Full text of "Ibis"
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LIBRARY
OF
THE AMERICAN MUSEUM
OF
NATURAL HISTORY
THE IBIS,
A MAGAZINE OF GENERAL ORNITHOLOGY,
EDITED BY
PHILIP LUTLEY SCLATER, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.S.,
FELLOW OF CORPUS CHRISTI COLLEGE, OXFORD;
SECRETARY TO THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON ;
FELLOW OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY ; HONOEARY MEMBER OF THE ACADEMr OF NATURAL
SCIENCES OF PniLADELPlIIA, OF TUE LYCEUM OF NATURAL niSTORY OF NEW YORK,
AND OF THE GERMAN ORNITHOLOGISTS' SOCIETY ; ETC.
VOL. IV. 1862.
Ibimus indomiti venerantes Ibida saeram,
Ibimus incolumes qua prior Ibis adest."
LONDON:
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PREFACE.
Once more it becomes the agreeable duty of the pro-
prietors of ' The Ibis ' to return their grateful thanks for
the hearty cooperation accorded them by the Ornitho-
logists of all parts of the world.
It is fully believed that the contents of the present
volume will not be found inferior in interest or utility
to those of its predecessors, while, from the assurances
of support received by the Editor, he entertains a strong
conviction that the present high standard will be kept
up in future years.
PHILIP LUTLEY SCLATER
(Editor).
11, Hanover Square,
Oct. 1st, 1862.
LIST OF MEMBERS
OF THE
BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION.
1862.
lloBERT BiRKBECK, F.Z.S.; 65 Lombard Street, London.
Henry Maurice Drtjmmond-Hay, Lieutenant-Colonel, lloyal Perth
Eifles ; Seggieden, Perthshire.
Thomas Campbell Eyton, F.L.S., F.Z.S., F.G.S., &c.; Eyton Hall,
Salop.
Frederick DuCane Godman, F.Z.S.; 55 Lowndes Square, London.
Percy Sandon Godman, B.A., Corr. M.Z.S.; Borregaard, Sarpsborg,
Norway.
John Henry Gurney, M.P., F.Z.S., &c.; Catton Hall, Norfolk.
Rev. "William Henry Hawker, M.A., F.Z.S.; Green Hook, Horn-
dean, Hants.
Arthttr Edward Ejnox, M.A., F.L.S. ; Trotton, Sussex.
Right Hon. Thomas Lyttleton, Lord Lilford, F.Z.S.; LJlford Hall,
Nor than ts.
Edward CLOtron Neavcombe ; Feltwell Hall, Norfolk.
Alfred Newton, M.A., F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c. ; FeUow of Magdalen
College, Cambridge.
Edward Newton, M.A., Corr. M.Z.S., Assistant Colonial Secretary,
Mauritius.
John William Powlett-Orde, late Captain 42nd (Royal Highland)
Regiment ; Kilmorey, Argyllshire.
Osbert Salvin, M.A., F.Z.S. ; 11 Hanover Terrace, Regent's Park,
London.
Phelip Lutley Sclater, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.S., Sec. Z.S., &c,, FeUow of
Corpus Christi College, Oxford ; 11 Hanover Square, London.
Alfred Forbes Sealy, M.A., F.C.P.S., &c. ; Madi-as.
Wilfred Huddleston Simpson, M.A., F.Z.S. ; 21 Gloucester Place,
Portman Square, London.
Rev. Edward Cavendish Taylor, M.A., F.Z.S. ; Oxford and Cam-
bridge Club, Pall Mall, London,
Robert Fisher Tomes, Corr. M.Z.S. ; Welford Hill, Stratford-upon-
Avon, Warwickshire.
Rev. Henry Baker Tristr\m, M.A., F.L.S., Corr. M.Z.S., Master of
Greatham Hospital, Durham.
HONORARY MEMBERS
OF THE
BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION.
Professor Spencer F. B.vird, Assistant Secretary to the Smithsonian
Institution, Washington.
Doctor Eduard Baldamus, Pfarrer zii Osternienburg bei Cothen,
Sekretiir der deutschen Ornithologen-Gesellschaft.
Edw.ard Blyth, Curator to the Museum of the Royal Asiatic Society
of Bengal, Calcutta.
Doctor Jean Cabanis, Erster Gustos am Konigl. Museum der
Friedrich-Wilhelm's Universitat zu Berlin.
John Cassix, Academy of ^Natural Sciences, PhiladeJjphia.
Doctor GusTAV Hartlatjb, Bremen.
Leopold Edgar Layard, South African Museum, CajMtown.
Professor J. Reixhardt, Kongehge ^N^aturhistoiiske Museum, i Kj'6-
benhavn.
Jules Yerreaux, Rue St. Louis au Marais, no. 17, a Paris.
Alfred Russel AVallace, 5 Westbomiie Grove Terrace, London, W.
c^
CONTENTS OF VOL. IV. (1862.)
NuMBEK XIII., Januari/.
Page
I. Additional Notes on the American Barbets. By Philip
Ltttley Sclater. (Plate I.) 1
II. On Birds collected and observed in the Interior of British
North America. By Capt. Blakiston, R.A. (Part II.) . , 3
III. Descriptions of Six New Species of Birds from the
Isthmus of Panama. By George N. Lawbence, C.M.Z.S. . . 10
rV^. Eemarks on the Mode of preparing and keeping living
Thi-ushes and other Birds intended for Shipment to Australia.
By A. D. Bartlett 13
V. Notice of some New Species of Birds from Upper Biirmah.
By Surgeon-Major T. C. Jeedox 19
VI. Note on Falco circumcinctus, a rare Bird of Prey from
South America. By Philip Ltjtlet Sclater. (Plate II.) . . 23
VII. An additional List of Birds received from Natal. By
John Henry Gurnet, M.P., F.Z.S. (Plate III.) .... 25
VIII. Notice on the occurrence of the Red-necked Goatsucker
(Caprimulgiis ruficoUis) in England. By John Hancock . . 39
IX. Review of Drs. Blasius's and Baldamus's Continuation
of Naimiann's 'Vogel Deutschlands' 40
X. An Ornithological Letter on Hehgoland. By Prof. Dr. J.
H. Blasius 58
X CONTENTS.
Page
XI. Eecent Ornithological Publications : —
1. English Puhlkatioas : — Gould's 'Humming-birds :' Swin-
hoe's ' North-China Camijaign :' Collingwood's ' Notes on Sing-
ing-birds :' Newman's ' Birds'-nesting:' Lubbock's article on
the Kitchen-middens of Denmark : Blyth's Reports on accessions
to the Calcutta Museum : Parker's ' Osteology of Balceniceps rex' 72
2. French PubUcations : — Eevue et Magasin de Zoologie . . 79
3. German Publications : — v. Heuglin's articles on the Fauna
of the Red Sea : v. Pelzeln's new Accipitres : Report of the
German Ornithological Society's Meeting at Stuttgardt: Ca-
banis's Jovirnal fiir Omithologie 79
4. American Publication : — Coues's Monograph of the Triiiigece
of N. America ; and Notes on the Ornithology of Labrador :
Elliot's Monograph of the Pittas : "VVheaton's Catalogue of the
Birds of Ohio : The Canadian Naturalist and Geologist ... 84
XII. Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, &g.: —
Letters from Mr. G. D. Rowley and Mr. H. Stevenson : Ex-
tract of a Letter from Dr. G. Bennett: Announcement of
Mr. Jerdon's work on the Natural History of India : Mr. Blyth's
Letters and critical Remarks : The latest news of Mr. Monteiro
in Bengiiela, Mr. Edward Newton in Madagascar, Mr. Wallace
in the Indian Archipelago, and Messrs. Salvin and Godman in
Guatemala 88
Nttmber XIV., Api-il.
XIII. Notes on the Sea-birds observed during a Voyage in
the Antarctic Ocean. By E. L. Latard, Corr. Memb. Z.S. . 97
XIV. Observations on the Birds of the Western Districts of
the Province of Nelson, New Zealand. By Julius Haast . . 100
XV. On the supposed Gular Pouch of the Male Bustard {Otis
tarda). By Alfred Newton, M.A., F.L.S 107
XVI. Five Weeks in the Peninsula of Florida diu-ing the
Spring of 1861, with Notes oii the Birds observed there. By
George Cavendish Taylor, F.R.G.S., F.Z.S., »fec. (Part I.) . 127
CONTENTS. XI
Page
XVII. On some new or little-known Birds from the Cape
Colony. By Dr. G. Haetlaub 143
XVIII. A Foiu'th additional List of Birds received from
Natal. By John Henbt Gueney, M.P., F.Z.S.. (Plates IV.
& V.) 149
XIX. Some Remarks on the Genus Bal(tniceps. By Dr. J.
Reinhaedt 158
XX. Note on Pipra deliciosa. By Philip Littley Sclater.
(Plate VI.) 175
XXI. Recent Ornithological Publications : —
1. Enfjlish Publications : — Ravenstein's ' Russians on the
Amoor :' Boner's ' Forest Creatures :' Lubbock on the Lake-
habitations of Ancient Switzerland : Bree's ' Birds of Europe ' . 178
2. Russian and Scandinavian Publications : — SchatiloiPs
• Birds of Tauria :' Reinhardt on the Balmiicei^s : Sundevall's
' Svenska Foglarna :' Meves on the Ornithology of Jemtland,
and the Red-colouring of the Lammergeyer 181
3. Amencan Publictitions : — Proceedings of the Boston Society
of Natural History: Bryant on the genus Catarractes, and
on Biiteo borealis : EUiot on a new Pitta : Suckley on a new
American Grouse : Cooper on new Californian Birds : Geoifrey's
' Humming-birds of Bogota ' 183
XXII. Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, «fcc. : —
Letters from Messrs. H. Stevenson and G. Ki-efft : Extracts
of Letters from Dr. G. Bennett, Mr. Blyth, and Herr A.
V. Pelzeln : Remarks on Podiceps auritus breeding in Egj^^t :
Latest intelligence of Messrs, Salvin and Godman, of Mr. E.
Newton, and of Mr. F. Plant 189
Number XV., July.
XXIII. Five Weeks in the Peninsula of Florida diu-ing the
Spring of 1861, with Notes on the Biids observed there. By
George Cavendish Taylor, F.R.G.S., F.Z.S., kc. (Part II.) 197
XU CONTENTS.
Page
XXIV. Fiu'ther note on the Eggs of Vultur auricularis and
Aquila amlax. By J. H. Gtoney, M.P., F.Z.S 207
XXV. Observations sui" le Genre Circaetus ; et Description
d'une nouvelle Espece. Par MM. J. Vekkeatjx et 0. DesMttks.
(Plate VII.) 208
XXVI. A List of the Birds of New Zealand and the adjacent
Islands 214
XXVII. Ornithological Ramble in Foochow, in December
1861. By R. SwiNHOE, Corr. Mem. Zool. See. Lond. . . . 253
XXVIII. Notes on Birds observed in Madagascar. By S.
Rocn, Assistant- Surgeon, R.A., C.M.Z.S., and Edwakd Newton,
M.A., C.M.Z.S. (Part I.) (Plates VIII. & IX.) .... 265
XXIX. Notice of the supposed occurrence of the American
Kill-deer Plover in this country. By P. L. Sclater . . . 275
XXX. Note on the Birds of Palestine. By the Rev. H. B.
Tristram 277
XXXI. Ornithology in the International Exhibition . . . 279
XXXII. Recent Ornithological Publications : —
1. Emjlisli PubUcations : — Mrs. Hugh Blackburn's ' Birds
Drawn from Nature ' 290
2. German PubUcations : — Biideker's ' Eier der Europaischen
Vdgel : ' Fritsch's ' Naturgeschichte der Vogel Europa's : ' Preyer
und Zirkel's ' Reise nach Island ' 294
XXXIII. Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices,
tfec: —
Letters from Mr. W. K. Parker, M. Leon Olph-Galliard, and
Mr. H. Stevenson : Extracts of letters from Mr. Blyth and
Mr. Swinhoe : News of Mr. Kennicott in North America . . 297
CONTENTS. Xm
Number XVI., October.
Page
XXXIV. On the Ornithology of Northern Japan. Bv Cap-
tain Blakiston. (Plate X.) 309
XXXV. Notes on Birds collected in Angola in 1861. By
Joachim J. MoNTEiRo. (Plate XI.) 333
XXXVI. Description d'une nouvelle Espece de Pigeon du
Genre Leucotreron. Par MM. Jules Verreaux et 0. DesMijrs.
(Plate XII.) 342
XXXVII. Sur VAntJuis des Canaries reconnu comme espece
nouvelle et nomrae Anfhiis bertheJotii. Par Charles Bolle (de
Berlin) 343
XXXVIII. On some new Birds from the Northern Moluccas.
By A. R. Wallace 348
XXXIX. On the Extinction in Europe of the Common
Francolin (Francoliiitis vulgaris, Steph.). By Lord Lilford,
F.L.S, F.Z.S 352
XL. Notes on the Birds of Egypt. By S. Stafford Allen . 357
XLI. Remarks on the Lesser Buzzard of South Africa and
its Congeners. By J. H. Gurnet, M.P., F.Z.S 361
XLII. Letter from Mr. Savinhoe. (Plate XIII.) . . .363
XLIII. Contribution to the Breeding Historj- of the Nut-
cracker {Nucifraga caryocatactes). By E. Schutt .... 365
XLIV. Review of the recently published Memoir of Bewick 368
XLV. Recent Ornithological Publications : —
1. English Publications: — Morris's ' British Birds:' Johns's
' British Birds in their Haunts : ' Bree's ' Birds of Europe : '
Sclater's ' Catalogue of American Birds:' Mason's ' Burmah.' . 378
2. French PubUccttions : — Revue et Magasin de Zoologie . . 380
3. German Publications : — Journal fiir Ornithologic : Bade-
ker's ' European Eggs ' 381
4. Scandinavian and Russian Publications: — Kroyer's 'Tids-
skrift :' Radde's ' Travels in Eastern Asia ' 382
5. American Publications :— Elliot's ' Pittas ' 383
XIV CONTENTS.
Page
XLVI. Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, &c. : —
Letters from Freiherr v. Heuglin and Mr. Rowlej^ : Extracts
of letters from Mr. Blyth and Mr. Gatke : Mr. Crewe's notes
on the Dotterel in Bucks : Death of M. Mouhot : Mr. Gould's
new work on ' British Birds :' Major Ty tier's appointment to
the Andamans 383
Index 393
ERRATA.
Page 19, line 15, for " Chatachee" read " Chaiarrhoea:'
Page 91, line 16, for " eyanura" read '' cyanea"
Page 151, foot-note, for a read h, and for h read a.
Page 162, line 12, for " hyperrhachis " read " hyporhachis."
Page 162, line 28, and elsewhere in the same article, for " rows of feathers " read
" featherless interspaces."
Page 163, lines 23, 24, for " though with them " read " and where."
Page 168, line 30, for " surfaces of the " read " surfaces for the."
Page 180, line 3, for " Trogon " read " Troyon."
Page 281, line 26, for " forms " read " hues."
Page 308, line 16, for ' Beer" read " Bear."
PLATES IN A OL. IV.
Page
I. Capito maculicoronatus 1
II. Falco cii'cumcinctus 23
III. Circaetus fasciolatus 25
IV. Spizaetus ayresii 149
V. Pindalus ruficapillus 149
VI. Machaeropterus deKciosus 175
VII. Circaetus beaudouini 208
VIII. Buteo brachji^terus 265
IX. Atelornis pittoides 265
X. Turdus naiunauni 319
XI. Hii'imdo monteiri 340
XII. Leucotreron gironieii 342
XIII. Psaropholus ardens 363
l"bis,lS6c'^,Pl.
i[&2T JliTitidrt Ivvp^.
P.APTTn TVfAnTTTiTnnRnTTATTT.S
THE IBIS.
No. XIII. JANUARY 1862.
I. — Additional Notes on the American Barbets.
By Philip Lutley Sclateii.
(Plate I.)
In an article on the Barbets of America [Capitonidie), published
in this Journal last year *, I gave descriptions of all the species
of the family then known to me, amounting to thirteen in
number. Since that paper was written, Mr. George N. Law-
rence, of New York, has, as has been already mentioned in these
pages ( ' Ibis,' 1861, p. 406), made known a new and brilliant
addition to the group, by the name of Capita maculicoronatus ,
and this, moreover, from a region hitherto supposed to be out-
side of the area occupied by this peculiar form. I have now to
acknowledge Mr. Lawrence's kindness in sending me for examina-
tion specimens of this bird ; and the subscribers to the ' Ibis ' are
indebted to his liberality for the accompanying coloured plate,
in which both the sexes are represented.
The Capito maculicoronatus is very distinct specifically from
any of the species included in my previous list. In form it is
most nearly allied to the more typical members of the genus,
and should be placed near Capito erythrocephalus and C. peruvi-
aniLS, as they stand in my arrangement, with the following short
characters.
Capito maculicoronatus. (PI. I.)
Capito maculicoronatus, Lawr. Ann. Lye. of N. H. New York,
vol. vii. p. 300.
* See Ibis, 1861, p. 182.
VOL. IV. B
3 Dr. P. L. Sclater on the American Barbets.
S Niger : pileo flavescenti-brunneo maculato : subtus palllde
limonaceo-albus, pectore aurantiaco sufFuso, lateribus nigro
maculatis : plaga elongata utrinque iu hypochoudriis au-
rantiaca : rostro obscure corneo, macula ante nares auran-
tiaca ; mandibulse inferioris basi albicante : pedibus nigris :
long, tota 6*3, alse 3*2, caudse 22 poll. Angl. et dec.
2 Mari similis, sed gutture toto et pectore nigerrimis.
Hab. in isthmo Panama.
Mus. Geo. N. Lawrence.
I confess I should rather have supposed the black-throated
bird of this singular pair (represented in the upper figure in PI. I.)
to be the male ; but Mr. Lawrence, in answer to inquiries on this
point, assures me that his description of the sexes (which I have
here followed) is correct. Mr. Lawrence says, in a letter dated
" New York, August 1 1th, 1861" :—
" Since my description of this species, I have received from
Messrs. J. M'^Leannan and J. R. Galbraith a fine collection of
birds, made for me during the past winter on the Isthmus of
Panama, with such observations as they were able to make. One
male and two females were the only specimens that were pro-
cured of this species, and the following short note the only in-
formation that is given of it : —
"*Irides brown. Not often met with. Found on high trees.
Length 7 inches.' "
Mr. Lawrence adds (Nov. 7th) ; — " The sexes of the Capita are,
without doubt, correctly given. I have seen Mr. Galbraith in
reference to this point. He states that his determination of
the sexes was made in all cases by dissection ; that he particu-
larly remembers this species, and is positive as to his specimens
being correctly marked."
I may add to my remarks on Tetragonojjs ram2)hastinus
(' Ibis,' 1861, p. 184, pl.vi.), that the British Museum now con-
tains an example of this singular bird, lately received from
Ecuador through Mr. Gould. In this specimen the nuchal
feathers are rather elongated, and form a sort of tuft, which I
have not noticed in the two examples in Sir William Jardine's
collection.
Capt. Blakiston on American Birds. 3
II. — On Birds collected and observed in the Interior of British
North America. By Capt. Blakiston, R.A.* (Part II.)
[Concluded from vol. iii. p. 320.]
Order II. SCANSORES.
19. Picus viLLosus. No. 27. Forks of Saskatchewan River,
Dec. 1857. Length 9^ iu., wing 51, Sex not known.
No. 37. Forks of Saskatchewan, Jan. 22nd, 1858.
20. Picus PUBESCENS. No. 42(5 • Forks of Saskatchewan,
Feb. 4th, 1858. Length 6^ in., wing 4. Eye rod.
21. Sphyrapicus varius. No. 10 S- Grand Rapids of
Saskatchewan, Sept. 25th, 1857. No. 85 S . Forks of Sas-
katchewan, May 7th, 1858.
22. Hylatomus pileatus. No. 63. North branch of Saskat-
chewan River, April 1858.
23. Melanerpes torquatus. No. 163 S- Row River, lat.
51° north, Sept. 19th, 1858.
24. Colaptes auratus. No. 176. Hudson's Bay. Eggs
also obtained.
25. Colaptes mexicanus. Obtained by M. Bourgeau.
Order III. INSESSORES.
26. Chordeiles henryi. No. 132 <5. Forks of Saskat-
chewan, June 2nd, 1858. Specimens obtained by M. Bourgeau,
and eggs on the Saskatchewan Plains, summer 1858.
27. Ceryle alcyon. No. 157. Rocky Mountains, 49°
north, Sept. 1858.
28. Tyrannus carolinensis. No. 131 S • Forks of Sas-
katchewan, June 1st, 1858. Specimen and eggs obtained by
M. Bourgeau, Plains of Saskatchewan, summer 1858.
* Owing to Capt. Blakiston's hurried departure for China last year, he
was, luifortunately, unable to complete his notes, except so far as they
related to the Acciptres, which were given in the former part of his paper.
—Ed.
B 2
4 Capt. Blakiston on Birds collected and observed
29. Sayornis sayus. No. 79. Plains of Saskatchewan,
May 4th, 1858.
30. Empidonax pusillus. No. 122 J . Forks of Saskat-
chewan, May 27th, 1858.
31. TuRDUS swAixsoNii. No. 99. Forks of Saskatchewan,
May 19th, 1858.
32. TuRDUs MiGRATORius. No. 75 d . Forks of Saskat-
chewan, April 24th, 1858. Eggs also obtained.
33. Anthus ludovicianus. No. 104 $ . Forks of Saskat-
chewan, May 18th, 1858.
No. 159 c? . Base of Rocky Mountains, 49° north, Sept. 9th,
1858.
34. Neocorys sPRAGUii. No. 82 6 . Forks of Saskat-
chewan, May 7th, 1858.
Common on the Plains of Saskatchewan.
35. Helminthophaga celata. No. 110 J. Forks of Sas-
katchewan, May 21st, 1858.
36. Helminthophaga peregrina. Nos. 124 $, 125 S-
Lower Saskatchewan, May 27th, 1858.
37. Seiurus NOVEBORACENSis. No. 115$. Forks of Sas-
katchewan, May 22nd, 1858.
38. Dendroica striata. No. 98 S - Forks of Saskatche-
wan, May 15th, 1858.
39. Dendroica estiva. No. 120 d . Forks of Saskatche-
wan, May 26th, 1858.
40. Setophaga ruticilla. No. 127 d . Forks of Saskat-
chewan, May 27th, 1858.
41. HiRUNDO bicolor. No. 102 d. Forks of Saskatche-
wan, May 17th, 1858.
42. Cotyle riparia. Specimen and eggs obtained by
M. Bourgeau, Saskatchewan Plains, summer 1858.
43. Progne purpurea. No. 94. Forks of Saskatchewan,
May 11th, 1858.
in the Interior of British North America. 5
44. CoLLYRio BOREALis. No. 8. Between Hudson's Bay
and Lake Winipeg, Sept. 17th, 1857.
No. 26 6 . Forks of Saskatchewan, Dec. 18th, 1857.
45. CoLLYRio EXcuBiTORoiDEs. No. 138 $ . Forks of Sas-
katchewan, June 2nd, 1858.
46. ViREo oLivACEus. No. 146 2 • Forks of Saskatchewan,
June 4th, 1858.
47. ViREo GiLvus. No. 123 cJ. Forks of Saskatchewan,
May 27th, 1858.
48. MiMUs CAROLiNENSis. No. 137. Forks of Saskatche-
wan, June 3rd, 1858. Specimen and eggs obtained by M. Bour-
geau, in the Saskatchewan Plains, summer 1858.
49. Harporhynchus rufus. No. 141 J. Forks of Sas-
katchewan, June 4th, 1858.
50. CisTOTHORUS PALUSTRis. No. 80 cJ • Plains of Sas-
katchewan, May 4th, 1858.
51. Troglodytes parkmanni. No. 121 d. Forks of Sas-
katchewan, May 27th, 1858. Specimen and eggs obtained by
M. Bourgeau.
52. Sitta canadensis. No. lid- Lower Saskatchewan,
Sept. 26th, 1857.
53. Parus SEPTENTRiONALis. No. 28 d • Forks of Saskat-
chewan.
No. 43. Forks of Saskatchewan, Feb. 8th, 1858.
Nos. 44 d, 45 d . Forks of Saskatchewan, Feb. 18th, 1858.
No. 150 6 . East base of Rocky Mounlams, Aug. 14th, 1858.
54. Parus hudsonicus. Seen and examined between
Hudson's Bay and Lake Winipeg.
55. Eremophila cornuta. No. 103 d. Forks of Sas-
katchewan, May 17th, 1858.
56. Hesperiphona vespertina. No. 22. Forks of Sas-
katchewan, Nov. 15th, 1857.
No. 23 6 . Forks of Saskatchewan, Nov. 17th, 1857.
No. 33 d. „ „ „ Dec. 10th, 1857.
6 Capt. Blakiston on Birds collected and observed
No. 40 ^. Forks of Saskatchewan, Jan. 21st, 1858.
No. 41 $. „ „ „ Jan. 31st, 1858.
57. PiNicoLA CANADENSIS. No. 20 d • Forks of Saskat-
chewan, Nov. 10th, 1859.
No. 34. Forks of Saskatchewan, Dec. 1857.
No. 47. „ „ „ Dec. 1857.
No. 48 d . „ „ „ Dec. 30th, 1857.
58. Carpodacus purpureus. No. 84 6 . Forks of Sas-
katchewan, May 7th, 1858.
59. Chrysomitris piNUS. No. 147. Plains of Saskatchewan,
near Rocky Mountains, Aug. 6th, 1858.
60. Plectrophanes lapponicus. No. 116 6. Forks of
Saskatchewan, May 25th, 1858.
61. Plectrophanes pictus. No. 158 j • Watershed of
Rocky Mountains, 49° north, Sept. 6th, 1858.
62. Plectrophanes ornatus. No. 105. Saskatchewan
Plains, May 15th, 1858.
63. Passerculus savanna. No. 90 6 . Forks of Saskat-
chewan, May 10th, 1858.
64. PocECETES gramineus. No. 83 6 . Forks of Saskat-
chewan, May 7th, 1858.
Specimen and eggs also obtained by M. Bourgeau, Plains of
Saskatchewan, summer 1858.
65. Zonotrichia leucophrys. No. 163 d'. Base of Rocky
Mountains, east side, Sept. 14th, 1858.
66. Zonotrichia albicollis. No. 128 S ■ Forks of Sas-
katchewan, May 26th, 1858.
67. Junco hyemalis. No. 71 6. Forks of Saskatchewan,
April 16th, 1858.
68. Spizella monticola. No. 9. Lake Winipeg, Sept. 24th,
1857.
No. 51 d- Forks of Saskatchewan, March 21st, 1858.
69. Spizella pallida. No. Ill d- Forks of Saskatchewan,
May 21st, 1858.
in the Interior of British Noi'th America. 7
Specimen and eggs also obtained by M. Bourgeau, Saskat-
chewan Plains, summer 1858.
70. Melospiza melodia. No. 74 6 . Forks of Saskat-
chewan, April 23rd, 1858.
71. Melospiza lincolnh. No. 112 c?. Forks of Saskat-
chewan, May 21st, 1858.
72. GuiRACA LUDOviciANA. No. 134 S • Forks of Saskat-
chewan, June 2nd, 1858.
73. PiPiLo ARCTicus. No. 126 d. Forks of Saskatchewan,
May 27th, 1858.
74. MoLOTHRUs PEcoRis. No. 109 S- Forks of Saskat-
chewan, May 20th, 1858.
75. Agelaius phceniceus. No. 136 (S , Forks of Saskat-
chewan, June 2nd, 1858.
76. Xanthocephalus icTEROCEPHALUs. No. 113 c?. Forks
of Saskatchewan, May 21st, 1858.
77. Sturnella MAGNA. No. 70 cJ • Forks of Saskatchewan,
April 15, 1858.
78. Icterus Baltimore. No. 113 S- Forks of Saskat-
chewan, June 2nd, 1858.
79. ScoLECOPiiAGUs FERRUGiNEUs. No. 60 J . Forks of
Saskatchewan, March 31st, 1858. Eggs also obtained.
80. ScoLEcoPHAGUs CYANocEPHALUs. No. 140 J • Forks
of Saskatchewan, June 3rd, 1858. Eggs also
81. QuiscALUs VERSICOLOR. No. 130 S. Forks of Sas-
katchewan, May 31st, 1858.
82. CoRVUS CARNivoRUS. No. 32 2 • Forks of Saskat-
chewan, Dec. 1857. Eggs also obtained.
83. CoRvus AMERICAN us. Specimens and eggs obtained by
M. Bourgeau, Plains of Saskatchewan, summer 1858.
84. PicicoRvus coLUMBiANus. No. 154 6. Rocky Moun-
tains, Aug. 22nd, 1858.
8 Capt. Blakiston on Birds collected and observed
85. Pica hudsonica. No. 24 J. Forks of Saskatchewan,
Nov. 16th, 1857.
No. 46 c? . Forks of Saskatchewan, Feb. 20th, 1858. Spe-
cimen and eggs also obtained by M. Bourgeau, Plains of Saskat-
chewan, summer 1858.
86. Cyanura cristata. Not observed west of Forks of
Saskatchewan.
87. Cyanura stelleri. No. 155 d. Rocky Mountains,
49'" north, Sept. 2nd, 1858.
88. Perisoreus canadensis. No. 31. Forks of Saskat-
chewan, Nov. 16th, 1857.
Order IV. RASORES.
89. EcTOPisTEs MiGRATORiA. Common in the interior.
90. Tetrao obscurus. No. 152 ? . Eastern base of Rocky
Mountains, near Belly River, Aug. 19th, 1858,
91. Tetrao franklini. No. 156 $ . Rocky Mountains,
west slope, 49° north, Sept. 3rd, 1858.
92. Pedicecetes phasianellus. No. 17 6. Forks of
Saskatchewan, Oct. 31st, 1857.
No. 49 d . Forks of Saskatchewan, Dec. 20th, 1857. Eggs
also obtained.
93. Lagopus albus. No. 30 $ . North branch, Saskatche-
wan River, Dec. 20th, 1857.
Nos. 54, 55, 56. Lower Saskatchewan, Feb. 1858.
Order V. GRALLATORES.
94. Grus canadensis. No. 87. Saskatckewan Plains, May
3rd, 1858. Egg also obtained.
95. Charadrius virginicus. No. 18 $ . Forks of Saskat-
chewan, Nov. 3rd, 1857.
No. 145 2 • Forks of Saskatchewan, June 4th, 1858.
96. iEciALiTis vociFERus. No. 77 ? . Forks of Saskat-
chewan, May 5th, 1858. Specimen and eggs, by M. Bourgeau,
summer 1858.
in the Interior of British North America. 9
97. Gallinago wiLSONii. No. 129. Forks of Saskatchewan,
May 31st, 1858.
98. Gambetta melanoleuca. No. 3. Hudson's Bay, Aug.
13th, 1857.
99. Gambetta flavipes. No. 81 6 . Saskatchewan Plains,
May 4th, 1858.
100. Rhyacophilus solitarius. No. 106 j . Forks of
Saskatchewan, May 18th, 1858.
101. Actiturus bartramius. No. 139 d. Forks of Sas-
katchewan, June 3rd, 1858.
Specimens and eggs obtained byM. Bourgeau, Plains of Sas-
katchewan, summer 1858.
102. LiMOSA PEDOA. No. 118 J. Forks of Saskatchewan,
May 25th, 1858.
103. FuLiCA AMERICANA. No. 97. Forks of Saskatchewan,
April 1858. Egg also obtained.
Order VI. NATATORES.
104. Cygnus buccinator. No. 59 J . Forks of Saskat-
chewan, March 30th, 1858.
105. Bernicla canadensis. No. 61 $ . Forks of Saskat-
chewan, April 2nd, 1858. Egg also obtained.
106. Anas boschas. Nos. 57 d, 58 $. Forks of Saskat-
chewan, March 29th, 1858. Eggs also obtained.
107. Dafila acuta. No. 68 $. Forks of Saskatchewan,
April 13th, 1858.
No. 73 c? • Forks of Saskatchewan, April 17th, 1858.
108. Nettion carolinense. No. 66 d . Forks of Saskat-
chewan, April 12th, 1858.
109. QuERQUEDULA DiscoRS. No. 119 rf. Forks of Sas-
katchewan, May 25th, 1858.
110. Spatula clypeata. No. 72 j . Forks of Saskat-
chewan, April 19th, 1858.
10 Mr. G. N. Lawrence on new species of Birds
111. Aythya VALLiSNERiA. No. 100 d. Forks of Saskat-
chewan, May 15th, 1858.
112. BucEPHALA AMERICANA. No. 67 6. Forks of Saskat-
chewan, April 12th, 1858.
113. BucEPHALA ALBEOLA. No. 96. Forks of Saskatchewan^
April 1858.
114. Mergus americanus. No. 14 6. Forks of Saskat-
chewan, Oct. 20th, 1857.
No. 69 S . Forks of Saskatchewan, April 14th, 1858.
115. Larus argentatus. No. 6 ^. Hudson's Bay, Aug.
13th, 1857.
116. Larus delawarensis. No. 12. Saskatchewan River,
Sept. 28th, 1857.
117. Chroicocephalus franklinii. No. 107. Saskat-
chewan Plains, May 16th, 1858.
118. Chroicocephalus Philadelphia. No. 2 S- Hud-
son's Bay, Aug. 12th, 1857.
119. Hydrochelidon plumbea. No. 135 $. Forks of
Saskatchewan, June 2nd, 1858.
120. PoDicEPs coRNUTUS. No. 88 $ . Plains of Sask.-^.t-
chewan. May 3rd, 1858.
IIL — Descriptions of Six New Species of Birds from the Isthmus
of Panama. By Geo. N. Lawrence, C.M.Z.S., &c.
Fam. TURDID^.
1. Heleodytes albo-brunneus, sp. nov.
Male. — Head, neck, entire under plumage and under wing-
coverts white; back, wings, and tail of a glossy umber-brown,
tail rather lighter and narrowly crossed with darker nearly ob-
solete bars, the shafts of the central feathers whitish ; thighs
intermixed with light brown ; under tail-coverts pale ochreous
white with dusky stripes; upper mandible brownish horn-
from the Isthmus of Panama. 11
colour^ the under white at the base with the end dusky ; irides
brown ; legs and feet dark brown.
Length 7 in,; wing 2^; tail 2\; bill |; tarsus 1.
This very distinctly coloured species was observed only at one
locality, which was on the line of the Panama Railroad, near the
summit of the Atlantic slope. In form it agrees with 7/.^?7"5eMs (Sw,).
But few were seen, and no female obtained.
Fam. TYRANNIC^.
2. PiTANGUS ALBOVITTATUS, Sp. nOV.
Male. — Crown and sides of the head blackish brown, crest
gamboge-yellow ; a broad band of white encircling the head, be-
ginning at the bill and running over the eyes ; upper plumage
olive-green, quills and tail dark brown, the latter and the second-
aries margined with pale-yellowish white ; throat white, under-
plumage bright yellow j under wing-coverts and inner edges of
quills pale yellow ; bill black ; irides brown ; legs and feet black.
Length 65 in. ; wing Z\ ; tail 2| ; bill f ; tarsi f.
This Pitangus, of which the sexes are alike, is of about the size
of P. lidor, but its colours are different. The bill is shorter and
stouter, being of the same form as in the larger species of this
genus.
3. Myiozetetes granadensis, sp. nov.
Male. — Upper plumage olive-green, with a concealed crest of
bright orange-red ; front, lores and superciliary stripe dull yel-
lowish white ; sides of the crown and occiput tinged with cine-
reous ; wings and tail of a fine brown, edged with pale greenish
yellow ; throat greyish white with a slight tinge of yellow, under
plumage bright deep yellow ; bill black ; irides light brown ; legs
and feet black.
The crest of the female is not quite so bright.
Length 6^ in. ; wing 3| ; tail 2| ; bill | ; tarsi {^.
In general colour this bird is much like M. columbianus, Cab.
et Hein., but it differs in having the bill rather shorter and
much broader at the base : the superciliary stripe is also quite
indistinct j and it wants the pale-yellow tips of the wing-coverts,
which exist in that species.
12 Mr. G. N. Lawreuce on new species of Birds from Panama.
4. TODIROSTRUM OLIVACEUM.
Male. — Upper plumage olive-green j wings and tail blackish
brown, the latter edged with olive-green ; wing-coverts and
quills margined with greenish yellow j under plumage pale yel-
low, with the throat olivaceous ; under wing-coverts pale yellow ;
bill black, with the cutting-edges and base of the under mandible
whitish J irides dirty white ; legs and feet light brown.
The female differs only in being less olivaceous on the throat.
Length 31 in.; wing 1|; tail Ij^gj bill ^j tarsi f.
This species has the same aberrant form of bill as T. cinerei-
gulare, Sclater, the culmen being even more curved. As these
two differ in this respect from the typical species, as suggested
by Mr. Sclater (Ibis i. p. 444), it may be advisable to separate
them *.
5. Tyranniscus PABVusf, sp. nov.
Male. — Crown slaty-olive, a line of pale yellow from the
bill over the eye ; upper plumage deep olive-green ; tail brown,
edged with yellowish gi'een, the under parts of the tail-feathers
greyish with the shafts white; quills blackish-brown, and toge-
ther with the wing-coverts edged with bright yellow ; throat and
breast ashy white, abdomen and under tail-coverts pale yellow,
sides olivaceous ; under wing-coverts pale yellow ; bill dark horn-
colour; irides white; legs and feet black.
Length 4 in.; wing 1|; tail 1|; tarsi |.
The female is like the male in plumage, but smaller, measuring
in length only 3| inches.
6. Tyrannulus brunneicapillusJ, sp. nov.
Male. — Head above of a fine dark brown, with a narrow
whitish line from the bill over the eye ; upper plumage olive-
green ; tail brownish olive, edged with olive-green ; quills black-
ish brown, narrowly margined with greenish yellow ; under plu-
* In the catalogue of my collection which I am now preparing, I
have proposed the generic term Oncostoma for Todirostrum cinereigulare.
Mr. Lawrence's bird forms a good second species of the genus. — P. L. S.
t This little bird is related to Tyranniscus chrysops (Tyrannulus chry-
sops, mihi, Proc.Zool. Soc. 1858, p. 10), but is apparently distinct.— P. L.S.
\ A near ally of T. semiflavus, Scl. et Salv. (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1861, p. 300),
from Guatemala, but differing in its brown head and larger bill.— P. L. S.
Mr. A. D. Bartlett on preparing Birds fur Shipment. 13
mage bright yellow, with an olive tinge on the neck ; under wing-
coverts yellow; bill black; irides brown; legs and feet black.
The female is similar to the male in size and plumage.
Length 3| m.; wing If; tail 1|; tarsi \.
IV. — Remarks on the Mode of preparing and keeping living
Thrushes and other Birds intended for Shipment to Australia.
By A. D. Bartlett, Supermtendent of the Zoological So-
ciety's Gardens, Regent's Park.
In attempting to carry out this object, the greatest attention to
the comfort and wants of the birds is essentially necessary to
secure success.
They must be provided with sufficient good and suitable food,
and with changes of food, and also with such cages as may best
enable the persons who take charge of them to keep them clean
and feed them with the least difficulty. By these means they
may be preserved in good health during their captivity.
Before obtaining the birds, it is necessary to have a small
room or aviary prepared for their reception, as follows : — Place
in and about the room perches or bushes, especially in the cor-
ners, for the concealment of the wild birds; have a fine net
strained over the window, to prevent them striking against the
glass. Let the floor be sprinkled with grit or coarse gravel.
Throw about the floor fruit (apples or pears ; and if decayed, the
better), chopped meat, bread-crumbs, worms, snails, &c. One
or two shallow pans of water must be placed in the lightest
parts of the room or aviary. One or two tame Thrushes, accus-
tomed to the food, will be found a great advantage in the room.
Everything thus ready, the birds cannot be too recently caught.
They should be placed in the room as few hours after their
capture as possible. Before turning them loose into the room,
cut, with a pair of scissors, the first six feathers of the wings,
and also the tail. Do not, however, cut them too short, so as to
injure the hollow quills. The object in cutting the wings and
tail is, first, that you prevent the birds dashing about and injur-
ing themselves; and secondly, they get tame sooner, and are
ready to go into a small cage without getting the tail- and wing-
14 Mr. A. D. Bartlett on the Mode of prepa?'inff
feathers covered with filth, which they woukl do if the tail was
its entire length. Have placed about the room, and on the
floor of it, a few of the small cages, with the doors open and food
ready in the cages. In this way the birds can go in and out,
and feed, and thus get accustomed to the cages before the doors
closed upon them. By this treatment they are never much
reduced, or in any way weakened, which is sure to be the case
if they are put into small cages when fresh caught.
It is always a little difficult to get birds to feed immediately
after their capture ; but the above method has been found to
answer admirably. It is of the greatest importance that they
should not pine or get weak, as they seldom, or perhaps never,
quite recover, but frequently linger for months, and such birds
would be quite useless for the purpose intended.
Experience, during a long course of experiments undertaken
with the view of ascertaining upon what food these birds might
be best kept in perfect health and good condition, has led me to
recommend the use of a much larger number of ingredients than
is perhaps absolutely necessary. But, taking into consideration
the chances of any accident or delay that may happen on board
ship, it is well to know, by a fair trial, what can be used without
risk. x\.t the same time it is certain that the more the food is
changed and varied the greater are the chances of success in
keeping the birds in good health, taking into consideration the
nature of their food in a wild state, varying as it must at different
periods of the year.
In the foregoing remarks allusion has been made to the cages
intended to convey these birds ; and to this part of the subject,
which requires especial notice, I have again alluded below. With
respect, also, to cutting the wing- and tail-feathers, which would
of course render the birds unable to fly (for a time only, as all
birds moult these feathers at least once every year), the advan-
tages of this painless operation will be readily seen, as it not
only prevents injury to the bird, as before stated, but if the bird
escape from its cage it is unable to fly, and is therefore easily
caught and replaced.
The following list of articles used as food, and the mode of
preparing the same, it is hoped, will be found sufficiently simple
Animal Substances.
Meat, fresh or cooked, of any kind,
except salted.
Liver, prepared according to in-
structions.
Eggs, boiled.
Insects.
living Birds for Shipment. 15
and clear to be easily understood ; and the use of them can be
safely recommended from long personal experience : —
Vegetable Substances.
Peas and pea-meal.
Barley, wheat, oats, Indian corn, or
the meal of any of these.
Rice, whole or ground.
Fruit of all kinds, fresh or dried,
raw or cooked.
Potatoes, cooked.
Carrots, raw or cooked.
Bread, biscuit, bran, or pollard.
Hemp-seed.
In order to prepare the quantity of food required for a large
number of these birds^ two machines are recommended — one
the mincing- or sausage-machine, made by Nye, of Wardour
Street, Soho Square, the other a coffee-mill sold by the same
maker. The necessity of these will appear by looking over the
list of food, and the manner of mixing, &c. Not only is the
amount of labour much reduced by the use of these machines,
but the food is more equally prepared and better adapted for
the birds than it can be made by hand.
In addition to each kind of food and the instructions as to its
use hereafter given, it may be only necessary here to state that any
of the different sorts of meal mentioned may form the basis of
the food, and the other ingredients may be added, such as meat,
fruit, &c., according to circumstances and the judgment of the
person who has charge of the birds, as a change of climate and
circumstances may lead to variation in their condition, which
must be carefullv attended to.
I find the quantity of food required for each bird to be about
one ounce and a half per day, with the same quantity of water.
At the same time, in very hot weather, a larger quantity of water
may be required.
Gravel, sand, grit, ashes, or dry earth is always required in
the bottom of the cages.
Peas, or Pea-meal. — Perhaps the best method of using the
above is in the form of German paste, viz. fried with fat or oil,
to which may be added sugar or treacle. In this way it may be
16 Mr. A. D. Bartlett on the Mode of prepainng
kept a long time in tins or earthen jars. It can also be used in
many other ways — for instance, mixed with moist food, such as
soaked bread, meat, fruit, potatoes or carrots. The peas can be
soaked or boiled, and then ground and mixed with other food.
In fact, peas ground afford a good and wholesome diet, and can
be strongly recommended for all birds that will eat them ; and
as they can be prepared in several ways, they are almost indis-
pensable.
Ground Barley, Oats, Wheat, and Indian Corn soaked or boiled
[before grinding). — Any of these can be used, and, mixed with
fruit or meat, &c., form a good and wholesome food. Care is
necessary not to give too large a quantity of them, especially
when ground into fine flour, as it is liable to get too cloggy.
The introduction of bran or, better, pollard (fine bran), will pre-
vent this ; but always use meat, fat, or fruit when flour is used.
Rice is best used with pea-meal, or some other food. By
no means attempt to use it alone. Boil it until soft, and then
mix with meat, fruit, meal, &c., or it may be fried in fat or oil,
after having been boiled to make it soft. Ground rice can be
mixed after having been scalded ; but it is better to boil it until
it is well done.
Bread, Biscuits, &c. — In feeding with these, if the bread or
biscuit be stale or hard and dry, scald or soak it in water until
quite soft, then rub it up with pea or barley meal, &c., until the
required condition is obtained; then add meat or fruit, &c., if
thought desirable, according to the condition of the birds.
Hemp-seed. — For many birds this seed is invaluable. It must
not, however, be used too freely ; for its stimulating power is
apt to produce disease. In order to regulate its use, it is well to
bruise or grind it, and then mix it with scalded or soaked bread,
or other soft food. The reason why this is recommended is
because some birds will not eat it whole, and, on the other hand,
some birds will pick it out from the other food and eat nothing
but this seed, and a fit of apoplexy generally follows. Still it is
strongly recommended in moderate use, and a drooping bird will
frequently be recovered by it. Care must be taken to see that the
seed is good, which may always be ascertained by bruising it.
When crushed it ought to be quite white inside and oily ; if yellow
living Birds foi' Shipment. 17
or brown, it is rank and poisonous. Many valuable birds are
lost by using bad hemp-seed.
Bran and Pollard, — Exi)erience has showTi that these may be
used almost constantly. The birds are prevented from becoming
too fat during their captivity by mixing bran or pollard with
their food. These articles are especially good when mixed with
meat, boiled rice, fruit, or fat.
Fruit {raw, cooked, or preserved). — Fruit of almost any kind
appears to answer well, and, when prepared and mixed with any
one or more of the different ingredients mentioned in this paper,
forms a food at once acceptable to these birds. Judging from their
condition after some months' experience, there can be no doubt
of the beneficial effects of the fruits I have employed, viz. apples,
pears, oranges, raisins, figs, currants, &c. The best manner of
using them is to mix them with meal, bran, or flour, and to
pass them through a mincing-machine. In this way they are
chopped or ground fine enough to mix with the other food,
the admixture of the meal preventing the loss of the juices of
the fruits.
Potatoes and Carrots. — Potatoes require to be boiled or baked,
and then ground or mixed with meat, fruit, meal, &c.
Carrots may be boiled and then mixed ; or if first ground and
put into a pan to stew or bake, then mixed, they answer instead
of fruit very well.
Mec/. — Flesh of almost any kind, raw or cooked, will answer
(always avoiding that that has been salted). A small quantity
of fat is not objectionable. It must be well mixed with meal,
as too much fat would be injurious.
Liver. — As fresh animal food is not always at hand, liver cau
be prepared in the following way. It is found to agree well with
the birds, and can be kept any length of time : — Cut a bvdlock's
liver into slices, boil it half an hour, then cut it up in a mincing
machine, place it in shallow dishes or tins, and put it into a slow
oven until quite dry. In this state it may be kept well in tins,
or still better in jars.
Eggs, boiled hard and chopped fine or ground, are excellent
for most birds, and can be mixed with almost any kind of
food.
VOL. IV. C
18 Mr. Bartlett on jjreparing Birds for Shijjment.
Insects. — These are eaten by most birds. A few are good for
them, such aseartli-wormSjCaterpillarSj meal-worms, flies, maggots,
grasshoppers, &c. Do not, however, adopt the too frequent use
of Hving food, as birds are apt to crave after this kind of food
and to refuse to eat that prepared for them. Snails can be kept
for a long time ; and as they form a large portion of the food of
Thrushes in a wild state, their use is recommended, as they can
be chopped up and mixed with the other kinds of food.
Cheese can be occasionally given with the other food, but
sparingly. In the event of liver or other animal substances
failing, cheese (ground or minced fine) will answer.
I have now spoken of the various kinds of animal and vegetable
food best adapted for these birds. It is necessary to add a few
words about the cages which I have found most suitable for con-
taining the captives during the voyage. Each cage need not
be more than eight inches square j the bottom part being-
formed like a tray, one inch and a half deep. In the front
part of this tray is a division of one inch and a half wide;
this division is again divided into two parts, the one on the
right three inches and a half long, the one on the left four
inches and a half long, — the former coated with pitch and
made to hold the water, the other division to contain the food.
These trays or bottoms are made to hook on to the cage by two
hooks and eyes, the bottom of the upper part of the cage being
furnished with bars across, from side to side, close enough to
prevent the bird getting through. The front part of the cage,
over the feeding and water trough, is carried an inch more
forward at the bottom than the back or sides of the cage,
which enables the bird to obtain the food without difficulty, and
the food and water are by this projection kept clear of the dirt
of the bird. A perch also is required, nearly in the middle of
the cage, from side to side.
Mr. T. C. Jerdon on Birds from Upper Burmah. 19
V. — Notice of some New Species of Birds from Upper Burmah.
By Surgeon-Major T. C. Jerdox.
The follovviug birds were obtained by me near Thayetmyo, our
frontier station in Burmah. The climate and productions, both
vegetable and animal, are quite distinct from those of Lower
Burmah. The climate is comparatively dry ; and the vegetation
partakes of the character of the dry countries of India, mixed
with some of the forms peculiar to Burmah. Ferns and orchids
are few and rare.
I was only in this locality for two or three months, but
managed to obtain a few novelties and some interesting birds
that have lately been described. Among these is Chatarrhoea
gularis, Blyth. This bird is abundant and familiar, entering
compounds and building in the hedges. It is a typical Chata-
chee, and when hopping with great bounds gives you the idea of
a rat rather than of a bird. It has the usual whistling call of its
congener in India. C. earlei, Blyth, is also not rare, but is con-
fined entirely to the long grass and reeds on the islands and
churrs of the Burrampootra.
I obtained both sexes of the little-known Pratincola leucura,
Blyth^ which has only hitherto been sent from the banks of the
Indus, and is figured among the drawings of the late Sir A.
Burnes. It appears not to be rare here, but is only found in the
bed of the river in the long grass. I never saw it once in the
jungle that lines the banks.
Lanius hijpoleucus, Blyth, is common, and the only true Shrike
I saw. I believe the Parrakeet will turn out to be a new species.
I shot several on my arrival, but being in imperfect plumage
(nearly unmixed green), I rashly concluded them to be young birds
of PalcEornis barbatus, which I had not myself had opportunities
of observing in India. The call is peculiar, gentle, and distinct
from that of P. torquatus, which species it appears to resemble
most closely, but it has no ring. I found it in the month of
May in large flocks, feeding in the bed of the river on cow-dung.
A plain-coloured Bulbul {Pycnonotus) is common at Thayetmyo,
but I have very little doubt that Mr. Blyth has already described
it. It is of a dingy greenish-brown ochre, paler and albescent
c 2
20 Mr. T. C. Jerdon on some New Species of Birds
beneath, with yeUowish under tail-coverts, and the ears with the
barbs of the feathers dead-white *.
(1.) Crypsirhina (Temia) cucullata, Jerdon, n. sp.
White, head and neck deep glossy black; the rest of the
plumage pale, somewhat brownish ash-colour, faintly glossed
with a vinous tinge on the tertiaries, tail-feathers, and the plu-
mage beneath ; a serai-collar of white round the upper part of the
neck, separating the black from the ash colour ; quills unglossed
black ; some of the secondaries edged externally with ashy white,
and the wing-coverts also faintly edged with the same, forming
a longitudinal light bar along the wing ; the centre tail-feathers
black, widened at the tip, suddenly on the outer web, gra-
dually on the inner web ; bill black ; legs brown-black ; iris very
pale glaucous-blue. Length 12 inches ; expanse 13 ; wing 4|- ;
tail 7 ; bill -|; tarsus 1.
The tail is much graduated, and as in its congener, Crypsi-
rhina [Temia) varians, consists of ten feathers. Compared with
that bird, the tail-feathers, judging from a drawing I have, are
much narrower, and the broad termination more marked. The
bill also appears to be comparatively shorter.
I found this neatly plumaged little Magpie not rare at Tha-
yetmyo, in Upper Burmah. It was generally seen singlv, now
and then in pairs ; wanders about a good deal in low jungle, and
feeds on grasshoppers, locusts, Mantides, and the like. I have
seen it catching white ants, as they issued from their nest in
the winged state, with considerable dexterity, returning usually
to the same perch. It breeds early, I imagine, for I killed young-
birds in June. They differ from the old ones in having the
hood dusky-ashy, instead of black. A native Shikaree assured
me that it occasionally perched on the backs of cattle, to devour
the insects that often infest them.
(2.) Pericrocotus albifrons, Jerdon, n. sp.
Male. — Crown of head, nape, back, wings, and tail glossy
black ; forehead and a wide supercilium white ; lores and ear-
coverts mixed white and black ; chin, throat, sides of neck,
nearly meeting on the back of the neck, the greater coverts,
* If new, Pycnonotus blanfordi, Jerdon.
from Upper Burmah, 21
tertiaries, and a baud of the primaries, and the whole of the
lower parts white ; all the tail-feathers, except the four centre
ones, broadly and obliquely tipped with white ; the breast with a
gorget of shining orange-red, and the rump the same, mixed
with white. Bill black ; legs dark brown ; irides light brown.
Length 6} inches ; expanse 8 ; wing 2f ; tail S^ ; bill rather
more than ~ : tarsi -j^^^ ?
lb' lb
The female differs in having the parts that are black in the
male sooty brown, in wanting the breast-spot of the male, and
in the rump being only slightly mixed with red.
This pretty little bird is the representative in Upper Burmah
of the P. erytkropygia of Southern and Central India, from which
it differs conspicuously in the white forehead and in the some-
what paler and more aurora tinge of the red on the breast and
rump. It is found usually in pairs or in small families, chiefly
in low and thorny jungles, not frequenting the dense forests. It
is active and restless, flitting about the smaller branches and
feeding on various insects, which it usually picks off from a leaf
or twig, now and then catching one in the air.
(3.) Sturnia burmannica, Jerdon, n. sp.
Head (crested), face, throat, and neck in part sullied or cine-
reous white; the feathers of the headjpng and very narrow ; back
and scapulars dingy grey, paling on the rump and upper tail-
coverts ; wings with the shoulders dark grey, the lesser coverts
glossy hair-brown, the greater coverts and secondaries pale,
glossed, yellowish brown, the latter deep brown on their inner
webs; the primary coverts mixed black and white; primaries
deep brown, pale at the tip, and with a white bar near the base,
forming a white wing-spot ; tail with the two centre feathers
glossy brown, the outer ones black with a broad white tip ;
plumage beneath, from the breast, pale vinous, albescent on the
middle of the belly and vent, and white on the under tail-coverts ;
flanks of abdomen inclining to greyish. Bill orange-red, the
nostrils and two-thirds of the lower mandible dusky ; orbital
skin blackish ; irides yellow-brown ; legs and claws deep yel-
low. Length 9 inches ; expanse 13| ; wing 4| ; tail 3 ; bill |i ;
tarsus 1^.
This Mynah is somewhat aberrant, being allied in its colouring
22 Mr. T. C. Jerdoii on Birds from Upper Burmah.
and less robust form to Sturnia, but approaching Sturno-pastor
in its red bill and habits. It is a Ground-Mynah, of familiar
habits, feeding in the compounds and about villages in Upper
Burmah, and breeding in holes in old trees. At the pairing
season it is generally in pairs; afterwards small flocks of them
are seen together, and many resort together in the same tree.
It is rather a silent bird, but has the usual Mynah-like call when
it takes wing. It feeds chiefly on insects.
(4.) Sturnia nemoricola, Jerdon, n. sp.
Head, nape, face, and whole lower parts white ; the back of the
neck, back, and wings ashy, tinged with ferruginous on the upper
tail-coverts ; quills black ; secondaries the same, edged with grey
externally; winglet, and a spot on the greater coverts, pure
white ; thigh-coverts tinged with rusty ; tail-feathers blackish on
the inner web, more or less grey externally, and tipped with
chestnut, increasing in extent from about ^th of an inch on the
middle feathers to | inch on the outer tail-feathers. Bill blue at
the base, then green, with the tip yellow. Irides glaucous white ;
legs dull yellow. Length 7f to 8 inches; expanse 12|^; wing
4 ; tail 2-^ ; bill | ; tarsus ^.
This is a typical Sturnia, and, like my S. blythii and S. mala-
harica, keeps entirely to th£ forests and to the tops of the trees.
It has a pleasant warbling song.
(5.) Chrysomma altirostre, Jerdon, n. sp.
Above pale reddish brown, deepest on the wings and tail ;
forehead and streak over the eye hoary grey ; beneath whitish,
tinged on the lower part of breast, abdomen, and flanks with
pale fulvescent ; quills and tail-feathei's slightly dusky on their
inner webs ; under wing-coverts pale ferruginous. Bill fleshy
horny ; legs fleshy ; irides dark brown, with an outer circle of
white ; eyelids pale sulphur-yellow. Length Q>~ inches ; expanse
7i ; wing 2|; tail 3; bill |, ^ inch high ; tarsus 1.
This interesting bird is very closely allied to Chrysomma si-
nense, for a young bird of which I at first glance mistook it. It
differs however in some important particulars, more especially in
the depth of the bill, in which it makes an approach to the Pora-
doxornis group. The claws are more lengthened and less curved
Ibis, 1862, PI. ir
xT.-d eimens , lith .
M & :(T .Haoiliart . Iitip^
YALGO CmCUMCINCTUt; .
Dr. P. L. Sclater on Falco circuincinctus. 23
than in that species. It will probably be considered worthy of
separation as a subgenus. I found it frequenting long grass
in islands on the Bui-rampootra river, in Upper Burmah. It had
partaken of ants and small Coleoptera.
VI. — Note on Falco circumcinctus, a rare Bird of Prey from
South America. By Philip Lutley Sclater.
(Plate II.)
At a meeting of the Zoological Society in February 1851, Pro-
fessor Kaup described as new a small species of Falcon from a
single specimen then in the late Earl of Derby's collection at
Knowsley, and referred it to the genus Harpagus, under the title
Harpagus circumcinctus, at the same time proposing for it the
new subgeneric appellation " Spiziapteryx *."
" One of the most interesting birds," says Dr. Kaup, " in the
collection of Lord Derby is a little Falcon, belonging to the
subfamily Falconince, which enables me to correct the characters
of the genus Harpagus.
" The characters must be changed as follows : — Bill large,
with two teeth, slender and indistinct, or strong and distinct ;
wings short, and in the proportions of the quills very like Nisus
seu Accipiter ; toes short, and the inner and outer toes of the
same length.
" The genus Harpagus must be divided into two subgenera.
" The oldest subgenus [Harpagus) must be distinguished by
the following characters : — Two strong and distinct teeth ; the
nostrils placed near the end of a soft membrane covering a large
cavity ; tibiae with scales not divided.
" Two species, H. diodon and H. bidentatus.
" The other subgenus, in which this new species must be placed,
must be characterized : — Two slender indistinct teeth ; the nos-
trils round, very small, and bored in the nasal bones ; the first
wing-feathers with very distinct emarginations, the fourth the
longest ', tibise with whole and divided scales.
" I give this subgenus the name of Spiziapteryx, and the spe-
cies I have named
* See Proc. Zool. Soc. 1851, p. 42.
21 Dr. P. L. Sclater on Falco circumcinctus.
" Harpagus circumcinctus.
" Diag. — Size of the Kestrel, with white stripe over the eye,
which encircles the whole head, and is connected with a white
collar ; the tail-coverts, above and beneath, white.
" Descr. — Rufous ash-grey, beneath lighter, with dark-brown
shaft-stripes; the white stripe over the eye and the collar
black-margined; tibia-coverts white; the arm- and band- wings
white at tlie roots, and, like the stronger covert-feathers, with white
spots and bands on the inner and outer webs ; the first wing-
feather without spots on the exterior web, and with fine white
spots on the interior web ; tail black-brown, beneath with white
roots, and three small white bands and an end-band ; the fifth
without spots on the exterior web ; the fourth with only traces ;
the third exhibits round white spots; and the two exterior feathers
are white-banded. From this very irregular distribution of
spots, the tail, seen from above, exhibits a very irregular drawing.
Cere, naked eye-region, and feet yellow; nails dark brown.
" I apprehend that this specimen — the only one in England —
is not a very old bird. Lord Derby received it from Chili, where
it was obtained by Mr. Bridges.
'' Dimensions (in French centimetres). — Head, 49; bill, from
the cere, 16; from the gape, 22. Height, 13; breadth, 20;
over wing, 123; tip of the wing, 56; middle tail-feather, 148;
outer tail-feather, 115; tarsus, 45; middle toe, 26; nail, 11;
outer toe, \7\ ; nail, 10; inner toe, 16; nail, 12; after toe, 13;
nail, 13."
The accompanying illustration (Plate II.) is a reduction from
an accurate water-colour drawing of this bird, made by Mr. Wolf
for Mr. J. H. Gurney's portfolio. Through the kindness of Mr.
Thomas J. Moore, the present curator of the Derbian Museum
at Liverpool, the typical specimen was, by permission of the
trustees of that collection, transmitted to London for the purpose
of being figured; and I have thus had an opportunity of examining
it carefully. It is, I think, certainly distinct from any previously
described species of the group; but, as has been already men-
tioned in these pages*, is probably identical with Prof. Bur-
mcister's Falco punctipennis, described in the * Journal fiir Oriii-
* See 'Ibis,' ISfil, p. 20n.
Ibi3.1862.PL
J. Wolf. del.
JJenjiezLS, litk.
CIRCAETTJS ?ASCIOLATUS
M.& I.Hanhart.hap':
Mr. J, H. Gurney on Birds from Natal. 25
thologic ' for 1860, p. 242, in terms which maybe translated as
follows : —
" Size of Falco aurantius. — Above brown-gi-ey, feathers with
black shaft-stripes; greater wing-coverts with white points on
each web; wing- and tail-feathers banded across with white
spots, the two middle rectrices unspotted. Below yellowish
white, with blackish-grey shaft-stripes from the chin to the belly ;
below the under mandible a rather broad beard-stripe. Bill
grey ; under mandible yellow ; legs yellowish grey ; tarsus
rather long, toes shorter.
" Hah. Biga de la Paz ; Pampa.^'
It would perhaps have been hardly possible to have identified
Prof. Burmeister's Falco punctipennis with Dr. Kaup's bird solely
from this description ; but I may state that, when at Halle in
October 1861, I had the pleasure of examining this and other
rare types collected by Prof. Burmeister at his different stations
in La Plata. I immediately recognized the species, and although
I had no opportunity of making a very accurate examination of
it, I am pretty confident that I am not mistaken as to its iden-
tity with Dr. Kaup's Spiziapteryx circumcinctus.
Whether the bird is really referable to the genus Harpagus is,
I think, a matter of much doubt, and, until more is known of it^
and we have become acquainted with its change of plumage and
other characteristics, it will be safer to use for it the generic ap-
pellation Spiziapteryx, or leave it under the more general desig-
nation of Falco circumcinctus.
VII. — An additional List of Birds received from Natal.
By John Henry Gurney, M.P., F.Z.S.
(Plate III.)
Having had the pleasure of receiving from Mr. Thomas Ayres,
of Natal, some additional species of birds collected by him in
that colony, I beg to communicate a list of them for insertion
in the ' Ibis,' together with the accompanying observations which
Mr. Ayres has been so good as to send me, and to which I have
appended a few notes of my own.
26 Mr. J. H. Gurney on additional Species of Birds
The additional species are numbered consecutively to those
recorded in the ' Ibis/ vol. iii. pp. 128-335.
146. Ephialtes leucotis (Temm.). White-faced Scops
Owl.
Female. Iris dark yellow ; cere light yellowish brown ; bill
the same, but yellow at the tip of both mandibles.
This bird was shot about ten miles inland ; its eggs, which are
sent with it (two in number), were laid in a small cavity on the top
of the stump of a pollard Banyan fig-tree, about twenty feet from
the ground; there was not the slightest appearance of a nest
having been made, but a few coarse dry fig-leaves which had
fallen in accidentally (other cavities being similarly filled) served
to line the bottom of the hollow. One of the eggs was quite
fresh ; the other contained a young bird, which would probably
have broken the shell in two or three days.
This was in the month of June (mid- winter here). The stomach
of the old bird contained remains of mice.
[In a collection of birds which my friend, Mr. C. J. Andersson,
was good enough to send me recently from Damara-Laud, there
are three nestlings of this Owl taken at Elephant's Vley in the
month of September. These young Owls are partially fledged,
and their plumage, so far as it is developed, resembles that of the
adult birds. The two eggs sent by Mr. Ayres are of a pure
white ; their transverse diameter is about the same as that of the
egg of the Long-eared Owl {Otus vulgaris), but their longitudinal
diameter is about an eighth of an inch less than it is in the egg
of that species.
The plumage of this small Owl presents a singular resemblance
(especially in the markings on the side of the head) to one of
the largest of the African Eared Owls, Bubo lacteus; but the
colour of the iris, which is an important guide in classifying the
groups of Owls, differs, being of an extremely dark hazel in Bubo
lacteus, whilst in Ephialtes leucotis it is dark yellow. — J. H. G.]
147. Phasmoptynx capensis (Smith). African Short-eared
Owl.
Male. Iris light reddish brown ; bill very dark brown ; feet
dirtv brown.
from the colony of Natal. 27
[The late M. Favier, of Tangiers, supplied rae with some
specimens of this Owl from that locality, which appear to me
identical with the example transmitted from Natal by Mr. Ayres.
M. Favier sent me at the same time the following curious note
with reference to this species : — " Strix {Phasmoptijnx) capensis
is found in the environs of this city both as a resident and also
as a bird of double passage, while Strix hrachyotus is found as a
bird of double passage only, merely remaining in the neighbour-
hood of Tangiers long enough to nest. These two species, of
which the uidification is very similar, sometimes pair and pro-
duce mules, which present an appearance intermediate between
the two species. This is strikingly exemplified in the colour of
the iris, which in S. capensis is always of a blackish brown, and
in S. brachyotus of a pure yellow ; whilst the hybrid birds show
a partially yellow iris, the yellow appearing only half the size of
the yellow iris in S. hrachyotus." — J. H. G.]
148. Melittophagus erythropterus (Gmel.). Little
Rufous-winged Bee-eater.
Female. Iris crimson ; bill black ; tarsi and feet pinkish brown.
These Bee-eaters are particularly fond of frequenting reedy
marshes and swamps, and are to be found here in certain localities
all the year round. They are by no means so plentiful as Savigny's
Bee-eater, which is only here in the summer months. It is
seldom that more than five or six are to be seen together, and
generally not more than two. When feeding, their flight is not
so prolonged as that of Savigny's, neither is their note so loud
and harsh.
149. Promerops cafer (Linn.). Caffre Sun-bird.
Male. Iris brown ; bill black; tarsi and feet greenish black.
In habits this bird much resembles Nectarinia natalensis, its
food also being the same, viz. nectar and small insects, especially
spiders. It is very rare in this locality, and is besides more shy
than most other species. I believe it is only to be found here
during the winter months.
150. Irrisor erythrorhynchos (Lath.). Red-billed
Laugher.
Male and female. Iris very dark brown ; bill scarlet ; tarsi
28 Mr. J. H. Gurucy on additional Species of Birds
and feet scarlet. The food of these birds consists almost entirely
of a species of cockroach, which they take from the crevices of
rough-barked trees, and in search of which they creep about the
trunk and branches somewhat similarly to the Woodpeckers. In
this manner their tail-feathers frequently become much worn.
From four to eight of these birds are generally together, and
frequent bushy country ; they have a loud chattering note, and
are extremely restless in their habits. They have a peculiarly
powerful and disagreeable smell.
151. Drymoica subflava (Gmel.). Citrine Drymoica.
Female. Iris light reddish brown ; upper mandible brown,
under yellowish ; tarsi and feet pale. Their favourite haunts
are amongst long tall grass and rough weeds and hedgerows ; their
flight is weak; if disturbed they fly a few yards and then hide in
the grass. When hopping amongst the stems of weeds, the tail is
most frequently carried perpendicularly. Occasionally from four
to six are seen together, but more generally they are single or in
pairs. Their food, I believe, consists entirely of insects.
152. Parus NIGER, Vieill. Black and White Tit.
Female. Iris dark brown ; bill black ; tarsi and feet slate colour.
These birds are active in their habits, constantly hopping about
amongst the upper branches and twigs of trees, hunting for
insects, of which I believe their food entirely consists. I never
observed more than two of them together.
153. Macronyx ameli^e (De Tarr.). Amelia Lark.
Male. Iris dark brown ; bill, upper mandible brown, the
under pale. These beautiful birds are not nearly so common as
most other species in Natal ; they are to be found along the coast
on marshy flats, and are fond of perching on small mounds early
in the morning and sunning themselves. Of their habits I know
nothing.
154. JuiDA MORio (Daud.). Roupenue Grakle.
Male. Iris double, inner circle dark brown, the outer circle
crimson ; bill black ; tarsi and feet black. These birds are
gregarious, excepting during the breeding season : small fruits
form their principal food, such as mulberries, of which they are
from the colony of Natal. 29
very fond. Two of these birds perched on a tree, not long since,
close to my house, one evidently a young one ; the old bird, after
swallowing a number of small berries, went to the younger and
proceeded to feed it, by disgorging the berries one by one and
giving them to the young one, precisely as pigeons do. Their
note is a loud and rather prolonged whistle ; they are not seen
here at all times of the year,
155. JuiDA MELANOGASTRA (Swains.). Black-bcllied Grakle.
Male. Iris darkish yellow; bill black; tarsi and feet black.
These Grakles are also gregarious, inhabiting bush land ; their
food consists of small fruits. Notes, for the most part, loud and
harsh.
156. Pholidauges leucogaster (Gmel.). White-bellied
Grakle.
Male. Iris light yellow ; bill black ; tarsi and feet dark brown.
Also gregarious, but not nearly so plentiful as most other species
of Grakle here. Like the preceding, small fruits form their prin-
cipal diet, although they sometimes feed on flies and the winged
females of the white ant, rising and taking them on the wing,
similarly to the Flycatchers. In fact, almost every bird and beast
that I know will occasionally feed on these insects, which in the
spring of the year swarm out by millions, when hawks, dogs,
cats, toads, &c., &c., all feast alike.
157. Andropadus importunus (Vieill.). Sombre Bulbul.
Male and female. Iris very pale green ; bill dark brown.
These birds are very destructive to fruit, but fortunately are not
nearly so numerous as Pycnonotus levaillantii. They inhabit the
dense bush generally. They are not easily seen, in consequence of
their sombre-green plumage, and their habits of hiding, to which
they trust for safety, rather than to flight. Their note much
resembles the " chisick " of the House-Sparrow at home, but is
much louder ; they have also a short warbling song. Besides
fruit, insects form a considerable portion of their food.
158. TcHiTREA perspicillata (Swains.). Tchitrec Paradise
Flycatcher.
Male. Iris very dark brown; eyelids and bill sky-blue, but
30 Mr. J. H. Gurney on additional Species of Birds
the bill black at the tip ; inside of the mouth and tongue pale
yellow ; tarsi and feet slate colour. During the summer months
the beauty of the male is much enhanced by two long feathers
which grow from the tail, and are from ten to twelve inches in
length.
These Flycatchers are by no means scarce in Natal ; they fre-
quent bushy land, and are found within a range of twenty miles
from the coast. Their note is harsh, with the exception of one
short warble which they frequently repeat, and which both male
and female have to an equal degree. Their food consists of flies,
gnats, and small beetles. Five or six of these pretty birds may
frequently be seen together, generally one or two males to four
or five females ; and pleasant it is to watch their graceful motions
when in pursuit of their food.
159. TcHiTREA CYANOMELiENA (VieiU.). Fantail Paradise
Flycatcher.
Iris very dark brown; bill slate colour; tarsi and feet slate
colour. In habits these Flycatchers are excessively active, inces-
santly hopping and flying from twig to twig amongst the under-
wood in search of small flies and beetles. When thus employed,
they frequently expand the tail to its fullest extent, sometimes
perpendicularly, then to one side or the other, and again down-
wards, which has a very pretty efi'ect. Their note is harsh, and
much resembles that of the Tchitrec Paradise Flycatcher.
160. Phrynorhamphus capensis (Smith), Kaup, P. Z. S.
1851, p. 52. South African Broad-bill.
Male. Eye large and full ; iris dark umber brown ; upper
mandible nearly black, under pale; tarsi and feet pale. The
stomach contained small beetles and a species of bug. These
birds frequent the dense bush, and are by no means plentiful ;
they have a curious, harsh, loud and monotonous note, which
almost exactly resembles that of Ephialtes capensis, and is uttered
at about the same intervals four or five times in a minute : "kroo,^'
with a good roll on the r, would describe the note tolerably well.
Each time the bird makes this noise (which is about two seconds
in duration), he flits round in a small circle about a couple of feet
from the colony of Natal. . 31
in diameter, and alights again exactly on the spot from whence
he started.
161. Dryoscopus cubla (Shaw). PufF-Shrike.
Male and female. Iris reddish yellow ; tarsi and feet slate
colour ; bill of the male black ; that of the female, upper man-
dible black, lower mandible bluish slate colour, black at the tip.
These Shrikes inhabit the dense bush, and are to be found gene-
rally dispersed within a range of fifteen miles from the coast.
Insects form their principal food. Their notes are loud and harsh.
The snow-white lax feathers on the back, when expanded, give
these birds a most beautiful and curious appearance ; the puff
appears completely to encircle them, and when thus flying away,
they look, at first sight, like a white ball, with a black spot in
the centre. This power is most frequently used during the
courting season, and also occasionally when alarmed.
162. NiLAUs CAPENSis (Shaw). Brubru Shrike.
Male. Iris very dark red ; bill black, with the exception of
the basal half of the under mandible, which is bluish slate colour ;
tarsi and feet dark ash. The only bird I have seen of the kind.
Flight dipping, something similar to the smaller Cuckoos. I
am ignorant as to its habits.
163. CoRVUs CAFER (Licht.). Caflfre Raven.
Male. Bill black, tip white; tarsi and feet black. These
birds are very numerous in Natal ; they are generally dispersed
over the colony, and perform the part of scavengers. If an ox or
other beast dies, numbers of them immediately appear, generally
before the Vultures, which they drive away as long as they are
able. They are bold birds, and carry away chickens and eggs.
Some people have had full-grown fowls killed by them.
164). EsTRELDA ASTRiLD (Linn.). Wax-bill Finch.
Male BXid female. Iris brown; bill bright red; tarsi and feet
dark brown. This species of Finch is by far the most common
in Natal; during the winter months immense flights of them
may be seen. They are fond of frequenting cultivated ground,
especially that on which the weeds have been allowed to grow
and seed, where they find abundance of food. I have seen them
32 Mr. J. H. Gurney on additional Species of Birds
occasionally take the young queens of the White Ant, rising in
the air and taking them on the wing ; hut they appear to have
much difficulty in catching them, possibly from the smallness of
their mouth. They build close to the ground amongst thick and
tall grass.
165. EsTRELDA DUFRESNiT (Vicill.). Dufresne's Finch.
Male and female. Iris crimson; upper mandible black, under
scarlet; tarsi and feet very dark brown. These Finches are
by no means so plentiful as the preceding, seldom more than
eight or ten being seen together ; when feeding, they hop about
on the ground and pick up the ripe grass-seeds wdiich have fallen.
They build a nest somewhat similar to the red-billed species, but
instead of being close to the ground, they place it in the upper
twigs of some low bush six or eight feet high.
166. CoRYTHAix PORPHYREOLOPHUs (Vigors). Purple-
crested Plantain-eater.
Female. Iris dark brown, eyelids crimson ; bill black ; tarsi
and feet very dark brown. When the bird is fresh killed, the outer
toes are nearly versatile, easily extending two-thirds round. They
are common in the dense bush along the coast, and in the spring
of the year disperse wdthin a range of fifteen miles inland, return-
ing again for the summer, autumn, and winter to the bush more
immediately on the line of coast. A dozen of these beautiful
birds may frequently be seen together, climbing and running
along the branches of the forest trees somewhat similarly to
monkeys. Their food consists of hard nutty berries and small
fruits, which they swallow whole. Their note is loud and dis-
cordant ; the alarm-note is given very suddenly.
167. LyEModon nigrothorax (Cuv.). Black-collared Barbet.
Male and. female. Iris bright reddish brown; tarsi and feet
dark brown. Their food appears principally to consist of small
fruits and berries, which they swallow whole. Their note is par-
ticularly loud ; " kook-kooroo," quickly repeated eight or ten
times, would resemble it : frequently both the male and the
female call at the same time, and when perched close together
keep up a quick succession of bow^s to each other, and bow
from the colony of Natal. 3'j
at every repetition of the note. They are tolerably plentiful within
a range of fifteen miles from the coast.
168. Dendrobates fulviscapus (111.). Yellow-shafted
Woodpecker.
[Sent from Natal, but not by Mr. Ayres. — J. H. G.]
169. YuNx PECTORALis, Vigors. Pectoral Wryneck.
Male. Iris reddish brown; tarsi and feet very dull light
green. The note of these birds very much resembles that of the
"Cuckoo's-mate '' in England. Their food consists of flies, beetles,
&c., of those kinds which bore and live in dead wood; but al-
though I have seen many of these birds, I have never observed
them hammering the trees like Woodpeckers, and am therefore
inclined to think that they obtain their food more by probing
apertures from the surface with their long tongues and drawing
the insects out, than by working holes with their bills. They
frequently sit on a bough for a considerable length of time,
uttering at intervals their monotonous call. Their flight is rather
heavy and dipping. I have not noticed them here during the
summer,
170. Indicator major, Stephens. Greater Honey-guide.
Female. Iris, bill, tarsi and feet all dark brown. These birds
frequent bushy and forest land, and by their incessant chatter-
ing attract the notice of the traveller, whom they will at once
direct to the nearest bees'-nest. When arrived at the spot, they
remain stationary in the boughs above, waiting patiently for
their share of the spoil. The CafFres are well acquainted with the
habits of these birds, and having taken the honey and comb,
always leave a certain portion stuck on a stick, with the young-
bees in, for the bird as a reward, which he eats as soon as the
coast is clear.
171. Treron delalaxdii (Bp.). Delalande's Pigeon.
Female. Iris light blue, whitish towards the pupil ; basal
half of bill crimson, the remainder light slate-colour ; tarsi and
feet vermilion. These Pigeons are gregarious, feeding on the
soft fruits and berries peculiar to the bush, and never feeding or,
to my knowledge, alighting on the ground ; their flight is ex-
tremely rapid. ^
VOL. IV. u
34 Mr. J, H. Gurney on additional Species of Birds
172. H^MATOPUs MOQUiNi, Bp. African Black Oyster-
catcher.
Male. Iris, eyelid, and bill scarlet; tarsi and feet pink.
These curious birds are very scarce in Natal ; they frequent the
seashore, are active in their habits, and run with considerable
swiftness; they feed along the sandy beaches; on the receding
of a wave they run quickly into the shallow water, and inserting
their wedge-shaped bill up to their heads in the sand, haul out
small crabs, which having secured they run high and dry to
devour at leisure.
173. Mycteria senegalensis (Shaw). Saddle-bill Jabiru.
Female. Iris bright yellow ; base of bill to nostril bright
crimson, as is also the skin round the eye and under the bill
(the bill, from the nostril for 3| inches, is black ; from thence to
the tip bright crimson) ; frontal shield bright yellow ; shanks and
tarsi black ; knees and feet brickdust red ; the bare spot on the
breast bright crimson. The Jabiru is a very scarce bird in
Natal ; a pair are occasionally seen at low water on the mud-
banks in the centre of the bay, and when here they also frequent
the lagoons and marshes at the mouths of the rivers. If one of
the pair happens to get shot, its place is not supplied by another,
but the solitary bird may be seen feeding by himself, when he
attempts to make friends with the Violet Storks, which seem to
be rather afraid of their gigantic relation. Occasionally when the
pair are feeding together, they stop suddenly and skip or dance
round and round in a small circle, then stopping to bow to each
other, again resume their quaint dance. Their food consists of
crabs, shrimps, and small fish.
174. Philomachus pugnax (Linn.). Buff.
Female. Iris dark brown ; bill very dark brown ; thighs,
tarsi and feet yellowish ash (in other specimens green, and in
some slate-coloured). These birds are gregarious, frequenting
the bay and the coast, and feeding on the mud-banks at low
water ; marine insects appear to be their favourite food.
175. Tringa subarquata (Gmel.). Curlew Sandpiper.
Male. Iris dark brown ; tarsi and feet black. These birds
are gregarious, frequenting the bay in considerable flights, and
from the coluny of Natal. 35
feeding on the mud-banks when the tide recedes ; they run
about on the mud with great activity, and their flight is also
exceedingly swift.
176. LiMNOCORAX FLAViROSTRis (Swains.). Black Gallinule.
Male. Iris crimson ; bill dull dark green ; tarsi and feet
dull red. In their habits these birds much resemble the Jacanas,
frequenting sedgy swamps and pools, walking with ease on the
lilies and light weeds which grow on the surface of the water, in
search of the softer snails, insects and seeds on which they sub-
sist. On being disturbed, they run immediately amongst the
rushes, from which it is then almost impossible to dislodge them.
They do not fly with such ease as the Jacanas ; their habits
appear to be solitary.
The following notes contain additional information communi-
cated by Mr. Ayres respecting some species included in my
previous lists of Natal birds.
PoLYBOROiDES RADiATus (Scop.). Rayed Gymnogene.
Immature. Iris dark brown ; cere deep pink ; skin round
the eye yellow. Stomach contained the remains of a land-crab,
lizard, large spiders, beetles, and other insects.
CiRCAETUS FASCIOLATUS (Gray). Banded Harrier-Eagle.
(PI. III.)
This is a very rare bird, frequenting the dense bush along the
coast. [In the specimen of this bird sent by Mr. Ayres, and
also in that preserved in the British Museum, the number of
transverse bands on the tail is four ; in the example previously
noticed in * The Ibis ' (vol. iii. p. 130) the number is five, but the
uppermost band is much less distinctly marked than the other
four, and is placed so high up on the tail as to be hardly notice-
able. The accompanying Plate (PI. III.) is after a drawing-
taken by Mr. Wolf from this specimen, which, together with that
sent by Mr. Ayres, forms part of the collection preserved in the
Norwich Museum. — J. 11. G.]
Helotarsus ecaudatus (Daud.). Short-tailed Bateleur.
The mature birds, on calm sunny days, when passing high
overhead, occasionally make a sharp, quick, clapping noise, which
d2
36 Mr. J. H. Gurney on additional Species of Birds
appears to be done by the rapid motion of the wings beating
the air : although far out of shot^ a sudden shout or a stone
thrown towards them will frequently cause them to make this
curious noise.
I lately noticed two of these birds soaring at a great height,
one of them having a snake 3 or 4 feet long dangling from its
claws.
Haliaetus vocifer (Daud.). Vociferous Sea-Eagle.
This Eagle, when only wounded, makes a desperate resistance.
Throwing himself on his back, he fights with both bill and
talons, and woe to the unlucky wight who gets a gripe from
the latter ! The Crows, which congregate and drive the largest
Vultures from the carcase of any dead beast, are unable to drive
aw^ay this bold Eagle. He will also chase the Osprey, and having
made him drop the fish he has worked so hard for, appropriate
the morsel for his own use. In fact, Wilson's beautiful account
of the American Bald Eagle forms a perfect description of our
bird, with the exception of the difference in size, and the con-
sequent lesser degree of power.
[The two Sea-Eagles here mentioned are not the only
Haliaeti which persecute the Osi)rey, as on the coasts of Au-
stralia it is similarly robbed by Haliaetus leucogaster, as I have
been informed by that accurate Australian naturalist, the late
Mr. F. Strange. According to Dr. Livingstone (^Missionary
Travels,' page 240), the Pelican is also a sufferer by the free-
booting propensities of Haliaetus vocifer. Dr. Livingstone's
remarks on this subject are very curious, and may be here
transcribed with the hope of attracting the attention of other
observers, and perhaps of obtaining their confirmation of the
singular tactics which this Eagle is described by Dr. Living-
stone as adopting for the purpose of purloining the Pelican's
booty : —
" This fish-hawk generally kills more prey than it can devour.
It eats a portion of the back of the fish, and leaves the rest for
the Barotse, who often had a race across the river when they saw
an abandoned morsel lying on the opposite sand-banks. The
hawk is, however, not always so generous ; for, as I myself was
a witness on the Zouga, it sometimes plunders the purse of the
from the colony uf Natal. 37
pelican. Soaring overhead, and seeing this large, stupid bird
fishing beneath, it watches till a fine fish is safe in the pelican's
pouch ; when descending, not very quickly, but with consider-
able noise of wing, the pelican looks up to see what is the mat-
ter, and, as the hawk comes near, he supposes that he is about
to be killed, and roars out ' Murder ! ' The opening of his
mouth enables the hawk to whisk the fish out of the pouch, upon
which the pelican does not fly away, but commences fishing
again ; the fright having probably made him forget he ever had
anything in his purse." — J. H. G.]
Athene •woodfordi (Smith). Woodford's Owl.
Male. Iris dark brown ; bill and cere light yellow ; feet light
yellow. This Owl frequents the bushy coast-land. The specimen
sent was shot amongst a mass of creepers on the upper branches
of a tree, hanging by its feet and defending itself as well as it
could against a number of small birds w^hich were annoying him.
Of its habits I know nothing ; stomach empty.
Ploceus ocularis (Smith). Black-lored Weaver-bird.
Female. Iris very light whitish brown. These birds frequent
bush land, and are to be found singly or in pairs. The stomach
of the specimen sent was crammed w ith a species of wood-bug ;
they are also fond of the berries of the wild date, from the ends
of the leaves of which palm they frequently build their nest,
composing it of strips of the leaf.
BucoRAX ABYSSiNicus (Gmcl.). Abyssinian Hornbill.
Female. Weight 9 lbs. ; contents of stomach, snakes, lizards,
frogs, rats, mice, and a variety of locusts, beetles, and other
insects.
Dendromus SMiTHii (Malh.). Picas [Chrysoptilopicus)
smithii, Malh. Rev. Zool. 1845, p. 403. Smith's Woodpecker.
Male andfefjiale. Iris light reddish brown ; bill dark brown,
under mandible with a yellowish tinge ; tarsi and feet very dull
green. These Woodpeckers are to be found throughout the
colony, wherever there is bush land, singly or in pairs ; their
note is loud and harsh ; they are very restless in their habits,
constantly hunting for food, as if they never obtained a sufficiency;
38 Mr. J. H. Gurney on Birds from Natal.
auts and other insects appear to be their principal food, which
they search for and catch on the rough bark of trees ; they also
hammer away at dead boughs, from which they extract soft
grubs, &c. Their flight is heavy and dipping ; they are here all
the year round.
[Dr. Hartlaub, in his work on the ' Ornithology of Western
Africa,' treats this species as synonymous with Dendromus chrysu-
rus of Swainson, described in the 'Birds of Western Africa,' part 2,
p. 158. In accordance with this view, I inserted this Woodpecker,
under the specific name of " ckrysura," in a foi'mer list of Natal
Birds [vide ' Ibis,' vol. ii. p. 213). A subsequent examination of a
female specimen from Natal leads me to believe that the two
species are distinct. Mr. Swainson, in his description of Den-
dromus ch^ysurus, says that the female has "no white spots on
the crown," and has "the belly and vent almost unspotted;"
but the female of the Natal bird has the anterior two-thirds of
the upper surface of the head black, with a single white spot on
each feather, and also many dark spots on the feathers of the belly
and vent. I therefore cannot doubt that " chrysurus" of Swainson
and "smithii" of Malherbe must be considered as distinct
species. — J. H. G.]
«
Vanellus melanopterus (Riipp.). Black-winged Lapwing.
On examination of several individuals, the irides of all were of
a light greyish-yellow colour ; the tarsi and feet, some dark pink,
some purple, others nearly black, especially towards the feet,
always lighter at the thighs.
Parra AFRICAN a (Gmel.). White-necked Jacana.
Male and female. Iris blackish brown; bill bluish black,
pinkish at the tip, the frontal shield and skin at base of the
upper mandible light slate-colour; shanks, tarsi and feet slate
or ash colour, the feet being rather darker than the legs. The
female is considerably larger than the male. They are to be
found in considerable numbers in the lagoons and pools along
the coast ; their food appears to consist entirely of the seeds of
water-plants and small insects, which they find amongst the
leaves of the water-lilies and other weeds. Walking with case
on the floating leaves of these beautiful plants, they feed more
Mr. J. Hancock on the Red-necked Goatsucker. 39
01 less throughout the day, and are active in their habits, appa-
rently having constant feuds with each other, and chasing one
another about on the wing. If disturbed, they always fly to cover,
unless very close to it.
Thalassornis leuconotus (Smith). Fasciated Duck.
Male and female. Iris dark brown ; bill black and slate-
coloured, mottled j under mandible yellowish ; tarsi and feet very
dark brown. The males are rather larger than the females.
They frequent the lagoons and marshes at the mouths of the
Natal rivers, and appear to feed principally on the seeds of water-
plants, which there abound. They are very expert divers, and
although their wings are short and small, they fly swiftly and
well, rising without difficulty from the water. If not too sud-
denly disturbed, they invariably dive to cover.
During the summer months they are gregarious, pairing off"
in the early winter. In August the young birds are to be seen,
newly hatched, swimming actively about, escorted by their
parents, the male bird taking equal care of the family (which
generally consists of from four to eight) with the female.
VIII. — Notice on the occurrence of the Red-necked Goatsucker
(Caprimulgus ruficollis) in England. By John Hancock.
So far back as the 6th of October, 1856, I obtained a fresh-
killed specimen of this rare European Goatsucker of Mr. Pape,
a game-dealer of this town. It had been shot the previous day
at Killingworth, near Newcastle. I was unable to determine the
sex from dissection, but I think it is most probably a male, as
the first primaries have each a spot upon their inner webs, and
the first two spots are white.
I have delayed until now making this announcement ; for I
found, on comparison, that the bird in question differed slightly
from a Hungarian specimen in my collection, and I was conse-
quently anxious to see others before doing so. I have now had
an opportunity of referring to a specimen in the British Mu-
seum, and find that it quite agrees with my bird. I have there-
fore no longer any hesitation in stating that it is the true C. rufi-
collis of authors, and I have much pleasure in adding this fine
40 Reciew of the new Continuation
species to the British hst of occasional visitors ; though I am
far from believing that this is really its first occurrence in our
island. It very closely resembles the C. eui^opceus, and is almost
sure to be confounded with that species by the casual observer.
Nevvoastle-ou-Tyne, 12 Sept. 1861.
IX. — Review of Drs. Blasius's and Baldamus's Continuation
of Naumann's ' Vogel Deutschlands/*
If a proj)het has no honour in his own country, the rule is dif-
ferent as regards the naturalist. None of the sciences seem to
have been so much tmged by local colouring as those which have
to do with the Earth and its inhabitants. Geologists have even
made it a subject of complaint that the progress of their study
was actually hindered by the partial and partisan treatment it
received from its early votaries. Accustomed as we in England
are to reverence those who have laboured to elucidate the fauna
and flora of these islands, we cannot be surprised that the same
feelings should animate our Teutonic brethren.
Justly then is the name of Naumann dear to the German
lovers of nature, for the two ornithologists who have borne it
have collectively done more perhaps to add to the knowledge of
their country's birds than all its other writers put together ;
though it cannot be denied that the reputation of the father,
respectable as it was, would probably have by this time been
shrouded in obscurity but for the lustre shed upon it by the
labours of the son. The only British naturalist whose writings
have placed him among his nation's classical authors — Gilbert
White — has well said that "Every kingdom, every province,
should possess its own monographer ; " and to this honourable
title in the department of German ornithology none have more
right than the two authors of the ' Naturgeschichte der Vogel
Deutschlands.^
The elder Naumann — Johann xVndreas — born in 1744, com-
* J. A. Naumann's Naturgeschichte der Vogel Deutschlauds. Fortset-
zuny der Nachtrage, Zusdlze unci Verbesserunyen von Dr. J. H. Blasiu.s,
Dr. Ed. Baluamus, und Dr. Fr. 8turm. Dreizehuter Theil. 8 Liefer-
tmg. Schhiss dcs gaiizen Werkes. Stuttgart : 18t)0.
of Nawnann's ' Vogel Deutschlands.' 41
menced in 1795 the publication of a Natural History of the
Birds of Germany ; but though from 1 805 assisted in his labours
by his eldest son, Johann Friedrich — then five-and-twenty years
of age — the work^ from the disturbed state of central Europe
in those days, was not completed until 1817. Not long after,
in 1822, they began to bring out a second and improved
edition, which^ on the old man's death in 1826, was continued
by his coadjutor, and finally concluded in 1844. So long as
the German tongue is spoken, so long as among those that
speak it any are found to admire and study one of the fairest
classes of creation, so long will this work rank among the first
histories of German birds. It consists of twelve volumes of text,
illustrated by vxpwards of three hundred plates, most of them
containing figures representing the various states of plumage
arising from the difference of season, sex, or age ; and though
the figures are of small size, yet they are engraved and coloured
with so much care, and in a manner so exact, as scarcely to leave
anything to be desired. As Temmiuck long ago remarked of
them, " ils sont des chefs-d'oeuvre de verite." The letter- press
also merits equal praise. The descriptions are given fully and
with precision. It has even been objected to them that the
details they offer are too minute. At the same time, so forcible
and expressive is the style employed, that, having but a slight
knowledge of the language in which it is written, one can easily
refer to the work with equal profit and pleasure. The advanced
student and the unscientific learner are alike capable of fully
comprehending the accurate and simple relation of facts ; for
Naumann, like all men of real genius, had the faculty of stating
his meaning clearly, and throughout this great undertaking,
though popularly written in the best sense of the expression, he
never stoops from the exalted throne of truth to suit the conve-
nience of ignorance, but rather raises ignorance by easy steps to
his own high level.
Now, as we believe that neither the more lengthened reviews
nor the shorter critical notices which have appeared in this Jour-
nal are open to the charge of fulsome adulation, we trust that the
remarks we have just made may be also received as expressions
of honest appreciation. We are far from saying that even Nau-
43 Review of the new Continuation
mann's labours attain perfection, but we do think that the very
short-comings of such a magnum opus demand no common treat-
ment; and if it be true that none should be the censor of a
book who does not feel himself its author^s equal, it is assuredly
not for us to throw the first stone.
To proceed, however, to the subject immediately before us.
The twelve volumes of the second edition of the 'Naturge-
schichte der Vogel Deutschlands,* as we have said, were com-
pleted in 1844; but Naumann did not feel his task was finished.
He at once set about a Supplement, of which the first part was
published in 1847; and in the succeeding ten years six other
portions appeared, ere the hand of death was laid upon their
author*.
The naturalists who have charged themselves with the com-
pletion of this Supplement are well known by report to most of
our readers. Professor Blasius, already in 1840 the joint
author with Count Keyserling of a handy volume on European
Vertebrates, published in 1844 an account of his travels in
Northern Russia. Besides this, by sundry contributions to
various periodicalsf he has shown himself to be eminently fitted
for the task, and he is now preparing a second volume of his
* Naturgeschichte der Wirbelthiere Deutschlands,' containing the
Birds, to the appearance of which we look forward with the highest
interest. Dr. Baldamus, formerly the conductor of the now
defunct ' Naumannia ' — a magazine which ought to be on the
book-shelves of every ornithologist — and at present co-editor
with Dr. Cabanis of the equally meritorious ' Journal fiir Orni-
thologie,' has in the same manner proved himself a tried soldier
* The number of distinguished ornithologists of different countries who
descended to their graves, full of years as full of honours, within a short
space of time from J. F. Naumann's death (15 Aug., 1857) is not a little
remarkable. W. Yarkell, 1 Sept., 1856; C. L. Bonaparte, 30 July,
1857; C. L. Koch, 23 Aug., 1857 ; M. H. C. Lichtenstein, 2 Sept.,
1857; C. J. Temminck, 30Jan., 1858; F. A. L. Thienemann,24 June,
1858.
t Among these fugitive pieces we would especially direct attention to
his able paper " On the Diversity in the Estimate of the European Ornis,
&c.," of which a translation appeared in this Journal for July last (Ibis,
1861, p. 292).
of Naumann's ' Vogel Deutschlands.' 43
of the good cause. He too has served several oological cam-
paigns in the countries bordering on the German Fatherland, of
which that of Hungary in 1847 was certainly not wanting in
great results, and, as Secretary of the German Ornithological
Society, has greatly contributed to its prosperity by his well-
deserved popularity and assiduous attention. The name of
Dr. Sturm is less known to us, except as the reproducer of
Mr. Gould's monograph of the Toucans, but to him we are in-
debted for many of the illustrations which embellish this book ;
and these, if not most artistic, are at least eminently charac-
teristic of the subjects they depict, and are also successful imita-
tions of the style of engraving in which the younger Naumann
was so great a proficient.
By a happy division of labour, the authors of the work we are
noticing have each contrived to exhibit the results of their ex-
perience and learning without in the least interfering with one
another. Professor Blasius has confined himself to the syno-
nymy and the critical and diagnostic descriptions of the species —
how successfully, those who are acquainted with his other writings
will not require to be told. On the other hand, to Dr. Baldamus
are owing those parts of the volume which treat of the geo-
graphical range and propagation, and the general observations
on the habits — all of which subjects are, it is almost needless
to say, handled with equal ability.
We have said that we consider Naumann himself to have been
occasionally in error, and it is not to be supposed that we mean
to give our unfeigned assent and consent to all the articles of
faith prescribed for us by his successors. Erudite ornithologists
as they are, in a few matters we hold them clearly in the wrong ;
and we shall here take the opportimity of noticing at some
length a single instance of this kind, especially as it is one which
has perhaps provoked more discussion than any other connected
with the European Avi-fauna. For although to us, indeed, the
solution seems simple enough, this has certainly not been gene-
rally recognized to be the case. It is the question of the Great
Northern Falcons. We do not pretend to announce any new facts
bearing on the matters at issue, but it seems to us that those
already on record have not been thoroughly comprehended by
44< Review of the new Cunthmation
many who have given their opinion on the subject *. We shall
endeavour to adduce proper authority for our reasons, and while
leaving the conclusion to our readers, strive to be as concise as
possible in our statements f.
In Gmelin's edition (1788) of Linnseus's celebrated ' Systema
Naturae,^ the three races of large Northern Falcons are defined
as accurately as many other birds about which no doubt has ever
arisen. Two of them are regarded as specifically distinct; the
third is considered a variety of the second. They stand thus
under the genus Falco : —
" Gyrfalco. 27. F. cera cserulea, pedibus luteis, corpore fusco,
subtus fasciis cmereis, caudse lateribus albis. Fn. Suec. 64.
• . • . ; • : • . • • . . • • t
Habitat in Europa, gruibus, ardeis, columbis infestus.
Variat pedibus cceruleis et flavis.
" CANDiCANs. 101. F. cera pedibusque ex cserulescente cinereis,
corpore albo fusco-maculato.
" ISLANDICUS. /3. ....... j
Habitat in Islandia et Scotia hoveaVi, palumba7-ii magnitudine ;
rostrum ex cieruleo-cinereuin, apice nigricans ; ungues plum-
bei ; irides et orbitse ccerulea (^. irides lutea). /3. Corpus
supra fuscum, dorsi et alarum maculis albis, subtus album
nigro maculatum. Pedes flavi." — Gmel. Sgst. Nat. I. i.
p. 375.
Since Gmelin's time, so much has the subject been confused,
that though the names he, as just quoted, gave to these birds
are theoretically entitled to priority §, he cannot be regarded as
their practical describer. Still less, as it seems to us, have any
other old writers such claims ; and of modern authors it appears
to have been Pastor Brehm who, in 1823 ('Lehrbuch,' pp. 43-
* See the rejiort of the animated debate on the subject which took
place at Brunswick, 5 June, 1855 (' Naumannia,' v. 22/).
t Our remarks will be found to be an amplification of those made in the
text to plates 34 and 35 of Wolf and Sclater's ' Zoological Sketches.'
I The references not Linnean are purposely omitted here, that the
matter may appear less complicated.
§ Unless indeed it can be accurately ascertained what Fabricius, in 1780,
('Fauna Grccnlandica,' pp. 55-58) meant by his Falco rusticolus, F.
fiiscus, and F. islandus.
of Naumann's ' Vogel Deutschlands/ 45
47), first decidedly distinguished between the two Falcons, which
are since presumed to have their respective homes mainly in
Greenland and Iceland. In 1838 Mr. John Hancock brought
the matter before the British Association at their meeting at
Newcastle-upon-Tyne ; but in the paper which he then read
('Ann. Nat. Hist.' ii. pp.241 et seqq., and ' Naturalist,' iv. pp. 38,
39), that gentleman was led, as Brehm before him had been,
into the error of confounding the adult of the Greenland bird
with the young, and of describing this latter as brow^n, like
the immature Iceland. It was not until 1854 that he was
enabled to set this misconception right ; but in the eai-ly part of
that year he announced (Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 2nd ser. xiii.
pp. 110-112) that the Greenland form vms never in any state dark-,
but invariably light-coloured from its youth. This opinion was
grounded upon repeated observations of living birds in his own
possession, as well as in that of the Zoological Society, backed by the
inspection of upw^ards of one hundred and fifty specimens *, and
the careful comparison of no less than seventy individuals. Mr.
Hancock's latter paper seems to have been somewhat ov'cvlooked
by ornithologists, and hence the confusion which previously
existed has never been entirely dispelled. But we think there
can be little doubt of the correctness of his present views, which,
it may be added, are strictly in accordance with the traditions
of falconers ; and to him, therefore, belongs the credit of first
laying the exact state of the case clearly before the public f.
It is to be observed that the Greenland and Iceland Falcons,
like the Peregrine, and nearly all the rest of the group J, assume
the plumage of maturity at the. first moult, which usually takes
* It is only fair to Professor Blasius to mentiou that he states that he
has inspected the same or even a larger number of skins (' Nauraannia,'
1857, p. 224), but he says nothing about live birds ; and we believe Mr.
Hancock has since seen many more.
t We have been informed that Professor Schlegel, than whom there
cannot be a higher authority on this subject, has lately expressed his
opinion that Mr. Hancock, in the view he takes, is perfectly right.
X The most noticeable exceptions apparently are Faico sacer, Gmelin,
and probably one or two other allied species; but in these the plumage of
both young and old would seem to be nearly alike. See F. H. Salvin
and Brodrick's ' Falconry in the British Isles,' pp. 96 et seqq.
46 Review of the neiv Continuation
place when the birds are from nine to fifteen months old, and,
as in them, the feathers of the young are characterized by longi-
tudinal markings, while those of the adult differ in having the
markings disposed transversely. The style of change thus un-
dergone may be readily perceived by any one who will take the
trouble to procure a nestling Peregrine Falcon, and keep it alive
for a year or a year and a half. After this one change, there is
no good reason for supposing that the colours of the plumage
materially alter at any succeeding moult. Of course, as in all
birds, the feathers with time become somewhat bleached or
rusty ; but in the autumn of every year these are thrown off,
and fresh ones take their place, the same in colour and mark-
ings as those originally assumed by the bird at ita first moult *.
These considerations being borne in mind, it is always easy
to determine, not only whether any given specimen is immature
or adult, but also to which of the two forms it may belong. As
has just been said, in the young of both birds, the general cha-
racter of the markings is that of streaks running along the shaft
of the feather, while in the old ones they are as invariably found
to be running across the shaft. This is all that is absolutely neces-
sary to distinguish between them, though other equally unmis-
takeable signs may be observed if looked for. One of these,
however — the colour of the cere, legs, and feet, which in the
young are bluish or lead-colour, but in the old birds are tinged
with yellow — is not always to be trusted in living examples which
have been kept long in captivity ; for confinement, and perhaps
the want of perfectly fresh food, seems often to interfere with
the natural development of colour in those parts. To distin-
guish between the two forms can scarcely be said to be more
* We have said above that Mr. Hancock's opinions are in part founded
on repeated observations of living birds in the Zoological Gardens. One
of these examples in its mature stage is beautifully figured by Mr. Wolf
in the ' Zoological Sketches' (plate 34). When originally brought to the
Regent's Park it was said to have been taken in Greenland that year, and
its plumage was characterized by longitudinal markings, which, after the
first moult, changed into the transverse ones depicted in the drawing.
That a change of similar character takes place in the Icelander, Mr. Han-
cock, Mr. Nevvcome, and other gentlemen who have kept them in confine-
ment, have had many opportunities of observing.
of Naumann's ' Vogel Deutsclilands.' 47
difficult. In the first place, the bills and claws of the Greenland
bird seem to be in life always white, or nearly so, while in the
Icelander the same parts are more or less dusky horn-colour. It
occasionally happens however that, on a cursory inspection of dried
specimens of the Greenland race, these organs present a some-
what dark appearance, but this will be found on closer inspection
to be merely the effect of extravasated blood. Another charac-
ter is, that though there is very considerable variation between
individual birds of either form, it will always be found that in
the Greenland Falcon, the white is as it were the ground-colour
of each feather on which the dark marking is displayed, whereas
in the Icelander the ground is dark with a light marking thereon.
In other words, in the Greenland bird at all ages the prevailing
hue is white, while in the Icelander it is dark — being brown or
grey, according as the specimen is young or old.
The variation between individuals, to which we have just
alluded, has no doubt been the primary cause of the confusion
which has existed on the subject of these birds. But Mr. Han-
cock has shown that to distinguish between them is always a
matter of simple observation ; and it may be added that, in
practice, it is believed the separation will be found more easy
than would appear. The differences are indeed often very great,
for out of some twenty or thirty examples, perhaps not more
than three or four may be found exactly alike ; but the extent of
this variation is by no means unlimited ; and we believe that Mr.
Hancock, and some other naturalists who partake of his opinions,
declare that they can unfailingly determine between the two
birds. They say that a Greenland Falcon of the darkest com-
plexion is yet whiter than the lightest Icelander; and even in the
absence of a series of specimens for comparison, it is asserted
that the colour of the bill will be always a sufficient test *.
* As if still further to complicate the matter, examples of the Iceland
Falcon are occasionally found showing a tendency to albinism, having
perhaps two or three feathers on one side nearly pure white, while the cor-
responding ones on the other side are the same as the rest of the body.
But at other times the pied markings are more regularly disposed, and we
believe it was a specimen of this description which led Mr. Hancock into
the error, afterwards corrected in his second paper, as before mentioned.
48 Review of the new Continuation
In modern times the claims to distinction of the third race — tliat
of Norway, which is clearly the bird referred to as Falco gyrfalco
by Linnseus and Gmelinj in the quotations we have cited, and to
which alone the English name Gyrfalcon of right belongs — seem
to have been first brought forward by the late Mr. Hoy. That
gentleman, in 1833, published a paper on the subject, which has
hardly obtained from naturalists the attention it deserves ; for
though the question has since been treated at great length by
other highly distinguished authors, his remarks, in our opinion,
are as a whole most judicious, and characterized by remarkable
perspicuity. We hope we may be excused for here reproducing
an extract from them, but we must refer those who are really
interested in the matter to the original article *. Mr. Hoy
('Loudon's Mag. Nat. Hist.' vi. p. 108) writes as follows : —
" The Iceland falcon rather exceeds the Gerfalcon of Norway in
size ; the tail is considerably shorter ; the wings are, in proportion,
longer, the relative length of the wing and tail being much the
same as in the Peregrine falcon : the young of both species are
much alike in their first plumage, but the Icelander is generally
of a lighter cast ; * * * The head
of the Icelander is larger, different blocks being used in making
the hoods of the two kinds. The Gerfalcon, the male of which, in
falconry, is called the Gerkiu, differs in being less ; in having a
longerf tail, and shorter wing, in proportion, the wings, when
closed, reaching but little more than half the length of the tail ;
the plumage does not become so white as in the Icelander."
This bird, the true Gyrfalcon, which in the times of our an-
cestors was so commonly employed to capture the Crane, the
Wild Goose, and the Bustard, has of late years been very rarely
brought alive to this country ; but in the palmy days of the Loo
Hawking Club several examples were at different times retained
by its members, and from these we believe Mr. Hoy's as well as
* We must, however, caution our readers that Mr. Hoy was of tlie
opinion which, prior to Mr. Hancock's discovery, almost entirely prevailed,
that the large Falcon of Norway, like the Icelander, grew white by age.
t By a clerical error in a former article ('Ibis,' 1859, p. 85) a " short tail "
is spoken of as being a characteristic of the Gyrfalcon. We should
have said exactly the contrary.
of Naumann's 'Vogel Deutschlands.' 49
Professor Schlegel's better-known descriptions were drawn up.
With all due deference to this last-named gentleman (the Arch-
Falconer^ as Prince Bonaparte dubbed him), we consider that in
his various works he has not been so successful in his diagnosis
of this race as our countryman, whose words we have above
quoted. But we are bound to say that we have not been able
to satisfy ourselves that some of the differences indicated by Mr.
Hoy, especially those taken from the relative proportions of the
Gyrfalcon and the Icelander, are constant ; and if they be not
constant, of course the sooner they are eliminated from the list
of characteristic distinctions the better. As far as we have ob-
served, the most noticeable differences are only of shade. The
Norwegian birds are more darkly coloured than the Icelandic ;
and in the former, however light may be the prevailing hue of
the other parts, there is generally a deeply black mystacial or,
rather, malar patch sometimes extended upwards over the tem-
ples to the top of the head, which we do not remember ever to
have seen in a true native either of Iceland, Greenland, or
Labrador.
Not many generations ago, sailors always believed that treaties
signified nothing within twenty degrees of the equator. Natu-
ralists have hardly left off acting on the principle that localities
may be safely disregarded within the same distance of the Arctic
Circle. Hence can be traced an abundant crop of errors relating
to the geographical range of northern birds; and when, as in
the present case, the races under consideration have been very
commonly confounded with one another, it is an especially diffi-
cult task to unravel the tangled web, and to state plainly what
may be taken as known of their respective distribution.
The Greenland Falcon seems to have its proper home in the
inhospitable regions which enclose Baffin's Bay and extend to
the westward. From this tract adult birds seldom wander to
other lands, though the young ones in autumn and winter — but
only at those seasons — occur regularly in Iceland, and not unfre-
quently in the United States, the British Islands, and even in
countries still more remote from the place of their birth.
They are, no doubt, driven away by their parents, as is com-
monly the habit of Birds of prey, and follow the large flocks of
VOL. IV. E
50 Review of the new Continuation
water-fowl, which are bred in the north, on their southward mi-
gration, though it would appear that the Ptarmigan forms the
chief sustenance of the old birds. At the same time it must not
be supposed that in Greenland the white race only is found — but
of this more presently ; and, on the other hand, there is reason to
believe that the Greenland Falcon may also breed in some of the
northern parts of the fur- countries. The nest spoken of by Sir
John Richardson as seen by him at Point Lake (lat. 65° 30' N.,
long. 113° W.), the birds of which "bore considerable resem-
blance to the Snowy Owl" (Fauna Bor.-Am. ii. p. 28), probably
belonged to this form. But whether its character in Siberia is
that of native or a visitor only, is not so easy to say with the
amount of evidence before us. A specimen obtained by Pallas
is still preserved in the Museum at Berlin ; but, according to the
views here adopted, it is a bird of the year only ; and that being
the case, the question of its origin is left as entirely undetermined
as with examples of similar age which appear in our own islands.
Von Middendorff says that the large Falcons observed by him
even as high as 75° 30' N. were always in dark plumage (Sib.
Reise, ii. 2. p. 127) : but the single specimen from the Amoor
river, described by von Schrenck (Reisen und Forschungen,
i. p. 228), seems to have belonged to the Greenland race; and
though we cannot entirely comprehend from the account given
whether it was an adult or an immature bird, we incline to the
belief that it was the latter.
We have said that the Greenland Falcon is not the only race
which is to be found in that country. Among the birds received
thence (we may mention those, for instance, sent at different
times by the late Governor Holboll*) there have been many which
* We do not know whether this unfortunate gentleman ever pubhshed a
description of what, judging from the tickets appended to the specimens
dispersed through his means, he so long ago at least as 1854 termed Falco
arcticus. It is therefore only with hesitation that we state our belief that
he considered the birds marked with transverse bars — i. e. the adults of
both forms, which we have here spoken of as the Greenland and Iceland
Falcons — to constitute one species, to which he applied the name F. arcti-
cus ; and the birds with longitudinal streaks — i. e. the immature of the same
— to form another, which he deemed to be F. islandicus. If our supposition
be correct, it exhibits another phase of this curiously confused question ;
of Naumann's 'Vogel Deutschlands.' 51
can scarcely be distinguished from examples known to be Ice-
landers, and these are in adult as well as immature plumage.
It may therefore be fairly taken for granted that the Iceland
Falcon breeds in at least some part or parts of Greenland, and,
according to Mr. Audubon (Orn. Biogr. ii. p. 553), also in
Labrador, though the birds figured by him (B. Am. pi. 196)*,
as having been shot from their nest, are obviously young, and not
old ones as he and his party imagined. Yet it cannot be dis-
puted that its head-quarters are in Iceland ; and probably from
that country most of the examples killed from time to time in
more southern latitudes originated. Though the falconers of
the " Royal Dane " no longer make their annual pilgrimage to
Bessestad, there to receive, from the persons duly appointed to
take them from the nests, the eyasses, on which so high a price
was set, yet the various public and private collections throughout
but the ingenuity of Holboll's notion, erroneous as it seems to us, must be
fully allowed. Letting alone its prior use by Gmelin in another sense
(Syst. Nat. i. p. 271), the earliest publication of the name Falco arcticus we
have been able to find is in ' Naumannia' for 1857 (p. 231), by Prof . Blasius,
who mentions it as having been communicated to him orally or in a letter
by Holboll, and the interpretation ascribed to it there is substantially the
same as we have given above.
* These are named in the plate " Falco labradora." It is worthy of re-
mark, that many of the examples obtained from Labrador are very darkly
coloured, but, as far as our own knowledge of them goes, they have always
been birds of the year. We have seen in some continental museum — we
forget where — a specimen from that country of a deep and almost uniform
brown, so as strongly to resemble the rare Australian Falco subniger of Mr.
G. R. Gray (Ann. N. H. xi. p. 37 1 ; Gould, B. Austral, i. pi. 9). The so-called
Falco sacer of Forster (Phil. Trans. 1772, Ixii. pp. 383 & 423), of which Sir
John Richardson copies the description (Fauna Bor.-Amer. ii. p. 30), we
are at a loss to refer to any known bird. It is stated to have had its
head and whole under surface white with longitudinal brown marks, its
upper parts dark brown, and its irides yellow ; this last being a character
especially dwelt on by the author, and not existing in any species or race
of true Falco, as now restricted, known to us. Mr. Cassin in 1856 (B.
Calif, p. 89) and Dr. Brewer (N. Am. Ool. part i. p. 11) apply this specific
name to the large Falcons of the New World collectively ; but the
former gentleman seems since to have altered his opinion, as in 1858
(Rep. Pac. R. R. ix. p. 13) he omits that designation, and speaks of Falco
candicans and F. islandicus by these appellations as North American
species.
52 Review of the new Continuation
the world have created a demand for their skins as insatiable as
that of old was for the living birds.
The Gyrfalcon^ so far as we know at present, has only been
ascertained to breed along the chain of mountains which separates
Sweden from Norway *. Towards the end of summer the young
birds would appear, like some of their transatlantic representa-
tives, to exhibit " southern proclivities,^^ and, according to Pro-
fessor Schlegel, they have, in winter, been taken in Germany and
Holland. What may be the eastern limits of the area occupied by
this form (which it must be confessed differs so slightly from
the Icelander) we have no means of determining. The dark
examples seen by von Middendorff, to which allusion has been
made, were most likely, however, young birds of this race ; and
we should imagine there must be some district in Siberia where
both it and the Greenland form occur, just as the Greenland and
Iceland birds jointly occupy the land north of Cape Farewell.
We forbear protracting this article by adding apologies for
the introduction of this long dissertation. We have only to
show that it is not altogether inexcusable on our part. This is
best done by referring to Dr. Sturm's two plates, which com-
plete the work. In the first (taf. 390), according to our views,
each of the birds represented is wrongly designated. The lower
figure is called an old male of " Faico candicans," while we feel
convinced that it is a sufficiently accurate representation of the
young of the year of the Greenland form ; and the upper figure,
considered by the authors to be a young female of "Falco arcticus,"
is, we are equally certain, that of a fine old Icelander. If there
be any truth in the diagnosis we have above given, our readers
can easily make out the distinguishing characters for themselves.
The longitudinal streaks in the bottom figure, to our mind,
clearly indicate the youth of the original, while the transverse
barring of the top figure as plainly shows its maturity. With
the second plate (taf. 391) we have no fault to find ; we can only
regret it was not in the artist's power to have given an original
figure of the adult male Gyrfalcon which, together with an im-
mature bird of the same form, is there represented.
* Herr Wallengren puts the southern hmit of its breeding-zone at 63° N.
for Sweden, and 60° for Norway (Naumaunia, 1855^ p. 129).
of Naumann's 'Vogel Deutschlands/ 53
So much then for the question of the Great Northern Falcons.
We have carefully avoided the use of the word " species '' in
treating of these forms or races, the characters of two of which
are truly enough stated by Mr. Hancock to be " permanent and
sharply defined, never blending into each other,'^ while those of
the third, though much less marked, and accordingly less easily
distinguished, are, we are told by Professor Schlegel, always
recognizable. Whatever theories we may hold as to the existence
of species in nature, and as to what constitutes them, in practice
it must, for the present, we imagine, be left for naturalists to re-
ceive or reject them according to their own private judgment.
But at the same time, where constant difi"erences, however small,
can be observed between particular groups of organic forms, we
maintain that these constant differences are worthy of observa-
tion, however variable be the value assigned to them as specific
characteristics. Accordingly we consider that those who neglect
to observe them are rather impeding than advancing the pro-
gress of natural history, and are not fulfilling the duties which
belong to them as natural philosophers. This last, be it remem-
bered, is really a matter of no small importance, since the popu-
lar estimate of a science like natural history, whose results are
comparatively barren in utilitarian application, is always propor-
tionate to the opinion formed of its students' abilities. To
guard, however, against misapprehension, we must say that this
charge cannot be laid to the authors of the volume under review.
They, in nearly all cases, show their readiness to give due con-
sideration to such differences as we have spoken of, though, as
in the instance which has provoked these lengthy remarks, we
believe them to be mistaken in the views they have adopted.
There is but one other point on which we will detain our readers,
and that also is of importance with reference to a rare and in-
teresting European species, the synonymy of which Dr. Cabanis
has the credit of first reducing to order (Journ. f. Orn. 1853,
pp. 81-96). To his paper, and to the account given in the work
we are noticing (pp. 74-77), we would refer those ornithologists
who are anxious to become acquainted with the whole story.
Here we will but glance at its principal features. About 1837
Mr. Gould (Birds of Europe, pt. xii. pi. 149) gave, from a single
54 Review of the new Continuation
example procured in Daimatia in 1829 by the Baron von Fel-
degg, a description and figure of what appeared to him to be a
new species of Regulus, under the name of Regulus modestus. In
1838 Mr. John Hancock (Ann. N. H. ii. p. 310) identified a bird
shot by himself on the Northumberland coast with Mr. Gould^s
figure, and in 1840 Temminck included it in his work as a Em"o-
peau species (Man. d'Orn. iv. App. p. 618). But in the year last
mentioned Count A. von Keyserling and Prof. Blasius (Wirbelth.
Eur. p. 55) showed that Mr. Gould's Regulus modestus had been
previously described by Pallas (Zoogr. Boss.-Asiat. i. p. 499) as
Motacilla proregulus, and of course made use of this last specific
term. In 1843 Mr. Yarrell included the species, from Mr.
Gould's determination, in a supplementary leaf to his well-known
work (B. B. i. p. 316), and it has therefore taken its place in
nearly all the lists of English birds since published. IMeanwhiie,
in 184.2, Mr. Blyth had announced the existence of a species
apparently uudescribed, and procured by him in the neighbour-
hood of Calcutta, as Regulus inornatus (Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal,
xi. p. 191), which species he subsequently found to be only Mr.
GoukVs R. modestus in abraded plumage, and next year (Ann.
Nat. Hist. xii. p. 98) so referred it. Soon after, the same gentle-
man sent home some specimens of the bird to the British Mu-
seum (Ann. Nat. Hist. xiii. p. 179) ; and about the same time it
was discovered that the bird was no true Regulus (as indeed some-
body had suggested when Mr. Gould's description first appeared),
but rather belonged to the group of Willow Wrens, to which,
under whatever term it pleased naturalists to distinguish them,
■ — whether Sylvia proper, Phyllopneuste, or Phylloscopus — it was
in consequence relegated. On consideration, however, this
assignment appeared distasteful to the discrimination of Mr.
Blyth, who in 1847 (Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, xvi. p. 441) erected
for its reception a genus Reguloides, where Prince Bonaparte in
1850 (Consp. Av. i. p. 291) was content to leave it. But before
this it was destined to have a new designation conferred upon
it, for in 1844 Mr. Hodgson (Gray's Zool. Misc. p. 82) had
again described it as new under another specific name, PJujllo^
pneuste reguloides *. To continue the bibliography of the species,
* Not to be coufounded, however, with Mr. Blyth's Phylloscopus regu~
of Naumann's ' Vogel Deutsclilands/ 55
Dr. Cabanis, iu 1851, exhibited to the meeting of German orni-
thologists held at Berlin a pair, the female of which had been
taken by a bird-catcher near that capital ; he also stated (Nau-
mannia, 1852, pt. i. p. 5) that three examples had been killed
in Heligoland, and that two others obtained in Dalmatia were
then at Vienna. The same talented ornithologist about the
same time devised a new genus, Phyllohasileus, for its reception,
and subsequently, in 1853, published (Journ. f. Orn. i. p. 81)
the admirable paper to which reference has already been made.
Herein the history of the species is ably summed up, and two
characteristic figures by Naumann himself are appended; but,
better still, the author identifies it with the " Yellow-browed
Warbler " of Latham (Synopsis, ii. 2. p. 459), which that learned
writer described so long ago as 1783, from an example furnished
to him by the illustrious Pennant. This description had served
as the foundation of Gmelin's Motacilla superciliosa in 1786
(Syst. Nat. i. pt. 2. p. 975) ; and thus we arrive at what must
be considered in future as its rightful specific appellation, as well
as an older English name, the latter fortunately more applicable
to it than that applied by Mr. Gould some fifty years later.
About the same time as Dr. Cabanis' paper (namely in 1853)
appeared the ornithological portion of the results of Dr. von Mid-
dendorff's travels, wherein (Sibir. Reise, ii. pt. 2. p. 183) this bird
is included as Sylvia proregulus ; and the variations occasioned by
sex, age, or other causes, in no less than thirteen examples ob-
tained on the shores of the Sea of Ochotsk, are duly commented
on. The following year (1854) Mr. F. Moore (Cat. B. Mus.
H. E. I. C. p. 343) claimed for the species another synonym,
namely Phyllopneuste nitidus of Mr. Blyth in 1842 (J. A. S. B.
xii. pt. 2. p. 965). In 1857 the anonymous author — if indeed
he may be so regarded, when east of the Red Sea there is but a
single pen that could have written the article — of "British Birds
in India'' in the ' Calcutta Review' (no. 55. p. 174) states that this
bird, under the appellation of Reguloides proregulus, is, with
several other allied species, common in Bengal. In 1858 Mr.
hides (J. A. S. B. xi. p. 291), which that gentleman states (Ann. N, H. xx.
p. 384) is a species identical with Professor Sundevall's previously described
Acanthiza trochiloides (Ann. N. H. xviii. p. 262). *
56 Review of the new Continuation
Gatke described at length (Naumannia, 1858^ p. 419) his mar-
vellous success in picking up chance wanderers to that refuge
for birds destitute of a home, the island of Heligoland, and
recording the occurrence there of some eight specimens of the
Yellow-browed Warbler, adds yet another name to the species ;
but the stern laws of priority forbid our doing more than quoting
as a synonym his description of Sylvia bifasciata. As might have
been expected from von Middendorff^s experience, later ob-
servers in North-eastern Asia have again met with it in that
region; and Herr Maack is stated (von Schrenck, Reisen und
Forsehungen, i. p. 364) to have killed it on the Upper Amoor,
the district by which the boundaries of the Russian empire have
been recently ''rectified.'^ Then comes its treatment by the au-
thors of the work we are reviewing (pp. 74-77) ; and finally we
may refer to our last Number, where Mr. Swinhoe states that he
found it '* very common among the trees near Tungchow, in Sep-
tember'^ ('Ibis,' 1861, p. 330).
We have no wish to cap with a moral the tower of confusion
we have shown to have been thus built up. That the Yellow-
browed Warbler is not a race favoured by naturalists, whatever
it may have been by nature, is certain. It has maintained a
successful struggle for existence only to undergo a struggle as
severe to get that existence duly recognized, and has been en-
cumbered with nearly as many names as a Spanish Infante.
May happier times await this poor little bird ! At present we
do not know much of what, in the language of the day, is called
its "life-history." It has occurred once in England, nearly
a dozen times in Heligoland, once or twice near Berlin, and about
as often in Dalmatia. All these occurrences seem to have been
at the time of the autumnal migration. In Siberia, according
to Pallas, it has been met with on the Ingoda, and perhaps on
the Lena ; but as no particular locality is specified, and the latter
river happens to be one of the largest in the world — only about
ten times as long as the Thames ! — the information is not very
precise. Its abundance still further to the eastward has been
noticed ; and in Hiudostau, as we have seen, Mr. Blyth speaks of
it as common enough, though chiefly so, we believe, in winter
time about Calcutta. Still that gentleman mentions its breeding
of Naumann's * Vogel Deutschlands/ 57
in that vicinity, and his having obtained, without eggs it is true, a
supposed nest. This was a domed structure, but, unlike those
built by most Phyllopneustce, not placed on the ground. He
also states that its song is somewhat like that of our Wood Wren,
but is much weaker in tone. And here we part company for the
present with our small friend, trusting we have done somewhat
towards restoring him to his long-neglected honours.
There is one other topic upon which we cannot refrain from
saying a few words before we dismiss the work we have been
reviewing. It is well known that naturalists, whatever be their
particular lines of study, are, as a rule, to be divided into two
schools. Our entomological and botanical brethren, to whom
the characteristics of either party have been more especially
brought home, have, if we are not mistaken, recognized these
two sects in common parlance as the "splitters" and the
"lumpers'' — those who erect every trifling diflference into a
specific distinction, and those who refuse to acknowledge that
these differences possess any scientific value. This last body
we have thought it right, a few lines above, to condemn. It
remains to be said that the authors of the continuation of Nau-
mann's great undertaking are not adherents of the former.
They exhibit, on the contrary, a most remarkable and praise-
worthy exception to the bigotry of both parties. Dr. Blasius, as
may be gathered from the expression of his opinions recorded in
the article which appeared in one of our former numbers, has
very strong convictions on this point, but he has given utterance
to them in a temperate manner, and one worthy of a deep-
thinking philosopher. Dr. Baldamua, to whose share in the
work before us we feel that in this notice we have hardly done
suflScient justice, appears fully to coincide with the views of his
colleague. Together they have produced a volume of the highest
use to the student of the European Fauna, and have set an ex-
ample to the naturalists of other countries which well merits
imitation. In England much aversion has hitherto been popu-
larly entertained towards the writings of German ornithologists ;
chiefly, we believe, excited by the notion that they all resembled
those of a well-known leader of the " splitters." A more just
appreciation, we trust, will soon succeed; and if so, German
58 Prof. Blasius on the Ornithology of Heligoland .
naturalists will owe not a small debt of gratitude to Dr. Blasius
and Dr. Baldamus.
November 1861.
X. — An Ornithological Letter on Heligoland.
By Prof. Dr. J. H. Blasius*.
To the Editor of ' Naumannia.''
■ Brunswick, September 1858.
You want me to give you an account of my summer excur-
sions . . . very well ! To begin with Heligoland. It is a long
time since I have seen so interesting a collection for European
ornithology as that belonging to Mr. H. Gaetke, a painter, and
secretary of the government of Heligoland. The contributions
of Naumann in the ' Rhea/ and of Gaetke in Cabanis' 'Journal/
were calculated not only to attract the attention of ornithologists
towards this isolated and rocky island, but to raise the curiosity
of the ornithological world to a high degree. Independently, how-
ever, of a previous somewhat animated dispute on the moulting
and colouring of birds, the assertions of Gaetke, although founded
on fact, had been not only seriously questioned, but doubted
altogether. Von Homeyer, in Cabanis' ' Journal ' (1857, p. 143),
amongst other matters observes, — "When the collector has no
interest in deception, there is no reason to distrust his motives ;
but this is not so with regard to birds continually imported, espe-
cially from Heligoland, and proclaimed as novelties or great curi-
osities for the European fauna. If serious consideration is expected
in these cases, positive statements are requisite. The Heli-
golanders, owing to their frequent intercourse with foreigners, no
longer possess their primitive purity of morals. They know very
well that a bird killed on their island has, comparatively to one
of the same species imported from abroad, a greater value ; and
here lies the temptation for enhancing ten- or twenty-fold the
* Translated from ' Naumannia ' for 1858. We have long wished to give
an English translation of this very interesting paper of Dr. Blasius, but
have been hitherto prevented from want of space. As relating to the ex-
traordinary features presented by the Avifauna of one of our own posses-
sions, and as containing the first discrimination of a new European species
of Warbler, it is of great importance. — Ed.
Prof. Blasius on the Ornithology of Heligoland. 59
price of a specimen by false reports. It would be, therefore,
most interesting to science that the ornithology of Heligoland
should remain no longer closed to ornithologists."
It must be admitted that von Homeyer knew very well the
import of his assertions. In his obscure phraseology he does not,
it is true, cite any name, but in the whole article he evidently
refers to the statements and opinions of Gaetke. Moreover, it is
well known that of late years Gaetke is the only person in the
island who has occupied himself with the science of ornithology.
There is, therefore, not the slightest doubt as to whom these
hints and insinuations are covertly addressed.
Gaetke declares that he found in the month of February five
Larus minutus moulting into their white plumage ; he asks
whether v. Homeyer, whose views are opposed to his, has seen
these birds ; and observes that specimens obtained through the
trade cannot be relied upon. To this v. Homeyer answers by
hints and suspicions as to the questionable morality of the
Heligolanders.
Thus stood ornithological matters in Heligoland in the past
year. Many statements as to what had occurred in Heligoland
had been made, much had been quasi-foretold by Gaetke.
"You see," says Gaetke again in Cabanis^ 'Journal' (1856,
p. 378), "the materials of our European ornis are endless." But,
according to v. Homeyer's assertions, it seems that this new and
rich mine is nothing more than a swindle based on trickery of
trade. And truly, if the assertions of v. Homeyer could have
been believed, the question of ornithology in Heligoland must
have entered upon a crisis from which no escape would have
been possible.
But on whom was reliance to be placed ? Gaetke spoke
evidently from experience, being on the spot ; and from the
manner in which he spoke, there was no ground for supposing
intentional fraud. Wherever he was not quite certain as to the
species he made short notes, evidently founded on minute obser-
vation, and never ventured to employ a specific name. Moreover,
whatever may be the personal inclination of any person to think
about another, as long as there is no positive evidence to show
the contrary, he ought to be considered &»■ an honest man in
60 Prof. Blasius on the Ornithology of Heligoland.
private as well as in literary or in public life. V. Homeyer pro-
claims his distrust only in the vaguest and most unsatisfactory
manner — merely as a supposition, as a possibility or probability,
without taking the slightest trouble to cite one single incontest-
able fact founded on his own observation and knowledge. In
reading his article one sees that he is not personally acquainted
with Heligoland. He concludes : " It would be most interesting
to science that the ornithology of Heligoland should remain no
longer closed to ornithologists.^' Hitherto then we have
been in the dark 1 and therefore it must be difficult to pro-
nounce a priori either in a positive or negative sense on the
question.
But how is the ornithology of Heligoland to be disclosed to
ornithologists ? How ? when the ornithological observers in
Heligoland are declared open to suspicion and stigmatized as
scientific swindlers ! Are the peculiarities of the ornithology of
Heligoland to be divined by ornithologists or known by intui-
tion ? or must Gaetke send his collection to every one who ex-
hibits an interest in them ? This may be possible ; but I
should consider myself as transgressing the limits of propriety
in addressing such a request to a man who was quite a stranger
to me. And, moreover, of what use would that be, if the collection
itself were a mere swindle — if it were " an importation from
abroad," and not the product of the island at all ? A spurious
specimen can be sent just as easily as an authentic one. And
when once public opinion is raised against one who is denounced
as a swindler, the most detailed explanations and the most ela-
borate proofs will prove of no avail.
It seemed to me that the best means to obtain correct infor-
mation would be for ornithologists to take the trouble to go
over to Heligoland and inquire into the matter personally ; and
that is what I have myself done this summer. I went to Heligo-
land and addressed myself forthwith to Gaetke, declaring honestly
and freely that I went there, not for his sake, neither for the
sake of the island, but merely for the sake of his ornithological
collection ; and I am bound to state that I wxis met on his part
with a willingness and frankness which left nothing to desire.
Gaetke is not a native of Heligoland, but a Prussian by birth.
Prof. Blasius on the Ornithology of Heligoland. 6 1
He was led to the island by his art, and became a collector and
observer of ornithology merely by chance. This chance offered
itself to him in the shape of a Norwegian Gyrfalcon killed in
Heligoland. In a countiy where only Sparrows and Loons
breed, the appearance of a noble Falcon was quite a phenome-
non. Gaetke was sorry to leave this beautiful bird to decay,
and made an attempt to stuff it as well as he was able. It
forms the still-preserved nucleus of his collection ; to which in
the progress of time, and little by little, all other specimens that
seemed to him of some importance were added. Finally he con-
ceived the idea of collecting examples of all the species killed on
the island, and has now succeeded in obtaining in this narrow
space more than 400 out of about 500 known European
species. In his endeavours to attain this result he was assisted
by many of the indigenous inhabitants, fishers and gunners, and
especially by the brothers Aeuckens. Gaetke kept from the
beginning a diary of all the rarer species. The time, the spot,
and the circumstances accompanying the killing of each bird are
carefully registered, together with his observations. Besides,
the diary contains special measurements — a process which can
be performed only with fresh-killed birds, with flesh and tissues
still existing, by means of stretching them in a peculiar manner
on paper. The colours of the several parts, which are commonly
changed or lost by preparation, are fully detailed. Even the
voice, the posture, and the movement of the living birds are not
forgotten in his notices. Every one who is at all acquainted with
practical ornithology must be convinced by a glance at these, that
there cannot have been the slightest attempt at deception ; every
one will recognize in them the evidence of a conscientious and
careful observer. He who looks over the contents and the
progress of this diary, and compares the text of the later with
that of the previous years, will cast aside all idea of dishonesty
with contempt. For my part, I hope that not one of the obser-
vations recorded in this diary may be lost to European orni-
thology.
The collection itself corresponds perfectly with the text and
contents of this diary. Each individual belonging to a rare
species is, without exception, still preserved in the collection.
62 Prof. Blasius on the Ornithology of Heligoland.
The manner of preparation leaves no doubt whatever that the
specimens were taken from birds freshly killed, and not from
dry skins imported from abroad. They were all stuffed and set
up by Gaetke himself, who has thus proved himself not only a
skilful artist, but also a conscientious naturalist and good ob-
server. More perfect specimens with respect to the posture, the
setting up and the arrangement of the plumage, than the greater
part of the birds of his collection, I know nowhere. Stuffed birds
as beautiful as his splendid specimen of the Motacilla certhiola,
Pall., as fresh in plumage as his Turdus varius, Pall., as his
numerous specimens of Emberiza pusilla, Pall., of Actitis riifes-
cens, Vieill., and of his Larus roseus in winter plumage, I never
met with.
Even the incidental narratives and assertions of the islanders
with respect to birds of passage agree perfectly with Gaetke's
diary and his collection. The natives have not the slightest
knowledge of systematic or conventional names ; they call the
birds according to certain peculiarities of voice or habits, in
addition to some known name. So, for instance, the Anthus
richardi, Vieill., is called the " Brief," from its call ; and the
Anthus campestris is called the " Kleine Brief." Generally these
denominations bear a character of naivete, and they show at all
events a fixed and quick perception and observation. Like the
impassioned hunter who remembers every step, every movement
of the stag or roebuck he has killed, and who will in after years
tell you about his thoughts and feelings, and boast of his prowess
in chase of the noble animal — how he stooped, glided and crept
on the plain or the hill-side — in the same manner the island-
gunners will recount the history of evei'y bird they have killed
and delivered for Gaetke's collection. When vou are ridins;
or walking with them along the island and direct the conversa-
tion to this subject, it will seem to you as though every winding
of the rock were animated. " Here I found, amongst more
than a hundred dead sv/allows, the beautiful red-headed one
{Hirundo rufula, Temm,), which had been chased by Gaetke for
two days at the peril of his life ; here my brother killed the
beautiful red cuneate-tailed Gull [Larus roseus, Jard. & Selby)."
On one occasion, having taken my usual walk on the island
Prof. Blasius on the Ornithology of Heligoland. 03
in company of one of the islanders, without Gaetke, I said to
one of my friends — " Do you believe that these people tell us
the truth, or are their narratives mere fables V He answered,
" How come you to have such an idea ? If these are fables,
then the whole island is but a fiction, and we are not here in
the middle of the sea, but rather on the heath of Lunenburg/'
Yet there are people who consider the whole thing a fiction,
and a barefaced attempt at imposition. But if the diary, wherein
the time, the place, the measurement, the voice and the habits
of the bird are registered, together with the name of the indivi-
dual from whom each specimen has been obtained — if the con-
cordance of the diary with the collection, the concurrence of the
narratives of the islanders themselves with the assertions of
Gaetke and his collection — if the detailed accounts (confirmed by
subsequent testimony) of the chase of each separate and rare
bird, and the collection itself, which shows that it could have
been formed only from fresh-killed birds, and these set up by
an artistic hand — if all this be mere trickery, then there must
indeed have been a complete school of trickery, in which the
greater part of the inhabitants must have conspired for the
benefit of a single man, who is almost a stranger to them, and
whom they do not as yet consider as one of themselves. Such
an idea seems to me quite an absurdity. In short, in Heli-
goland, where everybody is known, and where nothing can be
concealed, there is but one verdict upon the matter, and this
excludes every idea of dishonesty.
Moreover, I may ask, whence could many of these birds, killed
at Heligoland and still existing there, have been imported ? I
will quote only the
Motacilla certhiola. Pall.,
Motacilla salicaria, Pall, (or Sylvia caligata, Licht.),
Regulus modestus, Gould,
Motacilla citreola, Pall.,
Turdus varius, Pall.,
Pyrrhula rosea, Pall.,
Larus roseus, Jard. & Selby,
Larus sabinii, Leach.
As for others, such as Emberiza pusilla, Pall., Gaetke possessed
64 Prof. Blasius on the Ornithology of Heligoland,
numerous specimens before they could be obtained through the
trade. Finally, and in order to refute with a single word the
last argument put forward to demonstrate this pretended swindle,
I can inform his opponents that, so far from selling his rare
birds, it was only in condescension to particular applications that
Gaetke parted with a few scarce specimens, of which he possessed
many, and this before they could be obtained from the dealers.
All the more striking rarities are still to be seen only in his
collection.
With regard to the bird-trade in Heligoland, there are but
few inhabitants who are engaged in it. They kill and prepare
the birds in autumn, winter, and spring, for the purpose of sell-
ing them in summer to the visitors of this watering-place. In
their stock they often have things which would be considex'ed
as great rarities on the continent ; but the prices are so low
that no dealer in Germany, no ornithologist in the world, would
part with tliem for such a trifle, if he were once possessed of
them. I can the more confidently affirm this, as I had myself
an opportunity of buying many rare birds, and am perfectly well
acquainted with the prices of these articles asked by ornitholo-
gical dealers. The highest prices in Heligoland are asked for
the great Mews, Larus marinus, L. fuscus, and L. argentatus, but
it is only for the reason that they are in great request amongst
the visitors. Once more I say, the accusation of trickery or
falsification is altogether out of the question : the trade in birds
is an honest one, producing a casual and moderate profit to the
inhabitants.
But I have said quite enough, or, rather, too much, about the
suspicion so publicly raised ; in answer to which I felt it my
duty not to keep silence, but to explain how matters really stand.
Not in order to save Gaetke's honour or the reputation of the
Heligolanders. That is a private affair; and besides it would
be supei'fluous to do this, as von Homeyer has not produced
a single authenticated fact in support of the alleged trickery.
Neither do I intend to blame von Homeyer's suspicions, which
seem to me to have been incidentally raised by the discussion on
moulting and colouring, in which he differed from Gaetke. All
I desired was to remove the evil consequences of his assertions
Prof. Blasius uii the Ornitholuyy of Heligoland. 65
on the cultivation of science. It is certainly no wonder that,
when a man like von Homeyer casts his opinion on ornithological
matters in the balance, there should be some weight attached
to it, and it follows that others may be induced to give it their
serious consideration. Every impartial man, it is true, must
confess that there is not the slightest substantial reason for
suspicion ; but how many people there are who are ready to
believe implicitly the assertions of a man of recognized autho-
rity ! He, however, who is induced to do this must of neces-
sity be ignorant of the facts cited by Gaetke, which may be
confirmed by a visit to Heligoland. To save these facts, and to
preserve them for the interest of European ornithology, was my
duty, the more so as I had the opportunity of verifying and
ascertaining them on the very spot. In my opinion, the con-
tributions of Gaetke can not only not be doubted, but European
ornithology is greatly indebted to him for his persevering re-
searches for twenty years in this field.
I shall, of course, leave to Gaetke, who is now engaged in
finishing his Fauna of Heligoland, the task of publishing his
own observations himself. But I cannot refrain from pointing
out a few of the results obtained by his long and zealous en-
deavours, and from adding a few remarks of my own. Amongst
the rarities of the European fauna for a locality such as this, the
following have been shot in Heligoland : —
1. Falcg gyrfalco (L.), Schleg. — One of these specimens is
the most interesting I ever saw. It is a young bird, in its
transitory or moulting state, or passage to the old plumage. It
shows that Schlegel was perfectly right in considering the old
Norwegian Gyrfalcon as a bird marked and coloured as the old
Wandering Falcon. Till now I never met a specimen in which
the transition was so clearly to be observed.
2. Falcg vespertinus, L.
3. Falcg cenchris, Naumann.
4. Strix nyctea, L.
5. Mergps apiaster, L.
6. HiRUNDG RUFULA, Tcmm. — On comparison of Sicilian
VOL. IV, F
66 Prof. Blasius on the Ornithuloyy of Heligoland.
specimens with Siberian, the Swallow found in Heligoland
evidently corresponds with the Em'opean form of this species
{H. rufula), and not with H. daurica, L. {H. alpestris, Pall.).
7. MusciCAPA PARVA, Bechst.
8. Lanius ph(enicurus, Pall. New to Europe.
9. CiNCLUS PALLAsii, Temm.
10. Merula rosea, Briss.
11. TURDUS VARIUS, Pall.
12. TuRDUS RUFICOLLIS, Pall.
13. Orpheus lividus (Wils.). New to Europe.
14. ToxosTOMA RUFUM (L.). New to Europe.
15. Petrocichla saxatilis (L.).
16. Aedon familiaris (Menetr.). — This bird is said to have
been formerly frequently seen in Heligoland. I was told by
Gaetke that the only individuals of this species killed in Heligo-
land known to him were in the collection of the apothecary Meck-
lenburg, at Flensburg. I went there in order to ascertain which
of the two species, the Spanish-African,^eV/o7i^G/«cWes(Temm.),
or the Greco-Asiatic, Aedon familiaris (Menetr.), migrated into
Heligoland. Undoubtedly it was the latter.
17. Calamoherpe certhiola (Pall.). — The bird is a splendid
specimen in fresh plumage, and here found for the first time in
Europe. Besides this one, von Middendorff killed two examples
of this species near the Sea of Ochotsk. Up to that time, the
only original specimen known was that of Pallas in the Museum
of Berlin.
18. Iduna SALiCARiA, Pall. : Sylvia caligata, liicht — Also for
the first time observed in Western Europe.
19. Phyllopneuste proregulus (Pall.) : Phyllobasileus
superciliosus (Lath.), Cabanis.
20. Phyllopneuste javanica (Horsfield), or a species very
closely connected with it. — Observing this bird for the first time
at Heligoland, I took it, from recollection, for one of the Javan
Prof. Blasius on the Ornithulugy uf Heligoland. G7
birds received from Paris, which Bonaparte himself, in his 'Con-
spectus/ i. p,240, declares to be his Phj/llopneuste javanica, and
which fully corresponds with a specimen of the P/ti/llopneuste
javanica, or PhyUopneuste magnirostris, Blyth (no. 15969), lately
received from VeiTeaux. Looking over my travelling notes, and,
for the sake of science, comparing my stock, I was struck by a
bird, also received from Verreaux, marked with the number 23707,
without any denomination, the origin of which was described as
follows :— " Sea of Ochotsk, latitude 59° 38' N., longitude 147°
30' E., Thursday, Septem>er 15, 1853. Eyes dark {noir) blue."
Both the birds, from Java and from the Sea of Ochotsk, are so
closely alike, that I was not able to ascertain from my fragment-
ary travelling memoranda to which of them the specimen of
Heligoland might belong. But, after a closer comparison of the
two birds, I can state that they do not belong to the same species,
independently even of the circumstance that the places where
they have been found are removed nearly 70 degrees of latitude
one from the other. The name of the Javan species being
already fixed, the question is to know if the Siberian species has
been already described, or not. Bonaparte, in his ' Conspectus,'
quotes the following Asiatic species : — Sylvia brevirostris, Strickl.,
S.fuscata, Blyth, and S. griseola, Blyth, from Middle Asia, and
Ficedula cor onat a, Temm., from Japan; but none of these forms
correspond with the one from the Sea of Ochotsk. Von Mid-
dendorfFalso, in his ' Voyage,' describes the Sylvia {PhyUopneuste)
sibirica, v. Midd., as a new species, and the Sylvia {PhyUopneuste)
eversmanni, Bonaparte. The first has nothing to do with the
bird of the Sea of Ochotsk, w^hilst the latter perfectly corresponds
with it. Von MiddendorfF obtained his Sylvia eversmanni on the
Boganida, in latitude 70° north, and on the western declivity
of the mountain Stanowoj, on the river Ujan. The place agrees
pretty well with that of my bird from the Sea of Ochotsk.
But the bird of von MiddendorfF is certainly not that of
Bonaparte. Bonaparte's PhyUopneuste eversmanni is simply the
Sylvia ictei'ina of Eversmann rebaptized (Eversm. Addend, ad
Zoogr. Ross.). Bonaparte, in his Consp. p. 389, not only cites
the bird of Eversmann under the head of this species, but he
gives also, in his ' Revue Critique,' p. 30, his reason for doing
p2
68 Prof. Blasius on the Ornithology of Heligohmd.
so, saying he does not like " ce nam maudit d'icterina." And
truly he was right in the change of name, although it was hardly
worth the trouble. Eversmann's Sylvia icterina was grounded
on the Ficedula icterina of our ' Wirbelthiere Europas/ p. 185,
no. 218. In a form differing a little in the structure of its
wings fi'oni Phyllopneuste trochilus, I thought that I recognized
the Sylvia icterina of Vieillot. Eversmann told me that in his
classification he was guided by the short description in the
' Wirbelthiere Europas.^ I possess an original specimen of
Eversmann's Sylvia icterina, which fully agrees with examples of
that species from Bavaria and Wirtemberg, and can only be
ranged with the Ph. trochilus, or close to it. But, whatever may
be our opinion as to this species, it has, at all events, nothing
in common either with the bird from the Sea of Ochotsk under
examination, or with the specimen of the bird described by
V. Middendorff killed on the Boganida. I must therefore con-
sider my bird from the Sea of Ochotsk, and the birds described
by V. Middendorff as the Sylvia [Phyllopneuste] eversmanni, as
belonging to quite a new species, which, in opposition to the
Javan species standing next to it, I may call Phyllopneuste
BOREALis, nov, sp. — It forms, together with the Phyllopneuste
javanica, a natural group amongst the Leaf-warblers, distin-
guished from the other species by their considerably stronger
body, by the bill being stronger and wider at its base, by the
yellow band formed by the tips of the greater wing-coverts, by
the ends of the quills being slender and distinctly emarginated
at their terminations, by the bright yellow, sharply defined tips
of the tail-feathers, and by the straight tail. This group may
be designated by the name Acanthopneuste, and considered as
a subdivision of the other Leaf-warblers.
The shining yellow spot on the wing, figured by v. Midden-
dorff in his 'Travels,' vol. i. pi. 16. fig. 2, forms a half-perfect
bright wing-band, and ranges both the species next to the
Phyllopneuste proregulus, Pall. (= Motacilla superciliosa. Lath.,
= Regulus modestus, Gould), which has two yellow wing-bands
and similar emarginated tips to the quills.
These two species may be distinguished in the following
manner ; —
Prof. Blasius on the Oriutliolugij of Hdiyulund. 69
Phyllopneuste javanica
(Horsf.).
The upper parts and the edges
of the quills and tail-feathers
brownish green.
The crown brownish green, of
the same colour as the back.
The tail-feathers are broad, and
gradually widened on the inner
web up to the well-defined termi-
nation j the margin of the inner
web turns towards the tip, making
a rounded obtuse angle with the
shaft.
The whitish termination of the
first tail-feather attains its great-
est breadth at the rounded obtuse
angle formed by the inner web, at
some distance from the shaft.
Phyllopneuste borealis,
nov. spec.
The upper parts and the edges
of the quills and tail-feathers yel-
lowish grass-green.
The crown gradually becoming
dark-coloured grey-green.
The tail-feathers are slender,
little widened, and attain their
greatest breadth in the end-fourth ;
the margin of the inner web in the
end-fourth forms an irregular arc
with the shaft.
The whitish termination of the
first tail-feather attains its great-
est breadth close to the tip of the
shaft on the inner web.
The lower parts of both the species are white along the middle,
with a weak sulphur-coloured tint. The feathers of the sides of
the head and of the front of the neck, in the Siberian species,
are tinged with grey towards the ends and borders, so that these
parts appear of a dull, cloudy grey ; whilst the gorge and the
front of the ueck of the Phyllopneuste javanica is of a clear yel-
lowish white. The flanks of the Siberian species are strongly
tinged with a greenish-grey colour, their upper portions being
almost of the colour of the back. The structure of the wings cor-
responds, in many respects, in both species. The first spurious
quill is only a little larger than the upper coverts, and over-
reaches them in the Siberian species by about one line. The
third and fourth quills are longest. The fifth is longer, the sixth
shorter, than the second ; but in the Siberian species the end of
the second is nearer to that of the fifth than the sixth, whereas
in the Javan species the end of the second is nearer to that of
the sixth than the fifth. But perhaps these differences are of no
great importance. In both species the third and the fourth
quills are sensibly narrowed on the outer web. The wing of the
Siberian species is considerably longer and also somewhat more
pointed. The tail is in both species rather straight ; the first
70
Pi-of. Blasius on the Ornithologij of Heligoland.
feather is very little shortened, the others in the Javan species
of equal length ; in the Siberian species the two middle feathers
are slightly lengthened. The bill is in both species of a dark-
blue horn -colour, with yellowish flesh-coloured borders. The
feet are in both species bright-coloured — in the Javan brown-
ish grey, and in the Siberian bluish green.
The measurements are as follows : —
Phyllopneuste
javanica,
Horsf.
Java.
Phyllopneuste
borealis,
nov. sp.
Ochotsk Sea.
Phyllopneuste
icterinn,
E.
Evcrsm. exp.
IJengtli of the wing
2" 3-2'"
1 7-8
1 1-3
■7
3-4
1-7
•2
2" 5-4'"
1 8-8
1 2-2
7-3
3-6
1-6
•2
•9
5"'+2"'
1" 5'"
V"
2" 6"'
1 11-5
1 0-5
Xiength of the tail
Head and bill
Opening of the mouth
6-5
Bill from the nostrils
2-6
1-2
1-5
8-8
4-5"'-|-2'"
1" 2-3'"
4'"
Bill's thickness at the front
Breadth of bill
Tarsus
•9
Middle claw and toe
5'"_|.24"'
1" 3-4'"
3'"
The first quill shorter by
The first quill longer than the|
upper coverts by J
The measurements given by v. Middendorff perfectly agree
with those of the bird from the Sea of Ochotsk, but they differ,
particularly in their proportions, from those of the original spe-
cimen of the Phtjllopneuste icterina., l^v. = eversman?ii, Bp.
I must leave it undecided as to which of these species the
bird shot at Heligoland belongs; but I hope that Gaetke, to
whom I have applied, will favour me either with positive infor-
mation upon the matter, or with the bird itself, to make a
comparison. On geographical grounds, it may be considered as
more probable that the Siberian species immigrates into our
latitudes; but nothing can be positively stated on the subject
a priori.
21. Sylvia orpheus, Temm.
22. Saxicola rufescens (Briss.) : S. aurita, Temm.
23. Saxicola stapazina, L.
24. Motacilla yarrellii, Gould.
25. BuDYTEs ciTREOLA, Pall. — The young birds killed at
Heligoland are especially interesting from their colour.
Prof. Bias i us on Me Ornithulogy of Heligoland. 71
26. Anthus cervinus. Pall.
27. Anthus ludovicianus (Gm.). — This is certainly for the
first time that this species has been observed in Europe.
28. Anthus richardi, Vieill.
29. Alauda brachydactyla, Leilsl.
30. Emberiza pusilla, Pall. — By far more frequently ob-
served there than the following species.
31. Emberiza rustica. Pall.
32. Emberiza CjEsia, Cretschm.
83. Emberiza hortulana, L.
34. Emberiza aureola, Pall.
35. Emberiza melanocephala, Scop.
36. Pyrrhula rosea. Pall.
37. Pyrrhula serinus, L.
38. Pringilla citrinella, L.
39. Parus barbatus, L.
40. Accentor alpinus, L.
41. GrUS VIRGO, L.
42. Eudromias asiaticus (Pall.). — This is a young bird,
which undoubtedly belongs to this species, and not to Charadrius
pyrrhothorax, Temm.
43. Charadrius longipes, Temm. : Ch. orientalis, Schleg.
44. Charadrius virginianus, Borckh. : Ch. marmoratus,
Wagl.
45. Actitis rufescens, Vieill.
46. Tringa temminckii, Leilsl.
47. LiMICOLA PYGMiEA, Lath.
48. Sterna dougalli, Mont.
49. Larus roseus, Jard. and Selb. Winter plumage.
50. Larus sabinii. Leach. Young plumage.
72 Recent OrnitJwlogical Publications.
51. Anas perspicillata, L.
52. Anas stelleri. Pall.
53. Thalassidroma leachii, Temm.
&c. &c.
Thus we see that birds from very different regions, including
the north and south of Europe, the whole north of Asia and North
America, choose this lonely rocky island as a place of rest during
their migrations. Whatever may be the value of the occurrence
of these isolated foreigners as regards the European fauna, the
fact that they are met vvitli here is, at all events, undeniable.
XI. — Recent Ornitkolugical Publicatiuns.
1. English Publications.
The completion of Mr. Gould's ' Monograph of the Trochilidse*'
is an event in the history of ornithology which a journal devoted
to that science cannot pass over in silence. In the first place,
we must sincerely congratulate the author on his accomplisliment
of so great an undertaking. Any general connected account,
even a mere synopsis, of a group of natural objects embracing
over 400 species is, in these days, a task of no small labour ;
but when the subject selected is one of such difficulty and so
little previously understood as that of the Humming-birds, the
amount of hard work involved in it is something of which few
people, unless personally acquainted with the facts of the case,
can form any idea. It is true that we must still consider the
' Birds of Australia ' to be, on the whole, the most remarkable
of the magnificent series of works for which the name of John
Gould must ever remain famous in the annals of our science.
The special journey to the Antipodes, undertaken for the collec-
tion of materials, the number and importance of the new forms
and new facts thus brought to light, and the complete novelty
of the whole subject rendered the ' Birds of Australia ' one of
the most extraordinary works ever produced by the unassisted
efforts of a private individual. But as an account of a single
* A Monograph of the Trochihda; or Humming-birds. By John Gouhl,
F.R.S., &c. London, 18f!l. 5 vols. imp. foho.
^ Recent Ornitholoc/ical Publications. 73
family, the ' Monogra])h of Hummiug-birds/ not only, as we
have already said, from the difficult nature of the subject, but
still more from the admirable manner in which these difficulties
have been overcome, equally merits most unqualified approba-
tion. It has, we know, been objected that the money spent on
the production of these splendid illustrations might have been
otherwise better employed in the cause of science, that it was not
necessary for scientific purposes to figure every species of a group
in this elaborate and extraordinary manner. To this we reply
that the subject could not have been treated otherwise, for the
simple reason that in any other form it would not have repaid
the cost of publication. It is well known that an illustrated
scientific work is not merely a dead loss, but an enormous ex-
pense to the producer, unless rendered in some way attractive
to the public at large. Besides, there can be no doubt that
such works as Mr. Gould's induce many persons to take an in-
terest in science who would otherwise never trouble their heads
about anything of the sort. Let us therefore render our best
acknowledgments to Mr. Gould for his courage in undertaking
such a subject, and for the successful way in which he has brought
his task to a conclusion. We are quite sure that he has neither
spared personal labour nor grudged expense in this great work,
and we are equally certain that no living individual could have
produced its like.
In the Introduction to the ' Monograph of Humming-birds,'
contained in the 28th number of the folio work, and likewise
reprinted in 8vo by Mr. Gould for distribution amongst his
friends*, the author has devoted some pages to the history of
the group, their geographical distribution and general internal
structure. He then recapitulates the whole of the species, intro-
ducing additional information as to many of them, and increas-
ing the number to 416, being 56 more than are figured in the
body of the work. For ourselves, we have never been able to
draw the line between a species and a climatic variety, nor do
we believe it is possible so to do. We therefore do not complain
of Mr. Gould having given specific names to certain local forms,
* An Introduction to the Tiocliilidae or Family of Humming-birds. By
John Gouhl, F.R.S., &c. London, 18fil. 1 vol. Svo.
74 Recent Ornithological Publications.
provided it can be shown that they are invariably distinguishable
by constant characters. But we must confess that, judging by the
characters given in some cases, Mr. Gould appears to have occa-
sionally drawn the line rather fine. We also rather regret that
he has not used many of the generic names he has employed
merely subgenerically, putting them at the head of the section of
the genus to which they refer, instead of using them as the
generic name for the species. We do not pretend to say that the
difference between a genus and subgenus is anything more than
one of degree; and it is only for convenience and facility of
recollection that we advocate the latter practice.
Our correspondent Mr. Swinhoe has published a well-written
and agreeable narrative of the British expedition to Pekin in
1860*. As the product of the pen of so diligent a contributor
to our pages, this volume claims the recognition of ' The Ibis;'
for although not an ornithological work, many references to birds
and other natural objects observed are introduced. We must
remind our readers that Mr. Swinhoe's labours in the cause of
natural science during this expedition were purely voluntary on
his part, and not in any way recognized by the Government.
Mr. Swinhoe tells us —
" A well-known and learned zoologist, Mr. Blyth of Calcutta,
proffered his hard-earned thirty years' experience in Asiatic zoo-
logy to illumine the North-China campaign, on the part of Great
Britain, with a scientific lustre ; but the niggardly policy of our
Government unhesitatingly rejected so noble an offer. Thus
the fine opportunities presented by the success of our arms in a
comparatively new field would have been entirely lost, had not the
zeal of certain private individuals actuated them to devote their
leisure hours to the acquirement of those facts in natural history
which always form so essential a part in the geography of any
country."
Since Daines Barrington published, in the * Philosophical
Transactions' for 1773 (vol. Ixiii. p. 249), his " Experiments and
* Narrative of the North-China Campaign of 18<i0. By Robert Swinhoe,
&c. London, 1861. 1 vol. 8vo.
Recent Ornithological Publications. 75
Observations on the Singing of Birds," the subject has attracted
comparatively little attention. Dr. CuthbertCoUingwood^s essay*
is a most laudable attempt to give the matter due consideration.
We entirely agree with him as to the interest and importance
pertaining thereto, and congratulate him on his judicious treat-
ment of the same. We should, however, be misleading both
him and the public were we to pretend that our musical know-
ledge was sufficient to render worth having any criticisms in
which we might indulge respecting his '^ Improved and Corrected
Table of the Comparative Merits of British Song Birds." We
therefore abstain from doing more than recording the title of
this paper, which should not be neglected by any persons desirous
of studying this branch of ornithology.
While French Prefefs are memorializing their Minister of the
Interior to add a clause to the Code Napoleon for the prevention
of birds'-nesting, English ornithologists are encouraging the
practice in this country with all their might and main. Not
very long ago we published some remarks on the " Suggestions
for forming Collections of Birds' Eggs," written by one of our
colleagues; and in our preceding Number we noticed Mr. Atkin-
son's recent little book as deserving our especial commendation.
Swift on the footsteps of this last comes Mr. Newman's pam-
phlet on * Birds'-nesting t/ reprinted from the ' Zoologist ' for
the past year, which the rising generation of oologists will find
exceedingly useful. It has, however, some drawbacks. The
attempt to treat birds " botanically " is, as far as we know, novel,
and accordingly deserves notice, though we see no pai'ticular harm
in it. In a professed compilation we do not, of course, look for
complete accuracy ; but we must express our extreme regret that
the author should only towards the conclusion have taken ad-
* " Contributions to British Ornithology — The Notes of Birds. By
Cuthbert CoUingwood, M.A., F.L.S., &c. From the Proceedings of the
Liverpool Lit. and Philosophical Society. Read April 15th, 1861." 8vo,
pp. 26.
t Birds'-nesting : being a complete Description of the Nests and Eggs
of Birds which breed in Great Britain and Ireland. By Edward Newman,
&c. London, 1861. (8vo, pp. 52.) Fries One Shilling.
76 Recent Ornithological Publications.
vantage of the great additions to our knowledge of tbe subject
contained in Mr. Hewitson's last edition. Had he done so at
the be2;innins;, he would not have hazarded such an assertion as
that " we have very slight evidence of the Golden Eagle now
breeding in Britain" (p. 5) ! !
' The Natural History Review/ which seems to include natu-
ralists of all kinds in its present editorial staff, has not hitherto
contributed much to our special branch of science. Never-
theless some " ornithological boulders" (if we may be par-
doned the violence of the metaphor) are occasionally scattered
throughout its pages; and its last number (for October 1861)
contains a paper by Mr. Lubbock (entitled " The Kjokkenmod- .
dings : Recent Geologico-archseological Researches in Denmark")
on a subject highly interesting to all naturalists, the ornitho-
logical portion of which, though not occupying much space in
the article itself, should not be passed unnoticed by us. Some
years since, three Danish men of science, each holding a pro-
minent position in their respective departments of learning —
Eorchammer the geologist, Worsaae the archaeologist, and Steen-
strup the naturalist — combined to investigate some remarkable
formations, respecting the origin of which wise heads had long
been puzzled. Success, such as they at first could never have
anticipated, crowned their labours. Mr. Lubbock's most in-
structive paper gives, we believe, the first account of them which
has appeared in the English language. We can here only state
briefly that these formations, consisting of large deposits of
shells, mixed with bones and rude flint implements, have been
incontestably proved to be the rubbish-heaps of the ancient in-
habitants of Denmark ; and hence the name by which they are
now known in that country. How important to the ornitholo-
gist these relics of a former age are, may be at once seen from
the fact that among the birds' bones discovered in the " kitchen-
middens " are those of two species which have never been known
as natives of Denmark within the historic or even the traditional
period. Mr. Lubbock says : —
" The remains of birds are highly interesting and instructive.
The domestic Eowl [Gallus domesticm) is conspicuous by its ab-
Recent Oniithological Puhlicntiuns. 77
sence. It is less surprising that the two domestic Swallows of
Denmark [Hirundo rustica and H. urbica), the Sparrow^ and the
Stork are also missing. On the other hand, fine specimens of the
Capercailzie {Tetrao urogallus), which feeds principally on the
buds of the pine, show that, as we know already from the re-
mains found in the peat, the country was at one time covered
with pine forests. Aquatic birds, however, are the most fre-
quent, especially several species of Ducks and Geese. The Wild
Swan {Anas cygnus, L.), which only visits Denmark in winter, is
also found; but, perhaps, the most interesting of the birds
whose remains have been identified is the Great Auk [Alca im-
pennis, L.), a species which is now almost extinct. '^ (p. 497.)
We may add that we believe it was this discovery of Great
Auks' bones in these remarkable deposits which first drew Pro-
fessor Steeustrup's particular attention to that species, and
caused him to draw up the excellent contribution to its history
which was referred to in our last number (Ibis, 1861, p. 375).
It remains to be said that the triumvirate have, since 1852, pre-
sented to the Danish Scientific Society six Reports (" Unterso-
gelser i geologisk-antiqvarisk Retning") on the Kitchen-middens,
which have been printed in their ' Transactions ;' and to them, as
well as to Mr. Lubbock's paper, we refer those of our readers
who wish to know more of these interesting discoveries. That
archaeology and zoology reciprocally throw much light on each
other cannot be doubted after the extraordinary researches of
M. Boucher de Perthes in the valley of the Somme and those of
M. Troyon in Switzerland, and it is much to be deplored that
British antiquarians have not followed up their explorations more
in the spirit of their Danish brethren.
Mr. BIyth continues his usual Reports on the zoological acces-
sions to the Museum of the Asiatic Society of Calcutta, in the
only two numbers of the ' Journal' for the past year that have
yet reached us. His notes on the Chinese birds sent to him for
examination by Mr. Swinhoe (No. 1, p. 90 et seqq.) must be care-
fully collated with the latter gentleman's papers in this Journal,
in which some of the new species, as there indicated, have been
already named and described. A small series of skins from the
78 Recent Ornithological Publications.
Philippiue Islands, also sent by Mr. Swinhoe for examination,
contained several novelties, amongst which was a new form of
Graucaline bird, proposed to be called Pseudolalage melanictera.
We agree with Mr. Blyth that " it is much to be regretted that
Mr. Cuming's valuable collection of Philippine birds was per-
mitted to be dispersed without any list having been published of
them.'" It is to be wished that Mr. Cassin would give to the
public the catalogue of Philippine birds he was engaged upon
some time since, founded upon the rich series in the Philadel-
phian Academy's collection. This would supply the desideratum,
and afford us better opportunity than we now have of obtaining
some general notions as to the character of the Avifauna of this
group of islands.
Mr. Blyth's Report in No. 2 (p. 185) contains the remarks
made on exhibiting to the meeting the mounted skin of the new
Casuarius uni-appendiculatus *. The bird had died in the Babu
Rajendra Mullik's menagerie, when probably about half-grown.
Mr. Blyth says, " It entirely resembles Casuarius galeatus of the
same age in general structure ; but the colouring of the plumage
is that of the small young of C. galeatus, or with considerably less
admixture of black than is seen in an ordinary Cassowary of the
same size ; the only marked distinction consisting in the very
different arrangement and predominating yellow of the bright
colours of the neck, and in the single small yellow caruncle in
front of the neck, in place of the two larger and bright- red ca-
runcles of the common species. Again, the nude skin of the
lower part of the neck is smooth or comparatively tense, and
not tumous and wrinkled as in the other. I remark, also,
in the stuffed specimen, along the medial third of the back a
nude line about | in. broad, parting the feathers which flow on
either side. Unfortunately the body was thrown away, not even
the sex having been ascertained; but the sexes in this genus
hardly differ in appearance; nor is the bird so skilfully set up
as could be wished. The habitat of this species of Cassowary
remains to be ascertained."
The first section of the sixth and concluding part of the fourth
* Cf. ' Ibis,' 1860, p. 307.
Recent Ornithological Publications. 79
volume of the ' Transactions' of the Zoological Society of London,
which has been lately issued, contains an elaborate essay by
Mr. W. K. Parker, " On the Osteology of Balaniceps ?'ex."
There are three large plates given, which illustrate in complete
detail the osteological structure of this remarkable bird, and also
a coloured figure of " his majesty " in full plumage, taken from
Mr. Wolffs large water-colour drawing in the Society's portfolio.
Though unsuccessful, with all the care lavished upon them, in
preserving these birds alive, the Society have certainly done their
best to render them, " even in their death," useful to science and
to the advancement of knowledge. One of the skeletons, we
understand, has been placed in the British Museum, the other in
the collection of the Royal College of Surgeons. Mr. Parker's
final verdict is that the Boatbill is " essentially a Heron," and
most nearly related to Cancroma, " which might be placed sub-
generically to it," although it " seems as it were to have borrowed
characters from the Umbre (Scopus)."
Those interested in the subject should also refer to Mr. Bart-
lett's remarks on the dermal system of the Balseniceps, given
in the Society's ^Proceedings' (1861, p. 131).
2. French Publications.
The 'Revue et Magasin de Zoologie' for the past year con-
tains but few papers relating to our branch of science. M.
Moquin-Tandon continues his " Considerations sur les oeufs des
Oiseaux;" and M. Hardy writes letters in criticism thereof to
M. 0. Des Murs. Dr. Pucheran writes some curious " Observa-
tions sur les ressemblances dans la forme du bee entre les Genres
des Passereaux d'une meme Faune, appartenant h des sections
differentes de cet Ordre d'Oiseaux." We do not understand that
this parallelism in the modification of a single organ, though cer-
tainly noteworthy, is likely to lead to any remarkable discovery.
3. German Publications.
Petermann's ' Geographische Mittheilungen ' for January of
the past year contains an important article from the pen of our
correspondent Theodor von Heuglin, which we have not yet
80 Recent Ornithological Publications.
noticed *. It is a systematic list of the Mammals and Birds of
the coast of the Red Sea and Somali-land, partly derived from
the observations of former travellers, Riippell, Hemprich, Ehren-
berg, and Speke, and partly from the notes and collection made
by V. Heuglin himself during his several expeditions into these
regions. This catalogue has been drawn up with particular re-
ference to the range of the species, not only horizontally, but
also vertically above the sea-level, and will prove of service not
only to future explorers in this country, but to the general stu-
dent of geographical distribution — a most important branch of
natural history, generally much neglected by scientific travellers.
The migration of birds within the tropics is also a subject on
which very little is as yet known or understood by naturalists,
and on which a continued series of observations, such as those
made by von Heuglin, would no doubt throw much light.
The Red- Sea Fauna, according to von Heuglin, by no means
forms a distinct zoological province, but embraces in its area
parts of two different zones. The northern portion of it, taking
the whole as extending from 30° to 18^ north lat., is outside the
boundary of the tropical rain-season, which begins at about 16°
north lat., and is thus very distinct from the southern portion.
The western side of this northern portion is ^Egypto-Nubian in
character, but, owing to the want of fresh water and vegetation,
much poorer in individuals ; the eastern side, embracing Arabia
Petrsea, is more peculiar, containing a mixture of European or
Asiatic types, but overwhelmed by African species. The southern
portion of the Red-Sea Fauna [i. e. that below the line of 16° north
lat.) falls within the range of the tropical rainy season, and is so
closely allied to the West-African Fauna, that but very few of
the West-African types are unrepresented within it. There is, in
fact, little doubt that a broad band of country, traversing Africa
from coast to coast north of the equator, has as nearly uniform
zoological as we believe it has botanical characters.
The total number of species of birds enumerated by v. Heu-
glin as appertaining to the Red- Sea Fauna is 325, namely —
* Th. V. Heuglin's Forschungen iiber die Fauna des Rothen Meeres
und der Somali-kiiste. Petermaun's Geogr. Mitth. 1861, pp. U ei seqq.
Recent Ornithuloyical Publications.
81
Accipitres .... 27
Passeres 164
Scansores 16
ColumbEe 5
Struthiones . ... 1
Galling . . ... .12
Grallae 56
Anseres 44
In conclusion, characters are given of the new species dis-
covered by V. HeugHn, most of which have already been described
elsewhere. It is doubtless well known to many of our readers
that this energetic traveller has started again for Africa, and is
at the present moment in Dar-Four, being in command of the
expedition despatched to succour, if possible, or at least to ascer-
tain the fate of the unfortunate Dr. Vogel.
In Part viii. of the same Journal (August 1861) will be found
some observations on the Vertebrates of Northern Egypt and
Stony Arabia*, made by Th. v. Heuglin during the progi*ess of
his new expedition through those countries in March, April, and
May of the past year. His stay in Lower Egypt having taken
place during the breeding season has enabled him to procure
some interesting specimens, for a list of which see p. 311. Cu-
rious is the discovery of a pair of Podiceps auritus breeding in
the Lake of Tamieh in Faguin. " There are no House-Spar-
rows in Suez and Ain Mousa, or generally in the cities on the
Red Sea."
The * Sitzungsberichte ' of the Imperial Academy of Sciences
of Vienna for June last contains a paper by H. A. v. Pelzeln
on some new Rapacious birds of the Imperial Collection f. Ca-
thartes uruhitinga (the specific term being taken from Natterer's
MS.) is, if we understand rightly, the Brazilian species com-
monly, but we believe incorrectly, identified with Cathartes aura.
Milvago crassirostris, said to be from Chili, resembles M. mon-
tanus, but has a stronger bill and a rather broad white band
extending "ab aire flexura ad axillam." Herr v. Pelzeln does
not seem to notice M. albogularis (Gould) or M. ca7-unculatus
(Des Murs), both, we believe, good species of the same section.
* Einige Bemerkungen liber die Wirbelthiere des nordlichen ^Egyptens
und des PetrJiischen Arabiens, &c., von Th. v. Heuglin. Peterman's Geogr.
Mitth. 1861, p. 316.
t Ueber neue und weniger bekannte Arten von Raubvogeln in der Kaiser-
lichen Sammlung. Von A. v. Pelzeln, Sitz. Akad. Wiss. Wien, xliv. p. /•
VOL. IV. G
82 Recent Ornithological Publications.
Leucopternis superciliaris and L. palliata are both from Brazil,
obtained by Natterer, as likewise Buteo minutus, which is, per-
haps, not different from Asturina brachyura (Vieill.).
The report of the thirteenth annual meeting of the German
Ornithological Society, held at Stuttgardt in September 1860,
of which we promised our readers a further notice some time
ago, contains several important papers, to which students of the
European Ornis should devote their attention. Of one of the
most remarkable of these, from the pen of Dr. Blasius, we have
already given a translation in these pages*. The same ex-
perienced naturalist has given us a few remarks upon the dif-
ferent species of Eagles, contained in a fine series of 99 examples,
which was submitted to the meeting for their inspection by the
veteran ornithologist Herr Pastor Brehm. Dr. Blasius con-
siders the new Spanish Eagle, which was lately discovered by Dr.
Beinhold Brehm of Madrid, and by him named Aquila adalberti,
to be nothing more than Aquila ncevioides — a '' species found
throughout Africa, and already known as occurring incidentally
in the Crimea and in Southern France." Mr. Gurney likewise
assures us that two examples of this Spanish Eagle lately obtained
by him from Dr. R. Brehm are undoubtedly " Aquila na'vioides
in the pale worn plumage it constantly assumes before the
moult. ^' The regular occurrence of this Bird of prey in any part
of Europe is, however, quite a new fact, for the discovery of
which we are greatly indebted to Dr. R. Brehm.
Dr. Blasius tells us that he knows only of 11 good species of
true Eagles existing in European collections, which he arranges
as follows :
A. Omjchaetos, Kaup.
1. Aquila malayensis, R-einwardt, ex Ind. Or.
B. Uroa'etos, Kaup.
2. Aquila fucosa, Cuv., ex Nov. Holl.
C. Ptera'etos, Kaup.
3. Aquila vulturina, Daud., ex Afr. Merid.
* 'Ibis,' 1861, p. 292.
Recent Ornithological Publications. 83
D. Aquila.
4. Aquila chrysaetos. 7. A. navio'ides.
5. A. bifasciata, Gr., ex As. Centr. 8. A. clanga.
6. A. imperialis, Bechst. 9. A. navia.
E. Hieraetus.
10. A. bonellii,Te,mm. 11. A. pennata, Gray.
We may remark that there are certainly two good species of
Eagle to be added to this list : (1) Aquila gurneyi, G. R. Gray — a
very distinct Eagle allied to A. malayensis, discovered by Mr.
Wallace in Batchian (figured in P. Z. S. I860, p. 342, pi. 169) ;
and (2) Aquila desmursi, Verreaux, of Western Africa, which is
best placed along with the Hiera'dti.
Our readers who refer to this Report will notice that Mr.
Darwin's theory and many other questions of the day were dis-
cussed at the meeting of this Society. They will find details on
these subjects in the "Beilagen" attached to the "Bericht."
Baron R.Konig-Warthhausen's Oological Memoirs contain much
that is worthy of notice, particularly in reference to the theory of
the coloration of the eggs of the Cuckoo {Cuculus canorus).
The second and third numbers of Cabanis' Journal for 1861
contain a mass of matter interesting to ornithologists. The
Editor continues his paper on the birds of Costa Rica from the
collections transmitted by Hoffman and v. Frantzius. A new
Calliste {Callispiza frantzii, most nearly allied to Calliste ictero-
cephala) is a great discovery for Central America. We trust
that Messrs. Salvin and Godman, who are now proceeding to
Costa Rica, will not fail to obtain specimens of this bird for our
English collections. Dr. H. A. Bernstein gives us further con-
firmation of the curious habits of Buceros in the breeding sea-
son (p. 116 et seq.). To Dr. Gloger's ill-natured attack upon
"three English anatomists and naturalists'' we believe a reply
has already been prepared elsewhere ; so for the present we will
pass it over in silence. Poor Dr. Gloger must have fallen
a victim to the Anglophobia which was so prevalent in Berlin at
the time of the celebrated " Macdonald-controversy " !
g2
84 Recent Ornithological Publications.
4. American Publications.
The ' Proceedings ' of the Academy of Natural Sciences of
Philadelphia for 1861 (of which we have received the sheets up
to p. 257) contain several papers relating to ornithology.
Mr. Cassin (p. 72) calls the attention of the Academy to a new
spcces of Goose [Anser rossii) from Great Slave Lake, allied to
the White Geese, A. lujperboreus and A. albatus, but smaller than
either, and about the same size as the IMallard {Anas boschas).
In the ' Proceedings ' for July last (p. 170) we find a " Mono-
graph of the TringecB of North America " by Mr. Elliott Coues —
a name new to ornithologists, but not the less heartily welcome as
that of a recruit to our ranks, who begins by fighting his first fight
well, and against a very hard subject. In the latter part of 1860
Mr. Coues, being engaged in examining the collections made by
Messrs. Kennicott and Ross on Great Slave Lake, detected what
be believed to be a new Sandpiper allied to Tringa maculata and
T. bonapartii. In order to desciibe it properly he was induced
to undertake a monographic sketch of the section of the group
to which it belongs. Mr. Coues considers that the ScolopacidcB
may be most naturally divided into two subfamilies instead of
three, as most authors have preferred to arrange them. One of
these, the Scolopacince, embraces also the Tringa, whilst the other
is composed of the old genus Totanus with the toes webbed. In
these views we are inclined to agree with him. The subfamily
Scolopacina, then, as far as regards the American species, he
separates into two sections — the Sculopacece and the Tringece.
Of the North American species composing the latter of these
groups he has given a very complete and very pains-taking
account, dividing them into eight genera, namely Micropalama
and Ereunetes, com\i0^m^ section A, in which the toes have "a
decided basal web,'^ and Tringa, Calidris, Arquatella, Ancylo-
cheilus, Felidna, and Actodromas, forming the more typical sec-
tion B, in which the toes are cleft to the base, or show a very
rudimentary membrane. The first seven genera contain each
but a single North American representative; the last-named {Ac-
todromas) five, which Mr. Coues divides again into two sections.
The first of these, Actodromas, has the Little Stint of Europe
Recent Ornithological Publications. 85
[Tringa mhiuta) for its type — a species not known in America,
but there represented by Tringa wilsoni. At the head of the
second subgenus {Heteropygia) stands the Tringa bonapartii, a
species also known to British ornithologists as a straggler, and
commonly, but incorrectly, called Tringa schinzii. We may
remark here, that though ]\Ir. Coues has carried the principle of
subdivision to its utmost development, he has wisely abstained
from using his new term Heteropygia as a generic title.
Mr. Coues's new species is Actodromas bairdii, hitherto con-
founded with A. bonapartii, but really belonging to the first sec-
tion of the genus, and to be placed between A. minutella [Tringa
pusilla, Wilson) and A. maculata. Specimens of this bird have
been obtained in Nebraska, and also in the vicinity of Great
Slave Lake. Mr. Coues also considers the Dunlin of America
distinct from that of Europe, and, following Mr. Cassin, calls it
Pelidna americana. i\Ir. Coues is evidently a hard-working and
conscientious investigator, and we have little doubt that the
results he has arrived at may be relied upon.
A second paper by the same author, which will be found a
few pages later in the ' Proceedings,^ is entitled " Notes on the
Ornithology of Labrador,^' and gives an account of his researches
during an expedition in charge of J. W. Dodge, Esq., which
visited the coast of Labrador in the summer of 1860, in order
to procure for the Smithsonian Institution specimens of the
birds to be found there, with their nests and eggs.
" The point reached," Mr. Coues tells us, "was Sloop Harbour,
a few miles south of Little Mecattina, where we collected most of
the eggs procured during the voyage. Here the Somateria moU
lissima and the Utamania torda were the most abundant and cha-
racteristic birds, while the Larus argentatus, Uriagrylle, and Mer-
gus serrator were also very numerous, all breeding oq the islands
in the vicinity. On the 6th of July the vessel left Sloop Harbour,
and passing the Murre Rocks, where the Urialomvio was breed-
ing in immense numbers, proceeded directly to Esquimaux Bay,
where the greater part oi the summer was spent. Here were
collected most of the land birds procured; among them the new
^giothus fuscescens, Zonotrichia leucophrys, and Antkus ludovi-
cianus were verv abundant : and Pinicola canadensis and Tiirdu's
86 Recent Ornithological Publications.
alicia not rare. Grouse and Ptarmigan were also met with ;
and I was fortunately enabled to examine an extensive breeding
place of the Mormon arcticus (?)."
" A few days were spent at Rigolet, a station of the Hudson^s
Bay Company, in charge of Henry Conolly, Esq., from whom
were received some valuable meteorological statistics. On the
1 5th of August the vessel left Esquimaux Bay and proceeded to
Henley Harbour, at the northern entrance to the Straits of Belle
Isle. At that date the smaller Waders generally had commenced
their southern migration, and during two weeks spent there,
which completed my stay on the coast, specimens of most of
them were procured."
For further details we must refer our readers to Mr. Coues's
paper, which contains very interesting notes on many of the
species. The most important discoveries were Turdus alicia,
" breeding abundantly ;" Saxicola cenanthe of Europe, " one
example ;" and uEgiothus fuscescens, a new Red-poll, " abundant
along the coast of Labrador."
The commencement of Mr. D. G. Elhot's Monograph of the
Fittida^ was alluded to in our last Number. We have just re-
ceived the second part of the work, of which, when we consider the
disadvantages that the author has had to contend against, we
cannot do otherwise than speak very favourably. The plan adopted
has been to give full-sized coloured figures of all the species
of the group, something after the fashion of Mr. Gould's Mono-
graphs. The figures in the first part were drawn by the late P.
Oudart of Paris. In the second they are the product of Mr.
Elliot's own pencil, and in spite of some criticisable defects, we
like the latter the best. In the Latin characters given to each
species we are also glad to notice an improvement in the second
number. Those in the first part are, to say the least of it, sadly
misprinted. We trust Mr. ElUot will prosecute this undertaking
and bring it to a successful conclusion. The gi*oup of birds he
has taken up is one of great beauty and exceeding interest. We
have at present nothing later than Bonaparte's diaguoses in his
• A Monograph of the PiftideE. By Daniel Giraiul Elliot, F.Z.S , &c.
>rew York, 1861. Parts 1 and 2. fol. with coloured plates.
Recent Ornithological Publications. 87
' Conspectus Generum Avium ' to refer to for the determination
of the species, and Mr. Elliot's work will be of great assistance
to science in this way. When the plates are finished, we hope
that a good analysis of the geographical distribution of the spe-
cies will not be omitted. We may remark that Coslogtjne jn-fEcox,
belonging, as we believe, to the epiphytous Orchidacea, should
not have been placed on the ground, as Mr. Elliot has depicted
it in the plate of Pitta concinna !
Mr. J. M. Wheaton (of Columbus, Ohio) has prepared a " Cata-
logue of the Birds of Ohio " for the ' Ohio Agricultural Report
for I860,' of which we have received a separate copy through
the kindness of some of our American correspondents. It fol-
lows Prof. Baird's classification, and will be useful as a local list
of names, containing likewise an appendix of notes and remarks.
The ' Canadian Naturalist and Geologist ' * is, we are glad to
say, progressing very satisfactorily under the conducting care of
a Committee appointed by the Natural-History Society of
Montreal.
No. 4 contains a catalogue of the Birds collected and observed
around Lakes Superior and Huron in 1860, by Robert Bell, re-
printed from the Report of the Geological Survey for 1860. The
list is somewhat meagre, and the nomenclature not always per-
fect ; but as regards the first point, the country, as we can afiirm
from personal experience, is rather poor ornithologically. Did
Mr. Bell never meet with the Tetrao jjhasianellus? On the
upper branches of the St. Croix river, in the outskirts of the
forest, we found it tolerably abundant in 1856— and venj good to
eat !
No. 5 contains Mr. Geo. Barnston's recollections of the Swans
and Geese of Hudson's Bay, which have already appeared in
' The Ibis,' and an article by Mr. Vernon on the Wood- Warblers
found in the vicinity of Montreal.
* The Canadian Naturalist and Geologist, and Proceedings of the Na-
tural-History Society of Montreal. Montreal, 18G1. Parts 1 — 5.
88 Extracis from Correspondence, Announcements, 5fc.
XII. — Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Announcements, ^c.
We have received the following letters : —
To the Editor of ' The Ibis.'
5 Peel Terrace, Brighton, Nov. 16th, 1861.
Sir, — November might be called the Ornithologist's month,
at least on the South Coast; in it nearly all the rare birds have
been found which have come under my observation.
On Friday (15th) two fine specimens of the Shore-Lark {Alauda
alpestris) were taken by a bird-catcher at llottingdean, near
Brighton, in clap nets. The decoy birds used were common larks
[A. arvensis), for which he first mistook these rare Northern
wanderers. 1 saw the man who caught them ; he said there were
five, and on the following morning in the same place he took a
third ; therefore two more remain to be accounted for on some
other part of the coast. I suppose these arrivals had something
to cause them of an unusual kind, perhaps the late severe gales,
though all three birds were very fat and healthy, with no appear-
ance of privation. The two first were cocks in good plumage,
$trong, had crests particularly fine, and showed the elongated
feathers (black, and pointed over the eye) well developed. I had
them all out and examined them minutely, during which they
pecked my fingers to the best of their ability. The black tail-
feathers were rich, but the gorget (rather narrow when the bird
looks down) not what I expected to find from the various plates
I consulted ; it is more seen, however, when the head is held back.
I have never had the good fortune on any previous occasion
to handle three living British examples of the Shore-Lark at one
time. Two of them have been placed by Mr Swaysland, Queen's
Road, Brighton, in his aviary, and may there be seen ; the third
he proposes to stuff". I shall avail myself of the opportunity
to observe the habits of A. alpestris. The cry is like a Snow
Bunting's, or that of the chick of the domestic fowl ; and they
keep to the rock placed in the aviary, rather than descend among
the shrubs below, seem restless in their habits, and in appearance
remind one of the Emberizince. I inspected these birds within
a few hours of their capture, and was present when the man
Extracts from Correspondence, Announcements, ^c. 89
brought the third next day : he was quite ignorant of their value.
I can therefore vouch for their authenticity as British specimens.
Two Buntings {Emberiza nivalis), very white, and an abnornal
specimen of A. arvensis, as pure as snow, were caught by another
man at Bottiugdean the same day as the third Shore-Lark, and
were placed in the above-mentioned aviary, together affording a
most interesting spectacle. A few Linota canescens, Yarr., have
been taken this year.
Yours, Sec, Geo. Dawson Bowley.
P.S. Nov. 20th. — I trouble you again to say that the finest
specimen of the three Shoi-e-Larks has a good broad gorget ;
therefore my remarks on that point apply only to the other two.
They are all male birds ; and the one stuffed has passed into the
collection of Henry Collins, Esq., of Aldsworth, near Portsmouth.
In the aviary they sometimes dig for their food, which I
believe the Pipits never do, though I cannot speak from actual
observation.
To the Editor of ' The Ibis.'
Norwich, Dec. 7th, 1861.
Sir, — Should you consider the occurrence of a Scops Eared
Owl {Strix scops) in Norfolk worth recording in 'The Ibis,*
I have much pleasure in sending you the following particulars.
On the 27th of November an adult male of this pretty little
Owl was picked up dead near the Lighthouse at Cromer, against
which it had in all probability flown with great force, attracted
by the glare of the lamps. The head was uninjured and the
plumage perfect, but the flesh on the breast and the point of one
wing showed symptoms of having sustained a very severe blow.
The stomach was found to contain a mass of fur about the
size of a walnut, amongst which was discernible an almost entire
skeleton of a mouse, together with the heads and forceps of
several earwigs, and three stout caterpillars nearly an inch in
length. This rare species has occurred previously in this country
in three or four authentic instances, but not of late years. The
present example is now in the possession of J. H. Gurney, Esq.,
90 Extracts from Correspondence ^ Announcements, S^c.
M.P., of Catton Hal], and forms a most interesting addition to
his fine collection of Norfolk rarities.
Yours, &c., H. Stevenson.
In reference to some remarks in our notice of ' Gatherings of
a Naturalist in Australasia' {' Ibis/ vol. iii. p. 197), Dr. Bennett
writes to us from Sydney (Aug. 20, 1861) as follows : —
" You mention in the review (in 'The Ibis') of my ' Gather-
ings,' that the diagram of the Albatros is not explained. In
this I agree with you, and send you the following explanation.
The diagram forms the segment of a circle : — N. is the direction
from which the wind is supposed to be blowing ; c. is a ship
sailing within six points of the wind ; b. is the course of a cutter
which can sail, ' close-hauled/ to within four and a half points of
the wind ; a. is the course of the Albatros, which flies so close to
the wind as to keep to within two points of the wind, and appears
almost to fly against it."
Dr. Bennett also states that he has great hopes of being able
to procure living specimens of the Kagu [RMnochetus jubatus*)
of New Caledonia for the Zoological Society of London, of whose
Menagerie he has already been so distinguished a benefactor.
Mr. T. C. Jerdon, so well known for his writings on Indian
Natural History, has in an advanced state of preparation a
work on the Natural History of the Vertebrated Animals of that
country. It will contain characters of all the classes, orders,
families, and genera, and descriptions of all the species of Mam-
mals, Birds, Beptiles, and Fishes found in India.
The geographic limits of the animals described in this work
will be : — on the north, the watershed of the Himalayas ;
thence, on the east, from Teesta Iliver to its junction with the
Bramajiootra, and down that river to the Bay of Bengal ; on the
west, from the Indus, where it breaks through the Himalayas,
to Kurrachee; and on the south, Cape Comorin.
The object of this work being to enable naturalists and tra-
vellers to identify such objects of natural history as they may
• Cf. Ibis, 1861, p. 136.
Extracts from Correqjondence, Announcements, &'c. 91
meet with, the descriptions, though ample for discrimination,
will not in general be too minute. An account of the habits
and manners of the different animals described will be given as
far as is known ; and on this head the author's own experience
and residence in various parts of the country, from Darjeeling
to Trichinopoly, will enable him to give miTch new information,
more especially as regards their geographical distribution.
The greater part of the work is written ; and the two volumes
relating to the Birds are, we are informed, almost ready for the
press. We need hardly say that we look forward to the ap-
pearance of this work, which has been so long and so earnestly
demanded, with great anxiety.
Mr. Blyth writes to us in August last, referring to his expe-
dition to the Tenasserim Provinces : — " I several times noticed
Pitta [Hydrornis) cyanura in the jungle-clad hills of Maulmein
and Martaban. In the Taony River I had a good opportunity of
watching, through a glass, a solitary Pudica personata. In the
southern provinces the Malayan Tapir occurs, with Argus gigan-
teus, Euplocomus vieilloti, Froncolinus perlatus, &c.''
Since then, having been seriously ill, Mr. Blyth has again re-
turned to Maulmein, to recruit his health by another sea trip. He
says (Calcutta, Sept. 29th) : — '^ I am again off to Burmah on the
2nd, on three mouths' leave of absence ; whereby you will perceive
that I am convalescent, though still incapable of much exertion. I
have been well enough to attend at the Museum regularly for the
last week. Dr. Jerdon is still at work there, and I have been look-
ing over various groups of birds with him. For instance, yester-
day that of the Bulbuls — a distinct and isolated family^ in our
opinion, in species of which we are rich. Without going much
into details, we have settled that my Setornis c?-i?ii^e;' is a diminu-
tive species of that group of Criniger to which flavirostns, gularis,
and ruficaudatus belong ; also, that Spizixos must be included in
the major group, Phyllornis and lora together constituting a
subordinate one or subfamily. By the way, Basilornis has not
a little the look of Spizixos, but pertains to a different family,
the former having a distinct subterminal notch to each mandible.
Now for a few comments on ' The Ibis.' But first, while I think
92 Extracfs from Correspondence, Announcements, l^c.
of it, Emheriza per sonata of Swinhoe {melanops, nobis), accord-
ing to Bonaparte's Conspectus, should rather be the species
following E. personata in that work, i. e. E. spodocephala, Pallas.
— 'Ibis,U861, p.235, jFfl/co sacer. May not the specimen assigned
to Nepal have been a trained bird, brought across the Himalaya ?
— P. 226, Milvus affinis. I doubt this being Indian. — P. 240,
Knot : ' seen near Cawnpore.' Once only obtained by Jerdon, and
once by myself. — P. 245, Hei^odias melanopus. We have it from
Mergui. For ' breast ' read ' nape.' — P. 246. By Larus 7-idibun-
dus, L. briinneicephalus is probably meant, L. ridihundus being
here much more rare. L. minutus is new to the Indian fauna.
Ditto Anser minutus. Graculus pygmcBus should be G.javanicus.
— P. 253, Milvus govinda. I think M. melanotis is distinct. —
P. 259. Cuculus striatus cannot be this species, as the note is said to
resemble that of C. canorus. — P. 263. Phal. filamentosus is proba-
bly the species which I have hitherto termed sinensis. — Errata :
p. 269, 1. 23, for 'greater' read 'gaunt'; line 27, for ' being only'
read 'the lungs only of.' — Several of Mr. Newton's birds from
Mauritius (p. 271 et seq.) were introduced there by the French
along with the Cervus rusa of Java and the Lepus niyricollis of
S. India and Ceylon (probably also introduced into Java, where
it is called L. melananchen , Temni.), e. g. Acridotheres tristis,
Estrelda astrild, Geopelia striata, Francolinus madagascariensis
(qu. Fr. sinensis, which we have as the ' Pintado Partridge ' from
the ^IdiXxviim^), P. ponticerianus, and Syncecus sinensis. — P. 279,
What is Turdus pelodes ? A bird sent me by Swinhoe as T.
cardis $ equals my T. dissimilis, which I once thought was the
male of T. unicolor. What is Hodgson's T. naumanni ? Once
only obtained, I think ; as T. pilaris once was at Saharunpur.
T. iliacus visits Kohat in large flocks. — P. 297. The Scandinavian
Orites caudatus is fully as different from that of Britain, &o., as
Sitta europcea (v. uralensis) from S. ccesia ; but how about the
Himalayan S. cinnamomeiventris ? As for the union of the Cross-
bills, there is an enormous difference between Loxia pytiopsit-
tucus and the diminutive L. himalayana, L. curvirostra being
intermediate. Circus pallidus is nearer to C. cyaneus than to
C. cineraceus. — P. 259, Cohnnba lencozonura. Is not this C.
rupestris (Pallas) ?
Extracts from Correspojidence, Announcements, i^c. 93
" How many more species of Cassowary shall we have to recog-
nise ? Recollect that there is a recently extinct Emeu, Drommis
ater (Vieillot), from one of the islands, recognized by Prince
Bonaparte, of which a specimen is stated to be extant in the
Paris Museum. I have six distinct species of Oriole with the
black nape, viz. Orioli acrorhynchus (Philippines), chinensis
(China), maa'ourus (Nicobars), coronatus (Andamans), indicus
(chiefly east of the Bay of Bengal), and tenuirostris (Burma).
The 0. coronatus of the Andaman Islands requires to be com-
pared with the Javan bird."
The following extract is from a letter addressed by Mr. J. J.
Munteiro to Dr. A. Gunther, dated "Cuio Mines, Province of
Benguela, 13° S. L., August 23, 1861 :—
" I am now in 13° S. Lat., and my collection of Natural His-
tory already boasts of a dozen different sp<;cies of birds (all dif-
ferent from those I have noticed in other places), a tinful of
marine fish, several flat skins, a beautiful specimen of a hedgehog,
two live snakes, &c. &c. I have also arranged that freshwater
fish from a river and lagoon at about six miles distance from me
shall come to my hands for preservation. We have been visited
by zebras and a large species of tailed monkey, as well as nightly
by hyenas. There are also some curious guinea- piggy looking
animals in great numbers in holes and crevices in the rocks
[Hyrax ?) .
" The rock of the country is gneiss, except near the sea-shore,
where limestone and gypsum rocks occur. The scenery is wild
and dull, nothing but bare rocks with scarcely any vegetation (a
few spiny and thorny bushes and a few roots of grass), and the
whole country is cut in all directions by great ravines, deep, dry,
and solitary : only a few springs of perfectly brackish water.
The climate is, however, very healthy, and at this season very
pleasant — 65° Fahr. at night to 75°-80° in the shade by day.
Near the beach and in the vicinity of the rivers, the scenery, of
course, is more varied and vegetation more luxui"iant. Insects are
scarce.
" This character continues towards the interior, it is said, for
three days' journey (about fifty to sixty miles), when, towards
94 Extracts from Correspondence, Announcements, ^c.
the provinces of Quilengues, Caconda, and Bihe, it cbanges to
one of great luxuriaiice and wonderful abundance of animal life.
I say this, of course, from hearsay, as well as from the number
of skins, &c., that come from thence.
" I shall shortly leave for Mossamedes (Little Fish Bay), a
locality said to be of great interest ; and if the fauna partakes of
the same character as the flora, it must certainly be very sin-
gular, I had viva voce information of the interior of that place
from your countryman, Dr. Welwitsch, who there discovered
some extraordinary novelties at a place called ' Huila,' where
the Portuguese have lately established a colony. I may not very
likely have an opportunity of penetrating far inland in my mine-
I'alogical explorations, but I expect even in the littoral region to
come across interesting specimens. Mr. Sclater will be glad to
know that this Pro\ance of Benguela is the place par excellence
for the Finch family, and that I have already some exquisite
little things. My Bembe friend, Pijtelia mojiteiri, I have never
again seen, but hope to introduce some other little beauties to
the next London season."
Mr. Edward Newton has at last been able to accomplish his
long-wished-for visit to Madagascar, having been appointed one
of the deputation sent from Mauritius to congratulate the new
king Radama on his accession. The mission left Port Louis on
22nd Sept. last, and arrived in Taniatave Roads after a good
passage of four days. Our correspondent's last letters are dated
12th Oct., but contain no ornithological information. Mr. Newton
was then four days' journey from Antananarivo, the residence
of the Court of the Hovas.
Writing just after his arrival at Tamatave (27th Sept. 1861),
Mr. Newton says, on the passage he saw very little, except some
Tropic-birds, and a few Whimbrels, Shearwaters, and Petrels.
At the Port he had observed some Crows, a Kite, some Necta-
rinice, a Centropus or Coua, and a few Whimbrels and Gulls, but
little besides. The party expected to be ten days on their jour-
ney up to the capital, to remain there ten days, and take ten
days on their x'eturn ; so that, with the uncertainty of their ar-
riving at Mauritius in time for the December mail, it is probable
Extracts from Correspondence, Announcements, &^c. 95
that we may not receive further accounts of them or hear of the
results accomphshed by the mission until February next.
Mr. Wallace's last letters are dated from Batavia, Sept. 20th.
After leaving Timor, of which island Mr. Wallace has given us
an account in our last Number ('Ibis/ 1861, p. 347 et seq.), he
proceeded to Bourou, and staid there two months. " From
the existence of the Babirusa in this island/' says Mr. Wallace,
" I had been somewhat doubtful whether its fauna would not
prove more Celebesian than Moluccan. I was soon, however,
satisfied that it is a true Moluccan island, though a very poor
one. Most of the common Amboyna and Ceram forms occurred,
some absolutely identical, others sufficiently modified to be cha-
racterized as distinct species. The Tamjpiathus, Polychlorus,
Eclectus, Geoffroius, Eos, and Trichoglossus, as welf^as the
Aprosmictus, occur as in Ceram, the Tanygnathus being the only
one which varies from the type, wanting the black markings on
the wings. Lorius is altogether absent, as well as Corvus,
Buceros, and Cacatua, genera which are present in every other
island from Celebes eastwards. This deficiency does not rest
alone on the fact of my not having met with them, thovigh that
would be pretty good proof, they being all ubiquitous and noisy
birds, but on the universal testimony of the natives, many of
whom know all these birds from their visits to other islands, and
are quite sure that their own country is destitute of them.
'• The Flycatchers (3-4 sp.) seem new, as well as a very common
Mimeta, near M. forsteni of Ceram, and a Tropidorhynchus — I
suppose the T. buruensis, Q. & C, though in Bonaparte's ' Con-
spectus' that species is given to Celebes, where I never found
the genus. The Pigeons are mostly known species, except a
fine Treron with very brilliant yellow-marked wings ; and I heard
of other species of the same group occasionally met with. A
single specimen of Tanysiptera seems different from the Ceram
species ; and a Pitta, near P. macklotti and P. celebensis, but suffi-
ciently distinct, is also unique. I was much surpi-ised to find,
besides the Ptilonopus viridis of Amboyna, the beautiful P.
prasinorrhous, G. B. Gray, which I had first discovered in Ke, then
found in Goram, afterwards in Waigiou, and I think there can
96 Extracts from Correspondence, Announcements, S>;c.
be no doubt it is also found in Ceram ; but birds seem so thinly
scattered over that large island, that it would take years to
acquire a proper knowledge of its ornithology.
" At Bouru I shot a Glareola — the first time I have met with
the genus. I found Coleoptera and grubs in its stomach. Its
sternum shows it to be a true Wader, though a most curious and
abnormal form.
" The Cassowary is absent from Bouru, and from every Moluc-
can island except Ceram ; yet I had been positively assured it was
common in Bouru. The error has arisen thus. The people of
the little island of Bonoa, at the west end of Ceram, often get
young Cassowaries from the main island to bring up. The
traders of Cayeli in Bouru buy these, and then take them to
Amboyna for sale, often in company with young Babirusas. This
happened when I was there. Of course the Amboyna merchants
purchasing these animals from Bouru residents, and having no
reason for hunting up their pedigree, take it for granted that
Cassowaries and Babirusas are found wild in Bouru."
Mr. Salvin's latest letters arc dated from his old quarters at
Duenas in Guatemala, Nov. 4th, and state that, having been
there since the 14th of the previous month (in company with
Mr. F. Godman), he had obtained about 100 specimens of birds,
amongst which were some five or six new to the fauna of Gua-
temala : " a Swallow, which may be Hirundo lunifrons, Antro-
stomus carolinensis, Ardea exilis, a species of Cardellina (not C.
rubra), an Elainea, probably new, and a bird something like a
G-ranatellus." In Humming-birds these gentlemen had been
pretty successful, having obtained examples of Selasphorus heloisce
and Delattria henrici. They had also fallen in with a flock of
the rare little Parrot, Conurus lineolatus, and obtained three spe-
cimens. They intended to stay at Duenas about three weeks
longer, and then make an excursion to Coban ; leaving Guate-
mala for Costa Rica about the middle or end of January.
THE IBIS.
No. XIV. APRIL 1862.
XIII. — Notes on the Sea-birds observed during a Voyage in the
Antarctic Ocean. By E. L. Layard, Corr. Memb. Z.S.L.,
Secretary to the S. African Museum^ Cape-town.
We left Cape-town on the 15th August, in H.M.S. ' Cossack.'
As soon as we cleared the bay, I noted Daption capensis, Procel-
laria cequinoctialis, Diomedea melanophrys, and a little blue Petrel,
which I take to be Prion vittatus. This last never came within
100 or 150 yards of the vessel during the whole voyage (for we
frequently saw them), but skimmed about among the waves, ge-
nerally in the trough of the sea, which was at times very rough.
I never saw it alight on the water, as did Daption capensis and
Procellaria mollis, which joined us before we lost sight of land.
ProceUaria (equinoctialis left us on the second day (lat. 37° S,,
long. 22° E.)*, and we saw no more of it. It was replaced by
Proc. gigantea in lat. 41° S., long. 46° E. In its company arrived
Diomedea fuliginosa (the Black Albatros), from which it is easily
distinguished by its flesh-coloured bill and more rounded tail,
whereas D. fuliginosa has a black bill and a cuneiform tail.
In these latitudes we were also joined by D. chlororhyncha in
abundance, D. melanophrys still sticking to us, and by a single
specimen of D. exulans in the brown plumage of the first year.
Prion vittatus (?) and Daption capensis were also with us, the latter
being abundant. We caught very many with strong thread, by
letting it trail astern with a cork at the end of it. The birds
* All the latitudes and longitudes given refer to our position at noon of
each day,
VOL. IV. H
98 Mr. E. L. Lavard on the Sea-birds observed
fouled the line, which twisted in their wings and thus rendered
them helpless. As soon as one was entangled it fell in the water,
and the rest immediately clustered round it, as the sailors de-
clared, for the purpose of eating their wounded comrade.
Procellaria gigantea and Diomedea melanophrys took the hook
freely when we were not going through the water. None of
these birds that I skinned exhibited the usual fatness of sea-
fowl, and the ovaries were not in the least enlarged. I thought
tTie breeding season had not begun ; but H. E. Sir G. Grey consi-
dered that they had passed it, and were feeding their young,
which would account for their lean condition. Doubtless they
all breed on the islands hereabouts — St. Paul's, Amsterdam,
Kerguelen's Land, &c. ; but it must be very cold work, for
though we are now in what may be called the spring, still we
have very severe weather and frequent storms of hail, snow and
sleet.
Lat. 42° S., long. 85° E. — This morning a large bird of a deep-
brown colour hovered once or twice round the ship, I at first
thought, from its heavy flapping flight and rounded wing, that
it was a land-bird, but it suddenly pursued some of the Petrels
with the unmistakeable flight of the Lestris. It then settled on
the water far astern, and presently rose again and went away out
of sight westward (towards the islands). I conjectured it must
have been the Lestris antarcticus, which I see, according to
Dieff'enbach, is found in New Zealand ; and on describing it
to H. E. Sir G. Grey, he agreed with me. Being the 1st of
September to-day, it ought to have been Perdix cinerea !
There is also to-day a black or deep-brown bird occasionally
about, which must be a Puffinus, judging from the falcate wing
and the general appearance when compared with other Pro-
cellariidcE.
Lat. 43° S., long. U07° E.— The small blue Petrel {Prion
vittatus ?) is very abundant here, but never comes near the shij).
This species may be known by the W-like mark on the back
when the wings are extended in flight.
Lat. 44° S., long. 138° E.— Birds in sight to-^ay—Dapt .
capensis, Proc. mollis, P. glacialis (one specimen). Prion vitta-
tus (?), Proc. gigantea, Diom. exulans (young), D. chlororhyncha,
during n Voyage in the Antarctic Ocean. 99
D. melanoiihrys, and D. fuliginosa. Daption capensis dives
readily; P)-oc. mollis does not. I have seen D. capensis drop
suddenly on the water, and dive under instantly. It will also
throw its tail up like a duck, and fish up bits of food from a
slight depth.
16th September. Running along the south coast of Van Die-
men^s land. — Daption capensis is here in vast numbers ; there
must have been 200 round us at a time. Proc. mollis nearly
gone from us. Proc. glacialis (one specimen) came close under the
stern, and we nearly caught it several times. The Puffinus
before named, as also Proc. gigantea and Diom. fuliginosa, occur
sparingly. D. exulans (two adults) paid us a visit, and spent the
day with us ; and two little Thalassidromce patted over the water
some way astern.
September 22. Halfway between Van Diemen^s Land and
New Zealand. — Puffinus ? very plentiful. H. E. Sir G. Grey
says they are the " Mutton Bird*." Diom. exulans and D. mela-
nophrys very common. D. cJdororhyncha has, I think, quite left
us : it may be known at once from D. melanophrys by its head
being of a slate colour, this part in D. melanophrys being white.
Daption capensis and the little Thulassidroma are abundant. One
specimen oi D. fuliginosa has been with us all day; and now and
then Prion vittatus and Proc. m.ollis appear.
September 24. — Off New Zealand (25 miles from land) two
Gannets passed the ship — the first we have seen ; and a Skua
[Lestins antarcticus) flew round us yesterday. All the birds have
left us but the Daption capensis, and that is scarce.
September 25. Steaming along the coast of New Zealand. —
Thalassidroma ? very plentiful. Flocks of a Procellaria, slate-
coloured with dark markings. Gannets common, as also Prion
vittatus. D. melanophrys ? or an allied species (I think it looks
smaller) sitting on the smooth water. Between the " Poor
Knight^s Islands " we steamed through large flocks of a curious
little diver about the size of a quail, black and white, with ap-
parently sharp-pointed, short bills. They dived under the ship,
* The " Mutton Bird" of Bass's Straits is Puffinus brevicaudus, Gould,
R. Austr. vii. pi. 56. See ' Ibis,' 1859, p. 398. In the heading of Mr.
Elvves' article it is erroneously named P. obscurus. — Ed.
h2
100 Mr. J. Haast on the Birds of New Zealand.
came up close under our counter, and then rose and flew just
like Quails. Sir George says he knows them well, but cannot re-
call the name ; he sent them to Mr. Gould some years ago, and
I think I remember them being figured in his ' Birds of Aus-
tralia.^ Sir George says they are very local, this being their chief
habitat ; we saw no others either before or after passing these
islands*.
September 26. — We anchored last night under Rangitato, a
large volcanic island in the mouth of the bay, and early this
morning steamed to our berth off the town of Auckland. I saw
two Gulls, one species much resembling the black-backed variety
in Table Bay, but still I think different ; also a Tern of some kind.
The Gulls are common, and I see them inland about the fields.
In my next communication I hope to be able to say something
of the land-birds round the town. As yet I have not been out
with my gun, but there seems a dearth of specimens. I see a
Kingfisher on the beach, and two small birds among the bushes
in the ravines.
Auckland, New Zealand, Oct. 7th, 1861.
XIV. — Observations on the Birds of the Western Districts of the
Province of Nelson, New Zealand. By Julius Haast.
[Mr. Haast's lately published Report of his expedition into the
western districts of the province of Nelson, in the Middle Island
of New Zealandf, contains an interesting chapter of observations
on the animals noticed during the route, from which we extract
the portion relative to the birds. After speaking of the paucity
of Mammals J, Mr. Haast continues as follows : — ]
" The only living objects which give animation to these soli-
* No doubt the Diving Petrels, Puffinuria urinatrix, figured in Gould's
' Birrls of Australia,' vii. pi. 60. — Ed.
t ' Report of a Topographical and Geological Exploration of the Western
Districts of the Nelson Province, New Zealand, undertaken for the Pro-
vincial Government.' By Julius Haast, Esq. Nelson, 1861. 1 vol. 8vo.
150 pp.
X Only two Mammals are known as really indigenous to New Zealand,
both Bats, Scotopkilus tuberculatus and Mystacina tuberculata. — Ed.
Mr. J. Haast on the Birds of New Zealand. 101
tudes are birds. Amongst them we may assign the first place to
the White Crane {Herodias flavirostris) . This magnificent bird
lives principally in the plains, where the rivers, flowing over
shallow shingly beds, afford it sufficient opportunities of fishing.
Sometimes it is observed sitting motionless on the top of a high
tree near the water's edge, and it is really beautiful to see its
graceful form and snow-white plumage sharply defined against
the deep-blue sky. It is very difficult to approach it, as it is very
shy, and takes to the wing at the least noise. The Bittern
{Botaurus melanotus) and the Grey Crane [Herodias matuka) are
also occasionally met with. In the plains, too, we find large num-
bers of the Paradise Duck [Casarca variegata), generally in pairs
together, but sometimes in large flocks, breaking the stillness of
the scene by their shrill cries. The most abundant member of
the family Anatidce, however, is the Whio, the Blue Duck of the
settlers {Anas malacorhynchus) . It is found in all the rivers,
and is easily killed. It appears to prefer shady places and the
deep pools formed in the gorges of the streams and rivers, but
is also found in the plains. In the open districts, and on the
outskirts of the forests, we also find two members of the Falcon
family. The largest of them, the Falco harpe^, is a stupid bird,
remaining quietly perched on a branch whilst the traveller ap-
proaches. It is not so bold and pugnacious as the smaller Falco
brunneus, which is frequently met with, and which, whilst rearing
its young ones, fearlessly attacks any intruder who may happen
to come near its nest. One day, walking along near the margin
of the forest in Camp Valley, my hat was suddenly knocked ofi"
my head, and at the same time I heard a shrill cry. On looking
up I found it was one of these courageous little Sparrow-hawks
which had attacked me, and which, after sitting for a moment or
two on a branch, again pounced on me ; and although I had a long
compass-stick in my hand, with which I tried to knock it down,
it repeated its attacks several times. The presence of my whole
party even did not intimidate them, and they frequently exhi-
bited their courage by attacking us. We met with another in-
stance of the courage of these birds in the Matakitaki plains.
A White Crane of large size, standing in the water, was attacked
* Hieracidea novee zelandlce. — Ed.
103 Mr. J. Haast on the Birds of New Zealand.
by three of them at once, and they made frequent and well-con-
certed charges npon him from different quarters. It was admi-
rable to behold the Kotuku (White Crane), with his head laid
back, darting his pointed beak at his foes with the swiftness of
an arrow, whilst they, with the utmost agility, avoided the spear
of their strong adversary, whom at last they were fain to leave
to fish unmolested. Another day, in the same neighbourhood, a
Cormorant [Graculus varius) passing near a tree on which two of
these Sparrow-hawks were sitting, they instantly pounced upon
him, putting him to hasty flight with a shrill cry of terror, fol-
lowed closely by his smaller but fierce foes, and all three were
soon out of sight. In speaking of the Cormorants I may add,
that there are several species that exist all along the rivers and
sea-coast; they are capital fishei's, and one day I was witness
how well they understood how to procure their food. It was
near the spot where one of the northern spurs of Mount Mur-
chison slopes down to the Buller, which here forms small falls
and rapids. ACormorant was standing on an isolated rock, i-ound
which the foaming waters dashed down, and I was not a little
surprised to see him jump down into the white foam. In the
first instance I thought he would not get out again, but would
be dashed to death by the whirling waters ; but soon he re-ap-
peared, swimming rapidly towards the edge, and then flying on
to his old observatory to continue his sport. It is probable that
small fishes are taken down by the falls, and, being stunned by
the force of the water, are easily caught by the courageous bird.
This is a new proof that nature has given to every animal the
necessary physical strength to contend with the elements in
which it has to look for its subsistence.
"The Quail [Coturnix novae zelandice) is still very abundant upon
the grassy plains of the interior ; at every moment it is met with
rising close to the foot of the traveller ; and it is perhaps the best
sign that not many dogs exist there, as they would otherwise have
been already destroyed. But amongst all the birds which I met
with, none is in so great numbers as the Weka {Ocydromus aus-
tralis), belonging to the family RaUidce, and comiiionly called the
Wood-hen. It is found everywhere, on the grassy plains and in
the forest, as well as near the summits of the mountains amongst
Mr. J. Haast on the Birds of New Zealand. 103
the subalpine vegetation. It is omnivorous, and seems to be
the true scavenger of the country. It despises nothing. Bread,
flour, bacon, yellow soap, and even the remains of its own kin-
dred, are greedily devoured. They quickly find out a camp,
where their instinct leads them in search of food. The woods
resound with their call, which consists of two notes in the octave,
of which the lowest is the first given. We caught a great many,
as a valuable addition to our stock of provisions. The capture
is generally made by means of a flax snare at the end of a stick,
keeping behind it a smaller bird, at which they run pugnaciously;
and even when there is no time to take them in this way, no
small bird being at hand, they come to the snare, attracted by a
branch rattled on the ground behind it, accompanied by an
imitation of the notes of one of the smaller birds. We have
even caught them by the hand, by simply exhibiting a dead
Robin. The Weka lays four to five eggs, yellowish white with
chocolate-coloured spots, of the size of a fowVs egg, in a nest
prepared rudely with a few dead leaves and dry grass in a flax-
bush. It breeds in the mouths of November and December,
like all the other birds of New Zealand, with the exception of
the Kaka {Nestor meridionalis), which breeds only at the end of
summer — say at the end of February and beginning of March.
The Weka has great affection for its young ones, and it was
often with the aid of one of them, which were easily caught, that
we secured the parents ; a note of distress from the young bird
invariably bringing the old ones to its assistance, when they
were easily caught in the snare held in readiness.
" On the summits of the mountains I met with a very shy bird,
closely resembling a Plover [Charadrius) , which till then I had
never seen. On the lakes, besides the several inhabitants before
enumerated, we found the Crested Grebe {Podiceps cristatus ?),
of which only very little is known. Another inhabitant of the
plains in former years was the Kakapo [Strigops hahropdilus)
or Night-Parrot ; but it seems that it is now nearly extinct
there, and that it has found a refuge in the wild mountain
regions unmolested by man and dog. In former years the
Marnia plains were a celebrated hunting-ground of the Maories
for these birds ; but we did not even observe their tracks in 1 he
104) Mr. J. Haast on the Birds of New Zealand.
saod, or hear their call; and only in the upper Mavhera-ti have
a few of late been observed. The Kakapo lives in holes bur-
rowed in the ground, where it remains during the day, coming
out in the night : it feeds on berries and roots. Although able
to fly, it rarely or never takes to the wing, as the natives assured
me, who in former years often hunted it. For this purpose they
generally went to the plains when the berries of the Tutu [Co-
riaria sarmeiitosa) were ripe, which are a favourite food of that
bird, selecting fine moonlight nights. They ran them down
partly with dogs, or even killed them with long sticks upon the
Tutu-bushes. Another mode was, when they had found out
their holes, to introduce a long stick into them, to which they
had fastened several strong flax-snares ; feeling the bird with
the end of it, they began to twist the stick so as to bring some
part of the bird into the snares, and thus drag it out. The call
of the Kakapo, heard during the night, very much resembles
the gobble of the Turkey. In the forest a great variety of birds
is to be observed, but it would lead me too far were I to enume-
rate them all. Some of them are seldom seen, but are every-
where to be found; as, for instance, the Owl {Athene nova
zelandia:) — the " More-pork" of the settlers — the two melancholy
notes of which are invariably heard one hour after sunset and
one hour before sunrise. Another inhabitant of the forest and
rocky mountain-sides is the Kiwi [Apterijx australis), which is
still abundant in many spots, and, judging from their diff"erent
calls, of various species. As unfortunately I had no dog with
me, I was not able to procure any specimens of them ; but, after
what I could observe on the summits of Papahaua, the tracks in
the snow showed me that the native description of a large Kiwi,
like a Turkey, could not be well exaggerated. The noisy Kaka
{Nestor meridionalis) plays a conspicuous role in the forest. It
is a gregarious bird, perching generally on the highest trees ;
but as soon as the assembled flock hear a noise unknown to
them they approach, amusing the traveller by their various quar-
relsome notes and shrieks. If in shooting after them one only
is wounded so that it may be secured, it is an easy matter to
shoot one after the other, as they always come back when they
hear the cry of their wounded companion.
Mr. J. Haast on the Birds of New Zealand. 105
'' It is true that the New-Zealand songsters cannot be com-
pared with the European singing-birds ; but their music has also
its charms, and it is a moment of delight for the traveller to
listen to the concert of all the different birds when the morning
dawns. Amongst them the Kakorimaka {Anthornis melanura)
is most conspicuous. I can only compare their united tune, as
Captain Cook has already done with great justness, although
each Anthornis has only a few notes, to well-tuned chimes ; and
I was never tired of listening to their morning concert, which
generally ceases when the jealous Kaka begins with its discord-
ant screams. The Tui {Prosthemadera nova zelandia) is another
songster which assists in the performance of the concerts. Two
other birds are very numerous. The first is the Kakako {Cal-
Iceas cinerea), the New Zealand Crow; generally a pair is toge-
ther. They remain in the lower grounds, and are not frightened
at man ; so that they can be easily secured. Their musical
although melancholy notes, which harmonize with their sable
hue, resounding through the tranquil woods, give a certain
charm to their appearance. Another and a more gay fellow,
belonging to the family Turdida, is the Piopio [Turnagra crassi-
rostris), the Thrush of the settlers. It is a very inquisitive and
social bird, generally making its appearance as soon as the tra-
veller halts. The beautiful Pigeon {Carpophaga novce zelandice)
is also abundant in the lower countries, where the vegetation
does not principally consist of black birch [Fagus). Where this
tree is predominant the birds are not so numerous. This bird
is so stupid as often to remain sitting upon a branch until the
traveller has cut a long stick and passed the flax-snare at the
end of it round its neck.
" Amongst the small inhabitants is one which, by its tameness,
always gives animation to the camp ; it is the Totoara, the New
Zealand Robin, which is the first to welcome the explorer in the
wilderness, and which remains steadily near the camp. Gravely
does it look to the doings of men ! I observed how strictly these
Robins maintain the right of priority. The second comer was
always fought till he went away ; and the first remained on the
spot till he was killed for fishing or snaring purposes, when the
second one very soon took his daugerous place. At first it is
106 Mr. J. Haast on the Birds of Neiv Zealand.
perfectly fearless, and I have seen one of them sit on my hand,
with which I held my paper when sketching, and peck quietly
at it. There are still two others, which are always near the
tents ; the fan-tailed Flycatcher, belonging to the family Musci-
capidce, veiy fond of the neighbourhood of man, and the New
Zealand Wren [CertMparus maculicaudus) , both never tire of
flying and hopping round the tents. Of the latter I observed
several species in the interior, which will prove to be undescribed.
On the sea-shore, near the mouths of rivers, we again meet with
the Paradise Duck; but the most numerous bird all along the
coast is the Torea [Hcematopus picatus). It is pleasant to see
this red-legged and -billed fellow run along the shore under the
crest of the waves, picking up the mollusks and small fishes
which are brought by them or remain behind when the waves
recede. At high-water they generally assemble together, as
there is not such good opportunity for fishing. Although rather
of a fishy taste, they ofier to the traveller who is in the posses-
sion of a gun sufficient material for a meal when he is in
want of it. Another interesting sea-bird belonging to the Gulls
is the Karozo, which skims rapidly over the surf, seizing the
shell-fish, principally Venus intermedia, on which it lives. Being
unable to open the shells with its beak, nature has taught
it another way. I very often observed how this bird rose over
the rocky shore, and, arriving at an altitude of 60 to 100 feet,
let the shell fall, so that it would break upon the rocks below.
Another bird, belonging to the Gannets, is also very abundant ;
it has a vei*y graceful flight, sailing high above the water on ex-
panded and almost motionless wings. Perceiving its prey, it
goes down like an arrow. I did not observe any bones of the
Moa {Dinornis, &c.), although the natives at the mouth of the
Grey assured me that in the swamps near Lake Hochstetter a
good many occur."
Mr. A. Newton on the Gular Pouch of the Male Bustard. 107
XV. — On the supposed Chilar Pouch of the Male Bustard (Otis
tarda, Linn.). By Alfred Newton, M.A., F.L.S.
An article by Dr. Gloger, of Berlin, lately published in the
' Journal fiir Ornithologie,' and alluded to by the Editor in the
last Number of this Magazine [' Ibis,' 1862, p. 83), has prompted
me to transmit a reply to the attack made by that talented writer
on "^ three English anatomists and natm-alists." The reason
why 1 have felt myself bound to answer the charges thus ad-
duced by Dr. Gloger is not only that the subject of his paper is
one in which I have for some time past been peculiarly interested,
but also that, of the three gentlemen whom he especially selects
to hold up to ridicule, two have passed away from this world,
and these two I had the honour to count among my earliest
ornithological friends. On behalf of the third I have not at-
tempted to speak. The situation Professor Ovven holds in the
scieatific world is, by his assailant's own admission, so lofty, that
nothing Dr. Gloger says by way of detraction, or that I could
allege by way of defence, would in the least affect it.
Having then, with the kind assistance of my friend Dr. Hart-
laub, done what I could to repel the virulent and uncalled-for
invective of Dr. Gloger upon the late Mr. Yarrell and the late
Mr. Mitchell, I shall not here say more about it, for I desire to
allay bitter feelings rather than to excite them. But I consider
the question of the existence or non-existence of a gular pouch
in the male Bustard one of a nature so curious, that I do not
scruple to cite somewhat fully the singularly conflicting evidence
on the subject, as given by various observers, believing that the
readers of * The Ibis ' cannot fail to be interested in it.
According to Schneider (Reliqua Librorum Friderici II. Im-
peratoris, &c., Lipsise, 1788, i. p. 34), the Emperor Friedrich II.
noticed the " gi-ossum collum " possessed by both sexes of the
Great Bustard, and especially by the males " tempore coitus," as
did also, in 1681, Sir Thomas Browne. This learned man, whose
knowledge of natural history was so far beyond that of his con-
temporaries, further remarks (Works, Wilkins' edition, i. p. 311)
that, " as a Turkey hath an odde large substance without, so had
this [Otis tarda^ within the inside of the skinne." Towards the
end of the seventeenth century, six examples of the Great Bustard,
108 Mr. A. Newton on the supposed Gular Pouch
all of tliem males, were dissected by order of the French Academy
of Sciences. Perrault, the examiner, makes no mention of the
existence of a gular pouch in any of them ; and his general ob-
servations, which are given in minute detail (Mem. de I'Acad.
Roy. des Sciences, tom. iii. 2de partie, pp. 99-109), fully accord,
as Mr. Yarrell has rightly said, with what has since been noticed
of the structure of the species. In 1688 (new style), a paper by
Dr. Allen Moulen, containing some "Anatomical Observations
in the Heads of Fowl," was communicated to the Royal Society
of London, Among the species examined were Bustards (Phil.
Trans, xvii. p. 714) ; but nothing like a gular pouch is described
as having been found.
It is beyond all doubt that our knowledge of the supposed
gular pouch in the Otis tarda is due to a British anatomist — Dr.
James Douglas— whom Haller (Biblioth. Anatom. ii. p. 31) de-
signates as " vir eruditus et solers, diligentissimus incisor •/' and
the first mention of the discovery known to me (for Douglas, it
seems, did not live to announce it himself) was made in 1740,
by Albin (Nat. Hist. B. iii. p. 36), in the following vague terms :
" Dr. Douglas has observed in the Male [of the Great Bustard]
two Stomachs, one for the Food and the other a Reservatory for
Water to supply them, they feeding on dry Heaths remote from
Ponds and Rivers." In 1747, a fuller account and also a figure*
of the organ were given by Edwards (Nat. Hist. B. ii. tab. 73).
Writing of Otis tarda, he states, " But what is most surprizing in
this Bird was first discovered by the late James Douglass, M.D.,
Fellow of the College of Physicians ; it is a Pouch or Bag to hold
fresh Water, which supplies the Bird in dry Places when distant
from Waters ; This Bag is represented blown up by the letter A.
I poured into it, before the Head was taken off, full seven Wine
Pints (which about equals seven Pounds of our common Weight)
before it run over. B. shows the Wind-pipe. C. the Throat or
common Passage of the Food. This Bag is wanting in the Hen."
* I have not thought it necessary to introduce here a copy of this figure,
as it has been so often repeated in other works, many of them easily acces-
sible ; for instance, Daniell's ' Rural Sports,' Bishop Stanley's ' Famihar
History of Birds,' besides Bewick's and both the first and second editions
of Yarrell's ' British Birds.'
of the Male Bustard. 109
A few years afterwards, in 1753, this account was almost literally
translated and the figure copied by Seeligmann (Sammlung ver-
schiedener Vogel, iii. tab, 41), but without mention of Edwards's
name, and thus made known to German ornithologists. There
is no need for me to quote the passage here. The next author
who alludes to the subject is Pallas in his Journal, under date of
May 28-31, 1772. At this moment I can only refer to the
passage in the French translation by Mons. Gauthier de la Pey-
ronie (Voyages de Pallas, iv. p. 309), which, though not very
accurate in some places, is sufficiently so here. Of the Great
Bustard it is said, that "Cet animal a un petit trou sous la langue,
qui sert d'ouverture a une bourse aqueuse, qui est de la grosseur
d'un oeuf d'oie/' Though I cannot doubt that Pallas was aware
of what had been published in England, and republished in Ger-
many, this statement has the appearance of being, and in all
probability was, founded on his own independent observation.
In 1781, Daines Barrington (Miscellanies, p. 553) speaks of the
discovery of Douglas, stating that Sir Ashton Lever had failed
to find the pouch in a female bird ; and adding that " a gentle-
man long resident at Morocco, where they frequently fly their
hawks at bustards, hath also informed me that the cock makes
use of this reservoir of liquor against these assailants, and com-
monly thus baffles them." In illustration of the statement last
mentioned, I may refer to the account furnished by Mr. Tristram
to the first volume of this Magazine ('Ibis,' 1859, p. 285), and
perhaps also to a remark of Dr. Weissenborn (Mag. N. H., new
series, 1838, ii. p. 243).
Several years ago, from a note in one of Bechstein's works
(Gemeinniitzig Naturgeschichte Deutschlands, &c., p. 1434), I
became aware of a paper by Bloch on this subject; and though
I suspected it would prove important, it is only lately, and that
through the kind intervention of Dr. Albert Giinther, that I have
obtained a sight of it, and learned its true value. I do not think
I exaggerate this in saying that it affords the strongest evidence
in favour of the existence of the supposed gular pouch that I
have met with. In 1782, then, Bloch published an account of
the disputed structure, accompanied by a plate, in which the
opening under the tongue is most distinctly represented
110
Mr. A. Newton on the supposed Gular Pouch
(Scliriften der Bcrlinischen Gesellscliaft naturforschender
Freunde, iii. pp. 376-7, tab. 8). I here iusert a reduced copy
of the figure, and I must quote from the article at some length :
,,>¥0fWWmmmmmmmmm'f!f^
" Bey diesem grossem Vogel *** siehet man einen Sack unter
der Haut am Halse, dessen Oefnung unter der Zunge sichtbar
ist (fig. 7 a) \_Sic in origine, sed potius ' fig. 2 « ^] . Er ist vveit,
war bey einem alten Hahn, den ich untersuchte eiu Fusslaug,
und erstreckte sich von der Kehle bis an die Brust.
"In den pariser Denkschriften \ut sujjra citatum^ trefi*en wir zwar
eine umstandliche Zergliederung dieses Vogels an ; es ist jedoch
darin dieses Sacks nicht erwahnt worden. Albin gendenkt seiner
zuerst, allein, wie Catesby [^hic et infra pro ' Edwards ' errore
captusi behauptet, so hat man dem Dr. Douglas diese Ent-
deckung zu verdanken {Seligmann's Vogel, 3 Thl. t. 41). Wenn
jedoch Catesby aufiihrt, dass nur die Mannchen allein mit
diesem Sack versehen waren {a. a. 0.), so widerspricht diesem
meine Erfahrung ; denn ich habe ihn auch bey einem Weibchen
gefunden. Auch Herr Professor Pallas hat diesen Sack bemerkt
{dessen Reise, 3 Thl. S. 220) ; wenn jedoch dieser genaue
Beobachter sagt, dass er nur die Grosse eines guten Ganse eyes
gehabt habe, so ist derselbe wahrscheinlich von einem jungeu
Vogel gewesen."
The author then proceeds to offer some considerations, which
I need not extract here, on the probable use of this singular
of the Male Bustard. Ill
organ. What is most remarkable in the above is his statement
that he had found it also present " in a female." Now there is a
kind of witness well known to lawyers as one who tries to prove
too much. In such a light Bloch seems to have been regarded
by Schneider, whoj in 1788, edited the Imperial work on Falconry,
to which I before alluded. Here he {op. cit. ii. p. 9) observes,
" Saccum gularem primus annotavit et pinxit in Otide vulgari
Edwards Britannus ; eundem deinde in mare vidit aquseque reci-
piendse dicavit CI. Pallas Itinerarii Russici t. iii. p. 220. Sed
nuper demum exstitit vir doctus. El. Bloch, qui feminse otidi
eundem saccum communem assereret, in Scriptis Societ. Berolin.
Amicorum Naturee Curios, vol. iii. p. 376. Doleo me uondum
potiri potuisse hac ave satis in his regionibus frequenti, sed captu
difficili, quo ipse oculis meis de dubitatione hac virorum docto-
rum decernerem. Si mas solus sacco gulari gaudet, potest turn
in amore eum forte inflare, ut coUum intumescat. Contra si
femina eundem habet, quod vix credo, alium tum eidem usum
excogitare debemus." I can only stop to record my admiration
of Schneider's cautious language. Between 1799 and 1805,
Cuvier (Le9ons d' Anatomic Comparee, publiees par Dumeril),
as quoted by Mr. Yarrell, dwelt at some length on the blood-
vessels, glands, and cellular tissue of the neck in birds, but he
does not refer to any peculiarity in the neck of the Bustard. In
1802, Montagu (Orn. Diet., pagg. innumm.) states that a pre-
paration of the pouch " may be seen in Sir Ashton Lever^s Mu-
seum." This celebrated collection was afterwards dispersed by
sale, and I have never been able to ascertain what became of the
specimen. It seems to me not at all impossible that it may have
been the original preparation of Douglas, and it will be remem-
bered that Barrington mentions Sir Ashton's name in connexion
with the subject. Montagu, by the way, through an obvious
slip of the pen, doubles the asserted capacity of the pouch, and
then proceeds to show that its size must have been somewhat
exaggerated. On this circumstance an anonymous writer, whom,
from his thorough acquaintance with the subject, added to the
quiet humour that he displays in its treatment, I imagine to have
been the late Mr. Broderip, aptly remarks (Frazer's Magazine,
No. 297, Sept. 1854, p. 339), that Montagu's strictures "look
112 Mr. A. Newton on the supposed Gular Pouch
very much like making the giants first, and then killing them."
In 1810, Tiedemann (Zoologie, ii. p. 398) repeats much that had
been previously written on the question ; and though he refers to
Seeligmann's account, yet, as he carefully follows Bloch's acci-
dental errors, his acquaintance with the former author was clearly
derived only at second hand : I therefore forbear to quote what
he says. In 1814, Sir Everard Home (Lectures on Comparative
Anatomy, i. pp. 277-8) states that —
"The male bustard, in some particular species which I have
examined, has a long bag which hangs down on the anterior part
of the oesophagous as low as the middle of the neck, communi-
cating with the mouth by an opening under the tongue, which
appears to have a sphincter muscle. This bag was not met with
in the young bustard, and is unknown to several very intelligent
naturalists in Bengal, where the bustard is common and of seve-
ral species."
Now this passage is not marked by that precision one could
wish, and, from its similarity to an observation of John Hun-
ter's, then unpublished, but which, as I shall presently show,
was in all probability known to Sir Everard, leaves it open to
doubt whether that noted plagiarist ever did examine a male
Great Bustard for himself. In 1818, Vieillot (Nouv. Diet.
d'Hist. Nat. &c. xxiv. p. 286), from the accounts of Perrault and
Pallas, already given, compiled a description of the tongue, palate,
and pouch of the Otis tarda. It contains no new facts, and I
need not cite it here.
In the course of the ten years following 1821 appeared the
great work of Meckel (System der vergleichenden Anatomic), of
which, I regret to say, I have only been able to consult a French
translation, though it is one which was published in 1838, by
Drs. Sanson and Schuster, with the author's approval. In this
(Traite General d'Anat. Comp. viii. p. 236) Meckel is repre-
sented as saying : —
" Chez le male, on voit descendre de la face inferieure, au-
devant de la langue, un sac fort spacieux et h. parois minces,
qui, place immediatement au-dessous de la peau, occupe toute
la longueur du cou, et dont la cavite presente, chez les adultes,
assez d'ampleur pour contenir deux litres d'eau. Selon MM.
of the Male Bustard. 113
Bloch et Tiedemann \ut supra cit.'\, ce sac serait propre non-
seulement au male, mais encore a la femelle. Mais il faut ne-
cessairement, que ces observateurs se soient laisses aller a quel-
que illusion, puisque j^ai examine dix sujets femelles, qui ne
m^en ont pas presente le moindre indice. Je dois done adherer
a Fopinion de MM. Douglas et Home \ut supra cit.'], qui avait
ete deja hypothetiquement eraise par Schneider \loc. cit,~\, et
adniettre que cet organe ne se rencontre que chez le male.
" Quant a I'autre assertion de M. Home, qui etablit que le
sac en question n^existe pas chez les jeunes sujets, je n'ai pas
ete en mesure de la verifier ; cependant je ne serais pas loin de
penser qu'une jeune femelle ait ete prise, par cet auteur, pour un
male; une semblable meprise, mais en sens inverse, semble
avoir induit en erreur M. Tiedemann."
It is noticeable from this, that neither Meckel nor his transla-
tors assert that they ever found the pouch at all ; and that such
mistakes as they attribute to Home and Tiedemann are possible
on a cursory examination, I think, is quite likely. M. deRoche-
brune (Trans, de la Soc. Linn, de Bordeaux, iv. p. 167) has re-
marked, that when the female has come to her full growth, at the
age of from three to four years, she exhibits the same lateral
plumes from her chin as does the male, but in some degree less
developed. The hint thrown out by Sir Everard Home appears
to have been taken by ornithologists in India; for, in 1832,
Colonel Sykes (Proc. Comm. Sci. & Corr. Zool. Soc. ii. p. 155),
speaking of " Otis nigriceps " — Eupodotis edwardsi of Gray —
states that the male is '^ supplied with the remarkable gular
pouch common to the Otis tarda." And to have done with this
part of the subject at once, it is better to say here, that some
twenty years later, in 1855, Lieutenant Burgess also mentions
(P. Z. S. 1855. pp. 32, 33), on the authority of Mr. A.F, Davidson,
that the male of the same species, about breeding-time, '^ is fond
of mounting some elevated spot, and then strutting about with
the tail erected and spread, the wings drooping, and the pouch
in the throat inflated with air and looking like a large bladder."
This writer further adds, in corroboration of the assertion, that
another informant had told him tha* " he had seen a Bustard
with a white-looking bag hanging below the neck." I may
VOL. IV. I
114 Mr. A. Newton on the supposed Gular Pouch
also state, that from Mr. J. H. Gurney I learn that the late Mr.
Frederick Strange some years ago published in an Australian
journal an account of the large Bustard of that country [Eupodotis
australis, Gray), in which he asserted that that species was also
provided with a gular pouch. I have made various efforts to
ascertain the name of the publication — I believe an illustrated
newspaper — in which this statement occurs, but hitherto without
success, and I shall be greatly obliged to any one who can give
me a reference to the communication.
In 1834, J. F. Naumann printed the results of his own observa-
tions, and those of Nitzsch, on this subject. The latter is quoted
(Naturgesch. der Vogel Deutschl. vii. p. 10) as saying : —
" Die grosste, schon seit langer Zeit bei O. Tarda beobachtete,
aber meines Wissens bei andern Arten bis jetzt noch nicht besta-
tigte, anatomische Merkwiirdigkeit dieser Gattung ist ein grosser
hautiger, unter der Zunge geoffneter Sack, welcher vorn un-
mittelbar unter der Halshaut vor der Luftrohre liegt, und bis
zum Gabelknochen herabsteigt, aber, wohl zu merken, sich bloss
beim Mannchen findet. (Er fehlte bei den von mir untersuchten
Weibchen und Mannchen der Otis Tetrax.) Der Zweck dieses
sonderbaren, bei keinem Vogel ausser der Trappengattung wahr-
genomraenen, Organs ist noch keineswegs ermittelt.^^ He then
goes on to say that the male of the Great Bustard has another
distinctive character, not possessed by the female, namely, a
small *' Schlundkropf ; " but this, however interesting, is foreign
to my present purpose.
Naumann himself refers {torn. cit. pp. 20, 21) to the pouch in
the following terms : —
" Ganz ausserordentlich merkwiirdig ist der oben erwahnte
hautige Sack oder sogenannte Wasserbeutel, welchen aber nur
allein das Mannchen hat. Dieser Beutel besteht aus einer
diinnen dehnbaren Haut, f angt sich unter der Zunge zwischen
den Kinnladeu an, lauft vorn zwischen der Halshaut und der
Speiserohre herab, und ist mit dem untern Ende am obern
Rande des Brustbeins befestigt. Seine einzige Oeffnung ist
unter der Zunge, und sonst nirgends eine zu entdecken. Er
hat, wenn er mit Luft oder.Wasser angefiillt ist, oft eine einfache,
sehr langgezogene Eigestalt ; gewohnlicher noch ist er aber am
of the Male Bustard. 115
Eingange enge ; dann eiforinig erweitert und in der Mitte seiner
Lange am weitesten ; nachher wieder sehr verengert ; dann
wieder in Eiform, aber kiirzer und nicht so stark wie oben
erweitert und wie ein spitzes Ei geschlossen. Bei einem recht
alten Mannchen ist seine Lange ziemlich 14' Zoll ; seine Weite
am Eingange f Zoll ; dann in der Mitte, wo er am weitesten,
2g Zoll, dann wieder zu f Zoll verengert und die untere Blase
wieder 1| Zoll weit; alle diese Maasse im Durebmesser. — Er
fasst eiae ziemliche Menge Wasser, docb lange keine 8 Pfund,
und man vermuthet, wiewol obne Grand, er sei ein abnlicber
Wasserbebalter wie der des Kameels, urn Vorratb trinken zu
konnen; aber warum war er denn dem Weibeben niclit auch
gegeben ? ! Wasser fand icb iiberbaupt darin nur sebr wenig,
nicbt einmal einen EssloflPel voll, vielmebr ibn meistens ganz
leer, nur ein Mai einige Grassamen, welcbe zufallig binein gera-
tben zu sein scbienen. Er sebeint mir iiberbaupt mebr ein
Luft- als ein Wasserbebalter zu sein. Sein Zweck bleibt vor der
Hand ein Ratbsel, wie er dies scbon lange war."
I bave cited tbe above extracts in full, because, as will be seen
by-and-by, tbey are tbose on wbicb Dr. Gloger cbiefly relies.
I sball also presently quote Mr. YarrelFs comments upon tbem.
Merely remarking, tben, tbat no new information is to be
gatbered from Siebold and Stannius (Lebrbucb der vergleich.
Anat. pp. 296—7), I pass on to an interesting statement, wbicb
was publisbed in 1849, by Degland (Orn. Eur. ii. p. 73, note)^
and is as follows : —
" Je dois a mon bonorable confrere, le docteur Dorin, de Cba-
lons-sur-Marne, la connaissance d'un fait assez curieux et que je
ne dois pas omettre. A I'epoque des amours, il se developpe
dans le lieu meme on s'inserent les moustacbes, une sorte de
fanon, forme par une masse de tissu cellulaire graisseux, lacbe,
dont le volume est considerable, puisqu'il atteint et depasse le
poids d'un kilogramme. Cette sorte de fanon, qui occupe la
partie anterieure et laterale du cou, est formee de deux masses
qui se reunissent sur la ligne mediane, a partir de la naissance
des barbes jusqu'au bas du collier. C'est au moyen de muscles
fanciers assez developpes que Poiseau pent imprimer des mouve-
ments a cette masse, et par consequent relever ou abaisser les
i2
116 Mr. A. Newton on the supposed Gular Pouch
plumes allongees qui s^y implantent, A la fin de juillet, elle
commence a s'affaisser, les plumes tombent, se renouvellent, si
bien qu'avant la fin de septembre il ne reste plus rien de cette
grande masse de tissu cellulaire."
In 'March 1848^ Professor Owen made the preparation of
the head and neck of a male Otis tarda, which is now in the
Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons of London, and
which, in 1852, he thus described (Cat. Physiol. Series Mus.
R. Coll. Surg. 2nd ed. vol. i. p. 233) :— " 772, Q. The head of
a Bustard [Otis tarda), with the mouth and fauces exposed,
showing the glandular orifices between the rami of the lower
jaw, the tongue, glottis, internal nostril, and eustachian orifice.
There is no trace of a gular pouch." I may add, that an inspec-
tion of this specimen, still exhibited to visitors, shows positively
that in it there is no opening under the tongue, and also that
the Professor did not conduct his dissection in the manner that
has been attributed to him by Dr. Gloger.. I now come to the
article which has provoked the hostile remarks of that natu-
ralist, and, in justice to Mr. Yarrell's memory, I am obliged to
make some copious extracts therefrom, that my readers may
decide for themselves whether or not he has been misrepresented.
Mr. Yarrell (Trans. Linn. Soc. xxi. pp. 159, 160) says as
follows : —
" I had long wished to have an opportunity of examining the
body of a male Bustai'd to inspect the gular pouch described by
Daines Barriugton in his 'Miscellanies/ 1781, and by Edwards
in his ^Gleanings in Natural History,' 1811, and from thence
copied by Bewick and myself, but it was not until lately that
an opportunity offered. About four years ago the Zoological
Society obtained by purchase six or seven young Bustards from
Germany. One of these birds, a male, died within a year : the
body was examined by Mr. Mitchell and myself, but no gular
pouch was found. This we then attributed to the youth of the
bird. During the past summer of 1852, one of the males of
these birds was frequently observed courting a female. * * *
" In the month of December last this male Bustard, believed
to be four years old, unfortunately died, and Mr. Mitchell very
kindly allowed me to examine this adult bird.
of the Male Bustard. 117
" To give an indication of what I expected to find, I may
first quote the words in Edwards^s ' Gleanings ' : — [Here follows
the extract I have already given from that author, and which
therefore I need not repeat.]
" My examination of the mature male Bustard, sent to me
from the Zoological Society's Gardens, was confined to the neck
only. I very carefully divided the skin, in a straight line from
the union of the two branches of the lower mandible to the edge
of the furcular bone or merrythought. On separating the edge
of this skin on each side to the right and left, a thin delicate
membrane was seen covering and firmly attached to the anterior
surface of the trachea or windpipe, which lies close to the inner
surface of the common skin. Separating the skin still wider,
there was on each side of the trachea an elongated narrow
column of membrane investing and attached to the blood-vessels
and ordinary glands of the neck, and extended downwards was
attached to the lateral branch of the furcula on its own side.
The oesophagus inclines to the right side of the neck in its
passage downward. There was no opening under the tongue;
and I failed in various attempts to distend any part of the mem-
branes below, either by fluid or by air.
'^'I was disappointed, and began to doubt the accuracy of my
own investigation ; " and Mr. Yarrell then proceeds to say, that
it was only after turning to the accounts of Perrault and Cuvier,
and taking Professor Owen's opinion — all of which I have before
referred to — that he offered his statement to the Linnean Societv.
When I was in London the following summer, Mr. Yarrell was
good enough to show me the preparation he had made, and on
my own authority I can declare that in this specimen there was
no trace of a gular pouch.
Mr. YarrelFs paper was read before the Linnean Society,
January 18, 1853, and was printed a few months afterwards, I
in the meantime having told him of the strong evidence in favour
of the contrary opinion which was to be gathered from German
authors. When, some two years later, he was preparing the third
edition of his ' British Birds,' I again wrote to him on the sub-
ject, enclosing him translations of the passages from Naumann's
work which I have already quoted; for I was well aware that he
118 Mr. A. Newton on the supposed Gxdar Pouch
was but slightly acquainted with the German language, as he
himself, and with unfeigned regret, was at all times ready to
admit. Those who enjoyed his friendship were more disposed to
admire the amount of scientific knowledge with which, in the
intervals of a laborious life, he had stored his mind, than to won-
der at there being some special branches of learning — however
important these might be — of which he was ignorant. Mr.
Yarrell in writing to me, under date January 11, 1856, says as
follows : —
" I have now prepared my article on the Great Bustard for the
printer. I have made no reference to the various objections of
Naumann and others. The existence of an opening or no opening
under the tongue ... is not a matter of age, since of the two I
examined one was a year and a half old, the other four years.
The air-bag being of variable shape, in one case with a contrac-
tion in the middle, shows that it was not destined to hold water.
Gravity would prevent any division. The small quantity of fluid
is the seasonal secretion of the glands of the neck and the con-
necting cellular membranes, and lubricates the surrounding parts.
. . . The grass seeds are equivocal; I cannot understand how
they were to get there . . . such foreign substances would destroy
the bird by inflammation."
Most of the above passage, it will be seen, has reference to the
account given by Naumann of his own experience rather than that
of Nitzsch ; but in my letter of December 6, 1855 (which by
favour of Mr. Van Voorst, Mr. Yarrell's executor, now lies before
me, and to which it was in reply), I had especially mentioned
the observations of the second-named observer as quoted by the
first. But it is quite certain from what I have said that Mr.
Yarrell was fully aware of the testimony to the existence of the
gular pouch adduced by German naturalists, if not prior to the
printing of his paper in the ' Linnean Transactions,' yet at least
before the appearance of the last edition of his well-known work,
in which (B. B. 3rd ed. vol. ii. pp. 445-449) his former remarks
are inserted almost word for word.
In 1854, Dr. Crisp communicated to the Zoological Society
the results of his dissection of three Bustards, one of which — a
male, aged about two years and a half — had died in the gardens
of the Male Bustard. ' 119
from an accidental injuiy. There is no notice of this paper in
the Society's publications^ but it will be found entire in Mr.
Newman's periodical for that year {' Zoologist/ xii. pp. 4237-9).
It is to be remarked that, at the time the communication was
written, its author was not aware of the conclusions at which
Mr. Yarrell had arrived. Dr. Crisp says : —
" My object in bringing the anatomy of this bird before the
Society is in reference to the faucial pouch (so-called), figured in
Mr. Yarrell's 'British Birds,' 1843, and in Professor Owen's
article on " Birds," ' Cyclopaedia of Anatomy and Physiology.'
. . . On a careful dissection of the male bird, I find a thin mem-
brane covering the whole length of the trachea, attached to the
OS hyoides above, to the oesophagus and cervical vertebrse behind,
and to the clavicles and sternum below ; its attachment to the
trachea in front is very loose, and a probe can readily be passed
between it and the trachea, and probably if air or water were in-
troduced under it, a bag might easily be formed ; but it has no
connexion with the mouth or pharynx : nor can I conceive that it
could be used for the purpose assigned to it ; for if filled with
water, it would materially interfere with the functions of the
trachea and oesophagus. The presence of this membrane may
perhaps account for the statement that this male bird is provided
with a bag to contain water during the breeding-season. I do
not deny the existence of such a bag, but I think its presence, in
any case, is very doubtful. ... In my dissection of the females
I did not examine the neck, but it will be very interesting here-
after to ascertain whether the membrane I have described exists in
the female Bustards and in other species of birds."
Dr. Crisp concludes by saying he had also examined Professor
Owen's preparation in Surgeons' Hall, '' which clearly shows that
there is no communication with the pharynx and this supposed
gular pouch ;" and he has since informed me that he has dissected
two or three other cock Bustards, and always with the same
result.
Now thinking it quite possible, from my knowledge of the
various opinions I have here arrayed, that the belief in this mys-
terious organ might have been prematurely abandoned, I was very
anxious to investigate the matter for myself. I thought it highly
120 Mr. A. Newton on the supposed Gular Pouch
desirable that au examination of a really old cock-bird should be
made, and that at the season of the year when a structure of the
sort might be sujoposed to be most fully developed. As our
native race of Bustards has been extinct since 1838, or there-
abouts, it was not easy to obtain such a specimen as I wished*.
At length, through the kindness of a correspondent, Mr. Henry
Smurthwaite, on the 12th of March, 1858, I received a magnifi-
cent old male Otis tarda, which had been killed near Leipzig a
few days before, and had been forwarded to me with all possible
speed. It weighed 23i lbs., and arrived in beautiful condition.
With the greatest anxiety, I immediately looked under the tongue
— no hole was visible; I took a probe — no opening appeared.
Mistrusting my own powers of manipulation and dissection, T
hurried off with it to London and secured the assistance of Mr. A.
D. Bartlett, than whom there can scarcely be a more practical or
more careful observer. We again searched for the opening under
the tongue, and we came, I confess reluctantly, to the undoubted
conclusion that in this specimen it did not exist. Mr. Bartlett
then began to skin the neck — not in front, lest we should cut
into the pouch, but from the axilla along the side to the corner
of the mouth, laying bare the skin on either side : nothing like
a pouch could be seen. Subsequently we separated the wind-
pipe and gullet, and cut them off from the head. Then with a
blowpipe it was easy to inflate the body by the oesophagus : by
the trachea we failed to do so, as the air escaped through a broken
wing-bone ; but by blowing down the former we could swell out
the whole body and neck wonderfully. After that, we cleared
the skin away from the entire neck, and presently from the body.
The neck was entirely clothed with cellular tissues in a most re-
markable manner; they were very delicate, and so close to the
skin that even when we grazed the roots of the feathers we oc-
* Most, if not all, of the stray examples which have of late years occurred
in England appear to have been bu-dsof the preceding summer, and, with two
exceptions only, have been females. The very fine young male obtained
near Hungerford, January 3, 1856, was preserved at Mr. Leadbeater's esta-
bhshment (P. Z. S. 1856, ]). 1). Mr. J. Wolley, who was then in Loudon,
at my request, questioned the man who skinned it, but uo special search
for a gular pouch was made. The breast-bone of this bird, with some of
the membranes still adhering to the anterior part, is now lying before me.
of the Male Bustard. 121
casionally cut them. Ou the blowpipe being inserted into one
of the apertures thus made^a small bubble was immediately raised,
which increased on greater power being applied, so as to form a
considerable bag, perhaps three inches long. This peculiarity we
found in every part of the neck ; but it was plain, after one or two
trials, that none of these bags existed of themselves, but were the
result of the membranes being forcibly ruptured by the pressure
of the air. Once or twice, on inflating the tissues, a sort of hour-
glass form, such as is mentioned by Naumann, was apparent, but
generally the bags were wider at the top than at the bottom.
The examination took us between three and four hours, but at
last the membranes became so dry that we had some difficulty in
inflating a small cluster of bubbles to preserve as a specimen,
which Mr. Bartlett still keeps. I can most honestly assert, that
if I had any prepossession beyond the wish of arriving at the
truth, it was in favour of the existence of the pouch ; and I am
sure Mr. Bartlett took all possible pains to find it. I had told
him of much that had been written and of much that I had heard
on the subject ; among other things a communication 1 have not
before mentioned here, made to me by my friend Mr. John Scales,
to the effect that many years ago, when residing in Norfolk, he
obtained a very large male Bustard, now one of the glories of
the Museum at Norwich, from which he " dissected out the
pouch. '^ Mr. Bartlett, as my readers are no doubt aware, now
holds the situation of Superintendent at the Gardens of the
Zoological Society, and knowing that he has since had other op-
portunities of observation, I lately applied to him to furnish me
with the results. His answer, containing, as I think, a most
valuable suggestion, is as follows : —
" The interest I have felt with reference to the existence or
otherwise of the pouch in the throat of the Great Bustard has
naturally led me to examine with great care all the birds of that
species that have come within my reach. Notwithstanding my
want of success, and, I must add, my disappointment, I am
of opinion that it would be unwise and unfair to deny that
something difi'ering from what I have found does occasionally
exist. The fine large adult male obtained by you in March
1858, and in which we failed to find any opening under the
132 Mr. A. Newton on the supposed Gular Pouch
tongue, or any natural pouch, on examination exhibited a struc-
ture capable of being easily converted into an appearance of that
which is so carefully described by older authors. Since that
opportunity, I have dissected two other males ; one on February
14th, 1861. Dr. Albert Giinther, Dr. Sclater, and Mr. E. W.
H. Holdsworth were present on this occasion. The bird was a large
male — not an old one, but probably in the second year, the
whiskers being somewhat developed. The most careful examina-
tion, made by myself and the above-named gentlemen, failed to
discover any opening under the tongue. Being perfectly satisfied
on this point, an incision was made in the skin, beginning at the
coi'ner of the mouth ; and, as in the specimen which you and I
formerly examined, we found the same abundance of delicate
membranes spread over the fore part of the neck and throat.
By inserting the end of a blowpipe any number of cells could
be inflated, the walls of which on the application of a little force
would give way, and thus form one or more large cavities or
bags. During the examination, a discussion took place with
reference to the means whereby these membranes were distended
in life — whether by muscular dilatation or by inflation, — and I
must admit that this part of the subject has since appeared to
me to require moi*e consideration that I at first thought it deserved.
On February 21st, 1861, another fine male Great Bustard, of
about the same age as the last, was examined by me, and with
precisely the same result as before. In conclusion, the only
suggestion I can ofi'er as a means of explaining the existence of
a pouch in the fore part of the neck is that, in the males, some
of the membranes surrounding the throat may occasionally be
ruptured through the excessive distention that takes place during
the violent paroxysms to which the birds are subject on the ap-
proach of the breeding-season. I have seen them with throats
enlarged to an extraordinary extent, the pinions lowered to the
ground, while the points of the primaries are crossed over their
backs. In this distorted attitude they rush on and attack each
other, afi'ording one reason to imagine that these delicate mem-
branes may at such a time give way, and produce the abnormal
condition so often alluded to as being found in old males. As
a further probability of this being the true explanation, I would
of the Male Bustard. 1 33
call attention to the great diversity in size and shape of the so-
called pouchy as given by different observers. The fluid contained
therein would be also fully accounted for, if my hypothesis be
correct/^
Dr. Giinther besides has favoured me with his observations
on the dissection of one of these specimens, at which he, as
Mr. Bartlett states, was present. Dr. Giinther says : — " It was
an adult male, as we saw by the plumage and by the testicles.
There was no trace of a foramen below the tongue, or of any
peculiar sac communicating with the cavity of the mouth. The
oesophagus dilated into a large crop. The cellular tissue between
the oesophagus and the trachea, and in the region above the
furcula, did not show any development greatly differing from
what we find in other birds.'" Dr. Giinther, I believe, does not
entirely assent to the probability of Mr. Bartlett's ingenious
suggestion being the true explanation of the case, but says that
" it is possible that an accessory organ, peculiar to the male
sex, like this sac, may be found in some males, probably in the
larger portion, and in others not. From this single example
which I have seen, I should for the present draw the conclusion
only that the sac is not constant in all specimens. ^^
It has long been known in this country that at the death of
John Hunter, in 1793, his manuscripts passed into the hands of
Sir Everard Home, by whom they were burnt, after he had
adopted from them many ideas, which he announced as his own,
but fortunately not before copies of a considerable number of
the papers had been made by Mr. Clift. At the death of this
gentleman these copies came into the possession of Professor
Owen, who in the course of last year published them. In this
work (Essays and Observations on Natural History, ii. pp. 300,
301) occurs the following passage : —
" The cock-bustard has a very thick neck and long hairy
feathers under his throat. On the fore part of his neck, reaching
lower down than the middle, is a large bag, as large as the thick
part of one's arm : it terminates in a blind pouch below, but has
an opening into it at the upper end from the mouth. This
aperture will admit three or four fingers ; it is under the tongue,
and the frsenum linguae seems to enter it ; and it seems to have
124; Mr. A. Newton on the supposed Gular Pouch
a sphincter. What the use of this is I don't know. In a young
cock-bustard about a year and a half old, this pouch did not
exist ; therefore it becomes a question whether or not this is a
matter of age.""
I have now only to refer to Dr. Gloger's paper (Journ. fiir
Orn. 1861, pp. 153-5), which has drawn fi'om me this protracted
reply. After the various sarcasms which he directs at English
naturalists in general, and the three that he names in particular,
one would expect that he would put forward some new considera-
tions in his own justification. While he accuses Professor Owen,
Mr. Yarrell, and Mr. Mitchell of destroying in the act of their
examination the very structure they were looking for, he asserts
that they knew so little of the question historically that they
had no suspicion of the descriptions furnished by Nitzsch and
others — with which I have already proved that Mr. Yarrell was
acquainted — and he displays his own carelessness by stating that
this gentleman's observations are printed in the publications of
the Zoological Society. These charges being made, the original
facts adduced by him are contained in the following paragraphs,
which I quote in full, that those who have taken the trouble to
follow this long story may judge for themselves of their value: —
" Wenn man einen Sack bei einem Thiere anatomisch unter-
suchen will, so fangt man bekanntlich damit an, dass man die
Oeifnung sucht, mit welcher er nach dieser oder jener anderen
Hohle od. dergl. ausmiindet. Durch diese OefFnung, welche
sich bei der Trappe in der Muudhohle unter der Zunge befindet,
blast man ihn dann auf, so dass man seine Lage und seinen
Umfang deutlich erkennt. Dann kann man ihn leicht, ohne
ihn zu verletzen, aus der ihn mitumschliessenden Halshaut, in
welcher er wie eingesenkt festsitzt, herausprapariren : wie der
kiirzlich verstorbene Inspector des hiesigen Zoologischen Mu-
seums, Hr. Rammelsberg, es mehrfach gethan hat. Getrock-
net und mit Firniss gegen Insectenfrass bestrichen, lasst sich
ein solches Praparat viele Jahre lang aufbewahren. Jene drei
Englander miissen also die gesammte Untersuchung auf ganz
verkehrte Weise ausgefiihrt haben.
" Allerdings ist der Sack bei alten Mannchen auffallender, und
mithin noch leichter zu finden, als bei jungen : da er bis zu
of the Male Bustard. 125
einem gewissen Grade mit den Jahren an Grosse zunimmt.
Doch fasst er schon bei den jiiugsten Hahnen, sobald sie erwach-
sen oder gar ein Jahr alt geworden sind, ein Viertelquart
Fliissigkeit; bei alteren hat Inspector R. ein halbes Quart, ja
bei manchen drei Viertelquart Wasser in denselben liineinge-
gossen. Und zwar that er diess absichtlich noch an dem Vogel
selbst, bevor er den Sack herausloste : so dass also von zu weiter
Ausdehnung desselben durch Aufblasen oder durch das Gewicht
des Wassers nicht die Rede sein konnte. Einmal hatte ich das
Vergniigen, der Praparatiou selbst beizuwohnen. Das Exemplar
war gerade ein mehr als gewohnlich alter, zur Fortpflanzungszeit
erlegter Hahn ; und sein Hals erschien, wie es dann verhaltniss-
massig bei alien geschieht, in dem Maasse angeschwollen, dass
man ihn schon oben mit beiden Handen kaum zu umspannen
vermochte. Unten waren Finger von mehr als gewohnlicher
Lange dazu nothig gewesen. Die Wamme des fettesten Stieres
von der beriihniten Kurzhorn-Rage hatte, der Haut- und Fleisch-
masse am Vorderhalse dieses Trapphahnes gegeniiber, nur wie
ein dlinner und lockerer Hautlappen ausgesehen. Nach der
Heckezeit verliert sich zwar diese gewaltige Anschwellung ; der
Kehlsack wird aber natiirlich darum nicht kleiner, oder wenig-
stens nicht kiirzer. Er schrumpft nur mit der Haut des Vorder-
halses, in welch er er ja ebcn festsitzt, in gleichem Maasse
zusammen, wie diese selbst. Auch bei jungen, kaum erwachsenen
Hahnen, wie es der zu London untersuchte war, ist derselbe
schon gross genug, dass es fiir keinen Anatomen ein Entschul-
digung giebt, wenn er ' Nichts davon findet.' "
I trust I have said sufficient to show that modern English
ornithologists have not made their investigations in the manner
attributed to them by the author of the foregoing passage.
They have in all cases commenced their researches by looking
for the opening said to exist under the tongue. If they have
not found it, it is assuredly because there was none such in the
examples they examined. That these examples were not all
young, undeveloped birds is also clear ; but if any further evi-
dence on this point is required, I would refer to the beautiful
picture by Mr. Wolf (Zool. Sketches, pi. 45), which was drawn
from an individual in our Zoological Gardens — an individual
126 Mr. A. Newton on the Gular Pouch of the Male Bustard.
afterwards the subject of one of the examinations here mentioned,
though of which is not certain. No one who looks at that
picture — representing as it does the male Otis tarda in all the
pride of lust — can for a moment doubt that the original was a
truly adult, mature and fully developed bird.
In composing my reply to Dr. Gloger's article, w^hich I have for-
warded for insertion to the same Journal that contains his animad-
versions, I have chiefly had in view the vindication of Mr. Yarrell
and Mr. Mitchell, though, from the nature of the subject, I have
been forced to quote the statements which I have here repeated.
In England, where those gentlemen were better known, the same
necessity does not exist, and hence I can here with propriety sink
the capacity of a controversialist, which only a sense of duty com-
pelled me when addressing foreigners to assume, in favour of the
more agreeable character of an inquirer after truth. This I do
with greater readiness because I wish the questions (1) whether the
cock Bustard naturally has or has not a gular pouch, and (2) if
it has, at what age or in what way it originates, to be decided on
their own merits, apart from those personalities which Dr. Gloger
has introduced into the discussion. The questions indeed seem
as far from being settled now as ever they were, and I must
leave their determination to the ornithologists and anatomists of
those lands in which the Otis tarda still abounds. We in this
country have certainly done our best towards that end, but the
difiiculty of obtaining a sufficient number of fresh specimens is
so great that we may w^ell be excused from further researches.
In Germany the case is entirely different ; and I hope that my
remarks, if they are honoured with a place in the ' Journal fiir
Ornithologie,^ may tend to elucidate the truth. I must state
my opinion that dried preparations, such as those of the late Herr
Rammelsberg, to which Dr. Gloger appeals, afford no certain
evidence. As I have shown, we have had them already in Eng-
land ; nay, we have now at least one such, and that from a bird
which certainly possessed no true gular pouch ! All naturalists
will be contented if a really scientific and unbiassed man — such,
for example, as Professor Giebel of Halle — will institute new re-
searches and report the results ; and he lives in what, if I mistake
not, is the very focus of the Great Bustard^s German range.
Mr. G. C. Taylor on the Birds of Florida. 127
It only remains for me to say that I have tried to compress
my remarks into as short a space as I could. I have therefore
not only refrained as much as possible from commenting on the
different quotations I have given, but I have endeavoured to cite
those authors alone whose statements seemed to deserve mention
here, whether from the originality of their observations or for
similar worthy reasons. It is very probable that I have omitted
to name some : in this case I shall be most ready to receive
additional information on the subject from any one. But I trust
I have already adduced a mass of conflicting testimony sufficient
to satisfy an impartial judge that there is much more in this
interesting matter than can be set at rest by a few words, un-
supported by any really new facts, in the tone which Dr. Gloger
has adopted ; and, for the honour of natural history and of
naturalists, the questions I have above propounded require
answers.
Elveden, January 29, 1862.
P.S. February 17, 1862. — Since the foregoing article was
written, I have received the fifth part of the ' Journal fiir Orni-
thologie' for 1861, which was published on the 25th January
last, and contains (p. 398) a short note from Professor Owen on
this subject. The Professor conclusively shows that he has been
egregiously misrepresented by Dr. Gloger, but is slightly in error
when he states that the French Academicians found a gular
pouch to exist in the Great Bustard. No mention is made by
them, in the account to which I have referred, of the existence of
such an organ in any one of the six male examples which they
examined.
XVI. — Five Weeks in the Peninsula of Florida during the Spring
of 1861, with Notes on the Birds observed there. By George
Cavendish Taylor, F.R.G.S., F.Z.S., &c. (Part I.)
Owing to political events in America I was compelled to defer
my expedition to Florida, last spring, to a much later period than
I had originally intended, and the same causes brought it to an
abrupt termination. Before leaving Baltimore, I was so fortunate
128
Mr. G. C. Taylor on the Birds observed
as to meet, at the Smithsonian Institution at Washington, Dr.
Henry Bryant of Boston. This gentleman, having passed three
winters in Florida, was well acquainted with the localities
where the most interesting birds were to be found, and gave
me information respecting them which proved to be of great
value. I think it better to include my notes of observation on
the different species in the article which I propose to submit to
the readers of ' The Ibis,' but I will commence by giving a list of
the principal birds which came under my notice. The scientific
names are from Baird's Catalogue of North American Birds : —
Turkey Buzzard.
Black Vulture.
American Kestrel.
Swallow-tailed Hawk.
Bald Eagle.
Fish-Hawk.
Mottled Owl.
Barred Owl.
Parakeet.
Ivorj'-billed Woodpecker.
Hairy Woodpecker.
Red-cockaded Woodpecker.
Pileated Woodpecker.
Red-bellied Woodpecker.
Gold-winged Woodpecker.
Ruby-throated Humming-bird.
Chuck-will's-widow.
Night Hawk.
Belted Kingfisher.
King-bird (Bee Martin).
Robin.
Blue-bird.
Scarlet Tanager.
Loggerhead Shrike.
Mocking-bird.
Cat-bird.
Brown Thrush.
Indigo-bird.
Cardinal Grosbeak.
Towhe Bunting.
Swamp Blackbird.
Meadow Starling.
Boat-tailed Grakle.
Cathartes aura.
Cathartes atratus.
Tinnunculus sparverius.
Nauclerus furcatus.
Haliaetus leucocephalus.
Pandion carolinensis.
Scojjs asio.
Syrnium nebulosum.
Conurus carolinensis.
Campephilus principalis.
Picus villosus.
Picus borealis.
Hylatomus pileatus.
Centui'us carolinus.
Colaptes auratus.
Trochilus colubris.
Antrostomus carohnensis.
Chordeiles popetue.
Ceryle alcyon.
Tyrannus carohnensis.
Turdus migratorius.
Sialia sialis.
Pyranga rubra.
Collyrio ludovicianus.
Mimus polyglottus.
Mimus carolinensis.
Harporhynchus rufus.
Cyanospiza cyanea.
Cardinalis virginianus.
Pipilo erythrophthalmus.
Agelaius phoeniceus.
Sturnella magna.
Quiscalus major.
in the Peninsula of Florida.
129
Crow Blackbird.
Blue Jay.
Florida Jay.
Common Dove.
Ground Dove.
Wild Turkey.
Quail.
Sandhill Crane.
Crying Bird (or Conrlan).
Peal's Egret.
Louisiana Heron.
White Heron.
Gi-eat Blue Heron.
Blue Heron.
Green Heron.
Roseate Spoonbill.
Black-necked Stilt.
Willet.
Spotted Sandpiper.
Long-billed Curlew.
Clapper Rail.
Coot.
Floridan Galhnule.
Scaup Duck.
Brown Pelican.
Floridan Cormorant.
Water Turkey.
Quiscalus versicolor.
Cyanura cristata.
Cyanocitta floridana.
Zenaidm'a carolinensis.
Chamsepelia passerina.
Meleagris gallopavo.
Ortyx virginianus.
Grus canadensis.
Aramus giganteus.
Demiegretta pealii.
Demiegretta ludoviciana.
Herodias egretta.
Ardea herodias.
Florida cserulea.
Butorides virescens.
Platalea ajaja.
Himantopus nigricoUis,
Symphemia semipalraata.
Tringo'ides macularius.
Numenius longirostris.
Rallus crepitans.
Fulica americana.
Gallinula galeata.
Fulix marila.
Pelecanus fuscus.
Graculus floridanus.
Plotus anhinga.
Chroicocephalus Philadelphia.
Bonaparte's Gull.
I leave Baltimore on the 13th of March. Charleston is my
fii'st stopping-place. Here I remain three days, principally to
gain information concerning future movements. For this pur-
pose I visit Dr. Bachman, who was in Florida last year. He
gives most encouraging accounts of the birds, and expresses his
wish to go with me ; but having two sons serving in the batteries
on Morris Island, is resolved not to leave Charleston until he
has seen the inside of Fort Sumter. Four weeks later his wish
will be gratified ; but I do not see him again. From Charles-
ton I go by railway to Savannah, and there take a steamer for
St. John's River. I leave Savannah in the evening. During
the night the steamer passes through a vast tract of swampy
country, called Romney Marsh, which is intersected by many
navigable creeks. These are in some places so narrow that poles
VOL. IV. K
130 Mr. G. C. Taylor on Birds observed
have to be used to prevent us going upon the banks. Next
morning I see PeHcans in abundance, a sure sign that I have at
last reached warmer latitudes. The country is of the same marshy
nature until we reach Fernandina, where we push out into the
open sea, and, two or three hours before sunset, enter the St.
John's River. Here Pelicans and various kinds of Wild Ducks
are numerous. The latter are passing overhead, but at so great
a height that I cannot distinguish the species. I also see Bald
Eagles and several species of Ardeidce. The steamer remains
through the night at Jacksonville, and early next morning con-
tinues her voyage. Here the water is fresh, and there are no
Pelicans. The banks of the river are low and densely covered
with wood, of which Pine forms the principal part. All the trees
are covered with long pendent moss, which gives them a highly
picturesque appearance; but the river is too wide for scenic
effect, and the steamer keeps in mid-channel.
I disembark at a small place called Orange Hills, on the
east bank of the river, a few miles below Pilatka. Here I remain
a few days to wait for the steamer which is to take me to Enter-
prise, and which only goes once a week. The house in which I
stay is situated in a grove of orange-trees ; hence the name. The
trees are in full bearing, and the ground is covered with fruit.
The climate is so mild that bananas and other tropical fruits will
ripen. Strawberries are now plentiful, and have been so for the
last month. Green peas and salad are also in season. I take
my gun and go out to look for birds. I see Barred Owls, Crows,
Robins, Blue Birds, Cardinal Grosbeaks, Ground Doves, Crow-
Blackbirds, Meadow Larks, Kddeer Plovers, Kingfishers, Eagles,
and various kinds of Hawks. Humming-birds are always to be
met with about the flowers in front of the house. The orange-
trees are never without Blue Jays and Common Doves. Quails are
plentiful in the pine-woods where the trees have been thinned
out and the grass and the scrub palmetto are able to grow.
But Mocking-birds are the most abundant of all. Florida
might well be called the " Mocking-bird State." These birds are
very destructive to fruit, especially grapes. I am told of a man
living at St. Augustine who, during one summer, killed eleven
hundred, and buried them at the roots of his grape vines. On
in the Peninsula of Florida. 131
the river I see flocks of Scaups, which they here call RofF Ducks.
Anhingas are always sitting on posts or branches of trees which
overhang the water.
On the 24th of March I go to Pilatka to be in time for the
steamer for Enterprise, which leaves early the next morning.
Pilatka is a small village of wooden houses, on a sandy savannah,
frequented in winter by invalids from the Northern States, and,
as I am informed by the initiated, abounding with fleas at all
seasons. Pilatka is the "ultima Thule" of steamboats from
Savannah and Charleston. The only steamer which goes higher
up the St. John's River is the ' Darlington,' a high-pressure
boat, which draws some four or five feet of water. The St.
John's is fully a mile wide at Pilatka. I shall now continue my
notes in the form of a journal.
March 25. — We leave Pilatka at daybreak. The river be-
comes much more narrow, but opens out again into Lake George.
Thus far I see but few birds. There is a bar at the debouchure of
the river into Lake Geoi-ge, with only just water enough for the
steamer. South of Lake George, the river, until it leaves Lake
Monroe, is very shallow, narrow, and winding. In places it
is hardly wider than the steamer, and the curves are very sharp.
The banks are covered with forest, in which the palmetto is very
conspicuous, and, with the hanging moss, gives a tropical appear-
ance to the scenery. Here and there the river opens out into
lagoons covered with water-plants. Two of these lagoons are
of some size. They are called Spring- Garden and Beresford
Lakes, and as we pass through them the plants grow so thick
that the water is hardly visible. I observe White-headed Eagles,
numerous Ospreys, a pair of Swallow-tailed Kites, Coots, Galli-
nules, Cormorants, and Anhingas innumerable. Many of the
latter are young birds, hardly old enough to fly.
Kingfishers are abundant ; Great Crow-Blackbirds, here called
Jackdaws, and Red-shouldered Blackbirds are flying here and
there, and settling on the floating leaves. There are White
Herons and White Egrets, the latter with yellow legs, I see
no Ducks, and only a single flock of Parroquets, which fly scream-
ing over our heads, and settle in a grove of pine-trees.
Tortoises are common, generally sitting on the bank or on
k2
132 Mr. G. C. Taylor on Birds observed
the fallen limb of a tree ; some of them are of large size, fully
eighteen inches long. They are shy, and slip into the water be-
fore the boat comes very near them. Alligators of all sizes, from
two to twelve feet long, are numerous. They are either floating
on the surface of the water, or lying asleep in sunny spots on
the bank. Often they let the boat come abreast of them before
they will move. Captain Brock, the owner of the ' Darlington,'
takes his post on the upper deck with a couple of rifles, and fires
at every alligator that afibrds a fair shot. He is a good marks-
man, and hits several, which flounder about for a time and then
disappear. He fired at one, about seven feet long, swimming
ahead of the boat. The first shot struck it, and a second killed
it dead. It turned over with its mouth wide open ; the tail sunk,
and the head remained on the surface.
I saw a very large Alligator floating belly upwards, with several
Turkey Buzzards perched on it. It is probable that several are
killed on every trip of the ^ Darlington,' which passes twice in
each week. The skins are of value, when they can be obtained,
for making shoe-leather. The skin from the belly and lower
part is what is used : that on the back is too hard. Brock
said that the Alligators had greatly decreased in number in this
part of the river from the constant shooting at them, and that
now there was not one where ten might have been seen a few
years ago.
In Lakes Jessup and Harney, higher up the St. John's, where
no steamers navigate, they are still as plentiful as ever. They
are said to be very destructive to pigs, but cannot do much harm
in a country where the population is so scanty as in Florida.
We see fovir or five flocks of Wild Turkeys feeding close to the
river bank. The passage of the steamer does not appear to alarm
them ; but Brock and some of the passengers fire at and, I am
happy to say, miss them, for if killed they cannot be recovered.
The Turkeys do not attempt to fly, but run ofi" with great speed.
I heard several passengers regretting that they had not brought
guns with them. I observed that I did not care to shoot what
I could not get or use when killed. Their reply was that they
only shot for the fun of killing. Such people soon destroy all
the game in a country, without benefiting any one. The Deer
in the Peninsula of Florida. 133
are greatly used up hereabouts, and the Turkeys are rapidly di-
minishing in numbers. But there are no settlements near this
part of our route, which probably accounts for their presence and
their tameness. From Pilatka to Enterprise is 110 miles, and we
arrive at 6 p.m. The settlement consists of a good-sized hotel,
the property of Captain Brock, and another wooden building,
used as a court-house, built on the shore of Lake Monroe, only
a few yards from the water. Next morning an alligator, about
six feet long, is shot from the 'Darlington,^ while lying on the
beach, just in front of the hotel windows.
March 26. — I walk out at sunrise in search of birds, but as the
locality is strange to me, I do not go to any great distance from
the house. I see Ospreys, plenty of Blue Jays, Scarlet Tanagers,
Quails, Towhe Buntings, White and Green Herons, an Ivory-
billed Woodpecker, and a pair of Black-necked Stilts. Next
morning I leave, soon after daylight, in an open waggon drawn
by two half-starved horses, which makes a weekly trip with the
mail to New Smyrna, on the Atlantic coast. The distance is
thirty miles of deep sandy road, through scrub and open pine-
barrens — as sterile and dreary a country as can well be con-
ceived. Our progress is so slow that the journey occupies the
whole of the day.
There are only two or three settlers on the road. Like all
the small settlers, or "crackers^^ as they are called in Florida, they
own cattle or swine, and lead a nomad life in the " piny woods,"
building a log-hut here and thei'e, and moving further into the
wilds when they " get crowded,'' that is, when any others come
within five or six miles of them. One of them told me that
there were a " smart " of Bears, Wolves, and Turkeys about. The
Wolves had been " bad " on his hogs, and he had killed a good
many of them with strychnine. Every '^cracker" has a rifle of
course, and uses it. The consequence is, that wherever he
locates himself game becomes scarce. It is either killed up, by
the perpetual shooting at all seasons, or becomes " scared " and
retires further into the forest.
Near some half-dried lagoons, a few miles from Enterprise, I
see some Cranes, either Grus canadensis or G. americana, and in
the "piny woods'' there are numerous Bald Eagles. A flock
134 Mr. 0. C. Taylor on Birds observed
of Parrakeets alights in a pine-tree close to tlie roadside. I am
near enough for a shot, but their plumage so closely assimilates
to the foliage that I cannot distinguish them, as the sun is
shining directly in my face. To my great disgust they fly away,
screaming loudly. The present settlement of New Smyrna con-
sists of two wooden houses, one of whiah belongs to a man of
the name of Sheldon. It has recently been enlarged, and is
now elevated to the rank of an hotel or boarding-house, for the
benefit of invalids who come here in winter ; and I must say
that it is one of the most comfortable houses of the kind that I
have yet met with in America. It is situated at the head of
Mosquito Inlet, about three miles from the sea. In front of the
house are several swampy islands of various extent, covered with
reeds and mangroves.
March 28, — I go out at sunrise, and explore the vicinity of
Sheldon's house. Except a bit of badly cultivated ground close
to the settlement, the whole of the back country is now over-
grown with bush, although formerly large tracts were under
cultivation, producing cotton and sugars. Much of the bush is
mere scrub ; but there are large " hummocks," as they here call
the thick woods of palmetto, oak, magnolia, and other trees.
Nearly everywhere throughout Florida the ground is covered
with a dwarf palmetto, which grows in patches, like fern, and is
most difficult to walk through. It is called " saw "-palmetto, as
the stem of the plant is covered with sharp points, like the teeth
of a saw. A common practice here, as in other countries, is to
set fire to the woods and bushes, to burn off the rubbish and
allow the young grass to gi-ow up. After the fire has passed
over the saw-palmetto, it leaves the sharp-edged stems all stand-
ing, as tough and pliable as wire, and more difficult than ever to
traverse, with the additional disadvantage of being covered with
soot, so much so as to blacken everything with which they come
in contact.
I see Towhe Buntings in plenty, and King-Birds, White and
Blue Herons, are constantly flying overhead, between the marshes
and the hummocks. For some time I find nothing worthy of notice
until my return homewards, when, close to the gate of Sheldon's
enclosure, I see several Florida Jays [Cijnnocitta Jloridana) among
in the Peninsula of Florida. 135
the scrubby bushes, and succeed in killing two ; a third is ob-
tained by my companion. They appear to be much less restless
and noisy than the common Blue Jay. Shortly after I get home,
I find some of the children attempting to skin another, which
some one has shot and given to them. They willingly exchange
it with me for a Blue Jay, which answers their purpose as well,
so I feel that upon the whole my morning^s work has been
by no means unproductive. In the afternoon I go out with
Sheldon, who acts as pilot and harbour-master, to the Bar, at
the entrance of Mosquito Inlet. We see Cormorants, Pelicans,
and Ospreys in abundance. The latter have now got nests, and
are busy fishing. Each bird, after making its plunge, which is
rarely unsuccessful, flies off to the woods with its prey. I ob-
serve that they invariably hold the fish in the same position, viz.
parallel to their body, and with the head always foremost. So
unexceptional is this, that if I had not seen several on the
wing at once, I should have had some difficulty in persuading
myself that it was not the same bird seen repeatedly. Instinct,
no doubt, teaches the bird that its prey carried in this manner
offers the least resistance to its flight. I did not see so many
varieties of birds about the Bar as I had expected. There are
some vessels lying there, laden with live oak, waiting for a
change of wind to go to sea ; and the crews are always '' loafing "
about the shore with guns, and driving everything away. Sheldon
says that Terns breed in numbers on the sand-banks, but this
will be later in the season.
29th. — Out early in the morning to some extensive pine-bar-
rens about two miles inland. I see a small flock of Parroquets,
and with some little difficulty manage to get within range and
kill two, only one of which I can find. I also see an Ivory-billed
Woodpecker. In the afternoon I go along the shore, and kill a
Willet — one of a small flock which are feeding on the mud from
which the tide has receded.
30th. — Out at sunrise to some savannahs or open meadows,
about three miles south of Sheldon^s. It is very gamy-looking
ground, with grassy savannahs and thick hummocky woods lying-
in alternate belts. Birds are scarce, and I only got a Pileated
Woodpecker, but sec in the distance two Deer and a Turkey.
136 Mr. G. C. Taylor on Birds observed
My companion shoots an Opossum which is sitting on the branch
of a sapling some twenty feet from the ground. Being a stranger
to the woods, he is greatly pleased at his feat, as he is under the
impression that he has killed a ^Coon, until I undeceive him.
Thunderstorm all the afternoon. Every evening while at New
Smyrna I go out in the hopes of obtaining a Chuck- Will's-
Widow, but always unsuccessfully. They are common, but not
plentiful, and a few make a great show in the way of noise.
They do not begin to call until the red light has disappeared
from the horizon, and twilight here lasts so short a time that,
unless one happens to be in the right place at the right moment,
the chance of getting a fair shot is small. Moreover they fre-
quent such thick places that it is almost impossible to see them
when sitting, unless they should happen to be on an old stump
or rail-fence with a clear background, which piece of luck never
occurred to me. On one occasion I stood within a few yards of
a thick brake in which one was calling, and could not see it ; nor
would it fly out even when I discharged my gun into the covert.
Frequently, in the " gloaming,'^ I used to peer into the dark
places where they were calling, and shot at a leaf or a tuft of
foliage on the chance of its being a bird. Their plumage is so
delicate that it is necessary to be at a fair distance from them ;
for if near, the shot would damage them so much as to make
them useless for specimens. A thick, warm, foggy evening is
the best for them, as they then call earlier and fly about more ;
and this is just the sort of evening when mosquitoes and sand-
flies are most lively and bite the sharpest, rendering it impossible
to stand still, which considerably diminishes the chance of a fair
shot.
The cry of " Chuck-Will's- Widow " is distinctly and rapidly
uttered, and in most liquid notes. The last syllable is gene-
rally prolonged. Often the bird commences with "will's-widow,
wilFs-widow," two or three times uttered; then "chuck, chuck,
chuck-will's-widow." I believe they only utter this cry when
sitting, never when on the wing. They also make a grunting
noise. In habits the Whip-Poor-Will greatly resembles the
Chuck-Will's-Widow, and is equally difficult to shoot. Its
notes are equally liquid and rapidly uttered, often running the
in the Peninsula of Florida. 137
three words into one, as " Wipperwill.^^ It also frequently com-
mences with '' Whip, whip," two or three times before uttering
its full note. I did not observe it in Florida. Just before the
Chuck- Will's-Widow begins to call, the bushes often resound
with the cry of a small bird, which I was unable to obtain.
Its cry is very peculiar, and sounds like "churrri'r," very
roughly uttered and prolonged. The people about said it was
a Cat-Bird ; but they were wrong, as I am perfectly well ac-
quainted with the note of the Cat-Bird. While out in the woods
in the evening I used frequently to see Barred Owls sitting on
the open branches. They were tame, and would allow of my
approach within a short distance.
March 31. — Out at sunrise to the pine-barrens. I see plenty
of both Quiscalus major and Q. versicolor. I observe but very few
females in proportion to the males. This is strange, for I re-
member when in Honduras that the majority was the other way.
The male there has the character of being polygamous ; but
here it appears that the contrary rule of polyandry obtains.
Quails are abundant, and particularly so on these pine-bar-
rens. With a pointer or setter, very good sport might be had ;
but, without a dog, it is useless to attempt shooting them. I
sometimes start a covey from under my feet, and occasionally
some of them fly into the trees, when I secure a few for the pot.
Early in the morning they are to be seen running about in
the road which passes thi'ough the pine-barrens, from Smyrna
to Enterprise.
I hear ^'Clapper Bails" every evening, and sometimes during
the day, calling among the mangrove-bushes which grow in the
swampy islands opposite Sheldon^s house. The cover is so dense,
that without a dog it would be impossible to get a shot. The
mud too is deep and stiff; so upon the whole there is no great
encouragement to go in pursuit of them. My habit here is to
go out at daybreak. By nine o'clock in the morning the sun is
becoming hot : I come in, have my bath and breakfast, and then
set to work skinning birds. In the afternoon I go out again ;
but the morning is always the more productive. From 9 to 11
o'clock is the hottest time of the day, as the sea-breeze does not
set in until about the latter hour. The thermometer in my room
138 Mr. G. C. Taylor on Birds observed
averages about 7Q°. The heat out of doors is never oppressive
as long as there is any breeze to be felt ; but in woods inland,
where the sea-breeze does not penetrate, it is occasionally very
sultry. The sea-breeze is loaded with moisture, and I find some
difficulty in getting my bird-skins to dry well. Sometimes the
damp air affects them so much as to cause feathers to fall off,
especially from the head and tips of the wings.
April 1. — Out in the morning early, but did nothing. There
was a thick fog, and for some time I lost my way in the bush.
In the afternoon I went some miles to the south along the savan-
nahs, and came back by the shore — a long tramp through marshes
and scrub as high as my head, and very thick. This was a pro-
fitless day^s work, as I only saw two large Woodpeckers, either
Pileated or Ivory-billed, and they were so wild that I could not
get within a hundred yards of them.
A day or two ago, two Englishmen, H — and L — , returned to
Smyrna from Indian River, where they had been for the last
month on a sporting expedition. They took with them two
boats, with George Sheldon — Sheldon's eldest son, to whom the
boats belonged — and a coloured man, named Bill, to cook and
mind the camp. Before leaving, they went out one afternoon to
a large hummock, called the Back Swamp, to look for Turkeys.
While waiting there, a she-bear and cub ran up to them. They
shot the former, but missed the latter.
Upon the whole they did not have much shooting. They only
killed one bear and three or four deer, but a good many alligators,
and they had good sport in fishing and harpooning Saw-fish.
Some of the saws which they brought back were fully three feet
long. They had no good dogs, which are indispensable for find-
ing bears in a country so thickly wooded. They express them-
selves greatly pleased with the trip, particularly with the deli-
cious, healthy, and cheerful climate, which is so well adapted for
camping out, and with the never-failing sport in fishing. The
fish usually caught were Drum and Sheepshead, both plentiful
in these waters. They were not ornithologists, and could tell
me but little about the birds. They noticed a few flocks of
Parroquets and some large ^Voodpeckers.
The quadrupeds in this part of Florida are deer (Virginian),
in the Peninsula of Florida. 139
bears, cougars, or tigers as they are called, otters, foxes, racoons,
opossums, squirrels, and rabbits. Bears are very plentiful in
some localities. Sir Francis Sykes, with a party of friends,
passed three winters on this coast, making Sheldon^s their head-
quarters. One winter they killed as many as thirty-five bears,
principally on Merritt's Island, near Cape Canaveral, where they
were camping out. There is no possibility of having good sport
with bears without dogs. At certain times the bears are in the
habit of coming down to the shore to feed on Horse-shoe Crabs,
and shots at them may then be obtained by stalking. A few
years ago Roseate Spoonbills were plentiful down Indian River,
but of late their numbers have greatly diminished, owing to their
being shot for the sake of the wings, which are greatly in demand
for the purpose of making fans. People from the Northern States,
who come to Florida to pass the winter, buy them to take back
as presents. I have heard of seven dollars being given for a pair.
A negro steward on board the ' Darlington,^ a slave, offered me
1^ dollar a pair for as many as I could let him have (I had
none), and said that he could sell them for two dollars, which
I believe is the minimum price. At this figure they will soon
be killed down. Sheldon^s two sons, George and Henry, kill
numbers of them. From the former^s account, it appears that
these birds, after breeding down Indian River, move northwards
and remain during the summer in the salt-marshes about Smyrna.
One, which had been brought up from Indian River to Shel-
don^s, a year ago, is now here, and quite tame, associating with
the poultry. It can fly well, and frequently takes itself off to
the shore to feed when the tide is out.
While I was staying at Smyrna Henry Sheldon brought up
four young Spoonbills from Indian River, which he had taken
from the nest a short time previous. There appeared to be no
difficulty in rearing them.
April 2. — Thick fog in the morning. Out at nine o'clock, for
a couple of hours ; but the sun is very hot, and I get nothing.
The only bird of any account seen is a Swallow-tailed Kite,
soaring at a distance. One great advantage of this part of Flo-
rida— at least at this time of year — is that there are not many
insects to trouble one. There are neither ants, ticks, nor garra-
140 Mr. G. C. Taylor on Birds observed
patoSj nor are there many mosquitoes. Sand-flies, which are like
Scotch " midges/' are plentiful enough ; and I am told there is
any quantity of fleas, but I experienced no inconvenience from
them. There are some very large flies, of the same shape, and
fully three times as large, as a blue-bottle, which buzz round one
most pertinaciously, and are very annoying, but harmless, except
to horses, which suffer severely from their bites.
April 4. — At night Sheldon proposed to me to go out " fire-
hunting '^ deer. So as it was a novelty to me in the way of
sport, I accompanied him to see what it was like, and to record
my experiences for the information of those readers of ' The Ibis'
who may not know how it is done.
He rode in front, carrying the light, and I followed with his
gun, acting as his gillie or after-rider. His fire-apparatus con-
sisted of an old frying-pan with a hole in the bottom, fastened
to the end of a short pole. This, with some pitch-pine-knots,
all a-blaze in it, he carried over his shoulder. A piece of coarse
canvas was fixed over the horse's back to protect it from the
falling cinders. The horse also carried a pair of saddle-bags
with a supply of pine-knots to replenish the fire when necessary.
We rode through some old fields where cotton was formerly
grown, but which are now out of cultivation, being covered with
coarse grass, with a few palmettos and pines growing here and
there. In these fields the deer are in the habit of feeding at
night. As we rode along, Sheldon was peering into the darkness,
watching for the "shine" of the eyes of the Deer, which come
up to look at the light. After a short time he stopped, got off"
his horse, which I held for him, and took his gun, which was
loaded with buck-shot. He walked on a short distance, still
carrying the blazing frying-pan over his shoulder, and fired. I
went up and found a year- old deer-calf, kicking on the ground,
which, after cleaning and covering over with palmetto boughs
to protect it from the Turkey Buzzards, we left till morning.
We rode on some distance further, but saw no more. There is
no more sport in "fire-hunting" than in shooting Pheasants at
roost, and it is equally destructive, especially where the deer
are not used to the practice. Here they are wild, being much
hunted in all ways, and lie during the day in the swamps
in the Peninsula of Florida. 141
and thick brakes, only coming out to feed in the open ground
at night.
Sheldon goes " fire-hunting " whenever the house is in want
of fresh meat, and rarely returns empty-handed. Sometimes he
kills three of a night. The deer in Florida have been much re-
duced in numbers of late years, owing to a disease called " black
tongue," which made great havock among them. The disease,
however, appears to have passed away, and their numbers are
again on the increase.
The blaze of the pine-knots threw a strong light for fifty yards
around us, and we could see plainly where we were going. It
would be very unsafe to ride in the dark, for the ground is full of
holes, like large rabbit-burrows, made by the Land-tortoises, here
called Gophers {Testudo Carolina). These tortoises are extracted
from their burrows by hooks with long handles, and are, I believe,
used as food. "Fire-hunting" is also equally successful in ob-
taining fish. Every night one of Sheldon^s negroes goes out in
a boat with some lighted pine-knots at the bow, and with a spear
soon obtains enough for the use of the house.
April 5. — About three miles inland from Sheldon^s there was
formerly a sugar-plantation, which was devastated by the Indians
in the war of 1835, and is now overgrown with bush. The walls
of the sugar-mill, which was burnt, are still standing, and enclose
the remains of the steam-engine. This is one of my favourite
resorts when after birds. The ruined sugar-mill stands on the
edge of the pine-barren, about a hundred yards distant from a
dense wood or hummock. I hardly ever go there without find-
ing a covey of Quails close under the walls. I go there early
this morning, and find a small troop of Florida Jays in some pine-
trees which stand close to a scrubby thicket of underwood. The
trees are so high that the Jays look no larger than Mocking-
birds. I shoot one, and the remainder " dive " (the most expres-
sive word I can use) into the thicket ; I go in after them, and
succeed in killing two more, after a sharp " hunt " of some ten
minutes, during which my clothes suffer considerably from the
thiok bush and saw-palmettos. I always observe these Jays either
in or close to this scrubby bush, and never elsewhere. Dr. Bryant's
experience of them in this particular coincides with mine.
142 Mr. G. C. Taylor on the Birds of Florida.
I see several large Woodpeckers, and get within range of one ;
but my gun misses fire, owing to the dampness of the air. They
appear to be birds of long flight. Occasionally I see them pass-
ing over Sheldon's house, flying high and with a somewhat heavy
flapping of the wings. Deer-tracks are plentiful about the sugar-
mill, and on my return home along a sandy pathway, I see the
fresh tracks of a " Tiger,'' which I trace to within a short dis-
tance of Sheldon's house. The footprint is like that of a large
dog, but distinguished from the latter by showing no marks of
the nails. I tell Sheldon what I have seen, and he, perhaps
thinking of the safety of his pigs, proposes to go out for a hunt
into the hummocks near, after tigers, deer, turkeys, or anything
we can find. As soon as I have had some breakfast we start,
taking a lot of dogs with us to start and "tree" the game. While
passing through the woods I shoot a fine male Pileated Wood-
pecker; but, as my gun is loaded with large shot, it does not
make a good specimen. We find no Deer. A Turkey is seen
and shot at by one of the party. I see a pair of Swallow-tailed
Kites, and shoot at one of them, but, owing to the dense foliage,
I cannot see with what result. Suddenly the dogs commence
barking furiously. We go up and find them assembled at the
foot of a lofty tree, which is covered with festoons of hanging
moss. For a long time we can see nothing; but Sheldon at last
perceives a thick lump, almost entirely hidden by moss, among
the topmost branches. I fire, and down falls a "'Coon," which,
being only wounded, is quickly despatched by the dogs. Sheldon
says that the Wild Turkeys are now nesting. According to his
account, they lay their eggs in the pine-barrens, at the edge of a
marsh. Parroquets, too, are also breeding about this time. They
generally breed in the cypress-swamps. They roost in company,
making use of a hollow tree as their resting-place. I am told
that some live-oak-cutters, up Halifax River, saw a flock go one
evening into a hole in a tree to roost ; next day, while the birds
were absent, they cut the trunk of the tree nearly through, only
leaving just enough uncut to keep it standing. After the Parro-
quets had gone in to roost, they felled it with a few blows of the
axe, and secured them all.
[To be continued.]
Dr. G. Hartlaub on some Birds from the Cape Colony. 143
XV^II. — On some new or little-known Birds from the Cope Colony.
By Dr. G. Hartlaub.
Dr. Sclater having submitted to my examination a small series
of birds' skins sent to him for identification by Mr. E. L. Layard,
Curator of the Museum at Cape Town, I take the liberty of
offering to the readers of ' The Ibis ' the following list of the
species, with remarks upon such of them as appear to me to be
new or of interest. The localities and some remarks are added
from Mr. Layard's MSS.
Fam. CAPRIMULGID^.
1. COSMETORNIS VEXILLARIA (Gould).
Probably a young male of this curious species. The elongated
wing-feathers are only partially developed ; they are of a pure
white on the basal part of the inner web. Nuchal collar pale
rufous; abdomen whitish with black transverse bands; throat
and breast rufous and dark-brownish-banded. The localities
hitherto assigned to this extraordinary form ai-e : Madagascar
(Lienard) ; mouth of the River Quiliraane (Sir Wm. Jardine) ;
Angola (Gabriel). The present example, as Mr. Layard informs
us, was obtained in Damara-laud by Mr. Andersson.
2. Caprimulgus atrovarius, Sundev. ; Grill, Victor. Zool.
Antekn. p. 41.
From Rondebosch, obtained by Mr. Fry. (E. L. L.)
3. Caprimulgus smithii, Bp.
Environs of Cape Town. (E. L. L.)
4. Caprimulgus lentiginosus, Smith (?).
Environs of Cape Town. (E. L. L.)
Fam. HIRUNDINID^.
5. HiRUNDO holgmelas, Sundev. Ofvers. 1850, p. 108; Grill,
Victor. Zool. Antekn. p. 36. Psalidoprocne cypselina, Cab.
" This little Swallow first fell under my notice on the Keur-
booms River, Knysna district, where I saw it apparently breeding
in the holes in the banks, but I was unable to investigate its
doings more closely. I found it abundant in the forest, hawk-
144 Dr. G. Hartlaub on some new or little-known Birds
ing after flies over the pools, frequently dipping into the water,
and perching on the overhanging boughs in clusters of six or
eight, to dry itself. It perches constantly and habitually on
trees, and thus may be at once distinguished from Cypselus
velox, which one of our zoological friends here thinks Levaillant
may have described from this species.
" This habit of perching is noted by Mr. Cairncross, who writes,
' This bird flies about very much like a bat [this resemblance
also occurred to us when we saw it], amongst thick forests of
trees, and is generally more visible in rainy, heavy weather ; but
I have never seen or heard of their breeding here (Swellendam).
They remain here after the winter has set in. Sometimes I have
seen them roost on trees at the bottom of my garden, where I
shot the specimen sent.' " (E. L. L.)
6. HiRUNDO DiMiDiATA, Suudcv. I. c. ; Grill, /. c. p. 36.
The supposed identity of this species with the H. leucosoma of
Western and Southern Africa (Sundev.) remains still very doubt-
ful. The white markings on the wings and tail are different.
"This Swallow is very rare in the neighbourhood of Cape
Town, but becomes more common towards the mainland. Writing
from Cape Town, it will be as well to treat of this peninsula as
apart from the continent. The vast tract of sand called the
' Cape Flats,' together with Table Bay on the one hand and False
Bay on the other, quite shut it off from the main land, so to speak ;
and to aid in the isolation, the main land ends in an abrupt
precipituous wall of mountains, which are only to be passed in
one or two places. Doubtless the peninsula of Table Mountain
was once an island entirely cut off from the main land, and
' Table ' and ' False Bays ' part of a strait between. As soon as
the hills are reached on the opposite side of Table Bay, this
Swallow commences; and at Swellendam, Mr. Cairncross writes,
' it is very common, and builds its nest generally under the thatch
of an old mill or stable, where it is quieter than in a dwelling-
house ; it lays a small white egg ; and tradition says it drives
the Sparrow and House Swallow {H. capensis ?) from their nests,
occupies them, and breeds therein. For this reason it receives
no mercy from the farmer, but its eggs and young are destroyed
whenever met with.' " (E. L. L.)
from the Cape Colony. 145
7. HiRUNDO PALUSTRIS, Stcph.
" Found about the neighbourhood of water, geuerally in
company with H. paludicola. Received from Mr. Cairncross of
Swellendam, and Mr. Jackson of Nilsport, in the Beaufort
division." (E. L. L.)
8. COTYLE FULIGULA, Licht.
" From Beaufort." (E. L. L.)
Fam. ALCEDINIDiE.
9. Halcyon fuscicapilla, Lafr.
" Mr. Atmore assures me that this species (no. 28) is plentiful
at Swellendam, and that when he is digging in his garden speci-
mens may always be seen perched on the trees near, from which
they dart down on the worms as he turns them up with his
spade." (E. L. L.)
Fam. UPUPIDiE.
10. Rhinopomastes cyanomelas, Vieill.
Kuruman (Mr. Moffat) ; Damara-land (Andersson).
Fam. LUSCINIID^.
11. Calamoherpe rufescens (Keys. & Bl.) ; Grill, /. c. p. 28.
One example is in the collection, marked " U Isabella ?". It
is probably a young bird of this species, ''from Swellendam."
12. LusciNiA SPERATA (Lath.), Sundev. Obs. in Levaill. Ois.
d'Afr. p.44; Grill, /. c. p. 27.
I have seen but few of these birds, and those only in the
summer months, among the stones just below the Lion's Head,
at an elevation of 1500 feet. (E. L. L., note on specim. no. 35.)
13. LusciNiA siNUATA, Sundev. I. c. p. 44, nota ; Grill, /. c. p. 27.
Descr. Supra dilutius brunnea, subtus multo pallidior in vina-
ceum vergens ; mento albido ; crisso, subcaudalibus, sub-
alaribus et cruribus albidis ; uropygio cinnamomeo-rufo ;
hypochondriis subrufescentibus ; remigibus fusco-nigrican-
tibus, horum secundo ad apicem profunde sinuato-angustato ;
tertiariis late et conspicue rufescenti-marginatis ; rectricibus
omnibus ad basin isabellino-fulvescentibus, extima3 pogonio
externo ad apicem usque ejusdem colons, secundse in pogonio
VOL. IV. L
146 Dr. G. Hartlaub on some new or little-knoum Birds
externo dimidio basali pallide rufescente ; tarsis elongatis ;
saxicolinis, caligatis et cum rostro gracili, compresso, cari-
nato, nigris. Long. 4" 9'" ; rostr. 5'" ; al. 2" 9'" ; caud. 1" 8" ;
tars. 1".
Three specimens of this interesting bird, whose alar abnormity
was first discovered and indicated by Sundevall. It is described
here for the first time. It is not in the Berlin collection, other-
wise so rich in South-African species. A nearly allied bird is
the ILrythropygia galtoni of Strickland, considered by Sundevall
as only a variety of L. sperata. The curious apical attenuation
of the second primary reminds one of certain South-American
Tceniopterince, as for instance of the 7^. pyrope of Kittlitz.
"Received from Colesberg, Kuruman, and Beaufort. Not
found near Cape Town." (E. L. L., note on specim. no. 36.)
14. Bradypterus sylvaticus, Sundev. in Grill, Ant. /. c. p. 30
(descr. compl.).
This is another very interesting bird, of which one example, in
Mr. Layard's collection, was " received from Kuruman.'^ I refer
it at present to the very-little-known Bradypterus sylvaticus of
Sundevall. However, the specimen being in a rather doubtful
condition, I do not feel quite sure about this identity, and prefer
giving a short description : —
Supra saturate brunneus, subrufescens, alis et cauda fuscis;
uropygio Isetius tincto ; subtus lateraliter rufo-brunnescens,
medialiter albidior; mento, gula et subalaribus albidis")
subcaudalibus dilute rufescentibus, loris pallidis ; pedibus
pallide brunneis ; rostro gracillimo, brimneo, mandibula
pallidiore. Long. 5" ; rostr. 5'" ; al. 2" 3'" ; caud. a has. 2'" ;
tars. 9".
The whole habitus of this species is Cettia-YiVe, : wings short,
concave, rounded ; beak very slender, straight, compressed ;
feet rather large ; tail very weak, rounded ; rectrices broad, weak,
decomposed, &c.
15. Apalis thoracica (Shaw) ; Grill, /. c. p. 31.
Layard, specim. no. 33.
16. Sylviella rufescens (Vieill.) ; Sundev. Obs. in Levaill.
Ois. d'Afr. p. 39 ; Grill, /. c. p. 31.
Layard, specim. no. 29.
from the Cape Colony. 147
17. ^GiTHALUS MiNUTUS (Shaw). Le Becque-fleur, Levaill.
Ois. d'Afr. pi. 134; Sundev. Ofvers. 1850, p. 107.
Layard, specim. no. 30.
18. Parisoma layardt, Hartlaub, sp. nov.
Supra saturate cinereum, tergo et uropygio vix pallidioribus ;
remigibus fuscis, intus albo-marginatis ; subalaribus albido
cinereoque variis ; gula alba, notis longitudinalibus cinereis
varia ; pectore et abdomine sordide albidis ; reetricibus qua-
tuor mediis totis nigro-fuscis, extima pro majore parte alba
(pogonio externo toto, interno ad apicetn large et oblique
albo), secunda ad apicem large alba; pedibus et rostro
nigris. Long, fere 5"; rostr. a fr. 4'"; al. 2"4"'; caud. a
bas. 2" 4'"; tars. 9|"'.
A typical Parisoma which seems to be undescribed. Dr. Jean
Cabanis, to whom I have submitted the bird for examination, does
not know it. I hope to be justified in the opinion of every orni-
thologist if I name it after Mr. E. L. Layard, whose collection
contains one example of this bird, labelled " Le Coryphee," and
"received from Zwartland, in the Malmesbury division.^^
19. ZosTEROPs pallida, Swainsou, An. in Menag. p. 294.
This being the first time I have met with this very rare species
in South- African collections, I subjoin a description : —
Supra cinerea, uropygio alho, subflavescente ; subtus albida, late-
ribus brunnescente lavatis ; alis et cauda nigricanti-fuscis ;
subalaribus albidis ; rostro fusco ; pedibus cinerascentibus ;
annulo periophthalmico (in hoc specimine) vix conspicuo.
Long. 3" 9'"; rostr. 4'"; al. 2" 5'"; caud. li"; tars. 7'".
A nearly allied species is Zosterops borbonica (Briss.). ]\Ir.
Layard's single specimen is numbered 39.
20. Anthus ?
Parvus ; supra in fundo dilute olivascenti-brunneo, maculis ni-
gro-fuscis magnis longitudinalibus varius ; remigibus ter-
tiai'iis pallide marginatis ; reetricibus fuscis, pallidius lim-
batis, extima fere tota albida, pogonio externo subfusces-
cente, secunda albida, intus late fusco-marginata ; subtus
flavicans, pectore maculis longitudinalibus fuscis ; subalari-
bus flavido fuscoque variis; subcaudalibus flavescentibus ;
pedibus pallidis ; mandibula pallida. Long. 4" 9'" ; rostr.
6'"; al. 2" 6'"; caud. 1" 9'"; tars. 8'"; ung. post. 6'".
Allied to the A, limonellus of Licht. If new, Anthus icterinus.
" From Mr. Cairncross of Swellendam." (E. L. L.)
l2
148 Dr. G. Hartlaub on some Birds from the Cape Colony.
Fam. TURDIDiE.
21. CossypHA CAFFRA (Linn.). Bessonornis caffra, Grill, /. c.
p. 29.
Mr. Layard's specimen (no. 30) was received from Mr. E..
Moffat at Kuruman.
22. Pycnonotus aurigaster (Vieill.), Sund. Obs. in Levaill.
p. 36.
Layard, specimen no. 36.
Fam. MUSCICAPIDiE.
23. BUTALIS ADUSTA, Boic.
Mr. Layard has sent one specimen (no. 23) of this species, a
young bird, ''from Swellendam.^^
Fam. LANIIDiE.
24. Malaconotus atrococcineus, Burchell.
" We have received specimens of this Shrike from Kuruman,
Colesberg, and Damara-land.^' (E. L. L.)
25. Basanistes melanoleucus. Smith.
Layard, specimen no. 22.
26. Bradyornis silens (Shaw) ; Grill, Zool. Antekn. p. 33.
" Common about the Knysna and Svvellendara." (E. L. L.)
Fam. STURNID^.
27. Lamprocolius phcenicopterus, Sw.
Damara-land, one example. (E. L. L.)
28. Lamprocolius melanogaster, Sw. ; Grill, /. c. p. 37.
Two specimens; one (no. 41) " believed to have been shot not
far from Pietermaritzberg." (E. L. L.)
29. Lamprocolius decoratus, n. sp.
Totus metallice iridescens, occipite, nucha, regione parotica et ter-
go nonnihil cserulescentibus ; macula scapulari violaceo-pur-
purascente, nitore cupreo; rectricibus mediis violaceo-cteru-
lescentibus, sub certa luce conspicue fasciolatis; remigum
marginibus externis cserulescentibus; maculis holosericeis
alarum minimis, vix conspicuis ; rostro gracili et pedibus
Itis 1862,P1.V.
J.TJenn.ens,lilii .
M& liT. HanLarl^Im.p':
PINDAIUS RUFICAPILLUS
Ibis 1862 Pl.lY.
T.et JJiny.litli,
U.ScN Kaxihsxi Imp
SPIZAETUS AYRHSII.
Mr. J. H. Gurney on Birds from Natal. 149
nigris. Long. 8" 2"' ; rostr. a fr. 8i"' ; al. vix ^" ; caud. 3" ;
tars. 13|"'.
The ornithological department of the Lamprotornithince being
rather familiar to me, I at first sight referred this bird to the
L. sycobius, Peters ; but after a more careful comparison I have
little doubt that it will prove new. It belongs to the third di-
vision of the genus, as arranged in my monograph, and is nearly
allied to Lamprocolius jihoenicopterus, L. bispecularis (which I have
never seen), and L. sycobius.
XVIII. — A Fourth additional List of Birds received from Natal.
By John Henry Gurney, M.P., F.Z.S.
(Plates IV. & V.)
The birds contained in the following list have been collected by
Mr. Thomas Ayres, to whose obliging assiduity I am also in-
debted for the observations accompanying them. In a few in-
stances I have appended some notes of my own, to which my
initials are attached. The additional species are numbered con-
secutively to those contained in my former papers on this subject
('Ibis,' 1859, p. 234, 1860, p. 203, 1861, p. 128, and pp. 25-39
of the present volume).
177. Spizaetus ayresii, sp. nov. (Plate IV.) Ayres's
Hawk-Eagle.
Male. Iris light yellow ; base of bill ash-colour, tip black ;
cere and feet greenish yellow.
This bird was shot near the coast in a very dense bush ; it is
extremely rare here. I know nothing of its habits ; the stomach
was perfectly empty.
[This very handsome Spizaetus appears to me to belong to a
species different from any of the four African Spizaeti which have
hitherto been described, and I have much pleasure in proposing
for it the specific name of ayresii, in recognition of the zealous
cooperation which I have received in studying the ornithology of
Natal from my esteemed correspondent Mr. Thomas Ayres, by
whom the present specimen, which is the only one I have seen of
this species, was procured.
150 Mr. J. H. Gurney on additional Species of Birds
Of the African Spizaeti already known to science, three species
have been so frequently described, and differ so widely from the
bird now under our consideration, that it is hardly needful to
allude further to them here. These species are (1) Spizaetus
bellicosus (Daud.), which by its length of wing approaches very
closely to the genus Aquila-, (2) Spizaetus coronatus (Linn.),
which is the largest of the typical Spizaeti; and (3) Spizaetus
occipitalis (Daud.), which forms the type of Dr. Kaup's genus
Lophaetus. The fourth and rarest of the hitherto known African
Spizaeti is that described and figured by the Baron J. von Miiller
in his ' Description de Nouveaux Oiseaux d^Afrique,^ pi. 1, under
the title of Spizaetus zonurus, which had been previously de-
scribed by the same author in the ' Naumannia' for 1851, p. 27.
It may be well also to mention that the name of Spizaetus
spilogaster has been given by M. le Vicomte Dubus to an African
Spizaetus, of which I believe neither figure nor description has
yet been published, but which is probably identical with Spizaetus
zonurus of v. Miiller, as it is stated by Prince C. L. Bonapai'te, in
the 'Revue de Zoologie^ for 1850, p. 487, to be destitute of a
crest, as is also the case in Spizaetus zonurus. At any rate,
the absence of a crest in Spizaetus spilogaster marks that bird as
being distinct from Spizaetus ayresii, in which the occipital crest
is a well-marked feature.
The other points of difference between Spizaetus zonurus and
Spizaetus ayresii will appear by the following description and
accompanying plate of the latter, and especially by the subjoined
comparison of the dimensions of the two species.
The Spizaetus ayresii may be described as follows : —
Above, general colour nearly uniform chocolate-brown, with the
extremities of the feathers paler; head-feathers mai'gined with
yellowish rufous, especially on the sides ; occipital crest rather
broad (1*5 inch at the base), and about 1*75 in. in length, nearly
black, slightly paler at the termination ; front adjoining the
cere yellowish white; wing-coverts and secondaries like the
back; bend of the wing whitish; primaries uniform purplish
black, indistinctly barred with whitish on the concealed lower
parts of the inner webs, as is also the case with the secondaries,
though less distinctly; tail-feathers above greyish, with seven
from the Colony of Natal.
151
cross-bands of brownish black, the terminal baud broader and
margined with whitish.
Below, ochraceous white, purer on the lower belly and crissum ;
breast, flanks, and under wing-coverts marked with elongated
shaft-spots of chocolate-brown, which are widest on the flank and
under wing-coverts; the crissum marked with rounded shaft-
spots rather paler in colour, and in many cases repeated on the
same feather ; thighs nearly uniform ochraceous ; axillaries like
the breast, rather more rufous in colour, and distinctly marked
with narrow elongated shaft-spots ; under surface of primaries
at the base whitish, varied with grey on the inner webs ; under
surface of tail greyish-white barred, in correspondence with the
upper surface.
The measurements of Spizaetus ayresii, in inches and tenths,
are as follows, the corresponding dimensions of two examples of
Spizaetus zonurus being given for comparison.
Spiz. ayresii {S)
zonurus * ( c? ) («)
(?)(*)
Long,
tota.
19-0
17-0
220
Alae.
16-0
13-0
160
Caudae.
90
7-0
10-0
Rostri
a rictu.
1-4
Tarsi,
2-7
4-0
Dig.
med.
cum
ungue.
3-2
3 0
Dig.
ext.
cum
ungue.
2-4
Dig.
int.
cum
ungue.
26
2-0 2-4
Dig.
post,
cum
3-0
2-4
—J. H. G.]
178. MoTACiLLA LONGiCAUDA (RUpp.). Loug-tailcd Wagtail.
Male and female. Iris brown ; bill black ; tarsi and feet dark
ash-colour.
These Wagtails are particularly graceful in their movements.
They frequent rocky streams, and go so close to the rushing
water that one expects to see them washed away every instant.
They appear to glide rather than to walk or run over the stones
in search of insects, and are not at all afraid of wetting their feet.
Soft small dragon-flies are favourite food with them. They
are generally seen in pairs, and warble very prettily, though not
loudly.
* [Specimen («) of Spizaetus zonurus is from Galam, and is now in the
Derby Museum at Liverpool. Specimen {b) is in the South-African Museum
at Cape Town, near which city it was procured. — J. H. G.]
152 Mr. J. H. Gurney on additional Species of Birds
179. Bessonornis vociferans (Swains.). South-African
Robin.
Female. Iris very dark brown ; bill black ; tarsi and feet light
pinkish brown.
The food of these birds consists of berries, small fruits, and
insects. In their movements and attitudes they much resemble
the English Redbreast, and they are particularly fond of chasing
one another about. They frequent the dense bush.
[I believe that the bird figured by Sir A. Smith in his ' Zoology
of South Africa,' Aves, pi. 60, under the name of Cossypha nata-
lensis, is an immature specimen of the present species. — J. H. G.]
180. PiNDALUS RUFiCAPiLLUS, Hartlaub, MS. Yellow-
throated Flycatcher. (Plate V.)
Pogonocichla ruficapilla, Sund. Kongl. Vet. Akad. Porh. 1850,
p. 105. Culicipeia ruficapilla, Grill, Zool. Antekn. p. 27.
Female. Iris very dark brown ; upper mandible yellow ; tarsi
and feet pale, tinged with green.
Rare in this locality : frequents the bush and thick creepers.
When in search of food is exceedingly active, flitting and hopping
from twig to twig with the greatest celerity, and catching the
small beetles, gnats, and flies, of which its food consists.
[I am indebted to the kind assistance of Dr. Hartlaub for the
identification of this curious little bird. As I believe it has not
hitherto been figured, the accompanying Plate, in which it is
represented of the natural size, may prove interesting to such
ornithologists as are not ali'eady acquainted with this scarce
species. — J. H. G.]
181. CoRVUs CAPENSis, Licht. South- African Rook.
Female. Iris very dark brown ; bill black ; tarsi and feet black.
These birds are very numerous inland, doing considerable
damage to the ci'ops of maize when nearly ripe. On the coast
districts, however, they are only occasional visitants. Their note
is harsh and guttural. Their flight is swift, the beat of their wings
being much more rapid than that of the White-necked Raven
[Corvus cafer).
182. TuRTUR ERYTHROPHRYS, Swaius. Lcvaillaut's Dove.
Male. Iris dark blackish brown, with a narrow yellow ring in
from the Colony of Natal. 153
the centre ; bare skin under the eye dark pink ; bill black ; tarsi
and feet dark pink.
These Doves are occasionally very plentiful in particular loca-
lities^ arriving or assembling in considerable flights. Their food
consists principally of the berries of trees ; but they are also fond
of alighting on roadways and cultivated ground, where they run
about picking up seeds, &c.
183. EupoDOTis MELANOGASTER (Riipp.). Corau Bustard.
Male. Iris light brown, darker towards the pupil ; bill, upper
mandible brown, under mandible pale; thighs, tarsi, and feet
pale yellow.
These beautiful birds are the most delicious-eating of any of the
Bustards here ; during the winter months they become extremely
fat. I believe they are far more plentiful inland than on the coast.
They are found sometimes singly, at other times in companies.
They are tamer, and in consequence much more easily shot, than
the larger kinds : if they think themselves not observed, they will
almost invariably crouch on the ground, when the sportsman may
get within twenty j^irds of them before they rise. Their flight is
heavy, but they are able to sustain it for a considerable distance.
184. FuLiCA CRisTATA (Gmel.). Purple-knobbed Coot.
Male. Iris brownish red; bill whitish ash-colour; frontal
shield white, terminating in two purplish chocolate-brown knobs ;
tarsi and feet ash-colour.
The- bill of the immature bird is darker than that of the adult,
and the knobs on the crown are not so large.
These Coots inhabit the lagoons, and are generally in com-
panies. When disturbed, instead of attempting to hide, they
immediately take wdng and fly a considerable distance round
and round, when, from their appearance and strong flight, they
may easily be mistaken for a flock of black ducks.
The stomach of the specimen sent contained weeds^ seeds of
water-plants, and insects.
185. PoDiCEPS MINOR (Lath.). Little Grebe.
Male and female. Iris lightish brown; upper mandible dark
brown, except the margins, which (with the under mandible) are
154 Mr. J. H. Gurney on additional Species of Birds
yellowish green ; gape green ; tarsi and feet dull dark green on
the inner surfaces_, black on the outer.
These Grebes are common in the lagoons, and are occasionally
found in the rocky streams inland ; they are almost always in
pairs, and appear to be somewhat pugnacious and fond of chasing
each other about. The stomachs of three which I shot all con-
tained insects, but no signs of fish, although the waters were
swarming with them.
[The specimens sent by Mr. Ayres do not appear in any respect
to differ from those found in Great Britain. — J. H. G.]
186. QuERQUEDULA HOTTENTOTTA, Smith. Hotteutot Teal.
Male. Iris dark brown; bill, upper mandible black, except
the sides and base, which are blue, under mandible bluish ; tarsi
and feet ash-colour.
These birds occur singly, or at most in pairs.
187. Phalacrocorax AFRiCANUS (Gmel.). Long-tailed Cor-
morant.
Male. Iris scarlet ; upper mandible dark brown, except the
margins, which are brownish yellow, as is the under mandible
also ; tarsi and feet black.
This species frequents the freshwater lagoons on the coast. Its
flight is rapid and strong. When in the water it swims extremely
low, scarcely any part of its back being then visible. Both in the
air and on the water it much resembles the Anhinga [Plotus
levaillantii) in appearance. It is a very superior diver, and feeds
entirely on fish : if disturbed, instead of diving, it generally seeks
safety on the wing. It is solitary in its habits, and, like the
Anhinga, is particularly fond of sunning itself with outstretched
wings on some clump of rushes.
The following additional notes refer to species included in my
former lists.
Falco biarmicus (Temm.). Latakoo Falcon.
Male and female. Irides dark brown ; bill dark bluish ash-
colour in the centre, black at the tip, and yellowish at the base ;
cere and eyelids yellow; tarsi and feet yellow. The male weighed
1 lb. 4 oz., the female 1 lb. 12 oz.
from the Colony of Natal. 155
One cold, bleak, windy day in June my brother and I were
shooting, when a Partridge rose to me, which I wounded, and
which flew perhaps two hundred yards and then fell.
This pair of Falcons, which we had noticed soaring about for
some time, immediately darted on the wounded bird ; my brother
easily stalked them, and with a double shot killed the pair.
Although scarcely half a minute had elapsed since the Partridge
fell, one of the Falcons had already eaten its head off.
These Falcons are very rare in our neighbourhood. Their flight
is excessively rapid when occasion requires ; but at other times
they appear generally to soar easily and quietly about, apparently
well scanning the ground over which they pass.
AsTUR MELANOLEUcus (Smith). Black and White Goshawk.
It appears to me that these Hawks are more numerous here in
the summer months, from November to February or March, than
they are in winter.
AcciPiTER TACHiRO (Daud.). Tachiro Hawk.
Female assuming the adult dress ; iris light yellow.
One of these birds a short time since suddenly emerged from
the bush and made a swoop amongst a lot of our chickens ;
having failed in striking one, the chickens instantly ran to the
cover of some rough weeds and grass, when the Hawk proceeded
to hunt them on foot, and I put it up within five yards of me
while so doing, and ultimately shot it.
Nectarinia afra (Linn.). Greater Double-collared Sun-bird.
Female. Iris dark brown ; bill black; tarsi and feet dull brown.
This species is not found immediately on the coast, its range
commencing about ten miles inland.
Parus NIGER (VieilL). Black and White Tit.
I discovered a nest of these birds containing one egg and four
callow young. The old bird had evidently taken possession of a
deserted Woodpecker's nest. The hole was in a perpendicular
and decayed bough of a large tree, about twenty feet from the
ground ; itwas about a foot in depth, and there was a very little fine
dry grass at the bottom, on which the egg and young birds were
placed. I was obliged to cut and break the front of the bough
to get at the contents of the nest ; and the old birds showed their
156 Mr. J. H. Gurney on additional Species of Birds
dislike to my proceedings by their chattering cries and uneasy
manner. On leaving the nest I repaired the hole as well as I
could, and left the little ones safe inside ; but passing the place
•in about a week, I again climbed the tree and found the nest
cold and deserted.
MoTACiLLA CAPENSis (Linn.). Cape of Good Hope Wagtail.
This is the most common of the Wagtails in Natal. It will
frequently for a length of time follow a horse or ox whilst grazing,
running actively along the ground and catching small insects
which are thus disturbed ; it also appears to find its food abun-
dant in cattle pens and in muddy streams. Its flight is dipping,
like that of the AVagtail in England.
Platysteira pririt (Vieill.). Pririt Flycatcher.
Male. Iris bright reddish yellow j bill black; tarsi and feet
black.
These Flycatchers frequent the dense bush. Their flight is
weak. They are restless in their habits, constantly flitting and
hopping about in search of small slow-flying soft insects, which
they take on the wing. Their note is harsh and grating to the
ear: more than two are seldom seen together. They are found
here all the year round.
DiCRURUS Musicus (Vieill.). Musical Drongo.
I found a nest of these birds built on a horizontal bough of an
acacia overhanging a pool of water, and about twenty feet above it.
I sent a Caff're boy up the tree to saw the bough off". While he
was thus engaged, the old birds attacked him furiously, making
repeated swoops and feints at his head, and uttering at the same
time loud notes of anicer.
•o^
EsTRELDA ASTRiLD (Liun.). Waxbill Finch.
I found several nests of these birds last season, all built upon
the ground, generally in some convenient indentation sheltered
by a clump of grass. The little elongated entrance of the nest is
placed rather forwards, with the end of it touching the ground.
On the top of the nest there is a sort of chamber, in which, the
Caffres assure me, the male bird roosts at night during the in-
cubation of the female.
from the Colony of Natal. 157
CoLius STRiATUs (Giiiel.). Striated Coly.
These birds appear to have the habit of constantly adding fresh
and 2;reen leaves to the inner surface of their nests. Is a certain
amount of dampness necessary for their eggs during incubation ?
Toccus MELANOLEUcus (Licht.). Crowucd Hornbill.
Male. Bill dull red ; tarsi and feet black.
I shot this Hornbill whilst in the act of swallowing a large
locust which it had taken from the bough of a low bush. This
bird did not appear to throw the head back so much as I have
noticed that some other species do. Its stomach was full of
locusts and caterpillars.
These Hornbills are generally found in companies of from ten
to twenty; they mostly frequent the coast districts, but occa-
sionally during the winter months they wander more inland.
[This species is the Calao couronne of Levaillant and the
Buceros coronatus of Shaw, but not of Boddaert, as erroneously
cited by me in ' The Ibis/ vol. iii. p. 133, the latter being a syno-
nym of an oriental species, Buceros monoceros of Shaw. — J. H. G.]
Dendromus smithii (Malh.). Smith's Woodpecker.
[Since writing the remarks on this Woodpecker, published in
* The Ibis,' vol. iv. p. 38, 1 have had the opportunity of consulting
M. Malherbe's article on this species in his magnificent monograph
of the Picidce, p. 154, and I observe that the difference between
Mr. Swainson's description of the female of his Dendromus chry-
surus and the females sent from Natal is there accounted for in
the following terms: — "As for the description which Swainson
gives of the female, it only applies to a young female which has
the forehead and vertex black, without the spots, which extend
with age, being as yet distinguishable; which also sometimes
happens in other species of the same group."
M. Malherbe states, however, that he has never himself met
with a West-African specimen of this Woodpecker. — J. H. G.]
BuPHUs coMATUs (Pall.). Squacco Dwarf-Heron.
Female. Iris light yellow; bill, upper mandible very dark
brown, except the margins, which (with the under mandible) are
yellowish ; tarsi and feet light yellowish green.
These birds are not common here; they inhabit the marshes
158 Prof. Reinhardt^s Remarks on the Genus Balfeniceps.
and lagoons on the coast, and occasionally one strays inland.
They appear to feed on insects. Their flight is heavy, and against
a strong wind they are able to make but little headway.
PcECiLONETTA ERYTHRORHYNCHA (Gmel.). Red-billed Duck.
Female. Iris dark brown ; ridge of the upper mandible dark
brown ; sides and base of the upper mandible, and also the lower
mandible pale or flesh-colour; tarsi and feet dark ash-colour;
webs nearly black.
These Ducks inhabit the lagoons, and are not very common ;
they are less shy than most other wild- fowl here. The few that I
have seen have been either single or in pairs.
[I regret to find that I have committed the error of enume-
rating this species twice, viz. as No. 62 in ' The Ibis,' vol. i. p. 251,
and as No. 142 in vol. iii. p. 134. — J. H. G.]
Dendrocygna viduata (Linn.). White-masked Duck.
Male. Iris dark brown ; bill black ; tarsi and feet bluish ash-
colour.
I found a flight of about a dozen of these Ducks in a lagoon
near the mouth of the River Umlass in the month of June. They
were very wild, but after some trouble I got a long shot at them
with one of Eley's cartridges, and succeeded in bagging three.
They all varied in size and plumage, the one sent being the largest
and handsomest. When standing on a mud-bank, in consequence
of their rather long legs and necks they looked more like small
geese than ducks. In flight also they much resembled Geese ;
there was an evident inclination to form a regular figure; and
when they flew round near where I was concealed, they constantly
uttered a sort of whistling cackle.
XIX. — Some Remarks on the Genus Balseniceps. By Dr. J.
Reinhardt, Professor at the Royal Museum of Copenhagen,
Foreign Member Z.S.L., &c., &c.*
Opinions pi-etty much at variance respecting the affinities of this
genus have been propounded. Not to mention that Gould, when
* Translated from the ' Transactions ' of the Royal Danish Scientific
Society for April 1861, pp. 135-154.
Prof. Reinhardt's Remarks on the Genus Balseniceps. 159
some ten years ago he gave the first account of it^ would have
it considered as the representative of the Waders among the
Pelicans^ it has subsequently been looked upon by Des Murs, on
account of the characteristics of its eggs^ as most nearly related
to the Flamingo, and placed between that bird and the Spoonbill,
while, according to Jules Verreaux's opinion, it stands closest to
the large-billed Stork-like Leptoptihis. By Heuglin, also, it is
referred to the Stork family, and therein finds its place between
Anastomus and Dromas. The opinion which seems to be most
generally received now is, that Balceiiiceps should be put along-
side of Cancroma, and looked upon as a gigantic African repre-
sentative of this American generic form.
It appeared to the author that this was not the right way of
considering the genus Balceniceps. According to his opinion,
another peculiar and equally African bird, which hitherto
no one, so far as he knew, had thought of bringing into com-
parison with it — Scopus umbretta — was in reality its nearest of
kin, and inasmuch as the genus Scopus is evidently more nearly
allied to the Storks than to the Herons (from which, again,
Canci-oma cannot be separated), those ornithologists who have
assigned a place among the former to Balaniceps must be con-
sidered as having approached the truth more nearly than those
who have placed it alongside of Cancroma.
What has mainly led to the belief in a near relationship be-
tween Balceniceps and Cancroma is a certain resemblance in their
bills. A closer investigation, however, would show that there
exists no real affinity between them in this respect. In all the
rest of its structure Cancroma is a Night-Heron {Nycticorax),
distinguished by a particular shape of bill ; but, in accordance
herewith, its bill, notwithstanding its aberrant form, shows
many characteristics of the Heron^s bill. In the particular
structure of the bill of Balceniceps we perceive, on the contrary,
another type ; and even the likeness it outwardly bears to the
contour of that of Cancroma is, on nearer inspection, by no means
so great as would appear at first sight. The bill of Canci-oma is
remarkably flattened, and not so much calculated for great
strength as for great roominess ; and this is still more increased
by the naked dilatable skin between the branches of the lower
160 Prof. Reinhardt's Reynarks on the Genus Balseniceps.
jaw, which can be distenderl into a complete pouch or bag,
hanging down as far as the throat. The bill of Balaniceps, on
the contrary, is at the base rather high than broad ; its sides
[paratomia) are well arched, but still steep, and not, like those of
Cancroma, nearly horizontal. The whole bill, in comparison with
that of the last-mentioned bird, must be called compressed rather
than flattened. It is clear that nature's aim has been to render
it pre-eminently powerful ; and the fact of the skin between the
branches of the lower jaw being thickly covered with feathers for
at least two-thirds of its extent is enough to show that no real
faucial pouch is to be found in the Balaniceps. On continuing the
comparison between the bills of the two birds, we find in Can-
croma, as in the Herons generally, a little notch in the edge just
behind the point, but not a trace of the powerful hook which ter-
minates the upper mandible in Balcmiiceps, and which, together
with the entire ridge {cuhnen), is sharply separated from the sides
by a deep furrow. Just as little is the lower mandible truncated
at its point to make I'oom for the terminal hook. Finally, the
nasal grooves as well as the nostrils of Cancroma resemble those
of the Herons, but differ materially from those of Balaniceps, in
which the former are extremely small, and the latter appear as
lines or slits just perceptible, and are placed high up near the
culmen and close to the base of the bill.
While differences are thus visible in almost every single part
of the bill in Balceniceps and Cancroma, it will be easy on the
other hand to point out in that of the genus Scopus (notwith-
standing its, at first sight, different aspect) all the characteristics
which distinguish the bill of Balceniceps from the bill of Can-
croma. Thus in Scopus is found the hook with which the upper
mandible of Balaniceps is furnished — somewhat smaller compara-
tively, it is true, than that of the latter, but, together with the
entire culmen, just as sharply separated from the sides by a deep
furrow. Moreover the lower inaudible is truncated towards its
point, in the same manner and for the same reason as in Balani-
ceps. Finally, the nostrils in Scopus also are narrow slits near
the base of the bill. Even the sharp keel formed by the bill of
Scopus is already exemplified by the raised ridge which runs
along the middle of the flat culmen in Balaniceps ; and if one
Prof. Reiiihardt's Remarks on the Genus Balseniceps. 161
imagines the bill of the latter to be so much squeezed together
as to be metamorphosed into a cutting edge, and the branches of
the under mandible towards the point to be tightly compressed,
it would exactly resemble a gigantic but rather short Scopus-
like bill.
One cannot so certainly conclude from the form of the foot, as
from the bill, to whicli of the two birds named, Balceniceps most
approaches ; Scopus and Cancroma differing, with regard to their
feet, but slightly from each other ; and the most essential charac-
ters, therefore, in this respect, which distinguish Balceniceps from
the one, must also separate it from the other. Each of these two .
birds has a long hind toe, inserted on a level with the fore toes,
which, when the bird walks, touches the ground for its whole
length. In both, the fore toes are united at the base by a mem-
brane. The difference between their feet exists principally in the
membrane of Scopus being somewhat larger than that of Can-
croma, while, on the other hand, the hind toe of the last is a
little longer. In Balceniceps the foot is mainly constructed after
the same type, but every vestige of a membrane between the
fore toes is wanting ; and these, as well as the back toe, may
be even a little longer than in Cancroma. So far, its form of
foot may perhaps be said to stand nearer to the latter than to
Scopus ; a great difference, however, prevails in a point not less
important. In Cano'oma, as in all Herons, the middle claw is
pectinated along its entire inner edge ; in Balceniceps there is no
trace of such a structure ; while Scopus in this respect forms a
connecting link, the claw being certainly serrated though only
for a portion towards the tip, and the pectinations being neither
fine nor particularly regular. If one now considers that such a
pectinated middle claw is undoubtedly to be found elsewhere than
in the Heron family, but in that family is otherwise never want-
ing *, its absence in Balceniceps really seems to imply a strong
warning against gi.ving this bird a place at the side of Cancroma,
* To this rule only the genus Eurypyga would afford an exception, if
indeed it can with justice be referred to the Herons. But, in the author's
opinion, this genus is most rightly comprehended when it is placed in the
neighbourhood of the Water-hens, as has formerly been done by Buffon,
and as at the present time Des Murs and Olph-Galliard arrange it.
VOL. IV. M
162 Prof. Reinhardt's Remarks on the Genus Balseniceps.
and therefore among the Herons, where its reticulated tarsi also
are not rightly at home.
Extending the comparison between the three birds in question
to the plumage {ptilosis), it will also be found that in this respect
Balmiiceps is more nearly allied to Scopus than to Cancroma.
In the last, as generally in Herons, the basal downy portion of
the webs is comparatively small, and there is scarcely any down
intermixed with the true feathers. In Balaniceps precisely the
contrary is the case. The downy portion of the webs is large,
and genuine down is found intermixed with the feathers in some
quantity, just as with the Storks in general and Leptoptilus in
particular. Moreover the accessory plumule [hxjjjerrhachis) is
large and well developed in Cancroma, but very small in Balee-
niceps, which in this respect also is most nearly allied to Scopus
and the Storks, among which, as is known, there are some spe-
cies without any accessory plumule whatever. With a stuffed
bird, the division of the feathers into regular patches (ptenjlosis)
cannot be minutely examined, esjaecially when its rarity obliges
one at the same time to be careful of it. Therefore, as the speci-
men oi Balaniceps which the Uoyal Museum possesses was already
stuffed when it arrived, the author has not been able to assure
himself regarding this bird's pterylosis; meanwhile it appears to
him that Balaniceps is quite as near to Scopus as to Cancroma in
this respect. In the last the pterylosis is essentially the same
as in the Herons, while Scopus presents the same distribution of
feathers as the Storks, but differs from them and from most, if not
from all, other birds in having four patches [pteryla:) and four
rows of feathers {apteria) running along the neck. In Balani-
ceps the neck appears to the author to be everywhere beset with
feathers ; and if it be so, this is a great deviation from Scopus.
But supposing this deviation to be of little account, as in this
respect the latter stands so completely isolated, a neck clothed
all round with feathers would fairly bring Balaniceps nearer to
the Storks, but not to Cancroma, which, like the Herons, has a
broad row of feathers along the back and a similar one along the
front of the neck. One of the most essentially distinctive marks
by which the Stork-family is separated from the Herons in their
pterylosis is the great development of the two patches of feathers
Prof. Reinhardt^s Remarks on the Genus Balseuiceps. 163
on the under surface, which in all the forms belonging to the
Storks extend in front nearly to the keel of the breast-bone,
and thus have only a very insignificant row of feathers between
them. In Cancroma and the rest of the Herons, on the con-
trary, they each consist only of some few rows of feathers ; and
accordingly are separated in front by a very broad space about
the region of the furcula, where are found two oval powder-down
patches. Balceniceps in this respect entirely approaches Scopus and
the other Storks j its breast is throughout its whole extent covered
with feathers, and Mr. A. Bartlett has quite recently shown that
in this region no powder-down patches are found*. These, as is
known, are in the Herons not confined to the breast, but are also
found on the loins, and most frequently on the groin, while none
have hitherto been found in the Storks. Now, how far Balceni-
ceps, in addition to the powder-down patches on the breast, also
wants others must remain for more complete investigation. Mr.
Bartlett, in his notice, says nothing about it. The affinity which
the author believes to exist between Balceniceps and the Storks
unquestionably bespeaks their absence : but at the same time it
must not be overlooked that these powder-down patches are not
exclusively characteristic of the Herons ; for they are not only
found on the loins of the genus Eurypijga (the separation of
which from the Herons many perhaps will complain of, though
with them their presence cannot in consequence be of signifi-
cance), but even in birds of quite different orders, for instance,
in some of the Birds of prey.
Should it be asked which of the two often-named birds the
whole appearance and outward character of Balceniceps most
calls to mind, one must again answer, Scopus. Its extraordina-
rily large head, and the comparatively short but very thick and
ponderous neck thereby necessitated, not only in themselves
remind us more of Scopus than of Cancroma, but the colossal
proportions of these members would be a complete anomaly in
a Heron, while it scarcely needs to be remarked that there are
Storks which in size of head and thickness of neck are hardly
inferior to Balceniceps.
A short exposition of the author's views of the genus Balceni-
* ' Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London,' 18C0, p. 4C1.
M 2
164 Prof. Reinhardt's Remarks on the Genus Balseniceps.
ceps was last autumn laid by him before the Zoological Societj'^
of London^ of which he has the honour to be a foreign member,
and was printed in the Society's 'Proceedings'*. He has,
nevertheless, again treated the subject here, because he feels
convinced of being still better able to substantiate the correctness
of his opinion. Until a short time ago, nothing had been made
known concerning the internal structure of this remarkable bird.
The author himself, when making his first communication on
the subject, had but a single stuffed specimen at his disposal,
and therefore was only able to consider its outward form. He
was, however, of opinion that the question of its affinities could
be solved with tolerable safety from its external characters.
He does not share the somewhat general opinion that the so-
called anatomical characters derived from the internal structure
should of themselves, and in all cases, be preferred to the external
ones ; but he of course acknowledged that, in Balceniceps, these,
and especially its skeleton, might furnish important elucidation
of its real affinities. He is now able to take at least the skeleton
into consideration, partly since he has lately procured a cranium
of this rare bird for the Royal Museum, and pai-tly because Mr.
W. K. Parker has made use of the opportunity offered by the
death of jone of two Balanicipites brought alive last year to
London, to make its osteology the subject of an investigation,
which he had communicated to the Zoological Society at the
meeting immediately preceding that at which the author's notice
of this bird was read, and an account of which has been since
printed in the Society's ' Proceedings ' t-
First, as regards the skull, in which certain peculiarities are
at once perceptible, to be found neither in Scopus nor in Can-
croma, indeed neither in the Storks nor Herons. But these, in
fact, are only the result of the extraordinary development of the
bill; and some of them, at all events, are noticeable in parti-
cularly large-billed birds belonging to entirely different orders.
Of such peculiarities, very interesting in themselves, but of little
moment in regard to the affinities of Balceniceps, must particu-
larly be named the complete anchylosis of all the different bones
forming the lower jaw, so that there is not the least trace left of
* P. Z. S. 1860, p. 377. t P- Z. S. 1860, p. 324.
Prof. Reiuhardt's Remarks on the Genus Balseniceps. 165
the sutures between them, — a circumstance likewise found in the
Hornbills, Toucans, and Parrots. Next must be considered the
very extraordinary clumsiness of the zygomatic arch, which, with
a length of two inches, is four lines thick and six to seven lines
high, thus offering dimensions which it does not obtain, even
approximately, in any other bird. Lastly, the proportions of the
lachrymal bone are to be observed. This bone is not only brought
forward in front of the hinge between the bill and the brain-
pan, as is the case, though rarely, in some other birds, but its
vertical branch also is throughout its whole length anchylosed
with the bill, so that the larger or smaller aperture leading to
the nasal cavity, and otherwise found between these parts, en-
tirely disappears. In consequence it seems at first sight as if,
against all rule, it was the bill itself that forms the boundary
to the orbit ; a formation to which at the utmost but a distant
analogy can be shown in the Owls, and partly in the Hornbills,
inasmuch as with them the lachrymal bone approaches close to
the bill, but does not unite with it.
When the special characters just discussed are set aside, it
will not be difficult to demonstrate in the skull of Balceniceps an
essential correspondence with Scopus and the Storks generally,
and particularly a greater resemblance to them than to Can-
croma and the Herons. A pervading difference between the
skulls of the Herons and the Storks consists in the cranium
proper, or brain-pan, being comparatively much longer in the
former than in the latter, whereupon follows a corresponding
difference in the length of the zygomatic arch. In other words,
the Herons are distinguished by a considerably elongated brain-
pan, while in the Storks the brain-pan is comparatively short.
This contrast can hardly be overlooked, whatever forms of the
groups in question be examined; but it is most conspicuous when
two, the heads of which have about the same absolute length, are
selected, for instance, the Common Bittern [Botaurus stellaris)
and Scopus umbretta. It will then be found that in the former
the brain-pan (measured from the moveable supra-maxillary
hinge) is nearly half the length of the latter, and not quite one-
third that of the cranium, and that the zygomatic arch is pre-
cisely twice as long in the former as in the latter. In entire
166 Prof. Eeinhardt's Remarks on the Genus Balseniceps.
accordance herewith, the zygomatic arch in Crmcroma is almost
twice as long as in Scopus, though the skull of the former is
somewhat shorter than that of the latter. In this comparison
Balaniceps agrees fully with the Storks. The broad and parti-
cularly short brain-pan is precisely one of the most prominent
features of its skull ) and it even surpasses in this respect both
Scopus and the other forms of the family, with the exception
perhaps of Anastomus. Notwithstanding the extraordinary dif-
ference in the size of each of these birds, the immensely clumsy
and thick zygomatic arch in Balaniceps is hardly longer than in
Cancroma, and it is superfluous to explain how much shorter it
must be comparatively, and how great a difference in this respect
exists between these two genera. Comparatively, also, the
zygomatic arch is shorter in Balceniceps than in Scopus, and
would be still more so if the extremity of the brain-pan was the
only point whereby its length could be determined. But it is
also affected partly, though in a small degree, by the position of
the tympanic bone ; and as this is nearly perpendicular in Balce-
niceps, while in Scopus it is placed obliquely with its lower end
(to which the zygomatic arch is attached) in front, the latter does
not reach backwards so far in the last as in the first-named bird,
and accordingly is somewhat shorter than the length of the brain-
pan required. Just as Balceniceps resembles Scoptis, Anastomus,
and the other Storks in the shortness of the zygomatic arch, so
it also harmonizes with them in its oblique position, and, to be
brief, makes therewith a considerable angle with the bill, while
in the Herons it is on a level.
Another difference in the skulls of the Herons and of the
Storks seems to be that the partition between the orbits in the
former is broken by a large aperture, filled only by a nervous
membrane, while no such aperture is found in Storks, and
especially not in Scopus, Anastomus [lamelligerus), or Leptoptilus
(javanicus and duhius). In this point also Balceniceps follows
Scopus and the Storks, whereas Cancroma, as far as the author
can infer from the somewhat imperfect cranium of this bird at
his disposal, approaches the Herons.
It has been already stated that in Balceniceps is found a real
hinge between the brain-pan and the bill. It is hardly less de-
Prof. Reinhardt's Remarks on the Genus Balseniceps. 167
veloped than in the Parrots; but it is situated much further
back than in them, since, on account of the peculiar position
of the lachrymal bone, it is placed above the anterior portion of
the orbit, and not, as usual, in front of it. Neither in Scopus
nor in Cancroma is there such a hinge ; but its exemplification is
found both in Leptoptilus and Tantalus, which have a deepish
cross-suture increasing the mobility of the bill, while the author
has not found the least trace of such a peculiarity in the Herons.
So far then this hin2;e is a less aberrant character in Bala-
niceps, if the bird be considered as most nearly allied to the
Storks, than if it be made a Heron-like form connected with
Cancro7na.
Mr. Parker has justly urged the forward position of the
lachrymal bone as a peculiarity of the cranium in Balaniceps ;
however, as already remarked, the bird does not stand alone in
this respect, for in the Owls that bone is situated in front of
the supra-maxillary hinge. What, however, ought to be insisted
on, and what Mr. Parker, who only compared Balaniceps with
one Stork (the Adjutant), has not remarked, is that the very
position of the lachrymal bone refers the bird to the Storks more
than to the Herons. For, in Scopus, the same bone is already
advanced, so that its anterior extremity reaches a little in front of
the cross-line, by which the pliability of the bill is effected, though
in this bird it is not marked out by any suture in the bone ;
while in Anastomus the lachrymal bone reaches fully three-
fourths of its length in front of the line in question, so that in
this respect there is but a short step from it to Balceniceps.
The case is the same with another character in the cranium of
Balceniceps insisted on by Mr. Parker — the small boss or knot
formed by the ridge of the bill a little behind the nostrils. In
Cancroma and the Herons it is certain that no trace of it can be
found, and the base of the bill has here quite a different form.
But, on the other hand, one has only to hold the cranium of
Scopus alongside that of Balaniceps to perceive at once that it
is the same type which prevails in this part of the skulls of both ;
and there will be found a still greater likeness shown by Bala-
niceps in this and other particular points to another frequently
mentioned Stork, namely Anastomus.
168 Prof. E/cinliardt's Remarks on the Genus Balseniceps.
It has been already remarked by Mr. Parker that there is no
harmony between Balaniceps and the Herons in regard to the
bones of the palate, and that in this respect it rather resembles
the Adjutant and Pelicans, particularly the latter, inasmuch
as these bones anchylose posteriorly, and along the line of an-
chylosis there stands out a prominent crest just as in Balaniceps.
A nearer comparison, however, shows that the resemblance to the
Pelicans extends to these two points only, and that the palatal
bones of the latter serve as a support to the inter-orbital septum
{os ethmoideum) for a very short way only, and that for the rest,
compressed into an extremely sharp keel, they extend underneath
as far as, but at a considerable distance from, the septum, which
also terminates in a sharp edge. In Balaniceps, on the con-
trai-y, the highly anchylosed palatal bones are hollowed out just
above into a deep channel, which receives the lower rounded
and thick margin of the inter-orbital septum, and slides back-
wards and forwards on it. But this development of the palatal
bones is also exactly characteristic of the Storks in general, of
Anastomus, and of Scopus, and in the latter they are found an-
chylosed posteriorly just as in Balaniceps.
The inter-articular bones {ossa pterygoided) are not exactly
those in the structure of which substantial grounds for making
Balamiceps rather a Stork than a Heron can be expected to be
found ; still their short powerful form does more towards ranking
it with the former than the latter group. And, lastly, in regard to
the tympanic bone, which most decidedly, together with certain
similarities to, also presents differences from, that of Scopus, we
remark that these differences do not bring it any nearer the same
bone in the Herons. This distinction is especially shown in the
peculiar form of the articulating surfaces of the lower jaw, which
are found to be in front of and inside the setting-on of the ptery-
goids. In Balaniceps the articulation is effected by two condyles
of unequal size and height, to which corresponds a socket on the
lower jaw, in form of two channels separated by an intervening
ridge, so sharply defined and so closely embracing the articu-
lating surface of the tympanic bone, that, in contemplating the
dried skull, one is at some pains to comprehend how it can ad-
mit of the requisite mobility. Just as little in Scopus and other
Prof. Reinhardt/s Remarks on the Genus Balseniceps. 169
members of the Stork group does the corresponding articulation
show a similar form. But, as already remarked, it is equally as
little the case with the Herons, in which the process, verging
inside towards the orbit, is at the same time turned ; so that,
contrary to what is seen in Balceniceps as well as in Scopus and
the Storks generally, it does not present an angular but a flat
surface above towards the brain-pan.
The skull is the only part of the skeleton of Balceniceps which
the author has himself seen. Of all the remainder he has only
such knowledge as he can glean from Mr. Parker's investigations
of the bird's osteology ; and it is but an abridgement from them
that he has at his disposal, — the entire paper intended to be em-
bodied in the Zoological Society's ' Transactions,' if it has already
appeared, not having yet met his eye *. It cannot be expected
that this abridgement in every particular point should give a full
explanation ; and further, Mr. Parker, who considers Balceniceps
as " strictly an Ardeine bird," and " more nearly related to
Cancroma than to any other known type," having taken no no-
tice of Scopus in the comparisons he has instituted between the
former bird and sundry others, it is very possible that there may
be similarities as well as dissimilarities between the bony struc-
ture of the body and limbs of Balceniceps and Scopus which have
escaped the author. He believes, however, from the short de-
scription of the English naturalist, that the similarities can be
proved to predominate.
From what Mr. Parker remarks, it may be seen that the
osteology of Balceniceps differs in many points from that of Can-
croma, in spite of the near affinity which he thinks exists be-
tween them. Thus, for example, a difference appears in many
respects in the sternum and furcula, and the former is (in Mr.
Parker's words) intermediate between that of the Stork and the
Cormorant. For in one way its keel, as in the last-named bird,
extends further in front of the articulation of the coracoids than
in the Herons and Storks ; and again, the furcula, as in that
bird also and in the Pelicans, is completely anchylosed with the
extremity of the sternal keel. Moreover the latter is lower than
* This has lately been published, and forms Part 6, vol. iv. of Trans.
Zool. Soc. ; vide antea, pp. 78, 79. — Transl.
170 Prof. Reinhardt's Remarks on the Genus Balseniceps.
in the Herons, the so-called spina sternalis is wanting, and, in
addition to the emargination at the posterior end of the sternum
which appears in the Herons and Storks, there exists another and
smaller one, nearer the keel. The sternum of Balceniceps differs
more from that of Cancroma than from that of the Herons pro-
per, in which the sternal keel is connected with the furcula by
means of an articulation, as this in Cancroma does not touch the
sternum. Neither, however, is that the case in Scopus; and it
must be confessed that the points in which Baltsniceps is said to
differ from Cancroma separate it also from Scopus. But they
are of little weight ; even the most striking of them, the anchy-
losis of the furcula with the sternal keel, may, as Mr. Parker
shows, be suddenly revealed in one peculiar member of a family
or even of an order* where it generally does not appear, as it
may be also found in some and wanting in other birds more
nearly related to each other f.
But even if, from what Mr. Parker states respecting the ster-
num of Balceniceps, no sure conclusions can be drawn regarding
its affinity to either of the birds so often named, or to the
Storks rather than to the Herons, it is not therefore impossible
to derive reasons from this bone in favour of adopting one opi-
nion rather than the other; for a very perceptible difference
in the sternum seems to prevail between the Herons and the
Storks. In the former [Ardece cinerea, herodias, and egretta)
the right coracoid is attached with its inner and lower angle
lapping over the left, and the sockets or articulating surfaces of
these bones on the most prominent rim of the sternum are
thereby rendered quite crooked and unsymmetrical. In the
Storks {Ciconia nigra, Lepioptilus javanicus) these articulating
surfaces are, on the contrary, symmetrical ; and Scopus, in this
as in so many other points, harmonizes with them. I regret
not being able to speak as to Cancroma in this respect ; but no
further explanation is needed to show that it would be import-
ant to obtain information on the subject, and also to ascertain
* For instance, the Secretary {Serpentarius reptilivorus) among the birds
of prey.
t The anchylosis is found in Grus antignne and G. americana, but not in
Balearica pavonina.
Prof. Reiuhardt's Remarks on the Genus Balseniceps. 171
whether Balaniceps herein agrees with the Herons or (as I con-
sider will be most probable) with the Storks.
The pelvis, from its long narrow form, is said to resemble that
of Cancroma more than that of either the Storks or Herons, but
also to differ from all these birds in not expanding anteriorly
in the form of a plate, so as to cover the upper extremities of
the posterior ribs. On the strength of this brief description,
it is difficult to say how great or how little harmony it may
display with that of Scopus, in its entire formation. But in
one, though not veiy important, point it resembles that of the
latter more than that of Cancroma, inasmuch as the side-bones
{ossa isc/iii) reach further back than the hip-bones {ossa ilii),
exactly as in Scopus, while just the reverse is the case in Can-
croma.
Finally, when one turns to the vertebrae and the ribs, there
will be found in some of the cervical vertebrae of Balaniceps a
canal formed by a small bony bridge on the lower side of these
bones upwards towards their anterior extremity, along which the
carotid artery runs, — a peculiarity which is also possessed by
the Herons and Cancroma, besides some other birds {Pelecanus,
Sula), but is wanting in Scopus and the great majority of the
Storks. Still in these it is not entirely unknown, since, as Mr.
Parker shows, it occurs in Mycteria australis. Thus it is not,
even in the order of Waders, an exclusive character of the
Herons, and its absence or presence cannot be of very great
value, A greater importance might be attached to the number
of vertebrae in the different portions of the vertebral column, as
well as to ihe number and relative position of the ribs; and
herein, as appears from Mr. Parker's own statement, Balaniceps
harmonizes both with Scopus and furthermore with the Storks,
but differs entirely from Cancroma, which again in this circum-
stance approaches the Herons as much as Balaeniceps does the
birds just named.
Indeed, in Balaniceps, as in Scopus and Leptoptilus, there are
found twenty-one separate and reciprocally moveable vertebrae
between the head and the sacrum ; and in the true Storks the
number is even less by one. On the contrary, the Herons and
Cancroma have twenty-three vertebrae within that space. Of
172 Prof. Reinhardt's Remarks on the Germs Balseniceps.
thesCj fifteen are cervical vertebrse in every member of tbe group
with the exception of the true Heron {A. ciner-ea), which has six-
teen ; and thus it is in the number of the dorsal vertebrse, and
consequently of the ribs also, that the difference becomes most
manifest. BalcEiiiceps, Scopus, and Leptoptilics have six recipro-
cally moveable dorsal vertebrae, and theAVhite Stork five* ; Ardea,
on the contrary, has seven, and Cancroma as many as eight. Per-
haps the harmony in the number and position of the ribs is still
more striking. For in Balceniceps, as well as in Scopus, Leptopti-
lus, and Ciconia, there are seven pairs of ribs. Of these, with
the exception of Scopus, which has only one so-called false rib
on either side, the two anterior pairs are false ribs, which do not
touch the sternum. In none of them are found any posterior
false ribs ; for even the single or (in the White Stork) the two
pairs which are attached to the sacrum and pelvis reach the
sternum and are furnished with sternal costse. In Cancroma
and Ardea the proportion is essentially different ; for these birds
have respectively nine and eight pairs of ribs, of which in Can-
o'oma the four, and in the Heron the three, anterior pairs are
false ribs ; and although in these birds the posterior pair are
attached to the pelvis, yet, according to Mr. Parker, they do not
touch the sternum as is the case in the Storks.
Thus it also appears that in the osteology of Balaniceps
there is manifested a preponderant approximation to Scopus and
the Storks, rather than to Cana'oma and the Herons. It is not,
however, intended to be denied that there are some few points
in which a similarity to Cancroma may not likewise be traced.
The study of the skeleton of Balceniceps, therefore, confirms
* Nevertheless the whole number of dorsal vertebrae in the White Stork
is not really less than in its allied genera. For in all the other birds named
above, Herons as well as Storks, there is one pair of ribs attached to the
sacrum and back, but in the White Stork, on the contrary, there are two pairs
so attached. The fact is, that in the last-mentioned species two true dorsal
vertebrse coalesce with the sacrum, but in all the others only one. This
difference which appears between the White Stork and all its allies, in the
number of free vertebrae lying between the head and sacrum, is also with-
out real significance, since taken absolutely all the Storks here mentioned
have fifteen cervical and seven dorsal vertebra; ; Cancroma and the Herons,
on the other hand, have fifteen and eight, or sixteen and seven.
Prof. Reinhardt's Remarks on the Genus Balseniceps. 1 73
clearly the result to which the examination of its external
characters had led; and, in the author's opinion, this bird,
together with Scopus, forms a small separate group among the
Storks {Ciconime), to which perhaps Anastomus might be added.
Postscript. — During the interval which has elapsed between
the presentation and the printing of the above notice, the author
has received some new information respecting the structure of
Balaniceps, which induces him to add two further observations.
The August number of the ' Annals and Magazine of Natural
History ' has brought him a report of the proceedings at the
Zoological Society's Meeting of the 26th of March, 1861, con-
taining a short commuuication from Mr. Bartlett on a new in-
vestigation of the bird in question, which he had had the
opportunity of instituting after the last of the Balcenicipites
sent to the Zoological Gardens had died.
The most important discovery which Mr. Bartlett has made
on this occasion is, that over the loins there is a large powder-
down patch, or, it may be said, two patches united posteriorly *,
which he had not before noticed when examining the living bird.
But this patch is the only one that exists. Neither on the breast
nor on the groin is there a trace of one, and so far his former
statement is corroborated. That such a powder-down patch is
a curious anomaly in a Stork, and a surprising approximation
to the Herons, cannot be denied ; and Mr. Bartlett does not
hesitate to see in its existence a decisive proof that BaJcenicejjs
must accordingly be reckoned among these last. The author,
however, cannot attach so great an importance to the powder-
down patch. It does not seem to him admissible that it should
weigh more than the pervading affinity to Scopus and the Storks,
which in so many ways otherwise shows itself in Balaniceps.
Nor is it without moment that the patch discovered is precisely
that which is occasionally found out of the Heron group, while
there is no trace of the breast or groin patches which are ex-
clusively peculiar thereto. Mr. Bartlett seems to doubt the
* Mr. Bartlett in his notice says there are "two large, well-defined
powder-down patches" {I.e. p. 187); but the woodcut annexed presents
the appearance spoken of above.
174 Prof. Reinhardt's Remarks on the Genus Balseniceps.
correctness of Nitzscli's assertion that such loin patches some-
times appear in other birds besides the Herons. But there is
no reason whatever for such a doubt ; and had he only examined
some of the birds which Nitzsch names, as Nauclerus furcatus,
FJanus melanojjterus, and the species of Circus, he would certainly
have easily found them, for they are indeed large enough. At
all events Mr. Bartlett^s discovery does not prove any very great
approximation to Cancroma. On the contrary, if Balaniceps
should really be referi-ed to the Herons, there is not one of them
from which it should not be further removed than from that genus,
in regard to the powder-down patches. For, besides the three
pairs known previously in Cana'oma, Mr. Bartlett has discovered
a fourth pair, placed between the shoulders, and overlooked by
Nitzsch. That this interesting observation is quite correct, I have
had the opportunity of ascertaining for myself in several skins of
this bird. Nor should it be forgotten that, though powder-down
patches certainly form a very important pterylographic distinction
between the Herons and the Storks, yet they are not the only one.
Independently of them, from the pterylosis of Balaniceps there
can be unquestionably deduced either one or the other opinion.
It is therefore much to be regretted that Mr. Bartlett says
nothing else about the position of the feathers, and so does not
appear to have profited by the excellent opportunity he had of
becoming acquainted with it.
Setting aside the degree of importance to be attached to the ob-
servation consequent on the discovery of the loin patch in Balani-
cepsjthere has been really proved, as above admitted, an approxima-
tion between that bird and the Herons ; but otherwise the author
has found nothing whatever in Mr. Bartlett^s notice which can
be said to be demonstrated. It is certainly asserted that Bala-
niceps, in regard to its intestines, agrees generally with the
Herons : " the stomach, liver, intestines, &c., of the two birds
appeared exactly to correspond in structure and arrangement."
But that this rather vague statement, enunciated as a gene-
rality, should be taken according to the strict sense of the
words, can hardly have been Mr. Bartlett's intention; for in
order to be invested with any especial force of proof, it ought
to have been declared as well, whether Scopus and the Storks
LMs 156 2, PI. VI
^'
t
^IP.
\
J. Jennena del et litn
MACHtEROPTERUS DELICIOSUS
M * N.Eazihai'tlmp,
Dr. P. L. Sclater on Pipra deliciosa. 175
differ essentially from the Herons in these particulars. If they
do not, the statement proves nothing either one way or the
other. And when it is finally said^ in the notice, that the skulls
of Scopus and Bcdceniceps are so entirely different that it is use-
less to enter upon further details respecting them, the compari-
son above instituted will, the author thinks, prove not only
that there are similarities, but such as are neither few nor in-
significant, and that it is Mr. Bartlett's own fault if he did not
become aware of them.
The author therefore cannot, by this new plea in the discussion
on the affinities of Bulaniceps, find himself induced to alter the
opinion he has endeavoured to substantiate, partly in his former
communication to the Zoological Society's 'Proceedings,^ and
partly in the representation here given.
XX. — Note on Pipra deliciosa. By P. L. Sclater.
(Plate VI.)
In one of my lists of the birds collected by Mr. Eraser in Ecua-
dor, published in the Zoological Society's ' Proceedings ' for
1860, I proposed the name of Pipra deliciosa iov anewlManakin,
of which examples were obtained at Nanegal, and gave some re-
marks on the abnormal structure of some of the wing-feathers
exhibited by the male of this species. I was not then aware
that a very similar structure occui's in two other members of the
group of PiprincE — namely, in Pipra regulus, of Brazil, and Pipra
striolata, of New Granada, — although the abnormal growth is not
carried to such an excess of development in these birds. But the
first three secondaries are curved, and the next following thickened
at the stems, in the males of these two species, nearly as is the case
in Pipra deliciosa. I think, therefore, that the latter bird ought
to be removed from the typical Piprce to the genus Machtero-
pterus. This term, evidently referring to the peculiar structure
of the wing, was employed for Pipra regidus and its allies by
Prince Bonaparte in 1854*, having been taken by the Prince
from Dr. Schiff's MS. names in the Frankfort Museum.
* See Conspectus Voluerum Anisodactylorum, auctore Carolo L. Bona-
parte, in Ateneo Italiano, No. 11, August 1854.
176 Dr. P. L. Sclater on Pipra deliciosa.
The known species of the genus Macharopterus will, therefore,
stand as follows : —
1. Macharopterus regulus.
Pipra regulus, Hahn, Ausl. Vog. Lief. 4. pi. 4. f. 1, 2. Pipra
striffilata,V/ied, Reis.n.Bras. i.p. 187, etBeitr.iii. p. 430 ; Temm.
Pi. Col. 54. f. 1, 2 ; Licht. Doubl. p. 29; Sw. Orn. Dr. pi. 25 ;
Bp. Consp. p. 174; Burm. Syst. Ueb. ii. p. 445. Pipra lineata,
Thunb. Mem. Acad. Petersb. 1822, p. 284. pi. 8. f. 1. Macha-
ropterus strigilatus, Bp. Consp. Vol. Anisodact. p. 6. Macharo-
pterus regulus, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. ii. p. 94.
Hab. S.E. Brazil.
2. Macharopterus striolatus.
Pipra striolata, Bp. P. Z. S. 1837, p. 122, et Consp. p. 174;
Gray et Mitch. Gen. B. i. p. 274. pi. 67. f. 2; Sclater, P. Z. S.
1855, p. 152, 1857, p. 265, et 1858, p. 72. Pipra strigilata,
Wagl. Isis, 1830, p. 936. Machceropterus striolatus, Cab. et
Hein. Mus. Hein. ii. p. 94.
Hab. Venezuela and New Granada.
3. Mach/eropterus pyrocephalus.
Pipra pyrocephala, Sclater, Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1852, p. 9,
et Contr. Orn. 1852, p. 132. Macharopterus pyrocephalus, Bp.
Consp. Vol. Anisodact. p. 6 ; Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein. ii. p. 94
(note).
Hab. Peruvian Amazon.
Obs. It was supposed at Paris that the typical example of this
species (which I described in 1852) was from Bogota, but ex-
amples collected by Mr. Hauxwell on the Ucayali and Huallaga
show that the wood-region of Eastern Peru is its real home.
4. Macharopterus deliciosus. (Plate VI.)
Pipra deliciosa, Sclater, P. Z. S. 1860, p. 90.
Hab. Western Ecuador.
To accompany the figure herewith given of this charming spe-
cies, I extract my remarks on the curious structure of its wings,
as given in the ' Proceedings ' of the Zoological Society : —
" This Manakin is one of the most brilliantly coloured birds of
the charming group to which it belongs ; and the male bird is
Dr. P. L. Sclatev on Pipra deliciosa.
177
further remarkable for the very curious structure of its wings,
which merits a detailed description. The ten primaries are of
the ordinary formation of birds of this family, the first being
shorter than the second, third, and fourth, which are nearly
equal and longest, and of about the same length as the sixth.
The first three secondaries are thick-stemmed, and curved towards
the body at a distance of about two-thirds of their length from
the base. The fourth and fifth show this structure to a greater
degree, with some corresponding alteration in the barbs on each
side, as may be seen by comparing fig. a, representing the upper
surface of the fifth secondary of the male bird, with fig. a', which
gives a similar view of that of the female. In the sixth and
seventh secondaries of the male the terminal half of the rachis is
thickened to an extraordinary degree, forming a solid horny lump.
VOL. IV. N
] 78 Recent Ornithological Publications.
The external and internal barbs are also much modified in shape
and generally curtailed in size. Fig. b gives an upper view of the
sixth, and fig. c an under view of the seventh secondary. The
corresponding feathers of the female^ representing the normal
structure, are seen in fig. b' and fig. c'. In the eighth and ninth
secondaries the rachis is still rather thickened ; but the barbs
{pogonia), instead of being reduced in size, are highly developed,
particularly on the inner side. Mr. Fraser states that the wing-
bones of these birds were also much thickened, no doubt in aid
of this abnormal structure of the remigesP
XXI. — Recent Ornithological Publications.
1. English Publications.
We have already noticed at some length von Schrenck's import-
ant work on the Fauna of Amoorland*. It will not therefore be
necessary to say much concerning Mr. Ravenstein's * Russians
on the Amoorf,' the chapter in Mr. Ravenstein's volume de-
voted to the natural history of this region having been based
upon V. Schrenck's discoveries. But we take this opportunity of
cordially recommending Mr. Ravenstein's work to those who are
desirous of knowing what has been done by Russia and is now
going on in this part of the world. They will be pleased to find
in Mr. Ravenstein's resume a succinct account of the history, geo-
graphy, ethnology, climate, and natural productions of this little-
known region, and may save themselves the necessity of hunting
for the requisite information on these subjects in the in many
cases inaccessible original authorities published in Russia.
Mr. Boner^s recent unpretending little work J contains some
few interesting particulars of the habits of the Capercaillie [Tetrao
* Ibis, 1861, p. 203.
t The Russians on the Amoor; its discovery, conquest, and coloniza-
tion. By E. G. Ravenstein, F.R.G.S. London : Triibner & Co. 1861,
1 vol. 8vo.
X Forest Creatures. By Charles Boner, &c. London, 1861 (1 vol.
12mo, pp. 245).
Recent Ornithological Publications. 179
urogallus), Black-Cock {T. tetrix), and Golden Eagle {Aquila
chrysaetus), as observed by the author in Southern Germany.
The custom of shooting the males of the two first-mentioned
species just prior to the breeding-time is not confined to Scandi-
navia. Of the last Mr. Boner says (p. 162), *Uhat it has fre-
quently been seen soaring above the summit of the Wetterhorn
and the Eiger Mountains, whose heights are 1 1,413 feet and
12,240 feet respectively." The extraordinary bird^s-nesting feat
of the amateur acrobat, Count Arco, which found its way into
the newspapers last summer, is fully recounted. Mr. Boner's
criticisms (pp. 176-8) on the knowledge of Eagles possessed by
Sir Humphry Davy and Professor Wilson are not, we think,
altogether to the purpose. The bird spoken of by the author of
* Salmonia,' which " dashes into the water, falling like a rock,
and raising a column of spray," was of course an Osprey [Pandion
haliaetus), and the action was no unwonted sight to that accom-
plished fisherman. Further, we suspect that in former days in
Scotland it was " the commoner occurrence for there to be several
eaglets in a nest," as is to be inferred from ' Christopher North's '
expressions. We know of many instances in which two have
been so found ; indeed a case is recorded in our last volume
(' Ibis,' 1860, p. 112) ; and, if we are not misinformed, Mr. Wol-
ley on one occasion discovered three fertile eggs in a Golden
Eagle's nest. Mr. Boner has great cause to complain of his
engraver, who has contrived to mar the skill of the artist by his
exceedingly coarse work. The tournament between the two
Black-Cocks is well conceived, and the absurd attitude of the
Capercaillie uttering his love-song — which we have here seen
depicted for the first time — is very good, though in both illustra-
tions the birds are mounted on legs suggestive of stronger
Columbine affinities than most ornithologists accord to the
Tetraonidce.
In the 'Natural- History Review ' for January 1862 (pp. 26-52),
Mr. Lubbock has given an account of the archseontological
researches recently carried on in Switzerland, which is as full of
interest, if not of novelty, to the English public as his former
paper, noticed in our last Number ('Ibis,' 1862, p. 76). The
N 2
180 Recent Ornithological Publications.
" pile-buildings " or " lake habitations " of the ancient inha-
bitants of Helvetia have been described by several authors — by
MM. Morlot, Trogon, and Keller among others. The animal
remains found among their ruins have been investigated by
Professor Riitimeyer in two works, of which the last published,
'Die Fauna der Pfahlbauten in der Schweiz/ contains all that
we at present know on the subject. Bones of no less than
eighteen species of birds have been recovered from these monu-
ments which the early European races unconsciously heaped up
to their own memory. The species, according to ]\Ir. Lubbock,
are the following : —
Aquila fulva. Tetiao bonasia.
haliaetus (?). Ardea cinerea.
Falco milvus. Ciconia alba.
palumbarius. Fulica atra.
nisus. Larus {sp. indet.).
Strix ahico. Cygnus musicus.
Sturuus vulgaris. Anser segetum.
Cinclus aquaticus. Anas boschas.
Columba palumbus. querquedula (?) .
None of these indicate, as in the case of those met with in the
Danish " Kitchen-Middens," any remarkable changes in the
physical aspect of the country. They were all fi-om old settle-
ments of the most ancient or " Stone " period ; but the discovery
of a single bone at a station of the " Bronze " age, and attributed
by M. Riitimeyer to the Barn-door Fowl {Gallus domesticus), is
more suggestive to antiquarians.
Dr. Bree continues his laudable efforts to make English
ornithologists take a greater interest in the 'Birds of Europe
not observed in the British Isles,' the forty-third part of his
work having made its appearance on the 1st of March last.
While we heartily congratulate the author on the general results
of his labours, we must confess we cannot view with approbation
his repeated attacks upon the Darwinian theory of the origin of
species. Of course every one has a right to his own opinions on a
question so fraught with difficulties, and we are not now expressing
any decided sentiments respecting it. But more than a year ago,
Recent Ornithological Publications. 181
Dr. Bree published a volume* especially designed to refute the
mischievous tendencies of Mr. Darwin's hypothesis; and as
hitherto the learned author of the celebrated treatise ' On the
Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection' has not thought
fit to reply to Dr. Bree's objections, we should have imagined
the latter gentleman might have contented himself, if he has any
faith in his own views, with the supposition that they were un-
answerable, and accordingly have refrained from further notice
of the subject. On the contrary, of Dr. Bree, as of Alexander,
it may be said that " thrice he slew the slain," for at least as
many times quite recently has he taken occasion to celebrate the
triumph of his teleological arguments over those adduced by his
enemy.
We cannot recognize the validity of the reasons Dr. Bree urges
for not giving due place to Turtur rupicola (Pall.) = Columba
gelastes, Temm., and for omitting a figure of that species, as, in
spite of Dr. v. Schrenck's opinion, we must advisedly call it. The
British Museum contains several specimens of this Dove, and it
seems to us to deserve recognition fully as much as Hiimndo
cahirica.
2. Russian and Scandinavian Publications.
The fourth number of the * Bulletin de la Societe Imperiale des
Naturalistes de Moscou,' for 1860 (vol. xxxiii. p. 488), contains
a paper by M. J. Schatilofi" on the birds he has collected in
Tauriaf. M. Schatilofi"'s station of observation is at Schati-
lofka, a village situated at the embouchure of the Karam into the
Putrid Sea. He began collecting in 1854 in company with M.
H. G. Radde, the well-known naturalist of the Russian Scientific
Expedition to Amoorland. To the 185 species enumerated by
the latter gentleman in his ' Beitragen zu der Ornithologie Siid-
Russlands,' M. Schatilofi" has been enabled to add 33 others, and
in his catalogue altogether enumerates 228 species. As M.
Schatilofi" himself admits, this cannot be considered a complete
* Species not Transmutable, nor the Result of Secondary Causes, &c.
By C. R. Bree, M.D., F.L.S. London, 1860.
t Katalog mcines ornithologischen Museums dev Yogel Tauriens. Von
J. Schatiloff.
182 Recent Oi'nithuloyical Publications.
list of the birds of the Chersonese^ as other species have been
recorded by competent authorities who have written on the fauna
of this region. Nevertheless M. Schatiloflf^s paper may be con-
sulted with advantage, being good as far as it goes.
The only contribution to ornithology we have to record from
Denmark is the paper on the structure and affinities of Balani-
ceps by Professor Keinhardt, of which we give a translation in
our present Number. This question seems likely to become a
cause celebre in ornithological controversy. Might we be allowed
to suggest that the distinctions between the Ciconince and
Ardeince require more precise definition than has as yet been laid
down ? We think that this step is necessary before the discus-
sion is carried further.
The ninth part of Professor Sundevall's ' Svenska Foglarna '
has been published. This work, to which we have already
several times alluded, will no doubt be found as useful to his
countrymen as it is instructive to foreigners. The author is a
particularly safe guide, and though we may not entirely agree
with his somewhat peculiar ideas on systematic arrangement,
all his writings deserve the best attention of ornithologists.
Herr Conservator F. W. Meves, who a few years ago so
luckily stumbled on the true explanation of the bleating noise
made by the Common Snipe [Gallinago scolopacinus) in the
breeding season (P. Z. S. 1858, p. 199), has communicated two
papers to the Summary of the Transactions of the Royal Aca-
demy of Sciences at Stockholm for 1860 (Ofversigt af Kongl.
Vetenskaps-Akademiens Forhandlingar, 17de argSngen).
The first is a " Contribution to the Ornithology of Jemtland,*'
being an account of his travels in that province of Sweden, we
suppose in the year 1859. He mentions (p. 202) that, on the
12th of February, a Thrush was obtained at Haga, out of a flock
of Fieldfares and Redwings, which in colour and size is midway
between those two species, resembling the former above, and the
latter beneath. But in the last respect it also agrees with the
mysterious Turdus illuminus of Lobenstein (Naum.Vog. Deutschl.
Recent Ornithological Publications. 183
xiii. p. 286, pi. 356; ' Nauraannia/ 1851, iv. p. 3, and 1852, iii.
p. 67, cum fig.). Can it be a hybrid between T. pilaris and T.
iliacus ? The type-specimen of the so-called T. illuminus appears
to have been killed some tv>fenty years ago in Lusatia (Saxony),
and was preserved in Baron von Lobenstein^s collection at Lohsa
(Tobias, 'Abhandl. Naturf. Gesellsch. zu Gdrhtz,^ iv. i. p. 32).
The remaining portion of Herr Meves* first paper, though con-
taining valuable information, does not seem to call for further
notice here.
The second communication made to the same volume by this
industrious observer is not a little singular. It is " Ou the Red
Colouring in Gypaetus" (p. 487), a subject which has already
attracted attention in this Journal ('Ibis,^ 1859, pp. 85 & 177).
By a simple chemical test, he ascertained that the red colouring
is due to a superficial deposit of oxide of iron on the feathers, and
he says that the colouring-matter on the eggs also arises from
the same cause. He suggests that this stain is owing to the
birds bathing in water containing iron in solution, but judici-
ously remarks that this point must be investigated in the birds'
own homes. During his journey in Jemtland, noticed above, Herr
Moves had observed the same peculiarity in some of the feathers
of the Crane {Grus cinerea), which he then found to be caused by
the presence of iron. We hope some of our readers may try an
experiment with the feathers of Swans, which, especially in the
wild species [Cygnus ferus diad C. minor), are so often tinged with
rufous.
3. American Publications.
We have lately received the latter part of vol. vii., and the
commencement of vol. viii., of the ' Proceedings of the Boston
Society of Natural History,' which have been kindly transmitted
to this Journal. They contain several articles on ornithology.
Dr. Henry Bryant (p. 226) attempts to show that Sclater's
identification of two birds from Bogota [Turdus swainsonii and
Vireo oUvaceus) with North-American species is erroneous. To
the former he proposes to restore the name Turdus minimus,
given to it by M. de Lafresnaye; for the latter he makes a new
name, Vi7'eo hogotensis.
184 Recent Ornithological Publications.
Dr. Brewer (p. 305) gives a nominal catalogue of the Birds
of Cuba^ compiled from two lists furnished to him by Dr. John
Gundlach of Havanna. He enumerates 25 1 species. Dr. Brewer
also communicates (p. 308) a paper by Mr. F. Germain of San-
tiago, entitled " Notes upon the Mode and Place of Nidification
of some of the Birds of Chili." Mr. Germain's notes relate to
69 species, the eggs of which were all collected by himself, and
his specimens may therefore be depended upon as authentic.
We should very much like to have further information con-
cerning the nidification of Pteroptochus albicollis and of the
other species of the same group found in Chili. It would be
interesting to know whether they confirm the uumistakeable
relationship which exists between these birds and Menura. The
same volume contains also two notices by Dr. Henry Bryant
(pp. 349, 367) on the nidification of some species of Sea-birds.
Two other contributions of Dr. H. Bryant to the same Journal
have reached us only in the form of separate copies, for which
we have to thank Professor Baird. Dr. Bryant's " Remarks on
the Variation of Plumage of Buteo borealis and B. harlani" are
of great importance, and we give an extract from his paper
which clearly shows the conclusion he has arrived at : —
" On carefully examining a large series of specimens, princi-
pally in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution at Wash-
ington, and of the Academy of Natural Sciences at Philadelphia,
I find that all of them, belonging to harlani ?, insignatus, sivain-
sonii, bairdii, oxypterus, borealis, montanus, calurus, and perhaps
cooperi, can be easily reduced to two very distinct groiips, each
of which is distinguishable by definite external characters, and
in which the variations of plumage, though apparently so great
if the extremes only are taken into consideration, can, it seems
to me, be arranged in a series, in which the connexion of the
different members may be readily traced. Of these two groups,
or rather species, one, which should be called B. borealis, as the
first-described, consists of that species, montanus, calurus, har-
lani ?, and probably cooperi, and is characterized by a very mus-
cular body, stronger and larger bill, longer and more powerful
tarsi, and a more rounded wing, the fourth quill generally the
Recent Ornithological Publications. 185
longest, the fifth little, if any, shorter than the third, and the
first always shorter than the eighth. The other species, to which
harlani ?, insignatus, swainsonii, bairdii, and oxypterus belong, is
distinguished by a more slender body, shorter and weaker tarsi,
and a more pointed wing, the third quill generally the longest,
the fifth considerably shorter than the third, and the first always
longer than the eighth. It is a matter of some doubt what name
should be assigned to this species. I have seen specimens which
agree very exactly with Audubon^s plate of B. harlani ; and if
they are really specimens of his bird, that name would have
priority. Though his type-specimen in the British Museum is
said by some of the English ornithologists to belong to the
other species, I am inclined to doubt this, as there is a specimen
of B. fuliginosus in the collection of the Academy marked B.
harlani by Audubon himself, and it is almost impossible for
him to have mistaken this bird for a Ked-tailed Hawk. I shall
therefore at present consider this species to be B. harlani. If
the type in the British Museum should prove to be a different
bird, swainsonii, as next in date, would take its place.^^
Dr. Bryant^s " Monograph of the genus Catarractes " is also'
a valuable contribution to our knowledge of the ornithology of
North America. But we strongly protest against the change of
nomenclature, which Dr. Bryant is " sorry to propose " in this
case, and which we should be still more sorry to accept. It is
not our intention on the present occasion to enter anew into the
oft-vexed question of the " law of priority,'^ and how far it is to
be carried back. We are content to refer Dr. Biyant to the
admirable remarks on this subject made by the late Hugh
Strickland in his various critiques upon Mr. G. R. Gray's ' List
of the Genera of Birds*,' and, in accordance with his views, to
remark, that if we once go back beyond Linnseus's perfected edi-
tion of the ' Systema Naturae ' (the 12th), we may be gradually
induced to recognize, the nomenclature of Ray, of Pliny, of Ari-
stotle, and possibly even the names which some Biblical commen-
tator may fancy were given by Adam to the beasts and birds in
Paradise. "We must, therefore, respectfully decline to aid Dr.
* See Ann. Nat. Hist. vols. vi. p. 410, vii. p. 26 (1841).
186 Recent Ornithological Publications.
Bryant in endeavouring to resuscitate Moerhing's long-forgotten
term Catarractes, and shall continue to use Uria for this well-
known group of AlcidcB, of which Dr. Bryant recognizes four
species, namely — 1. troille (Linn.); 2. ringvia (Briinnich) ; 3.
lomvia [brunnichii, Sabine) ; 4. californica, Bryant.
The first three occur on the Atlantic coasts of Europe and
North America; the last is the representative of U. troille on
the Pacific, and may be considered as a climatal variety of that
species.
A part of the ' Annals of the Lyceum of Natural History of
New York ' (vol. vii., Nos. 10-12), lately issued, contains three
articles by Mr. George N. Lawrence relating to ornithology.
Of two of these we have already said a few words *. The third
is a second list of birds collected by Mr. McLeannan on the
Panama Railway route during the winter of 1860-61, "with the
assistance of Mr. John R. Galbraith, an intelligent and skilful
young taxidermist," of New York. Nearly 300 specimens were
obtained by these active collectors, comprising additional exam-
ples of nearly all the 142 species enumerated in the former
' catalogue, and of about 150 additional species. Several of the
latter are described as new. Mr. Lawrence has materials accu-
mulating for a third list of birds from this interesting locality,
among which are the new species described in our last Number,
and other rarities. "We cordially wish Mr. Lawrence success in
working out the ornithology of this interesting region. The forms
require accurate comparison with those of Guatemala and New
Granada, and will prove in many cases, as we can testify from
inspection of those of them submitted to us by Mr. Lawrence,
to be intermediate in characters as in locality.
In the recently published * Proceedings of the Academy of
Natural Sciences of Philadelphia,' pp. 145-384, for 1861, we
notice, besides the two papers of Mr. Coues spoken of in our
last Number, the following articles relating to birds : —
(1.) Description of a new Pitta, by Mr. Elliot [Pitta leu-
coptera), from Ceylon (?). We doubt Ceylon being the true
* See ' Ibis,' 1861, p. 406.
Recent Ornithological Publications. 187
habitat of this Pitta, which was obtained from M. Parzudaki of
Paris, and we are almost inclined to doubt the " white wings "
being anything more than a character of immaturity.
(2.) Description of a new North-American Grouse, by Dr.
Suckley — Pedicecetes kennicottii — a northern form of the Sharp-
tailed Grouse (P. phasianellus) , from Fort Rae and Voig Island
in Arctic America near Great Slave Lake.
(3.) Amonograph of the genus ^giothus, by Mr. Coues (p. 373) .
Mr. Coues has worked diligently at the series of Redpolls in the
collection of the Smithsonian Institution, " which consists of more
than one hundred specimens from very various localities in Ame-
rica, Europe, and Greenland, and comprises all the known spe-
cies, except ^. rufescens and ^. holbblli." Mr. Coues has also
received examples of these birds for comparison from the Museum
of Copenhagen ; and from these materials makes out seven species
of this group, namely : —
1 . ^. rostratus, sp. nov., of Greenland.
2. ^. fuscescens, sp. nov., of Labrador.
3. y^. rufescens, of Europe.
4. j^. linaria, of Europe, Asia, and North America.
5. ^. holbolli, of Northern and Western Europe.
6. ^. exilipes, sp. nov., of North America.
7. ^. canescens, of Greenland.
We should be sorry to hazard any opinion on these new species
without having inspected the type-specimens; but every one who
looks at Mr. Coues's paper must admit that his conclusions are
not hastily arrived at, and that his descriptions of the birds of
this group have been worked out with care and precision.
The * Proceedings of the Californian Academy of Sciences ' *
for 1861 contain a paper by Dr. J. G. Cooper, wherein are de-
scribed two new Californian birds — an Owl, allied to Glaucidium
gnoma (of Baird's N. A. Birds= Glaucidium californicum, Sclater),
which he proposes to call Athene whitneyi, and a Wood-warbler,
of the genus Helminthophaga {H. lucia) . Both these birds were
obtained in the Colorado Valley, where the latter is said to be
* Proceedings of the Californian Academy of Sciences, 1858-61, vol. ii.
p. 124.
188 Recent Ornithological Publications.
" common/' A list of rare birds, specimens of which, as of these
supposed new ones, were collected during the State Geological
Survey in this locality, is added.
We have long lamented not being able to obtain any satisfac-
tory information relative to the exact localities whence the bird-
skins sent to Europe in such large numbers from Bogota are
procured. An article by M. de Geoffrey, Secretary of the French
Legation to the New-Granadian capital, lately published in the
second volume of Dr. Uricochea's * Contribuciones de Columbia
a las Ciencias e a las Artes,' gives some interesting details concern-
ing the Humming-birds of the district of Bogota *, and we trust
that M. de Geoffrey will extend his researches into the other
branches of the rich ornithology of that district.
The number of Humming-birds known in the environs of
Bogota, M . de Geoffrey tells us, is 64. " Nous disons les environs
de Bogota," continues M. de Geoffrey, " car ce n'est guere, j\
proprement parler, qu'un rayon d'une trentaine de lieues autour
de cctte capitale qui a ete exploite avec quelque soin par les
amateurs de cctte branche de I'ornithologie, et sous leur direc-
tion par les Indiens, chasseurs d'oiseaux." The localities whence
.the Indians bring Humming-birds' skins ai*e, as M. de Geoffrey
goes on to inform us, principally Choachi, and the route of the
Llanos as far as Villavicencio ; then Anolaima, La Mesa, Viota,
Fuzagazuga, Muzo, and La Palma. M. de Geoffrey, after a
general sketch of the altitudes at which the different generic
forms of the Humming-birds are usually found, gives a list of the
64 species, arranged according to Prince Bonaparte's catalogue
(Rev. Zool. 1854, p. 248), with details concerning the habits
and resorts of each of them. This paper should be consulted
by all those who are interested in Humming-birds, and we beg
leave particularly to recommend the author to the notice of
Mr. Gould.
* " Note sur les Trochilidces de la Nouvellc Granade." Contr. de Col.
a 1. Cieuc. e Art, vol. ii. p. 3 (London, Triibner & Co.).
Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, ^c. 189
XXII. — Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, £^c.
Wk have received the following letters : —
To the Editor of * The Ibis:
Norwich, February 22, 18fi2.
Sir, — In addition to the three specimens of the Shore-Lark
[Alanda alpcstris) taken at Brighton in November 18G1, as de-
scribed by Mr. J. D. Rowley in the last Number of ' The Ibis/ I
am now able to record the capture of five others in Norfolk, be-
tween the first week in November and the 10th of January, 18G2.
The first was killed at Yarmouth on the 17th of November, the
second at Sherringham on the 9th, and the third at Yarmouth on
the 12th ; and no others were apparently noticed on any part of
our coast until the last pair were also procured at Sherringham,
during the first week of the present year. Having been shot in
different localities, I have been unable to ascertain how many of
these birds were seen on each occasion, or whether they wei'c the
only ones observed at the time. Most probably there were others,
which escaped destruction ; and as these birds were performing a
southward migration, it is by no means impossible that the five
specimens seen by the Brighton bird-catcher, of which he caught
two on the 15th of November, and one on the IGth, were the
remnant of a flight, already thinned on their passage down our
eastern coast.
Very severe gales had visited us for some days just previous
to the appearance of the three November specimens, and several
Little Auks were picked up at the same time in different parts of
the country ; but although some of these storm-driven sea-birds
showed symptoms of privation, the Shore-Larks, both in flesh and
plumage, were in high condition. It is somewhat singular that
both those killed here and those netted at Brighton should all
be male birds, as proved by dissection, though diff'cring more or
less in brightness of colouring. I was fortunate enough to ex-
amine the five Norfolk Shore-Larks as soon almost as they were
sent up to this city for preservation. All exhibited a transition
state between winter and summer plumage ; but in those killed
in the month of November the bands of black and yellow on the
throat were very bright, and the horns plainly marked, more espe-
190 Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, ^c.
cially in the one from Sherringham, which had also a richer vinous
tint on the wings ; but in each the band over the crown of the
head was but shghtly traceable. Of the two killed at Sherring-
ham on the 9th and 10th of January, one was evidently an older
bird than the other, with a perfect black gorget and bright yellow
tints on the throat and neck ; the horns were well developed, and
the cheeks black. The forehead, however, was more white than
yellow, with a very indistinct black band mixed with yellow on
the upper part of the head ; the points of the shoulders vinous.
The younger specimen had a smaller gorget, each black feather
being tipped with yellow; the black on the cheeks also blended
in the same manner. The horns slight, but quite distinguishable ;
no perceptible band across the head ; forehead yellowish white ;
and several reddish longitudinal spots on the breast, immediately
below the gorget.
At the time when these last two birds were obtained, the
weather was very mild ; but a severe frost had broken up about
ten days before. Besides these recent specimens occurring in so
singular a manner about the same time, I know of only three
other examples of the Shore-Lark killed in this county — a young
male in March 1830, an adult male at Yarmouth in November
1850, and a third male, also adult, at Holkham in December
1855. I have before alluded to the curious fact of all those pro-
cured being male birds, and it is worthy of notice in so acciden-
tal a visitant that, with one exception, all in the above list ap-
peared during the winter months.
I am. Sir,
Yours, &c.,
H. Stevenson.
P.S. An adult male of the Little Owl [Strix passerina) was
taken alive on board a fishing-smack oflf Yarmouth about the
first week in February.
To the Editor of ' The Ibis.'
Australian Museum, Sydney,
Nov. 10th, 1861.
Sir, — A few days ago I purchased, from M. Jourde, Surgeon
of the French whaling-ship ' General d'Hautpoul,' a fine collec-
Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, &^c. 191
tion of birds from the Brampton shoals and adjacent islets,
some of which appear to me as yet undescribed. I may be
mistaken, but I will furnish you with a short description of
these specimens.
1. Attagen ARIEL ? (Gould, B. Austr. vii. pi. 72.)
I do not know whether this is the species described by Mr.
Gould. The female at least differs from the figure in Gould^s work
in having a band round the neck, and the breast white, without
any wash of rufous. The air-bag is only indicated by a strip of
bare skin hardly ^ inch wide and about 1| inch long, whereas
this bag is of very large size in the male bird. M. Jourde
informs me that the birds were breeding in the month of July,
he having succeeded in securing an egg and a young bird.
The egg, of which I beg to enclose a sketch, looks more like
the egg of a raptorial bird than that of a sea-bird*. The young
bird (of about three or four weeks) is white, with black wing-
feathers. This bii'd is very plentiful about the Brampton shoals,
and builds a nest of a few sticks, seaweed, &c., in the low bushes
and small trees.
2. Rallus pectoralis. (Gould, B. Austr. vi. pi. 76.)
There are some Rails on these low islands also which do not
differ much from our common Rail {Rallies pectoralis). One of
them, however, is much darker, and was pointed out to me by
M. Jourde as the female.
3. ToTANUs GRisEOPYGius. (Gould, B. Austr. vi. pi. 38.)
These examples are identical, as far as my judgment goes,
with the above-named Australian species.
4. NuMENius UROPYGiALis. (Gould, B. Austr. vi. pi. 43.)
In these specimens, and in those preserved in the Australian
Museum from this continent, I cannot detect any difference.
5. Angus ?
This bird is very much like ^. melanogenys of G. R. Gray,
figured in the ' Genera of Birds,^ but differs from that species
in the white ring round the eye, which is partly interrupted. I
* There is some mistake here, as the egg of the Frigate-bird is white.
See Mr. G. C. Taylor's paper in ' Ibis,'.1859, p. 150.— Ed.
192 Letters, Extracts from Coj-respondence, Notices, ^c.
enclose a sketch of this bird and of its egg. M. Jourde found it
also breeding on the islands in the Brampton shoals.
6. Charadrius ?
Apparently identical with our Ch. xanthocheilus. I will furnish
you with a sketch of it by the next mail.
7. HiATICULA ?
Of this also I will send a sketch.
The following birds were captured at sea by M. Jourde : —
1. Anotjs cinereus.
Lat. 37° 8' 10" S., long. 173° 18' 50" E., July 7, 1860. Eyes
blackish blue.
2. Onychoprion panaya ?
Near the Brampton shoals.
3. Xema - — ?
This bird, which is not figured in Gould's * Birds of Australia,'
was captured off the coast of New Zealand, lat. 46° 54' S., long.
165° 58' E. I enclose a sketch of it. Head, neck, tail, and under
surface white ; back and wing-coverts pale silvery grey, some of
the feathers spotted with greyish brown, fringed with white at the
end. Quills, the first two black, with a large spot of white near
the tip of each, and minutely white-tipped; the remainder of
the wing-feathers white, with black band and white tip, except
the third feather, which is black, but also tipped with white.
4. Procellaria h^sitata.
Lat. 32° 10' S., long. 176° 25' 42" E., June 9, 1860. Eyes
blackish brown.
5. Phaeton phcentcurus.
Found breeding in July on the Shoals. Young bird a week old
of a uniform light-grey colour.
Among the birds obtained in New Zealand, I find a Stilt
identical with our Australian Himantopus leucocephalus. M.
Jourde attaches the following note to this specimen : —
" Get oiseau a ete tue dans Finterieur de la Nouvelle Zelande,
et sous une latitude de 44° &- peu pres. Gelui qui Fa abattu, et
Letters, Extracts fr-om Correspondence, Notices, 8^c. 193
qui est un des plus determines chasseurs du pays, a dit n'eu
avoir jamais vu un pareil a Nouvelle Zelande. Mai 1861/'
The head is of a clear white. The specimens in the Museum
are all more or less speckled with darker feathers ; but this is all
the diflFerence I am able to detect.
The most interesting bii'd of the whole collection is a white
variety of Procellaria gigantea, quite white, with only a few
greyish feathers on the back and on the sides of the wings. I
gave Dr. Bennett a description and measurement of this bu'd,
and you will receive it very likely by this mail also.
I am, Sir, yours, &c,,
Gerard Krefft.
With reference to the last-named species. Dr. Bennett v^'rites
as follows (Sydney, November 20th), enclosing Mr. Krefft's
sketch : —
"This large Petrel was shot at sea, in lat. 33° 59' S., long.
169° 36' E., on the 22nd of October, 1860, as the label states
which is attached to the specimen. The eyes are described as
blue-black ; the mandibles of a light horn-colour ; the legs and
feet black. The whole of the plumage was of a beautiful white
colour, very slightly sprinkled v/ith black over the throat and
abdomen, but more so over the upper part of the head, neck,
back, and scapulars. It was about the size of the Giant Petrel,
of which no doubt it is an interesting variety, and was the only
one seen by the whaler. Mr. Krefft, acting curator of the
Australian Museum, kindly made me the drawing I send. The
specimen, which is set up in the collection of the Australian
IMuseum at Sydney, accords with the bird I mentioned in my
' Gatherings of a Naturalist,' pp. 76, 77, as named by sailors
'The Flying Leopard.' It is there regarded as a singular va-
riety of one of the smaller species of Albatros."
The followins: extract is from a letter received from ]\Ir. Blvth,
dated Maulmein, November 3rd : —
"Tomorrow morning I start for the^Youzalin (or Yoou-za-Ieen)
district, in the interior of the province of Martaban, a region of
frost and ice during the height of the cold weather, and of pine
forests [Pinus latteri, if really distinct from P. kassiana, which I
VOL. IV. o
194 Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, ^c.
rather doubt). I travel iu boats, poling about six days up the
River Salwan and then two days up tlie Youzaliu River, whence
I have three marches over the hills. With the stream, the whole
distance back can be accomplished in three days. I have collected
nothing new here, at least among birds, though I have several good
specimens. My principal haul has been, and is likely to be, among
the fishes. The Youzalin district is, however, quite an untrodden
region to the zoologist, and I may fairly expect to do something
for ornithology. On the hill where I have been residing, Crijpsi-
rhina varians is quite common, also Lanius lujpoleucus, and other
species little known to European collections. Hirundo rustica
has appeared in considerable numbei-s within these few days ; and
I have also observed a Cypseline bird with the flight and appear-
ance of Cypselus apus — doubtless C. vittatus. The latter was
always far out of shot. But animal life here is extraordinarily
rare (fishes excepted) even in the most likely-looking hill-jungles.
You may infer from the tone of this letter that my health is
quite restored, and my strength too, pretty well, insomuch that I
can already stand a fair amount of hill-clambering."
Herr August v. Pelzeln, writing from Vienna (December 12),
kindly informs us that the Imperial Collection in that city con-
tains three examples of owx Accipiter pectoralis ('Ibis,' 1861,
p. 313, pi. X.). " All three are females, and were collected by
Natterer, two at Ypanema and one at Borba in Northern Brazil."
Natterer's MSS. contain the following notice concerning this
species: — "Iris dirty gamboge-yellow; ring round the eye and
feathered lores dark yellow, verging rather towards olive-green ;
the strongly marked orbital ridge yellowish olive-green, more
green than the nearest part of the naked skin ; cere and hinder
part of the base of the bill dark greyish green, the bill further
forwards, as far as in a line with the cere, bluish grey, the rest
of it black ; nostrils very large and round, and at the hinder
edges furnished with a perceptible cartilage ; tarsi and toes
dirty gamboge-yellow ; claws black."
Herr v. Pelzeln's communication is of great value, as fur-
nishing us with the true patria of this bird, of which we were
previously ignorant.
Letters, Extracts from Corresjjondence, Notices, ^'c. 195
With reference to our surprise that Podiceps auritus should
have been found breeding at the Lake of Tamieh in Faguin,
Egypt, as expressed in our last Number ('Ibis/ 1862, p. 81),
Mr. Gurney reminds us that this bird breeds in Algeria (' Ibis,'
1860, p. 159) and in Epirus {ibid. p. 349), and that " another
confirmation of its being a southern species is the fact of its
being an extremely rare species in this country, whilst its northern
congener, P. coimutus, is one of our common English visitors."
By the latest tidings which have been received from Messrs.
Salvin and Frederick Godman, their explorations in Central
America seem to be progressing prosperously. They did not,
however, get away from Dueiias until the middle of December.
Previously to leaving, they made a successful ascent to the sum-
mit of the Volcan di Fuego, and Mr. Salvin was twice able to
reach the peak from which the fire proceeds. The collections
they have made seem far to surpass any formed previously by
Mr. Salvin at Duenas. Between 700 and 800 bird-skins, besides
mammalia and reptiles, and about 1300 butterflies, with a con-
siderable quantity of botanical specimens, are, we understand,
already on their way home. Affairs in Guatemala are unfortu-
nately in rather a critical position just at present, and our
friends have had to abandon their projected journey through
Costa Rica. However they were going shortly in quest of larger
game — Pumas and Tapirs — into the mountains of Santa Cruz,
and after that into Vera Paz for a raid to the northward.
We have not had many ornithological particulars from
Messrs. Salvin and Godman of late ; but it would appear that
they had obtained several specimens of Oreophasis derbianus
among other 'Turkeys,' while Quezals [Pharomacrus mocinno) were
brought in almost every day, and Gallinago wilsoni seems to have
occasionally afforded very good sport. On the Volcan di Fuego, at
the time of Mr. Salvin's first ascent, only sixteen species of birds
were observed, of which some, such as Junco cinereus and Cer-
thia mexicana, are peculiar to such heights. On the second ex-
pedition Mr. Salvin met with one fresh Mniotilta. His last
letter was dated " Guatemala, January 2nd, 1862.^'
196 Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, ^c.
The Mission sent by the Government of Mauritius to the new
King of Madagascar, and of which Mr. Edward Newton was a
member, returned safely to the former island about the middle
of November last, having experienced a most hospitable recep-
tion from His Majesty, Radama IL In order to complete their
journey before the rains set in, the Ambassadors were compelled
to lose no time on the road, and hence not many facilities for
collecting were available. However Mr. Newton and Dr. Roch,
who was the medical gentleman attached to the deputation,
seem to have collected between them specimens of about sixty
species of birds, of which the former has already sent home ex-
amples of about five-and-twentij , and we hope in our next Num-
ber to give some further details respecting them.
Writing from Mauritius, February 3rd, 1862, Mr. E. Newton
says : —
" The last mail brought me, from the Acting Civil Commis-
sioner at Seychelles, three fully fledged young of the beautiful
Pigeon, Alectroenas nitidissima. Unfortunately one died the day
after I got it, but the other two are alive and well. They are
difficult birds to keep, as they will eat nothing that I can give
them but berries and small fruit. Luckily I have at this time a
sort of fruit in great profusion in my domain ; but it will only last
for a fortnight, and then I do not know what I shall do for them.
The one that died I have skinned, but it is not a good specimen.
The living birds are very funny in their habits, never going on to
the ground unless they are obliged ; and they show a wonderful
capability in stretching to a great distance from their perch,
sometimes with their heads nearly perpendicularly downwards,
so as to pick a fruit off the floor of their cage without descending
to it.''
Mr. E. Plant has within the last few weeks taken his depar-
ture for Mauritius en route to Madagascar, where he intends
passing some time in collecting objects of natural history. His
agent in this country is Mr. S. Stevens, of 24 Bloomsbury Street,
London, W.C.
THE IBIS.
No. XV. JULY 1862.
XXIII. — Five Weeks in the Peninsula of Florida during the Spring
of 1861, with Notes on the Birds observed there. By George
Cavendish Taylor, F.R.G.S., F.Z.S.,.&c. (Part II.)
[Concluded from p. 142.]
On the 6th of April I started at sunrise, with George Sheldon,
in a small centre-board boat, to go to an island at the entrance
of the Mosquito Lagoon, distant sixteen miles south of Smyrna,
and reported to be a breeding-place for Pelicans. For some
miles the channel is intricate and tortuous, among low marshy
islands covered with mangroves, in which the only birds to be
seen are White and Blue Herons and Pelicans. On the east
bank is a large mound, consisting of sand, oyster and clam
shells, which is supposed to have been thrown up by the In-
dians; part of it has been washed away, and it now forms a
bluiF, and is overgrown with vegetation. It is called "Turtle
Mound.'^ Sheldon has built a " turtle-house " there, as a station
during the turtle-season, in the fall of the year. The animals
are caught in long nets, and kept in "pens" or enclosures of
stakes, until there is an opportunity of shipping them. Sheldon
catches a good many and sells them at four and a half cents a
pound to small vessels, which take them to Charleston and New
York. In this river the turtles do not average over forty pounds
each, but in Indian River they are much larger.
All day long there was a strong wind from the south-east. It
took us six hours to get to the island, having to thrash to wiud-
VOL. IV. p
198 Mr. G. C. Taylor on the Birds observed
ward the whole way. The water was rough, and for an hour or
more I was drenched with " spoondrift/' These small slip-keel
boats are very wet, but are handy craft in a narrow river. The
island to which we went is less than two acres in extent, flat
and sandy, and but little above the level of the water. It is
covered with a coarse weed which stands about a foot in height,
and a few mangroves grow about high-water mark. As soon
as I step on shore I kill a pair of Willets [Symphemia semipal-
mata) at one shot, and immediately afterwards a pair of Long-
billed Curlews, right and left. These are the only Curlews I
see ; but the Willets are more plentiful, and all in pairs. There
is not the least sign of Pelicans' nests. A few of these birds are
on the island where we land, and a hundred or so are on a
sand-bank near by. This is strange. Last year, about this time.
Dr. Biyant visited this island, in company with George Sheldon,
and got plenty of eggs, according to the account of the latter.
The island was half covered with their nests, and it has been a
breeding-station for them for years past. The island was over-
flowed by the tide last summer, and probably they may have left
it on this account. There are other islands near, but no birds
are upon them ; and they do not usually make their nests on
the mainland, where they would be exposed to the depredations
of foxes, 'coons, and other animals. It is certainly time for
them to be breeding. On Indian River young Pelicans were
hatched weeks ago. There are some White Pelicans about here,
but I did not see any.
The water in the lagoon is shallow, never over 7 or 8 feet in
depth. I do not visit the other islands. The wind is too high
to go any further to windward. There is no appearance of birds
upon them, and Pelicans are visible at a great distance. There
being nothing to stay for, we hoist the sail and make the run
home in three hours. Two or three times we run bump against
Saw-fish. It feels as if the boat had run upon a sand-bank;
but the splashing of the animal soon indicates what it is. These
fish are from 12 to 14 feet long, including the saw. They
bask near the surface of the water, and show good sport for a
harpoon. When struck they go off' at a great pace, towing the
boat after them. I am told that when an Alligator is hooked or
in the Peninsula of Florida.
199
speared, and the line hauled in, he shows fight, and tries to climb
into the boat.
Three miles from Smyrna there is a small mangrove-covered
islet much frequented by Ardeidce. George Sheldon said that
they bred there, and that we should find some nests. We land
and get up to our knees in mud, but without result. As yet I
have seen no signs of birds breeding about Smyima, except Eagles
and Fish-Hawks. Further south the birds, no doubt, nest much
earlier than they do up here.
Willets are plentiful about Smyrna. Two examples which I
skinned are so entirely dissimilar in size and plumage as to ap-
pear to be of two distinct species. I took them to the Smith-
sonian Institution at Washington, but Professor Baird gave it
as his opinion that they were merely varieties of the same spe-
cies, caused by age. I adhere to my previously formed opinion
for the following reasons, which I conceive to be conclusive, even
setting aside the difference of size and plumage. Both varieties
are common, either in parties or pairs. I never saw them inter-
mLxed, but always separate. The pair which I shot this morning
were of the ordinary type of Symphemia semipalmata, as were all
the others about the island. The larger variety was also plenti-
ful on the river ; but if the two happened to be feeding together
on the mud-banks, they separated on rising *.
April 8. — Out in the morning for my last trip to Smyrna, and
returned unsuccessful. I have certainly been unlucky here. In
the first place, Sheldon has been so constantly in attendance in
* Mr. Taylor has shown me his specimens, and there are, I must say,
considerable differences in the two birds. As far as I can tell without exa-
mination of a large series of specimens, I should be inclined to consider
them distinct. The larger variety seems to have already been called by
Cuvier Totanus speculiferus (Regn. An. ed. 2, i. p. 531 ; Pucheran, Rev.
et Mag. de Zool. 1851, p. 369), and should therefore be termed Symphemia
speculifera. The dimensions of the species, as compared with S. semipal-
mata, are as follows, in inches and decimal parts : —
S. specuUfera...
S. semipalmata
Long. tota.
Alae.
Rostri a rictu. Tarsi.
15
14
8-0
8-0
27
2-35
2-85
2-35
—Ed.
p2
200 Mr. G. C. Taylor on the Birds observed
his capacity as pilot on the live-oak vessels^ endeavouring to get
them to sea_, that I could not persuade him to go on a hunt any-
where for more than a few hours. The wind having been in-
variably east raises such a surf on the bar that some of these
vessels have been waiting for weeks to get over, and may have to
remain some time longer. His son George, whom I had intended
to have engaged to take me down Indian River with his boat
and tent, was away with the two Englishmen, H. and L., and
only returned a few days ago to start off again today in search of
a doctor for a sick man in the house, who afterwards died. The
coloured man, Bill, a very good cook and camp servant, who was
also away with H. and L., was engaged as soon as he returned
to attend upon the sick man, or I should have taken him. So
I could do nothing but potter about the house. It is now too
late to go down Indian River, for there the birds have done
breeding. Mosquitoes are vigorous, and the weather is very hot.
Winter is the time for this locality ; one can then combine
shooting, fishing, and bird-collecting. Wild Ducks of various
kinds, which have now gone north, are then plentiful. Drum
and Sheepshead, two excellent fishes, may be caught in quanti-
ties, to say nothing of the superior sport of spearing Saw-fishes
and Alligators.
I shall now try my luck further north, for there is nothing
more to be done hereabouts. I must say that Sheldon's is a
satisfactory place to stay at. There is a never-failing supply of
fresh fish, oysters, turtle, venison, wild turkey, &c. ; and the
house is far more comfortable than many large hotels I have
been at in both Europe and America of immense pretensions
and charges to match. At Sheldon's I meet with the greatest
civility, and the charges are exceedingly moderate. A very plea-
sant custom prevails here. On each side of the house is a
small altar of stone ; on one or the other, according to the direc-
tion of the wind, a camp-fire is built up every night at dark.
The smoke keeps off mosquitoes and sand-flies, and the fire dis-
pels the gloom and gives a cheerful aspect to the locality.
For further particulars respecting the birds of this locality, I
must refer the reader to Dr. Bryant's notes on the Bii-ds of East
Florida, in the 'Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural
in the Peninsula of Florida. 201
History/ vol. vii. There is no better authority on the subject
than Dr. Bryant. I give a few extracts from his letters to me : —
" The most interesting things to be looked for in the bird
line in Florida are the eggs of the Scolopaceous Courlan, and a
small Burrowing Owl found in the interior near Indian River.
The former is abundant only, as far as my knowledge extends, on
the St. John's and tributary waters between Lake George and
Lake Monroe, particularly on Spring Garden Lake ; and next to
this at the Wekira, a small stream entering from the westward,
some thirty miles from Lake Monroe. * * * Down Indian River
you can procure plenty of Pelicans, white and brown; the Ardea
ludoviciana ; Egretta candidissima ; Herodics pealii, rufescens,
virescens, gardeni, violacea ; Ibis alba ; Platalea ajaja ; a good
many Ducks, if you do not arrive too late for them ; Tachypetes
aquila; Carbo floridanus, &c. ; also Cyanocitta floridana, a very
rare bird even in collections in this country. * * * There are
some birds, common enough, the eggs of which I never succeeded
in getting, such as the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, which would
be a most important acquisition to science, and a most orna-
mental and curious egg, never likely to be common, and growing
rarer every year as the bird does. * * * The great heronry is on
Indian River. Though the difference of latitude is small, there
is a great difference in the time that the same species of bird
deposits its eggs at Smyrna and at Indian River. The true tro-
pical fauna seems to commence at Cape Canaveral, south of
which they seldom or never have frost. The more tropical birds,
and the greater part of the Herons, breed by the middle of
March."
I may as well mention that I could hear nothing of the Bur-
rowing Owl: no one with whom I spoke appeared to know the
bird.
April 9. — I start early to return to Enterprise; I see no-
thing on the way except a few Sandhill Cranes, and some very
fine full-plumaged White-headed Eagles, with a number of Black
Vultures assembled round the carcase of a calf. The road passes
close to Lake Ashby. While resting the horses, I walk down
to the lake, and see several Alligators swimming like dogs a few
yai'ds from the shore. I had some idea of remaining for a week
202 Mr. G. C. Taylor on the Birds observed
at Enterprise ; but when I reach the hotel, I find that a county
court is being held, which will last some days, and the hotel
and settlement, such as it is, being crowded with " crackers " and
farmers, I decide upon continuing my journey, and accordingly
go on board the ' Darlington,^ which is to start next morning at
daylight. As soon as it gets dusk, I hear the Chuck-WilFs-
Widow calling loudly. This bird is not found in this latitude
during winter, and has not long arrived.
April 10. — Soon after the steamer has left Lake Monroe and
has arrived in the narrow river, we see a flock of Turkeys on the
right bank, consisting of a " gobbler" and a few hens. Captain
Brock and several others have their rifles ready, and blaze away
at them, unfortunately wounding the " gobbler." This I con-
sider shameful destruction, and unsportsmanlike in the extreme.
Brock said he would stop the boat for a Deer, and points out
places where he has killed them. The day being rather cold,
with a strong breeze, is unfavourable for Alligators,^ and there are
not so many as usual to be seen basking on the banks. As there
are plenty of rifles ready to fire at every one that shows, some
three or four are killed. The rifles used are the small American
pea-rifles of a calibre from 80 to 100, and I am astonished to see
how eff"ective they are when loaded with a conical ball. An
Alligator badly wounded, but not killed at once, makes a tremen-
dous splashing in the water.
Just before entering Lake George, two " gunners " (American
term for shooters) fire at an Alligator, fully fourteen feet long,
which is sleeping on the bank quite clear of the water. The
shots tell with good efiect. The beast scrambles in, then turns
on his back, splashing and kicking with his legs in the air, and
showing his white belly. Another well-placed shot would have
killed him, but, as it is, he recovers and dives. What becomes
of him I do not know, for the steamer soon leaves him in
the distance. One of the gunners shoots an unfortunate Fish-
Hawk while bearing a fish to its nest. It drops the fish, falls
in the woods, and perishes uselessly. These shooters were on
the watch to fire at anything that showed itself within distance.
On several parts of the river I saw (both going and returning) a
good number — some thirty or forty — of the Scolopaceous Courlan,
in the Peninsula of Florida. 203
which they call here " Limkins." They were wild, having doubt-
less been frequently shot at, and would not let the steamer ap-
proach them, but rose at a distance and flew into the thick reeds
which fringe the edge of the water. Anhingas were very plentiful
not far from Pilatka. I was pleased to see eight Swallow-tailed
Kites (four of them together) soaring over the woods which
cover the banks of the river. Luckily they did not come near
enough for a shot from the gunners. They are beautiful birds,
and most graceful in their movements.
On board the ' Darlington ' were three gentlemen from Sa-
vannah, who had arrived at Smyrna a week before I did. They
went down Indian River, and crossed overland to Lake Washing-
ton, near the head of the St. John^s, a distance of six miles,
which they walked, taking their things over in an ox-cart. They
came down the St. John's River to Enterprise in a small boat, a
reputed distance of two hundred miles. They had had good
sport fishing, but had met with very little game and not many
birds, and no Parroquets. They had seen a few " Limkins," and
shot one ; they had also shot a Black-necked Stilt.
At most of the landings where the steamer stops, venison is
put on board to be conveyed north. Of course the facilities of
communication greatly contribute towards promoting the de-
struction of the Deer, especially as these animals are shot all the
year round. I have already mentioned the long pendent moss
which hangs from nearly all the trees in the southern States of
America*. When green, it is eaten by cattle. It is also used
for stuffing mattresses and cushions. For this purpose it is
soaked in water until the green bark or rind is rotted off, when
the inner part remains black and crisp, and in outward apj^ear-
ance somewhat resembles curled horsehair. It is an air-plant,
and in this climate will live if hung up anywhere. Wherever it
grows in great abundance the spot is sure to be unhealthy. The
trees in the pine-barrens are free from it, but in the swampy
spots it grows luxuriantly. I have compared this moss with
some of the Spanish moss which I brought from Jamaica, and
find it entirely different : it is much coarser and longer.
* This is not really a moss, but a flowerinf^ plant of the natural order
Bromeliacea — the Tillandsia usiieoides. — £ij.
204 Mr. G. C. Taylor on the Birds observed
The ' Darlington ' remains all night at Pilatka, and I stay
on board. The night is very hot and close^ and mosquitoes
are very troublesome. We are also much inconvenienced by
what they call here "blind mosquitoes," which appear to be
flying ants. They come in clouds, sometimes in such quanti-
ties as to put out a fire. They are attracted by a liglit, and the
steamer is full of them. They do not bite, but from their num-
bers are very annoying.
Next morning the ' Darlington ' proceeded on her voyage. I
landed at my old quarters at Orange-Mills, where 1 remained for
ten days. For several days following there was a heavy thunder-
storm every afternoon, which saturated the ground, and made
the bushes so wet as to restrict my bird-collecting considerably.
One day I went with a party to fish in "Deep Creek," a
tributary of the St. John's. It is narrow, clothed with forest
to the water's edge, and not much frequented. As we did not
arrive until tea o'clock, the sun was so hot as to make walk-
ing rather unpleasant work, I spent some time in a dense
swamp full of large cypress-trees, apparently a very favourable
locality for Ivoiy-billed and Pileated Woodpeckers ; but I saw
nothing but some Grey Squii'rels, which are common enough
everywhere. On the trees overhanging the stream were a few
Anhingas. I saw a few Alligators, but they are shy hereabouts,
being constantly persecuted. On leaving the swamp I observed a
pair of Swallow-tailed Kites soaring aloft, but the chance of their
coming within shot was small indeed ; so, being somewhat tired,
I took to the boat to see if the fishing would bring more luck,
always keeping my gun ready for a shot. While thus engaged,
1 saw the Swallow-tailed Kites coming nearer, and gliding just
clear of the tops of the trees, where, no doubt, they find a good
supply of lizards, tree-frogs, and insects. At last one came
within shot, and I killed it. On opening it the next day, I found
the crop full of half-digested lizards and small snakes. When-
ever I have seen these birds, they have always been in pairs,
gliding over the tree-tops, near to the water. I have no doubt
that they breed in this part of Florida. A resident with a
moderate amount of energy would have no great difticulty in
finding their nests; but the arduous task would be to get at
in the Peninsula of Florida. 205
them when found. They probably breed in swamps, at or near
the top of a lofty cypress with a bole far too thick for a man to
encircle^ perfectly smooth, and without a branch for fifty or sixty
feet from the ground. It would then rest with you either to
devise some means to get up yourself, or (what would be far
more difficult) to induce a negro to undertake this task, and to
teach him how to set about it. The probability is, that the
young birds would be hatched and flown before you had succeeded
in reaching the nest.
The fishing was tolerably successful. The baits used were
living or dead fishes. A good number of various species of
Perch were caught — blue, red-bellied, and black. The latter
attain a weight of four or five pounds, and are called " Trout."
All were beautiful fish and good for the " pan," as the term in
use here expresses it. We lit a camp-fire and cooked them, and
they proved excellent. The waters of Florida abound with fish,
and the varieties seem to be endless. The Cat-fishes {Pimelodes)
are generally dispersed over the North American continent, both
in fresh and salt water. I recollect catching them on the
Pacific coast of Central America ; and they abound in Florida,
and are often of a large size. While the ' Darlington ' was lying
at Pilatka, I saw a man hook one which must have weighed
20 pounds. It was like a rock on the line. He hauled it up
to the surface, but lost it in trying to lift it out. These fishes
are in little estimation for the " pan," though the negroes eat
them. The negroes, however, are not particular, and no doubt
a Cat-fish is as good as a " -"possum."
It came on to rain heavily as soon as we had finished our meal
The storm lasted nearly two hours. We then got home just in
time to escape another storm, which set in about sunset and
lasted well into the night. The next day I obtained a specimen
of Bonaparte's Gull, which I shot while it was running along the
shore of the river. About the 16th of April Night-Hawks ap-
peared ; they were plentiful and easily obtained. They fly about
hke swallows an hour or two before sunset. I often saw twenty
or thirty together. In my notes on the Birds of Honduras
('Ibis,' vol. ii. p. 114), under the head of " N7/ctidromus," I men-
tion seeing some hundreds of birds hunting moths in the evening.
206 Mr. G. C. Taylor on the Birds of Florida.
From subsequent experience I feel certain that the birds seen on
that occasion were not Nyctidromi, but either Night-Hawks or
some birds very similar to them. The Night-Hawks are com-
mon even as far north as Quebec, where I observed them to-
wards the end of September : they are commonly known by
the name of " Bull-Bats." Bed-bellied and Bed-cockaded Wood-
peckers were common about Orange-Mills, and easily obtained.
I searched closely for Florida Jays, but never met with them. I
showed the bird to several persons, and they were not acquainted
with it, nor did they even recollect having seen one before.
I made an excursion for some miles into the " piny woods "
east of the St. John^s Biver, but found very little to reward me.
I killed a fine specimen of the Blue Heron, and a Black Squirrel,
a male — the largest I ever saw, fully as large as a half-grown
cat. Although the prevailing colour is black, it is also distinctly
marked with red and grey. 1 saw a single flock of ten or a
dozen Parroquets, and next day went again to the same locality
in search of them, but without success. I have never met with
these birds twice in the same place, and it seems to be mere
chance to meet with them at all. I was told by an old resident
in Florida, who had served during the Indian war, that formerly
they were plentiful about the Indian villages. But that is all
changed now. All the Indians, except some twenty or thirty,
have been removed from Florida, and the Parroquets have con-
siderably diminished. The Chuck- Will's- Widow was tolerably
common at Orange-Mills ; but the difficulty of obtaining this
bird may be known by the fact, that I was out fourteen or fifteen
evenings before I obtained one, and then had to shoot when the
bird was so close that the plumage was much damaged by the shot.
An evening or two later I killed two, one of which I was unable
to find. The other fell among a thick brake of saw-palmettos,
and I could not find it until next morning. The Chuck- Will's-
Widows fly low, and sit on rails, stumps of trees, and other low
places, which increases the difficulty of seeing them in the dusk
of the evening. If they roost on the ground in the daytime, they
might probably be hunted up with dogs. I saw no signs what-
ever of small birds nesting up to the time I left Orange- Mills.
By the 18th of April I had pretty well used up this locality.
Mr. J. H. Gurney on the Egg o/Vultur auricularis. 207
and was meditating a trip to Cedar Keys, on the Gulf of Mexico,
which is easily accessible by the lately constructed railroad from
Fernandina. There I hoped to have found fresh varieties of
birds, or at least that some of those already seen would prove to
be more plentiful. But the news of the capture of Fort Sumter
delayed my departure ; and when, three days later, I heard of
the secession of Virginia, the burning of the navy-yard at Nor-
folk, and the capture of the armoury at Harper's Ferry, with the
probable interruption of the mails and means of communication,
I thought it advisable to move northwards while I could. Ac-
cordingly I closed my ornithological campaign in Florida, and
returned to Baltimore the same way that I came.
In three months I could do great things in Florida, both in
birds and eggs. Five weeks is too short a time, especially when
one goes as a stranger and has to learn all the localities. My
experience teaches me (and Florida affords no exception) that it is
necessary to go to a place once to know how to go to it a second
time ; for the reports and information of others are but of se-
condary utility, as no two persons' experience is alike. I should
like to be in Florida from December until the middle of May,
before which one should not leave. The climate is then delicious
and perfectly healthy, and during that time there is nothing to
be done in the northern States.
XXIV. — Further note on the Eggs of Vultur auricularis and
Aquila audax. By J. H. Gurney.
The second volume of ' The Ibis ' contains, in page 171, a notice
of the eggs laid in the years 1859 and 1860 by a Vulture in my
collection, of the great South African species, Vultur auricularis
of Daudin. This bird has since laid two more eggs, being in all
four eggs in four successive years, and at the following dates : —
15th of February, 1859; 23rd of February, 1860; 20th of
February, 1861 ; and 26th of February, 1862.
The character and colouring of all these eggs are similar, the
ground being white, and the markings rufous, varying in extent
and in intensity, but chiefly aggregated at the obtuse end of the
egg-
208 MM. Verreaux et Des Murs mr le Genre Circaetus.
Of the four eggs, the most rufous is that laid iu 1860; there
is less rufous colouring in the egg laid in 1861 ; still less in the
first egg, laid in 1859 ; and least of all in the last egg, laid during
the present year, which is, in fact, nearly white all over.
In the notice in the second volume of * The Ibis ' above re-
ferred to, I also mentioned an egg laid on the 28th of February,
1860, by a Wedge-tailed Eagle {Aquila audax, Latham).
This Eagle, which is still in my possession, did not lay in 1861,
but produced a second egg on the 14th of March of the present
year, resembling her first egg (laid in 1860), with the exception
of being much less spotted with rufous, of which colour the second
egg shows hardly any trace.
XXV. — Observations sur le Genre Circaetus ; et Description d'une
nouvelle Espece. Par MM. J. Verreaux et 0. Des Murs.
(PI. VII.)
Nous profitons de la bonne hospitalite que veut bien nous con-
tinuer le savant Directeur de ce Recueil, pour y presenter une
faible partie de nos travaux sur les Oiseaux de Proie.
On fait maintenant, car on a semble Fignorer pendant long-
temps, et Ton apprend tons les jours, quelles difficultes presente
Fetude de ces oiseaux, qui sont, de toute la serie, ceux chea
lesquels le metachromatisme met le plus de temps k se produire
et h, se parfaire. II n'y a done rien d^etonnant k ce que leur
synonymic, conime leur specification, aurait longtemps ete remplie
d'erreurs.
Nous avions, un moment, eu I'intention de faire une etude
sur toutes les especes du genre Circaetus. Mais apres I'ex-
cellent article si complet publie h leur sujet par M. von Heuglin,
on pent dire que la lumiere est faite : aussi n^y ajouterons-nous
que fort peu de chose.
Nous nous y determinons avec d'autant plus de confiance, que
nous nous appuyerons par fois sur les observations si exactes
d^un des plus competents collaborateurs de VIbis, et le plus riche
des coUecteurs d'oiseaux de proie, Phonorable M. H. Gurney.
1. Circaetus gallicus, Gm.
Cette espece, d'Europe, est aussi du Nord de FAfriquc, et
Ibis,186S,Pl,YII.
m^
TjT/olf,6tJ.Tl-ury,lilL.
M& KHaniart^Imp^
C IBr,AE TUS BK\UI] OL^NI .
MM. Verreaux et Des Murs sur le Genre Circaetus. 209
meme de I'Afrique Orientale. Voici les localites, fiequentees
par cette espece, que nous retrouvons dans nos notes : I'Algerie,
la Nubie, la Syrie^ les Indes Orientales.
Quoique le Dr. Hartlaub la signale dans son ouvrage sur
les Oiseaux de I'Afrique Occidentale, nous doutons encore que
ce soit bien cette espece. Avec d'autant plus de raison que Fun
de nous a eu en sa possession, au Cap de Bonne Esperance, de
jeunes thoracicus qui avaient change de plumage sous ses yeux ;
et qui, cependant, tout en ressemblant au brachydadylus, finis-
saient, deux annees plus tard, par prendre le plumage brun-
noiratre du vrai thoracicus, avec la region inferieuve, a partir
de la poitrine, d'un blanc pur. II est done probable que le
savant ornithologiste se trompe ^ ce sujet : c'est ce dont nous a
convaincus, en 1861, I'etude de deux sujets venant de Bissao,
qui avaient, a s'y meprendre, le plumage de I'espece d'Europe.
2. Circaetus thoracicus, Cuvier, qui se trouve au Cap de
Bonne Esperance, en Abyssinie, en Nubie, en Senegal, et a
Bissao.
Nous avons re9u en effet une jeune femelle de cette derniere
localite, dont le plumage etait d'un brun-fuligineux, sauf les
ban des des ailes et de la queue, et qui ressemblait en tout point
a un autre jeune re9u, par M. Gurney, de PAfrique Meridionale
(cote de Natal).
II est evident, pour nous, et nous persistons dans cette
opinion, malgre le doute emis par M. von Heuglin, que le jeune
decrit et figure par Vieillot dans sa ' Galerie,' sous le nom de
C cinereus, n'est que le tres-jeune de Pannee. Le jeune, au
sortir du nid, est en effet brun-enfume ; il prend une teinte ar-
doisee a la seconde mue, ou plutot h la seconde phase de son
metachromatisme ; cette teinte palit k la troisieme; et, a la
quatrieme, il a le plumage du C. brachydadylus, qu'il ne change
guere qu'a la sixieme : c'est-a-dire, que les raies brunes du
ventre, ou mieux, des parties inferieures, diminuent de largeur
a mesure que Poiseau avance en age; ce n'est enfin qu'k la
septieme annee qu'il revet la robe de I'adulte parfait.
3. CiRCAiiTus zoNURUS, Prince P. de Vurteroberg.
Disons d'abord, k I'occasion de cette espece, qu'elle ne fait
210 MM. Verreaux et Des Murs sur le Genre Circaetus.
qu'une seule et meme avec le C. melanotis, J. Verreaux, et avee
le C. cinerascens, Baron Miiller.
Le dessin figure par ce dernier comrae la description qu'il en
donne, nous font partager I'opinion de M. von Heuglin, que le
Circaetus cinerascens n'est que le meme oiseau plus jeune que le
Circaetus zonurus du Prince P. de Vurtemberg, qui, a son tour,
est le meme, dans un age moins avance, que le Circaetus mela-
notis, J. Verreaux, qui serait alors I'oiseau parfaitement adulte.
C'est-k-dire, que celui de M. Miiller est Foiseau de Fannee, se
rapportant au plumage de celui que nous avons sous les yeux,
venant de Bissao, mais une femelle avec les dimensions sans
aucun doute exagerees sur une peau allongee, puisqu'il lui donne
80 centimetres de longueur totale !
Celui du Prince de Vurtemberg serait dans sa troisieme annee,
ayant un plumage plus brun et plus clair, laissant voir sur la
partie inferieure les bandes qui se peuvent observer dans le
dessin de VIbis, mais qui, dans la quatrieme annee, diminuent
sensiblement de largeur, pour enfin disparaitre dans I'etat
adulte; le brun de la tete et du cou disparaissent egalement
pour faire place au blanc ou blanchfltre qui colore ces par-
ties, ne laissant que la region parotique brun-noir; enfin la
partie superieure devient plus brune. Mais un fait carac-
teristique, pour nous, c'est que la large bande blanche, qui
existe dans tous les ages, ne varie que peu suivant toutes les
periodes.
A I'appui de ce qui precede, nous ajouterons la description
d'un jeune male du Circaetus decrit, sous le nom de C. melanotis,
dans I'ouvrage de notre savant ornithologiste le Dr. Hartlaub
sur les Oiseaux de la cote Occidentale d'Afrique.
Ce jeune, qui venait de Bissao, est brun en-dessus, melange
de noir-brun 5a et la sur le dos et les ailes ; cou et tout le reste
blanchatre-sale avec des flammeches brunes sur la tete et le
dessus du cou, lave de brun-sale sur la poitrine et le ventre;
cuisses brunes; le noir des oreilles remplace par du gris-brun
qui s^etend le long du cou ; remiges brun-noir ; queue de meme
couleur avec un tres-large ruban blanchati-e lave de gris-brun ;
iris gris-marron; tarses noir-brun avec les ongles plus fonces.
Couvertures sur-caudales terminees de blanc ainsi que les re-
MM. Verreaux et Des Murs sur le Genre Circaetus. 211
miges secondaires, et meme quelques-unes des plus longues
tectrices superieures des ailes ; toutes les remiges grises, barrees
transversalement de noir-ardoise, et en partie blanches a l^inte-
rieur; mais les bandes plus noires en-dedans, et I'estremite
des primaires de cette derniere couleur; toutes les couvertures
inferieures d'un blanc pur, ne laissant voir que quelques traces
de tacbes. II est facile de voir sur le bas-ventre des taches et
des raies qui sont surtout mieux marquees sur les cuisses ou le
blanc domine; couvertures sous-caudales blanchatres, avec des
raies brun-cendre plus ou moins bien marquees ; une espece de
sourcil noir etroit prenant naissance de chaque cote du front,
s'etend en dimiauant jusque sur les oreilles ; les cils entourants
I'oeil, du meme noir ; cire et base du bee jaune d^ocre clair dans
la peau, puis plombe et noir sur la pointe; tarses jaunatres avec
les ongles noirs. Quant aux ecailles, elles sont au nombre de
trois, et, sur une seule patte, il est facile de voir, a la derniere
ecaille, la bifurcation signalee par le Baron IMiiller cbez son
C. cinerascens. La troisieme remige est la plus longue, mais
la quatrieme n'a guere que 2 lignes de moins : cela varie con-
siderablement d'individu fi individu; car nous en avons vus
dont la quatrieme est la plus longue d'un cote, et la troisieme
de I'autre, observation qui pourrait peut-etre fair ecliec au
systeme de Isid. Geoffroy St.-Hilaii'e, base sur la disposition des
plumes des ailes dans les Oiseaux de Proie.
4. Circaetus fasciolatus, G. E. Gray.
Nous avouons que pendant longtemps, et jusqu'^ la publica-
tion de la figure qui en a ete faite cette annee dans Vibis, pour
la premiere fois, nous avions regarde cette espece comme un age
du C thoracicus, et que c'est dans ce sens que nous I'avions
signalee au Prince Ch. Bonaparte, qui I'a en efFet fait eutrer dans
la synonymic de ce dernier. D'apres cette figure et les obser-
vations de M. Gurney, le doute n^est plus possible ; nous sommes
done revenus de notre erreur, et regardons aujourd^hui cet
oiseau comme bien distinct de tous les autres. Sa taille tient le
milieu entre celle du C zonurus et celle de Pespece nouvelle que
nous annonyons. II est au surplus facile h distinguer par
le nombre des bandes de la queue, qui ne varie pas dans le
C. zonurus.
212 MM. Verreaux et Des Murs sur le Genre Circaetus.
II paraitj d'apres M. Gurney, que cette espece n'a ete ren-
contree que dans FAfrique Meridionale (Natal).
Quant h. ce que dit cet habile observateur [Ibis, 1861, p. 130)
au sujet de deux exemplaires refus de Bissao, et venant des
voyageurs de la maison Ed. Verreaux, qu'il regarde comme etant
des C. brachydactyli, nous croyons qu'il est dans Perreur, et que
ces sont bien certainement des jeunes du C. thorncicus.
En definitive, le C. fasciolatus de M, G. R. Gray serait la qua-
trieme bonne espece.
Vient enfin notre espece dont voici la diagnose et la descrip-
tion : —
5. Circaetus beaudouini. PI. VII.
Major : supra ex brunneo dilute violaceus, cauda tantum iv. fasciis
notata: subtus albus; colli thoracisque singulis plumis
brunneo lineatis; abdomine lateribusque brunneo fasciatis;
crisso et femoribus pure candidis; rostri basi flavescente,
apice nigro; cera et pedibus albescentibus ; unguibus ni-
gris ; iride aureo.
Male. — D'un brun-clair, h teintes violacees sur les parties
superieures ; gorge, devant du cou et thorax blancs, chaque
plume portant une ligne brune, perpendiculaire et etroite au
centre, plus large vers le has, dont les cotes sont bruns ; ventre
et flancs d'un blanc pur raye transversalement de brun ; bas-
ventre, cuisses et couvertures sous-caudales, ainsi que les sous-
alaires d'un blanc pur, s'etendant sur une grande partie des
barbes internes des remiges, dont Fextremite est d'un noir-
brun; toutes les secondaires ti'aversees de quatre bandes de
cette derniere couleur dans toute leur largeur, mais celles-ci
terminees de brun plus-clair, puis de blanc; queue du meme
brun que le dos, traversee de quatre bandes brun-noiratre, et
bordee de blanc; dessous blanchatre avec les bandes moins
visibles. Bee jaunatre h sa base et noiratre dans le reste, beau-
coup plus faible que chez la femelle ; tarses blanchatres, ongles
noirs; cire d'un blanc-jaunatre; iris jaune-d'or. Le doigt du
milieu le plus long.
Longueur totale G6 cent.
„ de I'aile fermee 50 „
de la queue 28 „
„ du bee, en suivaut sa courbure .... 04 „ 03 mill.
du tarse 09 „
)>
MM. Verreaux et Des Murs siir le Genre Circaetus. 213
La femelle, qui se trouvait dans le meme envoi, avait exacte-
ment le meme plumage, mais elle mesurait 74 centimetres.
Deux autres, plus jeunes, etaient de meme grandeur; mais elles
differaient par le brun qui couvrait le cou et le thorax, ainsi que
par les raies du ventre qui etaient plus nombreuses, s'etendant
un peu sur les cuisses, le bas-ventre, et meme sur les couver-
tures sous-caudales et sous-alaires.
Longueur totale de la peau 73 cent.
„ de I'aile fermee 61 „
„ de la queue 31 ,,
„ du bee, a partir de la commissure. . 06 „
„ id. a partir de la cire, en suivant la
courbure 04 ,, 01 mill.
Sur ces quatre sujets, trois font aujourd^hui partie de la riche
collection deposee dans le musee de Norwich par notre savant
collegue M.J. H. Gurney, I'un de nos plus zeles promoteurs de la
science, et auquel on doit le magnifique dessin qui se trouve dans
ce Recueil. Tous quatre proven aient de I'Afrique Occidentale,
et de la partie connue sous le uom de Bissao, ou ils avaient ete
recueillis par I'un des voyageurs de la maison Ed. Verreaux.
D'apres les notes envoyees par M. Beaudouin, cette espece ne
serait que de passage dans cette localite, et s'y nourrirait prin-
cipalement de grenouilles, de lezards, et meme de petits pois-
sons; elle frequenterait plus specialement les marais; mais, h.
ddfaut de cette nourritui'e, elle chercherait, dans les plaines,
les mammiferes de petite taille, sur tout les rongeurs ; elle ne
se rencontre que par paires, et se retire le soir dans les grands
bois pour y passer la nuit. Jusqu^ici M. Beaudouin n'en a pas
observe le nid : ce qui viendrait en quel que sorte confirmer ce
que nous marquait, il y a quelque temps, M. Gurney, que la
meme espece se retrouve en Abyssinie, puisqu^il en possede ua
exemplaire ideutiquement le meme, depuis dej5, plusieurs annees,
et qui, comme ceux-ci, est egalement dans le meme musee*. II
est done probable que c^est Ik sa mere-patrie, et que c'est Ik que
niche Fespece.
Ainsi que I'annonce la figure, il n^est guere possible de con-
*
Mr. J. H. Gurney informs us that this specimen, which is marked as
from Nubia, was received from M. Verreaux several years ago. — Ed.
VOL. IV. Q
214 List of the Birds of Netv Zealand
fondre cette belle et nouvelle espece avee aucune autre connue.
Cependant, sauf la taille, elle se rapproche plus du Circaetus
fasciolatus de M. G. R. Gray.
Nous saisissons cette occasion pour remercier M. Gurney de
la liberalite et du desinteressement dont il fait preuve, en nous
permettant de decrire ce remarquable oiseau. Et nous esperons
que le nom^ que nous lui imposons en Thonneur du voyageur qui
I'a decouvert, sera respecte par les amis de la science.
M. Beaudouin, de son cote, trouvera dans cet hommage la
preuve que nous savons apprecier a leur valeur les sacrifices qu'il
a dej^ faits dans I'interet de la science. On sera meme surpris
de sa perseverance si nous apprenons k nos lecteurs que depuis
son long sejour dans ces mortelles contrees, et pour la troisieme
fois, il est reste toujours seul des Europeens qui Vy ont accom-
pagne, et qui tons ont succombe a la peine : ce qui prouve com-
bien il lui a fallu de courage et de force de caractere pour sur-
monter de semblables obstacles.
Dans I'ordre de la taille nous ne connaissons pas d'espece plus
grande que le C. thoracicus, si ce n'est de C. gallicus ou hrachy-
dactylus, qui lui est presque egal; vient ensuite notre C. beaudouini,
puis le C. fasciolatus, et enfin le C. zonurus, qui parait le plus petit
de tous.
XXVI. — A List of the Birds of New Zealand and the adjacent
Islands.
[This list has been drawn up by Mr. G. R. Gray from the
Synopsis of the Birds of New Zealand (embracing Auckland,
Campbell and Chatham Islands), given by him in the ' Zoology^ of
the Voyage of H.M.SS. Erebus and Terror, with which he has in-
corporated the additional species recorded by modern authors since
the publication of that work. At the same time, the birds found
on the neighbouring islands, viz. Norfolk, Phillip, Middleton's,
Lord Howe's, Macaulay's, and Nepean Islands, &c., have been
added, to complete the Avifauna of this portion of the Southern
Hemisphere. — Ed.]
Falconid^.
1. HiERACIDEA NOV^ ZEALANDI^E, Kaup, Isis, 1847, p. 80.
New Zealand Falcon, Lath. Gen. Syn. i. p. 57.
and the adjacent Islands. 215
Falco novcB seelandice, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 268.
Falco novcB zealandim, Lath.
Falco harpe, Forst. Descr. An. p. 68, et Icon. ined. 36, 37, 38;
EUman, Zool. 1861, p. 746i.
Falco,australis, Hombr. & Jacq. Ann. Sci. Nat, 1841, p. 312;
Voy. au Pole Sud, Ois. t. 1. f. 1.
Hypotriorchis nova zealandixB, G. R. Gr, Gen. B. i. p. 20.
^ Kahu,' ' Kauaua,' ' Kari-area/ ' Kahu papango/ of the
natives.
Hah. Queen Charlotte's Sound; Dusky Bay; Otago; North
and South Islands, N. Z.; Auckland Island.
2. HiERACIDEA BRUNNEA.
Falco brunnea, Gould, P. Z. S. 1837, p. 139; EUmau, Zool.
1861, p. 7464.
Falco ferox, Peale, Expl. Exped. (1848) viii. p. 67.
Falco novcE zealandice, p., G. R. Gr.
Hypotriorchis novte zealandia, p., G. R. Gr.
' Karearea/ ' Kaiaia,' ' Karewai'ewa ' ? of the natives.
Hab. New Zealand.*
3. AcciPiTER APPROxiMANs, G. R. Gr. Listof Accip B.M.1848,
p. 74.
Astur approximanSjYig. & Horsf. Linn. Tr. xv. p. 181; v. Pelz.
Sitz. Acad. d. Wiss. Wien, xli. p. 320.
Astur radiatus, Cuv. Reg. An. 1829, p. 332.
Astur fasciatus, Vig. & Horsf.
Nistis {Urospiza) radiatus, Kaup, Mus. Senckenb. 1845, p. 259.
Nistis {Urospiza) approximans, Kaup, Isis, 1847, p. 182.
Hab. Norfolk Island {r. Pelz.).
4. Circus gouldii, Pr. B. Consp. Av. p. 34.
Circus assimilis, (Jard. & Selb.) G. R. Gr. Yoy. Ereb. & Terr.
Birds, p. 2.
Hab. Waikouaiti; Otago; South Island, N. Z.
* What is Falco aurioculus, EUman, Zool. 1861, p. 7464?
Beneath pure cream-coloured when adult, spotted with rufous when
young ; irides bright yellow.
' Kahu,' ' Kahu korakorako,' of the natives.
Hab. New Zealand.
q2
216 List of the Birds of Neiv Zealand
Strigid^.
5. Athene nov^ zealandi^, G. R. Gr. List of Accip. B, M. i.
p. 52.
New Zealand Owl, Lath. Gen. Syn. Suppl. p. 48.
Strix novce seelandice, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 296. •
Strixfulva, Lath. Lid. Oru. p. 65; Forst. Descr. An. p. 71, et
Icon. ined. 39; Ellraan, Zool. 1861, p. 7464.
Noctua zealandica, Quoy & Gaim. Voy. I'Astrol. Zool. i. p. 168,
Ois. t. 2. f. 1.
Athene novce seelandice, G.R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds, p. 2.
Noctua venatica, Peale, Expl. Exped. 1848, viii. p. 75.
Ninox [Spilofflaux] novce zealandia, Kaup.
leraglaux [Spiloglaux) nova zealandice, Kaup.
'Herooroo,^ 'Eou hou,' ' Kou kou,' ' Kao kao,' 'Ruru ruru,'
of the natives.
Hab. Queen Charlotte's Sound ; Tasman's Bay, N. Z.
6. Athene (Sceloglaux) albifacies, G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. &
Terr. Birds, p. 2.
Ninox [Sceloglaux] albifacies, Kaup.
leraglaux [Sceloglaux) albifacies, Kaup.
'Wekau^ of the natives.
Hab. Waikouaiti, South Island, N. Z.*
ALCEDINIDiE.
7. Halcyon sanctus, Vig. & Horsf. Linn. Tr. xv. p. 206.
Halcyon sacra, Steph. Gen. Zool. xiii. p. 98; Phill. Bot. Bay,
pi. p. 156; Gould, B. of Austr. ii. pi. 21.
Dingy-plumed Kingfisher, ' The Norfolker/ Downing.
Hab, Norfolk Island.
Very like, but rather larger than Australian specimens.
8. Halcyon vagans, G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds, p. 2.
pi. 1; Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7467.
* What is Strix parvissima, Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7465 ?
Size of a Starling. Mr. Ellman did not obtain a specimen.
' Ruruwekau ' of the natives.
Hab. New Zealand.
What is Scops novce zealandice, Pr. B. Consp. Av. p. 47 ?
Hab. New Zealand (?). (Mus. Lugd.)
and the adjacent Islands. 217
Sacred Kingfisher, Lath. Gen. Syn. ii. p. 612.
Alcedo sacra, Ginel. S, N. i. p. 453.
Alcedo cyanea, Forst. Descr. Au. p. 76, et Icon. ined. 59.
Alcedo vagans, Less. Voy. Coqu. Zool. i. p. 694.
Halcyon sanctus, Vig. & Horsf. Linn. Tr. xv. p. 206 (?).
Todiramphus vagans, Pr. B. Ateneo Ital. 1854, p.
Dacelo vagans, Peale, Expl. Exped. 1848, viii. p. 162.
'Gbotarre,' ^Kotoretaro,' ' Kotaritari,' 'Kotare-popo,^ 'Kotare,'
of the natives.
Hab. South Island; Bay of Islands ; Dusky Bay, N. Z.*
UPUPIDiE.
9. Heteralocha gouldi, Cab. Mus. Hein. i. p. 218.
Neomorpha acutirostris et N. crassirostris, Gould, Syn. Austr.
Birds, pt. i.
Neomoipha gouldii, G. R. Gr. List of Gen. of B. 1841, p. 15 ;
Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7466.
' EUia,^ ' Huia,' of the natives.
Hab. Port Nicholson ; Torirua range of mountains, N. Z.
Meliphagid^.
1 0. Prosthemadera nov^ seelandi^, G. R. Gr. List of Gen. of
B. 1841, p. 20, et Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds, p. 3.
Poe Bee-eater, Lath. Gen. Syn. ii. p. 682.
Merops nova seelandice, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 464.
Merops concinnata. Lath. Ind. Orn. i. p. 275.
Sturnus a'ispicollis, Daud. Eleni. d^Ornith. p. 314.
Certhia concinnata, Forst. Descr. An. p. 78, et Icon. ined. 61.
Meliphaga concinnata, Temm. Anal. Ixxxvii.
Philemon concinnatus, Vieill. Enc. Meth. p. 613.
Prosthemadera concinnata, G.R.Gr. List of Gen. of B.1840,p.3.
Meliphaga nova zealandia, Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7466.
' Roghee etooee,' ' Pohe,^ ' Poe,' ' Toui,' ' Tui,' ' Toi,' ' Koko,'
* Kogo,' of the natives.
Hab. Queen Charlotte's Sound ; North and South Islands,
N. Z.; Auckland Island.
The specimens of this bird vary much in size.
* What is Halcyon cinnamominus, Swains. Zool. lUustr. ii. p. 67 ; G. R. Gr.
Voy. of Ereb. & Terr. Birds, p. 3?
Hab. New Zealand {Swains.).
218 List of the Birds of New Zealand
11. PoGONORNis ciNCTA, G. U. Gv. Geii. of B. i. p. 123.
Meliphaga cincta, Dubus, Bull. Acad. Sc. Brux. vi. pt, i.
p. 295 ; Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7466.
Ptilotis awitus, Lafr. Rev. Zool. 1839, p. 257; Mag. de Zool.
1840, Ois. t. 11.
Ptilotis cincta, G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds, p. 4.
•' Kotihe,' ' Ihi/ ' Tihe,' ' Hioi,' ' Kotihetihe,' of the natives.
Hab. Taranaki; North Island, N. Z.
12. Anthornis melanura, G. R. Gr. List of Gen. of B. 1840,
p. 15, et Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds, p. 4 ; Ellman, Zool. 1861,
p. 7466.
Mocking Creeper, Lath. Gen. Syn. ii. p. 735.
Certhia melanura, Sparrm. Mus. Carls, t. 5.
Certhia sannio, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 471.
Certhia olivacea, Forst. Descr. An. p. 79, et Icon. ined. 62.
Philedon dumerilii. Less. Voy. Coqu. Zool. i. p. 644. t. 21. f. 2.
Philedon sannio. Less. Compl. Buff. xi. p. 165.
Anthomyza cceruleocephala, Swains. CI. of B. ii. p. 327.
' He-ghobarra,^ ' Koho-i-mako,^ ' Kohorimako,' ' Korimako,^
' Kopara,' ' Kokomako,' 'Korimaku,' *|Korimoko,^ 'Koho-
riniako,^ of the natives.
Hah. Queen Charlotte's Sound ; Bay of Islands ; North and
South Islands, N.Z,; Auckland Island.
13. Anthornis melanocephala, G. R. Gr. App. to Dieff. Voy.
to N. Z. ii. p. 188, et Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds, p. 4. pi. 2.
' Mako-mako ' of the natives.
Hab. Chatham Island.
Certhiad^e.
14. Climacteris scandens, Temm. PI. Col. 281. f. 2j v. Pelz.
Sitz. Ac. d. Wiss. Wien, xli. p. 320.
Hab. Norfolk Island {v. Pelz.).
15. Xenicus* LONGiPEs, G.R.Gr. Listof Gen. of B. 1855,p. 31.
Long-legged Warbler, Lath. Gen. Syn. iv. p. 465.
* Genus Xenicus, G. R. Gr.
Bill moderate, more or less straight, moderately narrow at base, and
compressed to tip ; culmen slightly curved at apex ; margin straight ; gonys
angulated one-third of its length, and advancing towards the tip, and straight
a^id the adjacent Islands. 219
Motacilla longipes, Ginel. S. N. i. p. 979; Forst. Descr. An.
p. 88^ et Icon. ined. 165.
Sylvia longipes, Lath. lud. Orn. ii. p. 529.
Acanthisitta longipes, G. R. Gr. List of Gen. of B. 1841^ ^PP-
p. 6, et Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds, p. 4. pi. 3. f. 1; Ellman,
Zool. 1861, p. 7466.
' E-tecte tee pomou/ ' Kakaruai/ ' Miro-miro/ of the natives.
Hab. Queen Charlotte's Sound; Rima-taka Hills, N. Z.
16. Xenicus stokesii, G. R. Gr., sp. nov.
Purplish brown above, tinged with olive on the lower part of
the back ; quills dull purplish brown with the outer margins
olivaceous ; beneath purplish white shining in some lights ; the
sides and abdomen olivaceous ; a broad white streak extending
from the nostrils over each eye to the hind part of the head ; bill
black ; legs and toes pale yellow.
Bill from gape 7^'" ; tarsi 12^'" ; wings 2' 3'" ; middle toe
and claw 9^'".
Hab. Rima-taka Hills, N. Z. [Capt. Stokes, R.N.).
17. Acanthisitta chloris, G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds,
p. 4. pi. 3. f. 2 $ .
c? Sitta chloris, Sparrm. Mus. Carls, t. 33.
Acanthiza tenuirostins, Lafr. Rev. Zool. 1841, p. 212.
Acanthisitta tenuirostris, Lafr. Mag. de Zool. 1842, Ois. t. 27;
EUman, Zool. 1861, p. 7466.
$ Citrine Warbler, Lath. Gen. Syn. iv. p. 464.
Motacilla citrina, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 979.
Sylvia citrina. Lath. Ind. Orn. ii. p. 529.
Motacilla citrinella, Forst. Descr. An. p. 89, et Icon. ined. 161.
Acanthisitta citrina, G. R. Gr. List of Gen. of B. 1841, App.
p. 6; Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7466.
to the base. Nostrils sunk in a short broad groove, with the opening large,
oval, and partly closed by a membrane. Wings short, rounded, with the
third, fourth, and fifth quills nearly equal and longest. Tarsi lengthened,
slender, longer than the middle toe, covered by an entire scale. Toes rather
long, slender, inner shorter than the outer and free at the base, the outer
one connected nearly to the lirst joint of the middle toe. Claws long, curved,
and verv acute.
220 List of the Birds of New Zealand
Juv. (S Sitta punctata, Quoy & Gaim. Voy. I'Astrol. i. p. 221.
t. 18. f. 1.
Acanthisitta punctata, G. R. Gr. List of Gen. of B. 1841, App.
p. 6; Ellraan, Zool. 1861, p. 7466.
' Piwauwaw,' ' Miru miru,^ ' Pihipihi,^ ' Mako,^ of the natives.
Hab. Port Nicholson, N. Z.
18. MoHouA ocHRocEPHALA, G. R. Gr. List of Gen. of B. 1841,
p. 25; Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds, p. 5.
Yellow-headed Fhjcatcher, Lath. Gen. Syn. ii. p. 342.
Muscicapa ochrocephala, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 944.
Muscicapa chloris, Forst. Descr. An. p. 87, et Icon. ined. 157.
Cei-thia heteroclites, Quoy & Gaim. Voy. rAstrol.i.p.223.t.l7.
Orthonyx ictei'ocephalus, Lafr. Rev. Zool. 1839, p. 257.
Orthonyx heteroclitus, Lafr. Mag. de Zool. 1840, t. 8.
Mohoua hua. Less. Compl. BuflF. ix. p. 139.
Orthonyx ochrocephala, G. R. Gr. & Mitch. Gen. of B. i. p. 151.
pi. 46.
' Mohoua houa,' ' Popokatea,' ' Mohoua,^ of the natives.
Hab. Tasman's Bay; Cook's Straits, N. Z.
19. Mohoua? ALBiciLLA.
Fringilla albicilla. Less. Voy. Coqu. Zool. i. p. 662.
Parus senilis, Dubus, Bull. Acad. Brux. Sc. vi. pt. i. p. 297.
Certhiparus senilis, Lafr. Rev. Zool. 1842, p. 69.
Certhiparus albicillus, G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds, p. 6.
pi. 5. f. 2.
Certhiparus cinerea, Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7465 ?
' Popokotea,' ' Popokatea,' ' Hihipopokera' ?, of the natives.
Hab. Port Nicholson ; Bay of Islands, N. Z.
LUSCINIID^.
20. Sphenceacus punctatus, G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds,
p. 5 ; Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7465.
Synallaxis punctata, Quoy & Gaim. Voy. PAstrol. i. p. 225.
t. 18. f. 2.
Megalurus punctatus, G. R. Gr.
' Mata,' ' Matata,' * Toetoe,' ' Kotata,' ' Korowatito,' of the
natives.
Hah. Tasman's Bay, N. Z.
and the adjacent Islands. 221
21 . Sphengeacus fulvus, G. E. Gr., sp. nov.
Bright fulvous, each feather marked along its shaft with
black ; a white streak from the nostrils passing over the eyes
and enlarging beyond them on each side ; the front of the head
rusty ; throat, breast, and middle of abdomen white, more or less
minutely dotted with black.
Hab. New Zealand.
This species is much brighter in colour and the black streaks
and dots are less prominent than in S.punctatus. It is also of a
rather larger size, with the bill less and tail shorter than in the
former.
23. Gerygone igata, G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds, p. 5.
Curruca igata, Quoy & Gaim. Voy. PAstrol. i. p. 201. 1. 1. f. 2.
Acanthiza igata, G. R. Gr. App. Dieffenb. New Zeal. p. 189.
' Igata ' of the natives.
Hab. Tasman's Bay; Cook's Straits, N. Z.
23. Gerygone flaviventris, G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds,
p. 5. pi. 4. f. 1.
' Titiripsenamu ' of the natives.
Hab. Bay of Islands ; Waikouaiti, South Island, N. Z.
24. Gerygone modesta, v. Pelz. Sitz. Acad. d. Wiss. Wien, xli.
p. 320.
Hab. Norfolk Island.
25. Gerygone ? albofrontata, G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb, & Terr.
Birds, p. 5. pi. 4. f. 2.
Hab. New Zealand.
26. Certhiparus novve seelandi^, Lafr. Rev. Zool. 1842,
p. 69 ; G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds, p. 6. pi. 5. f. 1.
New Zealand Titmouse, Lath. Gen. Syn. iv. p. 558.
Parus novce seelandice, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 1013.
Parus urustigma, Forst. Descr. An. p. 90, et Icon. ined. 166;
Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7465.
' Toetoe,' ' Riro riro,' ' Pipipi,' of the natives.
Hab. Dusky Bay and Northern Island, N. Z.
27. Certhiparus maculicaudus, G. R. Gr. App. Dieff. N.Z. ii.
222 List of the Birds of New Zealand
p. 189, et Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds, p. 6; Ellman, Zool.
1861, p. 7465.
Parus zealandicus, Quoy & Gaim. Voy. PAstrol. i. p. 210.
1. 11. f. 3.
' Momo-houa/ * Horirerire/ of the natives,
Hab. Tasman's Bay; North Island, N. Z.
28. ZosTEROPs TENUiRosTRis, Gould, P. Z. S. 1836, p. 7Q, Syn.
B. of Austr. pt. i., et B. of Austr. Suppl. pt. iii.; v. Pelz.
Sitz. Acad. d. Wiss. Wien, xli. p. 320.
Hab. Norfolk Island {Gould) {v. Pelz.).
29. ZosTEROPS ALBOGULARis, Gould, P. Z. S. 1836, p. 75, Syn.
B. of Austr. pt. i., et B. of Austr. Suppl. pt. iii.; v. Pelz.
Sitz. Acad. d. Wiss. Wien, xli. p. 320.
Hab. Norfolk Island {Gould) {v. Pelz.),
30. ZosTEROPs sTRENUus, Gould, P. Z. S. 1855, p. 166, et B. of
Austr. Suppl. pt. ii.
Hab. Lord Howe's Island.
31. ZosTEROPs TEPHROPLEURUs, Gould, P. Z. S. 1855, p. 166, et
B. of Austr. Suppl. pt. ii.
Hab. Lord Howe's Island.
32. Petroica macrocephala, G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr.
Birds, p. 6.
Great-headed Titmouse, Lath. Gen. Syn. iv. p. 557. pi. 55.
Parus macrocephalus, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 1013.
Turdus minutus, Forst. Descr. An. p. 83, et Icon. ined. 149.
Rhipidura macrocephala, Swains. Nat. Libr. Flyc. p. 122 ;
G. R. Gr. App. Dieff. N. Z. ii. p. 190.
Pachycephala ? australis, Steph.
Miro forsterorum, G. R. Gr. App. Dieff. N. Z. ii. p. 191.
Miro macrocephala, Pr. B. Consp. Av. p. 299.
Muscicapa macrocephala, EUman, Zool. 1861, p. 7465.
Muscicapa minuta, Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7465 ?
' Mirro mirro,' ' Pirangirangi,' of the natives.
Hab. Queen Charlotte's Sound, N. Z.; Auckland Island.*
* What is Muscicapa melanura, 'Ellman'? "Tail white."
' Miro miro ' of the natives.
Closely allied to M. macrocephala.
and the adjacent Islands. 223
33. Petroica dieffenbachit, G, R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr.
Birds, p. 6. pi. 6. f. 1.
Miro dieffenbachii, G. R. Gr. A.pp. Dieff. N. Z. ii. p. 191.
Hab. Chatham Island.
34 Petroica ToiToi, G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds, p. 6.
Muscicapa toitoi, Garn. Voy. Coqu. Zool. i. p. 590, Ois. t. 15.
f. 3.
Miro toitoi, G. R. Gr. App. Dieff. N. Z. ii. p. 191.
Myiomoira toitoi, Reichenb.
Muscicapa albopectus, Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7465 ?
'Nirungiru,' 'Ngirungiru/ ' Miro- miro,' 'To-i-toe/ 'Miro-
toitoi,' of the natives.
Hab. Port Nicholson, N. Z.
35. Petroica longipes, G. R. Gr.
Muscicapa longipes, Garn. Voy. Coqu. Zool. i. p. 594, Ois.
t. 19. f. 1; EUman, Zool, 1861, p. 7465.
Myiothera novce zealandice, Less.
Turdus australis, Sparrm. Mus. Carls, t. 69 ?
Miro longipes, Less. Tr. d'Orn. p. 389.
Saxicola longipes, Temm.
Petroica australis, (Sparrm.) G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr.
Birds, p. 7; G. R. Gr. Gen. of B. i. p. 183 ?
Mi7-o australis, Pr. B. Consp. Av. p. 299.
Aplonis australis, G. R. Gr. App. Dieff. N. Z. ii. p. 192 ?
' Miro miro,' ' Totoara,' of the natives.
Hab. Bay of Islands ; Dusky Bay, N. Z.
36. Petroica albifrons, G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds,
p. 7. pi. 6. f. 2.
White-fronted Thrush, Lath. Gen. Syn. iii. p. 71.
Turdus albifrons, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 822.
Turdus ochrotarsus, Forst. Descr. An. p. 82, et Icon. ined. 148.
Miro albifrons, G. R. Gr. App. Dieff. N. Z. ii. p. 190; Pr. B.
Consp. Av. p. 299.
Muscicapa saxicolina, Licht.
Muscicapa albifrons, Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7465.
Hab. South Island, N.Z.
224 List of the Birds of New Zealand
37. Petroica erythrogastrAj Gould^ B. of Austr. iii. pi. 4.
Red-bellied Flycatcher, Lath. Gen. Syn. iii. p. 343. pi. 50.
Muscicapa erythrogastra, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 944.
Petroica modest a et P. pulchella, Gould.
Hab. Norfolk Island.*
38. Anthus nov^ zealandi^, G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr.
Birds, p, 7.
New Zealand Lark, Lath. Gen. Syn. iv. p. 384.
Alauda nova seelandia, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 799.
Alauda novae zealandice, Lath.
Alauda littorea, Forst. Descr. An. p. 90, et Icon. ined. 143;
EUman, Zool. 1861, p. 7466.
* Kogoo-aroure,' ' Kataitai,' of the natives.
Hab. Queen Charlotte^s Sound; Bay of Islands; Cook's
Straits, N. Z.
39. Anthus aucklandicus, G. R. Gr., sp. nov.
Anthus nova zealandice, p., G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds,
p. 7.
Hab. Auckland Island.
Probably a distinct species from the former one, with a triflingly
larger foot.
40. Anthus ?, G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds, p. 7.
Alauda , Forst. Descr. An. p. 91.
Anthus grayi, Pr. B. Consp. Av. p. 249.
Hab. Queen Charlotte's Sound, N. Z.
TURDID^.
41. TuRDUs viNiTiNCTUs, Sclatcr, Ibis, 1861, p. 281.
Merula vinitincta, Gould, P. Z. S. 1855, p. 165, et B. of Austr.
Suppl, pt. ii.
Hab. Lord Howe's Island.
42. TuRDUs POLiocEPHALUs, Lath. Ind. Orn. Suppl. p. xliv.
Turdus fuliginosus, Lath.?
Merula nestor, Gould (ex Norfolk Island).
* What is the " most heautiful small bird " from Lord Howe's Island,
referred to by Phillip in his Voy. I3ot. Bay, p. 225, which he describes as
" brown, with yellow breast and yellow on the wings," and further speaks
of as being " like a Humming- Bird " ?
and the adjacent Islands. 225
Geocichla poliocephala, Pr, B. Consp. Av. p. 268.
Merula poliocephala, Gould, B. of Austr. Suppl. pt. iii.
Hab. Norfolk Island {Lath.).
43. TuRNAGHA CRAssiROSTRis, G. R. Gr. List of Gen. of B. 1841,
p. 38, et Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds, p. 7; Ellman, Zool. 1 861,
p. 7465.
Thick-billed Thrush, Lath. Gen. Syn. iii. p. 34. pi. 37.
Tanagra capensis, Sparrni. Mus. Carls, t. 45.
Turdus crassirosti'is, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 815.
Loxia turdus, Forst. Descr. An. p. 85, et Icon. ined. 145.
Tanagra macularia, Quoy & Gaim. Voy. PAstrol. Zool. i.
p. 186. t. 7. f. 1.
Lanius crassirostris, Cuv. Reg. An. p. 338.
Campephaga ferruginea,\ut\\\. Enc. Meth. p. 857.
Keropia a-assirostris, G. R. Gr. List of Gen. of B. 1840, p. 28.
Otagon turdus, Pr. B. Consp. Av. p. 374.
Ceropia crassirosti'is, Sundev.
' Golobieo,' ' Pio-pio,' ' Keropia,' ' Koho eou,' ' Kakaroeo,*
' Koropio,' of the natives.
Hab. South Island, N. Z.
MuSCICAPIDiE.
44. Rhipidura flabellifera, G. R. Gr. App. DiefF. N. Z. ii.
p. 190, et Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds, p. 8.
Fan-tailed Flycatcher, Lath. Gen. Syn. iii. p. 340. pi. 49.
Muscicapa jlabellifera, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 943.
Muscipeta flabellifera, Temm.
" Rhipidura albiscapa, Gould," Cass. U. S. Expl. Exped.
1858, viii. p. 150.
Muscicapa veniilabrum, Forst. Descr. An. p. 86, et Icon.
ined. 155 ; Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7465.
* Diggowaghwagh,' ' Piwaka-waka,^ ' Pi-oua-ka-oua-ka,' ' Hi-
waka-waka,^ ' Hee-waka-waka,' ' Titiwaiko,' ' Te-waka-
waka,' of the natives.
Hab. South Island; Dusky Bay; Bay of Islands, N. Z.
45. Rhipidura melanura, G.R.Gr. App.Dieff. N.Z. ii. p. 190,
et Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds, p. 8.
Hab. Cook's Straits, N.Z. ; Chatham Island.
226 List of the Birds of Neiv Zealand
46. Rhipidura PELZELNi, G. R. Gr.
Rhipidura assimilis, v. Pelz, Sitz. Acad. d. Wiss. Wieo, xli.
p. 320.
Fajitail, Downing, Proc. Roy. Soc. Tasmania ?
Hab. Norfolk Island.
47. Rhipidura tristis, Hombr. & Jacq. Vo3^ Pole Sud, Zool.
i. p. 76. t. lll.f. 5.
Rhipidura melanura, p., Pr. B. Consp. Av. p. 324.
Hab. Otago, N. Z.
Ampblid^.
48. Pachycephala xanthoprocta, Gould, P.Z.S. 1837, p. 149,
et Syn. B. of Austr. pi. . f. .
Hab. Norfolk Island {Pr. B.); doubtful if N. S. W. {Gould).
49. Pachycephala longirostris, Gould, P. Z. S. 1837, p. 149,
et Syn. B. of Austr. pi. . f .
Hab. Norfolk Island {Pr.B.)) doubtful if N. S.W. {Gould).
50. Campephaga longicaudata, v. Pelz. Sitz. Acad. d. Wiss.
Wien, xli. p. 321.
Hab. Norfolk Island.
Probably the same as the next species.
51. Symmorphus leucopygius, Gould, P. Z. S. 1837, p. 145.
Campephaga leucopygia, G. R. Gr.
Hab. Norfolk Island.
CORVID^.*
52. CALLiEAS cinerea, Forst. Descr. An. p. 74, et Icon. ined. 52 ;
G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds, p. 8; EUman, Zool.
1861, p. 7466.
Cinereous Wattled Bird, Lath. Gen. Syn. i. p. 364. pi. 14.
Glaucopis cinerea, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 363.
Cryptorhina callceus, Wagl.
' Kokako ' of the natives.
Hab. New Zealand.
* What is the bird found on Lord Howe's Island, and mentioned in
Phillip's Voy. Bot. Bay, p. 225, where it is designated " Magpie "?
and the adjacent Islands. 227
53. Call^as \viLSONi,G.R.Gr.MSS.; Pi-.B.Consp.Av.p.368.
Hab. New Zealand.
StURNIDjE.
54. Aplonis zelandicus, G. R. Gr. App. DieflF. N. Z. ii. p. 191,
et Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds, p. 8.
Lamprotornis zealandicus, Quoy & Gaim. Voy. I'Astrol. i. p.
t. 9. f. 1.
Hab. Tasraan's Bay, N. Z.
55. Aplonis obscurus, G. R. Gr. App. Dieff. N. Z. ii. p. 191, et
Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds, p. 8.
Lamprotornis obscurus, Dubus, Bull. Acad. Sci. Brux. vi. pt. i.
p. 297.
Hab. New Zealand; Norfolk Island [v. Pels.).
56. Creadion carunculatus, G. R. Gr. List of Gen. of B. 1841,
p. 51.
Wattled Stare, Lath. Gen. Syn. iii. p. 9. pi. 36.
Sturnus carunculatus, Grael. S. N. i. p. 805 ; Forst. Descr.
An. p. 81, et Icon. ined. 144 ; Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7466.
Creadion pharoides, Y'leiW. Enc. Meth.
Icterus rufusater ex I. novce zealandice,ljes,s.&,GaYn.Yoy. Coqu.
Zool. t. 23. f. 1.
Xanthornus carunculatas, Quoy & Gaim. Voy. I'Astrol. t. 12.
f. 4.
Oxystomus carunculatus. Swains. CI. of B. ii. p. 270.
'Tieke,' ' Tira-ouake,' ^ Tiaka,' 'Purourou,' ' Tierawaki,'
' Tiaki,' ' Tieke,' of the natives.
Hab. North and South Islands ; Tasman's Bay, N. Z.
Psittacid^.
57. Platycercus pennantii, Vig. & Horsf. Linn. Trans, xv.
p. 280.
Psittacus pennantii, Lath. Ind. Orn, i. p. 90; Downing, Proc.
Roy. Soc. Tasmania.
Psittacus gloriosus et P. splendidus, Shaw.
Psittacus elegans, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 318.
Hab. Norfolk Island.
This bird differs but slightly from Australian examples.
228 List of the Birds of New Zealand
58. Platycercus pacificus, Vig. Zool. Journ. i. p. 529.
Pacific Parrot, Lath. Gen. Syn. i. p. 252.
Psittacus pacificus, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 329.
Cyanoramphus nova zealandiae, Pr. B. Rev. et Mag. de Zool.
1854, p. 153.
Platycercus novce zealandia, Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7467.
'Kakiriki/ 'Powaitere,' 'Po-e-tere,' 'Kakariki,' of the natives.
Hab. South Island, N.Z.; Chatham Island.
59. Platycercus rayneri^ G. R. Gr., sp. nov.
Upper surface green ; front and vertex crimson ; spot on the
ear-coverts slightly indicated by obscure crimson; quills fuscous
black, with the outer web of each feather light purplish blue,
slightly margined with green, and narrowly edged with yellow;
tail-feathers beneath fuscous black, with the ends and inner
margins of the outer feathers yellow-brown.
Hab. Norfolk Island {Mr. Rayner,R.N.).
This species is easily distinguished from the New Zealand
bird (P. pacificus), which has the upper surface dull green ;
the front, vertex, and spot on the ear-coverts carmine; quills
fuscous black, with the outer web of each feather purplish blue,
margined with green, and narrowly edged with yellow; and the
outer tail-feathers beneath yellowish brown. The corresponding
bird from Macquarie's Island (P. erythrotis) also diflfers, as it is
of a general yellowish-green colour ; the front, vertex, and spot
on the ear-coverts are crimson ; the quills fuscous black, with the
outer web of the first three feathers blue, margined with green,
edged with yellow; the rest of the quills have the outer webs
yellowish green, edged with yellow; the under surface of the
tail-feathers is entirely of a yellowish brown.
60. Platycercus erythrotis, Wagl. Monogr. Psitt. p. 526.
Platycercus pacificus, p., Vig. Zool. Journ. i. p. 529.
Cyanoramphus erythrotis, Pr. B. Rev. Zool. 1854, p. 153.
Platycercus pacificus, Bourj. Perr. t. 36.
Hab. Macquarie's Island.
'61. Platycercus cookii, G. R. Gr. List of Psitt. B. M. p. 13.
Hab. New Zealand.
arid the adjacent Islands. 229
2. Platycercus aucklandicus, G. R. Gr. List of Psitt. B. M.
p. 13.
Psittacus pacificus, var. /3, Gmel.
Psittacus nova zealandice, var. 2, Kuhl.
Hab. Auckland Island.
63. ? Platycercus unicolor, Vig. Zool. Journ. 1831, p. 24 ;
Lear's Parr. pi. 25.
Psittacus platycercus viridis unicolor, Bourj. Perr. t. 34.
Cyanoramphus unicolor, Pr. B. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1854,
p. 153.
Hab. New Zealand ?
64. Platycercus auriceps, Vig. Zool. Journ. i. p. 531, Suppl.
pi. 2; Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7467.
Psittacus pacificus, var. 8, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 329.
Psittacus [Conurus) auriceps, Kuhl, Consp. Psitt. p. 46.
Platycercus nova zealandia, Bourj. Perr. t. 37.
Cyanoramphus auriceps, Pr. B. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1854,
p. 153 J Souance, Rev. Zool. 1856, p. 212.
* Potarakina ' of the natives.
Hab. New Zealand.
65. Platycercus malherbii, G.R.Gr. List of Psitt. B.M. p. 14.
Cyanoramphus malherbii, Souance, Rev. et Mag.de Zool. 1857,
p. 98.
Hab. Auckland Island.
66. Nestor meridionalis, G.R.Gr. App. Dieff. N. Z. ii. p. 193,
et Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds, p. 9 ; Ellman, Zool. 1861,
p. 7467.
Southern Brown Parrot, Lath. Gen. Syn. i. p. 264.
Psittacus meridionalis, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 333.
Psittacus nestor. Lath. Ind. Orn. i. p. 110.
Psittacus australis, Shaw, Mus. Lever, p. 87.
Psittacus hypopolius, Forst. Descr. An. p. 72 ; Icon. ined. 50.
Psittacus (Kakadoe) nestor, Kuhl, Consp. Psitt. p. 86.
Nestor hypjopolius, Wagl. Monogr. Psitt. p. 696 ; Gould, B. of
Austr. Suppl. pt. iii.
VOL. IV. R
2-^J Lut of Oie Bird* of S'ev: Zeol/wl
Nentf/r w/co', zmhirvdw; , !>;»». Tr. d'Orn. p. 191.
Cf^fdrwJTWi avMrtdiif Swain*. CI, of B. ii. p. 303.
' Kaka ' of the Tjatiye*.
/Ay//, New 7j(:XijSiaA.
07. Sr,m(}K. kpausoii, Sonanee, ittrv. et Mag, de Zool. ]850,
p. 223; Gonld, B, of Aa»tr. Suppl. pt. iii.
Kc/d'/r w/ct}'. zmlufdirM, Fr.B. Rev. et Mag. deZool.l 854,p.l55.
y/«^. New Z*^]nTid.
CA. y^moK s(f7AhiU*, Goald, ?, Z. S. 1850, p, 91 ; B, of Au»tr.
STjpj>]. pt, iij.
' Ykf'M' (jf the natives,
/Ay//. .Morikika O^untry, Middle Wand, .N,Z,
09. Nb»tok yfuin)V(yrvn, Gould, B. of Avadr. v, pi, 0.
Plyciol///jftvjt j/rodw;tm, G'/uId, P, Z. S. 1 830, p. ) 9.
(Je-htrv/niH j/rodwdvji, P r , B . C ab , J o u rrj . f u r Om i t h . 1 85 0, p .
:i' NeaU/r w/rfoU;Hfmn, v. Pelz, Sitz. Acad, d. Wiiis. Wieu, xli.
p. 323.
//«//, Pljillip inland ; .Norfolk J -Jand.
70. HiKKnyyn UAayjiVfiun, G. K, Gr, P. Z. 8. 1847, p. 02;
G. K. Gr. & .Mitcb. Gen. of H. ii. pi. 105; Gould, B. of
An»tr. Suppl. pi. ; Kllrnan, Zf/d, 1801, p, 7407.
('erUrt/f/iiH ('ij G. K. Gr. App. iJieff, N. Z. p, 194 fnot*;); Voy.
Breb. & Terr. Birdw, p. 9.
'Tarapo,' ' Kakapo,' of the natives.
//«//, .North Inland ; Sf/uth-we»t end of Middle Island, N. Z.
'riiere probably exists a wx^^nd tf]n-j-'i«'.n of this remarkable
genus, which may be charaf;teri7/ed by the light-blue r;^;lour on
the sides and tip f;f ea/;h plurne, in tlie pla/;e f^f yellowiKh isrcan ;
also by the plumes being white instead of yellow, and by their
being more numerounly banded (regularly and irregularly) with
black ; these bafids appear more decided on the wings and tail
than in the iontmr species. Should other s[x^;imens det<;rmine
it U) be a distinct species, it is projK^wid by Mr. C/. It. Gray that it
nhould be named HtnyopH yrnyii, in honour of ilis Kxcelleney
Sir (j.(irt:y, K.G.B., who presented the example which forms the
md the adftaa Islands. 231
subject of these remarks to the British Museum, and who has done
so much in extending our knowledge of the birds of the regions
on which this paper more especially treats.
Beautiful Parrots and Parroquets are recorded as having been
fovmd on Lord Howe's Island ^Phill. Bot. Bay, p. 220) and on
Macaulay's Island (p. 228).
A third species of the family is stated to ha\"e been found on
Norfolk Island (Downing, Proc. Roy. Soc. Tasmania); but two
species only are at present recorded in this list.
CrcuLiDi.
71. ErDYNAMTs TAiTExsis, G. R. Gr. App. DiefF. X.Z. ii. p. 193.
Socifty Cuckoic, Lath. Gen. Syn. ii. p. 514.
Cuculus taitensis, Sparrm. Mus. Carls, t. 32 ; Ellman, Zool.
1861, p. 7467.
Cuculus taitius, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 412.
Cvculus fasciatus, Forst. Descr. An. p. 160: Icon. ined. 56.
Eudj/namys cuneicauda, Peale, Expl. Exped. 1S4S, p. 139.
' Kohepuroa,' ' Koekoea,' ' Kohaperoa.' ' Kohihi," * Kawaka-
wea.' of the natives.
Hab. Port Nicholson ; Orago. N. Z.
72. Chrysococcyx Lrciprs, G.R.Gr. App. Diejf. X.Z. ii. p.l93;
Voy. Ereb. ^ Terr. Birds, p. 10.
Shtning Cuckoic, Lath. Gen. Syn. ii. p. 528. pi. 23.
CWcll7«^^ lucidus, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 421; EUmau, Zool. 1S61,
p. 7467.
Cuculus nitens, Forst. Descr. An. p. 151; Icon. ined. 57.
' Poopoo arouro,' ' Pipiwawarou,' ' Pipiwarouro,' ' Pipiwa-
rouroa,' of the natives.
Hab. Queen Ch;irlotte's Sound ; Port Nicholson, N. Z.
CoLCMBlDi.
73. CARForHAGA xov.« iKALAXDiJS, G. R. Gr. App. Died". N. Z.
ii. p. 194.
Xnc Zealand Pujeon, Lath. Gen. Syn.
Cohanba nor-xt s^ir!andi<r, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 773 ; Ellman, Zool.
1861, p. 7467.
Columba z^landica, Lath. Ind. Orn. ii. p. 603.
R 2
232 List of the Birds of New Zealand
Columba argetraea, Forst. Descr. An. p. 80; Icon. ined. 137.
Columba spadicea, (Lath.) Less. Voy. Coqu. Zool. i. p. 710.
Hemiphaga nova zealandice, Pr. B. Consp. Av. ii. p. 38.
Columba spadicea leucophaa, Hombr. & Jacq. Ann. Sci. Nat.
xiv. p. 319 ?
' Hagarreroo/ ' Kuku/ ' Kukupa/ ' Cucupyi/ ' Kereru/ of
the natives.
Hab. South Island ; Dusky Bay, N. Z.
74. Carpophaga spadicea, G. R. Gr. List of Gall. B. M. p. 6.
Columba spadicea, Lath. Ind. Orn. Suppl. p. Ix.
Hemiphaga spadicea, Pr. B. Consp. Av. ii. p. 39 ; v. Pelz. Sitz.
Acad. d. Wiss. Wien, xli. p. 326.
Columba leucogaster, Wagl. Syst. Av.
Columba princeps, Vig. P. Z. S. 1833, p. 78.
Carpophaga princeps, Reichenb. Syst. Av. p. xxvi.
'Wood Queest' of the colonists, Downing, Proc. Roy. Soc.
Tasmania.
Hab. Norfolk Island.*
75. ? Carpophaga norfolciensis, G. R. Gr. List of Gall. B. M.
p. 5.
Columba noifolciensis, Lath. Ind, Orn. Suppl. p. Ix.
Columba leucomela, Temm. PI. Col. 186.
Hab. Norfolk Island {Lath.).
76. Phaps ptcata, Selby, Nat. Libr. v. p. 194.
Columba picat a, Lath. Ind. Orn. Suppl. p. lix.
Columba melanoleuca, Lath.
Columba jamiesoni, Quoy& Gaim. Voy. I'Uranie, p. 123.
Columba armillaris, Temm. Pig. t. 6.
Leucosarcia picata, Gould, B. of Austr. v. pi. 63; v. Pelz.
Sitz. Acad. d. Wiss. Wien, xli. p. 326.
Hab. Norfolk Island {v. Pelz.).
77. Phaps chalcoptera, Selby, Nat. Libr. v. p. 195. pi. 21.
Columba chalcoptera, Lath. Ind. Orn. ii. p. 604; Phill. Bot.
Bay, pi. p. 162.
* What is the "very large Pigeon " referred to by PhiUips in his Voy. Bot.
Bay, p. 225, as found in Lord Howe's Island ?
and the adjacent Islands. 233
Peristera chalcoptei-a, Swains. CI. of B. ii. p. 349.
Hab. Norfolk Island [Phill.).*
Tetraonid^.
78. CoTURNix Nov^ ZEALANDi^, Quoy & Gaim. Voy. l^Astrol.
Zool. i. p. 242. t. 24. f. 1, et Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds, p. 10.
pi. 8; Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7468.
' Koreke,' ' Moho- koreke,' ' Kokoreke/ of the natives.
Hab. Chouraki Bay; North and South Islands, N. Z.
Apterygid^.
79. Apteryx australis, Shaw, Nat. Misc. pis. 1057, 1058;
Bartl. P. Z. S. 1850, p. 275; Sclat. & Hochst. Nat. Hist.
Rev. 1861, p. 504.
Dromiceius nova zealandice, Less. Man. d'Orn. ii. p. 210.
' Kivi,^ ' Kiwikiwu,^ of the natives.
Hab. South-east coast of New Zealand {Shaw); Dusky Bay;
Otago ; Middle Island.
80. Apteryx mantellii, Bartl. P. Z. S. 1850, p. 275; Sclat. &
Hochst. Nat. Hist. Rev. 1861, p. 505.
Aptenjx australis, Gould, B. of Austr. vi. pi. 2.
' Kiwi-nui ' of the natives.
Hab. Hokianga River ; East Cape ; North Island ; Houtou-
rou or Little Barrier Island, near Auckland, N. Z.
81. Apteryx maxima, Verr. Pr. B. Conipt. Rend. 1856, p. 841;
Sclat. & Hochst. Nat. Hist. Rev. 1861, p. 506.
Apteryx major, Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7468?
'Fireman,' Gould, B. of Austr. in letterpr. to Apteryx australis.
' Kiwi parure,^ ' Roa roa,' of the natives.
Hab. Nelson ; Middle Island, N. Z.
82. Apteryx owenii, Gould, P. Z. S. 1847, p. 94; B. of Austr.
iv. pi. 3; Sclat. & Hochst. Nat. Hist. Rev. 1861, p. 505.
* What is Columba anea,v&v. /3, Lath.? — Hab. New Zealand.
What is Columba brunnea, Lath.? — Hab. New Zealand.
Probably both are given with wrong locality.
The late Mr. Percy Earl mentioned a Pigeon of New Zealand with " the
head and neck white, the former crested " (Voy. Ereb &. Terr. Birds, p. 10).
234 List of the Birds of New Zealand
Apteryx mantellii, ]wy., Schleg.
' Kivi-iti ' of the natives.
Hab. South Island; Nelson, N. Z.*
CHARADRIADiE.
83. Charadrius xanthochbilus, G. R. Gr. App. DieflF. N. Z.
ii. p. 195; Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7469.
Charadrius virginianus, G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds,
p. 11.
' Tuturiwhata,' ' Pakihitaki,^ ' Tuturuata,^ of the natives.
Hah. New Zealand; Norfolk Island {v. Pelz.).
84. Charadrius obscurus, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 686 ; G. R. Gr.
Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds, p. 11. pi. 9; Ellman, Zool.
p. 7469.
Dusky Plover, Lath. Gen. Syn. v. p. 211.
Charadrius glareola, Forst. Descr, An. p. 109; Icon, ined.122.
' Moakura,' ' Ha-poho-era,^ * Tuturiwata pukunui,^ ' Pututo,'
of the natives.
Hab. South Island ; Dusky Bay; Waikouaiti, N. Z.
85. Charadrius bicinctus, Jard. & Selb. 111. of Orn. pi. 28.
Chestnut-breasted Plover, Lath. Hist, of B. Ix. p. 324.
Hiaticula bicincta, Gould, B. of Austr. vi. pi. 16 ; G. R. Gr.
Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds, p. 12.
Charadrius xanthocheilus, Ellman, Zool. p. 7469 ?
Hab. New Zealand.
86. Charadrius frontalis, Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7469.
Anarhynchus frontalis, Quoy & Gaim. Voy. I'Astrol. i. p. 252.
t. 31. f. 2 ; G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds, p. 12.
Thinornis ? frontalis, G. R. Gr. Gen. of B. iii. p. 545.
Hab. Chouraki Bay, N. Z.
The bird is represented in the "Voyage of the Astrolabe " with
a deformed bill. The bill is perfectly straight in most specimens.
87. Thinornis nov^ seelandi^, G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr.
Birds, p. 12. pi. 11.
New Zealand Plover, Lath. Gen. Syn. v. p. 206. pi. 83.
* "What is the Little Apteryx {Kiwi hoihoi), Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7469?
and the adjacent Islands. 235
Charadrius novce seelandia, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 684.
Charadrius novce zealandia, Lath.
Charadrius dudoroa, Wagl. Syst. Av.
Charadrius torquatula, Forst. Descr. Au. p. 108 ; Icon. ined.
121.
Hiaticula nova seelandia, G. R. Gr. App. DieflF. N.Z. ii. p. 195.
Charadrius atricinctus, Ellman ?, Zool. p. 7469.
' Doodooroo attoo/ ' Kukuruatu/ of the natives.
Hab. Dusky Bay; Queen Charlotte's Bay; between Tairi and
Otago, South Island, N. Z.
88. Thinornis rossii, G.R.Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Bu-ds, p. 12.
pi. 11-^.
Hab. Auckland Island.
89. H^MATOPUs LONGiROSTRis, VieiU. Nouv. Diet. d'H. N. xv.
p. 410; G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds, p. 12 ; Gould,
B. of Austr. vi. pi. 7.
Hcematopus picatus, Vig. King's Voy. Austr. App. p. 420 ;
G. R. Gr. App. Dieff. N. Z. ii. p. 196 ; Ellman, Zool. 1861,
p. 7469.
Hcematopus austr aliasianus, Gould, P. Z. S. 1837, p. 155.
' Toria,' ' Torea,' ' Toria nui,' of the natives.
Hab. New Zealand.
90. H^MATOPUs UxNicoLOR, Forst. Descr. An. p. 112; Wagl.
Isis, ] 832, p. 1230, et Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds, p. ] 2. pi. 10.
Black Oyster-catcher, p.. Lath. Gen, Hist. ix. p. 358.
Hcematopus niger, Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7469.
Hab. New Zealand.
Ardeid^.
91. Ardea flavirostris, Wagl.
Herodias flavirostris, G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds, p. 12.
Ardea alba, Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7469.
Ardea alba, p., Lath. Ind. Orn. ii. p. 695.
* Katuka,' ' Kotuku ' (?), ' Koutuku,' of the natives.
Hab. Tairi River; South Island, N. Z.
92. Ardea matook, Vieill. N. Diet. d'H.N. xiv. p. 416.
Blue Heron, Lath. Gen. Syn. v. p. 79.
236 List of the Birds of New Zealand
Ardea ccei'ulea, var. 7, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 631.
Ardea jugular is, Forst. Descr. An. p. 172; Icon. ined. 114.
New Zealand Heron, Lath. Hist, of B. ix. p. 128.
Herodias matook, G. R. Gr. App. Dieff. N. Z. ii. p. 196.
Ardea cinerea, Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7469.
' Matook/ ' Matuku-wai-tai/ ' Matou-cou/ of the natives.
Hab. Queen Chavlotte^s Sound, N. Z.
93. BoTAURUs poiciLOPTERus, G. R. Gr. Gen. of B. iii. p. 557.
Ardea [Botaurus) australis, Cuv.? Less. Tr. d^Orn. p. 572.
Ardea poicilopterus, Wagl. Syst. Av. Ard.
Botaurus melanotis, G. R. Gr. App. Dieff. N. Z. ii. p. 196,
et Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds, p. 13; Ellman, Zool. 1861,
p. 7469.
'Matuku/ ^Matuku-urepo' ?, 'Matukuhurepo,' of the natives.
Hab. New Zealand.*
94. Platalea ?
Ardea latirostrum [Spoonbill), Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7469.
' Koutuku-ngutu-papa ' of the natives.
Hab. Castle Point, East Coast of North Island, N. Z.
95. Platalea ?
Spoonbill, Downing, Proc. Roy. Soc. Tasmania.
Hab. Norfolk Island (Down.).
ScOLOPACIDiE.
96. LiMosA Nov^ zEALANDi^, G. R. Gr. Gen. of B. iii. p. 572.
Limosa lapponica, var. nova zealandice, G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. &
Terr. Birds, p. 13.
Limosa bauei-i, Natt. Naum. Vog. Deutsch. viii. p. 429.
Gallinago punctata, Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7470.
' Ririwaka,' ' Kohikuhikuaka,^ of the natives.
Hab. Waikouaiti, N. Z.; Norfolk Island {v.Pelz.).
97. ToTANUs GLOTToiDEs, Gould, B. of Austr. vi. pi. 36.
Scolopax glottis, Linn.
Totanus glottis, v. Pelz. Sitz. Acad. d. Wiss. Wien, xli. p. 327.
Hab. Norfolk Island {v. Pelz.).
* What is the Little Bittern, Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7469 ?
and the adjacent Islands. 237
98. HiMANTOPUs Nov^ zEALANDiiE, Gould, P.Z.S.1841,p.320,
et B. of Austr. vi. pi. 25 ; G. R. Gr. App. Dieff. N. Z. ii.
p. 196.
Himantopus melas, Hombr. et Jacq. Ann. des Sci. Nat. 1841,
p. 320; Voy. au Pole Sud, Ois. t. 30. f. 2.
Himantopus niger, Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7470.
Himantopus picatus, EUtnan.
' Tutumata/ ' Poako/ ' Torea iti/ ' Torea aiti/ of tjie natives.
Hab. Mataineka, South Island, N. Z.*
99. Recurvirostra ?
Avocetta novce zealandice {Avocet), EUman, Zool. 1861,
p. 7470.
' Piwari ' of the natives.
Hab. New Zealand.
100. Recurvirostra rubricollis, Temm. Man. d'Orn. ii.
p. 592 ; Downing, Proc. Roy. Soc. Tasmania.
Recurvirostra novce hollandice, Vieill.
Hab. Norfolk Island {Down.).
101. CcENocoRYPHA AUCKLANDiCA, G.R.Gr. Cat.of Gen.& Subg.
of B. B.M. 1855, p. 119.
Gallinago aucklandica, G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds,
p. 13. pi. 13.
Scolopax holmesi, Peale, Expl. Exped. 1848, viii. p. 229.
Hab. South Island, N.Z.; Auckland Island.
Rallid^.
102. OcYDROMUS AUSTRALis, Strickl. Ann. N. H. vii. p. 39 ;
G. R. Gr. List of Gen. of B. 1841, p. 91, et App. Dieff. N. Z.
ii. p. 197.
Troglodyte Rail, Lath. Gen. Syn. v. p. 229.
Rallus australis, Sparrm. Mus. Carls, t. 14; Ellman, Zool.
p. 7470.
Rallus troglodytes, Forst. Descr. An, p. 1 10 ; Icon. ined. 126.
* What is Himantopus albus, Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7470?
'Torea iti' of the natives. Smaller than the former; white; wings
indigo black.
238 List of the Birds of New Zealand
Ocydromus troglodytis, Wagl. Nat. Syst. der Amphibien,
1830, p. 98.
' Weka ' of the natives.
Hab. South Island; Dusky Bay; Cook's Straits; North
Island ; Middle Island ; Milford Sound ; Port Cooper,
N.Z.*
103. Ocydromus earli, G. R. Gr.
? Rallus rufus, Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 74-70.
? ' Moho kura' of the natives.
? Great Red Rail, Ellman.
Above fuscous black, each feather broadly margined on the
sides with deep fulvous ; top of the head, ear-coverts, back of
neck, and sides of the breast rufous fulvous ; eyebrows, throat,
and middle of abdomen obscure grey ; sides of abdomen and vent
obscure rufous fulvous, irregularly spotted with paler; under
tail-coverts pale fulvous, banded with fuscous ; quills fuscous,
margined with fulvous, inner webs banded with reddish fulvous ;
bill and feet horn-coloured.
About the same size as the preceding.
Hab. New Zealand {Mr. Percy Earl).
104. Ocydromus brachypterus, G.R.Gr. Gen. of B. iii. p. 596.
Gallirallus brachypterus, Lafr. Rev. Zool. 1841, p. 243 ; Mag.
de Zool. 1812, Ois. t. 24.
Gallirallus fuscus, Dubus, Esquis. Ornith. t. 11.
Rallus niger [Great Black Rail), Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7470.
' Moho ' of the natives.
Hab. New Zealand.
105. Hypot^nidia dieffenbachii, Pr. B. Compt. Rend. 1856,
p. 599.
Rallus dieffenbachii, G. R. Gr. App. Dieff. N. Z. ii. p. 197.
* What is Rallus fuscus [Great Brown Rail), Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7471 ?
' Moho weka ' of the natives. Larger than the Rallus rufus. Dark
brown.
What is Rallus strepitans [Great Spotted Rail), Ellman, Zool. 1861,
p. 7471? 'Moho pu' of the natives. Spotted with red and white on a
brown ground.
These are supposed to be varieties of the Ocydromus australis.
and the adjacent Islands. 239
Ocydromus dieffenbachii, G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds,
p. 14. pi. 15.
' Moeriki ' of the natives.
Hab. Chatham Island.
106. Rallus assimilis, G. R. Gr. App. DieflP. N. Z. ii. p. 197;
Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7470.
Hypotanidia striata, p., Pr. B. Compt. Rend. 1856, p. 599.
Rallus rufopes, Ellman ?, Zool. 1861, p. 7470.
' Moho pereru ?,' ' Koniui,^ ' Katatai,' ' Moho katatai,* of the
natives.
Hab. Cook's Straits, N.Z.*
107. Ortygometra affinis, G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds,
p. 14.
Porzana affinis, Pr. B. Compt. Rend. 1856, p. 599.
Rallus punctatus, Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7470.
' Moho patatai ' of the natives ?
Hab. Nanganui River, North Island, N. Z.
108. Ortygometra tabuensis, G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr.
Birds, p. 14.
Tabuan Rail, Lath. Gen. Syn.v. p. 235.
Rallus tabuensis, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 717.
Rallus minutus, Forst. Descr. An. p. 178; Icon. ined. 130.
Crex plumbea. Gray.
Zapornia ? tabuensis, Pr. B. Compt. Rend. 1856, p. 599.
Rallus minor, Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7470.
' Mehotatai,' ' Totoriwai,^ of the natives.
Hab. South Island; Otago, N.Z.; Norfolk Island.
109. NoTORNis MANTELLii, Owen, Trans. Zool. Soc. iii. p. 377;
Gould, B. of Austr. pi. ; Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7470.
* What is Rallus australis, var. A., Lath. Hist. x. p. 373 ?
Hab. Lord Howe's Island.
Is the "wingless bird on Lord Howe's Island," mentioned by Mr. West-
wood at a meeting of the Linnean Society, and noticed in Jard. Contr. of
Ornith. 1851, p. 10, as about the size of a Rail, the same species?
What is the Dark Rail {Rallus tenebrosus. Lath. MSS.), Lath. Hist. ix.
p. 378?
Hab. Norfolk Island.
240 List of the Birds of New Zealand
' Moho ' of the natives of North Island.
'Takahe^ of the natives of South Island.
Hab. Dusky Bay; Middle Island, N. Z.
110. PoRPHYRio MELANOTUS, Temm. Man. d^Orn. ii. p. 701;
G. R. Gr. App. Dieff. N.Z. ii. p. 197; Ellman, Zool. 1861,
p. 7471.
' Pukeko/ ' Pakura/ of the natives.
Hab. Mataineka, South Island, N. Z.
111. PORPHYRIO ALBA, Tcmm.
Fulica alba, White's Journ. App. pi. p. 238; Phill. Bot.
Bay, pi. p. 273; Callarn, Bot. Bay, 1783.
Gallinula alba, Lath. Ind. Orn. ii. p. 768.
Porphijrio melanotus [albino, var.), G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. &
Terr. Birds, p. 14.
Porphyria melanotus, var., Pr. B.
Notornis ? alba, v. Pelz. Sitz. Acad. d. Wiss. Wien, xli. p. 331.
Hab. Norfolk Island and other places.
Entirely white ; but some differ in having bright blue between
the shoulders, and spotted on the back with the same.
In Vienna Museum, from the Leverian Museum.
It is stated that a similar bird was found on Lord Howe's
Island, which was incapable of flight. The wings of the male
were beautifully mottled with blue.
The young are said to be black ; then they become bluish grey,
and afterwards pure white (Lath. Gen. Hist. ix. p. 428).*
DiNORNITHIDiE ?
112. DiNORNIS ?
Dinornis ?
' Po-waka-i ' of the natives. (10 feet high.)
Hab. Probably living among the wild unexplored mountain-
ranges of the Middle Island, N.Z. {Elhnan, Zool. 1861,
p. 7468).
ANATIDiE.
113. Casarca variegata, G. R. Gr. App. Dieff. N. Z. ii. p. 198 ;
Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds, p. 15. pi. 16.
* What is the " Coot " of Lord Howe's Island, Phill. Voy. Bot. Bay,
p. 22G?
and the adjacent Islands. 241
Variegated Goose, Lath. Gen. Syn. vi. p. 441.
Anas variegata, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 505.
Anas cheneros, Forst. Descr. An. p. 92 ; Icon. ined. 67.
Casarca castanea, Eyton, Monogr. Anat. pi. p. 108.
Anser variegata, Ellman. Zool. 1861, p. 7471.
'Pooa dugghie dugghie/ 'Tutangi tangi/ 'Putakitaki/ of
the natives.
Hah. Dusky Bay; Mataineka, South Island ; North Island,
N. Z.
114. Anas superciliosa, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 537; G. R. Gr. App.
Dieff. N.Z. ii. p. 198; Ellmau, Zool. 1861, p. 7471.
Supercilious Duck, Lath. Gen. Syn. vi. p. 497.
Anas leucophrys, Forst. Descr. An. p. 93 ; Icon. ined. 77.
' He parrera,^ ' Parera,' ' Tahora,^ of the natives.
Hab. Dusky Bay; Queen Charlotte^s Sound, N.Z.; Chatham,
Campbell's, and Norfolk Islands.*
115. Anas chlorotis, G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds, p. 15.
pi. 20.
' Pateka ' of the natives.
Hab. New Zealand.
116. Spatula variegata, Gould, P. Z. S. 1856, p. 95; B. of
Austr. Suppl. pt. iii.
Spatula rhijnchotis, G.R.Gr. App. DieflF. N.Z. ii. p. 198; Voy.
Ereb. & Terr. Birds, p. 15.
Anas rhyncliotis, Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7471.
' Kukupaki,' ' Pikau-kuku,' ' Rangi-tau-haruru,' of the
natives.
Hab. Mataineka, South Island, N. Z.
117. Hymenolaimus malacorhynchus, G. R. Gr. Ann. Nat.
Hist. 1843, p. 370; G. R. Gr. et Mitch. Gen. of B. iii.
pi. 168.
Soft-billed Duck, Lath. Gen. Syn. vi. p. 522.
Anas malacorhynchos, Gmel. S.N.i. p. 526; Ellman, Zool.
1861, p. 7471.
* What is Anasfusca (Teal), Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7471 ?
' Tetewai ' of the natives.
'^h&t'\% Anas mediterranea {Mountain, Teal), Ellm. Zool. 1861, p. 7471?
' Parera ' of the natives.
242 List of the Birds of New Zealand
Malacorhynchus forsterorum, Wagl. Isis, 1832, p. 1235 ;
G. R. Gr. App. Dieff. N. Z. ii. p. 198.
Malacorhynchus membranaceus S > Eyton, Monogr. Anat.
p. 136.
'Whiho/ ' He- wee-go/ of the natives.
Hab. Dusky Bay, South Island; Waikowaiti, N. Z.
118. FuLiGULA Nov^ ZEALANDi^, Stcph. Gen. Zool. xiii. p. 123 ;
G. R. Gr. App. Dieff. N. Z. ii. p. 198.
New Zealand Duck, Lath. Gen. Syn. vi. p. 543.
Anas novce zealandia, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 541.
Anas atricilla, Forst. Descr. An. p. 95; Icon. ined. 79.
Anas atra, Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7471?
' He patek,^ ' Repo,' ' Papango,' of the natives.
Hab. Dusky Bay, South Island, N. Z.
119. Nesonetta aucklandica, G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr.
Birds, p. 16. pi. 17.
Hab. Auckland Island.
120. Mergus australis, Hombr. & Jacq. Ann. des Sci. Nat.
1841, p. 320; Voy. au Pole Sud, Ois. t. 31. f. 2.
Hab. Auckland Island.
COLYMBID^.
121. PoDiCEPS RUFiPECTus, G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds,
p. 17. pi. 19; Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7471.
Podiceps {Poliocephalus) rufipectus, G. R. Gr. App. Dieff.
N. Z. ii. p. 198.
'Totokipio,^ 'Weiweia,' of the natives.
Hab. Tairi, South Island, N. Z.*
Alcid^.
122. Aptenodytes pennantii, G. R. Gr. Ann. of Nat. Hist.
1844, p. 315.
Patagonian Penguin, Penn. Phil, Trans. Iviii. pi.
Pinguinaria patachonica, Shaw, Nat. Misc. pi. 409.
King Penguin, Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7472.
Hairy Penguin, jnv.. Lath. Hist.
Hab. Stewart's Island.
* What is the Crested Grebe, Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7472?
and the adjacent Islands. 243
123. Spheniscus minor, G. R. Gr. App. Dieff. N. Z. ii. p. 199,
et Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds, p. 16; Ellman, Zool. 1861,
p. 7472.
Little Penguin, Lath. Gen. Syn. vi. p. 572. pi. 103.
Aptenodytes minor, G. Forst. Comm. Getting, iii. p. 147;
Descr. An, p. 101; Icon. ined. 84, 85.
Eudyptula minor, Pr. B. Compt. Rend. 1856, p. 775.
Chrysocoma minor, Steph.
Catarrhactes minor, Cuv.
' Korora ' of the natives.
Hab. Dusky Bay, South Island, N. Z.
124. EuDYPTES PACHYRHYNCHUS, G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr.
Birds, p. 17; G. R. Gr. & Mitch. Gen. of B. iii. p. 641.
pi. 176.
Chrysocoma pachyrhynchus, Br. B. Compt. Rend. 1856, p. .
' Tauake ' of the natives.
Hab. Waikowaiti, N. Z.
125. EuDYPTEs ANTIPODES, G.R.Gr. App. Dieff. N. Z. ii. p. 199 ;
Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7472.
Catairhactes antipodes, Hombr. & Jacq. Ann. des Sci. Nat.
1841, p.
Aptenodytes flavilarvata, Peale, Expl. Exped. viii. p. 260.
Pygoscelis antipodes, Hombr. & Jacq. Voy. au Pole Sud, i.
p. 156. t. 33. f. 2.
' Korara,' ' Ho-i-ho,^ of the natives.
Hab. Middle Island, N. Z.; Auckland and Chatham Islands.
126. Pygoscelis wagleri, Sclat.
Aptenodytes papua, Forst. Comm. Gott. iii. p. 113. t. 3.
Aptenodyta papua, Scop. Sonn. Voy. t. 115.
Pygoscelis papua, Wagl.
Hah. Macquarie's Island.
Procellarid^.
127. Pelecanoides urinatrix, G. R. Gr. App. Dieff. N. Z. ii.
p. 199.
Diving Petrel, Lath. Gen. Syn. vi. p. 413.
244 List of the Birds of Next) Zealand
Procellaria urinatrix, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 560.
Procellaria tridactyla, Forst. Descr. An. p. 149; EUman,
Zool. 1861, p. 7473.
Haladroma urinatrix, 111. Prod. p. 274.
Puffinuria garnotii, Less. Voy. Coqu. Zool. pi. 46.
Puffinuria urinatrix, Gould, B. of Austr. vii. pi. 60.
' Teetee/ ' Titi/ of the natives.
Hab. Queen Charlotte's Sound, N. Z.; Auckland Island.
128. PuFFiNus TRTSTis, Forst. Descr. An. p. 205.
Procellaria grisea, Forst. Icon. 94, nee Gmel.
Puffinus major, G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Bh'ds, p. 17.
Puffinus fuliginosus, Hombr. & Jacq. Voy. au Pole Sud, t. 32.
f. 7, nee Strickl.
Puffinus cinereus, A. Smith. 111. Zool. Afr. pi. 56.
Puffinus gama, Pr. B.
Hab. Auckland Island.*
129. Puffinus chlororhynchus. Less. Tr. d'Orn. p. 613;
V. Pelz. Sitz. Acad. d. Wiss. Wien, xU. p. 331.
Puffinus sj)henurus, Gould, B. of Austr. vii. pi. 58.
Hab. Norfolk Island {v. Pelz.).
130. Puffinus assimilis, Gould, B. of Austr. vii. pi. 59.
Nectrix nugax, Sol and. MSS.
Puffinus austr alis, Eyton.
'Mutton-bird' of the colonists.
Hab. N.E. of New Zealand; Norfolk Island ; Lord Howe's
Island.
131. Thalassidroma marina, G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr.
Birds, p. 17.
Procellaria marina, Linn. ?
Procellaria marina. Lath. Ind. Orn. ii. p. 826.
Procellaria (squorea, Soland. MSS.; Banks, Icod. ined. 13.
Procellaria hypoleuca, Webb. & Berth. ?
Pelagodroma marina, Keichenb.
Pelagodroma fregetta, Pr. B. Compt. Rend. 1856, p. 769.
Hab. Auckland Island.
* What is the Ash-coloured Petrel, Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7473?
and the adjacent Islands. 245
132. Thalassidroma melanogaster, Gould, B. of Austr. vii.
pi. 62 ; Benn. Gath. of a Nat. p. 240.
Procellaria fregata, var., Soland. MSS.
Procellaria grallaria, Licht. Cat. Dupl. no. 764.
Procellaria oceanica, Pr. B.
Thalassidroma grallaria, G. R. Gr. Gen. of B. iii. p. 648.
Fregetta melanogastra, Pr. B. Consp. Av. ii. p. 198.
Hab. Phillip's, Norfolk, and Nepean Islands.
133. Thalassidroma nereis, Gould, P.Z.S. 1840, p. 178, etB.
of Austr. vii. pi. 64; Benn. Gath. of a Nat. p. 240.
Procellaria nereis, Pr. B. Compt. Bend. xlii. p. 769.
Hab. Phillip's, Norfolk, and Nepean Islands.
134. Procellaria gigantea, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 563 ; G. R. Gr.
App. Dieff. N. Z. ii. p. 199.
Procellaria ossifraga, Forst. Descr. An. p. 343 ; Icon, inetl.
93 «.
Ossifraga gigantea, Hombr. & Jacq.
Hab. Cook's Straits, N. Z.
135. Procellaria ^quinoctialis, Linn. S. N. i. p. 213;
Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7473.
Puffinus aquinoctialis, Steph. Gen. Zool.xiii.p.229; G.R.Gr.
App. Dieff. N. Z. ii. p. 199.
Majaqueus <jequinoctialis, Reichenb.
Fuliginous Petrel, White, Journ. pi. p. 252,
' Oi,' ' Takupu,' of the natives.
Hab. New Zealand.
136. Procellaria parkinsoni, G. R. Gr.
Procellaria fuliginosa. Banks, Icon. 19.
Puffinus aquinoctialis, pt., G. R. Gr. List of Anseres B. M.
p. 160.
* Taiko ' of the natives.
Hab. New Zealand {Miss R. Stone) .
This species differs from the Procellaria aquinoctialis in being
smaller in all its proportions ; the bill is nearly one-third less
than that of P. cequinoctialis ; the body is sooty black throughout,
vol. IV. s
246 List of the Birds of New Zealand
being without the white on the mentum ; the tips of the man-
dibles are inclined to black.
137. Procellaria atlantica, Gould^ Ann. N. H. xiii. p. 362 ;
v.Pelz. Sitz. Acad. d. Wiss.Wien, xli. p. 331.
Pi'ocellaria fuliginosa, Forst. Descr. An. p. 22; Icon. ined.
936.
Procellaria grisea, Kuhl^ Monogr. sp. 15 (nee Gmel.).
Petrodroma fuliginosus, Pr. B. Compt. Rend. xlii. p. 768,
Hab. Norfolk Island [v.Pelz.).^
138. Procellaria glacialoides, A. Smith, Zooh S. Afr. Birds,
pi. 51; Gould, B. of Austr. vii. pi. 48; Porst. Icon.
ined. 91.
Thalassoica glacialoides, Pr. B. Compt. Rend. xlii. p. 768.
Priocella garnoti, Hombr. & Jacq. Voy. au Pole Sud, t. 32.
f. 43.
Hah. New Zealand.
139. Procellaria phillipii, G. R. Gr.
Norfolk-Island Petrel, Phill. Bot. Bay, pi. p. 161.
Procellaria alba, var., Lath. Ind. Orn. ii. p. 822.
Procellaria mollis, Gould ?
Hab. Norfolk Island.
140. Procellaria capensis, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 565.
Daption capensis, Steph. Gen. Zool. xiii. p. 239.
Procellaria punctata {Cape Pigeon), Ellman, Zool. 1861,
p. 7473.
Hab. New Zealand (Forst.).
141. Procellaria cookii, G. R. Gr. App. Dieif. N. Z. ii. p. 199;
Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds, pi. 35.
Bhantistes cooki, Pr. B. Compt. Rend. xlii. p. 768.
Cookilaria leucoptera, (Gould) Pr. B. Compt. Rend. 1856.
' E-titi,' ' Titi,' of the natives.
Hab. New Zealand.
142. Procellaria gavia, Forst. Descr. An. p. 140 ; G. R. Gr.
Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds, p. 18.
Hah. Queen Charlotte^s Sound, N. Z.
* What is the Grey-headed Black Petrel, Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7473?
and the adjacent Islands. 247
143. Procellaria ariel, Gould, Ann. N. H. xiii. p. 366.
Procellaria brevirostris, Gould (juv.?).
Hab. Cook's Straits, N.Z.
144. Procellaria c^rulea, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 560.
Procellaria similis, Forst. Descr. An. p. 59; Icon. ined. 86.
Procellaria forsteri, A. Smith, Zool. S. Afr. Birds, pi. 54.
Halobcena ccerulea, I. Geoffr.; Pr. B. Compt. Rend. xlii.
p. 768.
Hab. North-east coast of New Zealand.
145. Prion vittatus, Cuv.; G.R.Gr. App. Dieff. N.Z. ii. p. 200.
Broad-billed Petrel, Lath. Gen. Syn. vi. p. 411.
Procellaria vittata, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 560.
Procellaria foi'steri, Lath. Ind. Orn. ii. p. 827.
Procellaria latirostris, Bonn. Enc. Meth.
Procellaria vittata, Forst. Descr. An. p. 21; Icon. ined. 87.
Pachyptila vittata, 111. Prod. p. 274.
Prion forsteri, Steph. Gen. Zool. xiii. p. 251.
'Whale Bird,' Ellraan, Zool. 1861, p. 7473.
Hab. Dusky Bay, N. Z.
146. Prion banksii, G. R. Gr. List of Anseres B. M. p. 165.
Pachyptila banksii, A. Smith, Zool. S. Afr. Birds, pi. 55.
Hab. Auckland Island.
147. DioMEDEA exulans, Linn. S. N. i. p. 214; Forst. Icon.
ined. 99, et Descr. An. p. 29.
Procellaria ? {Great White Albatros), Ellman, Zool.
1861, p. 7473.
' Toroa ' of the natives.
Hab. New Zealand.
148. Diomedea fuliginosa, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 568 ?
Procellaria ? {Brown Albatros), Ellman, Zool. 1861,
p. 7473.
' Toroa pango ' of the natives.
Hab. New Zealand.
Larid^e.
149. Lestris antarcticus. Less. Tr. d'Orn. p. 616 ; G. R. Gr.
App. Dieff. N. Z. ii. p. 200.
s2
248 List of the Birds of New Zealand
Lestris catarractes, Quoy & Gaim. Voy. I'Uranie, Ois. t. 38 ;
Gould^ B. of Austr. vii. pi. 21.
Catarracta antarctica, Pr. B. Compt. Rend, xlii. p. 770.
Stercorarius antarcticus, G. E. Gr. Gen. of B. iii, p. 653.
Lestris fuscus, Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7472.
Hob. Campbell Island ; Norfolk Island ; Macaulay's Island.
150. Larus antipodum, G. R. Gr. List of Anseres B. M. p. 169.
Larus dominicanus, (Licht.) G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr.
Birds,^ p. 18.
Dominicanus antipodum, Bruch, Cab. Journ. fiir Ornith.
1853, p. 100.
Clupeilarus antipodum, Pr. B. Compt. Rend. 1856, p. 770.
Larus littoralis, Forst.
Lestris antarcticus, Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7473.
* Karoro ' of the natives.
Hab. Mount Egmont, N.Z.; Auckland Island.
151. Larus scopulinus, Forst. Descr. An. p. 106, et Icon. ined.
109; G. R. Gr. App. Dieff. N. Z. ii. p. 200.
Larus novee hollandice, (Grael.) G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr.
Birds, p. 18.
Bruchigavia jamesoni, pt., Pr. B. Consp. Av. ii. p. 228.
Gavia andersoni, Bruch, Cab. Journ. fur Ornith. 1853,
p. 102. t. 2. f. 27.
Gelastes andersoni, Pr. B. Cab. Naumannia, 1854, p. 212.
Lestris scopulinus, Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7472.
' Piapuka,^ ' He talle,' ' Tara punga,^ of the natives.
Hab. Dusky Bay, South Island; Mount Egmont, N. Z.;
Auckland Island.
152. Larus schimperi, Pr. B. Consp. Av. ii. p. 229.
Chroicoceplialus schimperi, Bruch, Cab. Journ. fiir Ornith.
1853, p. 104.
Hab. New Zealand.
153. Sterna (Sylochelidon) strenuus, Gould, P. Z. S. 1846,
p. 21; B. of Austr. vii. pi. 22.
Sterna major, Ellman, Zool, 1861, p. 7472.
and the adjacent Islands. 249
Sylochelidon strenua, Pr. B. Compt. Rend. xlii. p. 772.
Hab. New Zealand (Sclat.).
154. Sterna poliocerca, Gould, P. Z. S. 1837, p. 26.
Sylochelidon polioceixa, G.R.Gr. List of Anseres B.M.p.l75.
Thalasseus poliocercus, Gould, B. of Austr. vii. pi. 24 ; Benn.
Gath. of a Nat. p. 241.
Pelecanopus poliocercus, Pr. B. Compt. Rend. xlii. p. 772.
Sterna rectirostris, Peak, Expl. Exped. viii. p. 281.
Hab. Black Rock, off Norfolk Island.
155. Sterna frontalis, G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds,
p. 19. pi. 20*.
Sterna striata, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 609, juv.?; G. R. Gr. App.
Dieff. N. Z. ii. p. 200.
Sterna albifrons, Peale, Expl. Exped. viii. p. 279.
Hab. New Zealand.
156. Sterna Antarctica, Forst. Descr. An. p. 107; Wagl. Isis,
1832, p. 1223.
Sternula ? antarctica, Pr. B. Compt. Rend. xlii. p. 773.
Hab. Queen Charlotte's Sound, N. Z.f
157. Gygis CANDIDA, Wagl.; Gould, B. of Austr. vii. pi. 30.
White Tern, Lath. Gen. Syn. vi. p. 363.
Sterna alba, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 607.
Sterna Candida, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 607.
Hab. Norfolk Island.
158. Hydrochelidon albostriata, G.R.Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr.
Birds, p. 19. pi. 21; Ellis, Icon. ined. (1776) 54.
' Tarapiroe ' of the natives.
Hab. Waikouaiti, N. Z.
159. ANoiJs stolidus, G. R. Gr. List of Gen. of B. 1841, p. 100;
Gould, B. of Austr. vii. pi. 34.
Sterna stolida, Linn. S. N. i. p. 227.
AnoUs niger, Steph. Gen. Zool. xiii. p. 140.
Megalopterus stolidus, Peale, Expl. Exped. 1848.
Hab. New Zealand.
t What is Sterna vulgaris, EUman, Zool. 1861, p. 747^?
' Tara nui ' of the natives. " Like English species. Beak and legs
red." (? Sterna gracilis. )
250 List of the Birds of New Zealand
160. Anotjs leucocapillus, Gould, B. of Austr, vii. pi. 36.
Sterna tenuirostris, Benn. Gath. of a Nat. p. 241.
Hab. Norfolk and Nepean Islands.
161. Angus cinereus, Gould, P. Z. S. 1845, p. 104, et B. of
Austr. viii. pi. 37; Benn. Gath. of a Nat. p. 241.
Procelsterna albivitta, Pr. B. Compt. Bend. xlii. p. .
Hah. Norfolk and Nepean Islands.*
Pelecanid^.
162. Phaeton rubricauda, Bodd. Tabl. d. PI. Enl. p. 57.
Phaeton phcenicurus, Gmel. S. N, i. p. 583; Gould, B. of
Austr. vii. pi. 73.
Phaeton eruhescens, Banks, Icon. ined. 31.
Phcenicurus rubricauda, Pr. B. Consp. ii. p. 183.
Hab. Norfolk and Nepean Islands.
163. SuLA SERRATOR, G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds, p. 19.
Pelecanus serrator, Banks, Icon. ined. 30.
Sula australis, Gould, P. Z. S. 1840, p. 177; G. R. Gr. App.
Dieff. N. Z. ii. p. 200; Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7472.
Sula cyanops, Sundev.
' Tara,' ' Taiko,' ' Takapu,' of the natives.
Hah. Queen Charlotte's Sound, N. Z.
164. Sula fiber, G. R. Gr. List of Anseres B. M. p. 183.
Pelecanus fiber, Linn. S. N. i. p. 218.
Pelecanus sula, Linn. S. N. i. p. 218.
Dysporus fiber, 111. Prod.
Pelecanus plotus, Forst. Descr. An. p. 278 ; Icon. ined. 108.
Sula fusca, Gould, B. of Austr. vii. pi. 78.
Hab. Enderby's Island ; Lord Howe's Island ?
165. Sula piscator, Gould, B. of Austr. vii. pi. 79.
Pelecanus piscator, Linn. S. N. i. p. 217.
* What is Sterna atripes, Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 74731 ' Tara iiui ' of
the natives. " Beak and legs black." (? St. melon auchen.)
What is Sterna parva, Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7473? 'Tara paku' of
the natives. One-half the size of Common Tern ; plumage similar. (? St.
nereis.)
What is Sterna cinereu, Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7473? ' Tara' of the
natives. Not described.
and the adjacent Islands. 251
Sula erythrorhyncha, Less. Tr. d'Orn. p. 601.
Sula rubripes, Gould, P. Z. S. 1837, p. 156.
Sula rubripeda, Peale, Expl. Exped. p. 274.
Hab. New Zealand.*
166. Graculus CARBoiDEs, G. R. Gr. App. Dieff. N. Z. ii. p. 201.
Phalacocrorax carboides, Gould, P. Z. S. 1837, p. 156.
Pelecanus nova hollandice, Staph.
Pelecanus flavirostris, Ellman ?, p. 7472.
^ Kauau tua whenua ' of the natives.
Hab. New Zealand.
167. Graculus cirrhatus, G.R.Gr. App. Dieff. N.Z. ii. p. 201;
Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds, p. 19.
Pelecanus cirrhatus, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 576.
Phalacrocorax imperialis, King.
Pelecanus carunculatus, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 576 ; Forst. Descr.
An. p. 102, et Icon. ined. 104.
Urile carunculatum, Bp. Consp. ii. p. 176.
Hab. Queen Charlotte's Sound, N. Z.
168. Graculus melanoleucus, G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr.
Birds, p. 20.
Phalacrocorax melanoleucus, Vieill. Nouv. Diet. d'H. N. viii.
p. 88 ; Gould, B. of Austr. vii. pi. 70.
Pelecanus dimidiatus, Cuv.
Phalacrocorax flavirostris ?, Gould, P. Z. S. 1837, p. 157.
Graculus flavirostris, G. R. Gr. App. Dieff. N. Z. ii. p. 201.
Hab. New Zealand.
169. Graculus varius, G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds,
p. 19; Dieff. App. N. Z. ii. p. 201.
Pelecanus pica, Forst. Descr. An. p. 104; Icon. ined. 136.
Pied Shag, Lath. Gen. Syn. vi. p. 605,
Pelecanus varius, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 575.
Phalacrocorax hypoleucus, Gould, B. of Austr. vii. pi. 68.
Phalacrocorax fucosus, Peale, Expl. Exped. viii. p.
Hypoleucus varius, Reichenb.
Hab. Queen Charlotte's Sound ; South Island, N. Z.
* Gannets are found on the rocks near Norfolk Island, Lord Howe's
Island, and Macaulay's Island. See also antea, p. 99.
252 List of the Birds of New Zealand.
170. Graculus PUNCTATUs^G.R.Gr.App. Dieff. N.Z.ii. p. 201.
Spotted Shag, Lath. Geu. Syn. vi. p. 602.
Pelecanus jmnctatus, Sparrm. Mus. Carls, t. 10.
Pelecanus ncevius, Gmel. S. N. i. p. 575.
Phalacrocorax diluphus, Vieill.
Stictocarbo pundatus, Pr. B. Consp. ii. p. 174.
Phalacrocorax punctatus, Steph. Gen. Zool. xiii. p. 88.
Phalacrocorax ncevius, Cuv. Reg. An. p. 565.
' Pa-degga-degga ' of the natives.
Hah. Queen Charlotte's Sound; Cook's Straits, N. Z.
171. Graculus brevirostris, G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr.
Birds, p. 20.
Phalacrocorax brevirostris, Gould, P. Z. S. 1837, p. 26.
Carho fiavigula, Peale.
Haliceus brevirostris, Pr. B. Consp. ii. p. 178.
Hah. Bay of Islands, N. Z.
172. Graculus chalconotus, G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr.
Birds, p. 20. pi. 21.*
Carho awitus. Less. Tr. d'Orn. p. 665 ?
Ch-aculus auritus, G. R. Gr. App. Dieff. N. Z. ii. p. 201.
Phalacrocorax glaucus, Hombr. & Jacq. Voy. au Pole Sud,
Ois. t. 31. f. 1.
Graculus glaucus, Pr. B. Consp. ii. p. 171.
' Mapua,' ' Parekareka ? ' of the natives.
Hah. Otago, South Island, N. Z.
173. Graculus stictocephalus.
Carho sulcirost7'is, (Brandt) Gould, B. of Austr. vii. pi. 67.
Phalaa'ocorax purpureigula, Peale.
Microcarbo stictocephalus, Pr. B. Consp. Av. ii. p. 178.
Hah. New Zealand.
* What is Pelecanus major {Great Green Cormorant), EUman, Zool. 1861,
p. 7472 ? ' Kauau mu ' of the natives.
What is Pelecanus carboides [Little Black Cormorant), Ellmau, Zool.
1861, p. 747- ? ' Kauau pango ' of the natives.
What are the * Guinea-bir ' and ' Guava-bird ' of Norfolk Island,
referred to by Downing in Proc. Roy. Soc. Tasmania?
Mr. R. Svvinlioe on the Ornithology of Foochow. 253
XXYIl.— Ornithological Ramble in Foochow, in December IS61 .
By Robert Swinhoe, Corr. Mem. Zool. Soc. Lond.
Those who are bound for Foochow, as was my case in Decem-
ber last, leave the steamer near the mouth of the Min river,
where a boat waits for the mail and passengers. The sail is soon
hoisted, and, with the help of six oars plied by six brawny
natives (standing and pushing at them, as is the usual
mode in this province, instead of the custom of sitting and
pulling which prevails in most other places), we rattle along ;
the haze-capped hills protruding in bolder relief, and by their
gradual convergence marking the inland course of the noble
Min — a fine stream, no doubt, but tortuous, and not without
its hidden dangers, which, thanks to the exertions of the consular
and naval authorities, are fast being buoyed and beaconed.
Owing to the troubles at Canton, Foochow has of late years be-
come a great mart for teas ; and fine clipper ships, freighted with
immensely valuable cargoes of that commodity, periodically wend
down the river, homeward bound. Disasters annually occur,
causing fearful loss to the insurers ; and will still continue to
occur, in spite of the beacons, until the underwriters have the
foresight to advance a little capital and supply tug-steamers for
the purpose of escorting these vessels beyond all the treacheries
of a capricious stream. The discussion of this question, how-
ever, we must leave to those more intimately concerned ; our
readers in ' The Ibis ' will scarcely be pleased with us for
treating them with the mercantile. Let us drop the consul then
for the present, and assume the naturalist. The flowing tide,
useful for the purpose of carrying us the faster up stream, is
not so well adapted for watching the habits of the winter wild-
fowl which resort to the muddy flats and margins to feed at the
first commencement of the ebb. But still, though not just now
engaged in supplying exhausted nature, the sleek-plumed visitors
are numerous enough, floating lazily on the water, preening
their feathers, or sunning themselves with expanded wing and
leg on the rocks and sandy beach. Anser segetum is the chief
Goose, and its flights appear to exceed all calculation. The noise
of our boat is too much for their suspicious ears, and stretching
254 Mr. R. Swinhoe on the Ornithology of Foochow.
their necks with a loud cackling, up they rise, and wheeling in
long circles at length betake themselves further seaward. They
do well to shun the approach of the white man, poor birds ! for
Colonel Hawker's murderous fowl-artillery is in possession of
certain sporting residents at this port, and no less than thirteen
of their brethren have gasped iu death -pang from one fatal
discharge. Anser ferus and A. hyperboreus also visit these
waters, as well as a few Swans [Cygnus minor), both in mature
and immature plumage, in January and February, when the cold
season has reached its climax. C. musicus is said by Schlegel
and Von Schrenck to be found in Japan and North China, and
it is not impossible that a few of these are also included by
sportsmen in the general term of Swans. What are those four
white birds we see paddling gracefully away from us ? They are
too tame to be Swans. Yes, their long-pouched bills betray
them; they are Pelicans — Pelecanus crisjms. Different from
most others of the feathered visitants of winter, these are not north-
ern birds, but frequent the inland lakes and rivers, whence the
freezing of their watery haunts drives them to seek subsistence
in streams communicating with the sea. The Ducks about us
are chiefly Fuligula marila and F. cristata, sitting like scattered
dots over the surface of the water, with occasional parties of
Sheldrakes, Tadorna vulpamer and T. rutila ; but the latter is
scarce near the sea, its habits leading it mostly to prefer fresh
water. The Curlews are strutting about the mud, ever on the
look-out to take wing at the approach of a boat, while certain
smaller, sprightlier birds wading about among them — the first to
give warning — are off already, with their shrill " teo-teo." The
wretched little telltales we recognize at once to be Totanus
glottis. Of the other Sandpipers, T. stagnatilis, T. calidris, and
T. fuscus appear to be rai'er and more locally distributed, as also
is T. pulverulentus. T. ochropus prefers generally the margins
of inland waters, in company with the Golden Plover {Chara-
drius virginicus), where the Teal, Pintail, Anas falcaria, A. cly-
peattty and A. boschas also seek shelter from the cold sea-blasts.
The cloud of small birds that rise with one accord — so unani-
mous in their evolutions, at times showing their white bellies
like large flocks of falling snow, and at others becoming almost
Mr. K. Swiuhoe on the Ornithology of Foochoiv. 255
invisible as their grey backs are turned with simultaneous uni-
formity— are the Snippits (so called)^ the constant winter residents
of the Southern Chinese coast. They are usually considered to
be the Tringa subarcuata, though, from the black-bellied garb
they assume in summer, I take them to be a different species,
perhaps entitled to Gray's name T. chinensis. T. platyrhyncha,
T. minuta, T. subminuta, and T. alpina are earlier in their migra-
tions, and are seen on the coast in September, chiefly on their
way to more southerly regions, to pass up again in March or
the commencement of April. They are often found in those
months by inland salt-marshes, in company with the Great Snipe
{Gallinago megala, nobis), which also winds more southwards
to hibernate. Tringa temminckii, on the contrary, remains all
the winter with us, on the banks of inland pools or fallow paddy-
fields, solitary or in small parties^ and often in company with
j^gialites philippina. The congener of this last, however, ^.
cantiana, is a mudlarker on the shores of the salt seas, and we
of course notice abundant flocks of this species on the banks and
flats of this river. Numbers of them spend the summer here,
resorting, for the purpose of breeding, to sandy coves among
secluded islands. At the hottest time of the year their nuptial
tints become much faded, and their whole plumage undergoes
such severe abrasion that some specimens present almost the
appearance of albinos. ^. leschenaultii is sometimes shot out
of parties of the foregoing, but is rare and very locally distri-
buted on the Chinese coast, though pretty common on the
large sand-flats in Formosa. No signs here of Strepsilas inter-
pres ! He made his hurried transit southwards long ago -, and
Avocetta, Platalea, Hcematopus, and Lobipes, in their migratory
movements, depend too much on the freaks of a changeable
winter to find them now on this mild December morning.
Our boatmen shout and stamp more loudly, and by vigorous
exertion accelerate our advance. The hills grow nearer, and a
sudden sweep brings us round inviewof the "Pagoda anchorage."
One steamer and a few ships are anchored in this small basin,
while a bungalow or two, owned by storekeepers, huddled cozily
on the sides of a green island topped by a pagoda, mark the re-
sort of those that go down to the sea in ships. We rapidly pass
256 Mr. R. Swinhoe on the Ornithology of Foochow.
on. Sturdy fellows are these boatmen — nearly naked, in spite of
the fresh -bio wing breeze that drives us shivering into the cabin.
Their well-turned limbs and straight eyes give them a nobler look
than Southern Chinese usually possess ; but their hairless cheeks,
the plaited tail wound round their bald pates, their yellow tint,
and, above all, their loud-toned, varied jargon betray them na-
tives of the Celestial Empire. They are, nevertheless, goodnatured,
and seem anxious to drive the boat ahead. Standing to their
oars, they swing the right leg forwards and stamp in concert,
and join vociferously in chorus to the same continued boat-song.
Far from showing signs of fatigue, their exeitions get more
furious, and their stamps and shouts louder, when any other boat
tries to pass us. The high hills on each side look fresh and green,
with their clayey sides scattered with huge black boulders of gra-
nite. Their formation is much the same as that of those at Amoy;
but the abundance of fir-trees and coarse grass that partly cover
their nakedness is quite refreshing, and forms a striking contrast
to the general hoary aspect of Amoy. Some have compared the
views on this river to those on the Rhine ; but, it sti-ikes me, the
comparison is rather far-fetched. The black granite has its
charms, nevertheless, at least to the builders so largely employed
since the accumulation of white men at the town; and the quarriers
are ever at work, clearing the rock with sledge and wedge, and
sliding the masses down the faces of the hills. As regards the
social advancement of the little community at Foochow, as also
their progi'ess in architectural skill, the church, built entirely of
solid granite, bears proud testimony. The towering hill of Koo-
shan now appears on our right, boasting a height of 3000 feet,
with its far-famed monastery of 70 priests, built in a recess on its
undulating side at a height of 2000 feet. The large concourse of
boats of all shapes and sizes, and the increasing accumulation of
houses, show that the city cannot be far distant. At last we see it —
a narrow bridge spanning the rapid river, its expanse sustained by
numerous buttresses, and broken by a small island near the south-
ern bank. What a stream of passengers are crossing to and fro,
from the proud city to the Nantai side, whereon the roofs of foreign
houses and factories appear most abundant ! The boat stops at the
Steam-Company's agent^s wharf. The bustle of landing the mail
Mr. R. Swinhoe on the Ornithology of Foochow. 257
and other goods takes place amidst loud cries and gesticulations,
when we take our leave and repair up the hill to the pretty tier
of government houses occupied by the consular establishment, and
single out the residence of my esteemed friend, Mr. Holt. This
gentleman, though rather addicted to the otium cum dignitate of civi-
lized life, had not been entirely idle, but, assisted by a Chinese bird-
stuffer supplied by me, had managed to get together a pretty decent
collection of birds. The only novelty, however, was a Pericrocotus
of very flammeous tints, which I had before seen from Java, and I
think is described as P. brevirostris in Gould's 'Century.' This bird
was bought from a child who was playing with it on a stick. I was
pleased to find that a mercantile friend at Foochow was making
some progress in the pursuit of ornithology. He possessed a copy
of Morris's ' British Birds,' which he employed in identifying the
Chinese species; but, like all tyros, he had marked most of the Eng-
lish birds as Chinese. I endeavoured to give him some hints on the
subject, and I have great hopes of his usefulness in developing the
ornithology of Foochow. He told me of some Black Woodpeckers
he had seen in a tree close to his house, but that he had unfortu-
nately not been able to procure a specimen. He assured me that
they were not of the brown species allied to Brachyptei-nus badius of
Java, with which he was acquainted. This will therefore make the
fourth species of the group found about Foochow. One curious
bird, a stranger to me, was in his collection. It is a Wheatear, of
a dusky plumage, mottled with white; and I take it to be the young
of Saxicola leucura, which I see by ' Biyth's List' is also found in
Upper Hindostan.
From the top of the Nantai Hill a fine view of the right and most
interesting half of the valley of the Min is obtained — large tracts of
cultivated paddy-land, divided here and there by green hills of
modest undulation, which are ornamented with clumps of tall
pines, banyans, and other umbrageous trees, and in places with
bush and copse. In the distance, the high range that bounds
the valley rises in varied tiers, surmounted oft with cone-shaped
peaks, and oft with rude rounded bluffs. In the summer of 1857 I
found the pine-groves abounding with numerous families of Gold-
crests {Reguldides proregulus) and Pai"us minor, and frequented
by occasional individuals of the handsome Grey Drongo [Dicrwus
258 Mr. R. Swinhoe on the Ornithology of Foochow.
cineraceus), sitting in stately attitude, with decumbent forked tail,
at the ends of the leafless boughs, or making short sweeps into the
air and snapping at the passing insect. Now the lofty boughs of
this Chinese emblem of longevity stoop to the awakening breeze,
and no sound is heard among them save the occasional " sweet " of
a solitary Reguloides or the shrieking scream of the Kites, which are
pursuing each other and courting in their own clumsy manner jire-
paratory to their early nidification. The mournful wail of Boreas
through the bending branches is heard loudest of all. There is
life yet, though, in the copsewood below; for, see ! a party of lively
winter arrivals are twittering and frisking about ^twixt the ground
and the bushes. It is easy to observe that they are the common
Bunting [Emberiza personata) . Sparrows [Passer montanus) are
as noisy as ever on the adjoining wall; and the little Sailor Bird
{Orthotomus phyllorapheus) cheers up his matewith hiswell-known
loud note, as the contented pair thread their way through the
close bents of the long coarse grass. Surely that lively little
brown bird I have met before ! It looks like a Chat as it flits
away, expanding its reddish tail. Ah yes, it is Pratincola ferrea,
for there is its black-tinted male consort ; another and another ;
surely, quite a party of them. They are late in their migrations.
The paddy is all cleared away from the fields, and we must not
therefore look for many birds in that direction. The large flights
of the Yellow-head [Buphus coromandus) have long sped to the
south, shorn of the yellow feathers that adorned their heads,
which, like the deciduous leaves of autumn, fall when the glowing-
season of summer is past, to be renewed again soon as the sap-
o'erflowing trees hail the arrival of spring with their show of
sprouting leaflets. The banyans of the courtyards throughout the
city — the scene of their love-making and noisy sparrings during
the amorous season of nidification — arc now deserted ; and their
congeners, the White Egret {Herodias garzetta), alone return at
nightfall, in scattered and diminished parties, to roost and to long
for the advent of the pleasant season. A few wandering Ardeolce
occasionally rise as the gunner plods wearily through the muddy
fallows ; but the handsome Black Heron [Ardetta flavicollis) and
the little Chinese Heron {A. sinensis) never greet his eye. The
Heron, the Night Heron, and Ardetta cinnamomea have all become
Mr. R. Swinhoe on the Ornithology of Foochow. 259
scarce, the first having betaken himself for the time to the salt-
fisheries, while the two last have turned wanderers and vagabonds
over the face of the country. But the Snipes are here, though
mostly to be met with in the wet, green patches of grass at the
corners of fields. There they may be found mostly in wisps, but
in this month generally singly. Gallinago uniclava is now com-
moner than the summer resident, G. stenura, which latter has a
heavier and more direct flight. Woodcocks are rare in Foochow,
but have been flushed once or twice among the hills. The Phea-
sant {Phasianus torquatus) is the chief bird here that incites the
sportsman. It is found on the copse-covered hill-sides, but by no
means so common as in the flat country about Shanghai. The
Chinese nevertheless manage to get abundance of them, and may
be seen nearly every day hawking them about the streets for 2*.
a-piece. The hills also afford the Chinese Francolin [Francolinus
perlatus) and the Bamboo Fowl — a species of Arhoricola (I think,
new, and which I have named temporarily A. hambusa:). Two
other Partridges, one wdth black legs and the other with feathered
legs, also occur; but as I have not yet seen them, I have no
means of giving further notice of them.
As the gunboat ' Hardy,^ that was to carry us to Tamsuy,
in Formosa, grounded in her attempt to go down the river, we
had a day at our disposal to ramble over the imposing hill, Koo-
shan. In crossing the basin between the bridge and the moun-
tain, we were astonished to find the sand-spits so destitute of
birds. A few Sandpipers {Tringdides hypoleuca) appeared to be
the only representatives of the winter arrivals, fluttering and
skimmering, with tremulous wing and merry note, in front of our
boat, and alighting quite fearlessly a few yards off, where they
continued their mud-probing pursuits, accompanied by frequent
wagging of their posterior extremities. Some Wagtails were also
running about close to the water's edge. I had the satisfaction
of observing the three pied species noted before at Amoy. They
are so similar, apparently, at first sight, that one feels disposed to
rank them as varieties ; but on deeper study of their relative
characters and habits, each species is found to possess distinctive
marks of its own, and to be governed by distinct laws of migration
and distribution. Motacilla luzoniensis is the species perennially
260 Mr. R. Swinhoe on the Ornithology of Foochow.
with us in more or less numbers, many retiring in summer
south-eastwards to Formosa and the Philippines. M. ocularis
(which Mr. Blyth identifies with M. dukhunensis of Sykes) visits
our coast in winter, and returns westward to the interior pro-
vinces to breed. But M. lugubris evidently comes on its bru-
mal migrations from North China and Japan ; and Amoy, so far
as I have yet observed, appears to be its most southerly limit,
only a very few occurring there each winter. Whether these
three, to me obviously species, may be considered mere climatal
varieties, I leave to the superior learning of those who have more
studied this question than myself. Certain it is that such species
as Yunx torquilla and Passer montanus are not subject to any
change, though found under very varied circumstances both of
food and climate throughout the greater part of the old world.
The distinctions that mark the difference among these three
forms of the Pied Wagtail are certainly constant in all the spe-
cimens in different stages of their development that I have
examined. Motacilla boarula never undergoes a change either
in form or colour, and its distribution is extremely wide ; whereas
the Budytes group, as every ornithologist well knows, often puz-
zles the most discerning by its numerous congeneric forms. One
species of this group visits this coast from the interior regularly
every winter ; and those in full moulted plumage that I have pro-
cured in spring are in every way undistinguishable from the true
Budytes jiava of Linnseus. In Formosa, however, another species
appears with a green head in summer garb ; and had it not brown
cheeks, I should feel inclined to refer it to the form prevalent
in the British Islands — B. rayi.
A flock of Crackles {Acridotheres cristatellus) are busy search-
ing for small mollusks as the tide recedes; and interspersed
among them are a few of the Parson Crow {Corvus pectoralis).
The black species, C. sinensis, is also found in Foochow, and can
at once be recognized by its peculiar " caw," which much resem-
bles in sound that of the large black species so abundant at Pe-
kin [C.japonensis). A few of the Pied Crackle [Gracupica nigri-
collis) also occur at Foochow.
As we approach the flat ground at the base of the hill,
we find the water divided into square fishing-beds, enclosed
Mr. R. Swinhoe on the Ornithology of Foochow. 261
with close-set withered branches some 8 or 10 feet high. The
tide overtops them and enables the fish to float into the enclosures,
whence their egress at the recess of the water is rendered impossible
by the barrier of branches, and they thus become an easy prey to
the successful cunning of the fishermen. The tide is now low ;
and as we approach the high hedges of the enclosures, we natu-
rally wonder how the boatmen will manage to land us. The
helmsman gives a cheering shout, the men bend to their oars,
and in a few seconds we have chai'ged through the mass. We
look round expecting to see a large gap, and to hear the execra-
tions of the fishermen, who are paddling about not far from us ;
but no, the osiers have sprung back to their former position, and
no gap is visible. A mile of paddy-field brings us to the first
temple and gateway, leading up a broad stoneway to the hill
monastery. At this entrance large banyans and pine-trees are
clustered about in truly picturesque style, and the mixed notes
from their numerous feathered inhabitants fill our bosoms with
ornithological hopes. Even on the gate-porch several birds are
sitting and enjoying themselves with noisy chatter. As we
approach they take to the trees, and by their sweet blue plumage
and long tail we cheerfully recognize the handsome Urocissa si-
nensis. Numbers of the Bispecular Jay {Garrulus ornatus) are
here also, as noisy as usual. We observe Turtur chinensis and
T. gelastes in abundance, and occasionally a late straggling
couple of T. humilis. Other birds are also here in infinity,
and among them we distinguish the Ruticilla aurorea, lanthia
rufilata, Mi/iophonus cceruleus, Turdus daulias, and Enicurus spe-
ciosus ; but as we shall refer at the end of this article to the
few worth recording that we procured, let us pass up the hill.
The day was warm, and the ascent up the paved way very tedious;
but the splendid view revealed at each of the three-stage lodges,
each higher one giving a more extended view of the lovely vale
beneath us, was extremely refreshing. The prospect over the val-
ley, however, in the summer season is far more attractive, when
the fields display one vast carpet of green waving rice, intersected
by a labyrinth of streams connected with the river, which supply
the agricultural system of the plain like so many silver arteries,
the whole landscape being gilded to effulgence by the direct rays
VOL. IV. T
262 Mr. R. Swinhoe on the Ornithology of Foochow.
of nature's great regenerator. The hill-sides on either hand
were almost entirely denuded of trees, and showed small signs of
bird or human life. A few grass-cutters, mostly females, were
the only bipeds. We met several parties of them, with their
loads of grass, jogging down the hill, laughing and chatting to
one another in happy mood. These peasant-women, though
much browned by their constant outdoor life, are justly celebrated
throughout China for their beauty of form and often of features.
They trim their hair, in quaint but tasteful style, with large, bent
silver skewers ; and their nether limbs, not cramped and ban-
daged as customary among most Chinese women, are often sym-
metrically formed, and revealed to an extent that many of our
fair countrywomen would think extremely indelicate. But the
same ideas of decency do not obtain in all countries. We now
pass up to the monastery.
Let Bhudda's votaries ascend this height to pay their homage
to the Kooshan shrine, and gaze with awe upon the wondrous
relics therein preserved ! We love not Bhudda's faith nor Bhud-
da's lore ; so our readers need not be afraid of our going into
ecstasies at all the mirabilia that the monastery contains. But
we cannot pass without mentioning one relic that is interest-
ing to a naturalist, though in a diflferent light from what it is to
the enlightened worshippers of the mighty Fo. It is what the
Chinese believe to be one of the molars of that once incarnate
deity, bequeathed by him to certain beloved disciples in the West,
when he was about to shuffle off this mortal coil and return to
that nonentical existence to which all good Bhuddists aspire.
By these worthy disciples it was deposited in this great monastery
to be worshipped in awe, as a token of the great love their master
bore mankind by deserting the bliss above to become flesh
for their sakes. Suffice it to say that, if it actually did
belong to Bhudda, that worthy must have entered flesh and
inculcated his divine principles under the form of a mammoth ;
for there can be no doubt that it is a fossil tooth, and belonging
to one of that series of Tertiary Mammals that Prof. Owen has
introduced to the civilized world with so much learaing and
skill.
The monastery, with its numerous apartments and various
Mr. R. Swinhoe on the Ornithology of Foochow. 263
ramifications, is all nestled in one group of handsome trees, the
pines of which are of a gigantic size, and larger than any I have
seen elsewhere in China. I was in great hopes of meeting here
some of the Woodpecker family ; but a breeze had now sprung
up, and scarcely a bird was anywhere to be seen. A few Tree
Pipits [Anthus agilis) occurred, and one Cuckoo [Cuculus striatus),
the latter in young plumage, and probably a stray bird late in
its southerly migration. As some of us were in a botanical mood,
the rich-clad hill repaid our ramble ; but in an ornithological
point of view the higher spots were singularly deficient.
I subjoin some notes on a few birds procured in this ramble^
of which I have not hitherto given notices from examples in
the flesh.
Garrulus ornatus {seu bisj)ecularis) 6 , Dec. 9, 1861.
Length 13| inches; wing 7 ; tail 6, of 12 feathers. Bill deep
neutral tint, with pale tip, and ochreous bases to both mandibles.
Inside of mouth olive-black, with paler tongue. Iris pearly, with
a deep-purple outer edge ; skin encircling the eye light pur-
plish brown, with a deep purple-black inner edge. Ear-covert
larger than the eye, irregular oval, with the operculum slit perpen-
dicularly through the middle. Legs and toes light ochreous
flesh-colour, with light-brown claws.
Screeched harshly when wounded.
Dissection. — Heart '8 by "6 in. Liver, both lobes about 1 inch
long ; right rather lower down, and rounded at end. Each sterno-
tracheal muscle divides on its way down the trachea, and ends
at the peak in two lobes ; the membrane between trachea and
bronchi divided transversely by a thin pin-shaped cartilage "3 long.
Trachea gradually contracting downwards. (Esophagus with
thin semitransparent parietes, dilatable to '7. Proventriculus
much granulated, "6 long, thick, and gradually enlarging towards
stomach. Gizzard nearly round, 1'3 long, 1*1 broad, and '8
deep, with rather small roundish tendons, whence radiate strong
muscles. Epithelium thick, ochreous, furrowed deeply in all
directions, and filled with entire black seeds of some mountain
berry, the soft parts of the same, large siliceous grits, and
scanty remains of field-bugs. Intestine 21^ in. long, varying in
T 2
264 Mr. R. Swinhoe on the Ornithologij of Foochow.
thickness from '15 to •25. Cseca situate 1 in. from anus, '4 long
by about '1 thick, the right one rather higher than the left.
I found the nest of this species, in the summer of 1857, at Foo-
chow. It was placed on a thick lower bough of a high tree,
right up against the trunk, and differed from that of G. glanda-
rius in having a richer canopy. It contained four nearly fledged
young,
Enicurus speciosus (^, Dec. 9, 1861.
This bird appeared just as it was getting dusk, on the margin
of a stream, wagging its deeply cleft tail, and looking much like a
Kitfacincla.
Length 10 inches ; wing 4'21 ; tail 5-8, from tip to fork 3'4.
Skin round eye bright purplish black. Iris deep hazel. Bill
black ; inside of mouth light orange-ochre, blackish on rictus,
tip of tongue, roof, and inside of under mandible towards the
tip. Ear-covert smaller than eye, roundish, perforated with a
round aperture ; skin of covert very white. Legs very pale flesh-
colour, almost white; claws having a tinge of blackish. The
shape of this bird's ear is in every respect similar to that of the
Myiophoni.
Dissection. — Heart "55 by •4. Liver large : right lobe 1*2 long,
entirely covering the intestines ; left '7. (Esophagus dilatable
to 'S. Proventriculus '4 long, at first expanding and then con-
tracting. Gizzard somewhat heart-shaped, '7 long, '5 broad, and
about '3 deep. Epithelium thick, leathery, longitudinally fur-
rowed, ochreous, containing remains of small insects.
lanthia rufilata S , Dec. 9, 1861.
Acquiring the brilliant tints of the adult male.
Length 5-7 inches; wing 3-2; tail 2^, of 12 feathers. Bill
black, purplish brown towards the base. Inside of mouth pale
flesh-colour, with a touch of ochre ; blackish on tip of tongue and
inside of mandibles. Skin round eye blackish. Iris deep brown.
Ear-covert larger than eye, roundish, with a downward diameter-
bone. Operculum semilunate on the outward arc. Legs and
claws deep purplish brown, with pale soles and edges.
Myiophonus caruleus.
Three of these were seen near a rocky stream, perching at times
Bis,, 18 6S, Pin.
-d'.Woli; del'etllth.
.¥&ir.Haiihaj'l,]iii.p^
ATl'y;,ORWI;,
'-J- 1 LJ.LJj.i'ij D .
n3is,i86S,pi.Ann.
r)' .Wolf del ei ,.l;i
li&rlT.Hanharl.Imp^
BTJTEO BEAGHYPTERTJS .
On Birds observed in Madagascar. 265
on the branches of the trees, at others chasing one another back-
wards and forwards, threading the dark-leaved boughs of the
banyan; the cock bird singing in flight a loud, lively strain,
much after the manner of the Petrocossyphi or Rock Thrushes.
XXVIII. — Notes on Birds observed in Madagascar. By S. Roch,
Assistant-Surgeon, Royal Artillery, C.M.Z.S., and Edward
Newton, M.A., C.M.Z.S. Part I.
(Plates VIII. & IX.)
On submitting to the readers of ' The Ibis ' the following notes
on the birds we observed on our journey between Tamatave on
the coast and Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, we must,
in justice to ourselves, explain that they are necessarily short,
and in most cases unsatisfactory, in consequence of the little time
the Embassy, of which we formed a part, had to accomplish their
mission.
We left Mauritius on the 22nd of September, 18(51; and the
wet and unhealthy season in Madagascar commencing in Novem-
ber, it was most desirable that we should return to Tamatave
before that time.
As subsequent events have shown, it was lucky we were able
to do so, almost all the Europeans who performed the journey
after us having been attacked with fever.
We arrived at Tamatave on the 26th of September, and on
the 1st of October started for Antananarivo. Our route lay along
the coast to the southward for about seventy miles, the most
part of which was traversed by canoes on an almost continuous
chain of lakes and rivers, running within a few hundred yards
of the sea, and generally separated from it by a bank of sand,
usually covered with brush-wood and stunted trees, of which
Vacoas [Pandanus) and the Filao [Casuarinus madagascariensis)
are perhaps the most conspicuous. On the land side we occa-
sionally skirted a low forest ; and sometimes the lake or river took
us further from the sea, and led us through marshes where gigantic
Arums and " Traveller^s-trees" {Urania speciosa) were numerous .
at others the vegetation was simply coarse grass and rushes.
In five days we reached Andoviranto; and the following
266 Messrs. S. Roch and E. Newton on Birds
morning, proceeding up a river for a few miles, our water-
travelling ended, and we commenced our march up the country :
from this point our route, as near as possible, was due west.
The next three days we passed over hummocky hills covered
with grass at the top, the valleys being more or less clothed with
*' Traveller's," Rafia Palms, and occasionally with dense clumps
of feathery bamboo. As we continued to ascend, the hills
became larger and more difficult to surmount ; the " Traveller's "
looked stunted, and the Palms less frequent. On the evening
of the 9th, a narrow belt of forest between Ampasimbe and
Befoi'ona was passed; on the 10th and morning of the 11th
the broader belt of Alanamasaotra, about thirty-two miles in
width ; and we presently came to the plain of Mooranianga,
twelve miles wide, which has evidently at no very distant period
been a lake. On the 13th the river Mangourou was crossed,
on the 14th the high Ambodinangavo mountain and the last
belt of forest, when we arrived on the open down-like country
which stretches for some miles around the capital.
On the 16th we reached Antananarivo. The Embassy re-
mained there six days ; but wx were too busily engaged with
other matters to find time to attend to the ornithological features
of the neighbouring country. Our return journey occupied
thirteen days, including a halt of one day at the hot-springs of
Ranomafaua. Mr. Newton started for Mauritius on the 5th of
November; and Dr. Roch remained a fortnight longer, making a
journey along the coast to the northward as far as Foule Point.
We have adopted the arrangement and generally the nomen-
clature of Dr. Hartlaub's excellent ' Ornithologischer Beitrag zur
Fauna Madagascar's' (Bremen: 1861); and our initials have
been added to any particular observation that was made by one of
us, without the knowledge of the other.
1. BuTEO BRACHYPTERUS, V. Pelz. ; Hartl. p. 15. (PI. VIII.)
This Buzzaitl was tolerably common, and seen from Ampa-
simbe to Ambohitroni on the Mangourou. Iris brown, cere
yellowish, legs yellow, beak horn -colour.
2. Falco kadama, J. Verreaux; Hartl. p. 17.
" On my return journey from the capital, near the summit of
observed in Madagascar. 267
the Ambodinangavo mountain (the highest we crossed), a Falcon,
apparently of this species, came hovering over the peak, just as
I fired right and left at a brace of Quail {Margaroperdix striata),
one of which dropped dead, the other flying over the hill-side.
Instantly the Falcon, undisturbed by the report of the gun,
made a stoop at the falling Quail within 30 or 40 paces of where
I stood ; missing the bird, it flew towards the rocky cliff's on the
south side of the path, when it was joined by its mate, carrying
a bird. As they approached the cliff's, I could hear their young
crying.
" I obtained a good specimen of this bird on leaving Tamatave,
towards the end of November, when about fifteen miles from
land ; after hovering about the ship for some time, it rested on
the rigging, thus enabling me to shoot it. It is a young male,
in good plumage." — S. R.
" At Antananarivo I saw the dead body of an adult Falcon,
I believe of this species. The broad dark moustache was very
conspicuous. It was in an advanced stage of decomposition, and
its wings and tail had been closely clipped, — why, I could not
learn. I was told that it had belonged to the king." — E. N.
The country in the neighbourhood of the capital is well
adapted for hawking, but we did not hear of Falcons being
ever trained for the sport by the natives. The Scopus umbretta
would make a good quarry.
3. Falco gracilis, Lesson ; Hartl. p. 18.
Several specimens of this Kestrel were obtained. We observed
it throughout our journey from Tamatave to the capital. It
appeared to us to fly much " sharper " than F. punctatus of
Mauritius, which we do not think we ever saw in Madagascar.
Iris brown, beak horn-colour, cere and legs yellow, claws black.
"On the 22nd of October, when on my way to the iron-mines
of Imesina, and at about ten miles from Antananarivo, I observed
two large nests (which I believe to have been those of Scopus
umbretta) on low trees : the largest was about 5 feet high by
3 feet in diameter, and placed in the fork of a branch ; in its
sides there were two large entrances, 8 inches at least in
diameter, and over each the materials of the nest formed a sort
2G8 Messrs. S. lloch and E. Newton on Birds
of porch. I sent one of my bearers up the tree, but I could
not induce him to put his hand into the entrances of the nest ;
he commenced pulhng away from the top, till he fairly un-
roofed the edifice, which consisted of coarse grass, rushes, and
sticks, altogether enough to fill a moderate-sized cart, and drew
out four unfortunate half-grown Kestrels and a rotten egg,
which he stupidly broke. The young birds were afterwards eaten
by himself and his companions with much gusto." — E. N.
4. ?MiLVUS PARASITICUS (Daudin) ; Ilartl. p. 19.
A Kite, we presume of this species, was common along our
route. At Antananarivo it was one of the few birds noticed.
At nearly every village two or three might be seen circling high
in the air, and occasionally descending for any garbage or stray
fowls they could get hold of. At Tamatave they were always
to be seen over the IJazaar, where the bullocks and pigs are
slaughtered. The bird was so common that, believing we could
always obtain a skin, we put it off till the last, and ultimately
came away, we regret to say, without one. Their bills were
yellowish white.
5. Nisus MADAGASCARiENsis, J. Vcrrcaux ; Hartl. p. 20.
A Sparrow-hawk was seen at Ambohitroni, on the 25th of
October ; it appeared to be of the same species as the one after-
wards shot by Ur. Roch, on the 31st, near Manambonitra.
6 . Iris bright yellow, back horn-colour, legs yellow.
0. Circus ■ ? sp. indet,
" When crossing over the great elevated i)lain between the
Mongourou and Mooramanga, on my return journey on the 25th
of October, I saw a male Harrier beating over the short grass;
it never, however, approached within gun-shot. There were
several marshes forming suitable breeding-places for birds of
this genus on the plain." — E. N.
7. PoLYBOROiUES MADAGASCARiENSis (Daudin) ; P.radiutus,
Hartl. p. 21.
We obtained a specimen* at Ranomafana, as it was circling
* The Madagascar form of Pohjhoroides is considered by Mr. J. II.
Gurney sufficiently different from continental exami)le8 to deserve a distinct
appellation. — Ed.
observed in Madagascar. 269
over the village in the same manner as Kites are wont to do ;
and another the following day, as we were proceeding to Ampa-
simbe. Iris black, tip of beak black, cere and base yellow, legs
bright yellow, claws black.
8. ? Strix flammea, Linn.; llartl. p. 24.
At Antananarivo, we found that this bird inhabited the cele-
brated " Tarpeian Rock " on the west side of the town. Every
evening that we were there, we observed several leave it shoitly
after sunset, and soar away over the plain below, " snoring" as
they flew, exactly like the European species. We were unable to
obtain a specimen ; and this was the only place at which we
either saw or heard it. Erom the number of rats and mice that
are to be seen everywhere, these birds cannot have much diffi-
culty in getting a living ; and there are but few cats to divide the
spoil with them*.
* We are indebted to the kindness of the Rev. W. Ellis (author of
' Three Visits to Madagascar,' &c.) for tlic following information respecting
the superstition of the natives about Owls in general : —
" In Madagascar, the Owl is regsirded as a bird of evil omen and malign
influence. The natives call it Foronc/o/o (ghost-bird) ; and as ghosts or
spirits are regarded by the Malagasy as ministers of evil, and Owls and also
cats are supposed to be [)ersonifications of evil spirits or mediums tlirough
which they afflict the people, they are on this account objects of ai)prclu;n-
sion and terror amongst all classes excepting Christians. If a man setting
out on a journey, or about to commence any important work, were to see
an Owl, he would halt or return, instead of prosecuting his journey, or
would defer his work. And were an Owl to be seen near his dwelling, it
would fill his family with alarm, as the sign of approaching calamity. A
Malagasy can emi)loy no e])ithet more expressive of the malignity and
wickedness of any one whom he may wish to injure; in the estimation of
others than to call him ' owl ' or ' cat.' Tiiese creatures are generally
driven from the neighbourhood of their dwellings, hence the intolerable
swarms of rats and vermin with which they are infested. The natives,
when questioned, assign as the ground of their opinions the mysterious
existence of the Owl, which lives in concealment among rocks or trees,
its nocturnal habits, its singular and unbirdlike visage, with its large eyes,
its peculiar cry, and especially its hovering or flitting through the air at
the beginning of the night. It is not known to what extent tliey are con
sidered to be connected with the practice of sorcery, witchcraft, or other
evil influences of supposed supernatural origin ; but as tlie prejudice against
cats is subsiding, and some of the natives prefer them to rats and mice.
270 Messrs. S. Rocb and E. Newton on Birds
9. ? Caprimulgus madagascariensis, Sganzin ; Hartl.p. 25.
"We heard a Nightjar most nights between Tamatave and
Beforona ; and one was shot at Mamorack, but its skin unfortu-
nately was not preserved. The note appeared to us to be iden-
tical with that of C. europceus.
" Ai Mamorack I saw one of a much larger species, but was
not able to obtain a specimen. My native bearers knocked down
two of the smaller kind with sticks, as we passed through the
low jungle between Nosibey and Foule Point. The birds
appeared quite blind in the sunlight, and adhered so closely to
the cover of fern in which I found them, that I never could get
a shot at a sufficiently long distance. The two specimens
killed by the natives were unfortunately destroyed." — S. R.
10. Cypselus ? sp. indet.
" On the 7th of October, between Boiboahazo and Mauambo-
nitra, and again on crossing the Mangourou on the 24'th, I saw
several true Swifts. They were not Collocalice." — E. N.
11. Phedina ? sp. indet.
" On the 9th, between Ampasimbe and Beforona, I saw two
or three Martins, belonging, I am sure, to this genus : they were
not, I think, the same as the Mauritian species *. These had a
lighter breast, grey back, and dark wings." — E. N.
12. HlRUNDO ?
" On the 2nd of October, at Hivoondroo on the coast, I saw
several of what appeared to me to be birds of this genus." —
E. N.
13. EuRYSTOMus MADAGASCARiENSis (Linn.) ; Hartl. p. 27.
" Vorooncark."
" I got a specimen at Ranomafana, on the 30th of October."
— E. N.
there is reason to hope that the harmless and useful Owl will before long
cease to be regarded as a messenger of evil, and will be welcomed and
encouraged as the friend of the farmer, and the destroyer of the vermin
that rob him of his grain."
* " Since the hurricane of February 1861, which lasted for six days, I
have not seen a single example of Phedina borbonica in this island. They
were never very numerous." — E. N.
observed in Madagascar. 271
" These birds, from their habits and mode of flight true
Rollers, were very numerous in the thin forest close to the
village of Farafata, about six miles to the northward of Tamatave.
They appear to evince a predilection for patches of forest that
have been burnt, where they may be seen, generally in pairs,
perched upon the branch of some tall, bare tree, sheltering their
bodies from view behind the branch, uttering a hoarse chatter.
They did not fly far when fired at or disturbed, but they would
dive through the wood with considerable swiftness, again to take
their station behind a branch on another withered tree. They
nest in the fork or hollow of some tall isolated monarch of the
forest, frequently choosing one devoid of any foliage. On the
topmost branch one may always be seen upon the watch, while
the other forages for food in the neighbourhood. On its cry of
alarm the mate quickly appears, and both display considerable
courage in repelling the intruder upon their solitude, probably
a Kite in search of their young. I have frequently seen them
do this in the burnt jungle on the left of the road between
Nosibey and Foule Point. They increase their chattering
hoarse cry when attacking the Kite.'' — S. R.
14. Atelornis PiTTOiDEs (Lafr.) ; Hartl. p. 29. (PI. IX.)
It was getting dark as we approached Alanamasaotra on our
journey up, when we saw several of these birds run across the
path; one of them was shot by Dr. Roch. On our return we saw
one again, but it was only in the dusk of the evening. It is
singular that such a brightly coloured species should only appear
at nightfall, as it would seem alone to do. They have a very
peculiar manner of jerking their tails when they alight on a
branch. As far as we observed, they always kept very near the
ground, and are probably ground-feeders.
15. IspiDiNA MADAGASCARiENSis (Linn.) ; Hart], p. 30.
A specimen was obtained by us in the great forest of Alana-
masaotra, on the 27th of October — the only one seen.
16. CoRYTHORNis viNTsioiDES (Lafrcsuayc) ; Hartl. p. 31.
" Vinchi."
Tolerably common along the coast, and we observed it up the
country as far as Beforona.
272 Messrs. S. Roch and E. Newton on Birds
17. Merops superciliosus, Linn.; Hartl. p. 31.
A species of Bee-eater, apparently the same, was frequently
observed on the coast.
18. Nectarinia angladiana, Shaw ; Hartl. p. 34. " Schon-
wee."
First observed at Manambonitra, on the 7th of October. Its
chirp is exactly like a Tree Sparrow^s, and when first heard it
was taken for a bird of that genus ; its song is moderate.
19. Nectarinia souimanga (Gmelin) ; Hartl. p. 34.
The native name is the same as that for the preceding. The
song is strong, loud, and very like a Willow Wren's. We ob-
served it everywhere between Tamatave and Ankera Madinika,
where we left the forest.
" On October 31st, near Ranomafana, I watched a hen bird
of this species building for some time. The nest, which was an
open one, was placed on a low bush near the ground, and
much exposed. It was nearly completed. Outside it was built of
coarse grass and decayed leaves, untidily put together ; inside it
was lined with the down of some grass or reed.'' — E. N.
20. Drymceca MADAGASCARiENSis, Hartl. p. 35. "Tec-tec."
Common from the coast up to the beginning of the forest.
It inhabits the dry upland as well as the swamps. Its only note
or song that we heard was a harsh " tick-tick," uttered when
flying.
21. Pratincola sybilla (Linn.) ; Hartl. p. 38.
We saw this species first at Ranomafana, and from thence up
to the Hovah country. We did not observe it on the coast,
which is probably too hot.
" On the 25th of October, on our return journey when crossing
the plain of Mooramanga, I found a nest of this species in some
long grass in a swamp ; both the nest and four eggs were in
every respect similar to those of the common European species.
Unfortunately the latter were just ready to hatch, and our rapid
travelling prevented me from attending to them immediately ;
and when I had time afterwards, I found that they had all
burst, and the shells were so rotten that it was impossible to
preserve them." — E. N.
observed in Madagascar. 273
22. MoTACiLLA FLAVivENTRis (J. VeiTcaux) ] Hai'tl. p. 39.
On our journey up and down we saw a pair of these birds as
we crossed the Mandraka, about 125 miles from the coast, and
on the coast on our downward journey they were tolerably com-
mon, but we saw none between these points.
" At the Mandraka I shot a male and female. The former
made a good specimen. As in Yellow Wagtails generally, it
appears to differ from the female in being larger and the
plumage more brilliant." — S. R.
23. Tylas eduardi, Hartlaub, P.Z.S. May 13, 1862*
Shot in the forest of Alanamasaotra, on the 27th of October.
Iris yellow, legs and feet dark brown.
24. Hypsipetes ouravang (Gmel.); Hartl. p. 44. "Wroova."
Everywhere plentiful, from the neighbourhood of Tamatave
to the end of the forest. In note and habits it resembles its
congener, H. olivacea.
25. Ceblepyris cana (Lichtenstein) ; Hartl. p. 47.
One killed near Fantomasin, on the coast, on the 4th of
October ; and another on our return journey, in the Alanama-
saotra forest, on the 27th. Iris brown, legs and beak bluish
black. Both specimens are females.
26. Leptopterus viridis (Gmelin) ; Hartl. p. 48.
We observed this bird on several occasions, and shot a pair
near Boiboahazo on the 31st of October. They evidently had a
* We subjoin Dr. Hartlaub's description of this entirely new form of
bird : —
"TVLAS EDUARDI, Sp. nOV.
Supra subolivascenti-plumbea, capite toto nigro, nitore chalybeo ; Cauda
dorso concolore, scapis rectricum supra nitide nigris, subtus albis ;
corpore subtus cum subalaribus et subcaudalibus ochraceo ; cajiitis
nigredine circumscripte albido oircumdata ; rostro nigro ; pedibus
fuscis. Long. tot. circa 8"; rostr. a fr. 9", a rict. lU*"; al. 4" 5"' 5
caud. a bas. 3" 4"'; tars. 9f"'; dig. med. c. ung. 9"'.
"The genus Tylas is nearly allied to Hypsipetes, but differs in the beak
being decidedly stronger, broader, and more inflated ; in the longer wings,
which in Hypsipetes do not reach to the middle of the tail ; in the tail
being proportionally shorter ; and in the rictal bristles being much more
developed. The under tail-coverts are very long. The iris is yellow — a
colour not found hitherto in the genus Hypsipetes. The whole system of
colouring is different from that of the latter genus." — Ed.
274 On Birds observed in Madagascar.
nest close by. Iris hazel, skin round the eye bluish grey, beak
bluish lead-colour, legs black.
27. DicRURUs FORFiCATUS (Linn.) ; Hartl. p. 49.
Seen from the coast up to the Alanamasaotra forest.
" I found a nest of this bird when passing the forest on Octo-
ber 27th ; it was suspended in the fork of a tall bush, as an
Oriole's would be, and was composed of a stiff hairy kind of
grass, neatly interwoven, without any softer lining. It contained
three salmon-coloured eggs, spotted, chiefly at the larger end,
with dull red and ash-colour, some of the spots having a ' pen-
umbra' as in the eggs of the Chaffinch, the spots almost
forming a circle. They are altogether Shrike-like in appearance.
Long diam. 1 inch, transverse diam. -70 inch.
" So intent was the mother in hatching them, that she would
not leave the nest until the boy who climbed the tree almost
laid his hand on her.
" I have seen this little bird attack with such fierceness a Kite
which hovered too close to its nesting-place, as to make the
latter beat a quick retreat. They have a curious habit of
darting to the surface of a stream, striking it with their wings,
and ascending to a bush on the opposite side; they keep this up
in pairs, sometimes for twenty minutes, crossing and recrossing
each other, probably catching flies or aquatic insects in the
water."— S. R.
28. Cyanolanius bicolor (Linn.) ; Hartl. p. 49.
One was brought to Dr. Roch alive at Antananarivo. It fed
freely on flies.
29. Vanga curvirostris (Gmelin) ; Hartl. p. 51. " Vooram-
banga."
Obtained near the coast.
30. CoRvus MADAGASCARiENSis (Bouaparte) ; Hartl. p. 52.
" Quork.''
Very common everywhere, with the exception of the forest.
They usually keep in small parties of six or seven to twenty,
much as the Hooded Crow does in Europe. Their cry is very
like the spring note of the Rook, and it was with no small
pleasure that we again heard the familiar sound. We found a
Dr. P. L. Sclater on the American Kill deer Plover. 275
nest on a low tree in the middle of the capital. The nest and
eggs were in every respect similar to those of the Common or
Hooded Crows.
31. Hartlaubia madagascariensts (Linn.); Hartl. p. 52.
Seen from the coast all the way to the great forest of Alana-
masaotra. Legs and beak black, iris dark brown.
'^I met with these birds frequently on my way to Foule
Point. They have the same pugnacious disposition as the East
Indian Pycnonoti ; for on leaving Foule Point in November, I
came upon two in the jungle so fiercely engaged in fight that I
very nearly made prisoners of both with my hands. '^ — S. R.
32. FouDiA madagascartensis (Linn.) ; Hartl. p. 55.
" Near Beforona, on the 9th of October, I saw some of these
birds.''— E. N.
33. FouDiA ERYTHROCEPHALA (Gmclin) ; Hartl. p. 55.
" In the forest near Ankaranickra, on the 14tli of October, I
saw one of this species." — E. N.
X
34. Spermestes nana (Puchei'an) ; Hartl. p. 56.
We saw this bird pretty frequently about Ranomafana and
Ampasimbe.
35. MiRAFRA HOVA, Hartl. p. 57.
From the coast up to the capital, wherever we crossed open
country, a species of Lark was very common. The only specim.en
preserved was killed at Ampasimbe, on the great plain near the
Mangourou. It was very common — as common as Alauda arvensis
is in the eastern counties at home. They appeared to us to be
breeding, but we searched in vain for a nest. The song is very
poor ; their flight while singing is very like that of A. arborea.
[To be continued.]
XXIX. — Notice of the supposed occurrence of the American
Kill-deer Plover (iEgialites vociferus) in Great Britain. By
P. L. Sclater,
The list of American stragglers occasionally met with in the
British Islands is now so large, that little surprise need be mani-
fested at its still further increase. But the prospect of any
276 Dr. P. L. Sclater o?i the American Kill-deer Plover.
additional species being occasionally to be met with within the
limited sphere of observation of the resident Englishman is
always agreeable, and I have no hesitation in deciding that all
such instances, whether founded on very clear and decisive evi-
dence or not, are well worthy of record in ' The Ibis,^ as a guide
to future observers in the same field. I have, therefore, much
pleasure in making known the following facts, which lead me to
believe it probable that the American Kill-deer Plover (./Egialites
vociferus) has been met with on one occasion in this country.
About a month ago, Mr. John R. Wise (a gentleman resident
in the south of Hampshire, and now engaged in preparing for
the press a work on the History and Scenery of the New Forest,
which will be published by Messrs. Smith and Elder about the
end of the year) brought to me a stuffed specimen of a Plover,
enclosed in a glass case. This, he stated, belonged to a friend
of his (a Mr. Tanner), and had been undoubtedly killed in the
New Forest. I had no difficulty in recognizing the bird at the
first glance as being the ^gialites vociferus of North America ;
for that species is so well mai-ked and so different in appearance
from its allies of the same genus as to be very readily identified.
In reply to my request for further information as to its authen-
ticity as a British specimen, Mr. Wise kindly favoured me, shortly
afterwards, with the following particulars : —
" Since I wrote to you, I have seen Mr. Tanner, and communi-
cated with the bird-stuffer who prepared the bird. The facts are
these : — The bird was shot by a keeper to the Salmon Association
of Christchurch, of the name of Douding (now dead), in a
potato-field near Knapp Mill, on the River Avon, about a mile
from Christchurch.
" The bird was taken in the flesh to Mr. William Hart, a bird-
stuffer in Christchurch, from whom my friend Mr. Tanner
bought it,
" The date was some time in April 1857, but T cannot find out
the day of the month. ^^
It may be observed that some corroborative evidence of the
bird having been brought to Mr. Hart " in the flesh " would still
be desirable ; but I see nothing very improbable in the alleged
facts, and Mr. Wise seems confident as to their authenticity.
Rev. H. B. Tristram on the Birds of Palestine. 277
The Kill-deer Plover has a wide range in America, extending
from the Arctic Regions to Mexico (Salle, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1857,
p. 206) and Guatemala (Ibis, 1859, p. 228). It is also occa-
sionally met with in the Bermudas during winter. The only
wonder, I think, is that it has not been before noted in Eng-
land*, where so many other American species of less extended
range and more limited powers of flight have already occurred.
XXX. — Note on the Birds of Palestine.
By the Rev. H, B. Tristram.
I HAVE recently had an opportunity of examining two collections
of birds from Palestine, one of which, made by the Rev. Ridley
H. Herschell, is of considerable extent. As these collections
contain upwards of twenty species which escaped my observation
when in that country, it may not be out of place to enumerate
them, though the additions are of small interest, except as show-
ing the very close affinity which exists between the avifauna of
* There are 49 species of the Suborder Grallce enumerated in Baird's
' North American Birds,' one of which {Hcematopus ater) is very doubtful^
and one (Philomachus pugnax) is a European straggler in America. Out
of these 9 are commor^^to Europe and North America : namely,
Squatarola helvetica. Tringa niaritima.
Strepsilas interpres. „ subarcuata.
Phalaropus h)rperboreus. „ alpina.
„ fulicarius. Calidris areiiaria.
Tringa canutus.
Out of the ^8 remaining species 1 1 have been already registered as acci-
dental visitors to Europe : namely,
Charadrius virginicus. Gambetta flavipes.
Macrorhamphus griseus. Tringoides macularius.
a. Actodromas maculata. Actiturus bartramius.
b. „ wilsoni. Tringites rufescens.
c. „ bonapartii. Numenius borealis.
Symphemia semipalmata.
a. = Tringa pectoralis, Auctt. Britt.
b. = Tringa pusilla, Auctt. Britt.
c. r= Tringa schinzii, Auctt. Britt.
so that the occuiTcnce of others of this wandering suborder may be reason-
ably expected.
VOL. IV. U
278 Rev. H. B. Tristram on the Birds of Palestine.
Palestine and that of South-eastern Europe, The Jordan valley,
however, presents a remarkable exception. It is there that Cra-
ter opus chahjheus, Bp., Nectarinia osea (Bp.), and Amydrus tris-
trami (Sclater) occur ; and to these we may now add Merops
viridis and Pluvianus cegyptius.
I find all the species I had given in 'The Ibis/ vol. i. as
doubtful, now confirmed by the collections I have examined.
The Gypaetus, as I perceive by Mr. Herschell's specimen, is
G. barbatus, not G. nudipes.
The species are numbered continuously from the list given in
' The Ibis,' vol. i. p. 23.
120. BuTEO RUFiNUS, Kaup. Long-legged Buzzard.
Shot by Mr. Herschell in Southern Judsea.
121. AcciPiTER Nisus, L. Sparrow-Hawk.
Throughout the country. Four specimens were shot in as
many difi"erent disti'icts.
122. Bubo ascalaphus, Sav.
Shot near Hebron.
123. Syrnium aluco, Cuv. Tawny Owl.
The Palestine specimens are peculiarly pale in plumage.
124 Caprimulgus EUROPiEus, L, Goa'tsucker.
125. Caprimulgus ?
Another and smaller species, shot in the valley of the Jordan.
126. HiRUNDo CAHiRiCA, Licht.
127. Merops apiaster, L. Bee-eater.
128. Merops viridis, L.
Shot in the valley of the Jordan. Probably the western limit
of this species, which has not, I believe, been hitherto noted as
occurring in Syria.
129. Alcedo ispida, L. European Kingfisher.
Common in the Jordan valley.
130. Oriolus galbula, L. Golden Oriole.
131. Erythacus rubecula, Bp. Redbreast.
132. Ruticilla phcenicura, Bp. Redstart.
Ornithology in the International Exhibition. 279
133. MoTAciLLA LUGUBRis, Temni.
134. MoTACiLLA suLPHUREA, Bcchst. Grey Wagtail.
135. Lanius meridionalis^ Temm. Southern Shrike.
136. Lanius personatus, Temm. Masked Shrike.
137. CORVUS FRUGILEGUS. Rook.
Near Jaffa.
138. Alauda arborea, L. Woodlark.
139. Picus SYRiACUs, Hempr. & Ehrenb. Syrian Wood-
pecker, f
140. COLUMBA TURRICOLA, Bp.?
Apparently the bird so described by Bonaparte from Italy
and Persia^ having the back and rump not white, but of a pale
lead-colour, and being rather smaller than our Rock Dove. Shot
at Jericho.
141. Pluvianus ^gyptius, Temm.
Shot by Mr. Herschell in the Jordan valley.
143. Anas acuta, L. Pintail Duck.
Shot by Mr. Herschell in the dry ravine of the brook Kedron.
143. Larus gelastes, Temm.
Taken at Jaffa.
XXXI. — Ornithology in the International Exhibition.
We deem it advisable, while it is yet in the power of our readers
to test the truth of our remarks, to give, as far as we can, an
account of what pertains to Ornithology in the International
Exhibition. We are sensible that if we deferred the notice to
our next Number we should be able to render it more complete ;
for though we have taken some trouble about the matter, it
is impossible that we can have seen everything relating to our
science that is contained between the two monstrous domes of
Brompton ; indeed, some of the very objects entered in the Cata-
logues have hitherto escaped our search. But, on the other
hand, we believe that by delaying this paper until the close of
the Exhibition we should be depriving it of much that will
u2
280 Ornithology in the International Exhibition.
interest our readers, and, perhaps, make it of value to future
ornithologists as a contemporary record of the things shown.
As the magnificent picture-galleries of the building first attract
the attention of visitors, so we may as well begin by noticing the
treatment ornithology receives at the hands of painters. Here
we feel we are treading on dangerous ground ; but since we do
not pretend to speak as critics of art, and '' The Ibis ' bears not
the impress of authority from Her Majesty^s Commissioners,
perhaps our remarks may be understood to be the plain state-
ment of our opinion as ornithologists. To be brief, birds do not
play an important part in the pictures exhibited, and, with a few
brilliant exceptions, we are sorry to say they are not treated as if
the artists had paid attention to some of the very simplest points
of their structure. Thus, in Mr. G. Cole's large picture of " Pride
and Humility" (British Division, No. 603), the arrangement of the
wing-quills of the strutting Turkey-cock (though the whole bird is
admirably outlined and coloured) is inverted, the inner web of the
first primary overlapping the outer web of the second, and so on.
Mr. J. Webbe's " White Owl " (No. 598), a portrait very true to
nature in general expression, and a picture, we are told, which
has been highly lauded by one of our most celebrated judges of
art, is clothed to all appearance, not in feathers, but in locks of
wet wool, giving the bird somewhat the look of a sheep on a
rainy day. Even an artist so great as Sir Edwin Landseer does
not always succeed in rendering the effect of plumage, as witness
the Wild Swan in his magnificent " Bolton Abbey " (No. 407),
where the beautifully soft feathers of the breast are so indif-
ferently represented as to give one at first sight the idea of the
bird having been plucked. But, in his " Defeat '' (No. 406), the
soaring Eagle against the pale glow of the dawn seems to come
as near perfection as possible. Of Mr. Wolf's skill the readers
of ' The Ibis ' require no assurance. The "Sir Joshua" of animal-
painters pays the country which has so long been his domicile the
compliment of exhibiting among her artists, and, high as his t\vo
works are hung, " The Tale (tail) of a Teal " (No. 523) and " The
Ptarmigan's Haunt" (No. 585) will, we are certain, catch the eye
of every ornithologist that enters the gallery. We do not express
any opinion as to their artistic merits, though we believe good
Ornithology m the International Exhibition. 281
judges fiud no fault with them on that score, but as pictures of
bird-/z/e they are unapproached by anything we have seen in
the Exhibition. Of the " Sea Piece " (No. 1451), by Mr. H. Gatke
of Heligoland, we can also speak highly, having with some diffi-
culty discovered its abiding-place at the end of the print-gallery.
It is very good, and the Gannets in the foreground are painted
with great accuracy, showing this artist to be as good an inter-
preter of nature with the pencil, as many of our readers already
know him to be with the pen.
In the Foreign department ornithological pictures are rare,
and we have not met with any deserving high praise from
our point of view. We regret to find nothing from the easel of
Herr Ferdinand von Wright, a Finnish artist, whose works are
well known and appreciated in his own country, in Sweden, and in
Germany. This gentleman, from the specimens we have elsewhere
seen of his painting, has a remarkable gift for painting Owls ;
and in this particular though somewhat limited sphere, even Mr.
Wolf would find him a rival hard to beat. Norway possesses
two painters who draw their subjects from the bird-world, but
we cannot congratulate either of them on having attained
great success. The " Partridge and Young " (Foreign Division,
No. 1425) of Herr Printz is but tame, while Herr Boe's four
ornithological pictures (Nos. 1414, 1443, 1447, and 1448) seem
studies rather of stuffed than of living birds. Thus we con-
clude our list of works in which ornithology is illustrated by the
" shapes and forms of art divine."
In other departments of the Exhibition where figures of birds
are introduced, either alone or as accessory ornaments, we find
them generally represented conventionally, and therefore in a
manner distasteful to the naturalist, rather than with any regard
to accuracy. Yet that this is by no means essential to the
requirements of either beauty or utility is shown by at least
one notable exception — an ecclesiastical lectern of carved oak, in
the Mediaeval Court (Class 30, No. 5659), the work of the
Rev. R. S. Baker, representing a White-tailed Eagle, studied from
life, which only wants an indication of the feet-scales to be as
perfect an image of the bird, as it is a handsome and serviceable
piece of church-furniture.
282 Ornithology in the International Exhibition.
It will DO doubt be in the memory of many of our readers
that about a year ago there was published in the newspapers a
memorial^ addressed to Her Majesty^s Commissioners for the
International Exhibition^ and bearing the signatures of about a
score of naturalists — some the most eminent in their particular
lines that the country produces. This document requested the
" establishment of a class solely devoted to articles illustrating
the various methods of preserving zoological and botanical speci-
mens." To it the Commissioners replied^ through their Secretary,
that the arrangement of the, classes being then settled, it was too
late to make any alteration therein, but that they would so far yield
to the prayer of the memorialists as to establish a " subclass "
for the reception of such specimens. Accordingly the visitors
to Bromptou who will take the trouble of scaling the almost
alpine heights of the central tower in the Exhibition Building
will have pi*esented to their breathless gaze the collected results
of this memorial, in the shape of various stuffed birds and beasts,
divers trays of shells and fossils, and sundry sea-weeds displayed
on cartridge-paper, side by side with books, maps, diagrams and
globes, school-fittings and furniture, wax-dolls, toys and games !
We must confess, after a rather minute examination of these spe-
cimens, termed in the Official Catalogue " Illustrations of Ele-
mentary Science," that we honestly thank the Commissioners for
placing this exhibition of the art of taxidermy at an elevation so
lonely and so inaccessible ; for we hope it may thereby escape the
notice and the criticisms of our brother-naturalists from aboad.
A more sorry show it is scarcely possible to conceive ; for the spe-
cimens contributed by Messrs. Bartlett and Son, good as they
are — especially the case of gorgeous Psittacidce — hardly come up
to what might have been expected of the skilful restorer of the
Dodo, and altogether fail to cover the shortcomings of the rest
of the collection. Mr. Ward shows an albino Colymbus sepfen-
trionaiis, which we have some hesitation in considering " unique,"
as he labels it ; and Mr. Wilson has two birds fairly stuffed ; but
of the other works exhibited the less said the better. In the exercise
of common charity we refrain from naming those " naturalists,"
chiefly of the metropolis, who have here shown so small an ap-
preciation of nature. It is only right to say that Mr. John
Ormtholoyij in the International Exhibition. 283
Hancock, whose magnificent groups of birds justly attracted so
much attention when displayed in the central transept of the
old Crystal Palace, does not send anything. The story goes that
this gentleman applied for the room necessary to contain some
subjects he had executed, but that his application was met with
the stipulation that he should reduce by one-third the space he
asked for. Now as nature, in forming large birds, such as
Eagles and Swans, unfortunately did not take into consideration
the possible requirements of even International Commissioners,
the demand was equivalent to a refusal, and consequently the
public have lost the pleasure of once more gazing on Mr.
Hancock's achievements. A similar reason also, we believe,
deterred Mr. Leadbeater from exhibiting. We must beg conti-
nental ornithologists, however, to give us credit for the assertion
that this country has other bird-stuffers, both amateurs and
pi'ofessionals, who are in the habit of turning out specimens far
more beautiful than those by which, as far as the United King-
dom is concerned, ornithology is so badly represented in the
Exhibition.
Though, as we have just above stated, the British display of bird-
stuffing has been collected in one subclass, it is very much the con-
trary with colonial and foreign specimens. These are scattered
about as irregularly as in 1851 ; some, indeed, can scarcely be
said to be classed at all. A good proportion of our numerous
dependencies send stuffed birds, though with what particular
object they appear in an Industrial Exhibition it might be hard
to say, — unless it be to show the raw materials of the process by
which ornithologists may be manufactured. Nevertheless we
are far too thankful for what is thus put within our reach to
cavil thereat ; besides, many of the colonial consignments com-
prehend objects of great scientific interest. In noticing them
we shall follow the order in which they are arranged in the first
edition of the Catalogue.
To begin with our colonial possessions, the General Committee
of South Australia, through Mr. Henry Jones, show a number
of birds (No. 2) moderately well mounted in cases, containing,
among others, a specimen of that rare Acci})itrine, the Gypoictinia
melanosternon (Gould, B. of Austr. i. pi. 20), the only example
284 Ornithology in the International Exhibition.
now, we believe, in this country, since the removal of Mr. Gould's
type to Philadelphia. There are also four drawings representing
the nest of the Mallee-bird of South Australia [Leipoa ocellata),
and a stuffed example of the bird alongside. The drawings are
not of very great artistic skill, but every additional record of the
eccentric nidification of this tribe of birds is worthy of comment.
Western Australia is contented to exhibit some Emeu's eggs,
which we suppose may be taken to be those of Mr. Bartlett's newly
recognized species or variety, Dromceus iri'oratus (P. Z. S. 1859,
p. 205, and 1860, pp. 205, 211), especially as the tippets and
muffs manufactured of this bird's feathers present the well-de-
fined terminal spot of that species. From the Bahamas, the Cape
of Good Hope, and Ceylon, we have failed to discover any ornitho-
logical specimens, except some edible birds'-nests (of CoUocalia
fuciphaga, we presume) from the last-mentioned colony. India
sends only bundles and fans of Peacock's feathers, and so does not
do much to elucidate her still imperfectly known Ornis. Jamaica
and Mauritius are equally unrepresented as far as ornithology
goes. The Commissioners for Natal show, among other spe-
cimens of natural history, four cases (No. 7) set up by Mr. Ward
of London, containing a fine series of the birds of this colony,
prepared under the superintendence of their Hon. Secretary,
Dr. R. J. Mann. Amongst these we may mention, as parti-
cularly worthy of notice, an example of Spiza'etus zonurus, of
which Mr. Gurney has lately spoken in these pages (see antea,
p. 150) ; Bubo lacteus, not previously known to occur in Natal;
and the large Wattled Goose [Sarcidiornis regia). New Bruns-
wick exhibits nothing in our way. Newfoundland offers us, among
others from the collection of the late Mr. W. H. Ellis, M.P.P.,
three cases of Lagopus albus (No. 1), containing a fine series of
seventeen individuals, and exemplifying the autumn, winter, and
summer plumages of that widely spread and ever-changing species.
From the same colony Mr. N.Norman sends a couple of fairly pre-
served birds (No. 16); and Mr. G. Ehlers also transmits a photo-
graph (the specimen itself having been too much injui'cd to admit
of preservation) of a European Woodcock {Scolopax rusticola),
which was shot at an open spring near St. John's, on the 9th of Janu-
ary last, after some long-continued easterly winds. It is stated, in
Ornithology in the International Exhibition. 285
a notice appended to the frame, that though tlie ground had
been covered with snow for many weeks, the bird was in good
condition, weighing 13f oz., which we beheve to be above the
average of Enghsh- killed examples. This fact is interesting as
helping to prove that the tide of ornithic emigration across the
Atlantic is not quite so one-sided as is often supposed. New South
Wales exhibits four cases of birds. Three of them are placed so
high that it is difficult to say what the species may be. But one
of them (No. 434), as we are informed by the Provincial Catalogue,
is exhibited by Lady Gipp (the birds having been mounted by
Mr. Leadbeater), and the other two contain 120 specimens
of small birds of the colony, exhibited by T. W. Crawley, Esq.,
of Sydney. In the fourth case a pair of the Black Cockatoo
[Calyjjtorhynchus banksii) are stationed, feeding a young bird
in an open cup-shaped nest formed of moss ! We will veil
the name of the exhibitor of this ornithological marvel in the
judicious obscurity which he would certainly covet, if he knew
the untruthfulness to nature of which he has been guilty,
merely remarking that the Parrots of this group breed in
hollow trees. New Zealand is represented by two cases (No. 67),
mounted by Mr. W. Bruce, and exhibited by Mr. Edward King,
comprising the following species said to have been procured in
the province of Auckland : —
Halcyou vagans. Anthus novae zeelandise.
Prosthemadera nova; zeelandise. Rhipidura flabellifera.
Anthornis melanura. Chrysococcyx lucidus.
Xenicus longipes. Platycercus auriceps ?
Certliiparus senilis. Carpophaga novaj zeelandise.
Miro toitoi. Anas superciliosa.
. Petroeca albifrons.
The second case contains ten birds, amongst which we notice,
besides several also contained in the first, Athene nova zeelandiae,
Eudynamys taitensis, Fuligula nova zeelandia, and Hallus assimilis.
From Nova Scotia, our old friend, Mr. A. Downs, sends a case
of Game Birds and Wild Ducks (No. 5), including nothing very
rare, but fully maintaining his high repute as a taxidermist. In
Queensland, Mr. A. Hodgson exhibits one, and Mr. C. C. Mac-
donald of Cadargah three cases of birds (Nos. 90, 96, 97). Among
286 Ornithology in the International Exhibition.
them we notice the Menura alberti, the beautiful Pitta strepitans,
and several interesting Pigeons {Lopholamus antarcticus, &c.).
These have also been mounted (not too well) by Mr. Ward.
St. Vincent shows nothing ornithological. Tasmania produces
feathers and an egg of her Emeu (Nos. 618, 624), three spe-
cimens of Strix castanops, and two others badly set up, con-
tributed by Mr. W. Chatfield, and a few Penguins' skins, with
a considerable assortment of fans and such-like ornaments made
of feathers. Mrs. Crowther also exhibits a series of bird-skins
that appear to have been selected for their brilliant colours.
Vancouver's Island sends a case of birds containing specimens
of Pyrariga ludoviciana, Turdus ncevius, Hirundo thalassina, Sialia
mexicana, Colaptes mexicanus, Picas ruber, Hedymeles melanoce-
phalus, and what we suppose must be Bonasa umbelloides (Baird,
B. Am. pp. 630, 925).
So much for the British dependencies that have sent in their
goods in time to be inserted in the Official Catalogue. But there
are likewise several of the tardy arrivals that merit the ornitho-
logist's attention. Victoria sends three glass cases containing
birds well set up, but without the name of the artist or exhibitor.
In one of them we recognize the fine Athene strenua (Gould, B. of
Austr. i. pi. 35). Canada sends several cases of birds to illustrate
her Oruis. .These are exhibited by Mr. James Thompson of
Montreal and Mr. S. W. Passmore of Toronto. The series of
North-American Anatidce, though not particularly well stuffed,
nor including any great varieties, is very fair; and there is a
Buzzard amongst the Accipitres, which is doubtless Buteo insig-
natus of Cassin. We have also to notice from British Guiana
eight cases prepared (like those from Natal and Queensland) by
Mr. Ward. This collection includes a good series of Accipitres,
such as
Buteo pterocles. Micrastur brachyptcrus.
„ poecilonotus. Ilypotriorchis femoralis.
„ melanops. Ibycter ater.
Buteogallus nigrioollis. „ americanus.
SpizaiJtus ornatus. Circus maculosus.
We observe in the same case an example of the American
Peregrine [Falco anatam). If this is really a "Guiana-killed"
Ornithology in the International Exhibition. 287
specimen^ it is the most southern locality for this bird hitherto
recorded. Messrs. A. and E. Newton have, however, noticed it
in St. Croix (Ibis, 1859, p. 63), Mr. Cottle procured a specimen
(now in the British Museum) in S. Nevis, and Mr. Salvin (Ibis,
1859, p. 219) records the occurrence of a "single example" at
Duenas ; so it is not such a great step further south.
Of Foreign States (still following the arrangement of the
Catalogue), Africa, whether Central or Westei-n, is for once
false to her old character, and has no ornithological wonder to
show. Belgium and Brazil, China and Costa Rica, are equally
devoid of objects to be here noticed. Denmark escapes only by
some zoological drawings for educational purposes, exhibited by
Ilerr J. C. Thornam (Subclass 29. B, No. 241).
The extensive area occupied by the French department con-
tains several noteworthy objects to the ornithologist. Entering
from Italy, a large series of well-mounted birds meets our eyes
as they stand well arranged on the shelves to our left hand.
There is, first (886), a series of the principal types of mammals
and bii'ds considered to be useful and hurtful to agriculture
in France. These specimens are borrowed, we believe, from
the galleries of the Jardin des Plantes. They are all
correctly named and labelled, and were, as we are informed,
selected for the purpose by M. Florent-Prevost, Aide-Naturaliste
to the Museum of Natural History of that establishment, — a
name well known in the literature of ornithology. The same
gentleman exhibits (885) a very interesting series of the dried
contents of the stomachs of the principal birds of France,
arranged in order, with the object of showing the nature of
their food. Each specimen is marked with the date at which it
was obtained, and, as an accurate register has been kept of the
birds' stomachs examined in this way for the last twenty-four
years (of which a specimen page is shown below), the resume
gives a very fair notion of the nature of the sustenance of the
birds of France in all seasons, and affords a base upon which
they may be divided into the two catalogues of utiles and
nuisibles. There is, besides, a collection of the game of the three
different regions into which France is divided agriculturally,
illustrated by specimens from the same source as those mentioned
288
Ornithology in the Intel' national Exhibition.
above, and, we believe, selected by the same naturalist. Some
of them are worth mentioning, but of course the classification is
rather fanciful.
Corn-region.
Alauda arvensis.
Turdus musica.
Perdix cinereus.
Gallinula chloropus.
Anser ferus, &c.
Wine-region.
Coluraba palumbus.
„ CEnas.
Coturnix dactylisonans.
Caccabis rubra.
Silk-region.
Emberiza hortulana.
Pterocles arenarius.
Caccabis saxatilis.
Bonasa europaea.
These exhibitions are all classed in the Agricultural Section
(Class 3). In the Class of Surgical Instruments (Class 17,
No. 1747), M. Lefevre, a well-known French taxidermist, has
some samples of his trade, but not much that calls for remark.
The equally well-known E. Parzudaki (No. 1754) devotes his
energies to beasts instead of birds.
The Societe Imperiale d'Acclimatation exhibit a series of
stuffed specimens, intended to show the principal animals they are
attempting to introduce into and acclimatize in France. We do
not quite agree with our friends in the ' Gardeners^ Chronicle '
in considering acclimatization as a " chimera ;" but we are in-
clined to think the term " chimerical " would be well applied to
the idea of domesticating some of the birds which form part of
the series. The essentially arboreal Graces and Penelopce will
require a very long course of modification before we induce them
to breed in our poultry-yards; and the Society do not seem to
get on well with Lophophori, since the single specimen exhibited
is, we believe, the male received from the Zoological Society of
London, which they have unfortunately lost.
In the French colonies, M. Belanger, Director of the Botanical
Garden of St. Pierre in Martinique, exhibits a small series of the
birds of that island, nicely mounted by Verreaux. The species,
as far as we can recognize them without handling and com-
parison, are —
Euphonia flavifrons.
Saltator martinicensis.
Tiaris jacarini.
Loxigilla noctis.
IctcrusTbonanac.
Margarops ?
Dendrceca petechia.
Setophaga ruticilla.
Thryothorus, sp.?
Certhiola flaveola ?
Ornithology iu the International Exhibition. 289
Thamnophilus doliatus. Tringoides macularius.
Tyrannus dominicensis ? Tringa maculata.
Eulampis jugularis. Rallus, sp.
„ holosericeus. Porphyrio martinica.
Orthorhynchus ? Florida purpurea ?
Lampornis ? Egretta ?
Chloroceryle alcyon. Butorides virescens.
„ americana. Ardea, sp.
Astur magnirostris. Erismatura dominica.
Chamaepelia trochila. „ rubida.
iEgialites ? Phalacrocorax ?
Vanellus ? Sula fiber.
But we hope, through the assistance of our esteemed friend,
M. Aubry Le Comte, Superintendent of the French Colonial
Exhibition, to be able to make a more accurate examination of
these birds, and a further special report thereon to ' The Ibis.'
Germany, from whose standing-army of ornithologists we had
hoped better things, is absolutely as unaviferous as Greece, unless
a smoked Goose-breast from Mecklenburg-Schwerin and nume-
rous piles of down quilts — so abhorred by the British tourist —
be considered to form an exception. Yet the smart game-bags
and neat bird-cages testify at least to the philornithic taste of the
natives in one direction or another. We have not now the
pleasure even of contemplating any of those caricatures of
humanity by which Wiirtemberg contributed to the amusement
of crowds in the old Exhibition. The Ionian Islands, through
Signoi- Zanoni of Corfu, display some groups of birds, dusty and,
we must add, disagreeable, which are perched aloft, exposed to all
sorts of vicissitudes, as if the Septinsular delegates, in their
would-be independence, scorned the " protecting power " even of
a glass shade. Italy has nothing to show in our line, except some
injected specimens of the auditory organs of birds, sent by Prof.
Gaddi of Modena (Class 17, No. 1291) ; and neither Japan nor
Madagascar, the Netherlands nor Norway, are any better. The
guano of Peru may claim to be mentioned here ; but Portugal and
Rome have not even this questionable advantage. Fi-om Russia
there is a fine series of Tetraonidcs, exhibited by Herr P. Oos-
pensky (No. 591), which contains some interesting examples of
the so-called Tetrao medius, the commonest, perhaps, of all
290 Recent Ornithological Publications.
wild hybrids. Siam shows, among her commodities, edible birds^-
nests ; but we have looked through Spain and Sweden without
discovering as much ornithology as that. Switzei-land exhibits
the Grebe-skins for which her lakes have long been celebrated ;
while the United States and Uruguay complete the list, and add
two more to the courts we have drawn blank while bird-hunting.
Perhaps it was not to be expected natural history should
make any very great show on an occasion of this sort. Still, in
a design so vast as an Exhibition of the "Works of Industry of all
Nations, one would have thought that bird-stuffers would have
evinced a greater desire to display their wares, if for no higher
purpose than advertising them. We do not know, but we
cannot help suspecting that at the last Exhibition no rewards
were given to those who competed in taxidermy ; and we have
already alluded to the prevalent rumour that in the present case
certainly no encouragement was held out to the professors of this
craft. Yet it cannot be said that the art is altogether unworthy
of notice ; for if zoology be really a science, the different methods
of preserving the objects which illustrate it — many of them, be
it remembered, of daily increasing rarity — deserve attention ; or
if it be only a pastime, it is unquestionably a popular one, since
almost every other house in town or country contains some
stuffed beast, bird, or fish, and thus, on that ground also, such
methods merit anything but neglect. Utilitarianism is not so
rife in these days as to influence many persons by its sneers.
There is, we know, no fear of our readers not agreeing with us in
these general remarks ; we are not, therefore, lecturing them ;
but we would urge them strongly, if another International
Exhibition be ever talked of in London, to make sure, by
timely activity, that Ornithology at any rate should not appear
in the same unsatisfactory state as it now does at Brompton.
June 10, 1862.
XXXII. — Recent Ornithological Publications.
1. English Publications.
'^ What can a bird be that is not drawn from nature V our
readers may be inclined to ask, on seeing the title of Mrs. Black-
Recent Ornithological Publications. 291
burn's work *. Alas ! there is no necessity to extend our researches
into the strange forms described by Le Vaillant^ those modern
representatives of the Griffons and Martlets of antiquity, so quietly
recapitulated by Mr. Gray with the dry interrogatory, '' Nonne avis
arteficta}" Nor need we go to the amusing specimen lately laid
on the table of the Zoological Society — a common Nightjar's tail
united to the body and appendages of Macrodipteryx africanus ;
nor to such an instance as the writer observed the other day in
a local museum of some repute, of a Bird of Paradise whose feet,
lost in action, had been judiciously replaced by a stout pair of
Jackdaw's legs. One need only turn over page after page of
any of the so-called " popular " works on natural history, such
as Cassell's, or even the more carefully illustrated, if not more
carefully compiled, serial of Mr. Wood, published by Routledge,
to see a vast collection of imaginary shapes and forms, copied
from portions of skins and feathers that have been stretched and
puckered over a hideously distorted "dummy" — the triumphant
conceptions of the deputy subcurator of some borough museum.
Remonstrate with the artist who earns his 16s. per week by such
labours in natural history, and he will reply, " I saw it so in the
British IMuseum ! " We may shrug our shoulders, but we dare
not contradict his assertion. It has indeed always been a
mystery to us, if we do not entrust the restoration of the
Chapter House of Westminster to the tender mercies of the
churchwardens of St. Margaret's for the time being, nor to the
reconstructive ingenuity of the cheapest local contractor, why
the spirit of parsimony should have handed over the recon-
struction of the most lovely and graceful forms, not of art but
of nature, to the ignorance of a journeyman labourer who never
saw either the species nor any of its congeners in life, and who
has not the remotest idea of its habits or character. In every
museum stand gaunt rows of hideous scarecrows to mislead for
years the young, and to disgust the naturalist. We see the fruits
in our popular works. Spirited as are many of the woodcuts-in
Wood's ' Natural History,' yet when the artist has not had the
advantage of a lesson from a living specimen in the glorious
gardens of the Zoological Society, his shapes are indeed " fear-
* ' Birds drawn from Nature.' By Mrs. Hugh Blackburn.
292 Recent Ornithological Publications.
fully and wonderfully made." Look at the dyspeptic Goshawk
which with a broken bill does duty for Steatornis caripensis, — the
ragged urchin, with feathers on end, who passes for a Cat-bird,
suggesting some association of ideas between the Cat and a hostile
Dog, — the two distorted British Fly-catchers, the lower specimen
with its hump-back, and its upturned throat presented to some
sacrificial knife (a monstrosity simply unpardonable in the case
of so familiar a favourite), — the Norfolk Plover without a neck, —
the Pratincole represented as cooling its feet in a stream (!),
or the Scissor-bill misfitted with a Puffin's head, as illustra-
tions of what we mean. One cannot even turn over the pages
of our old favourite Bewick without a regret that he had not in
every instance that knowledge of the living bird which, not-
withstanding all the advances in the art of engraving, has
preserved to this day the charm of his life-like lines whenever
he drew from nature. Had he but once seen the Bittern
booming in the marsh, Bewick could never have depicted
that horizontal-backed bird whose tradition is carefully pre-
served in half the museums of England.
Such works as the modest and unpretending, though careful
and laborious, plates of Mrs. Blackburn are invaluable in dif-
fusing a truer knowledge of the attitude and character of the
living bird than can be otherwise obtained by the multitudes
who never have the happy chance of looking into a Heron's
nest, or watching a flock of Gannets on their fishing-ground.
A glance at her volume tells at once that all is from life. Wisely
has the lady-artist "refused,^' as she tells us in her preface, "to
be guided by stuffed specimens, in the belief that drawings
y-ealhj from nature (and such only) may be made to give a
representation of nature more faithful in most essential points
than the stuffed skin itself, even when newly set up by the most
skilful workman, and of course in a higher degree preferable to
an idealized copy of the usual faded and withered denizen of a
glass case." The work includes twenty-three plates, many of
them spirited drawings of our commoner birds, but some of
them such as southern dwellers in cities seldom have an
opportunity of observing in a wild state. A few lines of letter-
press explain the circumstances under which each was sketched.
Recent Ornithological Publications. 293
which individualizes the interest with which we examine the
plates. In the execution of the lithographs there is occasionally
a little too much sharpness in the lines of the plumage, as in the
Blue Tits, but this minor fault does not detract from the general
life-like tone of the drawing. A hypercritical friend of ours
has objected to the undulating curve in the neck of the Common
Sandpiper ; but as the bird was drawn from a living specimen in
a cage, and as we have observed the Godwit assume the same
posture, we will not dispute Mrs. Blackburn's accuracy. The
nest placed in a bank is an unusual locality for a Sandpiper;
but since we ourselves once knew of a Snipe building in a goose-
berry bush, when a flood had lodged a quantity of straw and
weeds on its lower branches, we cannot see much difficulty in
the circumstance.
The second plate, the '' Solan Geese Fishing,^' is very spirited,
and represents a scene not before engraved, though well de-
scribed by Mr. Couch in his 'Fauna of Cornwall.' We have
watched the birds drop in this manner under the bows of a yacht
while at anchor in the Bay of Tangiers, and, after pursuing their
prey under water, emerge with it at the other side of the vessel.
Among the most spirited sketches in the volume are those of
the Common Guillemot (where Mrs. Blackburn has admirably
caught the startled and confused attitude of the bird, w'hen
suddenly surprised by a boat), the callow nestlings and eggs of
the Black Guillemot, and the shivering and half-benumbed
Redwing. The Hedge-Sparrow threads his way through a
thorn-bush with the gentle ease of secure familiai'ity ; and the
family party of Whinchats, with the father balancing himself on
the top of a bunch of furze-blossom, is admirable. The authoress
wishes us good-night with an appropriate scene — a group of
Herons on Lochiel. The tide is coming in; it is scarcely time
to commence fishing, and the Herons while away the idle half-
hour in a characteristic group on a bed of shingle, assuming the
various easy postm-es of Heron-life.
We cannot conclude this short notice of Mrs. Hugh Black-
burn's drawings without a remark on the genuine and delicate
humanity, which shows how keenly a lady may pursue the study
of ornithology without acquiring any of the unfeminine indif-
VOL. IV. X
294 Recent Ornithological Publications.
ference to animal life which is sometimes attributed to the
sportsman. Her Black Guillemot is caught on the nest^and,
when he has stood for his portrait^ is kindly restored to his
family. Though advantage is taken of the Sandpiper^s maternal
devotion to entrap her, for a time, into a cage where her brood
has been already placed, yet all are retui'ned unharmed to their
free home. If the gardener, in protecting his gooseberries, is
allowed to shoot the Ring-Ouzels, the Willow- Warblers find a
kind protectress. Even the Heron who has given us his por-
trait, and was captured in a hard frost, was returned, after being
indulged with a fortnight's fishing in a foot-pail in the College
of Glasgow, to the place whence he had been taken, so soon as
the mild weather set in. We have heard young ladies, who
would have regarded ornithology as a rude, masculine pursuit,
fit only for their sportsmen brothers, inquire with interest the
best mode of annihilating beautiful butterfly-life, and we have
seen them impale beetles without a shudder. Many of our fair
friends will recount the whole flora of their county, while they
know not the difi*erence between a Finch and a Warbler. To
such we commend Mrs. Blackburn's sketches as an example of
what a lady may do without either gun or bird-butchery ; and we
take leave of our authoress with the sincere hope that the appre-
ciation of the public may encourage her to continue her truthful
series of ' Birds Drawn from Nature.'
2. German Publications.
Herr Badeker's oological work*, to the utility of which we
have frequently borne witness, has attained its seventh number.
It is stated that Dr. A. Brehm has received from two naturalists
in Spain, MM. Villanova and Graells, information corrobo-
rating the account he formerly gave (^ Journ. f. Ornith,' 1853,
p. 144, and ' Zoologist,' xi. p. 3987) of the parasitic nesting-
habits of Oxylophus glandarius, and to the accuracy of which
some of our friends have been disposed to demur [' Ibis,' 1859,
pp. 79 and 316). In Spain, the Common Magpie {Pica cau-
data) has generally the doubtful honour of being chosen to act
Die Eier der Europaisclien Vogel, &c.
Recent Ornithological Publications. 295
as foster-mother to the infant Cuckoos. We would observe, in
reference to the notice of Ainpelis ffannilus, that Dr.E. Nylander did
not himself find a nest of that bird on the Island of Ajos, at the
head of the Gulf of Bothnia, in 1857. The manner in which he
became possessed of the specimens alluded to has been already
related in our pages (* Ibis/ 1861, p. 100).
The folio plates of Dr. Anton Fritsch's work* on the Birds
of Europe have now reached their eighth part, and the accom-
panying letter-press its third part. The figures given are re-
duced in size to one-third of the natural dimensions of the birds.
They are printed in colours, and give us very favourable ideas of
what may be eventually accomplished by this process. Indeed,
the representations of some of the larger birds (we would specify
those of the game-birds, pis. 29, 30, 31) ai'e very good, and quite
sufficiently accurate for a popular work of the kind. We sus-
pect the so-called Garrulus krynickii (pi. 27. fig. 11) is nothing
more than the Algerian Garrulus cervicalis, which the Parisian
dealers are so fond of palming off as veritable European speci-
mens of the second European species of Jay. The Tetraogallus
figured is certainly the common Indian T, himalayensis, and not
the rarer T. caucasicus, which alone of the group has some claim
to a place in the Fauna of Europe. We are glad, however, to see
the European Blue-pie rightly distinguished as Cyanopica cooki,
instead of being left confounded with the Siberian C. cyanea.
In the appendix to the 'Keise nach Island f/ just published,
by Herr William Preyer and Dr. Ferdinand Zirkel, will be found
a list of the birds of that island, compiled by the first-named of
these gentlemen. As a contribution to the ornithology of one
of the stepping-stones between the Old and New World, it is of
course acceptable ; but we cannot say that much discrimination
• Naturgeschichte der Vogel Europa's von Med. Dr. Anton Fritschj
Gustos der Zoologischen Abtheilung am Museum des Konigreichs Bohmen.
Prag, 1859-62.
t Reise nach Island in Sommer 1860. Mit wissenschaftlichen Anhangen.
Von William Preyer uud Dr. Ferdinand Zirkel. Leipzig, 1862, 1 vol. 8vo,
pp. 500.
x2
296 Recent Ornithological Publications.
has been shown in preparing it, or that any very great addition
to our knowledge of the subject has been made. The particular
species of Swans and Geese which occur in Iceland are still far
from being determined with precision; and whether the more
remote districts of the country do or do not afford a breeding-
ground for some of those Waders of which the eggs are the deside-
ratissima of the oologist must yet be regarded an open question.
The reasons which have induced Herr Preyer to include one or
two species in his list, as Tringa ochropiis [Gmelin, not " Tern.")
and Fuligula rufina, are of the very slightest value. The appearance
of Ruticilla tithijs on Videy is singular, but we do not think the
author's supposition that it was nesting is a very probable one.
So also is the occurrence of our garden- favourite, Turdus menda ,
so long ago as 1823 ; and this statement is confirmed by a recent
English traveller, Mr. Metcalfe, who mentions a similar instance
— though, not having 'The Oxonian in Iceland ' at hand, we are
unable to quote the passage. We believe Herr Preyei'^s sug-
gestion (p. 393, note) that the Wren of Iceland is identical with
that of the Faroes, Troglodytes horealis (Fischer, J. f. 0. 1861,
p. 14), rather than with our own T. parvulus, to be correct. This,
of course, might have been expected ; but that it is unsafe to pre-
dicate on such matters is shown by the undoubted fact that the
black-and-white Wagtail of Iceland is the continental Motacilla
alba, and not, as one would have been inclined to suppose, our
M. yarrelli.
The author seeks to distinguish himself by describing a Skua's
skin obtained by him at Reykjavik as belonging to a new species,
to which he applies the denomination of Lestris thuliaca (p. 418).
Not having seen his specimen, we, of course, cannot say that he
is not justified in so doing ; but, if so, he should certainly have
furnished us with more efticient characters than those he has
given as diagnostic. We have taken some paius to understand
them, and the conclusion we have arrived at is that Lestris
thuliaca is founded on an example of the dark-complexioned
variety of L. richardsoni, slightly mottled with white on the
shoulders, belly, and chin ! Though an additional knot in the
tangled nomenclature of the smaller European Skuas is a positive
crime, we are ready to forgive it for Herr Preyer's ingenious ex-
Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, i^c. 297
j)lanatioii of Temminck^s specific uanie pomarinus, which, he says,
ought to be written pomarhinus [sc. pomatorhinus^,hc[ug derived
from TTOifxa, operculum, and plv, nasus. Altogether the author
swells the number of properly Icelandic birds to 82, giving besides
21 more as stragglers; but of the former number some possess
very questionable specific value, as Corvus leucophaus and Trinya
schinzi (Brehm). The avi-fauna of Iceland is still far from being
accurately determined. From the excellent writings of Faber,
supplemented by Mr. Proctor's communications to the works of
our own Yarrell and Hewitson and the instructive papers by
Dr. Kriiper in the ' Naumanuia ' for 1857, we know its almost ex-
clusively palaearctic character; indeed, but three species, Lagopus
islandurum, Fab., Anas histrionica, and A. harrovii, are met with
there which do not inhabit some parts of Europe; but, as to the
details of its ornithology, we are sure we have still much to
learn. For the sake of those of our readers who are interested
in the history of the Great Auk, we must not omit to add that
Herr Preyer announces that he is preparing a separate work
upon it.
XXXIII. — Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, ^c.
We have received the following letters : —
18 Bessborough Street, Pimlico, S.W.,
May 27, 1862.
To the Editor of ' The Ibis.'
Sir, — In your Number for April 1862 I find a most interest-
ing paper, by Dr. J. Reinhardt, on the afiinities of the Balceniceps,
translated from the ' Transactions ' of the Royal Danish Scientific
Society for i\.pril 1861, pp. 135-154. At the time wlien this
was written. Professor Reinhardt had seen only the abstract
of my paper on the bird in question; but, as I learn from my
friend Mr. Alfred Newton, he has, since that time, done me the
honour £o go through the weary length of my larger memoir.
We are, however, still separated in opinion ; for whilst Dr.
Reinhardt considers the bird to be a large Scopine Stork, I make it
a gigantic Cancromine Heron. I believe that an hour's mutual
converse would bring us to one mind — he yielding to me so much
298 Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, S^c.
of the Heron and Boatbill as there is in its composition, whilst
I should confess (on fuller showing) that I had underrated
its relationships to the hook-billed Umbre, and to that long-
faced carrion-, cat-, and toad-eating bird, the Adjutant. I know
nothing of the anatomy of the Scopus, save what I have
learned from this invaluable paper of Dr. Reinhardt's, and can
scarcely imagine how much of the Umbre I should have found
in the skeleton of the Balaniceps. Moreover, I do read some
tokens of the Adjutant and Marabou in the large composition
of this great boat-billed bird.
Nevertheless a careful study of Professor Reinhardt's paper,
both as to the plumage and the osteology of the Balaniceps, only
satisfies me that I was right in seizing hold of my old captive
and favourite, the Grey Heron, and making him the central type
not only of the Ardeina proper, but also of the Ciconice, Leptoptili,
Mycterice, and Anastomi, as well as Cancroma, Scopus, and the big
link which connects these two aberrants — the Balceniceps. I shall
not, however, trouble you with many details at present, but I shall
wait until I can bring a better-furnished mind to bear upon the
subject.
I have, however, to notice that, in my description of the ster-
num of the Balceniceps (Trans. Zool. Soc. vol. iv. part 7. p. 338), I
unfortunately forgot to mention that the coracoids do not overlap
each other in the Balceniceps, as they do in the true Herons, in-
cluding the Boatbill. I believe that Professor Reinhardt lays stress
upon this, whilst I, although fully acquainted with the fact, put
it down simply to " teleology," this condition occurring abruptly
sometimes in a family, as in the Osprey {Pandion halia'etus),
and being nothing more than an allowable thing, at any time, if
the anterior margin of the sternum should happen to be too
narrow for the coracoids. I learn (from a letter of Dr. Reinhardt
to his excellent translator, Mr. A. Newton) that Scopus agrees
with Leptoptilus and other Ciconians in this matter. But it is a
character that will not hold ; for in the skeleton of Ciconia alba
in the museum of the Royal College of Surgeons (No. 1304)
the coracoids overlap, and I possess a drawing, made by me in
1847, showing that they do so.
Another point of difference between the Balceniceps and the
Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, ^c. 299
Herons (including Cancroma) is in the development of a strong
interorbital septum. Now, this partly depends upon what I
would crave to call '' giganticism " (big birds generally having
a good wall placed between their eyes), and partly upon the
necessary abortion of the cranio-facial axis between the eyes
when the relative size of the eyeballs is very great. If Scopus
has a strong septum, I will be bold to prophesy that he will be
found to have small eyes.
There is another point which I would mention, and that is,
that if the pelvis of the Balceniceps does not agree with Cancroma,
and does agree with Scopus, all that can be made of that is, that
Leptoptilus, Ciconia, and Cancroma all agree in having the ilia
project further backwards than the ischia, whilst the contrary is
the case in Scopus, Balceniceps, Ardea, and Botaurus. As to the
hook on the end of the bill, it certainly does exist, although feebly,
in Cancroma, the difference between it and the Balaniceps being
just such as obtains between Caprimulgus and Podargus.
The affinities of the Balceniceps do not, however, exhaust them-
selves on the congeners of the bird ; they spread themselves into
all the adjacent region of the, as yet, badly classified "Grallatores."
It has, however, characters of its own, which it has borrowed
from no other bird, as well as isomorphisms or resemblances of
structure, giving it an apparent affinity with far-off groups.
If Professor Reinhardt has the advantage of possessing the
skeleton of the Scopus, I glory over him in having seen the
living Balanicipites ; and as I am not under the necessity of
dissecting my cousins when I would prove their likeness to my
father or my mother, so, having stood face to face with the
Balceniceps, I had not to wish him dead that I might feel certain
that he was a Heron.
Note. — In my paper (p. 337) I have spoken of the ilium and
ischium terminating in the same vertical line ; I find, however,
that the ilium does really project a line or two beyond the
ischium — not so much, however, as in the Boat-bill and the
Adjutant. I am. Sir, yours very truly,
W. K. Parker.
300 Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, &^c.
Place Bellecour, 35, a Lyon,
le 15 Avril, 1862.
Monsieur, — Depuis longtemps je desirais vous envoyer quel-
ques notices ornithologiques pour voire ' Magazine of Ornitho-
logy/ J'espere que les observations suivantes ne seront pas
tout a fait indignes de ' l^Ibis/
I.
La Spatule femelle dont j'ai parle dans la ' Naumannia/ v.
p. 401^ et dont j'ai signale la conformation remarquable de la
trachee-artere qui etait semblable a celle du male, m'avait
conduit a considerer cet exemplaii-e comme une tres vieille
femelle qui prenait les attributs du male, et ofFrait par la une
certaine analogic avec les femelles de Faisans qui revetent un
plumage qui n'est pas celui de leur sexe. J^avais ete conduit k
cette hypotliese par la raison que I'oiseau en question etait
adulte, et que les auteurs que j'avais pu consulter affirment que
dans cette espece le male seul ofFre une anomalie de conformation
dans cet organe. Je regrette de n'avoir pas ete a meme de
dissequer un certain nombre de Spatules, car je commence h
supposer que dans cette espece les deux sexes ne different en
rien sous ce rapport anatomique ainsi qu'on I'avait avance. Ce
qui m'a conduit h cette derniere hypotliese, c^est Fexamen d^une
Grue Cendree femelle que j^ai rejue le 25 Mars 1862, et que j'ai
dissequee. Tous les auteurs que j'ai a ma disposition con-
siderent le m<tle de la Grue cendree comme etant seul doue
d'une trachee a circonvolutions. L'individu en question ofFre
un exemple du contraire, et ce qu'il y a de plus remarquable
c'est que c'est une femelle qui n'est pas encore adulte, puisque
son plumage ofFre quelques restes des teintes roussatres du jeune
age, que les panaches des ailes sont pen developpes, et que le
sommet de la tete n'est pas rouge. Ne pourrait-on pas conclure
de ce fait que I'anatomie de ces oiseaux n'a pas ete assez bien
etudiee, ce qu'a tout age les deux sexes sont pourvus d'une
trachee semblable ?
II.
L'une des especes d'oiseaux d'Europc que Ton voit le plus
rarement dans nos voliercs est sans contredit le Tetrao urogallus.
Letter's, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, ^c. 301
J^avais toujours pense jusqu'k ces derniers temps que cette
espece etait d'un naturel trop farouche pour supporter la
captivite, et que son temperament et son genre de nourriturc le
rendraient impossible h. conserver, surtout dans des contrees d'un
climat different de celui oil on le rencontre habituelleuient.
Pai ete agreablement surpris en arrivant en Suisse d'apprendre
que cet oiseau pouvait tres bieu vivre en captivite. Uu habitant
des environs de Balle (Canton de Fribourg), ay ant decouvert
un nid de grand Tetras, en prit les oeufs qu'il fit couver par une
poule. L'eclosion reussit assez bien, et les jeunes s'eleverent
parfaitement, de telle sorte qu'au printemps suivant (1861) ils
devinrent des oiseaux magnifiques. Une particularity qui les
distinguait c'etait la facilite que Fon avait de les nourrir^ et leur
familiarite etait bien plus grande qu'on aurait pu le presumer ; car
loin de chercher a fuir comme le font la plupart des oiseaux
que I'on tient renfermes, ils ne paraissaient pas effarouches
lorsqu'on penetrait dans leur voliere, et venaient prendre a. la
main la nourriture qu'on leur presentait. Ces memes oiseaux
sont actuellement a Lyon, et constituent un des plus beaux
ornements de notre pare de la Tete d'Or. Jusqu'a present ils
ne paraisseut pas souffrir du changeraent de climat, et meme
on a quelque esperance de les voir se reproduire. Je ne sais si
a ?etat sauvage les males se livrerent des combats, toujours
est-il que deux males que I'on avait renfermes dans une meme
voliere, apres avoir vecu tout Fhiver en bonne intelligence,
se precipitercnt I'un sur I'autre, et que le plus faible aurait
succombe si I'on n'etait pas venu k temps a son secours. Le
vainqueur se promene maintenant autour de la femelle en faisant
sa roue et en faisant entendre son chant singulier. Une chose
digne de remarque est la grande proprete de ces oiseaux, dont le
plumage est aussi intact que celui des Tetras qui sont en liberte.
Esperons qu'ils vivrout longtemps, et que la chaleur de nos etes
ne leur sera point prejudiciable.
in.
, Ce n'est pas sans regret que I'ou songe k la disparitiou tres
probable de VAlcn impennis. Aussi est-il interessant d'en
302 Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, <SfC.
rechei'cher les traces, et de signaler les musees ou les collectious
particulieres ou se trouvent encore quelques exemplaires de cet
oiseau et de ses ceufs. Tout recemment, dans le 1" cahier de
1862 du 'Journal de Cabanis/ M. W. Preyer afait Tenumeration
des collections ou Fon voit figurer cette espece. L'auteur de ce
memoire prie les ornithologistes de vouloir bien completer sa
liste. A ma connaissance VAlca impennis se trouve dans trois
collections : 1°, dans celle du pasteur C. L. Brehm a Bensen-
dorf. Lorsque j^ai eu Fhonncur de faire la connaissance de cet
homme distingue, aCcithen pendant la reunion des ornithologistes
en 1856, je me souviens de lui avoir entendu dire a lui-meme
qu^il possedait cet oiseau. 2°, dans la collection de la ville de
Neucbatel (Suisse), ou I'on en voit un bel exemplaire; 3°, dans
celle de Comte Damien Degland, acquise par la ville de Lille
apres la mort de cet ornitbologiste. Je me joindrai k Monsieur
Preyer et prierai les ornithologistes anglais de signaler les musees
qui en possedent des exemplaires.
Monsieur W. Passler a donne, dans le 'Journal de Cabanis,^ P""
cahier 1860, p. 58, une liste des collections ou se trouvent les
ceufs dont il donne les descriptions. J'ai re9u dernierement de
IMonsieur Demeezenaker, ornitbologiste k Bergnes, deux photo-
graphies qui representent deux ceufs d'Alca impennis qui sont
dans sa collection, li'nu d'eux mesure 12 centimetres 5 milli-
metres sur un diametre de 8 cent. Le second n'a que 11 cent.
5 mms. sur 8 cent.
Je crois etre sur la trace d'un autre exemplaire de cet ceuf,
Son grand diametre est de 12 centim. sur 7 cent. 6 mms.
Couleur gris-jaunatre, avec des grosses taches brun-verdatre,
rdunies surtout vers le gros bout, et plus petites et tres espacees
a mesure qu'elles se rapprochent du petit bout. Si vous le desirez,
je me ferais un plaisir de vous en envoyer des photographies.
Malheureusement les personnes entre les mains de qui il se trouve
ne paraissent pas vouloir s'en defaire k aucun prix.
Telles sont. Monsieur, les notes que j'avais h vous communi-
quer ; si vous me faites- I'honneur de les inserer dans ' PIbis,' j^en
Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, ^c. 303
serai tres flatte. Je regrette de ne savoir pas assez d^anglais
pour vous eviter la peine de les faire traduire. En attendant,
agreez,je vous prie, I'assurance de ma consideration distinguee.
Votre devoue,
Leon Olph-Galliard.
Norwich, June 14th, 1862.
Sir, — Having before recorded the unusual appearance of
Shore-Larks [Otocorys alpestris) on our coast during the past
winter, it may be interesting to some of the readers of ' The Ibis '
to learn that another specimen has occurred during the spring
migration. This bird (a male, like all the others) is now in my
possession, and was killed at Yarmouth about the 24th of April.
The man who shot it brought it up to Norwich, with several
Skylarks and Wagtails killed at the same time, and, not knowing
its value, gave it to a birdstuffer in this city, of whom I pur-
chased it directly afterwards. This specimen, as may be supposed
from its appearing so late in the spring, had very nearly assumed
its full summer plumage. The gorget on the neck and the patches
on the cheeks are pure black, and the yellow portions very
bright, with the horns clearly developed. It is by no means
improbable that this may have been a remnant of that small
band, of which the numbers were so thinned on their southward
passage down our eastern coast. I am, &c.,
H. Stevenson.
Letters recently received from Mr. Blyth, dated January 20th
last, announce his return on the 6th December last to Calcutta,
" after making a great haul of fishes during a fortuight^s stay at
Akyab." Mr. Blyth subsequently writes : —
" February 2. — Mr. Jerdon has just returned from a fort-
night's trip into the Colgong district of the Ganges and Raja-
mahal. He has obtained at least one new bird, of a new genus
akin to Tephrodornis and Hemipus, with comparatively large
legs. He found my Pratincola leucura abundant, and obtained
a female of Calliope pectoralis (the Himalayan species).
301' Letters, Extracts from Correspondeiice, Notices, &'c.
" Among his other gatherings Mr. Jerdon obtained a female
Caprimulgus mahrattensis, Sykes — the first I have ever seen of
this species. It is quite new to this part of India.
"March 11th. — With regard to the CuprimulgidcE of these
countries, one grand error pervades all the books hitherto, viz., the
mal-identification of Podargus cornutus, Temra., with Batracho-
stomus javanensis, Horsfield. We have a very fine specimen of
the former bird, sent to us under that name by the Batavian
Society, and it exactly agrees with the figure in the ' Planches
Coloriees,' which is copied by Stephens in the continuation of
Shaw's ' Zoology.' W^e have also an excellent specimen oiB. java-
nensis from Malacca, equally according with Horsfield's figure
of that bird in his ' Zoological Researches in Java.'
" The Podargus cornutus is an Otothrix, as distinguished
from a Bati^acJiostomus, and appears to me to be absolutely iden-
tical with 0. hodgsoni, G. R. Gray, P. Z. S. 1859, p. 101, Aves,
pi. clii., that plate representing the juvenile plumage, and Tem-
minck's the adult. Mr. Jerdon agrees with me in this opinion.
But what is Podargus crinitus of Temminck ? This, from its
name, should be another Otothrix. Gould's B. steltatus I do
not know. Moore, in his list of Cantor's specimens, makes it
distinct from B. javanensis.
"The Pod. parvutus of Temminck I suspect to be identical
with my Batr. affinis, which is found both in Malacca and Sikhim,
and perhaps also in Java, as O. cornutus (v. hodgsoni) is both
from Sikhim and Java.
" B. moniliger, nobis, is a good species from Ceylon ; and
Jerdon suspects that this must be the Batrachostomus of pen-
insular India, which he has heard of, but never seen. He is cer-
tain about its existence."
]\Ir. Swinhoe's last letter, dated Tamsuy in Formosa, January
17th last, says : —
" I am not doing much in birds just now, as we are scarcely
settled yet at this new port ; but by next month you may hear of
my making some progress.
" Suya s/?7ff/fl, nobis, is common on these hills,and,as I imagine,
Cisticola volitans ; but the latter I have not seen this trip. No
Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, ^~c. 305
news of the wonderful Parrot yet, I think I told you of the
three Parrakeets shot at Canton the summer before last, but, at
the best, they can only be looked upon as occasional visitants to
that neighbourhood. I suspect Loriculus puniculus has no more
claim to Canton as a habitat than have the Lories, the Wax-
wings, the Peacocks, or the Argus Pheasants that are offered
for sale in that city. I could send a fine collection of so-called
Chinese birds, if I only had an agent at Hong Kong or
Canton to watch the bird-shops ; but I never heed the assigna-
tion of birds to particular localities, unless I have the authority
of some person that has actually met with them in a wild state,
and has proofs that they are not caged birds let loose. The
Japanese Deer and some other species of Cervidce may be found
on the hills of Hong Kong ; but we should be very wrong in con-
sidering them indigenous there ; for if we only take the trouble
to inquire, we may learn that several animals of this kind have
been set free in that colony by some sport-loving Europeans.
" In passing through Amoy,I met with, for the first time, a fine
male of the Muscicapa hylocharis of the 'Fauna Japonica'; and as
you may like to publish a description of this interesting species,
taken from a fresh example, I will transcribe the note from my
journal : —
" Muscicapa hylocharis, Schlegel, c?> Amoy, November 27,
1861. Looks at first sight like the male of Erythrosterna parva,
but there is no white on the tail. Length, 5*1 ; wing, 2*85; tail, 2*2
in. Bill blackish clove-brown ; legs and claws ditto, with paler
soles. Inside of the mouth yellowish flesh-colour, with a blackish
rim to the tongue. Ear roundish, of the size of the eye, the diame-
ter bone being nearly at right angles to the direction of the bill,
and the crescent-shaped operculum placed on the arc furthest
from the bill. Throat and breast yellowish robin-colour, rather
golden, paler on the axillai'ies and flanks ; pale and mixed with
olive over and under the eye, the cheek being mottled with,
darker olive. Belly and vent white. Upper parts brownish
olive-green. Wings and tail hair-brown, the former margined
with yellowish ochre, more strongly on the tertiaries, small co-
verts and secondary coverts.
" Dissection. — CEsophagus about "1 inch wide, enlarging at
306 Letters, Exti-acts from Corresjiondence, Notices, S^c.
proventriculus to "25, Stomach roundish, hard and muscular,
not much adpressed, with small lateral tendons ; depth and
breadth, '4 in.; length, "6. Epithelium sienna-coloured, rugose,
thin and leathery, containing remains of beetles and amber-
yellow oval seeds of some berry. Intestine 6*8 in. long, •! to '15
thick, no cseca discoverable. Heart '4 in. long, '2 broad.
" I have been looking through the second volume of Perry's
* Expedition to Japan,' wherein the birds collected in China are
enumerated, with short notes on most of them by Mr. Heine.
This gentleman, who was artist to the Expedition, T had the
pleasure of meeting, and from the love he professed for the
feathered tribes, I should have expected fuller remarks on the spe-
cies he had had the opportunity of seeing in their native haunts.
If the few plates of birds in this volume can be looked upon as
the best the Americans can produce, I must say they are far
behind this age of truthful iconography. If I may be allowed
to criticise (and my acquaintance with Chinese birds may justify
me, in so far as they are concerned), I will venture on a few
remarks.
" Garrulax perspiciUatus, plate 4. The bill and head of this
figure are by far too small in proportion to the size of the bird
given, which is a good deal smaller than life-size. The eye in the
living bird is hazel.
" Sturnus cinereus, plate 5. The head of this figure should be
flatter, and the iris white.
" Mr. Heine's reason for the scarcity of birds at Macao is rather
erroneous. It is not the Chinese who exterminate the birds at
that settlement, but the half-caste Portuguese or Macaese, who
sally out in numbers every Sunday, each man and boy armed
with a gun, and ruthlessly destroy every small bird they can set
eyes on. In Camoens' garden, where guns are not admitted,
birds are common enough, and comparatively tame.
" Artamus fuscus. I think this species must have been labelled
wrong. I question much whether it is found about Macao.
" Hrjpothymis cyanomelcena. What is meant by this species
" inhabiting bushes " ? If it refers to its occasionally alighting on
the tops of bushes, or settling on some exposed branch, it is correct
enough. But the species is a pure Flycatcher in habits, and never
Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, &;c. 307
dreams of creeping about bushes, or even entering them after the
manner of Warblers. The remark may well be applied, however,
to the next species that follows, Lusciola cyanura.
" Petrocincla manilensis. I have repeatedly shot specimens of
this bird without a tinge of ferruginous on the under-parts, and
undistinguishable from examples of P. pandoo received from Mr.
Blyth; I cannot therefore help agreeing with that gentleman,
in thinking that both of the so-called species may be referred to
P. cyanea, the red tints of the belly and vent being probably
attributable to certain climatal causes, as is the case with the
different varieties of Cuculus tenuirostris.
" Ixos hamorrhous, plate 6. The crest given in this plate is a
perfect mistake. The bird has no crest, the black crown-feathers
being but of ordinary length.
" Gallinula chloropus. I once saw this bird at Amoy. I have
since procured a pair at Formosa.
" Charadrius pluvialis. This must be a mistake in identifica-
tion. The Chinese bird, of which I have seen a large number,
is undoubtedly referable to C virginicus.
" Sterna minuta. This bird is found occasionally on the coast
of China ; but all the small Terns I have yet seen in Formosa
are of some other species — perhaps S. nereis of Gould. One
would expect to find the Formosan species at Loochoo.*'
We are indebted to the courtesy of Sir William Hooker for
the inspection of a valuable paper furnished to the newly esta-
blished Institute of Rupert's Land by the editor of * The Nor'-
Wester,' a journal published at Eed River Settlement. The
writer, the Rev. W. W. Kirkby, therein describes a journey
lately performed by him from the Mackenzie River to the Youcan
or Jukon. Besides affording some interesting information re-
specting the Indian tribes, to which this gentleman is a mis-
sionary, he gives us the first account we have received of the
energetic collector of the Smithsonian Institution, Mr. A. Ken-
nicott, whose expedition was announced by us two years ago
(' Ibis,' 1860, pp. 309, 310), and whom he met with at the fort
situated at the junction of the Jukon and the Porcupine Rivers.
Mr. Kirkby proceeds to say that " he (Mr. Kennicott) delighted
308 Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, ^c.
me with the assurance that he had met with a vast field, and
that his efforts had been crowned with much success, especially
in the collection of eggs, many rare and some hitherto unknown
ones having been obtained by him ; so that the cause of science
in that department will be greatly benefited by his labours.
Among many others, I noticed the eggs and parent birds of the
American Wigeon [Mareca americana), Black Duck {(Edemia
americana), Canvas-back Duck {^thyia vallisneria) , Spirit Duck
{Bucephala albeola), Small Black-head {Fulix affinis), Waxwing
{Ampelis garrulus), Kentucky Warbler [Oporornis formosus),
Trumpeter Swan [Cygnus buccinator), Duck Hawk [Falco ana-
turn), and two species of Junco, With the exception of the Wax-
wing, however, there were few that have not been obtained in
other parts of the district by the persevering zeal of Mr. Ross,
the gentleman in charge; and this bird, I have since learned,
nested numerously in the vicinity of my out-station at Beer
Lake."
The foregoing account has been since confirmed by a letter
we have received from Prof. Baird. Besides the species enume-
rated above, he mentions that this unwearied collector has pro-
cured eggs of Pelionetta perspicillata, Melanetta velvetina, Cygnus
buccinator, &c. He adds, that " Mr. Kennicott expected to
spend the present spring in the Barren-grounds east of the
mouth of the Mackenzie, where he hoped to do well among the
Waders. We have hitherto found it very difficult to get these
birds, the only ones being Actrodromas minutilla, Ereunetes pusil-
lus, Totanus flavipes, Gallinago wilsoni, Lobipes hyperboreus, and
the small Plovers, not forgetting the ubiquitous and provoking
Tringo'ides macularius." Professor Baird also tells us that "the
Greenland Expedition [' Ibis,^ loc. cit.'] did nothing of importance
in the line of eggs, Larus glaucus, Mergulus alle, and Falco
candicans being the principal. Neither Calidris nor Xema sabini ;
the latter I hope to get from Lake Winnipeg, where it breeds.
We had a fine bird thence, killed June 1859."
THE IBIS.
No. XVL OCTOBER 1862.
XXXIV. — On the Ornithology of Northern Japan.
By Capt. Blakiston.
(Plate X.)
A COUPLE of sleepless nights on shore at Shanghai from the
effects of mosquitos and the intense heat of a Chinese July, after
a five months' cruise on the Yang-tsze Kiang, were sufficient to
cause me to decide on migrating to cooler regions. There were
frequent chances for the southern parts of Japan ; but, as luck
would have it, an opportunity offered of a passage to the little-
frequented port of Hakodadi, in the northern island " Yesso ;"
and through the kindness of Mr. Webb (the head of the firm of
"Dent & Co/' at Shanghai), a gentleman well known to the orni-
thological world, I was allowed to take a passage in the good
barque ' Eva,' commanded by Captain David Scott. The night
of the 13th July, 1861, found us anchored in the outer roads off
Woosung, at the mouth of the Shanghai river, and the day fol-
lowing we got clear of the muddy current of the '^ Great Uiver" into
blue water. Favoured by the south-west monsoon and fair weather,
we made good progress for several days, and passing through
the Strait of the Corea, entered the Sea of Japan on the 17th.
Beyond this the monsoon was feeble ; but the " Kuro-Siwo," a
branch of the " North-Pacific Gulf-stream," which sets through
these straits and up the sea, helped us along in the right direc-
tion.
VOL. IV. Y
310 Capt. Blakiston 07i the Ornithology of Northern Japan.
Sea voyages in general have but little interest to the ornitho-
logist, and ours on this occasion was no exception to the rule.
A few sea-birds only were seen, but not identified ; and a solitary
Dove flew on board, and remained about the vessel for some
time, one morning. At certain seasons, however, on this pas-
sage, land-birds are met with in numbers ; and Captain Scott,
during a voyage from China in the month of October, caught
some Quails, several of which he kept alive for a few days. The
line of migration is probably between the Corea and Nipon, the
largest island of the Japanese group.
On the 25th of July we sighted a small rocky island called
" Ku-sima " {sima meaning island, and yama mountain), near
the western entrance of the Strait of Tsugar, which separates
Yesso from Nipon ; and working up against a stiff breeze, we
got under the shelter of the higli lands for the night following.
Next morning we commenced beating through " the Straits/'
and, the set of the current being strongly in our favour, we, by
successive tacks, made good progress towards the Pacific. Passing
Matsumai (formerly the chief town of Yesso) early in the fore-
noon, we came up to Tsiuka Point at sunset, and by nine p.m. were
at the entrance of the Bay of Hakodadi, where it fell calm. This
prevented our reaching the anchorage off the town until four the
next morning. The harbour was crowded with saucer-shaped
native j\inks, clumsy, unpainted, and primitive -looking craft,
each with one heavy single mast, used for hoisting a large square
sail of cotton canvas. Each of them was secured by at least
three or four anchors, and had half-a-dozen more grapple-looking
affairs ready at the bows for use in case of bad weather. Each
and every one of these junks was so much alike another that,
were it not for a slight disparity in size, they might all have been
supposed to have been cast in one mould. Numerous boats, with
creaking oars, were being pulled about by naked Japanese, en-
gaged in loading and unloading junks, while the small "caiques-
shaped canoes of the fishermen dotted the harbour in all direc-
tions. The only foreign vessel {"foreign " being generally applied
to European and American persons and things in the far East),
besides our vessel the ' Eva,' was a Russian despatch war-
steamer, which lay in deeper water than the junks. We took up
Capt. Blakiston on the Ornithology of Northern Japan. 311
our berth near her, and discovered that she was on the point of
leaving for one of the new ports on the lately acquired coast of
Manchouria. A great number of Gulls were disporting themselves
over the placid water of the harbour, and collecting the refuse
thrown overboard from the junks, or pieces of bait discarded
by the fishermen ; and as a thick fog precluded a distinct view of
the shore, I watched these birds with much interest. Although
varying very considerably in plumage, they were all of one kind,
Larus melanurus — the only species, in fact, as far as my observa-
tions went, that spends the summer at Hakodadi. This is, more-
over, the only Gull given in the ' Fauna Japonica ' as inhabiting
the Japanese islands ; but Commodore Perry's United States Ex-
pedition, which visited the country in 1854 (the ornithological
Report on which, by Mr. Cassin, will be found in vol. ii. of the
Government publication), has added L, ichthy actus (Pallas), be-
sides a single immature specimen of what was considered to be
L. brunneicephalus, collected in the Bay of Yedo, on the east
coast. The first was said to be abundant in March. In October
I observed, at Hakodadi, two or three of a large species of Gull,
all white, except the back and coverts of the wings, which were of
a light slate-colour. On one or two occasions I also saw a Tern,
certainly not S. fuliginosa, figured in the ' Fauna Japonica,' but
a small slate-blue and white species.
I think I have here enumerated all the Larida known as be-
longing to Japan. Their paucity induces me to believe that there
is here a fine field of discovery open to any persevering ornitho-
logist who may feel inclined to make a sojourn among the islands
of this intei'esting group. In fact, I consider the ornithology of
Japan to be very imperfectly worked up. Siebold's specimens
are all from the south, and probably most from Kiusu (the island
on which Nagasaki is situated), while the fact of his having ob-
tained them all, or nearly all, from the natives accounts for the
want of information concerning habits and habitats in the 'Fauna
Japonica,' otherwise so fine a production. All that is known of
the ornithology of Northern Japan specially is from the Expedi-
tion of Commodore Perry, already mentioned (most of the birds
in which collection were obtained at Hakodadi, and are referred
to in the following list), and from the later collections made by
V 2
312 Capt. Blakiston on the Ornithology of Northern Japan.
Mr. Maximovitch and myself. Mr. Maximovitch is a naturalist,
but better known perhaps as a botanist, in the employ of the
Russian Government, who, having been in Siberia and on the
Amoor, was at Hakodadi during my stay there. His residence
was of much longer duration than my own, and, as will be ob-
served, the existence of many species is given entirely on his
authority. 1 have, however, taken care to note when the fact
is doubtful ; because his only means of naming specimens at the
time was by referring to a copy of the ' Fauna Japonica,^ in the
possession of the Russian Consul. Besides, most of his birds
were packed up for going to St. Petersburg when I made his
acquaintance, and consequently I had not an opportunity of exa-
mining them. He will publish the results of his labours on his
return to Russia.
Hakodadi is situated at the southern extremity of Yesso, the
northernmost island of the Japan group, on a small mountain
peninsula jutting into the Strait of Tsugar, and is connected with
the mainland by a narrow sandy isthmus, on the eastern shore of
which break the rollers from the broad Pacific, while it forms a
fine land-locked bay, and shelters a convenient harbour, on the
other. The peninsula is a mountain rising 1100 feet above the
sea, and is called " Hakodadi Head." On three sides its slopes
are precipitous, and an iron-bound coast gives it such natural
strength that it might, with little labour, be converted into a
Gibraltar. In fact, most visitors are struck with the natural
similarity of the place, on a small scale, to the gate of the Medi-
terranean. On the northern side is the town, the present seat
of the Government of the island of Yesso, and the residence of
the Consuls of Russia, England, and America, and of a few
merchants of the two latter countries. It is small, but rapidly
increasing in mercantile importance. The readers of 'The
Ibis ' will not care to know much concerning how and why this
is so, nor would statistics of its trade in dried fish, shell-fish,
sea-weed, oil, and timber, or the natural resources of the ad-
joining country in the way of coal, lead, iron, or sulphur, be of
much interest to ornithologists ; and therefore it will sufiice to
say that the town is a collection of low wooden houses, over-
topped with the shining tiled roofs of a few temples, and broken
Capt. Blakiston on the Ornithology of Northern Japan. 313
in its monotony by some blacky sombre-looking Government
establishments. A few houses straggle up the mountain-side,
whose rugged steep near its summit forms an admirable contrast
to a thick forest of cedai's and pines clothing its northern face.
The Russian Consulate is a large imposing building, situate at
one corner of this wood, and painted white ; and this mark of
foreign intervention is being increased by the addition of a Rus-
sian Hospital, and the British Consulate which is being built
alongside.
A stranger landing from China is at once struck with the
comparative wideness of the principal streets ; but he cannot but
notice that the ingenious Japanese, instead of paving or mac-
adamizing them with stones, leave them to the care of an ever-
watchful Providence, and pile the stones on the house-tops to
keep the shingles (wooden tiles) from being blown away by the
blasts of the typhoons which occasionally sweep over. The lowness
of the houses is to be accounted for otherwise, namely, by the
occurrence of earthquakes. Probably before you have taken many
steps on the dry land of Yesso, you will have been made aware
of the principal occupation of the inhabitants, and of one of the
sources of wealth of Hakodadi, by the all-pervading odour of
drying fish and sea-weed ; and if an ornithologist, you may re-
pent that you had not, in your earlier life, rather turned your
attention to " sea-side studies," on finding yourself everywhere
surrounded by clams, cockles, kelp, and cuttle-fish. But never
mind ! — cheer up ! Look at the fine mountain country across
the bay to the northward — the thickly wooded hill-sides where
sport Woodpeckers of many hues. Jays, Nutcrackers, and Wood
Grouse. Turn to the fine fern-covered plains, the haunts of Quail,
Larks, and the more obscure but not the less interesting Buntings
and their congeners. See oases of clumps of trees clustered
round the dwellings or gardens of the scattered villages, where you
will find various kinds of warblers. Thrushes of several species,
and other winged songsters little behind the most melodious of
your own country. Observe the Black-winged Kite as he sweeps
along the sea-beach, and the Buzzard and Harrier as they course
the margins of lakes or hover over the reed-filled swamps, where
Ducks and Teal conceal themselves in quiet till the shades of
314 Capt. Blakiston on the Ornithology of Northern Japan.
evening remind them of their wonted habit to visit some distant
feeding-ground. Then, again, glancing towards the rocky shore,
Cormorants in numbers may be seen perched on the ledges of
the cliffs, which have become whitened from their constant occu-
pation. Swallows are skimming over the ponds, or dipping in
the brook-like streams which course the lower lauds and abound
in excellent trout and other fish. A Shrike perched on a top-
most branch awaits the coming of some choice kind of winged
insect, which his eagle-eye detects from afar; but above all
soars
Falco peregrinus, Linn. F. communis, Faun. Jap. p. 1.
I shot a male of the Peregrine Falcon on the summit of
Hakodadi Head, on the 7th August. Mr. J. H. Gurney, who
has kindly examined all the Accipitres of my collection, pro-
nounces the specimen to be identical with the Peregrine of
Europe.
AcciPiTER Nisus. Astur (Nisus) nisus, Faun. Jap. p. 4.
My specimen of this Hawk was obtained from a native bird-
catcher, but I have no reason to think that it was brought from
any distant locality ; in fact, the Japanese at Hakodadi, although
passionately fond of keeping caged birds, confine themselves
almost entirely to their native feathered friends.
BUTEG JAPONICUS, Bp.
Only a young individual of this Buzzard was procured : its sex
is doubtful. I shot it in September, near a small village called
Kamida, about two miles round the shore of the bay from Hako-
dadi. As it was by itself, and I did not recognize the species
on any other occasion, I am unable to do more than note its
occurrence. This is the case with many of the birds here
enumerated, and therefore I may as well state at once that, con-
sidering that my stay would be but brief, I occupied myself
more in collecting species new to me than in determining the
abundance or scarcity, or studying the habits of those I had pre-
viously obtained.
MiLvus MELANOTis, Tcmm. & Schl., Faun. Jap. p. 14, pi. v.
A single specimen of the Black- winged Kite was selected from
among a number killed. It was a female, and measured 26| inches
Capt. Blakiston on the Ornithology of Northern Japan. 315
in length, and the wing 19 inches. The others were young males,
and measured 25 inches, and from 18 to 19 inches in the wings.
They were nearly all identical, but darker than the female, par-
ticularly on the under parts, which were much less rufous. The
colour of the cere and feet, being light-blue lead, diflPers from the
plate in the ' Fauna Japonica.'
The occasion of my shooting several of these birds was daring
an ornithological excursion which I made, in company with one
of the gentlemen of the British Consulate, round the shore of
Hakodadi Bay, with the intention of doing something among the
shore birds. We commenced soon after we got clear of the town
by a terrible hunt after a Kite, which we wounded when flying
over our heads. Soon after this we shot a Swallow [Hirundo ja-
vanica) which I had not before procured. We then pulled off
our boots and socks, and, tucking up our trousers, walked along
the sandy beach, generally in the water for the sake of coolness ;
for although there was a little breeze from seaward, the August
rays of the sun made themselves felt. We were not long un-
rewarded ; for, where a small creek emptied itself into the bay,
we came upon some Sandpipers, and managed to bag a couple of
Temminck's Stints, also Tringa crassirostris, a species, by the
way, very like the Knot and the Kentish Plover. We still con-
tinued along the beach, and a Black-winged Kite was brought
down. No sooner, however, had he fallen than another came
over and was dropped upon the sandy shore; then another and
another, until, without having moved from where we stood, we
had five of these birds on the ground at once. After the
slaughter, we set to work to pick up the slain. We had a small
Japanese boy with us, who carried my collecting-bag and box ;
but as he was already pretty well loaded with our heavy boots
and the smaller birds, we made the Kites into a bundle, which I
shouldered. It would have done many an ornithologist good to
have seen us, trudging homewards without shoes, stockings, or
coats, and followed by our faithful "ankow^' (boy). When we
reached Kamida, the village previously spoken of, we stopped at
a native house of call, where we procured a cup of Japanese tea,
and then went off for a bathe in the creek. But our ornitholo-
gical adventures had not ended, for we came upon some Ducks
316 Capt. Blakistou on the Ornithology of Northern Japan.
while bathing; and my friend started off in chase, perfectly
naked, wading up the middle of the stream, gun in hand, with
the water nearly to his armpits ; he, however, did not get a shot.
After this we walked into the town. The effect of the sun and
salt watei-, from having walked so long with bare legs, did not
wear off for some days ; and we felt as if we had had mustard-
plasters applied to our shins and calves, which kept alive in our
recollection for some time our ornithological walk.
I must conclude my notes on the Falconidce by mentioning,
that although I frequently observed Harriers in the neighbour-
hood of Hakodadi in the autumn, and some in the fine slate-and-
white plumage of the adults, yet I did not shoot one. In like
manner, on a few occasions I observed Eagles, and two young ones
were kept alive by a gentleman and sent to Shanghai. Their
plumage was dark chocolate and black, with horn-coloured bill,
and feet straw-colour. Of Owls I did not preserve a single speci-
men ; but Mr. Maximovitch considers that among his collection
he had Strix nyctea, Otus semitorques, and Scops japonicus, while
I myself had three in confinement for some days. One of them
was a small-eared species, with yellow eyes ; another, a medium-
sized-eared one, also with yellow eyes; and a third, a small
species with reddish eyes. On another occasion, while on an
excursion, when we slept near the foot of the volcano of Coma-
nataki, I saw a large kind of Owl at night.
HiRUNDO URBiCA, Linn.
A male specimen, shot at Hakodadi in March, among my col-
lection, does not seem to differ at all from the Common Martin
of England.
HiRUNDO JAVANiCA, Sparrm. Hirundo rustica, F. J. p. 31.
The specimen of this Swallow is a young one killed in August.
With regard to other Hirundines which inhabit Northern Japan,
Mr. Maximovitch includes H, alpestris japonica of the ' Fauna
Japonica,^ as identified by the figure in that work. Besides, I
frequently saw a large species of Swift, having a white rump, as
late as the 10th of October; but although I went several times to
the summit of the peak at Hakodadi, where they were often to
be found sporting themselves in the higher air, I never succeeded
Capt. Blakiston on the Ornithologj/ of Northern Japan. 317
in obtaining a specimen. Dr. Sclater considers that this species
may have been Cypselus vittatus, or possibly the large Acanthylis,
called by v. Schrenk A. caudacuta. The great body of the Swal-
lows left Hakodadi for the south before the 25th of September.
Lanius BUCEPHALUS^ Temm. & Schl., Faun. Jap. p. 39,
pi. xiv.
I obtained an adult female of this species in August ; it has
more white on it than that figured in the * Fauna Japonica '
as a female. Mr. Maximovitch considers that he procured
another species of Shrike, as well as this one.
MusciCAPA ciNEREO-ALBA, Tcmm. & Sclil., Fauu. Jap. p. 42,
pi. XV.
This species is not uncommon in the woods about Hako-
dadi. Two specimens were procured, one a female, and the
other young.
Mr. Maximovitch considers that he obtained M. hylocharis,
M. narcissina, and M. cyanomelana, a Flycatcher with blue
wings and tail, figured in the 'Fauna Japonica^; and another,
having the back greenish brown, throat and breast brownish
yellow, and abdomen white. It was taken to be a female. He also
places a male specimen as doubtful, under the name of Muscipeta
principalis.
Phyllopneuste coronata (Temm. & Schl.). Ficedula coro-
nata, F. J. p. 48, pi. xviii.
This lively and delicately coloiired warbler is a common sum-
mer resident in the north of Japan, and may be found in num-
bers in the woods on the side of the Hakodadi Head. Two
specimens were preserved, one a male and the other probably
immature.
Calamoherpe orientalis, Bp. Salicaria turdoides orien-
talis, F. J. p. 50, pi. xxi. b.
This specimen is a young male obtained from a native bird-
catcher in the beginning of September. Mr. Maximovitch also
collected this bird; and it is included among the specimens from
Hakodadi by the United States Expedition under Commodore
Perry.
318 Capt. Blakiston on the Ornitholoyij of Northern Jcqmn.
Calamoherpe cantillans (Temm. Sc Schl.). Salicaria can-
tillans, F. J. p. 52, pi. xx.
A specimen, supposed to be a young female, was obtained in
the beginning of September; it differs from the plate in the
'Fauna Japonica' in having only rudimentary bristles. The
similarity between this and the preceding species is so great that
one may be called only a small edition of the other.
Xanthopygia narcissina (Temm. & Schl.). Muscicapa
narcissina, F. J. p. 46, pi. xvii. c.
An adult male specimen obtained from a bird-catcher in Oc-
tober.
Nemura cyanura (Temm. & Schl.). Lusciola cyanura, F. J.
p. 54, pi. xxi.
A male specimen, killed at the end of October.
Mr. Maximovitch includes in his list Lusciola akahige of the
' Fauna Japonica'; and Zosterops japonica was obtained at Hako-
dadi by Commodore Perry's Expedition.
Pratincola rubicola (Linn.).
The specimens are two young males, and it is impossible to
detect any specific differences between them and our Stonechat,
with which they agree exactly in markings. The bird is com-
mon among the low scrub in the neighbourhood of the sea,
during summer. Mr. Maximovitch had a Saxicola brought to
him for sale by a Japanese, in October, alive. He described it
to me as being like P. 7'ubicola, but larger, and having a white
band over the eye.
RuTiciLLA aurorea (Pallas). Lusciola aurorea, F. J. p. 56,
pi. xxi. D.
A male specimen of this Redstart was obtained from a bird-
catcher, near the end of October. I think it breeds more to the
north.
MoTACiLLA boarula, Linn.
A single specimen was obtained by myself at the end of August;
the sex could not be detected. Dr. P. L. Sclater, who has been
kind enough to examine all my specimens, and has afforded me
great assistance in drawing up this list, cannot detect any differ-
Ibis.l668,m.X.
•J.-Jenneus del el ]ilk .
M & "F.HaTihdz-L.Imp
T URDUS ITAUjyiAHNI
Capt. Blakiston on the Ornithology of Northern Japan. 319
ence in this specimen from the Grey "Wagtail of Europe; and
INIr. Cassiu has likewise referred to this species a specimen
brought by the United States Expedition from Hakodadi.
MoTACiLLA LUGENS (Temm. & Schl.). Faun. Jap. p. 60,
pi. XXV.
Two specimens were preserved from among a number shot on
the 6th of August. They all measured about the same. This bird
was also collected at Hakodadi by Commodore Perry's Expedition.
Petrocincla manillensis (Gm.).
A young male of this tiue Rock-Thrush was killed in August ;
it is not an uncommon bird on the rocky peninsula of Hakodadi
during summer.
TuRDCs CARDis (Tcmm. & Schl.). Faun. Jap. p. 65, pi. xxLx.
Three specimens of this Thrush, in different states of plumage,
were obtained ; they agree with the figures in the ' Fauna Japo-
nica.' It seems to be a summer visitor.
TuRDUS FUSCATUS, Pallas. Turdus fuscatm,GoVi\{)i,'B. k%m,
pi. iv. T. eunomus, Temm. PI. Col. 51-1. T. naumanni, Temm.
Faun. Jap. p. 61.
My specimen of this fine Thrush was killed at Hakodadi at
the end of October; but I observed the bird in considerable
numbers in the woods around " Volcano Lake " on the 20th,
when they seemed to have but just arrived from the north.
Their habits appeared exactly like those of the Missel-Thrush of
Europe, and the note of recognition was a similar kind of squeak.
Mr. Maximovitch places another Thrush, T. daulias, as doubt-
ful in his collection*.
* We have already (Ibis, 1861, p. 2/8, note) recorded our belief in
the distinctness of the true Turdus naumanni of Temminck's ' Manuel '
from Turdus fuscatus of Pallas {Turdus naumanni of the 'Fauna Japo-
nica'). Capt. Blakiston's specimens of the latter killed in Japan, and of
the former obtained at Shanghai, with others in Mr. Gould's collection,
aided by the excellent figures and descriptions given of these two oft-con-
founded species in the new continuation of Naumann's ' Vogel Deutsch-
lands' {confer Ibis, 1862, p. 40), have converted our doubts as to the inac-
curacy of referring these two birds to one species into a certainty. The
adults of these two Thrushes are very difi'erent, and recognizable at the
first glance ; aud, if a little care be taken, there is no difficulty in separating
320 Capt. Blakiston on the Ornithology of Northern Japan.
TuRDUS AMAUROTis (Temm. & Scb].). Orpheus amaurotis
(Faun. Jap. p. 68, pi. xxxi. 6).
Several examples of this bird were brought me by a native
birdcatcher, at the end of October, as I was on the point of leaving
Hakodadi. I had not observed it earlier in the season, and
presume that it summers further north. A female specimen
was preserved.
On two or three occasions I observed a Dipper in the moun-
tain streams which abound in the country near Hakodadi, Mr.
Maximovitch obtained a specimen, and calls it Cinclus pallasii
of the ' Fauna Japonica.'
Regulus japonensis, Bp.
A specimen, sex unknown, was obtained from a birdcatcher
at the end of October. It hardly differs from the European
R. auricapillus, except in being rather whiter over the eyes and
on the face.
Mr. Maximovitch obtained a species of Wren, which he placed,
under the name of Troglodytes vulgaris, as doubtful ; and I my-
self observed a couple of birds in general appearance like that
species, but I was without a gun at the time.
the younger birds. In the adult Turdus naumanni, the throat is red, with
a few black streaks just apparent; in Turdus fuscutus (see the figiu-e in
Gould's ' Birds of Asia,' part iv.), the throat is white. In the young of both
species the throat is thickly striated with triangular blackish markings. But
it is only necessary to refer to the figures and descriptions given in the new
volume of ' Naumanu ' to convince oneself of the diversity of these two
birds. Mr. Swiuhoe's " Red-tailed Field-fare " (Ibis, 1861, p. 332) is pro-
bably the true Turdus naumanni, and that name is a very good one for this
bird, as having the rectrices more or less bright red in all its stages. The
accompanying plate (Plate X.) represents an adult male of Turdus naumanni
in full plumage. The specimen figured was shot near Shanghai, in March
1850, and is now in Mr. Gould's collection. We have been induced to
figure it, because Dr. Bree has altogether omitted the bird in his ' History
of the Birds of Europe not observed in the British Isles,' although
Dr. Blasius tells us he had fourteen examples of various ages and plumages
for comparison, from various museums in Germany and Hungary, and that
the bird often occurs in the Carpathians, and is not unfrequently brought
into the market as " game" at Pesth and Vienna. The specimen figured by
Dr. Bree under the name Turdus naumanni appears to be a young Turdus
fuscatus, though we are not informed whence the figure was taken. — Ed.
Capt. Blakiston on the Oi-nithology of Northern Japan. 321
Parus ater, Linn.
Two specimens, both taken to be young females, were ob-
tained in October. They cannot be separated from the Cole Tit
of Europe.
Parus kamtschatkensis, Bp., Consp. p. 230.
One specimen, sex unknown, hardly differing from the Marsh
Tit, is dated 20th October : Dr. Sclater considers it to be this
species. Mr. Maximovitch places one of his specimens under
the name oiP.palustris, but it is probably the same as my own.
A long-tailed species was also seen.
Parus rubidus, Temm. & Schl., Faun. Jap. p. 71, pi. xxxv.
A single specimen was selected from a number of this well-
marked species; it was obtained from a native birdcatcher.
Being a common species and very lively and interesting in con-
finement, this is a favourite cage-bird with the Japanese. As
the autumn draws on and the summer residents somewhat regain
the freshness of their plumage, spoiled by the labours of incu-
bation, while other birds which have passed the summer in
more northern climes arrive in the neighbourhood of Hakodadi,
the professed birdcatchers, boys, children, and others without
any fixed occupation, devote themselves to the capture of live
birds. Having a cage containing an individual of the species
they are specially in quest of, they distribute small branches and
twigs smeared with bird-lime in situations most tempting for
the inquisitive, and hiding themselves at a short distance, await
the successive arrivals of those attracted by the voice or motions
of the "'coy," consigning each successive capture to the dark
regions of a canvas bag. Others roam about the woods with
long and slender bamboo rods, covered near their points with
bird-lime, and stealthily approach unsuspicious birds perched
on trees or bushes, pushing the bamboo through the leaves as
gently as possible until close to the bird, when it is brought
quickly in contact with him, and fluttering his wings he be-
comes securely fastened to the stick and is dragged down. I
have seen birds as large as the Green Woodpecker caught in
this way, and am only sorry that in the hurry of leaving I neg-
322 Capt. Blakiston on the Ornithology of Northern Japan.
lected to bring away with me any of this superior kind of bird-
lime, or to gain any knowledge of its composition.
SiTTA ROSEiLiA, Bp., Consp. p. 227.
A beautiful species of Nuthatch, of which but one specimen
was preserved. It was obtained on the 20th October, during
my return from a very interesting and pleasant excursion to the
active volcano of Comanataki, about five-and-twenty miles to
:)he north of Hakodadi, and near the southern shore of Volcano
Bay, an extensive inlet from the eastern or Pacific side, which
nearly cuts off the southern portion of the island of Yesso. On
this occasion we left Hakodadi (a party of English and Ameri-
cans, six in number) on the morning of the 17th, on horseback,
having pack-animals, in charge of Japanese servants, carrying
our provisions and blankets. Skirting the shore of the bay for
about four miles, along which, as the tide was out, we were able
to ride on the smooth sand-beach, we thence followed the
northern road across a broad valley, or rather plain, which lies
between ranges of hills on either hand, and is otherwise bounded
by the sea. After the fishing-hamlets on the shore, the little
villages of neat wooden houses with thatched roofs, surrounded
by gardens and coppices, in the midst of well-cultivated land,
were refreshing and pleasing to behold. Most of the crops were
already housed ; but some little rice, owned probably by the
more lazy farmers, was not cut, and potatoes, beans, and the
long white turnips, called "dygons," were being rapidly got
up. We halted in the middle of the day at a large village called
" Ono,'^ where we baited our animals and refreshed ourselves on
boiled maize-heads, pears, sweet cakes, tea and beer. Soon
after leaving this place, we commenced to ascend, the road lead-
ing zigzag up the steep slope of a finely wooded ridge, until we
reached the crest, where splendid views lay open on both sides.
To the northward was the sharp peak and lava-covered sides of
the volcano, with a beautiful lake reposing at its foot, and wild
forest country all around ; while behind us we looked down on the
plain we had traversed, and the bay and peninsula of Hakodadi
as a panorama. The weather was delightful, bright, clear, and
invigorating, and everything augured well for a pleasant excur-
Capt. Blakiston on the Ornithology of Northern Japan. 323
sion. Descending the northern slope of the pass by a road even
more steep than that by which we had gained the summit, we
soon reached the lake. Keeping the main road to the left, we
skirted the shore, the road sometimes cutting off the points by
passing through the woods, but coming to the lake again at the
next bay, and at each successive return giving us a more beau-
tiful view of the volcano and lake. The latter was reflected in
the clear water with a distinctness that I thought I had never
seen equalled, while the wooded points jutting out and some
small islands gave an uncertainty to the extent of the sheet of
water, and allowed scope for the imagination. The country all
around was in a state of nature, heavily timbered with oak, ash,
elm, beech, poplar, birch, and maple ; and these, from the first
frosts of the season, which had just occurred, had put on those
colours so vividly impressed on the American traveller by the
fall-dress of the woods of the more northern parts of that conti-
nent, while the weather was the exact counterpart of the " In-
dian summer." There were great numbers of Ducks on the
lake, among which were the Mallard, Pintail, Scoter, Teal, and
a black Duck with a peculiarly marked bill ; but as we were
travelling along quickly, I had only time to stop and shoot a
couple for the pot. In the woods were numbers of migratory
Thrushes [Turdus fuscatus) , the Great Black Woodpecker {Dryo-
copus mar tins), other Black- and- White Woodpeckers, and a
small species {Picus kisuki) sporting about in company with
two or three kinds of Tits, and the Nuthatch named at the
head of this paragraph. A Jay {Garrulus brandtii) and Cuckoo
were also shot duiing this excursion. Some Geese were on
the lake, but they kept themselves so far from shore as to
be out of reach of our fowling-pieces. We put up for the
night at a Japanese inn, and next morning started through
the woods, under the direction of a native guide, to find a
new route to the volcano. We had a tremendous day's walk
through the thick forests, the only human beings whom we saw
being some solitary charcoal-burners at the commencement of
our journey ; but, after that, all was wild and unbi'oken forest.
We were in constant dread of poisoned arrows ; for we had been
informed that there had lately been " Inos " (original inhabit-
324 Capt. Blakiston on the Ornithology of Northern Japan.
ants of Yesso) about, setting bows with poisoned arrows for
Bears. We saw one Bear ; but as I was the only one who carried
a gun, and was then in the rear, he escaped. Later in the day
we came to where the eruptions of the volcano had devastated
the forest, and uprooted trees, logs, and branches were thrown
about in such confusion that it was only with the utmost
exertion that we made any progress even at the slowest pace.
At last, to the great joy of all, we got out on the cinder- slope of
the volcano ; but it was evening. Notwithstanding, three of the
party started for the ascent (I had been up before) ; but one very
soon turned back, and the other two, after making an unsuc-
cessful attempt to reach the summit, were compelled to return,
thoroughly knocked up and parched with thirst. We had guided
them back by making an immense wood fire, it being quite dark
when they arrived. Knowing that it would be impossible to
reach the house we had left in the morning, we made our way
down the side of the mountain to one end of the lake, crossed a
stream which flows out of it towards the sea, and got to a de-
serted house which we knew of. As luck would have it, we
there found a Japanese officer, with two other men, who had come
for the purpose of making the ascent of the volcano, and had
put up there for the night ; so getting a lot of bundles of dry
grass for beds, and cooking a mess of rice with four Grouse
[Bonasia sylvestris) which I had shot during the day, and which
I sorely wanted to preserve for specimens, we filled our stomachs
and then tried to sleep. But it froze hard in the night, and as
most of us had no coats with us, it was impossible to keep warm.
We therefore started a joke about Bears being very numerous
at this place, and got one of our party so interested in the mat-
ter, that I believe, had it not been that we could not all restrain
our feelings, he would have marched up and down outside, keep-
ing guard all the night. Next morning we started at an early
hour, after finishing the cold rice, walked round the lake through
deep swamps, then struck the road, and arrived at the inn before
mid-day. In the afternoon some of us rode some miles to the
shore of Volcano Bay, returning home by moonlight ; and the
following day we travelled back to Hakodadi, where an earth-
quake, which occurred during the night, disturbed very few of us.
Capt. Blakiston on the Ornithology of Northern Japan. 325
Picus MAJOR, Linn.
A young male specimen of a Woodpecker, as well as can be
ascertained, is of this species.
Picus leuconotus, Bechst.
A single specimen obtained from a birdcatcher in October,
perhaps rather referable to Malherbe's Picus uralensis, if this be
distinct from the European bird.
Picus kisuki, Temm. & Schl. Faun. Jap. p. 74, pi. xxxvii.
A young bird of this species was shot in September. It has
the habit of the smaller Woodpeckers of America in keeping
company with Tits. (See p. 323.)
Gecinus canus (Gm.).
I only shot one of this species of Green Woodpecker, which
is the female preserved ; but a young male, obtained of a bird-
catcher, had the black stripe from the forehead better defined,
and a scarlet patch on the forehead.
Dryocopus martius (Linn.).
My specimen of the Great Black Woodpecker of Europe was
obtained from a native birdcatcher ; but I several times saw the
bird wild in the woods near Hakodadi.
Cuculus canorus, Linn.
This bird was obtained by the United States Expedition at
Hakodadi, and I shot one myself in August ; but it was a young
bird, and therefore not skinned. The name is consequently not in
cTapitals, as are all those of this list of which I actually brought
home specimens.
Alcedo bengalensis.
No distinction can be made out between this specimen and
others collected in China ; but there seems considerable vaxnation
in the colour of the bill of this species. It is the only King-
fisher I observed in Yesso, and appears quite to represent that of
England in Northern Japan.
CoRvus jAPONENsis, Bp. C. macrorkynchus , Temm. & Schl.
Faun. Jap. p. 79, pi. xxxix. b.
This bird, although from its size it may be classed as a Raven,
is the common Crow of Northern Japan. Around Hakodadi it
VOL. IV. z
326 Capt. Blakiston on the Oi-nithology of Northern Japan.
is to be seen everywhere : it frequents the fishing-villages, and
attends the drawing of the nets ; roosts in company, and is with-
out the solitary habits attributed to the European Raven. Its
habits are more allied to those of the American bird when found
in large numbers, as in the northern interior of the continent.
I presume that it is resident the whole year.
There is a smaller species of Corvus in Northern Japan, of
which Mr. Maximovitch obtained a specimen, and which, following
the 'Fauna Japonica,' he calls C. cor one. I myself observed some
on the rocky shores of Volcano Bay, during a trip which I made
to the volcano of Cape Esan, on which excursion two of us re-
turned by a route until then unknown to Europeans. We kept,
however, within the ten ri (25 miles), the distance to which
foreigners are allowed to travel away from the treaty ports. I
did not see a single Magpie in Yesso.
Garrulus brandtii, Eversm. Add. ad Pall. Zoogr. R.-A. iii.
p. 8; Hartl. Rev. Zool. 1845, p. 52; Bp. Consp. p. 3.
Of this Jay I obtained a young specimen, probably a female,
in October. The iris of the eye was composed of two rings, the
inner one chocolate, and the outer lilac ; bill black j feet dull
brown. Length 14 inches ; wing 7 inches. Mr. Maximovitch
obtained one which he considered identical with that figured in
the * Fauna Japonica ' under the name of G. glandarius japonicus ;
but Dr. Sclater says, " The present specimen is certainly distinct,
and agrees well with an example of G. hrandtii of Eversmann
(described by Hartlaub, Rev. Zool. 1845, p. 52) in the British
Museum."
NUCIFRAGA CARYOCATACTES, LiuD.
A female specimen of this Nutcracker, obtained from a bird-
catcher near Hakodadi in September, is the first instance of its
occurrence being noted in Japan. Dr. Sclater has compared it
with specimens from Europe, and cannot detect any material
difference. This species was obtained by von Schrenk on the
Amoor. Of its breeding I can say nothing.
Mr. Maximovitch collected a specimen of a Waxwing, which
he considered identical with Bomby cilia phcenicoptera of the
' Fauna Japonica.'
Capt. Blakiston on the Ornithology of Northern Japan. 327
Pastor pyrrhogenys (Miill.) : Bp. Cousp. p. 418. Lam-
protornis pyrrhopogon, Temm. & Schl. F. J. p. 86, pi. xlvi.
I observed this bird in small flocks (perhaps families) in
August, and noticed that it mounts in the air after the manner
of a Flycatcher. A young specimen was preserved. Commodore
Perry^s Expedition collected a number of specimens at Hakodadi
in May ; but the " light-yellow " eye, mentioned in Mr. Gassings
notice of the bird, evidently from a note of the collector, does
not agree with my observations. The bird I shot had the eye
brown, as noted at the time I picked it up. This I make a rule
to do in all cases, otherwise I should say nothing about it.
Sturnus cineraceus, Temm. & Schl. F. J. p. 8,5, pi. xlv. ; Temni.
PI. Col. 536.
This Starling was not obtained by either Mr. Maximovitch or
myself in Japan ; but the United States Expedition collected a
single specimen at Hakodadi, in May. Mr. Maximovitch notes
the Hoopoe [Upupa epops) as having been seen.
Alauda japonica, Temm. & Schl. F. J. p. 88, pi. xlvii.
I shot a number of Larks, all of this one species, during the
summer ; but it was not until October that I obtained a good
adult specimen, and that was from a native birdcatcher. This
Lark is as common in Yesso as our own is in England.
A Snow Bunting {Plectrophanes nivalis) from Japan rejoices in
a cage at the Zoological Society's Gardens, but I believe that no
further particulars are known about it than that it " came in some
ship." If this bird inhabits Japan at all, it will certainly be
found in the northern island.
LiGURiNUS siNicus (Linn.) : Bp. Consp. p. 514. Fringilla
kawarahiha minor, Temm. & Schl. F. J. p. 89, pi. xlix.
A young male of this species is in my collection.
Chrysomitris sPiNus (Linn.).
Two specimens of the Siskin were obtained from a birdcatcher
in October, It is caught in large numbers by the Japanese for
caging.
Passer montanus (Linn.).
This Sparrow frequents dwelling-houses and other buildings,
z2
328 Capt. Blakiston on the Ornithology of No)-thern Japan.
and is common at Hakodacli. My specimen is an immature
male.
Passer russatus, Temm. & Schl. F. J. p. 90, pi. xl.
The specimen was shot from a large flock on the hill-side near
the sea, and away from dwellings.
Pyrrhula ORiENTALis, Bp. Pi/vrhultt vulgaris orientalis,
Temm. & Schl. p. 91, pi. liii.
. This beautiful Bullfinch seems to arrive from the north in
October, and is much sought after by the Japanese birdcatchers.
The two specimens are male and female.
Mr. Maximovitch obtained the bird figured in the ' Fauna
Japonica' as the Hawfinch {Coccothraustes vulgaris).
Uragus sanguinolentus, Bp. Consp. 529. Pyrrhula san-
guinolenta, Temm. & Schl. F. J. p. 92, pi. liv.
A male specimen of this rather rare bird was obtained from
a birdcatcher at the end of October.
Emberiza fucata, Temm. & Schl. F. J. p. 96, pi. Ivii.
The Buntings are pretty well represented in Japan, and I was
fortunate in obtaining several species at Hakodadi. Of this I
preserved two specimens, an adult male and a young male, in
August. A distinctive character in this bird is the great length
of the tertials. Mr. Maximovitch includes E. sulphurata in his
collection, but as doubtful.
Emberiza cigpsis, Bp. Consp. p. 466. E, cioides, Temm. &
Schl. F. J. p. 98, pi. lix.
Two specimens of this Bunting were obtained in July and
October, the latter from a birdcatcher. It frequented the scrub
on the mountain-side of Hakodadi Head, and in my morning
rambles in search of novelties I often met with it. It is a pom-
mon summer resident.
Emberiza rustic a, Pallas, F. J. p. 97, pi. Iviii.
A male specimen of this was killed in October.
Emberiza ?
The only time that I noticed this bird, I shot an adult male.
It is a well-marked species, but the specimen is a rather worn-
looking bird.
Capt. Blakiston on the Ornithology of Northern Japan. 329
TuRTUR RUPicoLA (Pallas) : Bp. Consp. ii. p. 60.
In the way of Doves, one species, Turtur rupicola of Pallas,
figured in the ' Fauna Japonica ' as Columba {Turtur) gelastes, is
common enough during summer and autumn, but I did not
skin a single specimen. Commodore Perry's Expedition, how-
ever, obtained several at Hakodadi, which, having been carefully
examined by Mr. Cassin, were pronouned to be of the Indian
species, T. meena. Mr. Maximovitch saw a specimen of Columba
sieboldii of the ' Fauna Japonica' ; it was brought him by a
Japanese, and may have come from some distance.
BoNASiA SYLVESTRis, Brehm.
I brought home a single young male specimen, which Dr.
Sclater considers to be of this species, and which Mr. Maximo-
vitch, who had killed them, pronounced to be identical with
those of the Amoor. The length was 16|, and wing 6| inches.
Eye hazel-brown; bill dark horn-colour; feet leaden flesh;
over the eye orange-red. This is, I believe, the first instance
of this bird being found in Japan ; probably it does not inhabit
the more southern part of the empire. As far as I saw, it has
the same habits as the Euff'ed Grouse of North America [B. um-
bellus). Four fine specimens, of which the males had black
throats, were shot on another occasion in the thick woods, as
mentioned at p. 324.
Respecting other game birds, Lagopus mutus is given in the
' Fauna Japonica ' on the authority of a native drawing ; it will
perhaps turn out to be a winter visitaut to Yesso. The Quail
{Coturnix japonica) was collected at Hakodadi by Commodore
Perry's Expedition ; and plenty are caught and sold in the town ;
besides, I shot some which I considered identical with the Chinese
bird, but, my hands being full with other birds at the time, none
were even skinned. I have been informed of Pheasants being
seen in the neighbourhood of Hakodadi, and that at a certain
season of the year they are brought in for sale ; these may,
however, be brought across the Strait of Tsugar from the larger
island of Nipon ; and although I was three months at Hakodadi,
I did not see a single Pheasant, nor did I ever hear of one being
obtained there in a wild state. Mr. Maximovitch marks both Phas.
330 Capt. Blakiston on the Ornithology of Northern Japan.
versicolor and P. scemmeringii as having been seen in the hands
of Japanese.
Charadrius mongolicus, Pallas.
A female specimen of the Eastern Golden Plover was shot in
September ; the bird was in flocks, and not uncommon about
Hakodadi in autumn.
iEaiALlTES CANTIANUS (Lath.).
The specimen, obtained in August, does not seem to diflfer
from the Kentish Plover of England. Hakodadi I should con-
sider a veiy favourable place for the collection of water-birds
and waders, and I am only sorry that my time of departure from
that place was at a season when a few days' longer stay would
have allowed me to do very much more.
Tringa crassirostris, Temm. & Schl. F. J. p. 107, pi. Ixiv.
A specimen agrees well with the figure in the ' Fauna Japo-
nica,' but is certainly very like the Knot of Europe.
Tringa alpina, Linn.
Specimens, in two stages of plumage, seem to mark this
Northern Japanese bird as the Dunlin of Europe. It was
common in flocks on the sea-beach in October.
Tringa temminckii, Leisler.
Two specimens of Temminck's Stint were shot in August :
one was preserved ; it is a little longer than the measurement
given in Yarrell.
ToTANus ocHROPUS (Liuu.) : F. J. p. 110.
A female specimen, shot in September, seems identical with
the Green Sandpiper of Europe ; besides which I observed a
Totanus very like T. melanoleucus of North America; and Mr.
Maximovitch includes the common Sandpiper {T. hypoleucus)
of Europe in his collection ; while T. brevipes (Vieill.), called
T. pulverulentus in the ' Fauna Japonica,' was collected at Hako-
dadi by Commodore Perry's Expedition. The Tahitian Curlew
{Numenius tahitiensis), coming between N. major and N. minor
of the ' Fauna Japonica,' was obtained by the same expedition,
for the first time, in Ja])au : a figure of this bird is given by
Mr. Cassin in the natural-histor)/ volume of the voyage. I also
Capt. Blakiston on the Ornithology of Northern Japan. 331
shot a Curlew, which I took to be N. major ; but, being on an
excursion of some days' duration, it was not preserved.
Gallinago solitaria (Hodgs.) : Temm. & Schl. F. J. p. 112,
pi. Ixviii.
A specimen was shot on the 2nd of August, and skinned. This
fine Snipe is common in the market at Hakodadi; besides, G.
stenura (the Gallinula gallinago of the ' Fauna Japonica ') was
obtained by Commodore Perry's Expedition. Mr. Maximovitch
also secured a Woodcock, but the species is doubtful; and I
flushed one on two or three occasions : it seems to be a summer
resident, or, at any rate, a few breed in Yesso.
Other Waders, of which I did not obtain any specimens, were —
a Godwit, preserved by Mr. Maximovitch, probably Limosa rufa ;
an Oyster-catcher, like the European species, observed ; and a
Heron, in the collection of Mr. Maximovitch, which he considered
to be Ardea goisagi. I observed a large species of the same genus.
A young specimen of Ibis nippon was obtained by the same gen-
tleman, and he noticed a Coot, of the species figured in the 'Fauna
Japonica' as F. atr a japonica. I observed Cranes flying over in
flocks, on their southward migration, at the commencement of
October, at Hakodadi.
Porzana erythrothorax (Temm. & Schl.). Gallinula ery-
throthorax, Temm. & Schl. F. J. p. 121, pi. Ixxviii.
Two specimens of this Rail, one in the adult and the other in
young plumage, were shot and preserved by myself. It inhabits
swampy places, and probably breeds at Hakodadi.
PoDiCEPS AURiTUs (Liuu.) : F. J. p. 123.
A male specimen, agreeing with the Eared Grebe of Europe, is
in my collection ; and I had another brought me one day, which
proved to be young on dissection ; it was too far gone for me to
preserve it. The upper parts were black ; under parts mixed
grey. Length 13 inches, and wing 6*3 inches. Mr. Maximovitch
considers he obtained the Black-throated Diver {Cohjmbus arcti-
cus). The lled-uecked Phalarope [Phalaropus hyperboreus) , iden-
tical with specimens from the Atlantic coast, was obtained by
Commodore Perry's Expedition, as well as the Horn-billed Guil-
lemot {Uria monocerata, Pallas).
332 Capt. Blakiston on the Ornithology of Northern Japan.
I preserved no specimens of Anatidce in Japan ; but the fol-
lowing may be considered to belong to Northern Japan on good
authority^ except such as are marked doubtful : — Cygnus musi~
cus {?), Anser {sp.l), Anser hernicla ij.) , Anas boschas, Quer-
quedula falcaria, Mareca penelope, Anas fuscai^.), A. nigrai^.),
Dafila acuta, Nettion crecca, Spatula clypeata, Fuligula clan-
gula {t), Mergus serrator, M. merganser (?).
The Japanese are very expert in netting water-fowl, and
they bring in numbers to Hakodadi caught in that way. For
Ducks and Teal the usual method is to clear away the grass
from a swamp for a space of about 35 by 20 yards, so as to
form a clear surface of open water, likely to attract the birds at
feeding- time. Across this several nets are stretched, which are
fastened to cords attached to stakes on either side, and hang
vertically over the water, being about 2 feet above it at the
bottom, and about 6 feet high. The net is made of fine twine,
and with large meshes, so that it is not easily seen, and, being
allowed to bag, easily entangles the birds when they fly against
it in skimming over the surface of the pool before alighting.
The evening is the principal time for the operation, and men sit
watching the nets from small turf huts or screens made of
branches. These Duck-catchers mostly occupy themselves in
cutting grass during the day. In October I saw a great many
of these places, and probably the same plan is adopted in the
spring.
One Cormorant at least is very abundant at Hakodadi, and
Mr. Maximovitch obtained a specimen which he called Carbo
cormoranus of the ' Fauna Japonica/
The only Gull, as I have mentioned before, of which I ob-
tained specimens was Larus melanurus ; while, with regard
to the Larida generally, I refer to p. 311, at the commencement
of these notes.
In closing this sketch of the birds of Northern Japan, so far
as they are at present known, my thanks are due to Dr. P. L.
Sclater for having examined my specimens, and, as Editor of
' The Ibis,' for correcting and inserting scientific names of species
and references to authorities. I have only to urge as an excuse
for a more extended list, that, during the latter part of my three
Mr. J. J. Monteiro on Birds collected in Angola. 333
months^ residence in the country^ I was engaged on some work
at that time of more importance, although not so interesting to
me as ornithology. As we sailed steadily out of the bay before
a light breeze, on the 6th of November, and passed between the
mountain- head and the whitened cliffs of the opposite shore,
shoals of Bonitos played around our vessel, chasing the smaller
inhabitants of the clear sea-water; the peak of the volcano of
Comanataki, visible in the distance, grew dimmer and dimmer;
the shore-lines became gradually indistinct ; the opening to the
broad Pacific seemed to our eyes to become narrower and nar-
rower; and we said good-bye to Hakodadi.
XXXV. — Notes on Birds collected in Angola in 1861.
By Joachim J. Monteiro*.
(Plate XL)
1. Ceryle maxima.
This Kingfisher is abundant on the river Quanza, particularly
towards the interior; it utters a shrill cry, similar to that of
most water-birds; it is said to build its nest in holes in the
banks of the river ; it feeds on fishes and insects. When sitting
on a branch, its attitude is not that generally represented as of
the Kingfishers, but it holds its beak and large-crested head at
right angles to its body.
2. CoLius CASTANONOTUS. Native name, " Sumbo."
Feeds on wild fruits, principally on that of a wild fig-tree
very abundant all over the country, and called " Mucuzo ; " flies
slowly, generally in threes and fours together, uttering a dis-
agreeable note ; found generally distributed ; its skin very thick
and tough ; stomach small and delicate ; legs of a beautiful light-
red colour.
3. Scopus umbretta.
The example is said to be a young one, but nearly full-grown.
This bird occurs near water. The natives affirm that it never
* [These specimens, collected by Mr. Monteiro, have been submitted to
Dr. Hartlaub, who has kindly supplied thenames and prepared the cha-
racters of the new species. — Ed.]
334 Mr. J. J. Monteiro on Birds collected in Angola.
builds its own nest, but that other and different species do so
for it ; and that a person bathing in a pool of water where these
birds are in the habit of washing and pluming themselves is
quickly affected with a cutaneous disorder similar to the itch.
I mention both these curious reports (which I had not an op-
portunity of personally investigating) because they are so posi-
tively asserted by the natives of Cambambe. This bird is said
to be abundant on the river Quanza, towards the interior. Its
stomach is long, and full of a muddy pulp, evidently the remains
of worms, &c.
4. MOTACILLA CAPENSIS.
Jerks its tail and body exactly in the manner of a Water
Wagtail ; is common in the river Quanza and in the marshy places
of the interior at Cambambe.
5. Merops erythropterus. Native name, " Canguema-a-
fele."
Seen generally in the high grass and about flowers, which it
searches for insects or honey; has a very agreeable chirping
song. Stomach contained remains of a small beetle. Locality,
Massangano.
6. Merops savignii. Native name, " Canguema-a-nene."
Generally seen on the tops of trees, from which it darts out
and sweeps slowly in the air in the manner of a Swallow, return-
ing to rest on the tree, where it utters a very peculiar and mourn-
ful cry ; stomach contained remains of insects ; said to build its
nest on trees, lining it with wild cotton or the beautiful silky
cotton or fibre enveloping the seeds of the N'borotuto {Cochlo-
spermum angolense, Welw.). Locality, Massangano.
7. Irrisor ERYTHRORHYNCHUS. Native name, " Quiquengo."
Fly generally in threes and fours, and slow, in the thick bush,
chattering discordantly. Stomach contained remains of caterpil-
lars and small beetles ; legs and whole bill of a splendid light-
red colour. Locality, Massangano.
8. Macronyx croceus. Native name, " Dibagueia."
Common in Cambambe ; stomach contained insects.
Mr. J. J. Monteiro on Bh-ds collected in Angola. 335
9. Hyphantornis xanthops^ Hartlaub, sp. nov. Native
name, " Dicole."
Weaves nest on tall grass, &c., particularly near and over
water. Common everywhere.
10. Oriolus LARVATUS, Licht. Native name, " ilfwen^o."
Builds its nest also on grass. Locality, Massangano.
11. CuRSORius SENEGALENSis. Native name, "Cangola"
This bird has a rapid, irregular flight high in the air, back-
wards and forwards, and when alighting on the ground runs
along it very fast ; stomach full of seeds ; legs pure milk-white,
with red joints or lines ; black spot on the abdomen. Locality,
Cambambe.
12. Spermestes cucullata. Native name, '' Canguijambala."
Builds a large nest on trees ; flies about in small flocks in the
low grass ; under mandible of bill of a very light-blue colour,
nearly white at the base. Locality, Cambambe and river
Quanza.
13. TOTANUS OCHROPUS.
Rapid flight, uttering at the same time a sharp " tweet ;" ge-
nerally fly in pairs; legs of a very light-grey colour. Found in
marshy places. Locality, Cambambe.
14. Ortygometra angolensis, Hartlaub, sp. nov. Native
name, " Munjmnba."
Never rises on the wing, but runs very fast through the marshy
grass, and is consequently very difficult to obtain except by trap-
ping. Several small and beautiful Quail- like birds, with nearly
the same habits, are found in Cambambe; but I was unable to
capture any in the rainy season during my stay. This bird
feeds entirely on worms and water-insects.
15. TiNNUNCULUs RUPicoLA. Native name, " Cahahula."
This is the species of Hawk most abundant in Cambambe.
Stomach of one contained eight snake^s eggs and a small lizard.
16. Telephonus erytiiuopterus. Native name, "Quiuco."
Abundant in Cambambe ; sings beautifully. The natives
336 Mr, J. J. Monteiro on Birds collected in Angola.
believe that when it sings near their huts, it is an omen of good
fortune. The stomachs contain beetles and grasshoppers.
17. Pluvianus ^gyptius.
Elegantly beautiful as it runs along the sandy banks of the
river Quanza, where alone I have as yet seen it in Angola.
Stomach contained gravel and remains of a large beetle.
18. EupLECTES CAPENSis. Native name, " Saca."
Male in half moulting, and two females in perfect plumage.
Common all over Cambambe.
19. Caprimulgus ? *. Native name, " Lumbamba,"
Night-jar.
Very common ; sings loudly all night long, but its notes are
not very varied. Stomach very large, and contained twelve cock-
roaches and moderately sized beetles, entire, with a mass equal-
ling them in amount of remains of same. Several worms wei'e
found in the cavity of the left eye. Locality, Cambambe.
20. HiRUNDo MONTEiRi, Hartlaub, sp. nov. Native name,
" Prapia."
Same habits as other Swallows, and uttering, when on the
wing, a similar note; builds its nest on rocks and walls, &c.
Stomach full of winged ants. Locality, Massangano and Cam-
bambe.
21. Strix plammea.
Shot on the river Quanza.
22. Phasmoptynx capensis.
Shot at the river Mucozo (tributary to the Quanza), in Cam-
bambe, where it is very abundant.
23. DicRURUS ?
Chatters much ; is found on the Quanza and near the rivers
towards the interior; feeds on insects.
24. Drym(ECA, sp. Native name, " Catete.'*
Abundant everywhere in Cambambe ; builds a pretty nest,
sewn to the leaves of herbaceous plants, through holes which it
bores through them.
* Perhaps C. rujigena, Smith.
Mr. J. J. Monteiro on Birds collected in Angola. 337
25. Chalcites auratus.
Cuckoo. Locality, Massangano.
26. Prionops talacoma, Smith.
Has a very discordant note, and is exceedingly wary and shy ;
beautiful yellow eyelids ; legs of a light-yellowish red ; food,
beetles, caterpillars, and other insects.
27. Halcyon striolata.
All the birds belonging to this family that I have observed in
Angola utter a very agreeable loud note or song, which produces
a singular effect when, in going down a river in a canoe in the
breathless mid-day sun, it is heard cool and clear, whilst all else
is hushed and still in the glare and heat.
They are found in the thick woods and bush in the vicinity of
the rivers as much or more than on the very banks. Locality,
Massangano.
28. Urobrachya albonotata, Cassin.
Not uncommon in the high grass at Cambambe.
29. COLLURIO SMITHII.
Feeds on insects and small lizards, which it secures under its
feet, and, allowing the weight of its body to rest on its food, tears
it up with its bill in the manner of a Hawk. It has, however,
no strength of clutch in its claws, and has a very feeble flight.
30. Pholidauges leucogaster.
Was trapped alive, but died after a few days' confinement,
during which it fed on several wild berries, said by the natives
to constitute its food ; it refused to eat insects ; its habit of head
and neck was very full and flat, like that of a Martin or Swallow.
It exhibited a most beautiful appearance when alive, which is
wanting in the dead skin.
31. Nectarinia chalcea, Hartlaub, sp. nov.
The only species of Sun-bird that I observed in Cambambe.
I noticed several other species on the river Quanza, however.
Is very active and pugnacious ; constantly utters a loud chirp
for such a small creature, and, whilst flying from bush to bush
or flower to flower, now and then flying up to the branch of a
tree, it shakes and jerks itself, and breaks out into a song which
338 Mr. J. J. Monteiro on Birds collected in Angola.
reminded me strongly of that of the common Robin on a winter
evening.
32. Parus leucopterus.
Never observed another specimen of this bird anywhere in
Angola. Shot near the river Mucozo, in Cambambe. Stomach
contained four caterpillars.
33. Vidua decora, Hartlaub, sp. uov.
Very abundant in Cambambe.
34. Euplectes flammiceps.
Abundant in Cambambe and about the river Quanza.
35. Ixos TRICOLOR, Hartlaub, sp. nov.
Common at Massangano and in Cambambe ; seen generally
in the negro towns. The stomach of this specimen was found
to be full of small grass-seeds.
36. CORYTHAIX PAULINA.
This species of Plantain-eater is very common towards Pungo
Andongo. I also observed it at Massangano, where it is also
said to abound. I purchased four, alive, in the short time I was
at Cambambe. They are difficult to keep in confinement, as
they will not readily become used to any other food but bananas.
I had one fine male, however, that would eat anything almost,
and which I was bringing down to Loanda; but the black,
whose only duty was to take care and carry it in a cage, allowed
it to escape.
37. BucoRAX ABYSsiNicus. Native name, " Engungoashito."
If not a new species, these birds are certainly the first that
have ever been collected in Angola, where great efforts have been
made by many persons to induce the natives to capture them,
but unsuccessfully, on account of the superstitious dread the
natives have of them.
They are found sparingly nearly everywhere in Angola, be-
coming abundant, however, only towards the interior. In the
mountain-range in which Pungo Andongo is situated, and run-
ning nearly N. and S., they are common, and it was near the
base of these mountains that I shot these two specimens. They
are seen in flocks of six or eight (the natives say, always in equal
Mr. J. J. Monteiro on Birds collected in Angola. 339
number of males and females). Further in the interior, I was
credibly informed that they are found in flocks of from one to
two hundred individuals.
The males raise up and open and close their tails exactly in
the manner of a Turkey, and filling out their bright cockscomb-
red, bladder-like wattle on their necks, and with wings dropping
on the ground, make quite a grand appearance.
They do not present a less extraordinary appearance as they
walk slowly with an awkward gait, and peer from side to side
with their great eyes in quest of food in the short grass, poking
their large bills at any frog, snake, &c., that may come in their
way.
Their flight is feeble, and not long-sustained. When alarmed,
they generally fly up to the nearest large tree, preferring such
as have thick branches with but little foliage, as the Adansonia,
"Mucuzo" (a wild fig). Here they squat close on the branches,
and, if further alarmed, raise themselves quite upright on their
legs in an attitude of listening, with wide-open bills. The first
to notice a person at once utters their customary cry, and all fly
ofi^ to the next tree.
They are very wary, and, the grass near the mountains being
comparatively short, with but little scrub or bush, it is very dif-
ficult to approach without being observed by them from the high
trees. I followed a flock of six for upwards of two hours, crawl-
ing flat on my stomach, negro fashion, before I obtained a chance
of a shot, when I was so fortunate as to break the wing of a male
without otherwise injuring it. It was quickly captured by the
blacks.
They are omnivorous in their food : reptiles, birds, eggs,
beetles, and all other insects, mandioca-roots, ginguba or ground-
nuts, constitute their food in the wild state. In confinement
I have fed this bird upon the same food, also upon fresh fish,
which it showed itself very fond of, as well as on entrails of
fowls, &c. On letting it loose in Loanda, in a yard where there
were several fowls with chickens, it immediately gulped down its
throat six of the latter, and finished its breakfast with several
eggs !
The note or cry of the male is like the hoarse blast of a horn.
340 Mr. J. J. Monteiro on Birds collected in Angola.
repeated short three times, and answered by the female in a lower
note. It is very loud, and can be heard at a considerable dis-
tance, particularly at night.
They are said to build their nest on the very highest Adanso-
nias, in the hollow or cavity formed at the base or junction of
the branches with the trunk.
[Dr. Hartlaub describes the new and doubtful species of Mr.
Monteiro^s interesting collection as follows. — Ed.]
(1.) Vidua decora, sp. nov.
Similis V. erythrorhyjichce, sed minor et macula mentali nigra
nulla.
The black chin-spot, so conspicuous in western and northern
specimens of Vidua erythrorhyncha, seems to be constantly want-
ing in the southern race, which for this reason we prefer to
separate specifically. Swainson, as also Cabanis, did not over-
look this curious difference. The Angolan specimen in Mr. Mon-
teiro's collection is very small, and has the whole under-parts of
the body of a pure and uniform white.
(2.) HiRUNDO MONTEiRi, n. sp. (Plate XI.)
Supra nigro-chalybea,interscapulii et dorsi plumis ad basin niveis;
tergo et uropygio late vulpino-rufis ; subtus Isete et dilute
rufa ; gula et subalaribus albo-isabellinis ; cauda profunde
furcata; rectricum 3 utrinque lateralium pogonio interno
macula magna oblique alba notato ; rostro et pedibus ro-
III
bustis nigris. Long. tot. 8"; rostr. a fr. 5'"; al. 5"4'
caud. a has. 4" 4'".
Of this fine new Swallow there are two specimens in the collec-
tion. The other one has the under wing-coverts of a nearly pure
white, with only a very faint yellow tinge. Some of the subcaudales
show a large black ante-apical spot. It comes near to Hirundo
semirufa of Sundevall, but is much larger and differently co-
loured. It is fully as large as H. senegalensis, from which it may
be distinguished at first sight by the want of the red nuchal collar.
We propose to name this interesting bird after its able and
zealous discoverer, Mr. J. J. Monteiro.
(3.) Ortyggmetra angolensis, n. sp.
Corporis superioris plumis medialiter nigris, late olivaceo-mar-
Ibis, 18 62,Pl,i:i,
riM.Cf.i.auUlli.
MA-n.Haria-rtir.-.c
HIRUNDO MONTE IRI.
Mr. J. J. Monteiro on Birds collected in Angola. 341
ginatis; remigibus nigris; subalaribiis albo nigroque variis ;
mento et gula albidis; jugulo pectoreque superiore pure
cinereis ; gastrseo reliquo albo nigroque fasciato, fasciis albis
latioribus ; capitis lateribus cinereis ; lineola superciliari
antice alba,postice cinerascente; maxilla plumbeo-nigricante,
mandibula ad basin flavo-rubente, tomiis pallidis ; pedibus
brunneis. Long. 7-8"; rostr. a fr. 11'"; al. 4" 4"'; tars.
19'"; dig. med. c. ung. 17'".
Tbis species has a cei-tain well-known aspect, but seems never-
theless to be undescribed.
(4.) Nectarinia chalcea, n. sp.
Valde affinis N. cuprece, sed certe diversa. In fun do aureo-vires-
cente chalceo resplendens, et sub certa luce nonnibil cupreo-
rubescens; scapularibus^ tergo, uropygio et supracaudalibus
magis conspicue cupreo-purpurascentibus ; abdomine, alis,
subalaribus et cauda, rostro et pedibus nigris. Long. 4^" ;
rostr. a fr. 9'"; al. 2" 3"'; caud. 1^"; tars. 7"'.
After comparing this elegant Nectarinia with the nearly allied
and well-known A^. cuprea of Senegambia and Upper Guinea,
the difference at once becomes striking. The fiery-red and violet
tints of the latter are almost entirely wanting in the more
southern form, the head and back of which appear, under a
certain light, to be green. The beak of N. chalcea is longer and
stronger.
(5.) IXOS TRICOLOR, U. sp,
Fuscus ; capite intensius tincto ; abdomine albo ; subcaudalibus
dilute flavis ; subalaribus albis ; rostro et pedibus nigris.
Long. 7"; rostr. a fr. 7'" ; al. 3" 4'" ; caud. 3" 2'" ; tars.
9'".
In the British Museum there are two specimens of an Ixos from
Congo, which I have introduced into the additions and connec-
tions to my ' System der Ornithologie Westafrica's,' under the
very erroneous name of Ixos awigaster, Vieill. (Lev. Afr. pi. 107.
fig. 2). This bird is somewhat larger than Mr. Monteiro's, but
resembles it in all other respects. They seem to be probably of
one and the same undescribed species, which belongs to the same
group as /. ashanteus, inornatus, arsino'e, xanthopygius, &c.
(6.) Oriolus larvatus, Licht.
Considerably smaller than the true South-African O. larvatus,
VOL. IV. 2 a
342 Sur une nouvelle espece de Leucotreron.
and with broad whitish outer margins on four or five of the ter-
tiaries ; on those nearest to the back the marginal colour is yel-
lowish. Long. tot. 3" 3'" ; rostr. a fr. IQi'" ; al. 4" 9'" ; caud. 3" ;
tars. 9'".
From the O. brachyrhijnchus of Swainson this Angolan bird is
easily distinguished by the difi'erent colouring of the tail, the two
medial rectrices being olive-green with black tips.
(7.) Hyphantoknis xanthops, n. sp.
Supra flavescenti-viridis, alarum plumis dorsi colore marginatis ;
uropygio flavescentiore ; cauda viridi ; capite corporeque in-
feriore toto Isete vitellinis ; gutture rufescente lavato ; sub-
alaribus et fiexura alse flavissimis ; pedibus carneis ; rostro
nigerrimo. Long, vix 7"; rostr. a fr. 9'" : al. 3" 5'" ; caud.
2" 8'"; tars. 11'".
Allied to H. aur if rons and H. capensis,hut different from both.
XXXVI. — Description d'une nouvelle espece de Pigeon du genre
Leucotreron. Par MM. Jules Verreaux et 0. DesMurs.
(Plate XII.)
Leucotreron gtronieri, J. Verr. et 0. DesMurs.
L. supra Isete viridis, subtus viridi-cinereus ; macula gulari stricta,
pectorali latiore, purpureis; abdomine medio, ventreque
infero rufo-albidis; tectricibus subcaudalibus palhde cinna-
momeis; pedibus rubris.
Couleur generale d'un vert-clair, tirant au cendre sur les
parties inferieures ; front et face d'un cendre legerement teint
de vert; une tache longitudinale au menton, une beaucoup
plus large et transversale sur le bas de la poitrine, d'un pourpre
fonce ; milieu du ventre et du bas-ventre d'un blanc-roussatre ;
couvertures inferieures de la queue d'un roux-canelle pale ; ailes
du meme vert que la partie superieure, k reraiges primaires
noires sur leur page interne, et bordees, ainsi que les secondaires,
de jaune pale tirant sur le blanc, dans les premieres surtout ;
couvertures alaires inferieures du meme vert que le dessous du
corps; queue du meme vert-clair que les ailes, terminee, a son
extremity, de vert-olive bord^ de blanchatre. Bee jaune-
rougeatre a la base de la mandibule inferieure; tarses vetus
[bi3,1862,Pl,Zi
^"^^
Jerm.eTis del et litK .
M . & N Jiarui a.r :; Jnp '
LEUCOTRERCN- GIROT^FIERI.
M. C. Bolle sur /'Anthus des Canaries. 343
jusqu'k moitie de leur lougueur, et dn meme vert-cendre que
le reste ; la partie nue et les doigts d'un rouge-carmin ; ongles
bruns.
Longueur totale 28 centimetres.
„ de I'aile fermee ... 14 „ 05 mill.
„ de la queue 10 „
Cette espece, qui a ete envoyee de Tallawan (Philippines) eu
1861, par notre ami De la Gironiere, a beaucoup d'analogie avee
le L. gularis ; mais elle s'en distingue facilement, tant par sa
taille bien moindre que par la teinte verte des parties inferieuresj
par la tache pourpre qui se trouve sur la poitrine ; par la queue,
qui est proportionnellement plus courte et plus arrondie ; par le
blanc-roussatre du ventre ; et enfin par la couleur canelle pale
qui couvre les couvertures souscaudales. Le dessus de la tete et
du cou sont aussi d'un vert qui n'existe pas dans le L, gularis.
La premiere remige est retrecie de meme. Nous la dedions h,
M. De la Gironiere comme un hommage de I'interet qu'il porte
a la science.
[In reference to this bird, Mr. George Gray, in reply to some
inquiries, kindly sends us the following remarks : — "The Leuco-
treron gironieri is closely allied to the TrerulcEtna lechlancheri of
New Guinea (Bp. in Compt. Rend. xli. p. 247) ; but the latter
is white on the front, throat, and breast, and the abdomen is
green, with a very large patch of obscure purple on the breast
below the white." Along with L. gularis these two birds form
the section Trerol<2ma of the genus Leucotreron. — Ed.]
XXXVII. — ^ur f Anthus des Canaries reconnu comme espece
nouvelle et nomm.e Anthus berthelotii. Par Charles Bolle
(de Berlin).
(Plate XII.)
Synonymie : Anthus trivialis, Webb, Berthelot, et Moquin-
Tandon, Ornithologie Canarienne ; non Linn, (sub Alauda) ; C.
Bolle, Bemerkungen iiber die Vogel der Canarischen Inseln, in
Cabanis' Journ. ii. (1854) p. 455. — A. campestris, C. Bolle,
Zweiter Beitrag zur Vogelkunde der Canarischen Inseln, /. c.
V. p. 288; non Bechst. — ? A. pratensis, E. Vernon Harcourt,
2 A 2
344 M. C. Bolle sur /'Antbus des Canaries.
Birds of Madeira, in Annals and Magazine of Natural History,
No. 67, June 1853; non Bechst.
C^'est un fait que je crois con stater, en signalant h 1' attention
de mes confreres en ornithologie I'existence d'une nouvelle
espece d'Anthus habitant les iles Canaries. Ce Pipi, propre, a
ce qu'il parait, k Parcbipel des Fortunees, a eu le sort d' avoir
ete confondn jusqu'k present avec plusieurs de ses congeneres
europeens. J'ai moi-meme longtemps partage ces erreurs en
ajoutant trop de foi aux determinations antdrieures, et en attri-
buant une influence trop active aux effets que le dim at pent
produire sur les teintes du plumage et sur la maniere de vivre
d'un oiseau. Cependant, il a suffi d'une inspection soigneuse de
plusieurs peaux, rapportees par moi des iles, et d^une corapa-
raison (certainement negligee jusqu^a Theure qu^il est) des ces
dernieres avec des echantillons des Pipis dont les noms leur
avaient ete imposes k tort, pour me convaincre que I'oiseau si
repandu sur le sol canarien constitue une espece particuliere et
bien caracterisee. Je la dedie a mon excellent ami, M. Sabin
Berthelot, Consul de France a Sainte Croix de TeneriiFe, h la fois
naturaliste des plus distiugues et ecrivain elegant, dont le nom,
clier a mon coeur, restera a tout jamais etroitement associe a celui
du beau groupe d'iles qui ont ete I'objet principal de ses etudes
et de ses investigations.
Diagnose. — Ongle posterieur un peu plus long que le pouce,
robuste, legeremcnt courbe. Bee allonge. Teinte generale du
plumage d'un brun roussatre, plus ou moins mouchete, le plus
fortement sur la tete ; poitrine tacbetee de noiratre sur un fond
blanc. Penne exterieure de la queue blancbe avec une bande
longitudinale brune sur les barbes internes, penultieme blanche
ayant les barbes externes brunes, liserees de blanc jaunatre, la
couleur blanche passant, dans la plupart des cas, sur la pointe de
la troisieme penne.
Description. — Brun un peu, roussatre en dessus, mouchete
d'une teinte plus foncee, quelquefois noiratre, surtout sur le
dessus de la tete. Strie blanche au dessus de I'oeil, partant de
la base de la mandibule superieure Croupion d^un roux fauve
plus ou moins clair, toujours sans taches, se confondant insensi-
blement avec la couleur du dos. Remiges primaires brunes.
M. C. Bolle sur /'Anthus des Canaries. 345
les post^rieures largement bordees de roux mat ; second rang
des couvertures des ailes borde de blanc, formant ainsi sur Taile
une strie blanchatre peu marquee. Dessous du corps blanc,
portant sur la poitrine des mouchetures noiratres assez clair-
semees qui, en montant vers le haut, laissent la gorge blanche
entre deux stries de petites taches foncees. Rectrices brunes,
k 1' exception du blanc mentionne dans la diagnose. Tige de la
penne exterieure moitie blanche (en bas), moitie brune-foncee ;
tige de la peuultieme entiereraent brune.
Pieds d^une couleur claire. Dessus du bee couleur de come.
Tel est le plumage de V Anthus berthelotii au printemps. II reste
h. remarquer qu'autant que je me rappelle il n'offre point de
grandes variations suivant la saison ou suivant le sexe, et qu'en
aucun temps il ne presente la plus legere trace de vert.
Longueur de I'oiseau (mesure d'apres la peau), bh".
„ du tarse, 9'".
„ de I'ongle posterieur, A'".
„ du bee, a partir du front, 4'".
Les ailes, comme on peut s'y attendre chez un oiseau qui
n'emigre point et qui court plus qu'il ne vole, sont assez courtes,
leur pointe n'atteignant pas la moitie de la longueur de la queue.
Les remiges posterieures sont tres-fortement developpees et
egalent a peu pres en longueur les exterieures. Ce sont leurs
bordures fauves, ainsi que la couleur uniforme du croupion et
du bas du dos qui pretent a notre espece une certaine ressem-
blance de coloris avec le Pipi Rousseline {A. camjjestris, Bechst.),
chez lequel elles sont exactement de la meme nuance. Ce
dernier cependant I'emporte de beaucoup par la taille sur le Pipi
Berthelot, plus petit et plus svelte. En outre, abstraction faite
de plusieurs autres differences, la sti'ie alaire est toujours blanche
chez VAnthm berthelotii, jaunatre chez VA. campestns, et ja-
mais, chez ce dernier, la couleur blanche n'empiete sur la troi-
sieme des rectrices exterieures. L'ongle du pouce est de la
meme longueur absolue chez I'un et I'autre, par consequent, il
est relativement plus long chez Poiseau des Canaries.
Le Pipi Berthelot habite toute Feteudue de Farchipel cana-
rien, oii il est tres-repandu et ou je I'ai trouve de Fortaventure a
Pile de Per. On est sur de Py rencontrcr partout ou Paridite
346 M. C. Bolle sur TAntbus des Canaries.
du sol volcanique rend la vegetation moins luxuriante en laissant
une grande partie du terrain k nu. Plus la roche et les amas de
pierres calcinees, livrees a une lente decomposition, dominent
dans le paysage, au milieu de la verdure glauque des Euphorbes
arborescentes, des Balos et des Agulayas, plus il se montre avee
frequence. Une de ses localites de predilection sont les grandes
nappes de tuflFs blancbatres, restes d'anciennes eruptions bou-
euses, connues dans le pays sous le nom de Toscales. Le
cboiy, en outre, qu'il aime a faire des endroits denues d'herbe,
lui fait preferer, a la maniere de I'Alouette Cocbevis, les grandes
routes jet les chemins battus, lieux qui, en le familiarisant avee
la vue de I'homme, paraissent I'en avoir rendu I'ami. C'est par
cette raison qu'il a re9u, aux iles, les noms vulgaires de Corre-
camino ou de Caminero. Un troisieme nom qu'il y porta est,
suivant Bertbelot, celui de Pajaro cajon.
Get oiseau se montre surtout nombreux dans la region basse
et cbaude du littoral canarien, parceque les terrains qui lui
conviennent y abondent le plus. Nulle part je ne Fai trouve
plus commun que sur les pentes douces des collines desertes et
pieiTcuses de la Grande-Canarie et de Fortaventure, dont il
partage le sejour avee le Pajaro-moro [Pyrrhula githaginea,
Temm.). Cependant il est loin de fuir la montagne ou de s'effa-
roucber d'une temperature plus fraicbe. Dans la Grande-Canarie,
je Pai observe h. de grandes hauteurs au dessus de Aguimes et
de Tenteniguada. Dans ces regions il monte meme jusqu'aux
hauts-plateaux de la Cumbre qui constituent la crete dominante
de Pile.
La propagation du Pipi Bertbelot n'a pas encore ete suffi-
samment observee. Je n'en saurais dire autre cbose, sinon que
c'est le seul oiseau qui nicbe a terra dans les champs de nopal,
servant h, la production de la cochenille. Get Anthus ne s'ex-
patrie jamais ; pendant I'hivei", ceux de ses individus qui peu-
plent les hauteurs ne font . que descendre vers le littoral. II
vit en paires et, I'epoque des amours passee, il se rdunit en petites
bandes qui ne semblent composees que des membres d'une seule
et meme famille. Sur le sol poudreux et sur la pierre, on le
voit courir lentement mais gracieuscment. Quand il est las de
pietonner a petits pas, il se repose, perche sur le sommet des
M. C. BoUe sur TAnthus des Canaries. 347
grosses branches des Tabaybas, sur les Cactus ou sur les Agaves.
Dans cette attitude, il aime a se tenir immobile pendant quelque
temps, sans changer de place en sautillant de branche k branche.
A Fapproche de I'homme, il s^envole rarement ; au lieu de cela,
il ne fait que s^accroupir k I'instar du Cul-blanc {Saxicola
cenanthe). II manifeste encore moins de timidite en presence
d^hommes montes k cheval.
Get oiseau n'a point de chant proprement dit. Ce qu'on
entend le plus souvent de lui, c^est )in petit cri doux et plaintif
qui, k cote du chant monotone du Pouillot veloce {Phyllopneuste
rufa, Bonap.) et de la voix grele de la Cresserelle, est un des
accens les plus familiers de la campagne canarienne.
La nourriture du Pipi Berthelot est a pen pres celle de ses
congeneres d'Europe. Cependant, il semble etre moins exclu-
sivement insectivore que la plupart de ces derniers ne I'est re-
putee. A en juger par ce que j^ai trouve dans I'estomac de
plusieurs individus tues par moi, des graines, meme assez grosses,
font aussi partie de son regime. II parait particulierement
expose h. une maladie qui fait degenerer la peau, surtout aux
pieds et aux doigts, en tubercules, et qui attaque quelquefois
meme la substance cornee du bee. J'ai verifie ce fait sur un
assez grand nombre d'oiseaux libres de cette espece, qu'en meme
temps j'ai constamment trouves amaigris et leur plumage forte-
ment use.
L'honneur d' avoir le premier remarque comme une lueur de
difference chez cet oiseau, revient a M. de Kittlitz, qui visita
Teneriffe en 1836. II s'exprime en ces termes: "Les premiers
oiseaux que nous rencontrames, couraient le long de la route.
J'en tuai un de cette societe et je le trouvai peu different du Pipi
Spioncelle (Wasserpieper, Anthus aquaticus, Bechst.), si frequent
sur le Riesengebirge, si ce n'est que les pieds en etaient d'une
couleur plus claire et que Fongle posterieur etait moins long,
de sorte qu'il semblat tenir le milieu entre Fespece citee et
V Anthus campestris." Cette courte indication est, par rapport
au coloris, frappante de verite. En effet, qui est-ce qui soutien-
drait qu'un oiseau "tenant le milieu entre les Anthus aquaticus
et campestris," et au dessus de tout soupgon de batardise, puisse
etre autre chose qu'une belle et bonne espece.
348 Mr. A. R. Wallace on some neio Birds
Pour moi, c'est plus qu^une probabilite, c^est presqu'uue cer-
titude que le Pipi de Madere, figurant dans le catalogue des
oiseaux de cette ile sous le nom d'Anthus pratensis, soit encore
notre Anthus herthelotii. Mes souvenirs, quelques ephemeres
qu'ils soient quant a Madere, me le rappellent comme y habi-
tant les memes lieux et y montrant la meme familiarite comme
aux Canaries. De plus, Vernon Harcourt lui y attribue le nom
identique de Corre de caminho. II est evident qu^on ne saurait
concilier les traits que je \nens de signaler avec les moeurs bien
connues de la Farlouse. Mr. J. Yate Johnson vient encore
corroborer raon opinion en s'enon9ant sur Poiseau en question
de la maniere suivante : —
" Anthus pratensis is plentifully found in the fields near the
sea and in the serras. It utters a low note, running along the
ground, and never takes a long flight. The natives consider the
bird sacred, and have some legend about its having attended the
Virgin at the time of the nativity."
Berlin, le 1" juillet 1862.
XXXVIII. — On some new Birds from the Northern Moluccas.
By Alfred Russel Wallace.
In a collection just received from Mr. Allen, made during a
visit to the north of Gilolo and the adjacent island of Morty, a
few species occur not included in the list published by Mr. G. R.
Gray. Two of these, a Tanysiptera and a Tropidorhynchus, are
from Morty (a small island to the north of Gilolo), to which they
are no doubt strictly confined, other and very distinct species
of the same genera taking their place in Gilolo itself; and they
are further interesting as marking the northern limit to which
these two genera are yet known to extend. The other birds
found at Morty are Gilolo species, with the exception of a Crow,
which appears to agree best with the Corvus orru of New Guinea,
and Butalis hypogrammica, n. s., which agrees with specimens
from Ceram, but has not yet been found in Gilolo.
The island possesses an active volcano, but otherwise consists
only of raised coral-rock and sand. It has therefore, probably,
never been connected with any other land, but has been gradu-
from the Northern Moluccas. 349
ally raised in the ocean by volcanic agency. ^Miile this was
going on, it would be peopled by stragglers from the surround-
ing countries, and an overwhelming proportion of Gilolo species
would naturally result from the proximity of that island. The
species of Tanysiptera and Trojndorhynchus, which, from being
generally very local, we may conclude to be peculiarly subject
to modification, are those which have undergone the greatest
amount of change, and already present us with well-marked spe-
cific characters.
LORICULUS AMABILIS.
Dark green above, lighter green beneath, middle of the back
and under tail-coverts yellowish green ; crown of the head, rump,
and upper tail-coverts, a spot on the throat, and the outer bend
of the wings bright red ; quills black, on the upper side with the
outer web green, beneath with the inner web blue ; tail green
above, blue beneath, with a minute yellowish spot at the apex of
each feather. The female wants the red on the crown, and has
a more brownish tinge between the shoulders.
Bill black ; feet light red.
Total length ^ 4^ in., ? 4| in., wing 2| in.
Hab. Gilolo.
Remark. — This beautiful bird is a minute copy of the L. stig-
matus of Celebes, from which it differs a little in colour and in
the greatly developed upper tail-coverts, which completely hide
the tail, and sometimes extend beyond it.
Tanysiptera doris.
Black, slightly tinged with deep blue, which is more distinct
on the ear-coverts, nape, and shoulders ; crown and lesser wing-
coverts verditer blue ; a large spot in the middle of the back,
rump, throat, breast, and bellyj white, slightly rufous-tinged;
tail white, with the outer web of all the feathers blue above and
dusky beneath ; two middle feathers entirely blue above, except
the spatula-tips and a portion of inner web at the base, which
are white ; under wing-coverts white, mixed with black at the
base and on the shoulder-margins ; sides of breast and belly
blackish.
Bill deep orange-red; feet dark olive.
350 Mr. A. R. Wallace on some new Birds
Total length about 14 inches; wing 4 inches.
Hab. Morty Island.
In the young bird there are numerous oval buff spots on the
middle of the back, which do not occur in the young of any of
the other species.
Remark. — This species differs from its allies in the large white
dorsal spot; from T. sabrina, G. R. G., which has a small dorsal
spotj it differs in the much lighter blue of the crown, which is
sharply defined behind : in general coloration it more nearly re-
sembles T. isis, G. R. G., but is rather larger, and has the tail-
spatulse more like T. galatea, G. R. G. It seems to be confined
to the small island of Morty, only separated by a strait 30 miles
wide from Gilolo, the habitat of T. isis.
ACROCEPHALUS INSULARIS.
Above olive-brown, more rufous on the rump and tail; beneath
white, tinged with ash on the neck and breast, and with rufous
on the flanks and under tail-coverts ; an obscure pale stripe from
the nostrils over the eyes and ear -coverts.
Bill dusky ; lower mandible and feet pale.
Total length 6| inches ; wing 3| inches ; bill from gape f inch.
Hah. Gilolo and Morty Island.
BUTALIS HYPOGRAMMICA.
Ashy brown, wings and tail blackish ; beneath white, with
dusky stripes on the sides of the throat, breast, and flanks ; lores
white ; bill and feet black ; base of lower mandible pale yellow ;
iris black.
Total length 5^ inches; wing 3^ inches.
Hab. Ceram and Morty Island.
Remark. — The above is the manuscript name attached to my
specimen from Ceram by Mr. George Robert Gray.
Criniger simplex.
Above olive- yellow ; beneath dusky yellow, rather paler on the
throat ; quills with the inner margins dusky brown ; tail-feathers
dull olive beneath and on the inner webs. Bill dusky lead-
colour, margins pale ; feet lead-colour ; iris dark.
from the Northern Moluccas. 351
Total length 8i inches ; wing 4 inches ; bill from gape | inch.
Hah. Batchian, Gilolo, and Morty.
Remark. — This species is smaller than C.flavicaudus, Bp., from
which it differs in the uniform dusky tail. My specimens from
Gilolo differ among themselves in the size of the bill, showing
that this important organ is, like every other part, liable to varia-
tion. This species was included in Mr. G. R. Gray^s list of
Moluccan birds as C. flavicaudus.
Tropidorhynchus fuscicapillus.
Above dark glossy olive-brown, deepening to blackish olive
on the head ; beneath earthy brown ; under tail-coverts lighter ;
throat light ash, whitest near the ears, where it has almost a
silvery gloss ; outer edges of the quills, lower part of the throat,
and the breast tinged with olive-yellow, which seems more dis-
tinct in the male than the female ; orbits and bare part of face
flesh-colour ; bill, simply keeled at the base, black ; feet lead-
colour.
Total length 14 inches; wing 6 inches; bill from gape 1*7
inch.
The young birds have the quills and feathers of the middle of
the back and breast broadly margined with olive-yellow.
Hah. Morty Island, near Gilolo.
This species is very distinct by its dark head, simple beak, and
bare flesh-coloured orbits, and by wanting the characteristic re-
curved feathers on the nape.
Erythrura modesta.
Green ; forehead and cheeks blue ; sides of neck yellow-tinged ;
upper tail-coverts, two middle tail-feathers, and margins of the
outer ones red ; tips of wings dusky ; under wing-coverts yel-
lowish buff.
In the female the blue and red colours are duller, and do not
extend quite so far.
Bill black ; feet pale dusky red ; iris dark.
Total length 5 inches ; wing 3'4< inches.
Hah. Ternate, at an elevation of about 2000 feet.
352 Lord Lilford on the Ecctinction in Europe
XXXIX. — On the Extinction in Europe of the Common Fran-
colin (Francolinus vulgaris, Steph.). By Lord Lilford,
F.L.S., F.Z.S.
The game birds of Europe having always been objects of special
interest to me as a sportsman, I have devoted a good deal of
time and attention to the habits and history of the rarer species
of that class; and my object in this paper is to throw together
all the information that I have been able to collect about that
most beautiful species the Common Francolin, which I have
every reason to believe is now totally extinct in Europe. I
notice that Dr. Bree, in his ' Birds of Europe not observed in
the British Isles '*, states that the Francolin inhabits the South
of Europe, especially Sicily, Malta, Cyprus, Sardinia, Naples,
the Grecian Archipelago, and Turkey. I propose to show that,
with the exceptions of Cyprus (which can surely hardly be con-
sidered as part of Europe) and Turkey, which I take to include
Asia Minor, the Francolin is no longer to be met with in any of
the above localities. Let us begin with the first-named, Sicily.
M. Malherbe's account, quoted by Dr. Bree from the * Faune
Ornithologique de la Sicile,' is probably well known to most of
the readers of ' The Ibis '; but it is perhaps less generally known
that this account is translated verbatim from the ' Ornitologia
Siciliana't di Luigi Benoit, published at Messina, 1840. I
have not visited the particular localities mentioned in that work
as being at that time the head-quarters of the Francolin in Sicily ;
but after diligent inquiries in the island in 1856, amongst
sportsmen, cacciatori, game-dealers, and others well acquainted
with the bird, I could only arrive at the fact that not one had
been seen alive, or freshly killed, during the ten previous years.
A friend of mine who made a shooting expedition in 1858, in
what were formerly the head-quarters of the Francolin, and who
is well acquainted with the Black Partridge, as the Common
Francolin is termed in India, told me that he saw several stuffed
specimens in different places, but never saw one alive in Sicily,
and that all the cacciatori agreed that the bird no longer existed
in their shooting-grounds; although some of the veterans re-
* Vol. iii. p. 237. t Ibid. p. 118.
of the Common Francolin. 353
membercd it as formerly tolerably common, and gave a description
of its habits, which exactly coincided with those of the Indian
bird. The only Englishman, that I know, who has shot the
Francolin in Sicily is W. S. Craig, Esq., now British Consul at
Cagliari, who formerly passed several years in Sicily, but he only
once met with the bird in a wild state there. That it was once
common in the island there is no doubt. Olina, writing in 1622*,
says, " In Sicilia vene son molti ;" and gives a good figure of
the female bird. Savi, who tells us that the Francolin was
formerly very common in the preserves of the Tuscan princes,
but is now quite extinct there, says, — " Adesso vivono ed anche
trovansi assai comunemente in Sicilia ^^f: this was published in
1829. Temminck and Degland both give Sicily as a locality
for the Francolin, the latter author writing in 1849. The above
is all that I have been able to learn concerning the Francolin in
Sicily, and I consider the fact of its extinction in that island to
be well established. The only authorities I can find for the
existence of this species in Malta (a most improbable locality)
are Temminck and Schlegel, and I have no hesitation in stating
that it does not exist there at the present moment. In Cyprus
it is still tolerably common, and on careful comparison of speci-
mens procured by Mr. Tristram, in the market at Larnaca, with
some in my own possession from the Punjab, I can discover no
important difference. Temminck is the only authority for the
existence of this species in Sardinia; and I can only say, after
three visits to that island for the purpose of shooting, that not
only have I never met with the bird alive or dead, but I have
never been able to hear of its actual or former existence there.
In support of this, I may state that Signor G. Cara says, in his
useful little work on Sardinian Oinithology, under the head of
" Genus Perdix," ^' La prima sezione 'Francolino' mancafranoi."f
This gentleman has often assured me that the Francolin had
never, as far as he knew, been found in the island of Sardinia.
There are several authorities for the former existence of the bird
in the Neapolitan provinces ; but I am assured that it was im-
* Uccelliaria Romana, p. 33.
t Ornitologia Toscana, vol. ii. p. 189.
\ Oruit. Sard. p. 106. Torino, 1842.
354 Lord Lilford on the Extinction in Europe
ported from Sicily, and strictly preserved in the royal domains,
and that it is now quite extinct there. My brother, who has
just returned from Italy, tells me that very few persons of whom
he made inquiries had ever heard of a " Francolino ;" and on
one occasion a Goldfinch was brought to him, its possessor in-
sisting that it was the only real, genuine, and indivisible Fran-
colin. In the Grecian Archipelago I cannot discover that the
species now exists, though it appears to have been common
formerly in Mitylene, Samos, and Rhodes ; but, again, are we to
consider these islands as belonging to Europe ? Turkey is so
very wide a term that, till I know to what portion of that empire
Dr. Bree refers, I will content myself with saying that the
only part of European Turkey in which I can hear of Francolins
within the memory of man is the shores of the Gulf of Salonica,
and none are to be found there at present. I hope that
Dr. Bree, if he does me the honour to read this paper, will
perceive that the real question at issue between us is his au-
thority for the use of the present tense of the verb " inhabit" as
applied to the Francolin in Europe, and I shall be most happy
if he, " or any other man," can prove that it still exists on our
continent or its islands.
It is remarkable that neither Temminck, Degland, nor Schlegel
should cite Spain as a locality for our bird, as, though now ex-
tinct in that country, it was formerly common in certain favour-
able localities, especially the neighbourhood of the Lake of Albu-
fera, near Valencia : vide ' Catalogo de las Aves de la Albufera,^
by Vidal, who, referring to the woi'k published by Escolano, on
the fauna of the province of Valencia, in 1722, says of the Fran-
colin,— " Muy abundante en la Dehesa en tiempo de aquel escri-
tor, no se encuentra ya en semejante localidad." I saw speci-
mens from the above-mentioned " Dehesa " (a sandy strip of
land between the Lake of Albufera and the sea) in the Museum
at Valencia in 1856, which had been killed many years previ-
ously ; but during a long day spent in wandering about the
shores of the Albufera, gun in hand, and after inquiries amongst
the fishermen and cazadores of the place, I could only discover
that, to use a Spanish proverb, the Francolins were " idos y muer-
tos y no tienen amigos." Olina, to whom I have before referred,
of the Common Francolin. 355
mentions the abundance of Francolins in Spain in his time, and
tells us that they particularly affected plains overgrown with
*'ramerino e spigo/^ I have been assured that Francolins
were common many years ago near Tangiers ; but I may as well
mention that I have heard the name of "Francolino'^ applied in
different parts of Europe to the following birds — Otis tetrax,Pte-
rocles arenarius, Pterocles setarius, Perdix gambra, Lagopus alpinus,
and (Edicnemus crepitans ; and I am by no means certain that the
name is not occasionally applied to Tetrao bonasia. To revert to
Barbary : I observe that a writer in 'The Field/ of May 3rd, 1862,
includes " the Francolin, Arabice Boozerat," in a list of the game
of the district of Mogador and Saffi. Qu., is this our species ?
It is not included by Captain Loche in his catalogue of the birds
of Algeria ; and though it is mentioned by our old friend Olina
as especially abundant in the neighbourhood of Tunis, I have
every reason to believe it to be quite extinct in that regency. I
may here mention that I met a gentleman in the Zoological Gar-
dens at Marseilles (where there were several living Francolins
from Syria), who assured me that he had once, and only once,
met with and shot a pair of Francolins near Philippeville in
Algeria. My own belief is, that the ^Arra'ya'i of Aristotle, Pliny,
Celian, Varno, Ai'istophanes, and others, as quoted by Buffon*,
was the Francolin, though the latter author is quite confused be-
tween his Attagas, or Attagen, and our Tetrao scoticus, which
surely never existed in Egypt, Samos, Cyprus, and Barbary.
Having done my best to show where the Francolin is not to
be met with, I may now state the very little I know as to where
it is found. A friend, who killed many Francolins in the
south of the island of Cyprus, told me that they were very
abundant in the Vale of Maratassa, near BafFa (the ancient Pa-
phos); that they are found in sandy spots with good cover, near
streams and ponds; that they lie pretty close, and will keep run-
ning before a dog, at last springing perpendicularly into the air,
with a great outcry, and darting off with a flight much like that
of our common Partridge : he considers them easy to shoot, and
most delicious food. The discrepancy between this latter state-
ment and that of Captain Irby may, I think, be reconciled by
bearing in mind that, as a rule, the hotter the climate the worse
* Oiseaux, vol. iii. p. 264.
356 On the Extinction in Europe of the Common Francolin.
the flesh, fish, and fowl. May not, therefore, the cook have had
something to do with it ? That the fathers did not agree with
Captain Irby is abundantly proved. Olina quotes St. Jerome, who,
rebuking some hypocrite's pretence of abstemious living, says,
" Tu Attagenem eructas, et de comesto ansere gloriaris." Whilst
I write, I receive a letter from a friend formerly resident at Naples,
who tells me that, during six and a half years' constant shooting
over the Terra di Lavoro, he never even heard the name of Franco-
lino : he also says, — " Prince Piguatelli informed me that he once
killed a Francolin near Palermo, about the beginning of this
century ; and such was even then the rarity of the bird, that his
having done so was considered an extraordinary exploit by all
the cacciatori."
Sicily has now fallen into the hands of Victor Emmanuel, who
adds to his many other merits that of being a first-rate sports-
man; and as His Majesty is titular King of Cyprus, and, no
doubt, possesses his proper influence with his brother of Turkey,
let us hope that the Francolins may again be established in their
former haunts in " Trinacria/' and thence, by degrees, find their
way into the preserves of Italy's best foreign friends, the gentle-
men of England. I have no doubt whatever that they would
thrive in many parts of Great Britain. There could be no great
difficulty in importing them from Beyrout, in the neighbourhood
of which town they are "not uncommon (the Arabs take them
with trained Goshawks); and I think I may venture to say that
our Editor would give them a reception as warm as necessary in
the Regent's Park. The Francolin is a bird in every way worthy
of the attention of the Acclimatization Society ; and should they
ever import any, and be at a loss for a home for them, I can only
say that I should, at any time, be most happy to receive and give
them every necessary attention. But I discover that I am adver-
tising ; so I will merely add, that I shall feel much honoured if
Dr. Bree will take up the amicable glove I have thrown down,
and if he can prove the present existence of a Francolin in a wild
state in any part of Europe (properly speaking), I shall retire
from the field vanquished, but delighted. I am of a hopeful
temperament, and I do not despair of seeing the day when Fran-
colins shall be as common in England as Red-legged Partridges
or Chinese Ring-necked Pheasants.
Mr. S. S. Allen on the Birds of Egypt. 357
XL. — I^otes on the Birds of Egypt. By S. Stafford Allen.
1. The Spotted Cuckoo {Cucuius glandarius).
During a recent visit to Egypt, extending from the middle of
December 1861 to the end of May 1863, I had frequent oppor-
tunities of observing this bird, the " Cucuius glandarius " of
Latham, Yarrell, and Gould ; and having seen in ' The Ibis ' that
a difference of opinion exists amongst ornithologists as to its
nidification, I think a few facts which have come under my
notice may be interesting.
The first specimen met with was shot near Ghizeh, January 1st,
1862, and proved to be an adult female which had just finished
moulting. After this they were seen at intervals all the way
up the Nile (to Assouan), and subsequently in the Delta, about
twelve specimens in all being obtained, five of which were shot
by myself.
These birds generally occurred in pairs, frequenting the groves
of Gum Acacia trees [Acacia nilotica), the " Sout" of the Arabs,
which line the banks of the Nil', both in Upper and Lower
Egypt, where their presence was usually made apparent by the
chattering, which I believe proceeds from the female. I was
informed that the male has a note similar to that of the male of
C. canorus', but this I never heard. When disturbed, they flew
with a steady, dipping flight, the long tail being very conspi-
cuous, alighting a little further on ; and if pursued, would slip
quietly out of the opposite side of the tree to a fresh shelter.
There is no perceptible difference between the sexes, either in
plumage or in size ; but the young bird just fledged is much
darker in colour than the adult, becoming lighter with age.
One specimen only, amongst those we shot, had the pluiftage
(which in other respects appeared fully developed) of the same
colour as the young bird. This was killed about the middle of
March, and could therefore hardly have been a bird of the year.
The irides of the Spotted Cuckoo are dark brown ; tlie beak
purplish horn-colour, lighter underneath; the legs and feet horny,
with a bluish tinge. The toes are placed as in the Wood-
peckers, two forwards and two backwards, and the claws are
considerably curved.
VOL. IV. 2 a
358 Mv. 8. S. AWeu on the Birds of Eg ijpt.
The food of this bird consists chiefly of caterpillars and differ-
ent kinds of insects, as many as twenty-four of the former having
been found in one bird. It seems, however, occasionally to
indulge in eggs (another habit of its English congener), as an
egg-shell, apparently that of the common Fowl, was found in
the stomach of one on dissection.
On the 12th of March, a pair of Cuckoos, male and female,
were shot at Colossane, about 140 miles above Cairo. Whilst
being killed, the latter deposited an egg, which is now in the
possession of my friend James H. Cochrane, Esq., of Lochire,
near Cork, together with both the parent birds.
This specimen does not correspond with the figure of Mr.
Hewitson, nor with the description given by the Rev. H. B.
Tristram, at page 77, vol. i. of ' The Ibis.'
The following particulars were sent by my friend above named,
at my request, as I omitted to take down an exact description at
the time: — "Length 1 inch 5 lines, breadth 11 lines; nearly
alike at both ends ; colour bluish white, slightly dirty, without
any spots. Texture chalky, without polish ; before being blown
slightly translucent."
On a subsequent occasion, a hen Spotted Cuckoo, which I shot,
contained an egg nearly ready for exclusion, but it was unfortu-
nately broken when killing the bird.
On the 22nd of April, whilst searching for nests in the neigh-
bourhood of Tifte, in the Delta, we found one of the Hooded
Crow [Corvus comix) in a sycamore or wild-fig tree, which con-
tained two young Crows, and a young Cuculus glandarius, just
fledged and able to fly a little. He was taken to the Nile boat,
where he soon became quite contented, eating greedily all the
scraps of meat, &c., offered to him, and, like Oliver, " asking
for more.'' This bird arrived safely in England, and was alive
and well when I last heard from his owner, who added that his
plumage, which was very dark when taken, had become much
lighter.
The Spotted Cuckoo has occurred in Malta, but I believe only
accidentally j for it does not appear to be migratory, as a general
rule.
Mr. S. S. Allen on the Birds of Et/t/pt. 359
2. Egyptian Bee-eater [Merops pcrsicus).
Three of the Meropida are found in Egypt, namely, M. apiaster,
M. persicus, and M. viridis, of which the last only is a resident
throughout the year.
The two former species arrive in Lower Egypt together, early
in April, on their way from their winter-quarters in the equa-
torial regions of Africa to their respective breeding-places ; but
whilst M. apiaster continues its journey across the Mediterranean
and Asia Minor to Eastern Europe and the shores of the Black
Sea for that purpose, M. persicus remains in the Delta, and
breeds on the banks of the Nile.
In note, flight, food, and habits generally, M. persicus very
closely resembles the commoner species, as also in its size and
shape, except that the bill is longer and more tapering, and the
two middle feathers of the tail are considerably longer in the
former.
These birds mostly fly in flocks of twenty or thirty, though
sometimes in much greater numbers. Whilst on their way
in the day-time they keep at a considerable height, and sail
about like Swallows, though not so rapidly, descending at night
to roost in trees. They have a sharp twittering cry, which is
often distinctly audible when the birds are almost out of sight.
The Arab name of "Dar-doon'^ is applied to both species.
The plumage of the male bird is rather brighter than that of
the female. The irides are red ; the beak black ; the legs and
feet purplish, the two outer toes being united for half their
length, as in the Kingfishers.
Whilst returning from an ornithological excursion down the
Nile to Damietta on the 21st of April (1862), our attention was
attracted by a large flock of M. persicus hovering over one par-
ticular spot, where others of their number were settled on the
ground. On a closer examination, a large number of holes were
seen in a piece of ground between the river and a field of young
wheat, which very slightly shelved down towards the water, in
and out of which holes Bee-eaters were constantly passing.
After digging out a passage of nearly 4 feet in length, which
went in at an angle of 10° or 15°, we found a slightly enlarged
chamber, which formed the nest. The bottom of this chamber
2 B 2
360 Mr. S. S. Allen 07i the Birds of Egypt.
was covered with tlie remains of dragon-flies, &c. (mostly wings),
upon which the eggs were deposited. These were of a pure
white, nearly round, and about 10 lines in length. The great-
est number found in any one nest was three ; but the birds
had evidently only just begun to lay (many of the holes being
unfinished), so that we were unable to ascertain what is the
usual number deposited. More than forty holes were opened,
but only eleven eggs obtained. In the vicinity of every hole
were numbers of pellets, formed of the wings and other indi-
gestible parts of dragon-flies, butterflies, beetles, &c., which had
been cast up by the Bee-eaters in the same manner as Hawks
and Owls.
We endeavoured to keep two birds alive, which were caught
in their holes, but unsuccessfully, for they died the next day.
3. Black-and-white Kingfisher [Ceryle rudis).
This bird is very common both in Upper and Lower Egypt,
and remains in the country throughout the year.
Every suitable spot along the river bank is tenanted by a pair
of Kingfishers, who seldom go far from home, and always evince
a decided preference for some one particular perch, generally the
dead branch of a tree, upon which they sit, side by side, when
not employed in tishing. When seeking food, this bird flies a
little distance, and then stops, remaining poised in the air, with
fluttering wings and bill pointed downwards, until a fish comes
within sight, when it drops like a stone, disappearing quite
under the water. Having secured its prey, the Kingfisher flies
off to his perch to eat it, — first, however, killing the fish by
striking its head smartly on the ground several times. Another
favourite article of food with this bird is a small bivalve mol-
lusk which abounds in some of the canals in the Delta. The
note is a twittering cry, which is seldom heard during the day ;
but towards evening they become more lively, chasing and call-
ing to each other. When not fishing, they fly low, close to the
surface of the water. The feathers of the occij^ut are elongated,
forming a distinct crest, which is elevated when the bird is
frightened. The sexes are alike in plumage. The irides are
dark brown ; the bill, legs, and feet black, the two outside toes
being united for half their length.
Mr. J. H. Gurney on the Lesser Buzzard of South Africa. 361
The Black-and-white Kingfisher begins to breed about the
commencement of April, and I extract the following description
from my note-book of one of the first nests examined : —
" April 7th, 1862, Baroskour, near Damietta. — This morning
a Kingfisher was seen near a likely-looking bank, and, on ap-
proaching it, another, probably the female, flew out of a round
hole about 3 feet above the level of the river. It was just
large enough to admit the hand ; and after digging hori-
zontally for about 4 feet, we arrived at the nest — an enlarged
chamber, the bottom covered with small bits of dry dirt and
broken fish-bones. The eggs were five in number, of a clear
polished white, 1 inch 3 lines in length, 11 lines in breadth,
slightly tapering from the middle towards each end. This pecu-
liarity in shape was noticed in the first specimens, and was more
or less observable in all those subsequently taken. The usual
number is five, occasionally four, and now and then six."
XLI. — Remarks on the Lesser Buzzard of South Africa and its
Congeners. By John Henry Gurney, M.P., F.Z.S.
In an article recently published by M. 0. DesMurs in the
* Revue et Magasin de Zoologie,' * attention is called to the fact
of the bird described and figured by Le Vaillant under the title
of " Le Tachard " being in reality a Pern (Pemw), and not a
Buzzard [Buteo), as has been frequently supposed to be the case.
M. DcsMurs mentions in this article the circumstance of Mr.
G. 11. Gray having come to this conclusion as long ago as in 1849,
and I am able to add that Mr. Gray has recently expressed to me
that he still entertains the same opinion.
I have myself no doubt that the " Tachard " of Le Vaillant,
and consequently the Buteo tachardus of Daudiu, is identical
with Pernis upivorus, a species which I have twice received from
the colony of Natal.
Most ornithologists have erroneously attributed the name of
Buteo tachardus of Daudin to the Lesser Buzzard of South Africa,
for which M. DesMurs now suggests the new specific appella-
tion of Buteo delalandi. This is, as it seems to mc, unnecessary;
* Vol. xiv. (iy(;2) 1). 4f>.
362 ]\Ir. J. II. Gurney on the Lesser Buzzard of South Africa.
for I cannot but think that this small Buzzard is the " Rougri "
of Le Vaillant {Buteo deseiiorum of Daudin), the description and
figure of which appear to me to agree with the species now under
consideration in all points except one, namely, that the cere and
bill are both described as yellow, instead of the cere only. But
may not this have been a mere lapsus calami of the author, copied
by the artist into his drawing, which was probably made from
a skin of which the bill was faded, or (as is frequently th e case
in skins brought from hot countries) in which the horny covering
of the upper mandible had shelled off ?
Such at least seems to me the probability, and with that view
I consider the small Buzzard of South Africa as entitled to the
specific name desertorum.
M. DesMurs expresses a strong opinion that the small Buz-
zard of South Africa is specifically distinct from that of North
Africa {Buteo cirtensis of the " Exploration de PAlgerie '-) ;
but the only difference I can perceive between them is, that the
South- African bird is usually less rufous, and is somewhat paler
on the breast, which are hardly sufficient grounds for a specific
distinction.
The geographical range oi Buteo cirtensis (even if it be distinct
from its South -African congener) is still very extensive, as it is
found generally in North Africa, from Mogador to Egypt ; and
it also occurs in European Turkey, in Southern Russia on the
Volga, at Smyrna, at Erzeroum, in Madras, and in Nepal.
The Indian specimens which I have seen, and also that from
Erzeroum, are less rufous and more chocolate-coloured, especially
on the under parts, than more western specimens. This darker
form of colouring would seem to be as worthy of specific dis-
tinction as the paler-breasted race of South Africa, and it has
been figured and described as distinct by Mr. Jerdon in his
'Illustrations of Indian Ornithology' (pi. 27), under the title
of Buteo 1-ufiventer.
M. DesMurs well remarks that Buteo cirtensis is closely allied
to the large rufous Buzzard of North-eastern Africa, South-
eastern Europe, and Asia. This larger species [Accipiter ferox of
S. Gmelin, Buteo rufinus of RiippcU, B. leucurus of Naumann,
and B. canescens of Hodgson) also extends as far east as India,
%>
ii3is,i86s,pi.xrn.
2
tJ."Wo1F, del eXlith.
M&'IT.TI.mhart.inip':
PSAROPHOIUS AKDEFS
Letter from Mr. Swiulioe. 363
but is not found further to the west than South-eastern Europe
and North-eastern Africa.
M. DesMurs speaks of his Buteo delalandi as occurring in
Madagascar : is it possible that some confusion may exist on this
point between it and its nearly related but shorter-winged con-
gener, Buteo brachjpterus of von Pelzeln, first figured in the last
number of 'The Ibis' (PL VIII.) ?
Further observation may doubtless clear up this point, and
also increase our knowledge of the other nearly allied races of
Buzzards to which we have here referred.
XLII. — Letter from Mr. Swinhoe.
(Plate XIII.)
To the Editor of ' The Ibis.'
Sir, — I have just returned to England from Formosa, for
change of air ; and as, while there, I prosecuted my researches in
natural history with some vigour, I have been enabled to bring
with me some fine novelties from that hitherto unexplored island.
Among other things in the ornithological line, I may mention a
most lovely new species of Pheasant of the Evplocomus group, of
which I was fortunate enough to procure both sexes, — a fine new
Urocissa, a new Megalcema, two Pomatorhini, three Garrulaxes, an
Arhoricola, cum multis aliis. All these I intend bringing before
the Zoological Society at their first meeting in November. But
with regard to one of the novelties, perhaps the most beautiful
thing I have brought, I should like to anticipate the introduc-
tion to the ornithological world by availing myself of the pages
of ' The Ibis ' to bring it forward. I refer to the accompanying
Orioline form, belonging to the genus Psaropholus, to which P.
traillii from Nepal and perhaps one other species belong. Both
of these, however, are cast far into the shade by their Formosan
representative. I subjoin a diagnosis of its characters, with the
few notes I can at present supply. I shall be able to add further
l)articulars when the mass of my collection reaches England.
PSAIIOPIIOLUS AllDENS, SwiuhoC. (PI. XIII.)
p. coccincus; capite et ccrvice uudique cum alis tibiisquc uiger-
rimis ; rostro pedibusque plumbeis.
364 Letter from Mr. Swinhoe.
Bill light cobalt ; skin round the eye violet-grey ; iris crim-
son-brown; legs leaden grey; soles and claws dingy. Head,
neck, wings, and tibial feathers black ; the rest of the plumage
of a fine cochineal red, paler on the tail. Length 9| in. ; wing 6^ ;
tail 4;^, somewhat rounded, of 12 feathers. Bill, along culmen,
1 in.; along edge of lower mandible, \\. Tarsi '9 in.
The plumage of the first year is pale and dingy, the under
parts being more or less white, with a few black streaks.
This bird is an inhabitant of the mountain-ranges of Formosa,
frequenting the jungly bush of the exalted valleys, and display-
ing its gaudy tints among the gigantic leafy boughs of the
far-famed haurus camphora, which towers at intervals among its
entangled fellows of the wood. In habits the Red Oriole nearly
approaches its allies of the yellow group, and feeds, like them, on
berries, chieHy those of figs. In summer it resorts to the
highest ranges, some of which are perennially covered with snow
(hence of its nesting I know nothing) ; in winter it returns to
the more accessible mountains bounding the Chinese territory.
Its notes are loud and harsh, as are those of the Yellow Oriole
{Oriolus chinensis), which, however, has somewhat of a loud and
not disagreeable »6ong. In Formosa, as in China, the Yellow
Oriole is a summer visitant, arriving in thousands, and literally
swarming in the bamboo-groves of the south. During this sea-
son it spreads itself throughout all the seaboard and champaign
country of Formosa. In China I have myself traced it as far
north as Pekin; and it ranges into Amoorland, according to
von Schreuk. I have no doubt that in its southern and brumal
migration it passes through Siam (whence I have received spe-
cimens from Sir R. Schomburgk), and disperses its bands
throughout the western side of the Bay of Bengal, where Blyth's
Black-naped Oriole (0. indicus) hails from. This species Blyth
himself now considers identical wath the Chinese bird.
You must excuse me for digressing in this way from the sub-
ject of this letter; for, after all, my ideas regarding the two birds
might be expressed in a very few v\'ords, viz. that whereas Oriolus
chinensis alias indicus is a bird of the plains and migratory, Psa-
roj)holus ardcns is a mountainous species peculiar to Formosa,
resident on the island, and merely changing its home from a
Heri" Schutt on the Breeding of the Nutcracker. 365
lower to a higher elevation, or vice versa, according to the season;
that both birds are Orioles, of somewhat similar habits, the one
form having pink bills {Oriolus proper), the other having blue
bills [Psaropholus], but both leaden-grey legs.
I remain, yours, &c.,
Robert Swinhoe.
London, September 1st, 1862.
XLIII. — Contribution to the Breeding History of the Nutcracker
(Nucifraga caryocatactes). By E. Schutt*.
At the instigation of our highly respected ornithologist. Dr.
Baldamus, I had already last year given all possible attention to,
and offered a pretty high reward for, the discovery of the nest
of the Nutcracker, For myself, indeed, I had no great expectation
of realizing this wish ; for, from the natural indolence of the
mountaineers and the easy but sure profit they ordinarily make,
any effort to induce them to search after something uncertain,
even if a high reward is offered, usually fails. It is difficult
besides to give the people a notion of the wished-for object : if
one only shows them, as I did on previous occasions, a stuffed
specimen, they pay but little heed to it. AVhen I myself went to
visit the places where formerly I had frequently observed the bird,
on arriving at the top, I had only the satisfaction at every step
of breaking through the highly frozen crust of a four-feet deep
snow, and of stepping over a mass of snow-w^eighted branches ;
and, at last, after spending many hours in making my way back,
I had to give up my intention after a short search. Some months
later I received intelligence that the nest had been found, with
young birds and eggs, but, on account of the advanced state of
incubation, had not been brought to me ! This spring I have
been more fortunate, the mountains, being exceptionally free from
snow at the present time, having particularly favoured my project.
I beg my readers, however, to excuse my somewhat minute
description. When one knows so little of the breeding of an
animal, the slightest fact often has value.
In the course of an unsuccessful Capercally-chase (for with us
the rut begins later than in Northern Germany), and accom-
• Translated from the ' Journal fiir Ornithologie ' for 1862, p. 125.
366 Herr Scbiitt on the Breeding of the Nuta-acker.
panied by some day-labourers to wbom I bad promised a bigb
reward for tbe discovery of tbe nest of tbe Nutcracker, I ranged
over a soutb-eastern spur of tbe Kandel, about 3500 feet bigb,
covered witb young fir-plantations ; but an bour's searcb pro-
duced no furtber result tban tbat a quantity of squirrels' nests
were tbrown down from tbe trees. I tben went witb tbe people
to an uncleared clump of firs, about 30 feet bigb, in wbicb I
imagined tbe nest would surely be. Wboever knows wbat sucb
forests are, especially wben on bigb mountains, will clearly see
tbe impossibility, wbicb we perceived after some bours, of making
a regular passage tbrougb the dead branches and tbe thick wood.
One of my people was already exhausted, and bad given up bis
promised reward ; and I myself, in my scratched condition, had
formed the idea of leaving tbe good-for-nothing bird (as Herr
Baldamus calls it) to its fate, wben a Nutcracker flew out a few
paces before us, without, however, uttering any cry. This in-
spired new courage, and, in tbe course of half an hour, I found
tlie nest in tbe neighbourhood, on a tree 35 feet bigb, bard by a
sledge-path, — but, oh disappointment ! without eggs.
It stood about 25 feet high, close to tbe stem, and was diffi-
cult to recognize from below. Tbe nest was found on the'19tb
of March ; on the 23rd tbe first egg was laid, and on each third
day the two others. After the bird bad been three days with-
out laying an egg, the boy, to my regret, took the nest with tbe
eggs away.
At the first discovery of tbe nest, when we were quite near
it, tbe bird was heard crying in the distance ; and even when we
had left it a mile ofl", it bad not yet become quiet. At tbe taking
of the nest, it first flew ofi" as the boy climbed up, and, sitting on
the summit of the same tree, intently watched tbe fate of its nest.
It must here be remarked tbat, of all the allied species, tbe
Magpie alone breeds as early as tbe Nutcracker ; but this is in
the valleys, some thousand feet below. It is only to the Jay's
nest and egg that those of tbe present bird bear any resemblance ;
but the Jay appears here only in tbe autumn, wben on passage.
Also, to the nest thus taken there is attached some down from
tbe belly-feathers, which may be recognized with certainty as
belonging to the Nutcracker.
Herr Schiitt U7i the Breeding of the Nutcracker. 367
Outwardly the nest consists of slender dry fir-sticks, to which
cling beard-moss and lichens; it is interwoven with green
fir-twigs, gathered apparently from the tree on which it stood.
Very likely the same design exists here as in the case of many
birds of prey, which garnish their nests with fresh leafy twigs.
The outer materials are moss, tender tree-bark, and bast. The
inner lining consists of beard-lichens, bast, and dry grass-stalks,
forming a nearly hollow hemisphere, 4 inches 8 lines in diameter,
and 2 inches 10 lines deep. The weight of the eggs varies,
w^hen full, from 10'37 grammes to 11*15 grammes; the length,
from 14*75 lines to 15*75 lines ; and the breadth, from 11 lines
to 11*5 lines (Paris measure). The form of all three eggs is
different, varying from an elongated to a bulging oval.
The ground-colour is a very pale bluish green, strongly con-
trasting with the bright buff-coloured [ledei^farbenen) blotches
equally distributed over the egg. The blotches are partly coarse,
sometimes fine, and many run into one another; but they are
smaller than in all the eggs of Corvus known to me, even in those
of the Jay, though they have numerous spots standing thick
and melting away, so that the ground-colour nearly disappears.
On one egg only there is a strongish accumulation of blotches
at the blunt end, but not in a zone-shaped form.
The smallest egg of the Nutcracker equals the largest Jay's,
but bulges out more. The difference in the breadth amounts to
1 line.
The present eggs agree with the description given by the
Baron Konig-Warthauseu in the ' Journal fiir Ornithologie ' for
1861 (page 39) almost entirely in size, as well as in ground-
colour. The blotches, on the contrary, are numerous, and their
colour leaves no trace of violet-grey nor greenish-brown percept-
ible in the magnifying-glass ; so also the blackish-brown spots
are wanting, — in which respects I should deem the eggs of Baron
Konig-Warthausen as scarcely authentic.
I may remark, by the way, that the range of the Nutcracker
during the breeding-time seems to depend on the presence of
uncleared fir-thickets and beard-mosses, which last naturally
require a certain height, dampness of the air, and mountain
situation, according to climate.
368 Review of the Memoir of Tlioraas Bewick.
Meantime I have found another nest, and shall wait until
the laying is completed to be able to render a further account
about its time.
Waldkircli, March 31, 1862.
XLIV. — Review of the recently published Memoir o/ Bewick*.
Two centuries have elapsed since Willughby and Ray first took
to noting and cataloguing British birds, and since the worthy Sir
T. Browne sketched and coloured the birds and fishes of Norfolk
to illustrate Ray's edition of the ' Ornithologia.' Yet though the
Norwich doctor had to complain that his drawings were never
returned, we fear that his friend did not use them to such good
purpose as to popularize his favourite study. It was the pages
of Gilbert White and the woodcuts of Bewick which first be-
guiled the English schoolboy to the observation of our feathered
friends. From Ray to Linnseus is a long, dreary interval — the
dark ages of natural history in this country. ''^The boy is
father of the man." Few men have ever attained eminence in
science whose minds were not early attracted to the subject; and
when style has happily combined with truth and nature to rivet
the attention of childhood, no slight service has been rendered
to the cause of natural history. Vast as has been the advance
in systematic knowledge within the last half-century, how few
of our living naturalists but must gratefully acknowledge their
early debt to White's ' History ' and to the life-like woodcuts of
Bewick ! Probably we shall not wrong the cultivated annalist of
Selborne by giving the first place to Bewick. We are tempted to
believe that for one studious schoolboy whose latent taste has been
evoked by the former, a dozen have been led " how to observe "
by conning over ' The British Birds ' on a holiday afternoon in
their father's library. Yet Bewick has not the slightest claim
to rank with Gilbert White as a naturalist. White was what Be-
wick never was, a man of science j but, if no naturalist, Bewick
was a lover of nature, a careful observer, and a faithful copier of
her ever-varying forms. In this, and this alone, lies his charm.
* Memoir of Thomas Bewick, written hy himself. NewcastlCj Ward ;
London, Longman and Co.
Review of the Memoir 0/ Thomas Bewick. 3G9
Thomas Bewick was one of the many self-made men of
Northumberland — a county whose sons, no longer absorbed in
border-warfare, have devoted their massive, rugged intellects to
the battle with nature and the unfolding of her secrets. New-
castle can boast of having earned in two successive years the
gold medal of the Royal Society*. But our business here is
not with her Stephensons and Armstrongs, nor yet with her
artists, as Martin and Lough, but with Bewick and his works.
He was emphatically the father of Northumbrian naturalists —
a goodly family, as the names of Prideaux-Selby, Albany and
John Hancock, Hewitson and Alder, still living, may testify.
The Tyneside and Berwickshire Naturalist Clubs (the latter
really a Northumbrian society) will, we may well expect, rear
many worthy successors in the field ; and the volumes of their
Transactions have already supplied no inconsiderable contribu-
tions to our zoological literature. We have frequently known
these clubs to muster upwards of fifty members on excursions
among the western moors, when many a racy anecdote of old
Bewick has been told by those whose boyish interest had been
roused while watching the veteran's chisel and listening to his
old-world lore.
We could have wished that more of his characteristic traits,
and some recollections of him by others, had been imported
into the present volume. One excellence, at least, this memoir
has — the man is permitted to speak for himself; nor has the
filial reverence of the editor permitted her once to check the
pleasant garrulity of the kindly old man, even when he has di-
gressed into long chapters on his Utopia in Church and State,
with which he was wont to beguile his fancy while his hand was
busily at work on his blocks.
The earlier chapters of the autobiography (for such it is, in
the form of letters to his daughter) are the most interesting, as
tracing the early development of his love of nature and of
drawing. Bewick was fond of expressing his dislike of a mere
" three-pair-of-stairs-garret naturalist," and he certainly had
learned his lessons in the field, not in the closet. The son of a
plain Northumbrian farmer, he was sent first to the village
* Awarded to Messrs. H. Lee Pattinson and Albany Hancock.
370 Review of the Memoir of Thomas Bewick.
dominie, and then to a school of a higher class, kept by the
clergyman of the parish. But he showed no love for bookish
learning, preferred Robinson Crusoe to Latin grammar, and,
above all, to sketch birds and beasts in the margin of his books.
He thus traces the development of his schoolboy taste as an
artist : —
" At that time I had never heard of the word ' drawing •' nor
did I know of any other paintings besides the king's arms in
the church, and the signs in Ovingham of the Black Bull, the
White Horse, the Salmon, and the Hounds and Hare. I always
thought I could make a far better hunting-scene than the latter ;
the others were beyond my hand. I remember once of my
master overlooking me while I was very busy with my chalk in
the porch, and of his putting me very greatly to the blush by
ridiculing and calling me a conjuror. My father also found a
deal of fault for 'misspending my time in such idle pursuits;'
but my propensity for drawing was so rooted, that nothing
could deter me from persevering in it ; and many of my evenings
at home were spent in filling the flags of the floor and the
hearthstone with my chalky designs.
" After I had long scorched my face in this way, a friend, in
compassion, furnished me with some paper upon which to exe-
cute my designs. Here I had more scope. Pen and ink, and
the juice of the brambleberry, made a grand change. These
were succeeded by a camel's-hair pencil and shells of colours ;
and, thus supplied, I became completely set up ; but of patterns
or drawings I had none. The beasts and birds, which enlivened
the beautiful scenery of woods and wilds surrounding my native
hamlet, furnished me with an endless supply of subjects. I
now, in the estimation of my rustic neighbours, became an
eminent painter, and the walls of their houses were ornamented
with an abundance of my rude productions, at a very cheap rate.
These chiefly consisted of particular hunting-scenes, in which
the portraits of the hunters, the horses, and of every dog in the
pack were, in their opinion as well as my own, faithfully de-
lineated. But while I was proceeding in this way, I was, at the
same time, deeply engaged in matters nearly allied to this
propensity for drawing ; for I early became acquainted, not only
Review of the Memoir 0/ Thomas Bewick. 371
with the history and character of the domestic animals, but also
with those that roamed at large/'
Passionately attached to the hounds, yet his tender and feeling
nature revolted from witnessing the death of a hare ; and he
thiis recounts his first and last capture of a bird, which he had
hit with a stone : —
" The little victim dropped from the tree, and I picked it up.
It was alive, and looked me piteously in the face, and, as I
thought, could it have spoken, would have asked me why I had
taken away its life. I felt greatly hurt at what I had done, and
did not quit it all the afternoon. I turned it over and over,
admiring its plumage, its feet, its bill, and every part of it. It
was a Bullfinch. I did not then know its name, but I was told
it was a ' little Matthew Martin.' This was the last bird
I killed ; but many indeed have been killed since on my
account."
The worrying of foxes, and the baiting of foumarts, otters,
and badgers (all much more abundant then than now), did not
awaken similar tender feelings ; there was some resistance and
retaliation, and in following these sports Bewick began to notice
rare birds.
" In the vermin-hunting excursions in the depth of winter,
while the whole face of nature was bound in frost and covered
with deep snow, in traversing through bogs, amidst reeds and
rushes, I have often felt charmed with the sight of birds, flushed
and sometimes caught by the terrier dogs, which I had never
seen nor heard of before; and I am still in doubt whether some
of them have not escaped being noticed as British birds."
Who shall say how many American stragglers have not thus
escaped being immortalized in British lists ? Bewick always
believed he had met with one of the Jacanas [Parra) in this
way. With our smaller birds he cultivated more intimate
acquaintance, by getting up before the servants and ensconcing
himself, especially during snow-storms, snugly in the cow-shed,
where, he says,
" 1 watched the appearance of various birds which passed the
little dean below, and which the severity of the weather drove
from place to place in search of shelter. With the sight of my
372 Review of the Memoir of Thomas Bewick.
intimate acquaintances, the Robins, Wrens, Blackbirds, Spar-
rows, a solitary Crow, and some others, I was not much
attracted, but always felt an extreme pleasure and curiosity in
seeing the more rare visitants, such as the Woodcock, Snipe,
and other waders, with the Redwings, Fieldfares, &c., make
their appearance/^
To these morning studies we probably owe many of his in-
imitable winter-pieces, with snow, of which he was so fond.
His intimate acquaintance with every effect of natural scenery,
together with the ready adaptation of wood-cutting to subjects
where masses of light are required, made him most happy in
these devices, as may be seen in the figure of Death in a Lap-
land sledge, drawn by goats, at p. 104 of this volume.
Bewick's parents had happily sufficient discernment to ap-
preciate the bent of their son's genius, and accordingly appren-
ticed him to a Mr. Beilby, a general engraver in Newcastle.
Here young Bewick had to practise the coarser departments of
every kind — steel seals, blocking out wood for billheads, etching
sword-blades, door-plates, coffin-plates, cards, clock-faces, and
ornamental silver. But in all this we do not catch a glimpse of
the higher department of engraving. Landscape or historical
plates were never thought of; and our author tells us he never
had a lesson given him by any one in any kind of drawing.
" I was never a pupil to any drawing-master, and had not even
a lesson from William Beilby or his brother Thomas, w^ho, along
with their other profession, were also drawing-masters. In the
later years of my apprenticeship my master kept me so fully
employed, that I never had any opportunity for such a purpose,
at which I felt much grieved and disappointed." All honour,
then, to the aptitude with which he has repeated the lessons of
Dame Nature !
His apprenticeship past, and crossed in love, Bewick took to
wandering over the hills and through the towns of Scotland, in
a better spirit than the great lexicographer, and with a kindlier
and happier remembrance. He tried London ; but, though well
received, and with abundant offers of patronage as an engraver,
his heart was in the North, with its simple peasantry, its heather,
and trout streams ; and, thoroughly disgusted with men and
Review of the Memoir of Thomas Bewick. 373
manners in the great metropolis, describing its engravers as a
*' saucy, ignorant, and impudent set" (''the ignorant part of
the Cockneys called me Scotchman," — though, he adds, he was
not offended even at this insult to his border pride), he carried
back to his dear North experience and engagements for years
to come.
He now began to devote his attention wholly to improve-
ments in the art of wood-cutting, which had remained sta-
tionary since the days of Durer and Holbein. His first dif-
ficulties arose from the carelessness of the printers, and the
clumsiness of the common pelt balls then in use for inking the
blocks. To remedy this, he carefully shaved down all the edges
of his blocks. His next difficulty was worse to surmount,
and that was to lower down the surface on all the parts he
wished to appear pale, so as to give the appearance of the
required distance, — a process which may be considered as one
of Bewick's most important discoveries in the art of wood-
engraving. Next his attention was directed to some specimens
of cross-etching by Albert Durer ; and in his attempts to re-
store this lost branch of his art, he was led to make successful
experiments in the use of two blocks. In some of his large
plates he applied this second improvement successfully, printing
the outline from one block, and applying the impression, while
wet, to another devoted to shade and dark effect alone. Al-
though this art of chiaroscuro is of early Italian invention, yet
Bewick's method of applying it was so original as to give him
a fair share in the title of inventor.
In 1777, Bewick entered into partnership with his old
master, Beilby ; and, in 1779, obtained the medal of the Society
of Arts for his woodcuts illustrating Saint's edition of ' Gay's
Fables.' In 1785 he commenced his 'History of Quadrupeds,'
drawing such animals as he knew from nature and memory,
and copying others from Smellie's abridgment of Buffon.
During the course of this work he went on foot to Chillingham
to draw a specimen of the celebrated wild cattle ; which, creep-
ing on hands and knees, he at length accomplished. His
partner, Mr. Beilby, supplied all the letter-press for this work, —
Bewick furnishing him with what he knew of animals in con-
VOL. IV. 2 c
374 Revieiv of the Memoir 0/ Thomas Bewick.
versation or by memoranda^ and "blotting out in his manu-
script what was not truth."
Immediately after the publication of his ' Quadrupeds/ he
commenced his ' British Birds/ " I made up my mind," he
says, " to copy nothing from the works of others, but to stick to
nature as closely as I could ; and, for this purpose, being in-
vited by Mr. Constable, the then owner of WyclifFe, I visited
the extensive museum there, collected by the late Marmaduke
Tunstal, Esq., to make drawings of the birds." " As soon as I
arrived in Newcastle, I immediately began to engrave from the
drawings of the birds I had made at WyclifFe ; but I had not
been long thus engaged, till I found the very great difference
between preserved specimens and those from nature, — no regard
having been paid at that time to fix the former in their proper
attitudes, nor to place the different series of the feathers so as
to fall properly upon each other." " I was on this account
driven to wait for birds newly shot, or brought to me alive, and
in the intervals employed my time in designing and engraving
tail-pieces or vignettes." Some traces, however, of the Wycliffe
museum yet remain in this work ; among which, we may
mention the Great and Little Bustards and the Red-breasted
Goose, which Bewick had never the opportunity of seeing in
life. It may be interesting to note that the treasures of the
Wycliffe Museum were afterwards transferred to Newcastle,
where they may be seen in the Museum of the Literary and
Philosophical Society, having a double value, both as the originals
of Bewick's work and as being the oldest collection of stuffed
birds now in existence. Many of the specimens, still in good
preservation, were mounted at least one hundred years ago.
Stiff or distorted as they often are, they may yet bear com-
parison as works of art with many much more recent specimens
in the British Museum.
The first volume of the ' British Birds ' was published in
1797, Mr. Beilby undertaking the letter-press, but being much
more assisted by Bewick than in the former work. At the
completion of the first volume they dissolved partnership, and
Bewick tells us he " was obliged from necessity, not choice, to
commence author." " As soon as each bird was finished on the
Review of the Memoir of Thomas Bewick. 375
wood, I set about describiug it from my specimen, and at the
same time consulted every authority I could meet with to know
what had been said ; and this, together with what I knew from
my own knowledge, were then compared; and in this way I
finished, as truly as I could, the second volume of the ' History of
Birds.'" This was published in 1804.
We cannot but regret that the Memoir before us gives us no
further insight into Bewick^s labours, being henceforth entirely
filled with disquisitions foreign to art and natural history, and in-
tended rather for his own family than for the public. He lived till
1828, and reached the age of 75, having occupied his later years
partly in filling up gaps in his ' History of British Birds,' as new
editions were called for, and also in collecting materials and
engraving blocks for a ' History of British Fishes.' The vignettes
and tail-pieces for this were completed before his death. Seven-
teen of the engravings of fishes are appended to the memoir,
and a few of the vignettes are interspersed. These are all iu
Bewick's happiest style, and only lead us to regret that so many
of his sketches have been withheld. If Bewick's hand grew old,
his fancy retained all its truth and beauty till the last. It is
no secret how many of his later vignettes have never been pub-
lished, or even printed. Yet it cannot be expected that, as the
generation to whom Bewick was personally known is passing
away, these sketches will have an equal interest in a few years.
The price at which the memoir has been published is such as might
have well warranted the inti'oduction of all his unpublished
works. Bewick had also prepared likenesses of many of his
friends who are mentioned in the memoir. The inti'oduction of
these would have largely added to the local interest of the work,
before the worthies of the past generation have quite gone out
of mind. Still more would that interest have been heightened,
could we have had some notes on the vignettes which stud the
whole of Bewick's works. His last vignette was a sketch of
the house in which he was born, with a prophetic picture of his
funeral procession emerging, and a ferry-boat waiting to convey
the coffin across the river to Ovingham Church. So through
life he always delighted to mingle in his drawings personal and
local associations. Many of his tail-pieces are admirable land-
2 c 2
376 Revietv of the Memoir of Thomas Bewick.
scapes of historical Northumbrian localities, now fast perishing
under the advance of coal and iron ; and there is scarcely a
vignette which does not contain a likeness of some character
familiar fifty years since on Tyneside, perchance an old village
hero of "the '45/' a popular mendicant, a ballad-singer, a "daft
Jamie," or notorious poacher. One of his humorous pieces is
the devil whipping the driver of a coal-cart under the gallows-
Bewick, having detected his coalman in the act of cheating him,
revenged himself by drawing a striking likeness of him, and then,
calling him in, showed him the picture, with this pithy admoni-
tion : — " Now then, if thou goes on as thou has been doing wi'
me, the devil will get thee and tak thee to the gallows." Many
such stories are told by Mr. Atkinson in his sketch of Bewick,
published more than thirty years since. Indeed, we may con-
sider him to have been, among engravers, what Hogarth was
among painters, and Burns among poets. His fancy was
unpruned by academic instruction ; but who can tell a story like
him in so few lines ? He embodies the quaintness of Quarles
with the depth of Holbein's meanings. He has all Burns's
tenderness of disposition, quick perception of the ridiculous, and
power in portraying it, and, above all, his admiration for and
understanding of nature. In all his designs (and they may be
counted by hundreds) there is real poetry. Witness, in the
volume before us, the poacher's drunken wife in her hovel, with
her ragged urchins on the floor, the salmon spear, and the ballad-
sheet of the last dying speech and confession on the wall ; the
hobgoblin, formed from a gnarled and fantastically twisted trunk,
which appals even the dog ; the clown between his two wayward
pigs ; an ass frantically obstinate by the upsetting of the bee-
hives he has disturbed, and vainly rubbing off" his tormentors
against their own hive ; a gentleman's son and a ragged urchin
fishing together, the former without a nibble, while the switch
and crooked pin have just landed a fine trout ; a wooden-legged
pensioner stuck in a broken stile ; a Tyne salmon-fisher repairing
his draw-net. These and scores of others are quite enough to
give their author a place as one of nature's artists, for he had
that truth in familiar things which is also real poetry.
Though there is much more superficial splendour in more
Review of the Memoir 0/ Thomas Bewick. 377
modern works, yet none have surpassed Bewick in fidelity to
nature ; and this is shown in a remarkable way in his distant
flights of birds, when the species can always be recognized, as
in the vignette of two crows persecuting a hawk, while a pair of
magpies enjoy the fun.
Bewick's guileless love for nature was exemplified in the
smallest things. He could not bear the idea of wanton destruc-
tion of life, or of harsh treatment of the lower animals. His
last contemplated work was to have been a series illustrative of
the claims of the horse on humanity, of which the well-known
'Waiting for Death' is the only finished plate. He would
drily remark to youths shooting swallows, that they were
destroying creatures of infinitely more use than themselves.
But we are becoming garrulous as the old man himself, and
must conclude this notice with the expression of our satisfaction
at receiving any addition to our souvenirs of Bewick, and our
regi-et that thirty years have elapsed since the memoir ought to
have been published. We could have wished to have seen all
his chisel has left, before its interest has become merely anti-
quarian, and, in place of many chapters of political and theolo-
gical dreams, some reminiscences, such as Mr. A. Hancock,
amongst others, could have supplied, illustrative of the man and
his works. There is no list of his publications attached, but this
omission we have ventured to supply in a note*, as far as we can,
* The following is a list of Bewick's Works : —
Gay's Fables. 1779. Saint.
Select Fables. 1783. Saint.
History of Quadrupeds. Editions of 1790, 1791, 1792, 1800. Hodgson.
History of Quadi-upeds. 5th edition, 1807; 6th, 1811; 7th, 1820.
E. Walker.
[The Bats are omitted in the first edition. The fourth, in 1800, is the
best, and is the first with the Linnean names appended. In 1818, twenty-
five copies were taken on 4to paper.]
History of British Birds. Vol. i. 1797. Hodgson,
History of British Birds. Vol. ii. 1804. Walker.
[The second, third, and fourth editions were pubhshed in 1805, 1809,
and 1816, by Walker. In 1800 a small edition of the Land Birds, plates
and vignettes only, was published, without letter -press ; and in 1817
twenty-five copies of the whole work, without letter-press, were pubhshed
in 4to. Owing to this circumstance and to the great care employed in
378 Recent Ornithological Publications.
from other sources. Though there is much here which does not
directly bear on the subject-matter of this Magazine, yet ornitho-
logists owe too much to Bewick to grudge, unless we grievously
mistake, this homage to his memory. We, who have reaped
the fruits of his early and unaided labours, will not be the last
to acknowledge our obligation.
XLV. — Recent Ornithological Publications.
1. English Publications.
Messrs. Groombridge and Sons are re-issuing Mr. Morris's
'History of British Birds' in a cheaper form. Eight coloured
plates and accompanying letter-press of thirty-two pages are now
given for a shilling. It can hardly be expected that at this
price the illustrations should attain any high degree of excel-
lence, but we may say that they are generally recognizable ; and
we cannot but be well satisfied at the indication thus afforded of
an increasing popular taste for natural history ; for it is only the
prospect of a large sale that could induce the publishers of the
work to issue it at so reduced a rate.
Another recent publication on British ornithology* has issued
from the depository of the Society for Promoting Christian
Knowledge. The Rev. C. A. Johns expressly disclaims all idea
of proposing a substitute for * Yarrell,' but yet ventures to
hope that his work on 'British Birds in their Haunts' may
supply "the lover of nature with a pleasant companion in his
country walks, and the young ornithologist with a manual
which will supply his present need, and prepare him for the
taking off these impressions, they are vastly superior to any others. In
1825, 100 copies more were taken off, without letter-press. The 5th and
6th editions ^yere published in 1820 and 1826 respectively.]
Goldsmith's and Parnell's Poems, illustrated by Bewick. Editions
1795 and 1802. Bulmer.
Somerville's 'Chase,' illustrated by Bewick. 1796 and 1802. Bulmer.
iEsop's Fables, by Bewick. Edits. 1818 and 1824. Walker.
* British Birds iu their Haunts. By the Rev. C. A. Johns ; with illustra-
tions on wood, drawn by Wolf, engraved by Whimper. London, 1862,
1 vol., 626 p]i.
Recent Ornithological Publications. 379
study of more important works/' Mr. Wolf's woodcuts should
be a great inducement to those who want some popular and
readable information about our feathered tribes in this country
to select Mr. Johns's volume ; but we cannot believe that the con-
cise characters of either genera or species as here given are
likely to be of much assistance to the student in determining
doubtful species.
Dr. Bree has almost disarmed us as critics of his work, by the
graceful compliment he has lately paid to this Magazine. Though
we have occasionally ventured to differ from the opinions he has
put forth, we have never done so without regret, and we have
always borne testimony to the excellence of his intentions. It
is only due to the worthy Doctor that we should now add a
word in praise of the good temper in which he has taken our
remarks, unfavourable as they may have sometimes been to his
treatment of the subject. That his labours would prove highly
useful, — if only in directing attention to a branch of the study,
like the Ornithology of Europe, which has hitherto been so
much neglected in this country, — we have from the first main-
tained. Each succeeding part of the work shows increasing
care on the part of its author.
While modesty prevents our enlarging upon the lately com-
pleted ' Catalogue of a Collection of American Birds '*, our duty,
as a faithful chronicler of ornithological bibliography, obliges
us to notice the fact of its publication. In the hope that our
work may be found useful to those who are interested in the orni-
thology of the New World, we have entrusted it to an indulgent
public. More than this our readers will not expect us to say.
Mr. Mason's volume on Burmahf, published at Rangoon
* Catalogue of a Collection of American Birds belonging to Philip
Lutley Sclater, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.S. London : Triibner and Co.
t Burmah, its People and Natural Productions ; or. Notes on the
nations, fauna, flora, and minerals of Tenasserim, Pegu, and Burmah, with
systematic catalogues of the known mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, insects,
mollusks, crustaceans, annelids, radiates, plants, and minerals, with verna-
cular names. By the Rev. F. Mason. Rangoon, 1860. London : Triibner
and Co.
380 Recent Ornithological Publications.
in 1860, has only recently come under our notice. Mr. Mason
does not appear to have much scientific knowledge, and relies
chiefly upon Mr. Blyth, Major Phayre, and other well-known
authoi'ities for his information. He (or his printer) make sad
mistakes when scientific terms are used. As far as regards
ornithological matters, the volume seems principally a compila-
tion, but may still be worth referring to by those who want to
learn something of Burmah and its productions.
2. French Publications.
The ' Revue et Magasin de Zoologie ' for the present year has
already presented us with four valuable papers by MM. Jules
Verreaux and 0. DesMurs. On one of these by the gentleman
last named, relating to the ' Tachard ' of Le Vaillant, we have
already given Mr. J. H. Gurney's remarks*. Of the joint
attempt of these two ornithologists to identify Falco eleonora
of Gen^ with the veritable Falco concolor of Temminck, we can
only say, we are not yet convinced, though we have been for
some time acquainted with the serious suspicions that have pre-
vailed upon this subject in several quarters. We gladly wel-
come the same naturalists' additions to their previous ' Catalogue
of the Birds of New Caledonia,' and further notes on the species
previously mentioned. The number of New Caledonian birds
now kno^vn appears to be eighty-one. But their third paper
also conveys some intelligence which demands serious attention.
It is a description of a new species of Synoicus (lege Syncectis),
founded on a single example taken in Lombardy ! We have
only to express our hope that Dr. Bree will not include S. lo-
doisite in his promised Supplement, on the strength of this
very singular capture. It is hard enough for the unbelieving
spirit of a naturalist to credit the fact of an Australian bird of
any kind occurring in Europe ; but that the first example of a
new species should take the trouble to desert the Antipodean
continent, and divulge its existence to civilized man for the
first time in the middle of the kingdom of Italy, quite surpasses
our belief. Credat Judaus Apella, non nos ! C'est un peu trop
fort. Messieurs nos confreres !
* See antea, p. 361.
Recent Ornithological Publications. 381
3. German Publications.
Of the * Journal fiir Ornithologie ' we have received the first
three numbers for the present year, and, more lately, the sixth
and concluding part of last yearns volume, which has been long
delayed for the sake of a plate representing the recently re-
cognized Wren of the Faroe Islands and Iceland {Troglodytes
borealis, Fischer), which is in many respects a very interesting
little bird. When all the articles merit attention, it is almost
an invidious task to name those most deserving of praise. The
last number in particular contains three important papers by Dr.
Cabanis, Dr. Gundlach, and others. In the second number for
this year, Herr Preyer commences a paper on the Great Auk
{Alca — or, as he prefers to call it, Plautus — impennis), which, we
suppose, is the work formerly announced (see antea, p. 297).
As yet he has treated of little else than its systematic position.
Herr E. Schiitt also furnishes an account of his discovery of the
nesting of the Nutcracker {Nucifraga caryocatactes), of which,
on account of the interest taken in this subject by English
oologists, we have given a translation in our present Number.
In the first number for 1862, Professor Blasius has some re-
marks on the Great Northern Falcons, from which it appears
that he now acquiesces in the views taken by Mr. John Hancock
on this subject. We are greatly pleased to find that the opi-
nion of our countryman, to which we lately called attention*,
is adopted by so high an authority.
The eighth part of Herr Badeker's oological work has been
delivered to subscribers in England. We must repeat our regret
that so little attention is apparently paid to the authentication
of the specimens figured. In the present number there is a
representation of an egg of Halia'etus albicilla with deeply
coloured spots, and the accompanying letter-press merely men-
tions that such eggs are rare. Now we do not venture to pro-
claim that they may never occur, but we are not aware of any
recorded proof of the accuracy of the above assertion, nor have
we ever seen an egg of this species marked with any true colour.
* Ibis, January 1862, p. 46, "Review of the new Continuation of Naumann."
383 Recent Ornithological Publications.
Mr. Hewitsou, indeed, has twice over figured (Br. Ool. pi. xlv.^
and Eggs B. B. 1st ed. p. ii. fig. 3) one specimen tinged with
rust-colour, but he has subsequently suggested (Eggs B. B. 2nd
ed. p. 17) that the markings thereon were only dirt-stains.
This is probably the case, supposing the egg to be really that
of the Sea Eagle — a fact by no means certain, if, as we have
been informed, all that is known about it is that it came from
the island of Hoy, where the Golden Eagle used to breed a
^Qw years ago.
4. Scandinavian and Russian Publications.
We are informed that a third series of the ' Naturhistorisk
Tidsskrift ' — formerly well known under the editorship of Prof.
Kroyer, but which ceased to appear about twelve years ago —
has been commenced. This continuation is conducted by Prof.
Schiodte, and its second number contains " Some Observations
on the Birds of Denmark, especially as regards Vendsyssel"
(a district in the northern part of Jutland), by Herr Fischer of
Copenhagen. The portion of the paper published treats only of
the birds of prey ; but its author adds two species to the fauna
of that country, though one of them, Strix scops, having been
taken only on board a steamer in the North Sea, can hardly be
considered a legitimate addition. The other. Circus pallidus,
was obtained on terra firma, and so far may be justifiably en-
rolled as an occasional visitor to Denmai'k, if it has not been, as
Herr Fischer considers, formerly overlooked in Jutland.
The 23rd volume of the ' Contributions to the Knowledge of
the Russian Empire'*, published by the Imperial Academy of
Sciences of St. Petersburg in 1861, contains Prof. Radde's
account of his travels in Eastern Asia from 1855 to 1859. In
the narrative of the four expeditions made by this active explorer
during this period will be found very many observations on
natural history of all sorts, and in particular frequent notices
of the occurrence of birds, many of which are of very great
interest. The times of the appearance of migrants going north
* Beitiivgc zur Kenntniss des Russischen Rciches und dcr angrenzenden
Lander Asiens, vol. xxiii. St. Petersburg, 1861.
Letters, Extracts fj^om Con'espondetice, Notices, <Sfc. 383
and south appears to have been always carefully observed. The
first arrival in Transbaikalia, after the long winter of 1856, were
the Siberian Daw {Corviis [Moneduld] dauricus) on the 6th of
March, and the Great Bustard ( Otis tarda) ; after which ap-
peared St/rrhaptes paradoxus, already in pairs, Falco tinnunculus,
Falco asalon, Accentor montanellus, &c. On the 30th April the
first Swallow appeared ; but the Syrrhaptes had at that period
already commenced to hatch its eggs. Those who wish to
become acquainted with the proceedings of many of the rarer
European species should not fail to make themselves acquainted
with Herr Radde's interesting narrative of his exploration of
these little-known countries.
5. American Publications.
We cannot expect much from our ornithological brethren on
the other side of the Atlantic while the present deplorable
struggle between the North and South continues, but our
readers will be glad to hear that Prof. Baird seems to pursue
his even course at the ' Smithsonian,^ in spite of the din that
must be resounding in his ears at Washington, and that his
letters show no symptoms of any disposition to quit the paths
of science. The only contribution to our branch of zoology we
have to notice since we last addressed our readers on "Ame-
rican publications,^^ is the continuation of Mr. Elliot's ' Mono-
graph of the Pittas,' of which two additional numbers are now
ready.
XL VI. — Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, ^c.
We have received the following letters : —
A VEditeur de ' Vlbis.'
Adoa en Abyssinie, 30 Nov. 1861.
Monsieur, — Me voila une autre fois en route d'exploration
en Afrique. Parti au mois de Mai de Souez par la voie de
Djeddah, je me suis rendu d'abord dans I'archipel de Dahalak,
pres de Massowa, ou nous avons pu recueillir beaucoup d'objets
ornithologiques, mais, exccpte des differentes cspeces des oeufs
{Lanis crassirostris, Phaeton (cthereus, Ardea brevipes, A. schis-
384 Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, ^c.
tacea, Acrocephalus stentorius, &c.), rien de nouveau pour moi.
Au mois de Juillet nous partames ensuite dans le pays des
Bogos, situe entre FAbyssinie et Souakim, et nous passaraes la
saison des pluies. C'est un plateau de 1000 pieds d^elevation,
arrose par un torrent tres considerable — VAin saba des indigenes
— avee un climat assez sain, et plein de vegetation magnifique. Le
fauna y est rapproche de celui d' Abyssinie, mais j'ai eu le bonheur
d'y ramasser bien des choses interessantes, surtout dans les
genres de Faucons, des Hirondinacees, et quelques Sylvia et
FringilldB qui me paraissent inconnus jusqu'au present. Pour
le moment il me manque le temps de vous en donner des ren-
seignements plus detailles. Dans le commencement de ce mois-ci
je me suis rendu par les provinces septentrionales d^Abyssinie,
le Flamesen et le Seraui, en Tigre, apres avoif passe le fameux
fleuve Mareb, et apres quelques visites des pays bas du Barca,
vers la province du Taka. Je pense de partir bientot d'ici vers
le Takasseh et les moutagnes de Semen et le sud d'Abyssinie.
De I'interieur d'Afrique je ne me manquerais pas de vous donner
un petit rapport sur mes travaux et mes decouverts.
Votre tout devoue, etc.,
Freiherr Th. de Heuglin.
To the Editor of ' The Ibis.'
Sir, — I send a few notes on the nidification of Cuculus canorus.
Though I have taken many eggs of this species, yet I am not at
present a convert to the new theory that the colour varies accord-
ing to the nest selected. The variation, I believe, arises from the
same causes as in many other sorts of eggs : take Anthus arbor eus
or Sylvia atricapilla for instance. My experience, however, is
chiefly confined to the nests of S. arundinacea and S. phragmitis.
The following are the dates of Cuckoo's eggs which came under
my observation this season : —
May 5, in nest of Fi-ingilla chloris, which contained a fresh
Cuckoo's egg only, yet the Greenfinch flew ofi" the nest.
May 22, in Sylvia phragmitis, with three eggs, all fresh.
May 28, in Sylvia arundinacea, and four eggs, incubated.
June 3, in Sylvia phragmitis, and two eggs, fresh.
Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, &fc. 385
June 9, in Sylvia arundinacea, and two eggs, fresh.
June 30, in Sylvia phragmitis, and two eggs, incubated.
All these were found in the same locality, and the last five
within a quarter of a mile, or rather less, of each other ; the time
extends nearly over May and June. A curious circumstance
occasioned the loss of the specimen found May 22. It was near
an island, in a situation where no person or quadruped could
possibly reach it, not even a rat. The keeper who found it
lifted out the Cuckoo's egg, replaced it with care, and, ac-
cording to usual custom, came to fetch me. He was absent
about half an hour; when he returned, we found that the
S. phragmitis, owner of the nest, had turned out the intruding
Cuckoo's egg, and in so doing had broken it, as its own eggs
were splashed with the yelk. This circumstance, I have strong
reason to believe, became known to the Cuckoo, who, six days
after, laid another egg not far off. The last egg (June 30) showed
much less colour than the previous one, indicating a later de-
posit of the bird.
My friend Mr. Alfred Newton has, at the Zoological Society's
meeting, April 8, 1862, investigated the subject of the hen
Fringilla incerta, taken near Brighton, March 13 last. I will,
therefore, only add, that a previous cock of great beauty, belong-
ing to Mr. Swaysland, Brighton, was recorded by me in ' The
Ibis,' April 1860, p. 201 ; and that though these are the only
two I have myself seen, yet several others are said to have been
obtained by Mr. Swaysland near Brighton, but were not much
noticed at the time, and no record kept of them.
I am. Sir, yours, &c.,
Geo. Dawson Rowley.
5, Peel Terrace, Brighton, August 27, 1862.
Mr. Blyth, in a letter dated Calcutta, May 8 last, sends us
the following notes relating to No. 13 of ' The Ibis :' —
P. 19. Pratincola leucura, nobis, was lately obtained abundantly
by Dr.Jerdon in the vicinity of Caragola, on the main stream of the
Ganges ; also Ruti^illa burnesii, nobis, Locustella navia, and a
386 Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, &^c.
new Saxicoline form {Rhodophila melanoleuca, Jerdoii). This is
not much unlike Pratincola ferrea of Hodgson in structure, but
in habit very different from the Pratincola, as it keeps to the
interior, and not to the tops, of the wild-rose bushes {Rosa
involucrata) so abundant in all that region. It is of a shining
black above, and pure white below. The young of Pratincola
leucura, in their speckled nestling plumage, were observed in
plenty ; whereas the species common about Calcutta, Pr. indica,
nobis, is certainly a migrant. Mr. Hodgson terms this species
Pr. saturatior, which expresses the reverse of its distinction in
colouring from P. ruhicola of Europe. From the latter, however,
I may remark, it differs much in its note. Dr. Jerdon also obtained
there the true Caprimulgus mahrattensis, Sykes (to which my C
arenarius from Scinde must be referred), a bird not previously
met with in Bengal.
P. 36. Not only is Haliaetus leucogaster a noted robber of
the Osprey, but also H. fulviventer (v. macei) not unfrequently
does the same act.
P. 55. Phylloscopus nitidus, nobis {Musicapa nitida ? Latham),
is as totally distinct as any species can be from the Motacilla
proregulus of Pallas. Why should Phyllobasileus (1851-2?)
take precedence of my Reguloides (1847 ?).
I now refer to this group the following species : —
1. R. pulchra [Abrornis pule her et abrochroa, Hodgson), S.E.
Himalaya.
2. R. trochiloides (Acanthiza trochiloides, Sundevall ; Phyllo-
pneuste reguloides, nobis), N. India generally, also Burmah.
3. R. viridipennis, nobis, Sikkim and Burmah.
4. R. super ciliosa (Gmelin), {proregulus of Pallas).
5. R. chloronotus (Hodgson), Himalaya and China.
Ph. nitidus, nobis, belongs to my restricted genus Phylloscopus.
N.B. Sylvia javanica, Horsf., is referred to Zoster ops in the
India House Catalogue {vide antea, pp. 66, 69).
P. 83. I consider Aquila bifasciata to be a phase of plumage
of A. imperialis. A. fulvescens of India is distinct from A.
ncevioides of Africa, which is larger and more robust ; A. hastata
is also a good species. I presume that A. bellicosa of Africa is
identified with A. bonellii, and A. morphnoides of Australia with
Lettei'S, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, (Sfc. 387
A^ pennata. This bird, in India, has always a rudimentary
crest. 1 obtained it near Moulmein. But I do not approve of
classing the former in Hieraetus.
P. 91. For Francolinus perlatus read, "the Perdix oculea of
Hardwicke's illustrations." The common Pegu Francolin {Fr.
phayrii, nobis) I consider to be distinct from F. perlatus of China
(and now of Mauritius) . It is less stout, and the male has more
developed spurs ; but the two are very similar in plumage.
P. 92. Falco sacer proves to be not uncommon in the extreme
N.W. of India, in the Sulimani range, &c. This, with F. cherrug,
F. lanarius, &c., are emphatically desert Falcons, as the Hiero-
falcones are Arctic, and the Peregrine group might be termed
cliff Falcons. To these desert Falcons Gould^s Hieracidece (the
adult and young of apparently the same species figured as dif-
ferent) approximate nearly; and surely, also, those antipodal
species that have been ranged in Hierofalco.
P. 93. I now think that Oriolus indicus and 0. chinensis are
the same, but I want better Chinese specimens to judge from. 1
obtained both O. indicus and 0. tenuirostris at Moulmein, but
the female only of the latter, which is very similar to the female
of 0. indicus, excepting in the head and the form of the bill.
The female of O. tenuirostris is still a desideratum.
The following notes ai'c extracted from Mr. Blyth's more recent
letters : —
" Two distinct races of Cuckoos have been confounded under
the name Cuculus striatus, Drapiez, but were distinguished long
ago in the ' Madras Journal ' by Lord Arthur Hay, — a larger aud
a smaller species. The former is C. striatus, Drapiez, from Java ;
and we have it, identically the same, from Malacca and from
Mussoree. It is C. affinis, A. Hay. The latter is C. tnicropterus,
Gould. This I have never seen from the Malayan region, but
it is common in Burmah during the rains. I obtained there
also, in the cold season (at Moulmein), the young of Cuculus
canorus ; and C. himalayanus in Upper Martaban,
"Gould gives Strix flammea in his list of birds from near
Bankok (P.Z.S. 1859, p. 151). He must mean S.javanica, which
388 Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, b^c.
is as common in Burmah as it is in India. Yarrell and others
extend the range of S.fiammea to South Africa ; but a Cape speci-
men we have is certainly distinct, and is Strix affinis, nobis {Strix
flammea apud nos, J. A. S. xxix. 100). It is rather larger than
Strix flammea, with the general colouring much deeper, the back
being of a more prevalent and darker ashy, the lower parts more
strongly fulvous, and especially the primaries and tail much more
broadly and distinctly banded, the dark markings being greatly
more developed than even in the true S. flammea of Europe and
N. Africa. Closed wing 11| in. ; tail 5^ ; shank (anteriorly) 2 in.
A third African species is Strix poensis, Fraser (P.Z.S. 1842,
p. 189). The Strix capensis, A. Smith, is a Scelostrix, Kaup
(v. Glaux, nobis, preoccupied in botany).
"Jerdon and myself have just been critically examining a
number of Shrikes of the superciliosus type. There are four
recognizable races, viz. L. superciliosus (verus), from the Malayan
peninsula ; L. phcenicurus, Pallas, of India, &c. ; L. lucionensis,
Scop., of the Philippines, China, Ceylon, and the Andaman
Islands ; and L. arenarius, nobis, from the desert region of
N.W. India. Of these the third has rather a deeper bill than the
others : the second I observed at Akyab during the cold season
as abundantly as in Lower Bengal ; but to the south (as about
Moulmein especially) it is replaced by L. hypoleucos, nobis,
which Gould gives also from Siam, having exactly the same
harsh chattering note and habits. Once only I observed L.
hypoleucos during my month's stay in the Yunzalia forests of
Upper Martaban. These are the only two Shrikes that I ob-
served in Burmah. A very common bird on the Moulmein
hills is the beautiful Crypsirhina varians ; and Dendrocitta rufa is
also abundant there. But the most characteristic bird of those
hills is Garrulax belangeri.
" While writing the above, I have been interested in listening
to the song-notes issuing from a cage containing three pairs of
the Malayan Loriculus pumilus. These are the nearest approach
to a proper song that I know of among the Psittacidce — far more
so even than the pleasing twittering and chirruping of the Melo-
psittacus undulatus of Australia. As a rule among the Parrots,
the larger the species the harsher and more discordant are the
Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, ^c. 389
natural notes, from the huge Maccaws of SoutTi America and
greater Cockatoos of the grand Australian region, down to the
diminutive species of Agapornis, Psittacula, Loriculus, Melo-
psittacus, &c. My Andaman Kittacincla albiventris is also now
pouring forth his quaint and deep-toned (though rather mono-
tonous) whistling, as unlike the richly varied song of K. macrou-
rus as can well be imagined/^
"In a recent article in the 'Atlantic Monthly Magazine/
entitled ' Then and Now in the Old Dominion,^ there are some
interesting notices of the early settlements in Virginia ; and the
author remarks, incidentally, ' On one occasion the writer, walk-
ing through one of these fields, startled an English Lark, which
rose singing and soaring skyward. It sang a theme of the olden
time. Governor Spottiswood brought with him, when he came,
a number of these Larks, and made strenuous efforts to domesti-
cate them in the neighbourhood of Fredericksburg, Virginia.
He did not succeed. Now and then we have heard of one
being seen companionless. It is a sad symbol of the nobler
being who tried to domesticate himself in Virginia — the fine old
English gentleman. He is now seen but little oftener than the
silver grass and the Lark which he brought with him.^ But
the Larks could not all of them have been companionless, if
their posterity continues to exist to the present time. The late
M. Audubon told me one day, in the course of conversation, that
he had turned out many British Skylarks in the (then) United
States, but that he had not heard of their multiplying. I am
aware that the Skylark is one of those European birds that
have been obtained in the Bermudas ; but there it was probably
a straggler from the opposite side of the Atlantic."
" Lieut. Beavan (of the late 63rd B.N.I.) has just returned here
from Darjeeling, where (though chiefly on Tonglo Mountain,
10,000 feet, on the Nipal frontier of Sikhim, and some thirty
miles from Darjeeling) he has collected many good things in a
very short time. Of novelties, a fine new true Bullfinch {Pi/r-
rhula erythaca, nobis), being the fourth which the Himalaya has
yielded. Size of P. nipalensis, with equally furcate tail ; pectoral
region bright red; all the upper parts, to white rump-band, pure
ashy, like the back of male P. vulgaris, — a black ring, set off with
VOL. IV. 2 D
390 Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, S^c.
white, encircling the belly, as in P. erythrocephala ; throat and
fore neck grey, whitish towards the chin ; the abdominal region
paler grey, and the lower tail-coverts pure white. Tail as in P.
nipalensis. A broad brownish-grey band [\ inch broad) tipping
the greater wing-coverts. A new Propasser I call P. frontalis.
It is most like P. rhodopepla, but has a smaller bill and longer
tail. Feathers of forehead, supercilia, and throat elongated and
narrow, and glistening rosy, with the centres of a vinaceous
white ; the broad frontal band almost whitish. The female also
is very diflFerent from the female of the other species. There
are other good things in his collections."
Mr. Gatke writing from Heligoland (August 12th) says : —
" The harvest of this spring does not furnish so interesting a
list as I formerly communicated to you ; nevertheless not many
collectors of our latitude might be able to match even that. I
obtained here, April 29th, a very fine old male of Emberiza
cirlus ; May 7th, quite as fine a specimen of Totanus stagnatilis ;
May 16th, a Strix scops, — these three species being new to
Heligoland. Further, May 16th, also a very fine old male
Emb. ccesia ; and on the 28th of the same month, a fine Emb.
melanocephala, old male."
t<
A fine adult male of the Dotterel {Charadrius morinellus) was
killed at Tringhoe, in a corn-field, on the 14th inst., by one of
Earl Brownlow's keepers. It is now, through the kindness of a
friend, in my possession. I regret to say that it got terribly
fly-blown before it came into my hands, and I fear it will be
scarcely fit for stuffing. I am not aware that the occurrence of
this bird has been previously recorded in Buckinghamshire.
There is, however, some bleak down-country in the vicinity of
Tringhoe not at all uncongenial to its habits.
" H. Harpur Crewe."
"The Rectory, Drayton Beauchainp, Tring, Aug. 23, 1862."
" Since my last letter, announcing the occurrence of the Dot-
terel {Charadrius morinellus) at Tringhoe, Bucks, I have gleaned
Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, ^c. 391
some additional interesting particulars. On August 14tli the
keeper was out with his gun in a fallow-field, when he heard a
low whistle, which for some weeks previous he had heard near
his cottage in the evening. Presently two birds got up and
came (to use his own words) straight towards him, like light-
ning. He fired, and both birds fell. He picked up one, an
adult male, which came into my possession. The female dropped
in a hollow, and he could not find it. It was afterwards picked
up by some children, in whose hands the keeper saw it ; but it
had been so pulled about that it was fit for nothing, and it was
finally plucked, cooked, and eaten by their mother. It may be
interesting to some of your readers to hear that two specimens
of the Cirl Bunting [Emheriza cirlus) were caught in a net by
a friend of mine, last winter, at Pitstone, Bucks, the adjoining
parish to Tringhoe : one of them unfortunately got thrown away,
as my friend did not know what it was ; but the other is in my
possession. I have little doubt that this bird breeds in the
neighbourhood, as in May 1861 I saw a fine adult male in the
parish of Albury, which is adjacent to both Pitstone and Tring-
hoe. " H. Harpur Crewe."
"The Rectory, Drayton Beauchamp, Tring, Sept. 9, 1862,"
With great regret we have to record a fresh addition to the
already long list of martyrs to the cause of science — that of a
naturalist whose explorations have been several times noticed in
these pages. Sir R. Schomburgk sends the following notice to
the ' Athenaeum,' April 31st : — " Information has just been
received at Bangkok of the death of M. Mouhot de Montbeliard,
a French traveller and naturalist, who fell a victim to the jungle
fever in November last, at the confines of Tonquin. M. Mouhot
arrived in Bangkok in 1858, encouraged in his travels by some
lovers of natural history in England, and accounts of the new
discoveries which he has made have been frequently read before
the Zoological Society in London. He was a fair draughtsman ;
and as his collections have been taken care of by the Siamese
authorities where he died, and are now daily expected in Bangkok,
under the charge of his servants, it is to be hoped that his
manuscripts and drawings are likewise safe. In his personal
3 d3
392 Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, 5fc.
manners M. Mouhot was most amiable and unassuming. In
him, the science of natural history has lost a worthy disciple/*
To this we may add that, as we are informed by Mr. S. Stevens,
his agent in London, M. Henri Mouhot died at Muang Luang
Prabong, the capital city of Eastern Lao, on the 18th of Novem-
ber last year. Notices of some of M. Mouhot's extensive col-
lections in mammalogy and herpetology will be found in the
'Proceedings of the Zoological Society^ for 1860 and 1861, by
Dr. J. E. Gray and Dr. Giinther.
Mr. Gould is engaged in preparing for publication the two
first numbers of a new and most remarkable addition to his
magnificent series of ornithological works. On this occasion,
instead of going to America or Australia to select objects for his
pencil, he has chosen the more familiar subjects of the " Birds of
Great Britain." It may be added that Mr. Gould has devoted
more than usual care and attention to the production of this
work. The accurate and characteristic portraits of our feathered
favourites which have thus resulted will, we are sure, render this
the most popular and the most successful of all Mr. Gould's
scientific undertakings.
'O^
Major R. C. Tytler, whose name is familiar to many of our
readers as that of an energetic worker in Indian ornithology,
has lately been appointed to the chief command at Port Blair,'
the capital of the new settlement in the Andaman Islands.
Major Tytler, as we learn from Mr. Blyth, has already procured
a fine new Tree-crow {Dendrocitta), of which he was forwarding
specimens, with other novelties, to the Museum of the Asiatic
Society of Bengal at Calcutta.
INDEX.
Abrornis pulcher, 386.
Acanthisitta chloris, 219.
citrina, 219.
longipes, 219.
punctata, 220.
tenuirostris, 219.
Acanthiza igata, 221.
tenuirostris, 219.
truchiloideS; 55, 386.
Acanthopneuste, 68.
Acanthylis caudacuta, 317.
Accentor alpinus, 71.
montanellus, 383.
Accipiter approximans,
215.
nisus, 278, 314.
peetoralis, 194.
tachiro, 155.
Acridotheres cristatellus,
260.
tristis, 92.
Acrocephalus instilaris,
384.
stentorius, 384.
Actitis rufescens, 62, 71.
Actiturus bartramius, 9,
277.
Actodromas bairdii, 85.
bonapartii, 85, 277.
. maculata, 85, 277.
minutilla, 85, 308.
wilsoni, 277.
Aedon familiaris, 6(y.
galactodes, 66.
^gialites ?, 289.
cantianus, 255, 330.
lesehenaultii, 255.
philippina, 255.
Tociferus, 8, 275, 276.
.^igiothus canescens, 187.
exilipes, 187.
fuscescens, 85, 86,187.
holbolli, 187.
linaria, 187-
rostratus, 187.
■ rufescens, 187.
^githalus minutus, 147.
Agelaius phoeniceus,7,128.
Alauda ?,224.
Alauda alpestris, 88, 189.
arborea, 275, 279.
arvensis, 89, 275, 288.
brachydactyla, 71.
japonica, 327.
littorea, 224.
novae seelandiag, 224.
Alca impennis,77, 301, 381.
Alcedo bengalensis, 325.
cyanea, 217.
ispida, 278.
sacra, 217.
vagans, 217.
Alectroenas nitidissima,
196.
Ampelis garrulus, 295, 308.
Amycbus tristrami, 278.
Anarhynchus frontalis,234
Anas acuta, 279.
atra, 242.
atricilla, 242.
barrovii, 297.
boscbas, 9, 84, 180,
254, 332.
cbeneros, 241.
chlorotis, 241.
clypeata, 254.
cygnus, 77.
falcaria, 254.
fusca, 241, 332.
histrionica, 297.
leucophrys, 241.
malacorhynchus, 101,
241.
mediterranea, 241.
nigra, 332.
novas-zealandiae, 242.
perspicUlata, 72.
querquedula, 180.
rhynchotis, 241.
stelleri, 72.
superciliosa, 241, 285.
variegata, 241.
Andropadus importunus,
29.
Anoiis ?, 191.
cinereus, 192, 250.
leucocapillus, 250.
melanogenys, 191.
Anoiis niger, 249.
stolidus, 249.
Anser ?, 332.
albatus, 84.
bernicla, 332.
ferus, 254, 288.
hyperboreus, 84, 254.
minutus, 92.
rossii, 84.
segetum, 180, 253.
variegata, 241.
Anthomyza caeruleoce-
phala, 218.
Anthornis melanocepbala,
218.
melaniira, 105, 218,
285.
Anthus
-?,147,224.
■ agilis, 263.
• aquaticus, 347.
• arboreus, 384.
aucklandicus, 224.
berthelotii, 343, 345,
348.
campestris, 62, 343,
345, 347.
cervinus, 71.
grayi, 224.
icterinus, 147.
limonellus, 147.
ludovicianus,4,7l,85.
novifi zealandiffi, 224,
285.
pratensis, 343, 348.
richardi, 62, 71.
trivialis, 343.
Antrostomus carolinensis,
96, 128.
Apalis thoracica, 146.
Aplonis australis, 223.
obscurus, 227.
zelandicus, 227.
Aptenodyta papua, 243.
Aptenodytes flavilarvata,
243.
minor, 243.
papua, 243.
peunantii, 242.
Apteryx australis, 104, 233.
394
INDEX.
Apteryx major, 233.
manteilii, 233, 234.
—— maxima, 233.
owenii, 233.
Aquila adalberti, 82.
audax, 207.
bellicosa, 386.
bifasciata, 83, 386.
bonellii, 83, 386.
chrysaetos, 83, 179,
clanga, 83.
desmursi, 83.
fucosa, 82.
fulva, 180.
fulvesceas, 386.
gurneyi, 83.
haliaetus, 180.
-; hastata, 386.
imperialis, 83, 386.
malayensis, 82, 83.
morphnoides, 386.
ngevia, 83.
ngevio'ides, 82, 83,
386.
pennata, 83, 387.
vulturina, 82.
Aramus giganteus, 129.
Arboricola bambusee, 259.
Ardea alba, 235.
(Botaurus) australis,
236.
brevipes, 383.
cserixlea, 236.
cmerea,l70,180,236.
egretta, 170.
exilis, 96.
flavirostris, 235.
goisagi, 331.
herodias, 129, 170.
jugularis, 236.
latirostrum, 236.
ludoviciana, 201.
matook, 235.
poicilopterus, 236.
schistacea, 383.
Ardetta cinnamomea, 258.
flavicollis, 258.
sinensis, 258.
Argus giganteus, 91.
Artamus fuscus, 306.
Astur approximans, 215.
faseiatus, 215.
magnirostris, 289.
melanoleueus, 155.
nisus, 314.
radiatus, 215.
Asturina brachyura, 82.
Atelornis pittoides, 271.
Athene (Seeloglaux) albifa-
cies, 216.
Athene novae seelandise,
104, 216, 285.
strenua, 286.
whitneyi, 187.
woodfordi, 37.
Attagen ariel, 191.
Avocetta novse zealandise,
237.
Aythya vallisneria, 10, 308.
Balseniceps rex, 79.
Balearica pavonina, 170.
Basanistes melanoleueus,
148.
Batrachostomus affinis,
304.
javanensis, 304.
moniliger, 304.
stellatus, 304.
Bernicla canadensis, 9.
Bessonornis eaffra, 148.
vociferans, 152.
BombycLlla phoenicoptera,
326.
Bonasa europsea, 288.
umbeUoides, 286.
Bonasia sylvestris, 324,
329.
• mnbellus, 329.
Botaurus melanotis, 236.
melanotus, 101.
poicilopterus, 236.
steUaris, 165.
Brachyptemus badius, 257
Bradyomis sUens, 148.
Bradypterus sylvaticus,
146.
Bruchigavia jamesoni, 248.
Bubo ascalaphus, 278.
lacteus, 26, 284.
Bucephala albeola, 10, 308.
americana, 10.
Buceros coronatvis, 157.
monoceros, 157.
Bucorax abyssiaicus, 37,
338.
Budytes citreola, 70.
flava, 260.
rayi, 260.
Buphus comatus, 157.
coromandus, 258.
Butahs adusta, 148.
hypogrammica, 348,
350.
Buteo bairdii, 184.
borealis, 184.
brachypterus, 266,
363.
calurus, 184.
canescens, 362.
Buteo cirtensis, 362.
cooperi, 184.
delalandi, 361, 363.
desertorum, 362.
ferox, 362.
fuligiaosus, 185.
harlani, 184.
insignatus, 184, 286.
japonicus, 314.
melanops, 286.
minutus, 82.
montanus, 184.
oxypterus, 184.
— — poecilouotus, 286.
pterocles, 286.
rufinus, 278, 362.
rufiventer, 362.
swaiiisonii, 184.
tachardus, 361.
Buteogallas uigriceUis,
286.
Butorides virescens, 129,
289.
Caecabis rubra, 288.
saxatihs, 288.
Calamoherpe eantillans,
318.
certhiola, 66.
orientahs, 317.
rufescens, 145.
Cahdris arenaria, 277.
CaUaeas cinerea, 105, 226.
wilsoni, 227.
Calliope pectorahs, 303,
CaUispiza frantzii, 83.
CaUiste icterocepliala, 83.
Calyptorhynchus banksii,
285.
Campephaga ferruginea,
225.
leucopygia, 226.
longicaudata, 226.
Carapepliilus pruicipahs,
128.
Cancroma, 79.
Capito erythrocephalus, 1.
maculicoronatus, 1.
peruvianus, 1.
Caprimulgus ?, 278,
336.
278.
arenarius, 386.
atrovarius, 143.
europseus, 40, 270,
270.
madagascariensis,
386.
mahrattensis, 304,
ruficoUis, 39.
INDEX.
395
Caprimulgus rufigena, 336.
lentiginosus, 143.
smithii, 143.
Carbo am-itus, 252.
cormoranus, 332.
flavigula, 252.
floridanus, 201.
siilcLrostris, 252,
Cardellina rubra, 96.
Cardinalis virgiiiianus, 128.
Carpodacus piirpureus, 6.
Carpophaga norfolciensis,
232.
novae zelandia;, 105,
331, 285.
princeps, 232.
• spadicea, 232.
Casarca castanea, 241.
variegata, 101, 240.
Casuarius galeatus, 78.
uiii-appendiculatus,
18.
Catarracta antarctica, 248.
Catarrhactes antipodes,
243.
minor, 243.
Cathartes atratus, 128.
■ aura, 81, 128.
— — urubitinga, 81,
Ceblepyris cana, 273.
Centropus ?, 230.
Centroiu-us australis, 230.
Centrurus productus, 230.
Centurus carolinus, 128.
Ceropia crassirostris, 225.
Certhia concinnata, 217,
heteroclites, 220,
melanui-a, 218,
mexicana, 195.
olivacea, 218.
sannio, 218.
Certhiola flaveola, 288.
Certhiparus albicillus, 220.
cinerea, 220.
maculicaudus, 106,
221,
novse seelandise, 221.
senilis, 220, 285.
Ceryle alcyon, 3,128.
maxuna, 333.
rudis, 360.
Chalcites auratus, 337.
Chamsepelia passerina,129.
trochila, 289.
Charadrius ?, 192.
atricinctus, 235.
bicinctus, 234.
dudoroa, 235.
frontalis, 234,
glareola, 234,
Charadrius longipes, 71.
marmoratus, 71.
mongolicus, 330.
morinellus, 390, 391.
novse seelandise, 235.
obscurus, 234,
orientalis, 71.
pluvialis, 307.
pyrrhothorax, 71,
torquatula, 235,
virginianus, 71, 234.
virginicus, 8, 254,
277, 307.
xanthocheilus, 192,
234.
Chatarrhoea earlei, 19,
gularis, 19.
Cbloroceryle alcyon, 289.
americana, 289.
Chordeiles henryi, 3.
popetue, 128.
Chroicoeephalus frank-
linii, 10.
phUadelphia, 10, 129.
schimpei'i, 248.
Chrysococcyx lucidus, 231,
285.
Chrysocoma minor, 243.
pachyrhynchus, 243.
Chrysomitris pinus, 6.
spinas, 327.
Chrysomma altirostre, 22.
sinense, 22.
Ciconia alba, 180, 298.
nigra, 170.
Cinclus aquaticus, 180.
paUasii, 66, 320.
Circaetus beaudouini, 212,
214.
brachydactylus, 209,
212, 214.
cinerascens, 210,211.
fasciolatus, 35, 211,
212, 214.
gallicus, 208, 214,
melanotis, 210.
tboracicus, 209, 211,
212, 214.
zonurus, 209, 211,
214.
Circus ?, 268.
• assimilis, 215.
cineraceus, 92.
cyaneus, 92.
gouldii, 215.
maculosus, 286.
paUidus, 92, 382.
Cisticola volitans, 304.
Cistothorus palustris, 5,
Climacteris scandens, 218.
Clupeilarus antipodum,
248.
Coccothraustes vulgaris,
328.
Coenocorypha aucklandica,
237.
Colaptes auratus, 3, 128.
mexicanus, 3, 286.
Colius castanonotus, 333,
striatus, 157.
Collocalia fuciphaga, 284,
CoUurio smitbii, 337,
Collyrio borealis, 5.
excubitoroides, 5,
ludovicianus, 128,
Columba senea, 233.
argetraea, 232.
armillaris, 232.
brunnea, 233,
chalcoptera, 232.
gelastes, 181, 329.
jamiesoni, 232.
leueogaster, 232.
leucomela, 232.
leucophsea, 232,
leueozonura, 92.
melanoleuca, 232,
norfolciensis, 232.
novffi seelandise,
231.
oenas, 288.
palumbus, 180, 288,
pieata, 232.
princeps, 232,
rupestris, 92,
sieboldii, 329,
spadicea, 232.
tm-ricola, 279»
zelandica, 231.'
Colymbus arcticus, 331.
septentrionalis, 282,
Conurus carolinensis, 128.
lineolatus, 96.
Cookilaria leucoptera, 246,
Corvus americanus, 7.
cafer, 31, 152.
capensis, 152.
camivorus, 7.
cornix, 358.
corona, 326.
daiu-icus, 383.
frugilegus, 279.
japonensis, 260, 325.
leucophseus, 297.
macrorhynchus, 325.
madagascariensis,
274.
- orru, 348.
• pectoralis, 260.
■ sinensis, 260.
396
INDEX.
Corythaix paulina, 338.
porpliyreolophu3, 32.
Corythornis vintsioides,
271.
Cosnietornis vexillaria,
143.
Cossypha caffra, 148.
natalensis, 152.
Cotui'nix dactylisonans,
288.
japonica, 329.
novae zealandiae, 102,
233.
Cotyle fuligula, 145.
riparia, 4.
Crateropus chalybeus, 278.
Creadion caninculatus,227
pharoides, 227.
Crex plumbea, 239.
Criniger flavicaudus, 351.
simplex, 350.
Crypsirhina cucullata, 20.
varians, 20, 194,' 388.
Cryptorhina callseus, 226.
Cuculus affinis, 387.
canorus, 83, 92, 325,
357, 384, 387.
fasciatus, 231.
glandarius, 357, 358.
hiiiialayanus, 387.
lucidus, 231.
micropterus, 387.
nitens, 231.
striatus, 92, 263, 387.
taitensis, 231.
tenuirostris, 307.
Culicipeta ruficapilla, 152.
Curruca igata, 221.
Cursorius senegalensis,335.
Cyanocitta floridana, 129,
134, 201.
Cyanolanius bicolor, 274.
Cyanopica cooki, 295.
cyanea, 295.
Cyanoramphus auriceps,
229.
erythrotis, 228.
malherbii, 229.
novee zealandise, 228.
unicolor, 229.
Cyanospiza cyanea, 128.
Cyanura eristata, 8, 129.
stelleri, 8.
Cygnus buccinator, 9, 308.
ferus, 183.
minor, 183, 254.
musicus, 180, 254,
832.
Cypselus
■ ?, 270.
apus, 194.
Cypselus velox, 144.
vittatus, 194.
Dacelo vagans, 217.
Dafila acuta, 9, 332.
Daption capensis, 97, 98,
99, 246.
Delattria henriei, 96.
Demiegretta ludoviciana,
129.
pealii, 129.
Dendrobates fiUviscapus,
33.
Dendrocitta rufa, 388.
Dendrocygna viduata, 158.
Dendrceca petechia, 288.
Deudroica testiva, 4.
striata, 4.
Dendromus clirysurus, 38,
157.
smitliii, 37, 157.
Dicrurus ?, 336.
cineraceus, 257.
forficatus, 274.
musicus, 156.
Dinornis ?, 240.
Diomedea chlororhyncha,
97, 98.
exulans,97,98,99,247.
fuliginosa,97,99,247.
melanophrys, 97, 99.
Dominicanus antipodum,
248.
Dromseus ater, 93.
irroratus, 284.
Dromiceius novae zea-
landiae, 233.
Di"ymoeca madagascari-
ensis, 272.
Drymoica subflava, 28.
Dryocopus mai'tius, 323,
325.
Dryoscopus cubla, 31.
Dysporus fiber, 250.
Ectopistes migratoria, 8.
Egretta ?, 289.
candidissima, 201.
Elanus melanopterus, 174.
Emberiza ?, 328.
aureola, 71.
cassia, 71, 390.
cioides, 328.
ciopsis, 328.
cirlus, 390.
fucata, 328.
bortulana, 71, 288.
melanocephala, 71,
390.
melanops, 92,
Emberiza nivalis, 89.
personata, 92, 258.
pusilla, 62, 63, 71.
rustica, 71, 328.
spodocephala, 92.
sulphurata, 328.
Empidonax pusillus, 4.
Enicurus speciosus, 261,
264.
Epbialtes capensis, 30.
leucotis, 26.
Eremophila cornuta, 5.
Ereunetes pusillus, 308.
Erismatura dominica, 289.
rubida, 289.
Erythacus rubecida, 278.
Erythropygia galtoni, 146.
Erythrosterna parva, 305.
Evythrura modesta, 351.
Estrelda astrild, 31,92,156.
dufresnii, 32.
Eudromias asiaticus, 71.
Eudynamys cuneieauda,
231.
taitensis, 231, 285.
Eudyptes antipodes, 243.
minor, 243.
pachyrhynchus, 243.
Evdampis liolosericeus,289.
jugularis, 289.
Euphonia flavifrons, 288.
Euplectes capensis, 336.
flammiceps, 338.
Euplocomus vieilloti, 91.
Eupodotis australis, 114.
edwardsi, 113.
melanogaster, 153.
Eurystomus madagascari-
ensis, 270.
Falco aesalon, 383.
anatum, 286, 308.
arcticus, 50, 51, 52.
aurantius, 25.
aurioculus, 215.
australis, 215.
biarmicus, 154.
brunneus, 101, 215.
candicans, 44, 51, 52,
308.
cencbris, 65.
clicrrug, 387.
cii'cumcinctus, 23, 25.
communis, 314.
concolor, 380.
eleonorae, 380.
ferox, 215.
fuscus, 44.
gracilis, 267.
gyrfalco, 44, 48, 65.
INDEX.
397
Palco harpe, 101, 215.
islandicus, 50, 51.
islandus, 44.
labradora, 51.
lanarius, 387.
milvus, 180.
nisus, 1 80.
nov£E seelandise, 215.
palumbai'ius, 180.
peregrinus, 314.
punctatus, 267.
punctipennis, 24, 25.
radama, 266.
rusticolus, 44.
sacer, 45, 51, 92, 387.
subniger, 51.
tinnunculus, 383.
vespcrtinus, 65.
Ficedula coronata, 67, 317.
icterina, 68.
riorida cservdea, 129.
pm-purea, 289.
Toudia erythrocephala,
275.
madagascariensis,
275.
Francolinus madagascari-
ensis, 92.
perlatus, 91, 259,
387.
■ pbayrii, 387.
sinensis, 92.
vulgaris, 352.
Fregetta melanogastra,
245.
Fringilla albicilla, 220.
chloris, 384.
citrinella, 71.
incerta, 385.
kawarahiba minor,
327.
Fuliea alba, 240.
americana, 9, 129.
atra, 180.
japoniea, 331.
cristata, 153.
Fuligula clangula, 332.
cristata, 254.
marila, 254.
novee zealandiee, 242,
285.
rufma, 296.
Fulix affinis, 308.
marila, 129.
Grallinago aucklandica,
237.
megala, 255.
punctata, 236.
scolopacinus, 182.
Gallinago solitaria, 331.
steuura, 259, 331.
uniclava, 259.
wilsonii, 9, 195, 308.
Gallinula alba, 240.
cliloropus, 288, 307.
erythrothorax, 331.
galeata, 129.
gaUinago, 331.
Galliralius brachypterus,
238.
fuscus, 238.
Gallus domesticus, 76,180.
Gambetta flavipes, 9, 277.
melanoleuca, 9.
Garrulax belangeri, 388.
perspicillatus, 306.
Garrulus brandtii, 323,
326.
cervicalis, 295.
glandarius japonicus,
326.
krynickii, 295.
ornatus, 261.
(seu bispecula-
ris),263.
Gavia andersoni, 248.
Geeinus canus, 325.
Gelastes andersoni, 248.
Geocichla poliocephala,
225.
Geopelia striata, 92.
GeiTgone ? aibofrontata,
221.
flaviventris, 221.
igata, 221.
modesta, 221.
Glaucidium caiiforuicum,
187.
gnoma, 187.
Glaucopis cinerea, 226.
Graculus am'itus, 252.
brevirostris, 252.
carbo'ides, 251.
chalconotus, 252.
cirrhatus, 251.
flavirostris, 251.
floridanus, 129.
— — glaucus, 252.
javanicus, 92.
melanoleucus, 251.
punctatus, 252.
pygmseus, 92.
stictoceplialus, 252.
varius, 102, 251.
Gracupica nigricollis, 260.
Grus americana, 133, 170.
antigone, 170.
canadensis, 8, 129,
133.
Grus cinerea, 183.
virgo, 71.
Guiraca ludoviciana, 7.
Gygis Candida, 249.
Gypaetus barbatus, 278.
nudipes, 278.
Gypoictinia melanoster-
non, 283.
Hsematopus ater, 277.
australiasianus, 235.
longii'ostris, 235.
moquini, 34.
niger, 235.
picatus, 106, 235.
unicolor, 235.
Haladroma ui'inatrix, 244.
Halcyon cinnamominus,
217.
fuscicapilla, 145.
sacra, 216.
sanctus, 216, 217.
striolata, 337-
vagans, 216, 285.
Haliaetus albicilla, 381.
fulviventer, 386.
leucocephalus, 128.
leucogaster, 36, 386.
vocifer, 36.
Haliseus brevu'ostris, 252.
Halobsena cserulea, 247.
Harpagus, 25.
bidcntatus, 23.
circumcinetus, 23, 24.
diodon, 23.
Harporhynchus rufus, 5,
128.
Hartlaubia madagascarien-
sis, 275.
Hedymeles melanocepha-
lus, 286.
Heleodytes albo-brunneus,
10.
griseus, 11.
Helminthophaga celata, 4.
luciae, 187.
peregrina, 4.
Helotarsus ecaudatus, 35.
Hemiphaga novae zealan-
di£e, 232.
spadicea, 232.
Herodias egretta, 129.
flavirostris, 101, 235.
gardeni, 201.
garzctta, 258.
matook, 236.
matuka, 101.
mclanopus, 92.
pealii, 2ul.
rul'escens, 201.
398
INDEX.
Herodias riolaeea, 201.
virescens, 201.
Hesperiphona vesjjertina, 5
Heteralocha gouldi, 217.
Hiatioula ?, 192.
bichicta, 234.
novse seelandise, 235.
Hieracidea brunnea, 2] 5,
novae zelandise, 101,
214.
Himantopus albus, 237.
leucocephalus, 192.
melas, 237.
niger, 237.
nigricoUis, 129.
novae zealandiae, 237.
picatus, 237.
Hirundo ?, 270.
alpestris, 66.
bicolor, 4.
cahirica, 181, 278.
capensis, 144.
daiirica, 66.
. dimidiata, 144.
holomelas, 143.
jaiDonica, 31 6.
— — javanica, 315, 316.
leucosoraa, 144.
lunifrons, 96.
• ■ monteiri, 336, 340.
paludicola, 145.
palustris, 145.
rufida, 62, 65.
rustica, 77, 194, 316.
semii-ufa, 340.
senegalensis, 340.
thalassina, 286.
urbica, 77, 316.
Hydrochelidon albostriata,
249.
plumbea, 10.
Hylatomus pileatus, 3,
128.
Hymenolaimus malaco-
rhynchus, 241.
Hyphantornis aurifrons,
342.
—^ — capensis, 342.
xanthops, 335, 342.
Hypoleucus varius, 251.
Hypotsenidia dieffenbachii,
238.
striata, 239.
Hy pothy mis cyanomelsena,
306.
Hypotriorcliis femoralis,
286.
novse zealandise, 215.
Eypsipetes olivacea, 273.
oiiravang, 273.
Tanthia rufilata, 261, 264.
Ibis alba, 201.
nijopon, 331.
Ibycter americanus, 286.
ater, 286.
Icterus baltimore, 7.
bonauEe, 288.
novae zealandiaj, 227.
rufusatei', 227.
Iduna salicaria, 66.
leraglaux (Sceloglaux)
albifacies, 216.
(Spiloglaux) novae
zealandiae, 216.
Indicator major, 33.
Irrisor erythrorhyncbos,
27, 334.
Ispidina madagascariensis,
271.
Ixos arsinoe, 341.
ashanteus, 341.
anrigaster, 341.
haemorrhous, 307.
inornatus, 341.
tricolor, 338, 341.
xanthopygius, 341.
Juida melanogastra, 29.
morio, 28.
Junco cinereus, 195.
hyemaUs, 6.
Keropia crassirostris, 225.
Kittacincla albiventris,389
macrourus, 389.
Laemodon nigrothorax, 32.
Lagopus albus, 8, 284.
alpinus, 355.
islandorum, 297.
mutus, 329.
Lampornis ?, 289.
LamprocoUus bispecularis,
149.
decoratus, 148.
melanogaster, 148.
phoenicopteriis, 148,
149.
sycobius, 149.
Lamprotornis obsciu-us,
227.
pyrrhopogon, 327.
zealandicus, 227.
Lanius arenarius, 388.
bucephalus, 317.
crassirostris, 225.
hypoleucus, 19, 194,
388.
lucionensis, 388.
meridionalis, 279.
Lanius personatus, 279.
phoenicurus, 66, 388.
superciliosus, 388.
Larus ?, 180.
antipodum, 248.
argentatus, 10, 64, 85.
brunneicephalus, 92,
311.
crassirostris, 383,
delawarensis, 10.
domiuicanus, 248.
fuscus, 64.
gelastes, 279.
glaucus, 308.
ichthyaetus, 311.
littoralis, 248.
marinus, 64.
melanurus, 311, 332.
minutus, 59, 92.
novae hollandiae, 248.
ridibundus, 92.
roseus, 62, 63, 71.
sabinii, 63, 71.
schimperi, 248.
scof)ulinus, 248.
Leipoa oceUata, 284.
Leptopterus viridis, 273.
Lejitoptilus javanicus, 170.
Lestris antarcticus, 98, 99,
247, 248.
catarractes, 248.
fuscus, 248.
richardsoni, 296.
scopidinus, 248.
thuliaca, 296.
Leucoptemis palliata, 82.
superciliaris, 82.
Leucosarcia picata, 232.
Leucotreron gironieri, 342.
giilaris, 343.
Ligurinus sinicus, 327.
liiraicola pygmtea, 71.
Limnocorax flavirostris,35.
Limosa baueri, 236.
fedoa, 9.
lapponica, var. novae
zealandiae, 236.
novae zealandiae, 236.
rufa, 331.
Linota canescens, 89.
Lobipes hyperboreus, 308.
LocusteUa naevia, 385.
Lopholaemus antarcticus,
286.
Loriculus amabilis, 349.
pumdus, 388.
puniculus, 305.
stigmatus, 349.
Loxia ciu-virostra, 92.
bimalayana, 92.
INDEX.
399
Loxia pitiopsittacus, 92.
turdu3, 225.
Loxigilla noctis, 288.
Luscinia sperata, 145, 146.
sinuata, 145.
Lusciola akahige, 318.
aurorea, 318.
cyauura, 807, 318.
Macbferopterus deliciosu3,
176.
pyrocephalus, 176.
regulus, 176.
strigilatus, 176.
striolatus, 176.
Macrodipteryx africanus,
291.
Macronyx amelise, 28.
croceus, 334.
Macrorhamphus griseus,
277.
Majaqueus sequinoctialis,
245.
Malacouotus atrococci-
neus, 148.
Malacorhynchus forstero-
rum, 242.
membranaceus, 242.
Mai'eca americana, 308.
penelope, 332.
Margaroperdix striata, 267.
Margarops ?, 288.
Megalopterus stolidus, 249
Megalurus punctatus, 220.
Melanerpes torquatus, 3.
Melanetta velvetina, 308.
Meleagris gallopavo, 129.
Meliphaga cincta, 218.
cominnata, 217.
novae zealaudise,
217.
Melittophagus erythropte-
rus, 27.
Melopsittacus undulatus,
388.
Melospiza lincolnii, 7.
inelodia, 7.
Meniu-a alberti, 286.
Mergulus alle, 308.
Mergus americanus, 10.
austraUs, 242.
merganser, 332.
serrator, 85, 332.
Merops apiaster, 65, 278,
359.
concmnata, 217.
erytbi'opterus, 334.
nova; seelandise, 217.
persicus, 359.
savignii, 334.
Merops superciUosiis, 272.
yiricbs, 278, 359.
Merula nestor, 224.
poliocepbala, 225.
rosea, 66.
vmitincta, 224.
Micrastui- bracbypterus,
286.
Microcarbo stictocepbalus,
252.
Milvago albogularis, 81.
carunculatus, 81.
crassirostris, 81,
luontanus, 81.
Milvus affinis, 92.
govinda, 92.
melanotis, 92, 314.
parasLticus, 268.
Mimeta forsteni, 95.
Mimus caroUnensis, 5,128.
polyglottus, 128.
Mirafra bova, 275.
Miro albifrons, 223.
austrabs, 223.
dieffeubacbii, 223.
forsterorum, 222.
longipes, 223.
macrocepbala, 222.
toitoi, 223, 285.
Moboua ? albicilla, 220.
bua, 220.
ocbrocepbala, 220.
Molotbrus pecoris, 7.
Mouedula clam-icus, 383.
Mormon ai'cticus ?, 86.
Motacilla alba, 296.
boarula, 260, 318.
cai^ensis, 156, 334.
certbiola, 62, 63.
citreola, 63.
eitrina, 219.
citrinella, 219.
dukliunensis, 260.
flaviventris, 273.
longicauda, 151.
— — longipes, 219.
lugens, 319.
■ lugubris, 260, 279.
luzoniensis, 259.
ocularis, 260.
prorcguliis, 54, 386.
sabcaria, 63.
sulpburea, 279.
supercibosa, 55, 68.
yarreUii, 70, 296.
Muscieapa albifrons, 223.
albopectus, 223.
cbloris, 220.
einereo-alba, 317.
cyanomelana, 317.
Muscieapa erytbrogastra,
224.
flabeUifera, 225.
bylocbaris, 305, 317i
longipes, 223.
macrocepbala, 222.
uielanura, 222.
miniita, 222.
narcissina, 317, 318.
nitida, 386.
ocbrocepbala, 220.
parva, 66.
saxicobna, 223.
toitoi, 223.
ventilabrum, 225.
Muscipeta flabeUifera, 225.
principabs, 317.
Myoteria austrabs, 171.
senegalensis, 34.
Myiomou-a toitoi, 223.
Myiopbonus ceeruleus, 261 ,
264.
Myiotbera novae zealandise,
223.
Myiozetetes columbianus,
11.
granadensis, 11.
Nauclerus furcatus, 128
174.
Nectaruaia afra, 155.
angladiana, 272.
cbalcea, 337, 341,
cuprea, 341.
natalensis, 27.
osea, 278.
souimanga, 272.
Nectrix nugax, 244.
Nemura cyanura, 318.
Neocorys spragiui, 4.
Neomorpba acutu'ostris,
217.
crassirostris, 217.
gouldi, 217.
Nesonetta aucklandica,243
Nestor essbngu, 230.
bypopolius, 229.
meridionabs, 103,
104, 229.
norfolcensis, 230.
notabibs, 230.
novae zealandiae, 230.
pi-oductus, 230.
Nettion carobnense, 9.
crccca, 332.
NUaus capensis, 31.
Ninox (Sceloglaux) albifa-
cies, 216.
(Spiloglaux) novae
zealandiae, 216.
400
INDEX.
Nisus (Urospiza) approxi-
mans, 215.
madagascariensis,
268.
(Urospiza) radiatus,
215.
Noctua venatica, 216.
zealandica, 216.
Notornis alba, 240.
mautellii, 239.
Nucifraga caryocatactes,
326, 365, 381.
Numenius borealis, 277.
loiigirostris, 129.
major, 330, 331.
minor, 330.
tahitiensis, 330.
urojjygialis, 191.
Ocydromxis australis, 102,
237, 238.
brachypterus, 238.
dieffenbachii, 239.
. earU, 238.
troglodytis, 238.
Q<]demia americana, 308.
CEdicnemus crepitans, 355.
Oncostoma cinereigulare,
12.
Onychoprion panaya, 192.
Oporornis formosus, 308.
Oreophasis derbianus, 195.
Oriolus acrorliynchus, 93.
brachyrhynchus, 342.
chinensis, 93,364,387.
coronatus, 93.
galbula, 278.
indicus, 93, 364, 387.
■ larvatus, 335, 341.
macroiirus, 93.
■ tenuu'ostris, 93, 387.
Orites caudatus, 92.
Orpheus amaurotis, 320.
lividvis, 66.
Orthonyx heteroclitiis,
220.
ieterocephalus, 220.
• ocbrocepbala, 220.
Orthotomus phyllora-
pheus, 258.
Ortygometra afBnis, 239.
angolensis, 335, 340.
tabuensis, 239.
Ortyx virgiiiianus, 129.
Ossifraga gigantea, 245.
Otagon turdus, 225.
Otis nigriceps, 113.
tarda, 107, 383.
tetrax, 114, 355.
Otocorys alpestris, 303.
Otothrix comutus, 304.
hodgsonii, 304.
Otus semitorques, 316.
vulgaris, 26.
Oxylophus glandarius, 294.
Oxystomus carunculatus,
227.
Paebycephala ? australis,
222.
longirostris, 226.
xanthoprocta, 226.
Pachyptila banksii, 247.
'vittata, 247.
Palseoniis barbatus, 19.
torquatus, 19.
Pandion carolinensis, 128.
baliaetus, 179, 298.
Paradoxoruis ?, 22.
Parisoma layardi, 147.
Parra africana, 38.
Parus ater, 321.
barbatus, 71.
hudsonicus, 5.
kamtschatkensis,321.
leucopterus, 338.
macrocephalus, 222.
minor, 257.
niger, 28, 155.
novae seelandia?, 221.
palustris, 321.
rubidus, 321.
senilis, 220.
septentrionalis, 5.
urostigma, 221.
zealandicus, 222.
Passer montanus, 258, 260,
327.
russatus, 328.
Passerculus savanna, 6.
Pastor pyrrhogenys, 327.
Pedicecetes kennicottii,187.
phasianelhis, 8, 187.
Pelagodroma frcgetta, 244.
marina, 244.
Pelecano'ides iu'inatrix,243.
Pelecanopus poliocereus,
249.
Pelecanus carboides, 252.
carunculatus, 251.
cirrhatus, 251.
crispus, 254.
dimidiatus, 251.
fiber, 250.
flavirostris, 251.
fuscus, 129.
major, 252.
nsevius, 252.
novte hollandise, 251.
pica, 251.
Pelecanus piscator, 250.
plotus, 250.
punctatus, 252.
serrator, 250.
siUa, 250.
varius, 251.
Pelidna americana, 85.
Pelionettapersi3icillata,308
Perdix cinerea, 98, 288.
gambra, 355.
oculea, 387.
ponticerianus, 92.
Pericrocotus albifrons, 20.
brevirostris, 255.
erythropygia, 21.
Perisoreus canadensis, 8.
Peristera chalcoptera, 233.
Pernis apivorus, 361.
Petrocicbla saxatilis, 66.
Petrocincla cyanea, 307.
manilensis, 307, 319.
pandoo, 307.
Petrodroma fuliginosus,
246.
Petrceca albifrons,223,285.
australis, 223.
diefleubachii, 223.
erythrogastra, 224.
longipes, 223.
macrocepliala, 222.
modesta, 224.
pulchella, 224.
toitoi, 223.
Phaeton sethereus, 383.
erubescens, 250.
■ phoenicurus,192,250.
rubricauda, 250.
Phalacrocorax ?, 289.
africanvis, 154.
brevirostris, 252.
carboides, 251.
dilophus, 252.
filamentosus, 92.
flavu'ostris, 251.
fucosus, 251.
glaucus, 252.
— — hypoleucus, 251.
imperialis, 251.
— — melanoleueus, 251.
nsevius, 252.
punctatus, 252.
j)urpureigula, 252.
sinensis, 92.
Phalaropus fidicarius, 277.
hyperboreus,277,331.
Phaps chalcoptera, 232.
picata, 232.
Pharomaerus mocinno,195
Phasianus soemmeringii,
330.
INDEX.
401
Phasianus torquatus, 259.
versicolor, 330.
Phasmoptynx capensis, 26,
336.
Phedina ?, 270.
borbonica, 270.
69,
Philedon dumerilii, 218.
sannio, 218.
Philemon concinnatus,217.
Philomachus pugnax, 34,
277_.
Phoenicurus rubricauda,
250.
Pholidauges leucogaster,
29, 337.
Phrynorhamphus capensis,
30.
PhyUobasUeus supercili-
osus, 66.
PhyUopneuste boreaUs, 68,
69, 70.
coronata, 317.
eversmanni, 67.
icterina, 70.
javanica, 66, 68,
70.
magnirostris, 67.
nitidus, 55.
proregulus, 66, 68.
reguloides, 54, 386.
rufa, 347.
trochilus, 68.
Phylloscopus nitidus, 386.
reguloides, 54.
Pica caudata, 294.
hudsonica, 8.
Picicorvus columbianus, 7.
Picus boreaUs, 128.
kisuki, 323, 325.
leuconotus, 325.
major, 325.
pubescens, 3.
ruber, 286.
(Chrysoptilopicus)
smithii, 37.
syriacus, 279.
uralensis, 325.
villosus, 3, 128.
Pindalus ruficapillus, 152.
Pinguinaria pataclionica,
242.
Pinicola canadensis, 6, 85.
Pipilo arcticus, 7.
erythrophthalmus,
128.
Pipra deliciosa, 175, 176.
lineata, 175.
pyrocephala, 176.
regvdus, 175, 176.
■ strigUata, 176.
Pipra striolata, 175, 176.
Pitangus albovittatus, 11.
Uctor, 11.
Pitta celebensis, 95.
concuma, 87.
(Hydromis) cyanura,
91.
leucoptera, 186.
macklotti, 95.
Platalea ?, 236,
ajaja, 129, 201.
Platycercus aucklandicus,
229.
auriceps, 229, 285.
cookii, 228.
erythi-otis, 228.
maUierbii, 229.
novse zealandise, 228,
229.
pacificus, 228.
pennantii, 227.
rayneri, 228.
unicolor, 229.
Platysteira pririt, 156.
Plautus impennis, 381.
Plectrophanes iapponicus,
6.
■ nivalis, 327.
ornatus, 6.
pictus, 6.
Ploceus ocularis, 37.
Plotus anhinga, 129.
levaiUantii, 154.
Pluvianus segyptius, 278,
279, 336.
Plyctolophus productus,
230.
Podargus cornutus, 304.
crinitus, 304.
parvidus, 304.
Podica personata, 91.
Podiceps auritus, 81, 195,
331.
cornutus, 10, 195.
cristatus, 103.
minor, 153.
(Poliocephalus) rufi-
peetus, 242.
Poecilonetta erythrorhyn-
cha, 158.
Pogonocichla ruficapiUa,
152.
Pogonomis cincta, 218.
Polyboroides madagascari-
ensis, 268.
radiatus, 35, 268.
Pooecetes gramineus, 6.
Porphyrio alba, 240.
martinica, 289.
melauotus, 240.
Porpbyrio melanotus (al-
bino, var.), 240.
Porzana affinis, 239.
erythrothorax, 331.
Pratincola ferrea, 258, 386.
indica, 386.
leucm-a, 19, 303, 385,
386.
rubicola, 318, 386.
saturatior, 386.
sybilla, 272.
Priocella garnoti, 246.
Prion banksii, 247.
forsteri, 247.
vittatus, 97, 98, 247.
Prionops talacoma, 337.
Procellaria ?, 247.
sequinoctiaUs, 97,245.
sequorea, 244.
alba, 246.
ariel, 247.
atlantica, 246.
brevirostris, 247.
cserulea, 247.
capensis, 246.
• cookii, 246.
forsteri, 247.
fregata, 245.
. fuligiaosa, 245, 246.
gavia, 246.
gigantea, 97, 98, 99,
193, 245.
glacialis, 98, 99.
glacialo'ides, 246.
graUaria, 245.
grisea, 244, 246.
hsesitata, 192.
hypoleuca, 244.
latirostris, 247.
maiTna, 244.
mollis, 97, 98,99,246.
nereis, 245.
oeeanica, 245.
ossifraga, 245.
parkinsoni, 245.
pbillipii, 246.
punctata, 246.
similis, 247.
tridactyla, 244.
urinatrix, 244.
vittata, 247.
Procelstema albivitta, 250.
Progne purpurea, 4.
Promerops cafer, 27.
Propasser frontalis, 390.
rhodopepla, 390.
Prosthemadera concinnata,
217.
novse zelandise, 105,
217, 285.
402
INDEX.
Psalidoprocne cypselina,
143.
Psaropholus ardens, 363,
364.
trailii, 363.
Pseudolalage melanictera,
78.
Psittacus (Conurus) auri-
ceps, 229.
australis, 229.
elegans, 227.
gloriosus, 227.
hypopoliiis, 229.
meridionalis, 229.
nestor, 229.
(Kakadoe) nestor,
229.
novee zealandise, 229,
pacificus, 228, 229 ;
Tar., 229.
peiinantii, 227.
platycercus viridis
unicolor, 229.
■ splendidus, 227.
Pterocies arenarius, 288,
355.
setarius, 355.
Pteroptochus albicollis,
184.
Ptilonopus prasinorrhous,
95.
vii'idis, 95.
Ptilotis auritus, 218.
. cincta, 218.
PufEnuria garnotii, 244.
urinatrix, 100, 244.
Puffinus ?,99.
seqiiinoctialis, 245.
assimilis, 244.
australis, 244.
brevicaudus, 99.
chlororhynchus, 244.
cinereus, 244.
fuliginosus, 244.
gam a, 244.
major, 244.
obscm-us, 99.
sphenurus, 244.
tristis, 244.
Pjcnonotus ?, 19.
aurigaster, 148.
blanfordi, 20.
• levaillantii, 29.
Pygoscelis antipodes, 243.
papua, 243.
wagleri, 243.
Pyi'anga ludoviciana, 286.
rubra, 128.
Pyrrhula erythaca. 389.
erytbi'occphala, 390.
Pyrrhula githaginea, 346.
nipalensis, 389.
orientalis, 328.
rosea, 63, 71.
sanguinolenta, 328.
serinus, 71.
vulgaris, 389.
orientalis, 328.
Pytelia monteii-i, 94.
Querquedula discors, 9.
falcaria, 332.
hottentotta, 154.
Quiscalus major, 128, 137.
versicolor, 7, 129,
137.
EaUus assimilis, 239, 285.
australis, 237, 239.
crepitans, 129.
dieffenbachii, 238.
fuscus, 238.
minor, 239.
minutus, 239.
pectoralis, 191.
punctatus, 239.
rufopes, 239.
strepitans, 238.
tabuensis, 239.
tenebrosus, 239.
troglodytes, 237.
Recurvii'ostra ?, 237.
novse hoUandise, 237.
rubricollis, 237.
Eegnloides chloronotus,
386.
proregulus, 55, 257.
pulcbra, 386.
superciliosa, 386.
trochiloides, 386.
viridipenuis, 386.
Eegulus auricapillus, 320.
inornatus, 54.
japonensis, 320.
modestus, 54, 63, 68.
Rhantistes cooki, 246.
Rliinochetus jubatus, 90.
Rhinopomastes cyano-
melas, 145.
Rhipidura albiscapa, 225.
assimilis, 226.
flabellifera, 225, 285.
macrocephala, 222.
melanui-a, 225, 226.
pelzelni, 226.
tristis, 226.
Bhodophila melanoleuca,
386.
Rliyacophilus solitarius, 9.
Ruticilla aui'orca, 261, 318.
Euticilla bumesil, 385.
phoenicura, 278.
titbys, 296.
Salicaria cantillans, 318.
turdoides orientalis,
317.
Saltator martinicensis, 288.
Sarcidiornis regia, 284.
Saxicola aurita, 70.
leucm-a, 257.
longipes, 223.
cenantbe, 86, 347.
rufescens, 70.
stapazina, 70.
Sayornis sayus, 4.
Scolecopbagus cyanoce-
phalus, 7.
ferrugineus, 7.
Scolopax glottis, 236.
bobnesi, 237.
rusticola, 284.
Scops asio, 128.
japonicus, 316.
novse zealandise, 216.
Scopiis, 79.
umbretta, 159, 267,
333.
Seiurus noveboracensis, 4.
Selasphorus beloiste, 96.
Serpentarius reptilivorus,
170.
Setophaga ruticilla, 4, 288.
Setornis criniger, 91.
Sialia mexicana, 286.
sialis, 128.
Sitta csesia, 92-,
canadensis, 5.
cbloris, 219.
cinnamomeiventris,
92.
eiu-opsea (v. uralen-
sis), 92.
punctata, 220.
roseilia, 322.
Somateria moUissima, 85.
Spatula clypeata, 9, 332.
rbyncbotis, 241.
varie^ata, 241.
Spermestes cucullata, 335.
nana, 275.
Spbeniscus minor, 243.
Spbenoeacus fulvus, 221.
jjunctatus, 220.
Sphyrapicus varius, 3.
Spizaetus ayresii, 149, 150.
bellicosus, 150.
coronatus, 150.
occipitalis, 150.
omatus, 286.
INDEX.
403
Spizaetus spilogaster, 150.
zonurus, 150, 284.
Spizella monticola, 6.
pallida, 6.
Spiziapteiyx, 23.
circumcinctus, 25.
Squatarola helvetica, 277.
Steatornis cai'ipensis, 292.
Stercorarius antarcticus,
248.
Sterna alba, 249.
albifrons, 249.
antai'ctica, 249.
atripes, 250.
Candida, 249.
cinerea, 250.
— dougalli, 71.
frontalis, 249.
fuligiuosa, 311.
gracilis, 249.
major, 248.
melanauchen, 250.
minuta, 307.
nereis, 250, 307.
parva, 250.
poliocerca, 249.
rectirostris, 249.
stolida, 249.
(Sylochelidon) stre-
nuus, 248.
striata, 249.
tenuirostris, 250.
vulgaris, 249.
Stumopastor, 22.
Sturnus carunculatus, 227.
cineraceus, 327.
cinereus, 306.
crispicollis, 217.
vulgaris, 180.
Sula australis, 250.
cyanops, 250.
• ery throrliyncha, 251.
fiber, 250, 289.
fusca, 250.
piscator, 250.
rubripeda, 251.
rubripes, 251.
serrator, 250.
Stemula antarctica, 249.
Stictocarbo piinctatus,
252.
StrepsUas iaterpres, 255,
277.
Strigops greyii, 230.
habroptOus, 103,230.
Strix affinis, 388.
aluco, 180.
brachyotus, 27.
capensis, 27, 388.
castanops, 286.
flammea, 269, 336,
387.
fulva, 216.
javanica, 387.
nova; seclandia;, 216.
nyctea, 65, 316.
parvissima, 216.
passerina, 190.
poensis, 388.
soops, 89, 382, 390.
Stiumclla magna, 7, 128.
Stiu-nia blythii, 22.
burmannica, 21.
malabarica, 22.
nemoricola, 22.
Suya striata, 304
Sylochelidon poliocerca,
249.
strenua, 249.
Sylvia arundinacea, 384.
atricapiUa, 384.
bifasciata, 56.
brevirostris, 67.
caligata, 63, 66.
(PhyUopneuste)eyers-
manni, 67, 68.
fuscata, 67.
griseola, 67.
icterina, 67, 68.
javanica, 386.
longipes, 219.
orpheus, 70.
phragmitis, 384.
proregulus, 55.
(Pliyllopneuste) sibi-
rica, 67.
Sylviella rufescens, 146.
Symmorphus leucopygius,
226.
Symphemia semipalmata,
129, 198, 277.
speculifera, 199.
SynaUaxis punctata, 220.
Syncecus lodoisise, 380.
sinensis, 92.
Syrnium aluco, 278.
nebulosum, 128.
Syrrhaptes paradoxus, 383.
Tachypetes aquUa, 201.
Tadorna rutila, 254.
vulpanser, 254.
Tseniopt^ra pyrope, 146.
Tanagra capensis, 225.
macularia, 225.
Tanysiptera doris, 349.
galatea, 350.
isis, 350.
sabrina, 350.
Tchitrea cyanomelsena, 30.
Tchitrea perspIcUlata, 29.
Telephonus erythropterus,
335.
Tetragonops ramphasti-
nus, 2.
Tetrao bonasia, 180, 355.
franklini, 8.
medius, 289.
obscurus, 8.
phasianellus, 87.
scoticus, 355.
tetrix, 179.
urogallus, 77, 178,
300.
Tetraogallus caucasicus,
295.
himalayensis, 295.
Thalasseus poliocercus,249
Thalassidroma ?, 99.
grallaria, 245.
leachii, 72.
marina, 244.
melanogaster, 245.
nereis, 245.
Thalassoica glacialoides,
246.
Thalassomis leuconotus,39
Thamnoplulus doliatus,
289.
Thinornis frontalis, 234.
novae seelandise, 234.
rossii, 235.
Thryothorus ?, 288.
Tiaris jacarini, 288.
Tinnunculus rupicola, 335.
sparverius, 128.
Toccus melanoleucus, 157.
Todiramphus vagans, 217.
Todirostrum cinereigidare,
12.
oUvaceum, 12.
Totanus brevipes, 330.
calidris, 254.
flavipes, 308.
fuscus, 254.
glottis, 236, 254.
glottoides, 236.
griseopygius, 191.
hypoleucus, 330.
melanoleucus, 330.
ochropus, 254, 330,
335.
pulverulentus, 254,
330.
speculiferus, 199.
stagnatUis, 254, 390.
Toxostoma rufum, 66.
Trerolsema lechlaucheri,
343.
Treron delalandii, 33.
404
INDEX.
Tringa alpina, 255, 277,
330.
bonapartii, 84.
canutus, 277.
chinensis, 255.
crassirostris, 315,330.
maculata, 84, 289.
maritima, 277.
minuta, 85, 255.
ocliropus, 296.
pectoi'alis, 277.
platyrhyncha, 255.
pusilla, 85, 277.
schinzii, 85, 277, 297.
subarquata, 34, 255,
277.
• subminuta, 255.
temminckii, 71, 255,
330.
wilsoni, 85.
Tringites rufescens, 277.
Tringoicles hypoleuca, 259.
macularius, 129, 277,
289, 308.
Trocbilus colubris, 128.
Troglodytes borealis, 296,
381.
parkmanni, 5.
' parvulus, 296.
vulgaris, 320.
Tropidorhyncbus buruen-
sis, 95.
fuscicapillus, 351.
Tardus albifrons, 223.
alicife, 85, 86.
amaurotis, 320.
australis, 223.
cardis, 92, 319.
ci'assirostris, 225.
daulias, 261, 319.
dissimilis, 92.
— — eunomus, 319.
fuliginosus, 224.
fuscatus, 319, 323.
Tardus iliacus, 92, 183.
illuminus, 182.
merula, 296.
migratorius, 4, 128.
minimus, 183.
minutus, 222.
musica, 288.
nsevius, 286.
naumanni, 92, 319.
ocbrotarsus, 223.
pel odes, 92.
pilaris, 92, 183.
poliocephalus, 224.
ruficoUis, 66.
swainsonii, 4, 183.
unicolor, 92.
varius, 62, 63, 66.
vinitinctus, 224.
Turnagra crassirostris, 105,
225.
Turtur cbinensis, 261.
erytbrophrys, 152.
gelastes, 261.
bumilis, 261.
meena, 329.
rapicola, 181, 329.
Tylas eduardi, 273.
Tyranniscus cbrysops, 12.
parvus, 12.
Tyrannulus brunneicapil-
lus, 12.
cbrysops, 12.
semiflavus, 12.
Tyrannus carolinensis, 3,
128.
dominicensis, 289.
Upupa epops, 327.
Uragus sanguinolentus,
328.
Uria califoraica, 186.
grvUe, 85.
loiuvia, 85, 186.
monocerata, 331.
TTria ringvia, 186.
troille, 186.
Urile carunculatum, 251.
Urobracbya albo-notata,
337.
Urocissa sinensis, 261.
Utamania torda, 85.
Vanellas
-?, 289.
melanopterus, 38.
Vanga curvirostris, 274.
Vidua decora, 338, 340.
erytlu'orbyncba, 340.
Vireo bogotensis, 183.
gilvus, 5.
olivaceus, 5, 183.
Vultur aaricidaris, 207.
Xantbocepbalus icteroce-
pbalus, 7.
Xanthopygia narcissina,
318.
Xantbornis carunculatas,
227.
Xema ?, 192.
sabini, 308.
Xenicus longipes, 218, 285.
stokesii, 219.
Yanx pectoralis, 33.
torquilla, 260.
Zapornia tabuensis, 239.
Zena'idura carolinensis, 129
Zonotrichia albicollis, 6.
leucopbrys, 6, 85.
Zosterops albogularis, 22
borbonica, 147.
japonica, 318.
pallida, 147.
strenuus, 222.
tenuirostris, 222.
tepbroplearus, 222.
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America. Svo, pp. 359. Edinburgh, 1839. dl-.Us.Gd. . .o •
BAIRD— THE BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA: the Descriptions of Species
based chiefly on the Collections in the Museum of the Smithsonian Institution. By Spencer
F. Baird, with the cooperation of John Cassin '^"i George N. Lawrence I vol. of
Text 4to no Ivi and 1006, and 1 vol. of 4to Coloured Plates. Philadelphia, 1860. ^6 : 6s.
BLYTH^and |pEKE.-REPORT ON A ZOOLOGICAL COLLECTION FROM
THE SOMALI COUNTRY. By Edward Blyth, Curator of the Royal Asiatic Society s
Museum, Calcutta. Reprinted from the Twenty-fourth Volume of the Journal of the Royal
Asiatic Society of Bengal ; with Additions and Con-eetions by the Collector, Capt. J. H. Speke,
F.R.G.S. &c. Svo. 16 pp. 1 Coloured Plate. 2s. 6d. . r .i /-
BREWER.— NORTH AMERICAN OOLOGY; being an Account of the Geogra-
phical Distribution of the Birds of North America during their Breeding Season ; with Figures
and Descriptions of their Eggs. By T. M. Brewer. 1 vol. 4to, with Coloured Plates.
£l:ns.6d. The same plain, 10s. • j • tt i
CASSIN.— THE BIRDS OF CHILI. By John Cassin. Contained in Volume u.
of Gillis's Astronomical Expedition to the Southern Hemisphere. 2 vols. 4to. 15 Coloured
Plates of Birds .^4
CASSIN.— THE BIRDS OF JAPAN. By John Cassin. Contained in Volume u.
of Perrj^'s United States' Japan Expedition. 4to. 6 Coloured Plates of Birds ^3 = 3s
CASSIN. — MAMMALOGY AND ORNITHOLOGY OF THE UNITED
STATES' EXPLORING EXPEDITION UNDER CAPTAIN WILKES U.S.N., during
1839-42. By John Cassin. Text, I vol. 4to. Pp. vin. and 466. Atlas m folio, halt-
bound, containing 53 Coloured Plates-Il of Mammals a"*! ^^ «f Birds_ jil5 : 15s^
CASSIN.-ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE BIRDS OF CALIFORNIA, TEXAS.
OREGON, BRITISH AND RUSSIAN AMERICA ; forming a Supplement to Audubon s
"Birds of America." By John Cassin. I vol. royal Svo, contammg 50 Coloured Plates
and the explanatoi-y letter-press. Philadelphia, 1856^ l^j,^:™"?," T^ ^rff ' a vn P RT7 AT
COMPARATIVE LIST OF THE BIRDS OF SCANDINAVIA AND GREAT
^^GIRARD.'-i'HERPETOLOGY OF THE UNITED STATES' EXPLORING
EXPEDITION UNDER CAPTAIN WILKES, during 1829-46. By Charle.s Girard.
Text, 1 vol. 4to. Pp. xviii. and 496. Atlas in folio, half-bound, 32 Coloured Plates. ^10 : IUa.
LE MOINE.— ORNITHOLOGIE DU CANADA. Quelques Groupes d apres la
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I« Partie: Les Oiseaux de Proie et les Palmipedes. Svo. Pp. 96, sewed. Quebec, 1860.
3s. 6d.
[Advertisements continued on third page of Wravver.
ZOOLOGICAL SKETCHES
By JOSEPH WOLF.
MADE FOR
THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OE LONDON,
FROM ANIMALS IN THEIR VIVARIUM.
EDITED, WITH NOTES,
By PHILIP LUTLEY SCLATER, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.S., &c., &c..
Secretary to the Society.
The series of Drawings, of which a selection of Fifty is given in the present Volume, was
undertaken with the object of presei-ving a faithful record of the living characters of the most
rare and interesting Animals in the Vivarium of the Zoological Society of London.
The present extent of the Society's Collection, and the prospects of increase, derived from
the energetic support which it continues to receive from so many sources, afford unequalled
means of making these Zoological Portraits both various and instructive. In selecting the
subjects, particular regard is ])aid to those species which exhibit aptitude for acclimatization,
either as objects of economic value, or simply as additions to the Exotic Animals which are now
so fi'equently seen in the parks and on the ornamental waters of Europe.
The Drawings have been executed in Water Colours, after most careful study, by Mr. Wolf,
who may be fairly said to stand alone in minute knowledge of the habits and forms of Mammalia
as well as of Birds ; and the Lithographic copies, partly printed in colour and then finished
by hand, are in such exact fac-simile as to be scarcely distinguishable from the originals. The
Letter-press, prepared by the Editor, embraces all particulars of interest relating to the general
history, habits, distribution, and use of the Animals illustrated in the Plates.
The Work may be inspected at the Publishers, Messrs. Henry Graves and Co., 6, Pall Mall ;
and at the Office of the Zoological Society of London, 11, Hanover Square.
Now ready, price Sixpence, by post Sevenpence,
SUGGESTIONS FOR FORMING COLLECTIONS OF
BIRDS' EGGS.
By ALFRED NEWTON, M.A., F.L.S.
London : E. Newman, 9, Devonshire Street, Bishopsgate, N.E., and all Booksellers.
MR. D. G. ELLIOT'S
MONOGRAPH OE THE PITTID^
is published in Parts, containing Five Plates each, at intervals of not less than four months.
There will be in all Six Parts, of Folio size, at Five Dollars each. Those wishing to Subscribe
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NEARLY READY,
In One Vol. 8vo, price ^1 : lO*., with 20 Coloured Plates,
CATALOGUE OE A COLLECTION OE AMERICAN BIRDS
BELONGING TO
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The figures are taken from Typical Specimens in the Collection.
London: Triibner and Co., 60, Paternoster Row, by whom Subscribers' names are received.
Subscription 12^. per annum.
The journal FUR ORNITIIOLOGIE, a central organ for general Ornithology,
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fur Ornithologie ' and ' Naumannia,' is published in Parts every year, at intervals of two months.
The first Eight Volumes may be now obtained by new Subscribers at the reduced price of
Cassel: Theodor Fischer. London: Triibner and Co.
TO EGG-COLLECTORS.
Mr. STEVENS will Sell by Auction, on Wednesday the 9th of April next, at 1 o'clock
precisely, some Rare and Well-authenticated Eggs, scut from Lapland (hning the last
two years by the Collectors instructed and formerly employed by the late Mr. JOHN WOLLEY.
A Catalogue with details may be had on application to the Auctioneer, who will
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CONTENTS OP NUMBER XIV.
Page
XIII. Notes on the Sea-birds observed during a Voyage in the Ant-
arctic Seas. By E. L. Layard 97
XIV. Observations on the Birds of the Western Districts of the
Province of Nelson, New Zealand. By Junus Haast . . 100
XV. On the supposed Gular Pouch of the Male Bustard (Otis
tarda). By Alfred Newton 107
XVI. Five Weeks in the Peninsula of Florida during the Spring of
1862, with Notes on the Birds observed there. By George
Cavendish Taylor. (Part I.) 127
XVII. On some new or little-known Birds from the Cape Colony.
By Dr. G. Hartlatjb 143
XVIII. A Fourth additional List of Birds received from Natal. By
John Henry Gurney. (Plates IV. & V.) 149
XIX. Some Remarks on the Genus Balceniceps. By Dr. J. Rein-
HARDT 158
XX. Note on Pipra deliciosa. By Philip Lutley Sclater.
(Plate VI.) 175
XXI. Recent Ornithological Publications 178
1. English Publications : — Ravenstein's 'Russians on the Amoor:'
Boner's ' Forest Creatures :' Lubbock on the Lake-habita-
tions of ancient Switzerland : Bree's ' Birds of Europe.'
2. Russian and Scandinavian Publications: — Schatiloflf's 'Birds
of Tauria :' Reinhardt on the Balceniceps : Sundevall's ' Svenska
Foglama :' Meves on the Ornithology of Jemtland and the
Red-colourinsr of the Lammergeyer.
- - —
American Publications : — Proceedings of the Boston Society of
Natural History : Bryant on the genus Catarractes, and on
Buteo borealis : Elliot on a new Pitta : Suckley on a new
American Grouse : Cooper on new Californian Birds : Geof-
fi-ey's ' Humming- Birds of Bogota.'
XXII. Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, &c 189
Letters from Messrs. H. Stevenson and G. KreflFt : Extracts from
Letters from Dr. G. Bennett, Mr. Blyth, and Herr A. v. Pelzeln :
Remarks on Podiceps auritus breeding in Egypt : Latest in-
telligence of Messrs. Salvin and Godman, of Mr. E. Newton,
and of Mr. F. Plant.
*»* • The Ibis ' is pubhshed in Parts (price 6s. each Part : annual subscrijition
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Messrs. Triibner & Co., 60, Paternoster Row, London, E.C. If the annual sub-
scription of £\ : Is. is paid in advance to Messrs. Triibner and Co. direct, the
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III. may be obtained of Messrs. Triibner & Co., at Is. 4d. each.
*** Part I. of ' The Ibis ' being out of print, it is contemplated to reprint it,
when a sufficient number of copies have been applied for to repay the expense of
so doing. In the meantime full price (6s.) will be given for copies of this Part,
on application to the Publishers.
^|fi Vol. IV. No. 16. OCTOBER 1862.
Price 6s.
THE IBIS,
A MAGAZINE OF GENERAL ORNITHOLOGY.
EDITED BY
PHILIP LUTLEY SCLATER, M.A., Ph.D., F.RS.,
FELLOW OF COBPUS CHMSTI COLLEGE, OXFORD,
SECRETARY OF THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON,
ETC., ETC.
LONDON:
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OF TRUBNER AND CO., 60, PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON.
AGASSIZ.— CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. By Louis Agassiz. First Monograph. In Three
Parts. — I. Essay on Classification. II. North American Tcstndinata. III. Embryology of the
Turtle. With Twenty-seven Plates. Vols. I. and II. 4to. Pp. hi. and 614, Ml : Is. '
AGASSIZ.— CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. By Louis Agassiz. Second Monograph. In Five Parts.
— I. Aealei)hs in general. II. Ctenophorac. III. Discophora;. IV. Ilydroida;. V. Homo-
logies of the Radiata. With Forty-six Plates. Vol. III. 4to. Pp. xi., 301 & 2(5. ^3 : 13s. (^d.
AGASSIZ.— ESSAY ON CLASSIFICATION. By Louis Agassiz. Second Edition.
With an Index, and Revised and Enlarged by the Author. In One volume, 8vo. 12*.
AUDUBON.— THE BIRDS OF AMERICA, from Drawings made by John James
Audubon. A new edition of this celebrated work is now in progress of piddication, 15 Num-
bers being already published. Will be completed in 45 Numbers— 44 of Plates, 1 of Text;
each Number containing 10 fidl-coloured subjects, on 7 sheets double elephant paper, 27 inches
by 40. Delivered to Subscribers at ^2 : 2s. ])cr Number.
AUDUBON THE BIRDS OF AMERICA, from Drawings made in the United
States and their Territories, by John James Audubon, F.R.SS. L. & E. 7 vols, royal
Svo; with 500 coloured Plates, each 10 inches by 7, and numerous Woodcuts, illustrative of
the Anatomy of the Birds. Imp. 8vo. 2204 pages of letter-press. New York, 1810 to 1844.
.€30.
AUDUBON.— ORNITHOLOGICAL BIOGRAPHY ; or, an Account of the Habits
of the Birds of the United States of America. By John James Audubon, F.R.SS. L. & E.
5 vols, royal 8vo. New York and Edinburgh, 1831 to 184.9. ^TO : 10s.
AUDUBON. — SYNOPSIS of the BIRDS of NORTH AMERICA. By John
James Audubon, F.R.SS. L. & E., Member of various Scientific Associations in Europe and
America. 8vo, pp. 359. Edinburgh, 1839. ^'1 : lls.GtZ.
BAIRD.— THE BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA : the Descriptions of Species
based chiefly on the Collections in the Museum of the Smithsonian Institution. By Spencer
F. Baird, with the coo])eration of John Cassin and Geouge N. Lawrence. I vol. of
Text, 4to, pp. Ivi. and 100(), and 1 vol. of 4to Coloured Plates. Philadelphia, I860. MG : Gs,
BLYTH , and SPEKE.— REPORT ON A ZOOLOGICAL COLLECTION FROM
THE SOMALI COUNTRY. By Edward Blytii, Curator of the Royal Asiatic Society's
Museum, Calcutta. Reprinted fi-om the Twenty-fourth Volume of the Journal of the Royal
Asiatic Society of Bengal ; with Additions and Corrections by the Collector, Capt. J. H. Speke,
F.R.G.S. &c. Svo. 16 pp. I Coloured Plate. 2s. Gd.
BREWER.— NORTH AMERICAN OOLOGY ; being an Account of the Geogra-
phical Distribution of the Birds of North America during their Breeding Season ; with Figures
and Descriptions of then- Eggs. By T. M. Brewer. 1 vol. 4to, with Colom-ed Plates.
^1 : lis. Gd. The same plain, 10s.
CASSIN.— THE BIRDS OF CHILI. By John Cassin. Contained in Volume ii.
of Gillis's Astronomical Expedition to the Southern Hemisphere. 2 vols. 4 to. 15 Coloured
Plates of Birds. ^4.
CASSIN.— THE BIRDS OF JAPAN. By John Cassin. Contained in Volume ii.
of Perry's United States' Japan Expedition. 4to. 6 Coloured Plates of Birds. ^3 : 3s.
CASSIN. — MAMMALOGY AND ORNITHOLOGY OF THE UNITED
STATES' EXPLORING EXPEDITION UNDER CAPTAIN WILKES, U.S.N., during
1839-42. By John Cassin. Text, 1 vol. 4to. Pp. viii. and 466. Atlas in folio, half-
bound, containing 53 Coloured Plates — 11 of Mammals and 42 of Birds. ^15 : 15s.
CASSIN.— ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE BIRDS OF CALIFORNIA, TEXAS.
OREGON, BRITISH AND RUSSIAN AMERICA; forming a Supplement to Audubon's
" Birds of America." By John Cassin. 1 vol. royal Svo, containing 50 Coloured Plates
and the explanatory letter-press. Philadelphia, 1856. Half-morocco. £3 : 3s.
COMPARATIVE LIST OF THE BIRDS OF SCANDINAVIA AND GREAT
BRITAIN. 4to. Pp.18. Is.
GIRARD.— HERPETOLOGY OF THE UNITED STATES' EXPLORING
EXPEDITION UNDER CAl»TAIN WILKES, during 1829-46. By Charles Girard.
Text, I vol. 4to. Pp. xviii. and 49(5. Atlas in folio, half-bound, .'^2 Coloured Plates. ^10 : 10s.
LE MOINE.— ORNlTHOLO(iIE DU CANADA. Quclques Groupes d'aprcs la
Nomenclature du Smithsonian Institution de Washington. Par J. M. Le Moine, Avoeat.
P*^ Partie : Les Oiseaux de Proie ct les Palmipedes. Svo. Pp. 96, sewed. Quebec, 1860.
3s. Gd.
[Advertisements continued on third page of Wrapper.
Now i-fcady, iu one volume, hali' morocco, gilt etigea, lettered, price £12 -. l'2s.
ZOOLOGICAL SKETCHES
By JOSEPH WOLF.
MADE FOK
THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON,
FROM ANIMALS IN TUEIR VIVARIUM.
EDITED^ WITH NOTES,
By PHILIP LUTLEY SCLATER, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.S., &c., &c.,
Secretar)- to the Society.
The series of Drawings, of which a selection of Fifty is given in the present Volume, was
undertaken with the object of preserving a faithful record of the living characters of the most
rare and interesting Animals in the Vivarium of the Zoological Society of London.
The present extent of the Society's Collection, and the prospects of increase, derived from
the energetic support which it continues to receive from so many sources, aiFord unequalled
means of making these Zoological Portraits both various and instructive. In selecting the
subjects, particular regard is paid to those species which exhibit aptitude for acclimatization,
either as objects of economic value, or simply as additions to the Exotic Animals which are now
so frequently seen in the parks and on the ornamental waters of Europe.
The Drawings have been executed in Water Colours, after most careful study, by Mr. Wolf,
who may be fairly said to stand alone in minute knowledge of the habits and forms of Mammalia
as well as of Biids ; and the Lithograjjhie copies, partly printed in colour and then finished
by hand, are in such exact fac-simile as to be scarcely distinguishable from the originals. The
Letter-press, prepared by the Editor, embraces all particulars of interest relating to the general
historj', habits, distribution, and use of the Animals illustrated in the Plates.
The Work may be inspected at the Publishers, Messrs. Henry Graves and Co., 6, Pall Mall ;
and at the Office of the Zoological Society of London, 11, Hanover Square.
Now ready, price Sixpence, by post Sevenpence,
SUGGESTIONS FOR FORMING COLLECTIONS OF
BIRDS' EGGS.
By ALFRED NEWTON, M.A., F.L.S.
London : E. Newman, i), Devonshire Street, Bishopsgate, N.E., and all Booksellers.
MR. D. G. ELLIOT'S
MONOGRAPH OE THE PITTID.E
is published in Parts, containing Five Plates each, at intei-vals of not less than four months.
There will be in all Six Parts, of Folio size, at Five Dollars each. Those wishing to Subscribe
will please transmit their names to the Author, No. 25, East 1 4th Street, New York ; or to the Pub-
lishers, Messrs. D. Ap])leton & Co.,443&445, Broadway, New York. Four Parts are now ready.
NOW READY,
In One Vol. 8vo, cloth boards, price £\ : 10s., with 20 Coloured Plates (uniform with
'The Ibis'),
CATALOGUE OE A COLLECTION OE AMERICAN BIRDS
BELONGING TO
PHILIP LUTLEY SCLATER, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.S., &c.,
Editor of ' The Ibis.'
This Catalogue gives the names, the principal sjoionyms, and the localities of a collection of
American Birds, of the Orders Passeres, Fissirostres, and Scansores. The collection contains
about 4 100 specimens, belonging to 2170diflferent species. The Series in many of the families
which have been the subjects of Monographs in the Zoological Society's Proceedings and iij
other i)eriodicals is very comi)lete, and jirobably the most nearly perfect in cxi.stence.
The figures, which are intended to illustr.itesome of the j)rincipal novelties belonging to the
collection, have been taken from the typical specimens by Mr. J. Jcjmens. Only 100 copies of
the perfect work have been prepared.
London : Triibner and Co., GO, Paternoster Row.
Subscription 12s. per annum.
The journal FUR ORNITHOLOGIE, a central organ for general Ornithology,
edited by Drs. J. Cabanis and E. Baldamus, being a continuation of ' Cahani.i' Journal
fur Ornithologie ' and 'Naumaniiia,' is published in Parts even- year, at intervals of two montlis.
The first Eight Volumes may be now obtained by new Subscribers at the reduced price of
COiNTENTS OF NUMBER XVI.
Page
XXXIV. On the Ornithology of Northern Japan. By Captain
Blakiston. (Plate X.) 309
XXXV. Notes on Birds collected in Angola in 1861. By Joa-
chim J. MoNTEiRO. (Plate XI.) 333
XXXVI. Description d'une nouvelle espece de Pigeon du genre
Leucotreron. Par MM. Jules Verreaux et O. Des
MuRS. (Plate XII.) 342
XXXVII. Sur YAnthus des Canaries reconnu comme espece nouvelle
et nomme Anthus berthelotii. Par Charles Bolle
(de Berlin) 343
XXXVIII. On some New Birds from the Northern Moluccas. By
A. R. Wallace 348
XXXIX. On the Extinction in Europe of the Common Francolin
{Francolimis vulgaris, Steph.). By Lord Lilford . . 352
XL. Notes on the Birds of Egypt. By S. Stafford Allen. 357
XLI. Remarks on the Lesser Buzzard of South Africa and its
Congeners. By J. H. Gurney, M.P., F.Z.S 361
XLII. Letter from Mr. Swinhoe. (Plate XIII.) 363
XLIII. Contribution to the Breeding History of the Nutcracker
{Nucifraga caryocatactes). By E. Schutt 365
XLIV. Review of the recently published Memoir of Bewick. .. . 368
XLV. Recent Ornithological Publications : —
1. English Publications: — Morris's 'British Birds:' Johns's
' British Birds in their Haunts :' Bree's ' Birds of Europe :'
Sclater's ' Catalogue of American Birds :' Mason's ' Burmah.' 3/8
2. French Publications : — Revue et Magasiu de Zoologie .... 380
3. Oerman Publications:— 3o\wn&\{\ii- Ornithologie : Biideker's
' European Eggs.' 381
4. Scandinavian and Russian Publications: — Kroyer's 'Tidsskrift:'
Radde's ' Travels in Eastern Asia.' 382
5. American Publications : — Elliot's ' Pittas ' 383
XLVI. Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, &c. : —
Letters from Freiherr v. Heuglin and Mr. Rowley : Extracts of
letters from Mr. Blyth and Mr. Gatke : Mr. Crewe's notes
on the Dotterel in Bucks : Death of M. Mouhot : Mr. Gould's
new work on ' British Birds :' Major Tytler's appointment to
the Andamans 383
Index 393
Title-page, Preface, Contents, &c. of Vol. IV.
* «
• The Ibis ' is published in Parts (price 6s. each Part : annual subscription
£\ : Is.), at the beginning of each quarter, forming an annual volume of about
400 pages, illustrated by not less than twelve coloured plates of birds and eggs.
Communications for the Editor may be addressed to 1 1, Hanover Square, London,
W., or to the care of Messrs. Triibner & Co., 60, Paternoster Row, London, E.G.
If the annual subscription of .£1 : Is. is paid in advance to Messrs. Triibner and
Co. direct, the subscriber, if resident in the United Kingdom, will receive the Num-
bers post-free on the day subsequent to their publication. — Covers for binding
Vols. I., XL, HL, & IV. may be obtained of Messrs. Triibner & Co., at Is. 4c?. each.
*** Parts I. and V. of ' The Ibis ' being out of print, it is contemplated to
reprint them, when a sufficient number of copies have been applied for to repay
the expense of so doing. In the mean time full price {&s.) will be given for copies
of these Parts, on application to the Publishers.
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