in accordance with the resolution passed at
the General Meeting of the Union in 1889, the vacant Secre-
taryship had been filled up by the appointment of Mr. F. Du
Cane Godman, F.R.S., to that office.

The accounts presented showed the position of the Union
at the close of the year 1889. The cost of the volume for
that year had been somewhat in excess of the previous
one. This had been mainly caused by its greater size and
by the larger number of plates. Moreover, it contained an
Index of Contents, occupying 8 pages, which was a new
feature in the annual volume.

Since the last Annual Meeting, as the Committee regretted
to have to remind the Members, a great loss had been suffered
by the death of Mr. John Henry Gurney, one of the original
Members of the Union. Mr. Gurney was a most active and
zealous ornithologist, and had been a constant contributor to
and liberal supporter of ' The Ibis ' since its foundation. The
Union had also to regret the death of Mr. John Marshall, of
Taunton, who was elected a Member in 1885.

Lord Clifton had resigned his Membership, and another
Member had been removed under the rules, for non-payment
of his subscription. Notwithstanding these losses, the num-
ber of Members continued to increase, and there were at
present on the list the names of 194 Ordinary, 1 Extraordi-
nary, 8 Honorary, and 19 Foreign Members, making a total
of 222.

The following Ordinary Members were then balloted for
and declared duly elected : —

Frank Barclay, Knott's Green, Leyton.

Harry Brinsley Brooke, 33 Egerton Gardens, Ken-
sington.

Charles Cave, Ditcham Park, Petersfield.

James A. G. Drummond-Hay, Coldstream Guards,
Guards' Club, Pall Mall.

Lionel Fisher, Kandy, Ceylon.

Letters, Extracts, Notices, fyc. 391

William R. Ogilvie Grant, 6 Stanhope Place, Hyde

Park, W.
Joshua Reynolds Gascoign Gwatkin, Manor House,

Potterne, Devizes.
Henry Charles Vicars Hunter, 7 Bury Street, St. James's,

S.W.
Thomas James Monk, St. Anne's, Lewes, Sussex.
Albert Irving Muntz, Umberslade, Birmingham, and

Trinity College, Cambridge.
CM. Hayes Newington (Major, King's Regt.), Lee,

Kent ; and Army and Navy Club.
John Tristram Tristram-Valentine, 1 Sheffield Gardens,

Kensington.
Stephen Venour, Fern Bank, Altrincham, Cheshire.

The following Honorary Members were also elected : —
Hans, Graf von Berlepsch, Miinden, Hanover.
Count Tommaso Salvadori, Zoological Museum, Turin.

The following Foreign Members were also elected : —
M. Emile Oustalet, Museum d'Histoire Naturelle, Jar-
din des Plantes, Paris.
Dr. Emin Pacha, Bagamoyo, East Africa.
Joel Asaph Allen, American Museum Natural History,
Central Park, New York.

The former President and Secretary were then re-elected,
and Mr. R. Bowdler Sharpe was elected into the Committee
in the place of Mr. E. Bidwell, who retired by rotation. The
Officers for the year 1890-1891 will therefore be as
follows : —

President.
The Right Hon. Lord Lilford.

Secretary.
F. D. Godman, Esq., F.R.S.

Editor.
P. L. Sclater, Esq.

392 Letters, Extracts, Notices, §c.

Committee.
O. Salvin, Esq.
Howard Saunders, Esq.
R. Bowdler Sharpe, Esq.

After a vote of thauks to the Chairman the Meeting
adjourned. The Annual Dinner, subsequently held at the
Cafe Royal, was attended by thirty-two Members and guests.

Obituary. Mr. J. H. Gurney. — By the death of Mr.
John Henry Gurney, on the 20th of April last, not only
does the British Ornithologists' Union lose another of its
founders, but ' The Ibis ' one of its most constant and muni-
ficent supporters. Our deceased Member, the only son of
Joseph John Gurney, of Earlham in the county of Norfolk
(celebrated for the various philanthropic undertakings to
which he devoted the leisure of his life), was born on the
4th of July, 1819, and at the age of about ten years was sent
to a private tutor, who lived in Epping Forest. Thence he
went to the Friends' School at Tottenham, and on leaving it,
being then about seventeen years old, entered the banking
business at Norwich, in which his family had long been so suc-
cessfully engaged. His love of natural history showed itself
very early, and the writer of these lines was told by him of his
getting into a serious scrape at school by dissecting a bird on
a mahogany desk, which immediately afterwards revealed the
secret of the use to which it had been put as an operating
table, by the stains on its polished surface from the cam-
phorated spirit (supplied to the boys as a cure for colds, and
the only antiseptic liquid available) that he had employed
to avert the possibility of unpleasant odours from his
" subject."

During his school-days in Essex he made the acquaintance
of Mr. Henry Doubleday, of Epping, so long known for his
ornithological and entomological collections, and from him
obtained, in 1836, an introduction to the equally well known
Mr. T. C. Heysham, of Carlisle, with whom he kept up for
many years a correspondence, chiefly on zoological matters —

Letters, Extracts, Notices, fyc. 393

sending him from time to time birds, mostly obtained in
Norfolk ; for at this time Gurney had not begun a collection
of his own. That his generosity was then as great as it
continued iu after years is shown by his letters to Heysham,
which have fortunately been preserved, and have been kindly
placed at the service of the writer of this notice by their
present custodian, Mr. H. A. Macpherson, giving almost the
only information to be obtained as to this period of Gurney's
life. They will compare well with those written by any
other youthful zoologist. Zeal is of course to be expected
in a greater or less degree, and here it is found to be in the
former ; but it seems to be in all cases tempered by a sober
judgment ; and, if a partiality be observable towards whatever
relates to the zoology, and especially the ornithology, of
Norfolk, it must be remembered that this was the subject on
which the writer undertook to inform his correspondent,
while as the correspondence advances, what may be called
its breadth of view decidedly increases. Moreover, it seems
to be strictly according to the fitness of things that a young
naturalist should begin by paying attention to the objects
■which, being the nearest to him, come the more closely
under his observation, for thus he is able to proceed from
the known to the unknown — the surest mode of acquiring
knowledge. There have been possibly few men who could,
at the age of nineteen, write as Gurney did to Heysham on
the 8th of February, 1838 :—

" Though I can seldom or never resist the temptation of
procuring a tolerable bird in the flesh, when opportunity
occurs, I care very little for them after I have once
learnt them by heart, as I contrive to preserve them almost
as well in my memory as I could hope to do in my cabinet.
I therefore generally palm their remains off on some of my
friends ; because, though I know that in themselves they
often are worthless, yet I always fancy that there is some
interest in comparing specimens of the same bird from
different localities/'

This last must have been an original observation, as it was
made before the question of the local variation of species had

SER. VI. — VOL. II. 2 F

394 Letters, Extracts, Notices, fyc.

been publicly mooted ! He went on to say " it seems to me
impossible that any stuffed specimen can bear much resem-
blance to the living bird/' — a remark which, even allowing
for a general improvement of the taxidermist's art, is, on the
whole, as true now as it was then.

Gurney's earliest published communication seems to have
been a note in the 'Annals and Magazine of Natural History'
for March, 1842 (vol. ix. p. 19), and was followed by another
in the same journal for June (torn. cit. p. 353), the subject
of both being ornithological occurrences in his own county.
In the next year ' The Zoologist' was established, and to this
he became a frequent contributor, publishing in the volume
for 1846, with the aid of Mr. W. R. Fisher, "An Account of
Birds found in Norfolk," — a very careful piece of work, and
for a good while the most ambitious that he attempted,
though he was constantly communicating short notes to that
periodical, and did so for the rest of his life. When the
scheme for founding 'The Ibis' was proposed, he entered
warmly into it. He not only attended the meeting held at
Cambridge in the autumn of 1858, when the preliminaries
were definitely arranged, and by his advice helped to mould
into a practicable form various proposals then made, but he
liberally promised to defray the cost of a plate for each num-
ber of the new Journal, in addition to the two plates for
which allowance was made in the original estimate. This
charge he continued to bear for the whole of the first series
of ' The Ibis,' only stipulating that the subject of each plate
that he presented should be a " Bird of Prey," — for he had
already made great progress in forming the now vast and
celebrated collection of " Raptores " in the Norwich Museum,
to which institution he had been a donor in 1828, when
he was but nine years of age. But he was by no means
exclusively devoted to this group of birds. He bought
a large portion of the ornithological collection formed by Mr.
Wallace in the Malay Archipelago, and presented it to the
Museum at King's Lynn (for which borough he sat as repre-
sentative in the House of Commons from 1854 to 1865),
while about the same time circumstances led him to take

Letters, Extracts, Notices, fyc. 395

especial interest in the ornithology of South Africa, as is
shown by his numerous papers in our pages on collections
made, almost entirely at his instigation, by Mr. Ay res in
Natal and the Transvaal country, and by his editing in 1872
1 The Birds of Damara Land ' from the papers of his friend
Charles John Andersson. Gurney's own communications to
' The Ibis ' reach, if we have counted them rightly, the num-
ber of one hundred and forty, the latest being in our last num-
ber {supra, p. 262) ; and though some of them are admittedly
of slight importance, it is observable of all that they deal
with facts and not with fancies. As he never wrote for
writing's sake, and related what he had to state in the simple
and precise terms which prove the true man of science, his
contributions may have sometimes seemed dull compared
with the brilliant essays and daring speculations that this
Journal occasionally contains from other pens; but no atten-
tive reader can fail to discern the solid foundation on which
Gurney's work rests, and the probability, if not the certainty,
of its being consulted and found useful when theoretical
treatises have passed out of mind.

The secret of this foundation is the accuracy of the in-
formation he possessed ; and it is undeniable that in his
knowledge of the Accipitres and Striges he stood alone. A
great part of his information regarding the first of these
groups he fortunately contributed to ( The Ibis ' between
1875 and 1882, in a series of "Notes" on the first volume
of the c Catalogue of Birds in the British Museum/ and on
its conclusion he brought out ' A List of the Diurnal Birds
of Prey, with references and annotations ' (cf. Ibis, 1884,
p. 456), which is indispensable to all students of these birds.
This was his last important work, for though he contem-
plated a companion work on the Nocturnal Birds of Prey,
it is believed that not a word of it was written. Indeed, for
the last few years the state of his health forbade his often
visiting the Museum at Norwich, where alone he could carry
on the examination of specimens necessary for the execution
of such a work. Some twenty years ago he was affected by a
disease believed to be incurable, though its fatal effects might

396 Letters, Extracts, Notices, fyc.

be long delayed by strict attention to diet ; and following
closely the medical advice given him his efforts were so far
successful that he may be said to have enjoyed the quiet
life he led in the old family-house at Northrepps, near
Cromer. Though his bodily strength gradually failed, he
was only seriously ill for a few days before he calmly expired.
In the foregoing remarks the ornithological aspect of
G-urney's life has, as is here fitting, been chiefly dwelt upon.
It must be added that at one time Fishes were as favourite
an object of study with him as Birds, and in a general way
he had a great taste for every branch of Zoology. As an
antiquary also he was possessed of no inconsiderable know-
ledge. But more than this : it would be wrong to omit refer-
ence to his bountiful generosity, which not only showed an
extraordinary kindness of heart, but was bestowed with a
degree of discretion and retiring modesty that doubled its
utility to the recipients. The loss, through the failure of the
mercantile house in which he was concerned, of the vast
income that he once enjoyed, certainly made no difference in
the liberality of his disposition, though it lessened the amount
he had for distribution, and caused it to be administered with
even less ostentation. But among all the qualities that he
possessed, perhaps a placid temper was the most characteristic.
To it may possibly have been due some of his misfortunes,
but it certainly enabled him to preserve the mens aqua in
adversis.

THE IBIS.

SIXTH SERIES.

No. VIII. OCTOBER 1890.

XXXIX. — Notes on Irish Ornithology. By Henry Seebohm.

I. County Waterford.

The study of ornithology in England becomes more difficult
every year. The wilder districts are in the hands of the
gamekeeper, who ruthlessly destroys half the interesting
birds, and does his best to prevent the ornithological student
from trespassing in search of those he has left. The fertile
districts are in the hands of the farmer, who drains the
marshes, cuts down the trees, and thus makes the country
uninhabitable by the most interesting kinds of birds.

Fortunately this is not the case in Ireland. The oppor-
tunities for studying ornithology in Ireland are very great,
partly because the number of ornithologists is very small,
partly because there is abuudauce of mountain, rock, and
bog that the farmer cannot grapple with, and partly because,
with the enforced absenteeism of the landlord, the game-
keeper's occupation is gone. There are consequently many
species of birds which have become very rare in England, but
which are still fairly common in Ireland.

It would be very difficult to find a locality in England
where so many interesting birds could be seen in a few days

ser. vi.- — vol. ii. 2 c

398 Mr. H. Seebohm— Notes on

as at Cappagh, in county Waterford, where I spent a week at
the end of April last, enjoying the hospitality of R. I. Ussher,
Esq., the well-known ornithologist of the south-east of
Ireland.

Among the commoner birds here may be mentioned the
Goatsucker (Caprimulgus europeus), the Grasshopper Warbler
(Locustella ntsvia), the Ring Ouzel (Turdus torquatus) , and
the Twite (Lino t a fiavirostris).

There are very few demesnes in the county of Waterford
where the Woodcock (Scolopaoe rusticula) does not regularly
breed, and where it may not be constantly seen and heard
shortly before dusk flying from its nest to its feeding- grounds.
It seems to be the general opinion in the south of Ireland
that these breeding birds are migratory, and disappear at least
a month before the winter flocks of Woodcock arrive. Unfor-
tunately we have no information respecting the date of their
arrival in Brittany, where, according to Degland and Gerbe,
they are very common in autumn. On Heligoland the autumn
migration does not begin until the end of September, is at
its height in the middle of October, and ceases before the
end of November.

Siskins (Chrysomitris spinus) breed regularly in the south of
Ireland, and Mr. Ussher has frequently seen them on his
estate, but he has but once succeeded in finding the nest.
He has a beautiful nest in his collection, taken in the ex-
treme south of county Wicklow by Mr. Allan Ellison, who
has written a most interesting account of the breeding-
habits of this species as observed by him in the south of
Ireland (Ellison, Zoologist, 1887, p. 338), and who sent the nest
and eggs, together with both the parent birds, to the British
Museum, where they form one of the most interesting cases
in the unrivalled collections of these objects which attract so
much attention from the visitors to South Kensington.

There are no less than a dozen pairs of Peregrines (Falco
peregrinus) breeding within an easy day's drive of Cappagh.
Fortunately for ornithology (and the Peregrines) these
breeding-places are inaccessible to the casual egg-collector.
Most of them are on the coast, and the bird can only lie

Irish Ornithology. <*$*):>

watched on and off her nest from the sea. The cliffs are
generally perpendicular, and in many cases overhang, and in
all cases can only be reached by a rope. It is not easy to
find out which of its several breeding-places the bird has
chosen, it is still less easy to find the exact place whence a
rope may be let down within access of the cleft or ledge, and
it is least easy of all to climb down the rope, or be let down
by others. The natives cannot give any assistance ; they
have an inherited dread of the cliffs, and nothing will induce
them to risk their lives over them, either with or without
ropes. Mr. Ussher knows every breeding-place of the Pere-
grines (under no circumstances do they make a nest), and
no cliff is too high or too steep for him. He generally gets
the first clutch from each eyrie, but he always leaves the
second clutch to be hatched out.

If the eyrie of the Peregrine is inaccessible, the nest of
the Chough (Pyrrhocorax graculus) is still more so. It is
generally placed on a ledge or in a chink near the roof of a
cave, and is a large, deep, and well-made structure. There
are at least a dozen Choughs' nests within drive of Cappagh,
but only one of them is accessible without ropes. Although
the second clutch is never taken, the number of Choughs is
less than it was thirty or forty years ago. It has been sug-
gested that the Jackdaws are the cause of this decrease,
whilst the blame has also been laid on the Hooded Crows ;
but the facts seem to be that the Choughs which built in
accessible places have been exterminated by egg-collectors,
and that the Choughs of the present generation which breed
in almost inaccessible places, suffer greatly in wet seasons by
having their nests soaked by water dropping from the roof
of the cave in which they are now built.

We saw several pairs of Ravens (Corvus cor ax), but did
not succeed in discovering their nests.

The most interesting nests and eggs which we found were
those of the Crossbill.

There are few objects more interesting to an ornithologist
than the sight of a nest of a rare bird, especially if it be one
which is seen by him for the first time ; and it was therefore

2c*2

400 Mr. H. Seebohm — Notes on

with very great interest that I learned from Mr. Ussher that
four pairs of Crossbills (Loocia curvirostra) were breeding in the
Scotch-fir plantations in his demesne. They first made their
appearance in the winter of 1887-88 (Ussher, Zoologist, 1888,
p. 189), and built a nest in a Scotch fir on the estate in 1889.
The nest, with four eggs and both parent birds, was sent to the
British Museum (Ussher, Zoologist, 1889, p. 180), and many
interesting observations upon the habits of the species were
recorded. This year they were still more common, and four
nests were found ; but when I arrived, on the 18th of April,
one of them had been robbed by a Magpie. A second nest
was inaccessible, but the parent birds were to be seen feeding
on the fir-cones. The third nest (with a red male) contained
four eggs, and we climbed up to it several times. The birds
were extraordinarily tame, and came within two or three
feet of us when we were at the nest. The fourth nest (with
a yellow male) contained two young birds, able to leave the
nest and to climb about on the adjacent branches on the
26th. We caught one of the nestlings, and examined it care-
fully, but could not detect any sign that the mandibles would
be crossed when it arrived at maturity. All four nests were
in Scotch firs, one close to a pigstye, and not many yards
from a house. Were it not for the Magpies and Hooded
Crows it seems probable that the Crossbills might become
abundant in this district.

It is very interesting to find so many birds which we are
accustomed in England to regard as very rare breeding in
such numbers in the south of Ireland ; but there is another
point of view from which the ornithology of Ireland is equally
interesting. Many of our common English birds are con-
spicuous in Ireland by their absence. Although the country
was full of birds, we never once caught sight of a Marsh Tit
or a Nuthatch. The Irish distribution of the Parinse is very
remarkable. The Goldcrest (Regulus cristatus), the Long-
tailed Tit (Acredula rosea) , the Blue Tit {Parus caruleus) , the
Great Tit (Parus major), the Cole Tit (Parus ater), the
Creeper (Certhia familiaris), and the Wren (Troglodytes
parvulus) are as common in Ireland as they are in England;

Irish Ornithology . 401

The Firecvest (Regulusignicapillus), the Bearded Tit (Panurus
biarmicus), and the Crested Tit (Parus cristatus) , are so very
local in England and Scotland that their absence from Ireland
is not very surprising ; but that the Marsh Tit (Parus pa-
lustris) should be very rare in the north and east of Ireland,
and not be known at all in the south and west, and that the
Nuthatch (Sitta ccesia) should be absolutely unknown in
Ireland, is most extraordinary. Both the last-mentioned
species belong to circumpolar genera, one might even say
circumpolar subgenera, both are found with very slight modi-
fications all across the Paleearctic Region to Japan, and both
are represented by closely allied species in the Nearctic Region.
That such widely spread species should be absent, or nearly
so, from Ireland is a most significant fact. Ireland is most
admirably adapted for woodland birds of this kind, and their
absence can only be accounted for by the hypothesis that some
great catastrophe, such as a glacial epoch, drove them from
the island, and that they have not yet found their way back
again. The Marsh Tit and the Nuthatch are both as common
in Northern Europe up to the Arctic Circle as they are in
England, but curiously enough they are almost as rare in
Scotland as they are in Ireland. These and many other
species to be hereafter mentioned have evidently migrated to
the east of England from the continent, whence they have
slowly extended their range northwards to Scotland, whence,
at a still later date, they have migrated southwards across
the North Channel into Ireland. If these hypotheses be
true, the following facts ought to be observable :— Firstly, we
should expect to find that species which are common in Eng-
land, but are absent or rare in Ireland, are also absent or
rare in Scotland. Secondly, we should expect to find that
species which have advanced a stage further in the extension
of their range and have reached Scotland in some numbers,
but are still rare or local in Ireland, are most abundant in
the north-west of that country, in those districts which lie
nearest to Scotland. Most of our information respecting the
distribution of birds in Ireland supports both these assump-
tions in a remarkable manner. The Nuthatch is so rare in

402 Mr. II. Seebohm— Notes on

Scotland that its occurrence in that country is recorded as
a remarkable event, whilst the Marsh Tit is only known in
Ireland in that half of the country which lies nearest to
Scotland.

The Stock Dove (Columba cenas) is another case in point.
It is absolutely unknown in the south and west of Ireland,
but occurs sparingly in the counties nearest to Scotland.

The Tawny Owl {Syrnium aluco)'\s common in England, but
is said only recently to have become so in Scotland, so
recently, indeed, that it has not yet reached Ireland. On the
other hand, the Barn Owl {Strix flammed) and the Long-
eared Owl {Asio otus) are equally common in the three
kingdoms.

The relative distribution of the Carrion Crow (Corvus
cor one) and the Hooded Crow {Corvus comix) is slightly
exceptional. The latter species is scarcely known as a
breeding-species in continental Europe west of the valley of
the Elbe. Hence we may reasonably assume that the British
Islands received their Hooded Crows from Scandinavia,
whence they have established themselves as common residents
in Scotland and Ireland, but not to any extent in England.
The Carrion Crow, on the other hand, arrived from the south,
and has spread over England and Scotland, but is almost
unknown in Ireland.

The Green Woodpecker (Gecinus viridis) has a very re-
stricted range. It is not known to have occurred outside
Europe, and though it is so common in England it can only
be regarded as a rare accidental visitor to Ireland and Scot-
land. The Little Spotted Woodpecker {Dendrocopus minor)
and the Great Spotted Woodpecker {Dendrocopus major), on
the other hand, have very wide ranges, extending across
Europe to Japan. They are both common, if local, in
England, but very rare in Scotland and Ireland.

The Hawfinch (Coccothraustes vulgaris) and the Cirl Bunt-
ing {Kmberiza cirlus) are also common, if local, in England,
but almost unknown in Scotland and Ireland.

Hitherto we have spoken only of resident birds, but some-
what similar conclusions mav be arrived at by the considera-

Irish Ornithology '. 403

tiou of migratory birds, though more allowance ought to be
made for them. It is scarcely to be expected that they
should cross two arms of the sea twice a year, unless the
reasons which induce them to enlarge the area of their dis-
tribution be very imperative.

When we consider that such birds as the Icterine Warbler
(Hypolais icterina) , the Great Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus
ttirdoides) , the Black Redstart {Ruticilla titys), the White-
spotted Bluethroat {Cyanecula wolfi), the Crested Lark
{Alanda cristata), and some others breed in great numbers
in Holland, but object to cross the Channel to visit England,
we can scarcely wonder that a second channel should prove
a bar to the further migration of allied species. The Night-
ingale (Daulias luscinia) is as unknown in Ireland as it is
in Scotland. The Whinchat (Pratincula rubetra) , the Red-
start (Ruticilla phoenicurus) , the Garden Warbler (Sylvia
hortensis), the Wood Warbler (Phylloscopus sihilatrix), the
Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla raii), and the Tree Pipit (Anthus
trivialis) are common summer visitors to England, and more
or less common, though local, in Scotland, but very rare in
Ireland. The Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus streperus) and
the Lesser Whitethroat (Sylvia curruca) are very doubtfully
recorded from Ireland, though they are common, if local, in
England and in many parts of Scotland.

The Wryneck (lynx torquilla) is common in many parts of
England, but rare in Scotland, and very rare in Ireland.

The Irish Limicolae and Gavise scarcely differ from those
of England and Scotland, but it is worthy of note that
the Stone Curlew (CEdicnemus scolopax) and the Kentish
Plover (JEgialitis cantiana) have not been known to breed in
either Scotland or Ireland, though both are regular summer
visitors to the south of England; and that the Dottrel (Eu-
dromias morinellus) and the lled-necked Phalarope (Phala-
ropus hyperhoreus) , though they both visit Scotland in
summer, have not been known to breed in Ireland.

There seems to be an important difference of distribution
between the migratory and the resident birds of the British
Islands. If a resident English bird does not range as far

404 Mr. H. Seebohm — Nut.es on

north as Scotland, it does not reach the bridge which connects
Ireland with Great Britain, and consequently it does not
range as far west as Ireland. On the other hand, a migra-
tory English bird may range as far north as Scotland without
ranging as far west as Ireland. Though the North Channel
appears to be the route across which most resident birds in
Ireland have originally emigrated from Great Britain, it does
not appear to be an important line of annual migration.
This generalization from the known facts of distribution is
remarkably supported by the observed facts of migration.
Summer migrants to Ireland appear to crossover from Wales
to the coasts of Wicklow and Wexford. " A marked migra-
tory movement might be expected in our north-eastern
counties between Scotland and Ireland, where the Channel is
narrowest ; but we have no evidence that such is the case.
The bulk of the migrants arrive on the southern half of the
east coast of Ireland and on the easternmost of onr southern
counties ; in other words, along the shore extending from
Dublin to Waterford " (More and Barringtou, Report on
the Migration of Birds, ii. p. 120).

Mr. Ussher was kind enough to get me a nestling Heron
(Ardea cinerea), which obliges me to modify some of the
diagnoses in my Classification of Birds.

The pterylosis of the nestling Heron a few days old very
closely resembles that of the adult, except that the feathers
are replaced by down. The spinal bare tract reaches from
the nape almost to the oil-gland, and is absolutely naked.
The two lateral bare patches on the lower back are also very
conspicuous. On the under surface the ventral bare space is
well marked from the chin to the vent.

II. Great Saltee Island.
I am indebted to the kindness of John N. White, Esq., of
Waterford, for an opportunity of visiting the Great Saltee
Island, which is one of the most interesting breeding-places
of Sea-fowl which I have ever seen. It lies about four miles
due south of Forlorn Point, on the south coast of county
Wexford, and about thirteen miles due east of Hook Head,

Irish Ornithology. 405

at the entrance of Waterford Harbour. It is rather more
than two hundred acres in extent, and is a pile of granite
rocks, which slopes gently down to a shingly coast towards
the south-east, but drops more or less precipitously nearly
two hundred feet into the sea towards the north-west. There
is a farm of about sixty acres on the sunny side of the island,
which is cultivated by an Irish family, who are, for the most
part, sublimely indifferent to the hundreds of thousands of
birds which breed in the cliffs. Outside the farm the island
is covered by grass cropped short by sheep and rabbits, and
gay with tufts of pink thrift, or variegated with patches, some
of them acres in extent, of intensely blue hyacinths, which
suggest the former presence of forest, though every trace of
a tree-stump, if it ever was there, has disappeared. On the
upper portions of the steep side there is plenty of peat be-
tween the granite rocks, but lower down the cliffs are bare,
with numerous caves and ledges, and in one or two places
there is an escarpment which shows a deep deposit of boulder-
clay full of angular rocks of all sizes, and resting upon a bed
of rounded stones, which is obviously an old coast-line, some
fourteen feet above the present high-water mark.

I suppose there must have been at least 60,000 Puffins
(Fratercuta arctica) on the island. The colony was more
than two miles long, and many yards in width. In many
places the grass on the surface was entirely worn away by the
tramping of myriads of red feet, whilst the peat was so honey-
combed by the burrows of the birds, that it continually gave
way if any attempt was made to walk over it. The Puffins
were ridiculously tame, and on one occasion I stood for at
least five minutes within six feet of a rock upon which twenty-
four of these birds remained in full view. The edge of the
cliff was lined with row after row of them, sometimes the sea
for acres in extent was thickly sprinkled over with them, and
occasionally the air seemed to be full of them flying about in
regiments ; nevertheless nearly as many more must have been
sitting in their burrows, and only took flight when we alarmed
them by walking across the colony.

The number of Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) was pos-

106 Mr. H. Seebohm — Nates on

sibly less, though we fancied that they increased during the
three days that we were on the island. They are much later
breeders than the Puffins ; we saw no eggs, and the birds
did not seem to be in a hurry to finish their nests. The
colony of Kittiwakes is not so continuous as that of the
Puffins ; they seldom occupy cliffs that are not perpendicular,
but in some places the nests were crowded on every ledge
and projecting stone. The Kittiwake is just as noisy as the
Puffin is silent.

It is not easy to estimate the numbers of pairs of Guille-
mots (Lomvia troile) or Razorbills [Alca torda) which breed
upon the Great Saltee Island, but they must amount to many
thousands. There are many places on the cliffs where, with
or without the help of a rope, you may climb amongst the
eggs of both these species of birds and pick out handsome
varieties of each. The Guillemot's eggs from the Saltees
are quite as varied and as rich in colour as those from the
Yorkshire cliffs ; and what is very remarkable, when we
consider the extraordinary range of variation, there is scarcely
an egg to be found in one locality that cannot be matched
by an example from the other. Either the birds mix together
in their winter quarters, and return indiscriminately to any
breeding-ground, irrespective of whether it be or be not
their birthplace ; or we must assume that all the present
variety in the eggs of the Guillemot had been attained before
the dispersal of the original colony, and that the present
colonies have not been isolated long enough for any new
variations to have been developed.

Not only are the same varieties found on the Saltees as
are found on the Yorkshire cliffs, but the comparative scarcity
of the rarer and more beautiful varieties is about the same.
When the birds were frightened off their ledges it was piti-
able to see the number of eggs precipitated into the sea, but
so early in the season these would be replaced by a second
laying.

Three pairs of Great Black-backed Gulls (Larus marinus)
breed on the island, one on the highest point, and the others
on the top of conspicuous promontories. One of the nests

Irish Ornithology. 407

contained three eggs, but the others contained only two eggs
each. We left one of the latter, hoping to find a third egg
on a future occasion, but when we revisited it the next day
the two eggs were gone, and we found the broken shells lying
on the rock not far off, probably eaten by one of the smaller
species of Gulls, possibly in revenge for a similar act of
robbery. It is curious that the Great Black-backed Gull
should be so rare. It is the largest and the strongest
of the Gulls which breed in the British Islands. It
seems to have the pick of the breeding-places, and one
would suppose that it had no enemies that it need fear. It
seems to stand sullen and proud and solitary amongst the
smaller species. Perhaps the reason of its comparative
scarcity is to be found in its unsocial habits. It may not
yet have learnt the security that is to be found in numbers.
The Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) is a smaller bird, but
it is very gregarious. There were thousands of pairs scat-
tered over the island, some breeding on the level pasture,
others on the steep grassy slopes, whilst a few invaded the
colonies of Razorbills and made their nests amongst the rocks.
The Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus) was much less
numerous, and was principally confined to one valley, which
sloped gently down to the top of the cliffs. Most nests of both
these species contained three eggs, but we found one nest of
the Herring Gull containing four eggs. We took one very
handsome clutch of the Lesser Black-backed Gull containing
three blue eggs, with scarcely a spot on them. These large
Gulls were very noisy whilst we were near their nests.

There are several colonies of Cormorants (Phalacrocorax
carbo) on the island, one of them on a lofty pile of granite
rocks separated from the main island by a narrow channel.
Mr. Ussher swam across and climbed up to the colony.
Most of the nests contained young birds nearly as big as
their parents, and covered all over with sooty-black down.
Some of the young birds were very small, and their slaty-
black skins were absolutely naked. A dense crowd of Guille-
mots, each sitting upon its solitary egg, filled up the space
between the Cormorant's nests. The top of the rock and

408 Mr. H. Seebohra— Notes on

some distance down the sides were white with the droppings
of the birds, and dead and decaying fishes dropped by the
Cormorants assisted to make the atmosphere unpleasant.

Shags (Phalacrocorax gr'aculus) were even more abundant
than Cormorants, but they were rarely breeding in colonies,
and their nests were seldom exposed to view. They prefer
a cave or a ledge under an overhanging rock, and probably
no Shag would choose to build its nest in a cave already
occupied, if there was an empty one near at hand. They
were, however, so numerous on the island, that they had
perforce become gregarious, and on some ledges half a dozen
nests were to be found. The Shag sits very close, especially
if she has young, and requires to be driven off the nest, after-
she has tried her best to drive you away by snake-like hisses
and contortions of the neck.

But perhaps the most interesting bird that breeds on the
island is the Manx Shearwater (P affirms anglorum) . A hun-
dred visits might be paid to the island by daylight without
the presence of these mysterious birds being suspected. As
we steamed to the island the weather was fine and the sea
calm, but as we returned a stiff sou'-wester was blowing, the
spray splashed over the hurricane-deck, and every now and
then we caught a glimpse of the mysterious bird skimming
over the waves. On the island itself we did not see a trace
of them, but inasmuch as Mr. Ussher had met with them on
the same day of May a year previously, we heroically devoted
some hours of the night to the pursuit of Shearwaters. On
the first night we walked across the island between 10 and
11 without success, probably because the moon was blight
and the wind cold. We then turned in for a couple of hours,
and tried again from 1 to 2. The moon was behind a bank
of clouds near the horizon, and several times we heard the
distant crow of the Shearwaters, cuk-cuk-a-oo, cuk-cuk-a-oo,
in various tones, now angry, now plaintive, sometimes seem-
ing to express delight, and sometimes surprise. Possibly
the cold wind prevented them from appearing in greater force.
About 2 o'clock the day began to dawn, and soon afterwards
the Skylark (Alauda arvcnsis) was in full song, and we heard

Irish Ornithology. 409

the loud purr of the Goatsucker (Caprimulgus europaus). On
the second night we tried from 12 to 1 without success; it
was not quite so cold, but the sky was clear and the moon
brighter than ever. Sixty miles to the south-east there is a
great colony of the Manx Shearwater, breeding on Skomer,
off the coast of Pembrokeshire (Barrington, Zoologist, 1888,
p. 367).

The most noisy bird on the island is the Oyster-catcher
(Hamatbpus ostralegus) , which was continually pursuing us
with loud anxious cries, and I am afraid not without some
reason. We took one clutch of four eggs, and several
clutches of three were brought in to us by the farm-labourers.
There must have been a score or two of these birds on the
island, frequently half a dozen could be seen on the rocks
from one spot. They breed among the rocks on the high
part of the island, on the short grass halfway down, and on
the shingle by the sea on the low side of the island. A clutch
of four fresh eggs of the Peewit ( Vanellus vulgaris) was found
by one of the labourers, and we frequently heard the cries of
the birds.

A pair of Peregrines (Falco peregrinus) breed on the island,
and we saw one of them, but we had not time to look for
their eyrie. Mr. Ussher picked up some bones of a hedge-
hog which had probably been eaten by the Peregrines, and
remembered having found similar bones on a previous visit.
The hedgehogs probably live on the island, which seems to
have been part of the mainland after the Glacial Epoch,
otherwise it is difficult to account for the great deposit of
boulder-clay, which has probably been since washed away
by the waves, except where the granite foundation upon
which it rests is above the sea-level.

Twice we saw small parties of Sheldrake (Tadorna cornuta)
fly across the island. They may breed in some of the rabbit-
burrows on the island, or in the sand-hills on the opposite
coast of the mainland.

We not unfrequently saw Rock Doves (Columba livia) fly
out of the caves on the steep side of the island.

The Saltee Islands are visited by many species of Passerine

41 (J Notes on Irish Ornithology.

birds on migration, but very few of them remain to breed.
The Skylark has already been mentioned, and both the
Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis) and the Rock Pipit (Anthus
obscurus) were numerous. A few Wheatears (Sascicola
cenanthe) frequented the rocks at the north-east corner, and
we found the empty nest of a Wren {Troglodytes parvulus) on
the roof of a cave in which a Shag was breeding. A few
Swallows (Hirundo rustica) build in the outhouses belonging
to the farm ; we saw a solitary pair of Hooded Crows (Corvus
comix), and Jackdaws [Corvus monedula) frequent the cliffs
in great numbers. A pair of Pied Wagtails (Motacilla lugubris)
frequented the farm-yard, but the almost ubiquitous Sparrow
was conspicuous by his absence.

There are many other breeding-places of interesting birds
within a short distance of the Saltee Islands. Seven miles
to the north-west lie the Keragh Islands, where the Common
Tern (Sterna fluviatilis) , the Arctic Tern (Sterna macrura),
and the Lesser Tern (Sterna minuta) breed in some numbers
(Ussher, Zoologist, 1886, p. 369). We saw several small
colonies of Herring Gulls on the cliffs of the mainland as we
steamed up to Waterford. Mr. Ussher showed me some eggs
of the Black Guillemot ( Uria grylle) which had been taken
this year on the cliffs of the mainland 30 or 40 miles due west
of the Saltees. We frequently saw Gannets (Sula bassana)
on the wing, but their nearest breeding-ground is more than
150 miles to the west.

The water round the Saltees is as clear as crystal, the birds
are ridiculously tame, and though in most places on the steep
side of the island the cliffs drop down into deep water, there
are many nooks and crannies where you can creep down to
so low a level that you are able to watch the habits of the
birds with the greatest ease, and see the Guillemots and the
other Alcidse plunge beneath the surface ; and on a calm day
you can trace their progress under water to a considerable
depth, their wings labouring as if it were very hard work
flying through such a dense medium. Cormorants use their
wings under water in the same way ; but Ducks keep their
wings close to their bodies, and trust entirely to their feet

On the Foot of the Young of lynx torquilla. 411

to urge them forward. It is worth remembering that in
these habits the Divers resemble the Cormorants and the
Aleidse, whilst the Grebes seem to have had diving lessons
from the Ducks.

There can be no doubt that the Puffin, and probably its
nearest allies, feed their young in the nest until they are able
to fly, exactly as the Petrels do, and consequently that my
diagnoses of the Ciconiiformes and Galliformes (Seebohm,
Classification of Birds, p. ix) are not absolutely diagnostic.
The diagnosis of the Order Gallo-Grallse on page 36 is easily
altered to exclude the Tubinares and Impennes, but the
Alternative Scheme, in the Appendix to the Introduction,
must, I thiuk, be given up.

XL. — On the Foot of the Young of lynx torquilla.
By Dr. A. Gunther.

In very young Wrynecks {lynx torquilla), about two days
old, in which the yolk has not yet been completely absorbed,
I have found a very peculiar modification of the skin covering
the heel. The skin of this part is greatly thickened, forming

a. Young- Wryneck, about two days old; nat. size.

b. Foot with heel-pad ; X 2 nat. size.

a prominent pad, 5 millim. long and half as broad, the surface
of which is studded with obtusely conical tubercles, as shown
in the accompanying woodcut. These tubercles are the

412 Dr. A. B. Meyer on Birds

dermal papillae which at a later period of the growth of the
bird form the small flat scuta of the integument of the heel.

This structure has a distinct function at this early age.
In moving about in the nest-hole, particularly when wishing
to move to the edge of the cavity, the young bird does not
use the toes, but pushes itself forward by means of the rough
surface of this heel-pad.

It would be interesting to ascertain whether a similar
structure is found in young Woodpeckers of the same age.

XLI. — Notes on Birds from the Papuan Region, with De-
scriptions of some new Species. By A. B. Meyer, M.D.,
C.M.Z.S., Director of the Royal Zoological Museum of
Dresden.

(Plate XII.)

The Dresden Museum has recently received, from several
sources and from different parts of New Guinea and New
Britain, a series of birds, on which I beg leave to offer the
following remarks. I do not propose to give a complete list
of the species, but only to mention such as present something
new as regards their countries, their native names, their
plumages, or their specific differences. In their nomenclature
I follow Salvadori's standard work on Papuan ornithology
as nearly as possible.

1. Cyclopsittacus diophthalmus (H. et J.).
Constantine Harbour, N.E. New Guinea, March 1887

(Kubary). Native name " Aul kanger/5

Eyes dark brown ; bill " black, at the base greyish blue ;
feet light grey, with greenish shades."

2. Cyclopsittacus edwardsi, Oust.

A female ; New Guinea, Constantine Harbour or its neigh-
bourhood {Kubary).

Oustalet described the male of this bird in the year 1885
(see Ann. Sc. Nat. 7 ser. vol. xix. art. 3 ; cf. Salvadori, Orn.
Pap. Spl. i. p. 33), but the female has remained unknown,
though Mr. Oustalet has recently written to me that he has
received examples of this sex.

from the Papuan Region. 413

The female differs from the male chiefly in the absence of
the red on breast and abdomen ; besides, the feathers on the
middle of the crown are tipped with blue, and in front of the
black band on the nape there is an olive-coloured one of the
same breadth. Oustalet does not describe the olive band in
the male, in which the green of the head is separated from
the green of the hind neck by the black band only.

Length of wing 0-105 m,, of tail 0-056 m., of bill (culmen)
0-020 m., of tarsus 0-01 1 m.

It would perhaps be advisable to remove C. edwardsi and
C. salvadorii to a separate genus, on account of the long
curiously shaped plumes of the cheeks and sides of the head,
which diverge from the eye as a centre, a character not pos-
sessed by the other species of the genus Cyclopsittacus.

3. Lorius erythrothorax, Salvad.

New Guinea, Constantine Harbour or neighbourhood
(Kubary).

4. Trichoglossus massena, Bp.
Constantine Harbour, New Guinea (Kubary).

5. Caliechthrus leucolophus (Mull.).

Constantine Harbour, New Guinea, May 1887. Native
name " Gounkohar, Sakeke" (Kubary).

6. Merops philippinus, L.

Kurakakaul, north coast of New Britain. Native name
"Purupir" (Kubary).

The occurrence of this species in New Britain is very
remarkable, as, till now, only Merops ornatus has been re-
corded from the Papuan region and Australia. The speci-
men is a young bird, apparently of the first year. I have
compared it with a long series from Celebes, the Philippines,
Singapore, and other localities, as well as with many youn°-
specimens of M. ornatus from Celebes and New Guinea.
The bill is very short, only 32 mm. (culmen) long; whereas
in a specimen from Makassar, captured by myself in the year
1871, of the same age and in quite similar plumage, it
measures 35 mm. (in full-grown specimens up to 43 mm ) ,

SEU. VI. — VOL. II. 2 H

(

414 Dr. A. B. Meyer on Birds

The other dimensions, too, are rathers mailer. I cannot but
suppose that Merops philippinus breeds on New Britain. The
remark of Finsch therefore (Vogel der Siidsee, 1884, p. 10)
that M. ornatus is the only Bee eater on that island does
not hold good.

7. Sauromarptis kubaryi, n. sp.
Fern. S. gaudichaudi similis, sed alarum tectricibus omnino
cyanescenti-ceeruleis, uropygio clariore et intense cyan-
escente, dorso albo et corpore subtus caudaque cinna-
momeis, diversa. Long. al. 0*130 m., caud. 0091,
rostri (culm.) 0'059 (ab naribus 0-046), tarsi 0'016.

Constantine Harbour, New Guinea ; a female, collected
the 12th October, 1888, by Mrs. Kubary.

" Bill light yellowish green, feet dark grey, claws black,
eyes dark brown."

The differences between this bird and the female of S. gau-
dichaudi are obvious ; the male of S. kubaryi is unknown.
The upper wing-coverts are all over intensely blue, whereas
they are more or less mixed with black in S. gaudichaudi,
and the blue is more extended in the former species. More-
over the brown on the underparts and tail is lighter, cinna-
momeous, not chestnut; the rump is of a remarkably lighter
blue, and the white on the middle of the back is much more
extended. S. gaudichaudi only shows here and there some
white feathers on the back, mostly none at all, but never, so
far as I can ascertain from a series of specimens, an unin-
terrupted white patch, as in S. kubaryi, except in specimens
from the Aru Islands, to which I shall recur immediately.
All these differences together induce me to look on S. kubaryi
as the representative species of S. gaudichaudi in the north-
east of New Guinea. I may also remark, that in the speci-
men under discussion, the white band on the neck is promi-
minently developed, much more so than is usually the case
in specimens of S. gaudichaudi.

As to the sexual difference in the colour of the tail of
S. gaudichaudi (and probably also of S. kubaryi), the speci-
mens collected by myself in the year 1873 confirm Salvadori's
views (Orn. Pap. i. p. 493, and Suppl. i. p. 60) . Nevertheless

from the Papuan Region. 415

I am inclined to consider Guillemard's opinion (P. Z. S. 1885,
p. 628) as the right one on the point, that adult males have
always a blue tail, adult females always a brown one ; whereas
Guillemard is doubtless wrong in declaring that young males
too have a brown tail, which latter point is clearly disproved
by specimens collected by myself and now in the Dresden Mu-
seum. But I also believe that the sexes of blue-tailed speci-
mens, labelled as females, occurring likewise in my collection,
may have been wrongly determined. Future collectors ought
to put this point beyond any doubt.

8. Sauromarptis gaudichaudi aruensis, subsp. nov.

I have mentioned (Zeitschr. fur ges. Orn. 1884, p. 276) a
specimen from the Am Islands as varying from S. gaudi-
chaudi, which variation Salvadori {op. cit. Suppl. i. p. 59) con-
sidered to be but an individual one. I have consequently
again compared the six specimens from Aru in the Dresden
Museum with S. gaudichaudi from elsewhere, and have dis-
covered that all the specimens from Aru have the white patch
on the back, which I have described in S. kubaryi, though
they are in all other respects similar to S. gaudichaudi.
This induces me to separate the Aru bird as subsp. aruensis.
I am not able, as yet, to understand the blue feathers on the
sides of the head of the one Aru specimen described by myself
(/. c), but future collections from there will probably settle
this also.

9. Melidora macrorhina (Less.).

A pair from South-east New Guinea (Goldie) have much
green on the webs of the tail- and wing-feathers, very con-
spicuous in certain lights ; the spots on the upperside of the
body, too, are greenish. Salvadori (Orn. Pap. i. p. 500) does
not mention this character in his diagnosis, but Sharpe notes
it in his description of his M. collaris from South New Guinea
(J. Proc. Linn. Soc. xiii. p. 314). Ramsay, again, does not
allude to it in the description of his M. goldiei from the same
region (Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. Wales, i. p. 389). Salvadori
{pp. cit. i. p. 502, and iii. p. 527) considers the bird from the
south to be identical with that from the north of New

2h2

416 Dr. A. B. Meyer on Birds

Guinea; but if all southern birds show the above-mentioned
greenish tints, it would be justifiable to separate them as
M. goldiei, Rams. M. jobiensis, Salv., from Jobi (Salva-
dori, op. cit. i. p. 502), has the green tints, but the female is
different in the coloration of the head. (I never got a male
on Jobi, and only one female.) A specimen from Rubi
(Southern Geelvink Bay) approaches the southern form (in
the same way that other Rubi birds show affinities to
southern forms) ; but specimens from Waweji, Dore, and
Andei (North-west New Guinea) have no trace of this green
hue. Sharpe, in Gould's 'Birds of New Guinea' (vol. iv.
pi. 53), does not figure the specimens with green, but he does
not mention whence his original specimens came.

10. Macropteryx mystacea (Less.).

New Britain, 19th December, 1885, a male (Kubary).
Native name " Aviu."

11. Peltops blainvillii (L. et G.).

Karagassi, Constantine Harbour, 15th November, 1888, a
male (Kubary). Native name a Mangawase " in the Bongu
dialect.

"Eyes dark purple-red; bill and feet black."
The bill of the specimen is rather large (0-024 m. in length),
whereas I measure in specimens from Arfak aud Passim
(Geelvink Bay) 0-020-0-022 m. The white patch on the
mantle is not much expanded.

12. Rhipidura finschi, Salvad.

One specimen from Duke-of-York group (Brown) .

Salvadori (Orn. Pap. iii. p. 532) described this species from
New Britain, and it is therefore not remarkable that it
occurs on the near-lying Duke-of-York group too. But from
the latter island R. setosa (Q. et G.) has been recorded, a
wide-spread species (see Sharpe, Cat. iv. p. 329, and Salva-
dori, op. cit. p. 62). The differences between these two
species are slight, but, if once recognized, are trustworthy,
and a renewed comparison will perhaps prove that all spe-
cimens from the Duke-of-York group belong to R. finschi.

from the Papuan Reyion. 417

13. SaULOFROCTA MELALEUCA (Q. et G.).

Kubary gives the native name of this species on New
Britain as " Angariri/' Finsch (I.e. p. 12) " Angarira."

14. Rhectes ferrugineus (S. Mull).

Constantine Harbour, New Guinea, May 1887, a male
[Kubary). Native name "Kogolin."

15. Hermotimia corinna, Salvad.

A female from New Britain {Kubary). This specimen
differs from Shelley's plate (Mon. Nect. pi. 39. p. 117) in
this particular, that the white of the throat extends farther
on to the breast. The males from Duke of York and New
Britain ought to be compared carefully.

16. Cyrtostomus frenatus (S. Mull.).

Constantine Harbour, New Guinea, 21st Nov., 1888
(Kubary) .

" Eyes very dark greyish brown ; bill and feet black."

17. DoNACICOLA SPECTABILIS, Scl.

New Britain, 6th June, 1886, a female {Kubary). Native
name " Aouringande." Finsch (I.e. p. 14) gives another
native name for this bird.

18. Calornis nitida, G. E. Gr.

New Britain, a male and female, 21st May, 1886 (Kubary).

I do not agree with Salvadori that C. nitida should be united
to C. metattica (T.). All the specimens from the Bismarck
archipelago which I have seen are devoid of the steel-green
spot in the middle of the violet of the interscapular region,
and I cannot convince myself that this is only an individual
difference (cf. Salvadori, Orn. Pap. ii. p. 452). According
to my views, it is a specific (insular) character of exactly the
same value as the specific characters of C. inornata, Salv.,
from Mysore, of C. circumscripta, mihi, from Timorlaut, and
of others. After a close examination other constant differences
between C. metattica and C. nitida can easily be found, for
instance, the more gloomy metallic colour of the head and
the more greenish (less bluish) wings in C. nitida.

418 Dr. A. B. Meyer on Birds

19. Mino dumonti, Less.

Constantine Harbour, New Guinea, one female, 21st Nov.,
1888 (Kubary). " Eyes dirty light brown j bill and feet vivid
orange-yellow."

The specimen is green, like specimens from Passim, Nappan,
Inwiorage, and Rubi, on the Geelvink Bay, and not bluish,
as the specimen from Kafu (North New Guinea), which I
mentioned Z. f. ges. Orn. 1886, p. 35. (I nmst amend the
remark which I made then, specimens from Jobi and Aru
being neither of them so blue as the specimen from Kafu,
though rather more blue than specimens from the other parts
of New Guinea.)

20. Epimachus ellioti, Ward.

A male from North-west New Guinea, without more exact
locality (via Ternate).

This is the first complete specimen known, as the type was
a defective native skin, also without locality (see Salvadori,
Orn. Pap. ii. p. 548, and Suppl. ii. p. 154). Elliot's plate
(Mon. Parad. xx.) is quite wrong, Gould's (Birds of N. Guin.
vol. i. pi. 8) much better, though neither are exact, as the fol-
lowing details show : — The green colour of the flank-plumes,
belly, and base of the ornamental breast-plumes is darker, as
well as the violet of the breast, which latter colour shades
slowly into the green of the belly ; the throat is metallic
green, shading into violet laterally ; the metallic margins of
the ornamental sickle-shaped breast-plumes are broader on
the lower ones (up to 4 mm.), narrower on the upper, and
entirely wanting on the outermost ; all are much narrower
underneath (see Gould's chief figure) ; the tail underneath
is darker; the shape of the tail is concave; the violet of the
back and wing-coverts is less vivid than on the plate.

As no exact measurements of the male are known, I add
the following : — Bill 0-041 m., wing 0-202, tail 0-403, tarsus
0-050, longest ornamental breast-plumes 0' 125, longest flank-
plurnes 0'190.

The female of this species is unknown.

from the Papuan Region. 419

21. Drepanornis bruijni, Oast.

Walckenaers Bay, west of Humboldt Bay, on the north
coast of New Guinea {via Ternate) .

A male in full plumage, whereas Oustalet had no such
one in hand, as appears from his words, " vestiges de la livree
du jeune age/' viz. brown cross bands on the belly (see
Le Naturaliste, 1887, p. 180, and comp. Salvadori, Orn. Pap.
ii. p. 553, and Suppl. ii. p. 155), and as is further proved by
his description of the ruff ("fraise"), which is less developed
than in the specimen before me. The brown feathers of this
foreneck-shield, mentioned by Oustalet, are black at their
ends, margined with metallic blue-violet (not metallic green,
as in Oustalet's specimen), the black shining in certain lights
metallic green. On this layer of feathers lies another and
shorter one of the same black colour (shining with metallic
green in certain lights), margined, about 3 mm. broad, with
metallic carmine copper-bronze, and forming a fan of twelve
plumes. Oustalet speaks only of two or three such feathers,
with carmine copper-bronze margins, at the commencement
of the rows of ornamental side-plumes. The hair-like
feathers of the upper breast are metallic greenish. In other
respects Oustalet's description agrees generally with the
Dresden specimen, though a more accurate description of this
remarkable bird appears not to be superfluous, and a figure
is very desirable.

22. Craspedophora intercedens (Sharpe).

A male from Constantine Harbour, N.E. New Guinea.

23. Craspedophora duivenbodei, n. sp. (Plate XII.)
Mas, maribus C. magnifies et G. inter cedentis affinis, sed

minor ; nuchas plumis dorso concoloribus, elongatis,
erectis, collaris vel flabelli ad instar; scuto pectorali
viridi, ejusdem plumis lateralibus elongatis ; dorso absque
violascentioribus et stria gulari centrali metallica brevi
et angusta, divers us.

Long. tot. c. 0-280 m., al. 0*160, caud. 0*109, rostri (culm.)
0-040, tarsi 0-033.

A male from N.W. New Guinea, without exact locality.

420 Dr. A. B. Meyer on Birds

This new species I dedicate to Mr. C. W. R. van Renesse
van Duivenbode, of Ternate, to whom science is already in-
debted for many interesting additions to the Papuan avifauna.
The female is, as yet, unknown.

This Paradise-bird is easily distinguished from C. magnified
and C. inter cedens by the elongated erectable nuchal collar*,
with its central feathers shorter (3 cm.), its lateral ones longer
(4cm.), as also by the following characters: — The whole
upperside, wings, and head, except its metallic- green top,
are more reddish violet, whereas, especially in C. interce-
dens, the colour is decidedly blue-violet; the metallic-green
breast-shield lessens towai^ds the throat to a narrow band of
only 1 mm. breadth, and ceases altogether at a distance from
the base of the bill equalling the length of the free mandible ;
this narrow metallic-green stripe is surrounded by a violet
velvet-like one, and this latter again by a broad olive-coloured
zone. The lateral feathers of the metallic breast-shield are
more elongated (over 3 cm. long, only 2 cm. in the two other
species) ; the narrow line of feathers beneath the metallic of
the breast is of less brilliant colours ; in C. duivenbodei it is
dark olive with a slight purple gloss, and in the middle of
the breast less vivid. The green metallic breast-shield covers
at its distal end a layer of feathers, margined with black and
with metallic-blue subterminal spots. The breast and belly are
darker; the ornamental flank-plumes are short, they do not
reach the tip of the wing ; the inner webs of the first two
primaries are cut out at their tips, and the whole wing has
not the remarkable rounded form of the two other species.

24. Paradisea finschi, mihi.

I described (Z. f. ges. Orn. 1885, p. 383) under this name
a mutilated skin from the north coast of New Guinea,
brought home by Dr. Finsch, and declared by him to belong
to a new species, as all specimens seen were of smaller size

* Though I am not inclined to create a new genus for every new-
Bird of Paradise, I presume that this species will soon be generically
separated by someone on account of its erectable nuchal collar. In such
tfase I would propose to call the new genus Paryphephorus, from napv<pr]
= collare, and <popea=feYO.

from the Papuan Region. 421

than P. minor. Now, having received from Constantine
Harbour and its neighbourhood six specimens of different
ages (Weisser and Kubary), I may state that the differences
in size hold good, the ornamental plumes being shorter and
the bill more slender, though its colour is as in P. minor
(contrary to the statement /. c.) . The skin brought home by
Dr. Finsch had been prepared by natives, and is somewhat
faded ; the differences of colour (compared with P. minor) in
fresh specimens are not so noticeable as was maintained I. c,
though existent ; besides, the yellow of the lesser wing-
coverts is more restricted and the mantle rather darker than
in P. minor.

25. Paradisea august.e-victori^, Cab.

A male from Kaiserwilhelmsland, without exact locality.
Prof. Cabanis has given a short Latin diagnosis of the male
(J. f. O. 1888, p. 119), and has figured male and female (ib.
1889, pi. ii.), but he also could give no exact locality for his
specimens. It may be that Van Musschenbroek (Dagboek,
van Bernstein, 1883, p. 187) had previously mentioned the
species, though it would be difficult to be sure of it. More-
over that author appears to have named at the same time
(I. c.) P. gulielmi-secundi of Cabanis as P. minor, var. albes-
cens. (Comp. also Salvadori, Orn. Pap. Suppl. ii. p. 158,
sub P. minor.)

26. ClCINNURUS REGIUS (L.).

A pair from Constantine Harbour or that neighbourhood
(Kubary). The male, not yet in full plumage, has a lighter
tail, like the specimen from Kafu, north coast of New Guinea,
mentioned by me (Z. f. ges. Orn. 1886, p. 36), and the black
marking over the eye appears to be very long and pointed.

27. Ptilopus quadrigeminus, n. sp.

Pt. gemino, Salv., similis, sed capitis lateribus et gula cinereis
vix virescentibus ; pileo lilacino paulo lsetiore, postice
linea purpurea nulla ; area abdominis crocea paulo pal-
lidiore diversus.
Long. al. 0*115 m., caud. 0-066, rostri 0-012, tarsi 0-015.

422 Dr. A. B. Meyer on Birds

A male from Coiistantine Harbour or its neighbourhood
(Kubary).

Easily distinguished from the three allied species — P. coro-
nulatus, Gr., P. trigeminus, Salv., and P. geminus, Sal\r. —
by the grey cheeks and throat, the latter showing hardly a
hue of yellowish in its middle, as well as by the absence of
the purple stripe on the occiput in front of the yellow band.
The lilac of the head is much lighter than in P. coronulatus,
and more reddish than in P. geminus. (I have not specimens
of P. trigeminus for comparison as to this character.) Finally,
the yellowish brown of the belly is somewhat lighter, whereas
the yellow of the under tail-coverts and abdomen is more
intense.

28. Ptilopus plumbeicollis, n. sp.

Similis Pt. perlato et Pt. zonuro, sed capite cinereo ct collo
postico plumbeo di versus.

Long. al. 0-155 m., caud. 0-076, rostri 0-021, tarsi 0-021.

A specimen, not sexed, from Constantine Harbour or its
neighbourhood (Kubary) .

Easily distinguished from Pt. perlatus and Pt. zonurus by
the whole of the head being light grey, only faintly tinged
with green on the nape and whitish towards the front, as also
by its sharply defined light plumbeous hind neck, which colour
stretches on to the sides of the neck. This plumbeous collar
is also possessed by the two other species, but in these it is
quite narrow, whereas in Pt. plumbeicollis it measures 20 mm.
in breadth. The brown of the breast is still lighter than in
Pt. perlatus. Pt. plumbeicollis has, like Pt. zonurus, a light
terminal band on the tail, but this is narrower (10 mm.) and
less vivid. The under tail-coverts equal those of Pt. zonurus.

29. Megaloprepia poliura, Salvad.

A specimen, not sexed, from Gumbu, N.E. New Guinea,
10th Nov. 1888 {Kubary). " Eyes dark orange-red, eye-ring
and lids tinged with citron-yellow; bill orange-yellow, base
of the upper bill purple up to the nostrils ; feet olive-green,
nails dark horn-grey."

Length of the wings 0'160 m.

from the Papuan Region. 423

Dr. Finsch records (Vogel d. Siidsee, 1884, p. 28) M.
assimilis from S.E. New Guinea, considering M. poliura
(polinea !) undistinguishable from it. This is, in my opinion,
a mistake.

30. Gymnophaps albertisi, Salv.

A female from Constantine Harbour, February 1887
(Kubary). "Feet purple; eyes orange-brown; bill purple,
tip and base of maxilla bluish grey ; region of eyes crimson.
Native name ' Buna jarurV

31. Reinwardtosnas reinwardti (T.).

A specimen from Constantine Harbour or neighbourhood
(Kubary) .

32. Macropygia nigrirostris, Salvad.

Three specimens from New Britain, 23rd May and 17th
June, 1886 {Kubary).

All three specimens have a brown bill, instead of a black
one !

33. Megapodius brenchleyi, G. R. Gray.

An egg from the island of Sawo, Solomon Islands
(Dr. Finsch). Length 78 mm., breadth 47 mm. Vinaceous
buff (Ridgway, Nomeuclator of Colours, 1886, pi. v. no 15),
but rather more yellow, inclining to pinkish buff (pi. v.
no. 14) ; elliptical oval (I.e. pi. xvi. no. 10).

34. Megapodius eremita, Hartl.

Six eggs from New Britain (Dr. Finsch ; see ' Vogel der
Siidsee/ 1884, p. 20). Length 75-82 mm., breadth 45-
48-6 mm. Vinaceous buff (Ridgway, pi. v. no. 15, but
rather darker).

35. Talegallus (sive Aepypodius), sp. inc.

Two eggs from Constantine Harbour (Kubary). Length
100-4 and 973 mm., breadth 62*4 and 62'3 mm. Fawn-
colour (Ridgway, pi. iii. no. 22), one specimen rather lighter
than the other one. What species of this genus occurs in
the North-east of New Guinea is still unknown ; in the south
occur Taleyallus fuscirostris, Salv. (see Salvadori, op. cit. iii.
p. 248) and Aepypodius arfakianus (Salv.) (see op. cit. iii. p. 561) .

424 Mr. A. H. Holland on some Birds

The eggs therefore may belong to one of these species, or to
an unknown one.

36. Talbgallus fuscirostris, Salvad.

The measurements of the egg of Talegullus fuscirostris are
still unpublished, so far as I know. The Dresden Museum has
a specimen from Aru (Ribbe and Kuhn) : length 97 mm.,
breadth 60 mm. Vinaceous cinnamon (Ridgvvay, pi. iv.
no. 15). Elliptical oval. Judging from the colour, the
eggs from Constantine Harbour, described above, do not
belong to T. fuscirostris.

37. Talegallus jobiensis, A. B. M.

In the year 1874 I published the measurements of two
eggs of Talegallus jobiensis from Jobi (Sitz. Akad. Wien,
lxix. p. 88), viz. 88-93x60-62 mm. I then had no good
instrument at my disposal for the measuring of eggs, and
am obliged now to correct my statement. Length 95-
98-3 mm., breadth 60"4?-61"5 mm. Colour, and form similar to
the two eggs described above from Constantine Harbour, but
rather more reddish and more pointed, in structure smoother.
The measurements of the eggs of Talegallus cuvieri, Less.,
Aepypodius arfakianus (Salv.), and Aep. bruijnii (Oust.), are
still unpublished, so far as I know.

Length.

Breadth.

mm.

mm.

Telegallus jobiensis .

95-98-3

60-4-61-5

97
1004

60

sp. inc. ex Nov.

Gruin.

02-4

38. Ortygometra cinerea (V.).

Kurakakaul, North coast of New Britain (Kubary)

XLII. — On some Birds of the Argentine Republic. By A. H.
Holland. With Notes by P. L. Sclater.

[Mr. A. H. Holland has kindly sent to me for examination
a collection of beautifully prepared birds lately made by him-
self at the Estancia of Espartillar, near the liauchos Station
of the Southern Bailway of Buenos Ay res, where he is resi-

of the Argentine Republic.

425

dent. The collection contains examples of 65 species*, all
of which are included in ' Argentine Ornithology ' except
one. This is the Gull-billed Tern (Sterna anglica), of which
a single example (marked female) , apparently an adult in
winter plumage, is in the series.

Mr. Holland sends me also a few remarks on some of the
species, which he has noticed. I trust that he may continue
his researches, and furnish us with more information, as there

* The following is a list of them : —

1.

Mimus modulator.

34.

Polyborus tharus.

2.

Polioptila dumicola.

35.

Ardea cocoi.

3.

Troglodytes furvus.

36.

egretta.

4.

Anthus correndera.

37.

candidissima.

5.

Parula pitiayumi.

38.

Ardetta involucris.

6.

Progne tapera.

39.

Nycticorax obscurus.

7.

Atticora cyanoleuca.

40.

Plegadis guarauua.

8.

Spermophila cserulescens.

41.

Ajaja rosea.

9.

Paroaria cucullata.

42.

Phceiricopterus ignipallia-

10.

Einbernagra platensis.

tas.

11.

Sycalis pelzelni.

43.

Chauna chavaria.

12.

Molothrus bonariensis.

44.

Querquedula cyanoptera.

13.

badius.

45.

flavirostris.

14.

Leistes superciliaris.

46.

versicolor.

15.

Taanioptera coronata.

47.

Dafila spinicauda.

16.

Lichenops perspicillatus.

48.

bahamensis.

17.

Serpophaga subcristata.

49.

Spatula platalea.

18.

Pitangus bolivianus.

50.

Metopiana peposaca.

19.

Pyrocephalus rubineus.

51.

Nomonyx dominicus.

20.

Tyrannus nielancholicus.

52.

Zenaida maculata.

21.

Milvulus tyrannus.

53.

Fulica leucoptera.

22.

Furnarius rufus.

54.

Aramus scolopaceus.

23.

Leptasthenura regithaloides.

55.

Vanellus cayennensis.

24.

Synallaxis hudsoni.

56.

Ilimantopus brasiliensis.

25.

Anumbius acuticaudatus.

57.

Totanus melanoleucus.

26.

Guira piririgua.

58.

Actiturus bartramius.

27.

Cocoyzus melanocoryphus.

59.

Sterna anglica.

28.

Bolborhynchus monachus.

60.

trudeauii.

29.

Asio brachyotus.

61.

Larus dominicanus.

30.

Speotyto cunicularia.

62.

maculipennis.

81.

Circus cinereus.

63.

iEchmophorus major.

32.

Tinnuncnlus cinnamominus.

64.

Tachybaptes dominicus.

83.

Milvago chiiuango.

65.

Nothura maculosa.

426 Mr. A. H. Holland on some Birds

is yet much to be done in working out the Argentine Avi-
fauna.— P. L. S.]

1. White-throated Finch.

This little Finch I am unable to name, as T cannot find a
description to suit it.

The nest was placed in the fork of a poplar-tree low down.
It was composed of twigs, rootlets, thistle-down, leaves, and
moss, and lined with white cow-hair. The eggs were pointed,
white, faintly spotted with pale red.

[The specimen sent, marked g , appears to be a female or
young female of Spermophila ccerulescens (Arg. Orn. i. p. 46),
but I should like to see more examples of both sexes. —
P. L. S.]

i~ 2. Tyrannus melancholicus. (Arg. Orn. i. p. 158.)

In November I took a nest of this bird in a small Euca-
lyptus wood. It contained eggs of Molothrus bonariensis.
The nest was placed at the outermost end of a bough, in a
very exposed situation, and was very slight, being composed
of a few roots and twigs firmly interwoven and lined with a
very little hay.

The nest contained two eggs of the Tyrant and two of the
Cow-bird; those of the latter were white, thinly spotted
with pale red.

3. Leptasthenura ^githaloides. (Arg. Orn. i. p. 177.)
Common. In October, during the last week, I found

three nests of this Spine-tail, all of which were in those of
deserted Oven-birds. The first nest was composed of num-
berless soft feathers, with a little grass as a lining, the others
of feathers and wool, with no lining besides. The eggs were
three in one nest and one in another ; they are white, very
broad towards the larger end, and thick-shelled, without
any gloss.

4. Buteo, sp. inc.

This Buzzard arrives here towards the middle of January
in company with Buteo swainsoni, the latter in immense
flocks. In the daytime the flock departs over the camp,

of the Argentine Republic. 427

soaring in a straggling body in search of beetles, bnt returns
at sundown to roost in the monte of Eucalyptus trees. They
are anything but shy, and take little notice of being shot
at. I am not certain when or where they depart.

[As Mr. Holland supposes, this is the young of Buteo
swainsoni (Arg. Orn. ii. p. 59). — P. L. S.]

5. Chauna chavaria. (Arg. Orn. ii. p. 119.)

[One of the most interesting specimens in Mr. Holland's
collection is the skin of a chick of the Crested Screamer
{Chauna chavaria) apparently quite recently hatched.

Mr. E. Gibson (Ibis, 1880, p. 166) has given us some
excellent notes on the breeding-habits of this strange bird.
" The young, when hatched," he says, "are covered with an
abundance of beautifully soft down, of a yellow-brown
colour." This, as is seen in the present specimen, is
quite true. The down is very dense, very soft, and con-
tinuous over the whole of the body above and beneath,
leaving only the bill, lores, rim round the eye, feet, and
lower part of tibiae naked. But the head in the present
specimen is tinged with rufous, and on the back the down is
slightly tinged with blackish.

The condition of the chick, therefore, in this form, as well
as the structure of the egg, strongly tend to confirm the view
originally put forward by Parker (P. Z. S. 1863, p. 511) that
the nearest living allies of the Palamadeidse are the Anseres.
The egg of Chauna is so much like that of a Goose (Anser),
that it is difficult to tell any difference. The characters of
the chick serve to confirm this resemblance. — P. L. S.]

6. Metopiana peposaca. (Arg. Orn. ii. p. 137.)

In October and November almost every nest of Fulica
armillata and Fulica leucoptera, as also many nests of Larus
maculipennis and a few of Chauna chavaria, contained para-
sitic eggs. These eggs were undoubtedly those of a Duck,
though they varied in size and shape, the largest being 2| in.
x If ; in colour they were of a dirty white. This Duck, I
think, must be Metopiana peposaca, as these birds were ex-
tremely plentiful this year throughout the breeding-season,
and I have taken the eggs of all the other Ducks here that

428 On some Birds of the Argentine Republic.

are at all common, excepting those of the Shoveller. These
eggs were invariably covered over with a fresh lining in the
nests of Fulica armillata, but not in the others.

"f*'7. Sterna anglica.

Viralva aranea, Darw. Zool. Beagle, iii. p. 143 (Bahia
Blanca).

Gelochelidon anglica, Scl. et Salv. P. Z. S. 1871, p. 572
(S.E. Brazil).

As mentioned above, this species was accidentally omitted
in ' Argentine Ornithology.' Darwin obtained a specimen
of it near Bahia Blanca, and Rogers got examples on the coast
of S.E. Brazil. Mr. Holland sends a single, apparently adult
female in winter plumage.
~f~ 8. Sterna trudeauii. (Arg. Orn. ii. p. 195.)

This Tern is rare with us, excepting in the breeding-
season, when it appears suddenly and in numbers, either
singly or in pairs.

Whilst hunting through a large gullery of Larus maculi-
pennis early in November, I came upon a corner of the lagoon
entirely occupied by these pretty Terns. There was little
shelter for the nests, a few scattered willow-stumps, but no
rushes or flags, and the water was some 4| feet deep. The
nests were all placed close together, as the Gulls' nests were,
thirty or forty of them, each afoot or two from its neighbour,
and so on ; they were very shallow structures, composed of
green water-grasses (very succulent ones and wet), with no
lining, and supported on the water by the thick growth of
grass underneath. The eggs were three to four in number,
of the usual Tern-type, varying from the dark, thickly spotted
and blotched varieties to the thinly spotted pale ones ; in no
two nests were the eggs similar. As I approached the
ternery (if there is such an expression) the birds became very
anxious, darting down close to my head as I stood over a
nest and uttering shrill cries. The sight was a beautiful
one, with the thousands of Gulls and these graceful Terns
as well, all showing beautifully against a blue sky.

9. Larus cirrhocephalus. (Arg. Orn. ii. p. 201.)

This Gull is very plentiful here in the breeding-season, but
I was unable to find its nesting-place.

On the Birds of the Canary Islands. 429

XLIIL— Further Notes on the Birds of the Canary Islands.
By E. G. Meade-Waldo.

(Plate XIII.)

I am afraid that I have much less to relate of these islands,
ornithologically, this time thau in my previous papers, having
recently explored only the little island of Hierro, which is
but a small field, and Lanzarote, that resembles the worst
parts (for birds) of Fuerteventura.

Tenerife was visited this spring on April 25th by a great
influx of migrants ; the oldest inhabitant had never seen
anything like it. There was no gale of wind or anything to
account for it, the migration being only preceded by two or
three days of dull steamy heat. Chelidon urbica and
Hirundo rustica were in thousands ; Cotite riparia was
very numerous. The Golden Oriole (Oriolus galbula) was
m small parties of four or five individuals, frequenting the
orange and loquat trees. When disturbed in these they
would dart away into the tops of the tallest plane trees,
where it was almost impossible to see them. A small dark
form of the Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) was very numerous, as
was also the Bee-eater {Merops apiaster). The Pied Fly-
catcher {Muscicapa atricapilla) occurred at Laguna, as did
also Merops persica ; and Coots [Fulica atra) and Moorhens
{Gallinula chloropus) were common. I have heard, since I
left, that a gentleman at Tacaronte has some living Purple
Gallinules {Porphyrio ?) that were caught by the country-
people at the same time. Red-footed Falcons (Falco vesper-
tinus) were not uncommon, and were shamefully bullied by
the Common Kestrels. Nearly all the common Waders
were in large numbers, except the Knot ; Curlew Sandpipers
{Tringa subarquata) in nearly full breeding-plumage and
Greenshanks (Totanus glottis) being especially numerous, and
frequenting the tanks, not the shore. Common Herons were
also exceedingly numerous and absurdly tame. By the
4th of May I do not think there was left a single example
out of this vast number of birds, all having gone away on the
night of the 3rd.

SER. VI. — VOL. II. 2i

430 Mr. E. G. Meade- Waldo on the

Don Anatael Cabrera has added to his interesting collec-
tion of birds killed in the neighbourhood of Laguna an ex-
ample of Ardetta sturmi and several of Porzana maruetta and
Porzana parva, which appear to be pretty regular winter
visitors to the ditches round Laguna. I spent last summer
in the Valle de Guerra, near Laguna, where the Barn Owl
(Striw fiammaea), which has generally been considered a
scarce bird in the Canaries, was quite common, its shriek
being heard every night. I once saw five on the wing
together ; they are all large and very dark-coloured birds here.
I found in castings of this bird from a cave many more small
bird-remains than is usual in this country, also remains of
lizards. The Long-eared Owl {Asia vulgaris) I found to be
exceedingly numerous on the lava-flows near the sea, where
thev inhabit the large candalabra-like Euphorbia canadensis,
and* prey principally on lizards ; they breed on the ground
in the centre of these practically impenetrable strongholds
during the winter, for I procured a young one at the end of
January this year, just able to fly. Many birds breed very
irregularly in these islands, for in November last a little girl
brought me a Thick-knee (CEdicnemus crepitans) still in the
down. The distribution of the Shrike (Lanius algeriensis)
in Tenerife is rather peculiar. It frequents the hot Eu-
phorbia-covevcd slopes close to the sea on the south side of
the island; it is almost equally common and resident all
the year on the " Cumbre," 5000 to 7000 feet, and is seldom
or never seen on the north or west of the island.

On the 19th of November, 1889, I went to Hierro, calling
at Santa Cruz de la Palma on the way, and, as the steamer
was obliged to wait all day, I got a mule and rode up to the
mountain where I had procured the first Palma Tit (Paruspal-
mensis) . Very nearly in the same spot where I shot my first
specimen I had the luck to shoot in a few minutes four beauti-
ful examples. They came to a call which I always find very
effective in bringing up small birds, viz. imitating the cry of
a rabbit that a stoat or ferret has got hold of; all the small
birds on hearing it come up and utter their alarm-notes. I also
shot some Chaffinches {Fringilla palma) . The young males

Birds of the Canary Islands. 431

at this time of year are quite indistinguishable from young
males of F. Until (on. We went on board that night, and
called for a few minutes next morning at the beach below the
Valle Hcrmoso, Gomera. This enabled me to have a glimpse
of the Cordillera, where I had procured my first Columba
laur'wora. We then steamed slowly on and anchored off the
Port of Valverde, Hierro, at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. The
Port of Hierro is very unpretentious ; there is not even a
beach, but here the precipices, which almost surround the
island, are a little less steep. There is not a single house
in sight, but there is a cave, in which what little business
there may be on the weekly arrival of the mails is trans-
acted. The delivery of the mails is unique iu its way —
the small mail-bag is opened on the beach, the corre-
spondence handed round among the crowd, and anyone who
sees a letter for himself, or for any of his acquaintances who
may live near him in any part of the island, appropriates it
or undertakes to deliver it. Nearly two hours' climb
brought us to Valverde, the capital, a small straggling village,
about 2000 feet above the sea. Hierro has no coast-town,
the island being a high undulating tableland, surrounded by
almost perpendicular precipices, excepting the valley of
El Golfo, which, iu a way, resembles the valley of Orotava on
a small scale, except in that the mountain rises much nearer
to the coast and is far steeper. Nothing much is grown in
the valley except figs and tobacco, there being no water to
irrigate the crops. As soon as it was known that I had come
to look for birds, I was conducted to see a great rarity that
had been caught a few days before, a Common Coot (Fulica
atra). It seemed a strange bird to be introduced to on
one's first arrival in this out-of-the-way little island. The
man that we engaged as guide, and servant also, was anxious
to procure for us specimens of the large lizard that inhabits
the outer Zalmone Rock. After we had arranged to visit this
spot, the dark. weather and heavy surf prevented any attempt
at landing on it while we were in Hierro, but Canon
Tristram, who came afterwards, was more successful. We
started for El Pinal next day, passing through the centre of

2i2

432 Mr. E. G. Meade-Waldo on the

the island, a high down-like tableland. Nearly all the
birds of the Western Canaries are common here, the Common
Linnet (Linota cannabina) and Berthelot's Pipit (Anthus
bertheloti) being perhaps the most numerous ; but Canaries,
Corn Buntings, Goldfinches, and Rock Sparrows were nearly
equally abundant. The Chiffchaff and Black-headed Warbler
(Sylvia mdanocephala) were common where there was suit-
able cover. The dark-coloured Kestrels were fairly common,
but I do not think quite so much so as in the other Western
islands. The Quail is not rare, but there is no Partridge
in Hierro : they tell me it has been introduced from
Gomera, but has died from want of water. The Thick-knee
(CEdicnemus crepitans) is far from rare. The Buzzard (Buteo
vulgaris) is fairly numerous in the Ladera of El Golfo, and
the Red Kite (Milvus idinus) is in about the same numbers.

We did not see the Neophron, neither is the name of
" Quirre " known to the islanders, so I expect that if it visits
Hierro, it is only occasional. It is common in Gomera, but
unknown in Palma. Probably nowhere in the world is the
Tangier Raven (Corvus tingitanus) more numerous than here ;
it is always in sight, flying in flocks, large and small, walking
about close to one, and showing but little fear. They would
come to our tent and greedily pick up the bodies of birds
that had been skinned, and the pine-forest where our tent
was pitched resembled a scattered rookery. The pairs in
November frequently sat by their old nests and made most
ridiculous noises, sometimes almost resembling a song. The
peasants tell me (and I can quite believe it, for food for so
many must be very hard to get) that the Ravens do them a
great deal of harm, that they have great difficulty in saving
their lambs from them (for in Hierro sheep take the place of
the goats of the rest of the islands), that they are equally-
destructive amongst their crops, and that if it were not for
the Ravens the island could support many more people.

The most interesting bird in Hierro is the Tit. I pro-
cured my first specimens soon after entering the pine-forest,
and when looking for a camping-ground I shot three more,
which at a glance I saw belonged to a new species. This

Birds of the Canary Islands. 433

decided me in choosing what proved to be an excellent spot.
This Tit, which in habits resembles Parus palmensis, lives
apparently only in the pine-forest, occasionally wandering into
the tree-heath ; it has the voice of Parus tenerifa, and also
the style of that form, not standing so high on its legs, nor
in the knock-kneed manner of the Palma Tit. It is the
largest and strongest of all the Canarian Tits, and differs in
having the whole of its back of a fine olive-green instead of
blue, there being only a band of light blue at the back of
the neck ; the yellow of the breast is very rich in colour, and
there is never a trace of white; the black line is very indis-
tinct. It is quite a common bird in the pine-forest, and I
had no trouble in procuring as many specimens as I wanted.
I have described this bird as a new species, and named it
Parus ombriosus, after " Ombrios/' King Juba's name for
the island of Hierro.

Parus ombriosus. (Plate XIII.)

Parus ombriosus, Meade- Waldo, Ann. Mag. N. H. ser. 6,
v. p. 103.

Parus tenerifa similis, sed fortior et robustior : tergo toto
oliyaceo-viridescente nee cseruleo : tectricibus alarum
viridibus,majoribus angustissime albo terminatis : subtus
citrinus, P. tenerifa similis. Femina haud a mari dis-
tinguenda.

This Tit adds a fourth to the number of forms found in
the Canary Islands, three of which are quite peculiar to the
archipelago, and two are peculiar to their own islands. Fuer-
teventura and Lanzarote have Parus ultramarinm, almost
indistinguishable from the mainland bird. Grand Canary,
Tenerife, and Gomera have Parus tenerifa, easily known
from P. ultramarinus by its brighter colouring and in never
having white-tipped wing-coverts. The island of Palma
has Parus palmensis, distinguished by having its under-
pays white instead of yellow, the wing-coverts slightly tipped
with white, and the tail and tarsi longer. It has also a
differently pitched voice, which can be distinguished at once
from the other Tits, and its more slender form and different
style show it at once to belong to a different race. Besides it
is confined to the pine-forest, only occasionally coming into

434 Mr. E. G. Meade- Waldo on the

the laurels, and apparently never frequenting villages and
gardens, as does Parus tenerifte in the three islands which it
frequents.

Parus ombriosus resembles Parus tenerifa in all its ways,
except that it lives only in the pine-forest, and occasionally
in the tree-heaths and laurels.

In Hierro the Goldcrest {Regulus tenerifce, Seebohm) is
common in the pines and heath-forest. It is of the same
form that is common to all the Canary Islands where Gold-
crests exist, and has the black sides to the crest joined across
the forehead, as in R. ignicapillus. It appears that some Gold-
crests from other parts have the same feature, especially those
from China, but in my large series from all the Canary Islands
I find no variation in this respect.

The Chaffinch is not very numerous. It is intermediate
between Fringilla tintillon and F. palma, having a little green
over the tail, and the breast of a dirty, not pure, white, as in
F. palma. Grand Canary, Tenerife, and Gomera have the same
Chaffinch (F. tintillon), the adult male of which has a pure
buff breast, a dark-slate back, and a green rump. La Palma
has its Chaffinch, with no green on the rump and very little
green on the wings, a white breast, and the slate-blue of the
head is paler than in F. tintillon. It is interesting to note
that in the three islands where the Chaffinch is the same the
Tit is also the same, and where the Chaffinch is different, as
in Palma, both have white breasts ; this, however, does not
apply to Hierro, where both are different. I noticed that in
Palma F. palma ranged right through the pine-forest, as does
F. teydea in Tenerife. A pair that we have in our aviary,
on being given seeds of Pinus canariensis are as eager for
them as F. teydea, while F. tintillon, in the same aviary,
takes little or no notice of them.

The Robin of Hierro is the same as that of Palma, and
has a pale-coloured breast ; it is, however, much more
generally distributed about the island than in the rest of the
Canaries, and was common in the thickets of fig-trees in the
town of Valverde ; it was most remarkably shy.

There is no Laurel Pigeon in Hierro. At the first glance

Birds of the Canary Islands. 435

the Ladera of El Golfo looks splendid ground for both
Columba holli and C. laurivora, but a short scramble about it
shows that there is no food-plant, the " vinatigo," asirifia,
"'laurel/' and til-tree being almost absent, and the forest
consisting almost entirely of tree-heath and " haya," which,
however, is the favourite nesting-tree of C. bolli. A man
who was accustomed to shoot Rock Doves (C. livia) at a
spring told me he had once seen two large Pigeons with red
breasts, from which the Rock Doves fled : these may have
been a pair of C. laurivora crossed over from Palma.

In the end of March of this year I paid a visit to the
Eastern islands, accompanied by Canon Tristram. At Las
Palmas, while waiting for the steamer that was to take us to
Lanzarote, I saw several pairs and single males of the
Trumpeter Bullfinch {Erythrospiza githaginea) close to the
town, and at the back of the new hotel. I do not think that
they have been recorded from any part of Grand Canary
before, though Canon Tristram concluded that they would
be found on the barren tract near Maspalomas Point.

After having thoroughly explored Fuerteventura, we did
not find Lanzarote ornithologically interesting. This island
is very carefully cultivated under most difficult circumstances,
for there is hardly any water, only that which is caught in
tanks after the very slight and uncertain rainfall. This year,
however, the inhabitants had had abundant rain, enough, they
told us, for ten years. They must be easily satisfied, for I
thought the whole place, with the exception of the valley of
Haria, had a most burnt-up appearance ; they had, however,
cultivated a splendid crop of onions, which long files of camels
were bringing into the port of Arrecife for export to Cuba.
The people of Lanzarote are remarkably industrious in com-
parison with the rest of the Canarians, and we found them
obliging and kind throughout the island. The birds of
Lanzarote appear to be, as would be expected, the same as
those of Fuerteventura, with two differences. I do not
believe that the Fuerteventura Chat (Pratincola dacotite)
occurs there, we kept the most lively look-out in all the
likely places and never saw one j while in Lanzarote exists

436 Mr. E. G. Meade- Waldo on the

the Barbary Partridge (Caccabis pefrosa), and there is no
Partridge in Fuerteventura.

The Partridge in Lanzarote is confined to one lava-flow
(that which flows from the Monte de Corona), and on that it
is said to be fairly numerous. I only saw one, which I shot —
a dingy-coloured male, that was not breeding. It has never
spread to any other part of the island. No one knew if they
had been introduced there or not, but it is almost the nearest
point to the African coast, and the Partridge of Grand Canary
is C. rufa.

The Quail appeared to be very numerous, and the Desert
Short-toed Lark {Calandrella minor) swarmed everywhere;
while Berthelot's Pipits, Common Linnets (which differed
from those of Fuerteventura in being very bright instead of
colourless), and Trumpeter Bullfinches were very common.
The Ultramarine Tit was very local, and appeared to be con-
fined to the Valley of Haria, where it was fairly numerous ;
those procured were small and pale in colour. We found a
nest in a hole in the ground, and dug it out ; it contained
three young and one addled egg. We caught the old female,
and kept her whilst we remade the nest, and arranged stones
over it to prevent the earth falling in ; on releasing her a
little distance off, she went straight back and into the nest,
notwithstanding the altered appearance it must have had to
her. The ("ream-coloured Courser is pretty numerous in
suitable places, and I saw them in the fields, which I do not
remember to have done in Fuerteventura ; they were very
tame from seeing many people, who never molest them.
The Courser is not at all good meat. The Houbara is not
realiy common, but there appear to be some on each suitable
plain. There are great numbers of Waders on the shores,
and at " Papagayo," the tiny village from whioh we took
our boat to sail across to Fuerteventura, the Yellow-legged
Herring Gull was absolutely tame, walking about among
the children's legs and sitting on the tops of the houses.
AVe saw them picking at food which the children were
holding in their hands.

Our visit to the little islet of La Graciosa was not very

Birds of the Canary Islands. 437

productive, as we were too early for the Petrels, which
breed here in great numbers — the only early breeder that
I am aware of being Puffinus obscurus, which lays at the
end of February and beginning of March; none of the
others seem to come to their holes before the end of May.
La Graciosa is about three miles long by one and a half
broad, and is flat, with three small extinct volcanoes on it ;
it is covered with a low scrubby bush, called by the people
" salada mora." The Petrels burrow at the foot of these
bushes, their roots preventing the sand from filling in. We
procured a pair of breeding Black Oyster-catchers {Hcema-
topus capensis) . They call them here " Corvino/' on Lan-
zarote "Grajo de mar," and on Fuerteventura " Cuervo
marino " — three different names on three adjoining islands.
Shrikes were not uncommon here ; they appear to be inter-
mediate between Lanius algeriensis and L. hemileucuras, as
are those on Fuerteventura; some are perfect hemileucurus.
The Osprey is common round these small islands, and breeds
on the isolated rocks and on the great precipice of El Kisco,
2000 feet almost sheer down, on Lanzarote. The only small
land-birds we saw on La Graciosa were Berthelot's Pipits,
Spectacled Warblers, and Common Linnets ; a few Common
Buzzards live in the walls of the crater of one of the volcanoes.
I shot one, the most miserable specimen of Buteo vulgaris I
ever saw. There is a fine fish-curing establishment on this
island, built and started at a great expense, which is fast
going to ruin, all the valuable plant being in an absolutely
neglected and rotting condition ; the fish caught were prin-
cipally tunnies and sardines.

Leaving Graciosa, we crossed over to Lanzarote, and
walked the whole length of the island, and though we
kept a sharp look-out, nothing fresh appeared. I think the
plain adjoining " Papagayo " is the barrenest in the Canary
Islands ; it was too poor for Coursers, which is saying a good
deal. They tell me there are a few Bustards on it. We then
sailed across to Correlejo, in Fuerteventura, passing by the
island of Los Lobos. From Correlejo we walked, in two
days, by Oliva to Puerto Cabras. Here we embarked for

138 Mr. W. R. Ogilvie Grant on

Las Palmas, but besides some Common Curlews, which are
decidedly rare in the Canaries, nothing of note appeared.

I am sorry to have no more islands to go to, and am afraid
that, with the exception of the Petrels, nothing much remains
to be done ; but to observe these satisfactorily, it would be
necessary to visit and carefully work the outer islands and
rocks during the months of June and July, and I have no
greater wish than to do this, accompanied by my energetic
friend and mentor Canon Tristram.

XLIV. — Notes on some Birds obtained at Madeira, Deserta
Grande, and Porto Santo. By W. R. Ogilvie Grant
(Nat. Hist. Mus.).

(Plate XIV.)

It was my good fortune to be invited during the spring of
this year to accompany a friend on a five weeks' trip to
Madeira, and, having never visited that beautiful island, I
gladly embraced the opportunity, and determined, if pos-
sible, to obtain there a number of birds which were much
wanted for the British Museum Collection. 1 certainly never
dreamed of finding anything new, least of all in the bird-
line, and the handsome new Sparrow- Hawk so excellently
delineated by Mr. Keulemans in the accompanying Plate was
an unexpected surprise.

After a terribly rough voyage from start to finish, we
arrived in a somewhat battered condition at Funchal on the
15th of April, truly thankful to find ourselves once more on
firm land, where, in the glorious sunshine and delightful
climate of that most favoured island, our troubles were soon
forgotten. The weather, owing to the late spring, was still
all that could be desired, and not too hot to make walking
unpleasant. Almost the whole of the three weeks we re-
mained at Madeira wTere spent in making expeditions in all
directions, and combined a very large amount of exercise
with a thorough enjoyment of the grand scenery and the
delights of collecting zoological specimens of all kinds, though

Birds obtained at Madeira. 439

principally birds. At the end of our stay I found that I had
got together a very satisfactory series of birds, a list of which
is given below, along with some notes. We had also obtained
a number of lizards and many examples of land and fresh-
water Mollusca, Myriopoda (including two specimens of a
new species of Geophilus), Arachnida, Coleoptera, Lepi-
doptera, and Vermes.

The town of Funchal does not boast of a taxidermist, and
one is thus dependent on one's own exertions in the skinning-
line. Thus I soon found that, even by getting up every
morning at six and working for a couple of hours or more, it
was impossible to keep pace with the day's results. I was
therefore obliged to put a number of specimens in spirit,
and on my return sent them to Mr. Cullingford at Durham,
who returned them transformed into most beautiful skins,
quite as good as if they had been made from fresh specimens.

A. Specimens from Madeira.
1. Accipiter granti, Sharpe. (Plate XIV.)
Accipiter granti, Sharpe, Ann. & Mag. N. H. ser. 6, v.
p. 485.

The only specimen as yet obtained of this very handsome
Sparrow-Hawk was got by my friends Messrs. C. J. Cossart
and C. Hinton while shooting Partridges in October last
year. The former of these gentlemen showed me the skin,
together with some other specimens in his possession, and I
at once felt sure that it was distinct from anything I had
ever seen ; but never having made a special study of the
Hawk-tribe, I thought I could not do better than place the
bird in the hands of my friend Mr. Sharpe and leave the
responsibility of describing it or not to him. He at once
pronounced it to be a very distinct insular form, most nearly
allied to the Madagascar Sparrow- Hawk, Accipiter mada-
gascariensis, from which it is only to be distinguished by pos-
sessing rufous flank-tufts, like A. nisus. My own opinion is
that A. granti is the resident bird which breeds in the island,
and that the common Sparrow-Hawks obtained there are
visitors only. It has been denied that the Sparrow-Hawk
breeds in Madeira, but this has been proved to be incorrect, as

440 Mr. W. R. Ogilvie Grant on

I am informed by Mr. Cossart that a clutch of eggs, taken on
the island, were shown him by a gentleman residing in
Funchal. There is a popular superstition in Madeira that the
Sparrow-Hawk is the outcome of the fifth egg in the
" Mantas " or Common Buzzard's nest ! During my stay I
saw a number of Sparrow-Hawks, but never had an oppor-
tunity of obtaining any specimens, as the chances of getting
them always occurred while I was temporarily disarmed
in pursuit of some other branch of zoology. Some of the
birds seen were undoubtedly only A. nisus, but two, at least,
I believe to have been specimens of A. granti, judging from
the hurried glimpses I had of them. I should imagine that
the resident birds were not nearly so numerous as the visitors.
Mr. Cossart tells me that what first drew his attention to
this Hawk was its peculiar flight, just topping the bushes,
like a tired or wounded bird, and it was this that made him
and Mr. Hinton give chase and procure it. As he had never
seen so large a Sparrow-Hawk, and as it was a particularly
fine one, he fortunately brought it home and skinned it.

2. Strix flammea.

3. Phylloscopus sibilatrix.

Four specimens, which undoubtedly belong to this species,
were obtained by me in a garden a few miles from Funchal.
I was first attracted to the bird by its note, which was per-
fectly different from that of any Wood- Wren I had ever
heard at home. When I had remained quiet for some
minutes, I found there were several of these birds dodging
about in a very thick hedge, and every now and then darting-
out among the apple-trees in pursuit of some insects. It would
have been easy to get more specimens, as there were at least
a dozen. I never saw them anywhere else, and suppose they
had only touched there on their way north.

4. Sylvia atricapilla.

5. Sylvia heinekeni.

6. Sylvia mklanocephala.

I shot a pair a mile or so north of Santa Cruz, in some
thick furze-bushes, but never saw them anywhere else.

Birds obtained at Madeira. 411

7. Erithacus rubecula.

8. turdus merula.

9. Regulus maderensis.

Common in suitable localities all over the island. It is
not met with in altitudes much below 2000 feet, and prefers
the gigantic heath-trees which clad the steep rugged sides of
the Serras, where it is met with in small parties.

10. motacilla melanope.

11. Anthus bertheloti.

12. LlNOTA CANNABINA.

This species was nesting. I found a nest with young.

13. Crithagra butyracea.

This bird had already nested, and many of the young were
already flying about.

14. Petronia petronia.

Very common about the cliffs and houses near the sea.

15. Fringilla maderensis.

There has been so much discussion with regard to the
advisability of separating the various forms of Buff-breasted
Chaffinch found in Madeira and the Canary Islands, that I
took care to obtain a good series of these birds in the former
island. Thanks to the kindness of Mr. Meade- Waldo and
Canon Tristram, I have been able to inspect their large series
of specimens from the different islands of the Canaries, and I
entirely agree with Mr. Sharpe as to the advisability of
giving these forms distinct names. All the young are un-
doubtedly much the same, but the adults are perfectly dis-
tinct, except the form found in Hierro, which is somewhat
intermediate between F. canariensis and F. palmce, having
the back and rump somewhat intermixed with green.
On the whole, however, this bird is so close to the grey-
backed F. palmce, that it is certainly most reasonable and
convenient to unite it with that species. The a buff-
breasted " species may be distinguished in the adult state by
the following characters : —

442 Mr. W. R. Ogilvie Grant on

a. F. maderensis, Sharpc. — Pale slate - coloured head;

mantle green; back slate; rump and upper tail-
coverts green. Breast pinkish. (Madeira.)

b. F. moreleti, Pucher. — As the last, but black frontal band

stronger. Breast buff, never pinkish. (Azores.)

c. F. canariensis , Vieill. (F. tintillon, W. & B.). — Head,

mantle, and back dark slate-blue ; rump and upper
tail-coverts green ; breast and belly buff. (Grand
Canary, Teneriffe, and Gomera.)

d. F. palmtp, Meade-Waldo. — Whole of back and rump

slate-blue ; breast and belly pure white. (Palma and
Hierro.)

16. CUCULUS CANORUS.

17. COLUMBA TROCAZ.

I was fortunate enough to get eight specimens of this
fine Pigeon, which is still fairly common in the north of the
island.

18. numenius ph^eopus.

19. totanus calidr1s.

20. Machetes pugnax.

21. Tringa alpina.

22. Strepsilas intekpres.

23. Ardetta minuta.
-4—24. Sterna dougalli.

B. Specimens from Deserta Grande.
About twenty-five miles to the south-east of Madeira lies
a group of rocky volcanic islands known as the Desertas, and
it was our great desire to visit these before leaving Madeira,
and, if possible, to obtain specimens of certain Petrels which
breed there. The group consists of a chain of three islands
connected by numerous small rocks. The middle island,
known as Deserta Grande, is the largest, being about 9
miles long and 1^ wide, and is the only one on which it is

Birds obtained at Madeira. 443

possible to land for anyone not born a native fisherman.
The little Deserta, which lies to the north, is flat-topped and
about 1000 feet high, and only to be ascended, we believe,
by means of ropes ; while the middle Deserta, which is the
most southern, rises in wild peaks, and is said to be quite
inaccessible. By the kind invitation of some of our Madeira
friends, who had made up a party to shoot goats on Deserta
Grande, we joined their expedition, and started about 2 o'clock
on the morning of the 4th of May, and, both wind and sea
being favourable, landed on the island without difficulty
about 6 o'clock. The landing-place, the only one on the
island, is merely a table of rock, covered with huge blocks of
loose stone, quite unapproachable in rough weather; the
rest of the island rises sheer up from the sea to a height of
from one to two thousand feet. The ascent to the higher
level is just above the place where one lands, and is a narrow
steep zigzag path up a nearly perpendicular face ; but the
climb is simple compared with the descent, which in parts
is far from pleasant, the loose volcanic earth and stones
giving way at every step, and often going unpleasantly near
the heads of those in front. On gaining the summit one
emerges into a valley, which furrows the centre of the island,
and is covered with rough grass and white poppies, scattered
stones and boulders. Among these we soon unearthed several
pairs of Bulwer's Petrel, which, however, had not then begun to
breed. Underneath some of the stones we caught a number
of specimens of the great black Tarantula (Lycosa niyra)
peculiar to the Desertas. We may remark that there is no
water whatever on the islands, and my friends had to bring
all their drinking-water with them in barrels, which were
carried up by the fishermen employed to drive the goats.
These latter, now perfectly wild, together with numerous
rabbits and black cats, are the only quadrupeds, and are the
descendants of animals introduced when the island was in-
habited by Portuguese fishermen. The only shelter on the
whole place consists of two small clumps of stone-pine near the
middle of the island, and here we found Canaries and Linnets
in plenty, also a Redstart and a pair or two of Golden Orioles :

444 On Birds obtained at Madeira.

one of these was shot, hut it fell over the cliff and was lost.
We returned to Madeira the same evening, and the birds
obtained were the following : —

1. Crithagra butyracea.

2. Linota cannabina.
A nest with young.

4- 3. Thalassidroma bulweri.

We caught a number of pairs in holes among the stones,
but they had not yet begun to breed. Bill and feet black ;
tarsi greyish pink. Iris deep brown.

- 4. PUFFINUS KUHLI.

Also paired, but no eggs. They defended themselves fiercely
and bit with great power. Legs and feet pale pink, outer
toe and web dusky. Bill dull yellow, darker towards the
tip. Iris dark brown.

J 5c PUFFINUS OBSCURUS.

Only one specimen caught, an adult female, which had
not bred. It seems curious that at Porto Santo, which is
only about forty miles distant, this species had not only bred,
but that some of the young were in nearly adult plumage.
The bill is lead-coloured ; the outer toe, sole, and back of
tarsus black, rest livid. Eye dark brown.

We were unfortunate in obtaining no specimens of either
(Estrelata mollis or Pelagodroma marina.

6. Larus leucoph^us.

C. Specimens from Lime Island, Porto Santo.
The three islands of Porto Santo lie north-east of Madeira,
and, like the Desertas, consist of three main islands, from
one of which, known as the Lime Island, we obtained some
interesting specimens. This island contains lime-quarries,
and supplies all the lime used for building purposes in
Madeira ; before their discovery it had all to be brought
from great distances by ship, and was so expensive that the
older houses in Funchal are built with mud and merely faced
with lime. The two birds obtained were : —

Recently published Ornithological Works. 445

1. Thalassidroma bulweri.

2. pljffinus obscurus.

By the kind help of our friend Mr. C. F. R. Blandy, to
whom we are indebted for many of our pleasant trips, we
got a very interesting series of the young of this species,
showing every stage from the downy nestling to the adult.
The down is first cast off" the middle of the back and shoulders,
then off the top of the head and throat, next from the whole
of the upper parts. After this stage the breast becomes
bare, then the belly and underparts, leaving only the flanks
and tail-feathers with a downy fringe, which, in the most
adult of the young specimens before us, is reduced to a few
filaments on the flanks. The plumage of this last bird differs
in nowise from that of the parent.

XLV. — Notices of recent Ornithological Publications.

[Continued from p. 383.]

80. The British Museum Report for 1890.

[Return to an Order of the Honourable The House of Commons, dated
5th May, 1890 ; for, Account " of the Income and Expenditure of the
British Museum (Special Trust Funds) for the Year ending the 31st day
of March 1890." " And, Return of the Number of Persons admitted to
visit the Museum and the British Museum (Natural History) in each
Year for 1884 to 1889, both Years inclusive ; together with a Statement
of the Progress made in the Arrangement and Description of the Collec-
tions, and an Account of Objects added to them, in the Year 1889."]

The Parliamentary Report on the British Museum for the
present Session announces the addition of more than 69,000
specimens to the National Zoological Collection. Amongst
these are specially noticed : —

(1) "A collection made by H. C. V. Hunter, Esq., in the
Kilimanjaro district. It comprises twenty-five Mammals,
including the type of Damalis hunteri; one hundred and
eighty-six birds, amongst which are types of six new species
and of nine species new to the collection; a new fish (Oreo-
chromis hunteri) from one of the crater-lakes ; two hundred

SEE. vi. — vol. ii. 2 k

446 Recently published Ornithological Works.

and twenty-four Coleoptera, with many rare species ; nine-
teen Lepidoptera and two Hemiptera."

(2) " The fifth instalment of the Godman-Salvin collection
of birds, referred to in the Report for 1885. This series
consists of three thousand nine hundred and thirty-nine
specimens, and includes sixty-two types and one hundred
and sixty-four species new to the collection. Presented by
Osbert Salvin, Esq., F.R.S., and F. DuCane Godrnan, Esq.,
F.R.S."

(3) " The collection of Dendrocolaptidce and Formicariidce ,
formed by P. L. Sclater, Esq., F.R.S., containing one thou-
sand nine hundred and forty-five specimens, and including
one hundred and ten types and twenty-five rspecies new to
the collection. Purchased."

(4) "The first instalment of the collection of African
birds formed by Captain G. E. Shelley, containing one thou-
sand six hundred and sixty-six specimens, and comprising
Finches, Starlings, Larks, Weaver-birds, Woodpeckers,
Cuckoos, and Barbets, of which fifteen are types and twenty-
one species new to the collection. Purchased."

(5) " One hundred and forty-eight specimens, forming
part of the collection of the late Count Riocour, and con-
taining many of the original specimens described and figured
by Vieillot, as well as fourteen other types and three species
new to the collection, among them a specimen of the extinct
Starling {Fregilupus varius) . This bird, formerly common
in the Island of Reunion, is supposed to have been exter-
minated about fifty years ago, and not more than sixteen
specimens are known to be preserved in various museums.
Purchased."

Under the head of "Birds" we are informed that "Nine
thousand eight hundred and thirty-six additions were made
to this branch of the collection during the past year. Besides
the collections already mentioned, the following are the most
noteworthy : —

" Three hundred and eighty-three specimens from the Palse-
arctic Region, Africa, and New Guinea, including nine
types and seven species new to the collection, and among

Recently published Ornithological Works. 447

them the Paradise-birds Epimachus macleayance and Astrar-
chia stephanifP. ; presented by Henry Seebohm, Esq.

" Sixty-four specimens from N. Borneo, including Cissa
jeffreyi, a species new to the collection ; presented by John
Whitehead, Esq.

" Thirty-six specimens from Palawan, including five species
new to the collection, collected by Mr. John Whitehead ;
purchased.

"Forty-four specimens from Kansu, W. China, including
seventeen species new to the collection ; purchased.

" Six specimens from Somali-land, including Saxicola
pliillipsi, new to the collection ; presented by E. Lort
Phillips, Esq.

" One hundred and five specimens from the West Indies;
presented by the West-Indian Committee for the Exploration
of the Lesser Antilles.

" Six specimens from the Solomon Islands, collected by
Mr. C. M. Woodford, and including the types of Pomarea
florencice and Rallina woodfordi ; purchased.

" The type of Eudyptes sclateri from the Auckland Isles ;
purchased.

" Ninety-seven Ducks and Geese from various localities ;
presented by Captain H. J. Elwes."

81. Burmeister on Patagonian Birds

[Expedicion a Patagonia por encargo del Museo Nacional, coufiada a
Carlos V. Burmeister, Naturalista viajero del Establecimeuto. An. Mus.
Nac. de Buenos Aires. Entrega decimasesta. Buenos Aires : 1890.]

The appendix to Senor Carlos Burmeister' s report on his
expedition to Patagonia, undertaken during the summer of
1888-89, contains a systematic list of the birds collected on
this occasion, with some notes on their localities and habits.
The species recorded are 50 in number, mostly well-known
inhabitants of Antarctic America. A single example of
Milvago albogularis, Gould, originally discovered in the same
district by Darwin during the voyage of the ' Beagle/ was
obtained. Some notes by Senor Fauvety on the habits of
the Penguins met with on the coast are appended.

2 k2

448 Recently published Ornithological Works.

82. Burmeister on the Fauna of Patagonia.

[Relation de un viaje a la gobernacion del Chubut por Carlos V. Bur-
meister, Ayudante del Museo National. Apendice. Alguuas noticias
sobre la Fauna de la Patagonia. Anales del Mus. Nac. de Buenos Ayres.
Entrega deciinaquinta. 1888.]

The appendix to Sr. Carlos Burmeister's narrative of his
journey across the territory of Chubat, published in the
fifteenth part of the c Annals of the National Museum of
Buenos Aires/ contains a summary of what is known of the
fauna of Patagonia, so far as regards the vertebrated
animals. After a short resume' of the chief authorities on
this subject, Sr. Burmeister gives a systematic list of the
Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, and Batrachians hitherto recorded
as having been met with in Patagonia and in the Falkland
Islands, which belong to the same fauna. Besides the names,
little information is added in most cases except the localities.
The species of which no examples are contained in the
National Museum of Buenos Aires are indicated by an
asterisk. The birds thus enumerated are about 190 in
number, but among their names are a few, we think, which
might be eliminated, as merely synonyms of other species
also on the list. The author appears to have added very
little original matter to his compilation, and in referring the
large Cormorant of the Patagonian coast, often called Phala-
crocorax carunculatus, to P. verrucosus, Cab., has fallen into
an error. Dr. Cabanis's species was established on the allied
form from Kerguelen Island (see Birds of the ' Challenger '
Expedition, p. 122, pi. xxvi.), and the Patagonian species
should probably be called P. albiventris (op. cit. p. 121,
pi. xxv. fig. 2). But Sr. Burmeister does not appear to be
acquainted with this work.

83. Christy's ' Birds of Essex.'

[Essex Field Club Special Memoirs. — Vol. II. Tbe Birds of Essex :
A Contribution to tbe Natural History of the County. By Miller
Christy, F.L.S. With 162 woodcut illustrations, two plans, and a
frontispiece. 8vo. Chelmsford, Buckhurst Hill, and London : 1890.]

The number of avifaunas of the English counties increases

Recently published Ornithological Works. 449

rapidly. We have now before us a volume on the Birds of
Essex, for which the author tells us he has been " collecting
information and materials for fifteen years."" It seems to
fully correspond in completeness to the time spent upon it,
for it contains not only an excellent account of the birds
met with within the limits of the county, but also an essay
upon its physical features, biographical notices of Essex
ornithologists (among whom we see the familiar names of
Bree, Doubleday, Hoy, and Legge), descriptions of the most
important collections of birds within the county, an account
of its decoys, and a list of previously published works on the
same subject. Mr. Christy's volume is, in fact, well planned
and well got up, and has the great merit of not being too bulky.
We must, however, confess that we do not much like some of
the woodcuts, although it is possible that, as the preface says,
they may " largely add to the popularity of the work." Some
of them, however, are familiar friends of great merit. Five
" British Birds " are specially claimed as having been first
met with in Essex. These are the Alpine Accentor, the
Blue-headed Wagtail, the Adriatic Gull, the Scopoli's Sooty
Tern, and the Pheasant (!), the first record of the occurrence
of the last-named bird in England being in 1059 (cf. Ibis,
1869, p. 358).

84. Clarke on the Birds of Jan May en Island.

("The Birds of Jan Mayen Island. Communicated, with Annotations,
by W. Eagle Clarke, F.R.S. Zoologist, 1890, pp. 1-16, 41-51.]

Mr. Eagle Clarke has communicated to the ' Zoologist ' a
translation of Dr. Fischer and A. v. Pelzeln's joint paper
on the birds collected and observed in Jan Mayen Island
during the sojourn there of the Austro-Hungarian Expe-
dition in 1882-83, and has added some excellent annotations
thereto. We have already noticed the original paper (Ibis,
1887, p. 106), but Mr. Eagle Clarke's introductory obser-
vations and his apposite criticisms on the determinations of
some of the species deserve to be consulted. What is the
"lUackbird" that appeared in Jan Mayen at Christmas?

450 Recently published Ornithological Works.

Can it be really Tardus merula, or is it not more probably
T. torquatus? We would ask any member of the B. O. U.
that goes to Vienna to endeavour to settle this point.

85. Everett on the Birds of Borneo.

[A List of the Birds of the Bornean Group of Islands. By A. H.
Everett, C.M.Z.S. Journ. Straits Branch Royal Asiatic Soc. Singapore,
No. 20, 1889, p. 91.]

Mr. Everett's useful list contains the names and references
of 570 species now known to be found in Borneo and in its
dependent islands, embracing Balabac, Palawan, the Cala-
mines, and the Cuyo Islands. Much, however, still has to
be done, especially in exploring the eastern, south-western,
and central districts of Borneo itself and the outlying islands,
before our knowledge of its avifauna can be deemed to be
anything like complete.

Summing up his list, Mr. Everett tells us that " no family
of birds is exclusively confined to the Bornean group, and
but few genera, even, are peculiar. Allocotops, Chlor o charts ,
Androphilus, and Ptilopyga among the Timeliidae, Trico-
phoropsis and Oreoctistes among the Brachypodidee, Pity-
riasis (?) among the Laniidse, Chlamydochcera among the
Campophagidse, Heteroscops among the Bubonidse, Lobio-
phasis among the Phasianidse, aud Hmnatortyx among
the Tetraonidae all appear to be peculiar to the island of
Borneo alone ; while we have Ptilocichla among the Time-
liidse and Dryococcyx among the Cuculidse restricted appa-
rently to the Palawan subgroup." Of the species, however,
a considerable proportion seem to be exclusively confined to
the group, and Mr. Everett gives us a list of 140 thus
restricted .

86. Hargitt on the Picidse.

[Catalogue of the Picariee in the Collection of the British Museum.
Scansores, containing the Family Picidse. By Edward Hargitt. 8vo.
London: 1890.]

The 18th volume of the Catalogue of Birds has been issued
in advance of the 16th and 17th. It is devoted to the Picidie

Recently published Ornitholoyical Works. 451

— the first family of the " Scansores/' which are here con-
sidered as a " suborder " of the Picarise. The Catalogue of
the Picidse has been prepared by Mr. Edward Hargitt, who,
as is well known to most of us, has devoted much time and
great attention to this group of birds for many years.

The number of genera of the family Picidse is, as the
author tells us, 50, every known genus being represented in
the British Museum. The number of species and subspecies
recognized is 385, of which 36 are still wanting to complete
the series in the Collection. Of these 385 species, the Mu-
seum possesses the types of 75. The number of specimens
of Picidse in the Collection at the present date is 7894.

Mr. Hargitt divides the family Picidse into three sub-
families— Picinse, Picunminse, and Iynginse. He recognizes
338 species of the first group, 43 of the second, and 4 of the
third.

The following four genera are now proposed for the first
time : — Sapheopipo for Picus noguchii, Seeb. ; Crocomorphus
for Celeus flavus, auctt ; Microstictus in place of Lichten-
steinipicus (!) , Bp. ; and Nesoctites for Picumnus micromegas,
Sund. Only one new species appears to be described,
namely, Chloronerpes godmani, from Mexico.

Fifteen coloured plates (very nicely executed by Peter
Smit) are attached to the present volume. They represent
the following 17 species: — Chloronerpes xunthochlorus, Chry-
sophlegma ivrayi, Melanerpes pulcher, Dendrocopus pyrrho-
thorax, Iyngipicus nigrescens, I. picatus, T. grandis, Dendro-
hates fidelis, Mesopicus xantholophus, M. johnstoni, Celeus
speclabllis, Cerchueipicus occidentalis, Chrysocolaptes rufo-
pundatus, Thriponax pectoralis, Picumnus flavifrons, P.
wallacii, and Sasia everetti.

Having been lately engaged in studying the birds of Chili,
we may venture to say that we doubt the occurrence of
Dendrocopus mixtus in that Republic. The " Pampas Argen-
tinas/' whence Leybold's specimens were obtained, are near
Mendoza, in Argentina, and the other specimens labelled
" Chili " are in all probability from the same district. The
only Chilian Woodpecker of this group is, we believe, Den-
drocopus lignarinus.

452 Recently published Ornithological Works.

87. Hartert and Kutter on East-Indian Birds and Eggs.

[Zur Ornithologie der indisch-malayiscken Gegenden. Von Ernst
Hartert. (Mit oologischen Beitragen von Oberstabsarzt Dr. Kutter.)
J. f. O. 1889, p. 345.]

Herr Ernst Hartert has made a nineteen-months' collect-
ing-tour in the East, and now gives us the benefit of his
ornithological collections and experiences. During the first
nine months he devoted himself principally to insects in
Penang, Sumatra, Salanga, and Perak, but obtained likewise
a few birds. Returning to Calcutta, Herr Hartert proceeded,
along with an American entomologist, Mr. Wm. Doherty,
to Upper Assam, and after several months' stay there, went
back to the Malay Peninsula, whence he returned home
through continental India. The birds have been determined
at the Berlin Museum, while Dr. Kutter, the well-known
Oologist of Cassel, contributes notes on the eggs.

Herr Hartert divides his observations into four sections —
Sumatra, Perak, Assam, and continental India, and gives us
many interesting remarks on all these subjects. Under the
second head will be found the author's collected notes on the
Eurylsemidse and their nesting. He obtained nests and eggs
of Eurylcemus ochromelas and Cymborhynchus macrorhynchus
in Perak and of Serilophus rubropggius in Assam, and was
furnished with notes on those of Psarisomus dalhousice by
a correspondent. From his observations and those already
recorded by Messrs. Davison and Oates, it is now certain,
as is pointed out by Dr. Kutter, that the Eurylaemidse con-
struct a domed purse-shaped nest, suspended to the bough
of a tree, and lay more or less spotted eggs.

In Assam Herr Hartert stationed himself first at Mar-
gherita, on the Dihong, at the foot of the Patkoi Hills,
and afterwards under the Mishmi Hills, north of Sadiya,
whence he explored the adjoining ranges. Amongst other
birds of interest, he met with Cypselus infmnatus (verus)
breeding in the native villages at an elevation of 1500 feet
and upwards, and asserts its specific difference from the
Burmese Swift so called by Oates. A Swift determined
as Collocalia linchi (?) was also obtained here, and the

Recently published Ornithological Works. 453

nest, attached to the stem of a fallen tree, was taken. Three
specimens of the rare Hornbill Anorrhinus austeni (cf. Ibis,
1872, p. 6) were procured on the Patkoi Hills and are de-
scribed in detail. Altogether Herr Hartert seems to have
made a most successful and instructive expedition.

88. Hartlaub on Birds from China.

[Ueber eine Sarunilung Chinesischen Vogel. Von Dr. G. Hartlaub.
Abhandl. naturw. Ver. Bremen, xi. 1890.]

Dr. Hartlaub gives us an account of a small collection of
birds sent to the Bremen Museum by Herr B. Schmacker, a
Bremner resident in Shanghai. It contains 100 specimens,
Avhich are referred to 48 species. These are all known species,
but our friend manages to give us some very interesting notes
on them, and prefaces his account of them with a concise
but accurate resume of our chief authorities on Chinese orni-
thology. Only we must inform him that Mr. Seebohm, not
the British Museum, is the fortunate owner of the " Swinhoe
Collection."

89. Oustalet on a new Tinamou.

[Description d'un nouveau Tiuamou de la Patagonie. Par M. E. Ous-
talet. Ann. d. Sc. Nat. Zool. ix. p. 34.]

Under the name Tinamotis ingoufi, M. Oustalet describes
a second species of this peculiar genus of Tinamidae, of which
a specimen, was obtained by M. Lebrun, of the French
Scientific Mission to Patagonia, at Santa Cruz in 1882. The
only previously known species of this genus is T. pentlandi,
of the Bolivian Andes.

90. Py craft on the Bird's Wing.

[A Contribution to the Pterylography of Birds' Wings. By W. P.
Pycraft. 8vo. Leicester: 181)0. Reprinted from the Trans. Leicester
Lit. & Phil. Soc. ii. pt. 3.]

We are much pleased to see a new writer taking up ptery-
lography— there is still so much to be done, even as regards the
most ordinary British species, in this much-neglected branch

454 Recently published Ornithological Works.

of ornithology. Mr. Pycraft has established some good points
in his little paper, and has evidently studied the bird's wing
to some purpose. He maintains that the "remicle" is
attached to the third phalanx of the second digit, and not to
the second, as stated by Wray, and discusses well the de-
generation of this little feather in certain groups. As regards
Phoenicopterus, Wray was again undoubtedly wrong in stating
that it is quincubital (cf. Ibis, 1890, p. 81). But we may
well excuse an occasional slip in so precise and original a
writer.

We quite agree with Mr. Pycraft that the term " tertials "
should be totally abolished, and et inner secondaries " used
for the secondaries next to the primaries, which in some birds
are much elongated. We trust that this author will con-
tinue his studies of the bird's wing.

91. Records of the Australian Museum.

[Records of the Australian Museum. Edited by the Curator. Vol. I.
No. 1. Printed by Order of the Trustees : E. P. Ramsay, LL.D., Curator.
8vo. Sydney: 1890.]

This is the first number of a " new occasional periodical,"
intended to contain " the results of original researches "
made by the officers of the Australian Museum, " reports of
their collecting-expeditions," and " other matter relating to
the work of the Museum." Dr. E. P. Ramsay is the editor.
Several of the papers in the present number relate to birds.
In Dr. Ramsay's report on a zoological collection from the
Solomon Islands, seven species of birds are mentioned as
obtained in Howla Island, belonging to the Shortland group ;
one of these, Pomarea leucophthalma, is described as new.
A list is given of the birds obtained by Messrs. E. J. Cairn
and R. Grant during their collecting-trips to N.E. Queens-
land from April to September 1889. Dr. Ramsay contributes
remarks on the occurrence of some rare birds in New South
Wales — Piezorhynchus leucotis, Pycnoptilus jloccosus, &c.
Mr. A. J. North gives notes on the nests and eggs of Merala
vinitincta and Ocydromus sylveslris of Lord Howe's Island,
and on the nidification of Heleromyias cinereifrons and

Recently published Ornithological Works. 455

Orthonyx spaldingi in N.E. Queensland. The latter builds a
dome-shaped nest and lays white eggs.

92. Reid on the Birds of the Lucknow Museum.

[Catalogue of the Birds in the Provincial Museum, N.W. P. and Oudh,
Lucknow, on the 1st April, 1880. Allahabad : 1890. 1 vol. 8vo,
358 pp.]

This volume gives a list of the specimens of Indian birds
in the Lucknow Museum, about 5360 in number, repre-
senting 783 species, with an accurate record of their localities.
Jerdon's arrangement is followed. The species not included
in that work are described in an appendix. References are
also given to the volumes of the B. M. Catalogue where
published.

93 Ridgway' s 'Birds of Illinois.'

[The Ornithology of Illinois. Part I. Descriptive Catalogue. By
Robert Ridgway. Part II. Economic Ornithology. By S. A. Forbes.
Volume I. Published by Authority of the State Legislature. Springfield,
111.: 1889.]

Mr. Ridgway is a native of Illinois, having been born at
Mount Carmel, in the S.E. part of that State, and mainly
resident there until 1867. No better qualified person there-
fore could have been found to undertake the task of com-
piling an account of the birds of Illinois. Moreover, the
Bird collection of the U. S. National Museum under his
charge contains " thousands of specimens from Illinois, con-
tributed by various naturalists now or formerly residing in
the State." Mr. H. K. Coale of Chicago, whose industry
in collecting and observing birds is known to many of us,
has also placed " his note-books, full of valuable records," at
the " author's disposal."

In the Introduction are described, first, the physical
features of the State, which are generally of a very simple
nature, the highest point at the northern border only reach-
ing some 1100 feet above the sea-level, and the whole extent
presenting a gradual slope to the south-east. While the
northern portion is (or was) uniform prairie, the southern is

456 Recently published Ornithological Works.

heavily wooded. The characteristic features of the avifauna
are then pointed out, and a series of tables given, showing
the residents, summer migrants, and visitants. A full Bibli-
ography follows.

The systematic portion of the present volume begins with
the Passeres, that most inconvenient and unnecessary system
of beginning at the wrong end, so dear to our American
friends, being on this occasion ignored. The other higher
groups down to the end of the Columbae follow.

94. Sharpe's Catalogue of the Sturniformes and Abnormal
Passeres.

[Catalogue of the Passerifornies, or Perching Birds, in the Collection of
the British Museum. Sturniformes, containing the Families Artamidae,
Stumidae, Ploceidae, Alaudidae, also the Families Atrichiidae and Menu-
ridas. By P. Bowdler Sharpe. London : 1890.]

The issue of the 13th volume of the Catalogue of Birds
renders the account of the great Order Passeres complete
(see above, p. 388). As regards species, the Passeres are
usually supposed to be equally numerous with, or perhaps
slightly more numerous than, all the other Orders of Birds
put together. According to the views of the authors of the
thirteen volumes in which they are catalogued, about 6480
species of Passeres are at present known. We shall probably
not be far wrong, therefore, if we give the total number of
species of Birds to be catalogued as 13,000. But we doubt
whether twenty-six volumes (i. e. twice the number assigned
to the Passeres) will be sufficient for this purpose ; perhaps
twenty-nine or thirty will be nearer the mark.

In the present volume we have an account of 601 species
and subspecies, belonging to the families Artamidae, Sturnidae,
Ploceidae, Alaudidae, Atrichiidae, and Menuridae. Of these
only 58 (25 of which are of doubtful value) are unrepresented
in the British Museum. The number of specimens illus-
trative of these families reaches the total of 11,699.

Two genera only are recognized in the Artamidae — Artamus,
with 17 species, and the curious ^Ethiopian monotype Pseudo-
chelidon, which, in our opinion, should rather constitute a
family by itself.

Recently published Ornithological Works. 437

The Sturnidse are divided into two subfamilies, Sturninoe
and Buphaginse ; the former contains 39 genera, the latter
only Buphaga with two species. The following genera appear
to be proposed for the first time : —

Chalcopsar, for Megalopterus australis, Smith.

Hagiopsar, for Amydrus tristrami, Scl.

Heteropsar, for Lamprocolius acuticaudus, Bocage.

Mainatus (sive Eulabes) palawanemis is a new subspecies
of Gracula javanensis* from Palawan.

The Ploceidae in the Catalogue are divided into two sub-
families, Viduinae and Ploceinse. Of the former 42 genera
are recognized, embracing 212 species and subspecies ; of
the latter 20 genera, with 100 species and subspecies. The
following generic terms are new : —

Penthetriopsis, for Loxia macrura, Gm.

Stictospiza, for Fringilla formosa, Lath.

Granatina, for Fringilla granatina, Linn.

Heteryphantes , for Malimbus nigricollis, Vieill.

Nesacanthis, for Foudia eminentissima, Bp.

We trust that Mr. Sharpe will excuse us for remarking
that, according to the principles which he usually goes upon
(i. e. of spelling names correctly, when the derivation is
obvious), " Philseterus " should be written Philetcerus (<£t'A,09,
amicus, et eralpos, socius), and ' c Aidemosyne " JEdemosyne.

Tlie following new specific and subspecific terms are
employed in the Ploceidse : — Urobrachya hildebrandti, Lago-
nosticta landana, Amadina marginalis , Zonogastris soudanensis,
Coccopygia kilimensis, Hypochaera amauropteryx, Nigrita pi-
naronota, Munia wallacii, M. cabanisi, Uroloncha squami-
collis, U. propinqua, Sitagra monacha, Hyphantornisjarnesoni,
H. castaneiceps, H. shelleyi, and Malimbus bartletti.

In the family Alaudidse Mr. Sharpe recognizes 116 species
and subspecies, and refers them to 21 genera, of which two

* In the body of the work Mr. Sharpe uses Mainatus for Gracula
religiosa, Linn., and its allied forms. In the Appendix he changes it to
Eulabes, following Mr. Oates (Faun. Brit. Ind., Aves, i. p. 509). But we
see no sufficient reason for not employing the Linnean term Gracula,
generally adopted.

458 Recently published Ornithological Works.

(Chersophilus, for Alauda duponti, and Heliocorys, for Gale-
rita modesta) are new. The following new specific and sub-
specific terms are used : — Alaudula persica, A. seebohmi,
Mirafra secunda, M. alopex, Heliocorys modesta, Ammomanes
algeriensis.

Fifteen coloured plates, drawn by, J. and Peter Sniit, illus-
trate this volume, and give us representations of the following
39 species : — Sturnus menzbieri, S. porphyronotus, Poliopsar
cambodianus, P. burmanicus, P. leucocephalus, Sturnopastor
contra, S. super ciliaris, S.jalla, Aplonis brunnescens, Lam-
procolius Ignitus, L. glaucovirens, L. lessoni, L. splendens,
L. purpureus, L. chloropterus, L. sycobius, L. chalcurus, L.
purpureiceps, L. cupreocaudus, Urobrachya bocagii, Quelea
erythrops, Q. cardinalis, Q. quelea, Q. intermedia, Q. cethiopica,
Q. russi, Lagonosticta jamesoni, L. polionota, L. congica,
h. landance, Pytelia hypogrammica, Hyphantornis castanops,
H. xanthopterus, H. aurantius, H. aureoflavus, H. castaneiceps,
H. bojeri, H. superciliosus, and Spermospiza ruficapilla.

95. Shufeldt on the Anatomy o/Speotyto.

[Notes on the Anatomy of Speotyto cunicularia kypogcea. By R. W.
Shufeldt, M.D., C.M.Z.S. Journ. of Morph. iii. p. 115.]

Dr. Shufeldt has already treated of the skeleton of Speotyto
(cf. U. S. Geol. & tteogr. Surv. of the Terr., Hayden's 12th
Ann. Rep. pp. 593-695), but now gives us some further
information, and describes at full length the pterylosis,
muscles, and viscera of tins Owl. The pterylosis presents
some peculiar points, which, however, may be shared in by
other Owls not yet carefully examined. There is also a
peculiarity in the structure of the plantar tendons, which
merits further examination. An excellent figure of the
pterylosis illustrates the memoir.

96. Shufeldt on the North- American Passeres.

[Contributions to the Comparative Osteology of the Families of North-
American Passeres. By R. W. Shufeldt, M.D., C.M.Z.S. Journ. of
Morph. iii. p. 81.]

Dr. Shufeldt takes the twenty families of North-American

Recently published Ornithological Works. 459

Passercs, as adopted in the Check-list of the American
Ornithologists' Union, and, after a " concise sketch " of the
osteology of one or more of the representatives of each of
these groups, proposes to show how they may be arranged in
a more natural linear order. Many of these types (Lanius,
Sturnella, Eremophila, Chamcea, &c.) have been studied in
former papers, details are now given on most of the remainder.
The revised table (op. cit. p. 107) is perhaps, in some respects,
an improvement upon that of the Check-list; but, as is
unfortunately the case in most of this author's elaborate
memoirs, no precise characters are given by which the twenty
families may be distinguished . If Dr. Shufeldt would furnish
these he would do a good deed.

As regards the elevation of Corvida? to the highest place in
the Passerine series, in maintaining which Dr. Shufeldt
follows Professor Newton, we think that the wing-structure
of the Crows is hardly reconcilable with this view. Surely
the families in which the primary quills are nearly (or quite)
reduced to nine in number must be allowed to be of a
higher degree of development than those which retain ten
or eleven fully formed primaries. It may be quite true that
the Raven has a " relatively larger brain " than that of other
Passeres, that its young have " substantially the plumage of
their parents/' and even that it is " a far more intelligent
bird than any species of Sialia " ; but its wing-structure is,
to our mind, a more significant character, and the Corvine
wing-structure is of a " low type."

97. Shufeldt on the Position of Chamgea.

[On the Position of Chamcea in the System. By K. W. Shufeldt.
Journ. of Morph. iii. p. 475.]

The much-vexed question of the position of Chamcea in
the natural series is here discussed by Dr. Shufeldt at full
length, after examination of a goodly series of specimens of
this form and its supposed allies, contributed by sympathizing
friends and correspondents. The ultimate results arrived at
are not very concisely given. But it would seem that the
" general form of Chamcea is more like that of a Bush-Tit

460 Recently published Ornithological Works.

[Psaltriparus) " than that of other birds with which it has
been compared. The cranial characters tend in the same
direction, and " force us to believe " that Chamaea is more
nearly allied to Psaltriparus than to any other bird of the
North-American avifauna.

98. Shufeldt on the Osteology of the Water-birds.

[Contributions to the Comparative Osteology of Arctic and Sub-Arctic
Water-Birds— Part VI. By R. W. Shufeldt, M.D., C.M.Z.S. Journ.
Anat. & Physiol, xxiv. p. 169.]

Dr. Shufeldt continues his studies on the osteology of the
Water-birds (see above, p. 381), and now treats of the Loons
and Grebes. He does not at all agree with the plan of the
" Check-list " in separating these two families, and uniting
the Loons with the Avvks. However widely separated now,
Dr. Shufeldt believes that the Loons and Grebes are derived
from the same ancestral stock.

The osteological characters of the Loons are concisely
summarized in seven numbered paragraphs at the close of the
article.

99. Stejneger on Birds from Kauai, Hawaiian Islands.

[Notes on a third Collection of Birds made in Kauai, Hawaiian Islands,
by Valdemar Knudsen. By Leonbard Stejneger. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus.
xii. pp. 377-386.]

Dr. Stejneger, who, though " Curator of the Department
of Reptiles and Batrachians" in the U.S. National Museum,
does not, we are happy to see, neglect the birds, gives us an
account of another collection of his correspondent, Mr.
Knudsen, in Kauai, of the Hawaiian Islands. As must be
the case with all collections from this locality, it is full of
interest. Additional specimens now convince the author of
the identity of his Puffinus knudseni with P. cuneatus, Salvin.
Buhveria bulweri (!) is an unexpected addition to the Hawaiian
list. Dr. Stejneger is now "fully satisfied" that Phaornis is
very closely allied to Myiadestes, and should be included in
the same group. This is certainly, as he remarks, of " very

Recently published Ornithological Works. 46 1

great interest," as it is " the only instance of a peculiar
Hawaiian genus of Passerine birds being related to birds
exclusively American in their present distribution." Finally,
a new species of Oreomyza is described as 0. wilsoni.
Altogether 22 species of birds are spoken of in the present
memoir.

100. Tschusi zu Schmidhoffen's ' Ornithologisches Jahrbuoh.'

[Ornithologisches Jahrbuch — Organ fur das palsearktische Faunen-
gebiet. Herausgegeben von Victor, Ritter von Tschusi zu Scbmidhoffen.
Band I. Hefte 2-4. 1890.]

Three more numbers of the new ' Ornithologisches Jahr-
buch/ of which we have already mentioned the institution
(above, p. 382), have reached us. They contain various
articles on Central European birds, of which that which
interests us most is an account of the irruption of Pastor
roseus into South-eastern Europe in June 1889. In that
month large flocks of this remarkable migrant arrived at
Knjajevo, near Sophia. Small flocks and wandering indi-
viduals appear to have separated from the main swarm, and
were met with at different points in Bohemia, Galizia,
Moravia, Carinthia, Lower Austria, Croatia, Bosnia, and
Hungary. The last great irruption of Pastor roseus took
place in 1875 (cf. Verh. k.-k. zool.-bot. Ges. Wien, xxvii.
Abh. p. 196).

101. Tschusi zu Schmidhoffen on Pallas' s Sand-Grouse.

[Das Steppenhuhn (Syrrhaptes paradoxus, Pall.) in Oesterreicb-Ungarn,
eine ornitbologische Studie von Victor, Ritter von Tschusi zu Schmid-
hoffen. Separat-Abdruck aus d. Mitth. Naturw. Ver. Steiermark, 1889.]

In this memoir we have a very complete account of the
various occurrences of Syrrhaptes within the limits of the
Austro-Hungarian Empire. After a list of the publications
on the subject, which occupies eight closely printed pages,
the fifteen principal divisions of the dual monarchy are taken
in alphabetical order, and the various authorities are given
for the occurrences of this bird in each of these divisions.
By the " tabular review " which follows, it would seem

ser. vi. — VOL. II. 2 L

162 Letters, Extracts, Notices, fyc.

that the greatest number of specimens were recorded in
Bukowina, as might have been expected. General details
as to the flights of the different years, their direction, and
their length of stay, also as to the manner of life and the
food of the birds, and other particulars are appended, and a
clearly drawn map accompanies the memoir. Although
several cases of females being shot with ripe eggs in the ovi-
duct are recorded, no authentic instance of the bird's breed-
ing in Austro- Hungary has been ascertained.

102. Zeledon on the Birds of Costa Rica.

[Catalogo de las Aves de Costa Rica. Con indication de las especies,
localidades y niimero de ejemplares contenidos en la coleccion del Museo
Nacional. For Jose" C. Zeledon. Ann. Mus. Nac. Rep. Costa Rica, 1887,
p. 107.]

This revised and augmented Catalogue of the Birds of
Costa Rica gives the names and localities of no less than 708
species. The last published list (Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. 1885,
p. 104) contained 692, showing that 16 species have been
recently added to the Costa-Rican avifauna by the exertions
of the author, whose zeal in the good cause is well known
to us.

XL VI. — Letters, Extracts, Notices, &;c.

The following letters, addressed " to the Editor," have
been received since our last issue : —

Sir, — Occasionally individuals of the Penguin of New
Zealand (Eudyptes pachyrhynchus) leave the sea and ramble
considerable distances up the freshwater rivers. Two in-
stances, which have occurred to my knowledge within the
last five years, are worth recording. On February 9th, 1886,
a specimen of this species was captured on the Kakauni river,
in North Otago, six miles from the sea. A second speci-
men was captured on the 24th of last month, on the Ashburton
river, twelve miles from the sea, and was duly chronicled
in the local newspapers. Mr. Robin, the farmer who brought

Letters, Extracts, Notices, tyc. 463

the bird into town, placed it on the ornamental waters of the
Domain, where I saw it in the afternoon leisurely deporting
itself in one of the shallow ponds. The bird (?) is in
excellent plumage, and appears to be otherwise in good con-
dition. It may be noted that the summer and autumn of
1885-86 were exceedingly dry and hot, while the present
season is also exceptionally dry and hot, in New Zealand, and
the rivers are lower at the present time than they have been
for many years. Some of the streams are well stocked with
numerous shoals of small fishes as well as mollusks and
crustaceans, and the fact of their being easily obtained in the
present low state of the rivers may account for the Penguins
ascending the rivers in dry seasons to obtain food. After
the nesting-season they frequently repair to the estuaries of
rivers to feed, but they rarely wander so far from the sea.
Sir Walter Buller records the capture (Birds N. Z. 2nd ed.
1888, vol. ii. p. 288) of a specimen by the natives half a mile up
the Opotiki river (North Island) in 1868, but this is the only
case yet recorded of the Penguin wandering any distance
from the sea.

Yours &c,
Ashburton, New Zealand, W. W. Smith.

March 0, 1890.

Sir, — On the 22nd May a beautiful adult male specimen of
the Caspian Plover {/Eyialitis asiatica, Pall.) was shot by a
boy named Samuel Bensley on the Denes, Great Yarmouth.
There was another one with it at the time, but that escaped.
The ground on which they were observed was sand over-
grown with grass. The bird, which has since been purchased,
I am informed, by Mr. Southwell for the Norwich Museum
for the sum of .€10,. has been nicely mounted by Mr. Lowne,
naturalist, Yarmouth, in whose shop it is still on view.

I have compared it with the description of the summer
plumage in ' Stray Feathers'' (vol. vii. p. 438), with which it
agrees well, except that the crown, nape, wings, and back
appear to be in the paler winter plumage.

464 Letters, Extracts, Notices, fyc.

The bird is about the size of the common Ringed Plover
{JEgialitis hiaticula), but in plumage reminds one more of
the Dotterel (Eudromias morinellus) on account of its broad
rufous pectoral band and the white stripe over the eye. The
most striking feature, however, is the long tarsus, in which
it seems to approach the genus Himantopus. The birds
were not at all shy, and consequently easily approached,
and that they were genuine wild birds there is not a doubt.
This adds one more species to the British list, and it is to be
hoped will find a place amongst the beautiful plates in Lord
Lilford's new work, to which it will be a valuable addition.

Yours &c,

Herring-fleet Hall, E. A. Butler, Lt.-Col.

Lowestoft, Suffolk,

June 20th, 1890.

P.S. — The sternum has been forwarded to Prof. Newton.

[The specimen in question was exhibited by Mr. South-
well at the meeting of the Zoological Society of London on
June 17th.— Ed.]

Sir, — It will probably interest your readers to hear that
there was sent to the Society's Gardens in the month of
March last, a Chaffinch [Eringilla ccelebs), a specimen which
was very curious. The right half of the bird was exactly
like that of a male in breeding-dress, whilst the left half was
that of a female.

The two different plumages were so perfectly separated
that one could draw a straight line from the point of the
beak over the back and over the breast to the middle of the
tail. The beak itself presented the two different colourings
in perfect distinctness.

The bird having been sacrificed to science, its post-mortem
examination was effected by Prof. Max Weber, who found
it, as was to be expected, a hermaphrodite. On the left
side the ovary was wel