FOR THE PEOPLE FOR EDVCATION FOR SCIENCE LIBRARY OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY THE IBIS, A MAGAZINE OF GENERAL OENITHOLOGY. EDITED BY PHILIP LUTLEY SCLATER, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.S., LATE FELLOW OF CORPUS CHUISTI COLLEGE, OXFORD; SECRETARY TO THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON ; FKLLOW OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY ; HONOEAEY MEMBER OF THE ACADEMT OF NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA, OF THE LYCEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY OF NEW YORK, AND OF THE GERMAN ORNITHOLOGISTS' SOCIETY ; ETC. VOL. VI. 1864. Ibimus iudomiti venerantes Ibida sacram, Ibimus incoliimes qua prior Ibis adest." LONDON: TRUBNER AND CO., PATERNOSTER ROW Paris. Fr. Klincksieck, 11, Eiie de Lille. Lcip-ig. F. A. Brockuaus. 1864.. PKINTED BY TATLOK ANB FRAIfCIS, RED LION COFRT, FLEET STREET. PREFACE. In concluding the sixth and last volume of the present Series of ' The Ibis,' the Editor has to acknowledge with unfeigned gratitude the kind support he has met with from the many Naturalists who have honoured him with contributions to its pages. The result has been that six volumes have been produced, which, as the Editor be- lieves, contain an amount of information as regards nearly every branch of Ornithology such as has never been before brought together in one work, and at the same time form a tolerably complete record of the progress of this science during the last six years. It is not without sincere regret that the Editor finds himself compelled, by the heavy pressure of other duties, to resign his office at the termination of the present volume. Such regret, however, is much lessened by the fact that his friend Mr. Alfred Newton has kindly acceded to the request of the British Ornithological Union to become the editor of a new Series of this Journal. Mr. Newton, as the readers of 'The Ibis ' must be well aware, is a gentleman in every way qualified to perform this task, and in his behalf the present Editor requests all the contributors to, and readers of ' The Ibis ' to continue to the new Series of this Joiu-nal the support they have hitherto conferred upon it. P. L. S, 15 Lower Belgrave Street, Sept. 1st, 1864. LIST OF MEMBERS OF THE BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION 1864. RojiEKf IJiRKBECK, F.Z.S. ; 65 Lombard Street, London. Henry Maurice Dbummond-Hay, C.M.Z.S., Lieutenant-Colonel, Roj-al Perth Rifles ; Seggieden, Perthshire. Thomas Campbell Etton, F.Z.S., F.G.S., &c.; Eyton Hall, Saloii. Frederick DuCane Godman, F.Z.S. ; 55 Lowndes Square, London. Percy Sandon Godman, B.A., C.M.Z.S. ; Borregaard, Sarpsborg, Norway. John Henry Gijrney, M.P., F.Z.S., &c.; Catton Hall, NorfoUv. Rev. William Henry Hawker, M.A., F.Z.S.; Green Hook, Horn- dean, Hants. Arthur Edward Knox, M.A., F.L.S.; Trotton, Sussex. Right Hon. Thomas Ltttleton, Lord Lilford, F.L.S., F.Z.S. ; Lilford Hall, Xorthants. Edward Clough Newcombe ; Feltwell Hall, Norfolk. Alfred Newton, M.A., F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c. ; late Fellow of Magdalen College, Cambridge. Edavard Newton, M.A., C.M.Z.S., Assistant Colonial Secretary, Mauritius. John "William Powlett-Orde, late Captain 42nd (Royal Highland) Regiment ; Kilmorey, Argyllshire. OsBERT Salvin, M.A., F.L.S., F.Z.S. ; Moorgate, Rotherhara, York- shire. Philip Lutley Sclater, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.S., F.L.S., Sec. Z.S., &:c. ; 11 Hanover Square, London. Alfred Forbes Sealy, M.A., F.C.P.S., j. Pago I. Xotos and Observations on the Birds of Egypt and Xnbia. By Dr. A. Leith Adams 1 II. Remarks on the Value of Osteological Characters in the Classification of Birds. By Alfred U. Wallace 36 III. List of the Birds observed in the Islands of Malta and Gozo. By Charles A. Wright 42 IV. Five Months in the West Indies. By E. Cavendish Taylor, M.A., F.Z.S. (Part I. Trinidad and Venezuela.) . . 73 V. On Acroeejjhalus stentoriios, a rare Species of Sedge- warbler from Egypt. By S. Stafford Allen. (Plate I.) . . 97 VI. On the Bidiinculus sti'igirostris, or Tooth-billed Pigeon from Upolo. By E. P. Ramsay 98 VII. Remarks on the Habits, Distribution, and Affinities of the Genus Pith/. By Alfred R. Wallace 100 VIII. Note on the Caprimulgine Genus Cosmetomis. By P. L. Scl.\ter. (Plate II.) 114 IX. Recent Ornithological Publications : — 1. English Publications : — Gould's 'Birds of Great Britain,' parts 3, 4 : St. John's ' Natural History and Sport in Moray :' Jeidon's ' Birds of India,' vol. ii. pt. 1 : Professor Owen's Essay on ArcJieopteri/.v 1 16 X CONTENTS. Page 2. French Publkations : — Prevost and Lemaire's ' Oiseaux d'Eiirope ' 120 3. German Publications : — Philippi and Landbeek's Contri- butions to the Fauna of Peru: Dr. Bocking's Essay on the American lihea : Herr von Pelzeln's List of Vulturidce and Falconidce in the Vienna Museum 120 4. Dutch Publications : — ScMegel's Birds of the Dutch Indies : Schlegel's Catalogue of the Ley den Museum, livr. 3 . . . .124 5. American Publications : — Coues and Prentniss on the Birds of the District of Columbia : Coues on the North- American Skuas: March's Notes on the Birds of Jamaica: Lawrence's Catalogue of the Birds of Panama, pt. 4 125 X. Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, &c.: — Letters from Dr. T. Salvadori, M. Leun Olph-Galliard, Mr. J. Gould, Mr. E. Newton, and Mr. J. W. P. Orde : Extract of a Letter from Mr. E. L. Layard : Departure and Progress of Mr. Tristram's Expedition to Palestine : Mr. Tristram's Ornitholo- gical Experiences in France : Further Delay of the Article on Syrrhaptes 128 Number XXII., April. XI. List of the Birds observed in the Islands of Malta and Gozo, By Chakles A. Wright 137 XII. Five Months in the West Indies. By E. Cavendish Taylor, M.A., F.Z.S. (Part II. Martinique, Dominica, and Porto Rico.) 157 XIII. On the Hornbills of India and Burmah. By Lieut. - Col. S. K. TiCKELL. (Plate III.) 173 XIV. Note on the Nesting of the Lanner Falcon {Falco lana- riiis, Schlegel). By J. H. Cochrane. (Plate IV.) .... 183 XV. Note on Astur griseiceps, Schlegel. By A. 11. Wallace. (Plate V.) . . . .' 184 CONTENTS. XI Page XVI. On the Irruption of Pallas's 8and-Grouse {Si/ri'haid<>s lianiflo.riiti) in 1863. By Alfred Newton, M.A. (Plate VI.) . 185 XVII. Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, &c. : — Letters from Mr. G. D. Rowley, M. Leon Olph-Gralliard, M. H. Benvenuti, Dr. T. Salvadori, and Mr. H. Harpur Crewe : Extracts from Mr. Tristram's Letters : Extract of a Letter from Herr A. v. Pelzeln : News of Freiherr v. Heuglin : Dr. Hart- laub's Note on the Birds of the Feejees 222 Numbers XXIII. & XXIV., JiiJ'/ 4- October. XVIII. Remarks on Dr. A. Leith Adams's " Notes and Ob- servations on the Birds of Egypt and Nubia." By S, Staitokd Allen 233 XIX. Notes on Birds breeding in the Neighbourhood of Sydney. By E. P. Ramsay 243 XX. Cursory Notes on some of the Birds of Siam. By Sir Robert H. Schombijegk, Ph.D., F.R.S., Corr. Member of the Zool. Soc. of London, &c 246 XXI. Some Account of an Ornithologist's Cruise in the Mediterranean. By Lieut. R. M. Sperling, R.N 268 XXII. Appendix to List of Birds observed in the Islands of Malta and Gozo. By Charles A. Wright 291 XXIII. On the Birds of the Comoro Islands. By P. L. ScLATEE. (Plate VII.) 292 XXIV. On the Rapacious Birds collected by the late Dr. Dickinson in the Zambesi Region. By P. L. Sclater. (Plate VIII.) 301 XXV. On the Birds of the Zambesi Region of Eastern Tro- pical Africa. By John Kirk, M.D., F.R.G.S 307 XU CONTENTS. Page XXVI. Note on Ar/nila hartJieUmyi, Jaubert. By J. H. GuKNEY, M.P 339 XXVII. Xotes on the Ground -Parrot of New Zealand {Stri- (jops hahroptllus). By Julius Haast, of Canterbury, N. Z. . 340 XXVIII. A Sixth additional List of Birds from Natal. By J. H. GuRNEY, M.P. (Plate IX.) 346 XXIX. Descriptions of four new Species of Formosan Birds ; with further Notes on the Ornithology of the Island. By Robert Swinhoe 361 XXX. On a new Sjjecies of THrar)onopi. By P. L. Sclater. (Plate X.) 371 XXXI. A Fortnight amongst the Sea-birds of British Hon- duras. By Osbert Salyin, M.A.. F.L.S., &g 372 XXXII. Notes on certain Central-American Lrirklce col- lected by Mr. Osbert Salvin and Mr. F. Godman. By Elliott CouEs, M.A., M.D 387 • XXXIII. Recent Ornithological Publications : — 1. Enr/Iish Publications: — Davj''s Observations on Birds' Eggs: Mosley's ' Natural History of Tutbury:' Warren on the Irish Skuas : Rowley on the Egg of ^-Epi/oniis 31J3 2. French and Bchjian Publications: — Du Bois' ' Planches Coloriees des Oiseaux de I'Europe:' Jaubert et Barthelemy- Lapommeraye's ' Richesses Ornithologiques du Midi de la France' 396 3. Dutch Publications : — Schlegel's ' Museum des Pays Bas,' livr. iv. : Journal of the Zoological Society of Amsterdam . . 397 4. Italian Publications : — Bianconi on the Tarso-metatarsus of Birds : De Filippi on new Vertebrates from Persia : Anti- nori's Catalogue of Birds collected in Central Africa .... 399 5. German Publications : — Cabanis and Heine's ' Museum Heineanum :' v. Pelzeln on new Birds from Smyrna, and on new Birds discovered by the late J. Natterer in Brazil : Sunde- vall on Aristotelian Zoology : Brehm's ' Reise nach Habesch ' . 40 1 6. American Puhlications : — March's Notes on the Birds of Jamaica: Bryant on the Geiuis ^V^Wsco^j/cs 404 CONTENTS. XIU Page XXXIV. Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, &c. :— Letters from Messrs. J. Traherne Moggridge, E. Cavendish Taylor, E. Blyth, and II. Swinhoe : Extracts of Letters from Mr. Swinhoe to Mr. Gurney : Errata in article upon the Nesting of the Lanner : Note on Ciconia prvyssenaeri 40G Index to the Names of Species . . . " 431 PLATES IN VOL. VL Page I. Acrocephahis stentorius 97 II. Cosmetornis vexillarius 114 III. Toccus tickeUi 173 IV. Eggs of Falco lanarius* 183 V. Astur griseiceps 184 VI. Map illustrating Mr. Newton's Paper on the Irruption of Syrrhaptes paradoxus 185 VII. Accipiter francesi 292 VIII. Falco dickinsonii 301 IX. Turdus gurneyi 346 X. Tetragonops frantzii 371 * Erroneously called Falco sacer on the plate. See note, p. 230. THE IBIS. No. XXI. JANUARY 1864. I. — Notes and Observations on the Birds of Egypt and Nubia. By Dr. A. Leith Adams. The following notes on the birds of Egypt and Nubia were made during November and the two following months^ whilst per- forming the usual voyage up the Nile from Cairo to the Second Cataract. They can, therefore, have no pretence to anything like completeness, as, independent of the short time expended on the excursion, I had not an opportunity of examining the Delta. Moreover, there is not much to add to the avifauna of a country so well known, excepting, perhaps, a few particulars connected with the range, varieties, and distribution of species which may have escaped the numerous competent naturalists who have visited Egypt and Nubia. There is, however, a point of no small interest connected with Egyptian ornithology, which must always be attractive to the student. I refer to the identification of the hieroglyphic characters with the present denizens of the country, — in fact, their " range in historical time," which dates back to some of the earliest world -known records. Thus we are enabled in a measure to compare the familiar denizens of the Nile Valley 4000 or 5000 years ago with the present inhabitants, and in some degree to show how little they have been affected, either numerically or physically, by what appears to ordinary observers a vast period. As specimens of artistic skill, many of the early delineations are perfectly wonderful. VOL. VI. B 2 Dr, A. L. Adams on the Birds of Egypt and Nubia. Allowing for the excellent material at hand, and the preserving influence of climate, the figures on the granite obelisk of Karnak, done in the time of Tuthmosis I., display, especially with refer- ence to the birds, a clearness of expression, a boldness and a truth- fulness of outline, in every way surprising. Standing among the broken fragments of its sister obelisk, and looking upon the polished sides of this noble work of art, one can scarcely realize the idea that, since its construction, better than thirty-four cen- turies have passed away. Although many species of birds have been found embalmed in tombs and pits, it is not clear that all were sacred. Perhaps whatever animal appeared on the hieroglyphic writings, and was not used as an article of food, may have been occasionally buried in that way ; however that may have been, it is certain that the White Ibis, and probably two or more species of Hawks, including the Kestrel, were sacred, and kept at the public expense. This is not only evident from history, but also from the great num- bers of their mummies, which would scarcely have been so plen- tiful had merely the bodies of stray individuals been collected, and more especially as the punishment of death awaited whoever killed an Ibis or a Hawk, either by design or accident. Owls, Sparrows, Bare-headed and Egyptian Vultures, &c. have been found embalmed, but only occasionally, and rarely more than one or two at a time. Diodorus, Cicero, and others say that the Ibis and Hawk were worshipped because these birds destroy " scorpions, horned snakes, and noxious creatures which endanger life." Were the ancient Egyptians aware at the same time that the Kestrel preyed most extensively on all species of their beloved Scarabai, including the most sacred emblem of the sun and of the world ? The supposition that all Vultures were females led to their adopting this bird as the representa- tive of maternity and protection ; accordingly the Bald-headed Vultures, with outspread wings, on the ceilings of the temples secured protection to the worshippers. Egypt and Nubia, viewed from an ornithological stand-point, present very different physical as well as geological features. The great expanse of cultivation in the low country, and various outlets of the Nile at the Delta, with their shallows, marshes, Dr. A. L. Adams on the Birds of Egypt and Nubia. 3 and sand-banks, offer excellent retreats for water-birds, which decrease in proportion southwards. The great wave of winter visitors impinges as it were on the Delta, and moves on gra- dually, decreasing where local circumstances are inimical, and continuing only where the advantages are great. Thus, after passing the first great barrier at Asowan and proceeding south- wards, we suddenly notice the absence of all the Geese, Ducks, and Waders which crowd the shallows below the First Cataract. A few Falcons scour the narrow strips of cultivation. The Chats and Sand-larks we had to search for, in Lower Egypt, far inland, are now seen hopping among the sandstone-cliffs and wastes along the river's bank, whilst the Hooded Crow and other familiar tenants of the north country have all but disap- peared; nor do we penetrate far south before the Timaliince and PycnonotincB show we are on the confines of a new ornithologi- cal province, the outposts of which are at the Second Cataract. But even that far south there seems little or no diminution in the numbers of certain well-known European species ; for in the beginning of January the Pied Wagtail was seen sporting in hundreds along the banks at Wadai Halfeh, and the Chiff-chaff and Lesser Whitethroat were even more plentiful than in the districts we had just left. How much further south do these birds penetrate before the time comes for their retrograde move- ments ? The sycamore, acacia, palm, and tamarisk are the chief and almost sole trees of the country. The first grows most plenti- fully in Lower Egypt, but seems to decrease in numbers south- wards ; its umbrageous spreading boughs offer tempting retreats for insectivorous birds, and its topmost branches a safe position for the nests of the Black Kite and Hooded Crow. The acacia of the Nile, with its deep-green leaves, throws a grateful shade around the native dwellings, but is not so generally or exten- sively distributed as the common " camel-thorn," which is spread over Egypt, and extends into Nubia, lining the river's bank for many a long mile, either in thickset bush, overgrown with creepers and spider-webs, or single gnarled old trees, among the branches of which the Chameleon may often be seen. The palm is by no means a fitting resort for birds; and wherever B 2 4 Ur. A. L. Adams on the Birds of Egypt and Nubia. solitary groves of date-trees exist, you may wander among their tall trunks for hours and, except near the villages, not meet with a bird of any description. It is evidently the want of forest, bush, and thicket in Egypt that accounts for the scarcity of true Shrikes, the paucity of Sylviidce, and the total absence of Wood- peckers. The cliffs of nummulitic limestone and siliceous sand- stone at various points on the river, both in Egypt and Nubian afford excellent retreats for Raptores, Rock-Pigeons, Herons, Cormorants, &c. Here, among the ancient rock-cut tombs of man, or the still immeasurably older excavations of primeval Nile, they rear their young undisturbed. Yet the scenery of both these countries is often very tame. Their botanical productions are neither varied nor interesting, and there is no great diversity of birds, which, however, make up for this by their exceeding num- bers. Along the banks of the river the Spur-winged Lapwing, Common Sandpiper, Black-headed Plover, Pied Kingfisher, and Wagtail are plentiful. Spanish Sparrows in thousands, and semi- domesticated Blue Pigeons, scour the country. The pretty Blue- breast, Robin-like, is seen hopping around the margins of fields. Crested Larks, in myriads, chirp, flutter, and rise before you. The Kestrel and Black Kite are hovering about, whilst the mud-built villages and their never-failing date-trees resound with the inces- sant chirp of the House- Sparrow and the soft cooing of the Senegal Dove. Proceeding desert-ways, we bend our steps across rich fields teeming with splendid crops of dhurra, until gradually the alluvium becomes less heavy, and at last suddenly terminates at a well-marked and abrupt line of demarcation, which records the limits of the yearns inundation. Then we come on the Russet Wheatear, Pied Chats, and the Trumpeter Bullfinch, on the verge of the desert, which in long-drawn sandy wastes stretches far and wide. On the Arabian side, however, cliffs of tertiary limestone run along the bank, and in broken ridges extend north and south, advancing and retiring from you according to the devious windings of the river. Such is a transverse orni- thological section of the Nile Valley a short way above Cairo. In Nubia we have a very different appearance. The river's bed has now become narrowed by the porphyritic rocks of the First Cataract, and by the secondary sandstone, which forms steep Dr. A. L. Adams on the Birds of Egypt and Nubin. 5 banks, where the river's deposit is prevented from accumulating, except at bends and openings out in its course. There are banks of alluvium, covered with dates and patches of cultivation. How long the Nile has maintained its present level we cannot conjec- ture ; like its avifauna, there has been no apparent change within the historical period *. On the verge of the cultivated parts are seen the mud-hovels of the natives, and still higher is a plateau covered with stones and drifted sand ; but if you dig a few inches a reddish soil will be found, among which are strewn abundance of Unionidse, Cycladidse, and Paludinidse, identical with species now living in the river ; many of the first [jEtheria) are found attached to the old rocky bottom. In vain we surmise when " Father Nile" covered that flatf, on which nought is now seen exepting an occasional White-capped and Black Chat or a solitary Stone Plover. Still further on the fine yellowish-white sand of the desert is seen, in drifts and wreaths, on the flanks of isolated conical hills, which break in some degree the eternal sameness of the country. In that wide, wild wilderness the Hyena, Fox, and Ichneumon prowl, and the Gazelle has its midday retreat, until dusk, when all move towards the river's bank, to feed after their various ways. Such is Nubia near the Second Cataract; further southwards, of course, the interest in the fauna, flora, and geological aspect increases; but, as already stated, the Second Cataract formed the ultima Thule of my wanderings. The late valuable contributions to the orni- thology of the Upper Nile, by Dr. Heuglin, show what diligent labour will accomplish ; he has, besides, given us much informa- tion concerning certain Egyptian birds which frequent that country during summer. The defect in our knowledge of the avi- fauna of Egypt is, I believe, that we are in possession of lists of birds procured during the cold months, but that there is no con- nected account to show the time of arrival and departure of indi- * Much interesting information on this head was collected by my late lamented friend and companion, Mr. Rhind, whose labours in Egypt and elsewhere are familiar to every student of archaeology. t I found freshwater shells at various levels in Nubia. At Der, shells were met with at an elevation of 110 feet above the highest Nile of the present day. (See Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. of Loudon, 1863.) 6 Dr. A. L. Adams on the Birds of Egypt and Nubia. vidua! species, and the influence of local circumstances as to food, climate, or the inundation, in hastening their migrations, — in- formation which can only be obtained by persons resident in the country throughout the year. Of the vast numbers of mi- gratory birds which cross the Mediterranean twice annually, a small portion come in the way, and make a temporary resting- place of Malta, affording us the means of comparing them with those of North Africa. With reference to the birds found abundant in Egypt during my excursion, the following arrive in Malta in great numbers in March, April, and May : — the Kestrel, Pale-chested Harrier, Black Swift (this arrives in the latter part of April, and remains all the summer), House-Swallow (evidently however not from Egypt, as will be seen in the sequel). Hoopoe, Willow Wren, Chiff-chaff, Greater and Lesser White- throat, Stonechat, Wheatear, Red-throated Pipit, Yellow Wag- tail, Pied and Boarula Wagtails, Linnet, and Quail. They come in either singly or in flocks ; sometimes the little wanderers, un- conscious of obstructions in their way, strike against the walls of the fortress and lighthouses at night. Again, during gales, the smaller birds may be seen drifting before them, and Quails in numbers coming in, flying within a few feet of the sea, whilst the large birds, such as Hawks, &c., are usually observed at high altitudes. The birds contained in the following list were either shot by myself or verified from collections of fellow-travellers, long experience having taught me that the pernicious custom of identifying birds on wing, or from casual examination, cannot be too strongly reprobated ; there are, of course, exceptions to be made where circumstances warrant. The above habit unfortu- nately grows on individuals, and more so with the roving tra- veller who takes to the study of natural history as an occu- pation, or with him who observes in the midst of his more im- portant duties. Evei'y naturalist, old and young, should remem- ber the words of the Mantuau bard — "O formose puer! nimium ne crede eolori." Such species, in my collection, concerning the names of which I have any doubts, I take the liberty of forwarding to Dr. Sclatcr, Dr. A. L. Adams on the Birds of Egypt and Nubia. 7 to whom I am greatly indebted for valuable aid on former occa- sions*. Neophron percnopterus Breeds among the lofty crags along the banks of the Nile, in Nubia. The iris is brown in young birds and until the second year, when it becomes reddish, more so in the old f- The adult plumage is not attained until the third and fourth year, as 1 observed in a tame specimen in my possession. Being the Rak- ham of the Arabians and Hebrews, this is the Gier Eagle of Leviticus xi. 18. The Egyptian Vulture is frequently repre- sented on the sculptures ; but there is no proof that it was wor- shipped. The " bird and globe/^ representing a king or Pharaoh (according to Horapollo, " an Eagle "), is not feathered to the toes, and its slender bill and general outline bear a greater resemblance to the N. percnopterus. Gyps fulvus. Is plentifully distributed over Egypt and Nubia, assembling in great numbers on carcases, and at very short notice ; seldom, however, a day passes that several may not be seen soaring at vast heights. In common with its congeners, this species is timid and easily driven from its repast. I witnessed a Hooded Crow disperse three Griffon Vultures which were feeding on a stranded carcase in the river. VULTUR CINEREUS, Gm, The dark plumage of this Vulture serves to distinguish it from the last, even at great altitudes. The Griffon, Cinereous, and Egyptian Vultures may be frequently observed sharing toge- ther the same repast. The Cinereous, although not so common as the Griffon, is generally distributed over Egypt and Nubia. I can find no authentic information of either the V. auricu- laris or Gyps vulgaris, of Savigny, having been met with in these countries of late years. Besides the signification of " mother/' the Vulture was sacred to the Egj^ptian Minerva and Lucina, * I have attached my initials to my remarks on these specimens, and to the names when I have altered them. — P. L. S. t I here take the liberty of correcting an error in my paper on the " Birds of India," Proc. Zool. Soc. 1858, Avherein I have stated the iris to be yellow. 8 Dr. A. L. Adams uii the Birds uf Egypt and Nubia. appearing as their head-dress and that also of the queens of the country. The colouring of all I have seen on temples is in a degree whimsical, but in outline they show great artistic skill. Several delineations of Vultures on the walls of a recently exca- vated temple at Thebes are remarkably well done. Perhaps iElian (lib. ii. 46) refers to the Cinereous Vulture when he mentions that the Black Vulture of Egypt was originally the produce of an Eagle and a Vulture, Mummies of bare-headed Vultures have been found at Thebes. Gypaetos barbatus. On the 14th November, 1862, whilst crowning the summit of the Great Pyramid, I came most unexpectedly on a Bearded Vulture which had been resting on the platform at the apex. Not having seen another during my subsequent travels in Egypt and Nubia, I would have hesitated now in recording its ap- pearance in Lower Egypt so far north as the Pyramids of Gizeh ; but being perfectly familiar with the bird, from previous ob- servation on the Himalayan Mountains, I had not the slightest difficulty in recognizing my old acquaintance. I have no doubt the individual in question was a straggler, attracted by the iso- lated conical aspect of these great landmarks ; for, after a few circular sweeps around their sides, he steered his course east- ward towards the Mogattam Hills. The ferruginous dust found among the feathers of the front of the neck, crop, and lower parts was, in all I shot on the Himalayas, confined to adults, and to individuals assuming the rufous white on the belly. AqUILA NiEVIA Is the most common Eagle in Egypt, and may often be seen either in fields hunting after reptiles and small quadrupeds, or feeding on fish on the sand-banks. I found portions of a large snake in one killed near Thebes, and on another occasion sur- prised a pair intently devouring a large Lepidotus {Char acinus dentex, Sav.). I take the bird of Egypt to be the true ncBvia. A male specimen had large elliptical spots on the upper parts of the body, a rufous tinge on the vent, and measured 25^ inches in the fle^h. Aquila pennata I saw on several occasions, but did not pro- Dr. A. L. Adams on the Birds of Egi/pt and Nubia. 9 cure specimens. Although both Diodorus and Strabo say the Eagle was worshipped at Thebes, " there appears good reason to think they were mistaken, and that the Hawk was the bird they ought to have substituted^^*. An Eagle frequently occurs in hieroglyphics, where it has the force of the letter A f. Pandion haliaetus Is a characteristic denizen of the sand-banks and shallows of the Nile, especially in Lower Egypt. I did not observe it in Nubia. BUTEO RUFINUS, Rupp. This is the most common Buzzard in Egypt during the cold months; it affects the open country, and hunts along the canal- banks after Rodents, lizards, snakes, and frogs. According to Heuglin J, the Common Buzzard is seen occasionally during the winter in Egypt. Riippell speaks of it as being found "every- where in N.E. Africa. ^^ I did not notice one individual during my excursion. In fields on the left bank of the river, opposite Beni Hassan, I followed a large Buzzard one morning, but unfortunately could not get within shot. Its upper parts were bluish ash, lighter about the head ; breast and belly white, with cross barrings of black ; legs yellow. I presume the above may have been the Circaetus beaudouini of Verreaux. MiLVUS ATER (Gm.). This is the most common Kite in Egypt, and, like the M. govinda of India, frequents towns as well as the open country, breeding in trees and rocky situations. I have taken its nest and young in January. The iris is dark brown in the adult, but in several young and immature birds it was found to vary from a light yellow to greyish brown. The similarity in these respects also in plumage of certain varieties of the Govinda Kite and the above is very striking. The 6 and ? of both measure likewise 21 inches in length in the flesh. MiLVUS ^GYPTIUS (Gm.) Is much less common than the last, and apparently more * Wilkinson's ' Ancient Egyptians,' vol. ii. p. 294. t Ibidem. + Ibis, 1861, p. 76. 10 Dr. A. L. Adams on the Birds of Egypt and Nubia. southern in its range. I did not observe the Egyptian Kite until near the Eirst Cataract, where, along with the Black Kite, it was seen at Edfoo, hunting around the village dove-cots, and chasing the young Pigeons, which it torments until they drop exhausted, when the Kite bears them off in its talons. I have noticed the Govinda Kite do the same in India. The natives catch the Kites by means of traps baited with Pigeons, and placed on the tops of palm-trees. The bright white bill and heavier appearance will serve to distinguish this from M. ater, although immature individuals of these two species are very much alike in plumage and colour of bill, and iris. The adult M. cegyptius has the iris a shade lighter than M. ater, and is about an inch longer ; moreover it is not so familiar in its habits, and is more often observed in rocky, out-of-the-way places. Elan us melanopterus (Daud.) Is more abundant in the Delta than above Cairo, and seems to decrease in frequency towards Nubia. The ornithologist will be struck by the numbers of this pretty little Hawk observable in the cold months along the railway route between Alexandria and Cairo. Falco peregrinus. Falco lanarius, L. Falco biarmicus, Brehm. The Peregrine is not uncommon along the river route. In dissecting a specimen shot near Thebes, I found coils of a long thread-worm in the intestines and cavity of the abdomen ; the same was noticed in another individual procured on the banks of the Indus *. In both cases the birds were plump and in good condition. The Egyptian specimen was a $, and mea- sured 18 inches in the flesh. I examined a specimen of the Lanner which was shot in Upper Egypt. F. biarmicus is not uncommon in the rocky parts of Nubia : I procured one specimen and noticed many moi-e. I recommend Nubia as a very suitable locality for studying the affinities of the two last-named Falcons and their immediate congeners. There are several large mous- * See Proc. Zool. Soc. 1858, \^. 472. Dr. A. L. Adams on the Birds of Egypt and Nubia. \ 1 tached Falcons among the hieroglyphic writings, and also on the walls of the temples and tombs ; but all are so extravagantly coloured that there is no possibility of making out the species*. Cerchneis tinnunculus, Boie. The Kestrel is the most common Falcon in Egypt. I did not observe its congener, C. cenchris; but Heuglin says, "it is very common in Lower Egypt during spring, especially around Alexandria "t^ possibly on its way northwards, as it may be met with in numbers at that season in Malta. The Kestrel was the emblem of Horus, Re, or the sun, and a host of other gods. This is apparent from the mummied specimens, intaglios on the monuments, and the usual wooden representations on the lids of coffins. There is little doubt, however, that other closely allied species, such as T. cenchris, may have frequently been mis- taken for, or perhaps considered identical with, the sacred bird, and accordingly worshipped and embalmed. The bird of Horus is represented with a black spot under the eye, red and black barrings on the back, with reddish white on the lower parts, which are more or less spotted with black. Mummied Kestrels are found in great numbers, and, with the Ibis, have frequently been discovered in coffins along with human mummies. Its part in the symbolism of Egyptian worship is thus described by Mr. Rhind : — " The Hawk was the symbolic bird of that important functionary of Amenti, Horus, who, after having first taken part along with Anubis in weighing the good and bad actions of the trembling souls, ushered those whose welcome was secured into the presence of Osiris." J On that account the Hawk was held in great veneration, as we learn from Herodotus and Diodorus that, " in Egypt, whoever kills an Ibis, Hawk, or Cat, either wilfully or by accident, must necessarily be put to death," — a bad look-out for ornithologists in these days ! Moreover, Dio- dorus states that every trouble was taken to preserve them, and that they were fed by the natives, who not only kept Hawks in captivity, but were in the habit of placing flesh and food in the * Wilkinson's ' Ancient Egyptians,' vol. ii. p. 207. t Ibis, 1861, p. 72. X ' Thebes, its Tombs and their Tenants,' p. 100. 12 Dr. A, L. Adams on the Birds of Egypt and Nubia. way of wild individuals. The claws of many mummied Kestrels examined by me were all sharp, and unlike those of tamed Hawks long habituated to close confinement. At the present day the Kestrel is one of the most familiar birds of Egypt ; in- deed, more so than perhaps is observed in any other country. I have often been enabled to approach the Kestrel within a few yards, whereas the Sparrow-Hawk and the other small Raptores seem in no wise different in habits from those of the same species I have noticed elsewhere. Whenever a Hawk died, its body was handed over to the embalmers, and subsequently deposited in a sacred tomb. It mattered not where or how it bad died, in common with other sacred animals, it was wrapped in linen cloth, and followed to the grave by a procession of mourners, whose outward signs of grief were shown by beating their breasts, and by such voluntary penances as testified to the vene- ration with which these animals were held. Even the Hawks which died in foreign countries were embalmed and brought to Egypt. There is every reason to suppose ancient authors were correct in stating that the animals held sacred were those man found most useful towards his well-being. The Hawk was par- tially revered at Philse, and worshipped at Heliopolis, where, as in other Egyptian cities, it was considered the tj^pe of the Sun and repi'esentative of the deity of the place. It appears, how- ever, that the Hawk Strabo saw at Philse was different from any he had seen in Lower Egypt or Greece ; he says " it was larger, and very different in the marks of its plumage, and that it was a native of Ethiopia^' *. ACCIPITER NISUS Seems more common in Nubia than in Egypt, where it may be often observed, scouring along the narrow strips of cultivation on the river's bank in quest of the Chiff-chaff, Pied Wagtail, and Red-throated Pipit. It has no favour for the Kestrel, and seldom loses an opportunity of annoying the little creature. Coupled with the impertinent attacks of Kites and Hooded Crows, the Kestrel appears to enjoy little peace or comfort. Several male Sparrow-Hawks measured in the flesh 12^ inches, * Lib. xvi. W). Dr. A. L. Adams un the Birds of Egypt and Nubia. 13 the cheeks, breast, and flauks sparingly marked with rufous ; the females 15 inches, with very clear plumage and regular cross-barrings on the lower parts, without any rufous on the plumage. Circus ^ruginosus. Individuals in various stages of plumage, including those figured by Yarrell and Bewick, were observed both in Egypt and Nubia. I noticed one feeding on a decomposed fish on a sand-bank near Thebes. Circus pallidus *. This is the Common Harrier, and may frequently be observed hunting the wheat-fields. I have not seen C. cyaneus, which, how- ever, appears to have been killed in Egypt f- Several adult and young males in the garb of the female measured in the flesh, as near as possible, 16^ inches. I am inclined to think that C pallidus is very much more common than C. cyaneus in the South of Europe and North Africa. Athene meridionalis, Risso. My specimens are certainly paler than A. noctua (Retz.). Several males and females measured 6 inches in length. It is a regular tenant of the palm, tamarisk, and acacia groves, and ap- parently hunts along the canal-banks in Lower Egypt during the daytime. This is undoubtedly Minerva's bird, but authorities question if it was held in the same veneration in Egypt as in Rome. I once saw the Horned Owl on wing {Bubo ascalaphus, Sav. (?)), and found a dead individual of Strix flammea in Nubia. A Horned Owl, and perhaps the last species, very frequently occur both in the hieroglyphic writings and on the walls of the tombs, &c. ; none, however, appear to have been sacred. Mummied Owls have been found at Thebes J. Caprimulgus isabellinus, Temm. I accidentally came on a pair asleep, at midday, among sand- * I presume Dr. Adams means Circus pallidus, Sykes, which is generally (and better) known as C. swainsoni, Smith. Circus cineraceus (Montague's Harrier) has also been called joaWit/j^s by Hodgson. — Ed. t Taylor, Ibis, 1859, p. 46. % Wilkinson, op. cit. 14 Dr. A. L. Adams on the Birds of Egypt and Nubia. dunes on the banks of the river in Nubia. This species passes the day on the sand of the desert, where it makes a temporary hollow like a nest. Cypselus apus. The climate of Lower Egypt is apparently too cold for this bird in winter, as I did not observe it until we reached the Thebaid, where and southward it is very plentiful. C. melba was not seen. COTYLE RUPESTRIS. Is generally distributed over Egypt and Nubia in winter ; at that season it takes the place of C. riparia, which, however, seems to breed in Egypt in February *. I did not notice a single specimen of the latter during my excursion. Flocks of the Crag Swallow may be often seen skimming noiselessly along the surface of the river and stagnant pools, also around the acacia- trees in Nubia, where insects abound ; its easy and compara- tively feeble mode of flight is noticeable, compared with that of the Sand-Martin. The irides of many procured in Egypt were light brown, not yellow. Some males are much darker in plu- mage than others ; this I noted particularly in one individual shot in Upper Egypt. HiRUNDO RUSTICA. I think I have seen one or two on wing with pale reddish- white lower parts, but the H. rustica orientalis of Schlegel is the Egyptian Swallow. It is plentifully distributed over town and country in Lower Egypt, getting less common southwards. At Thebes it is rare, at least during the cold months; and I did not observe a single individual after leaving that district and pro- ceeding towards the Second Cataract. The Swallows which touch at Malta in spring, on their way northwards, are, as a rule, similar to the northern visitors : some have rufous-white bellies, but none are so deep rufous as the Egyptian specimens, in which the spots on the tail are of the same colour. The measurements of specimens killed in Malta and Egypt were equal. Accord- ing to Wilkinson, the Swallow has been found mummied at Thebes. There is a bird in the hieroglyphics, intended to signify * Tristram, Ibis, 1859, p. 27. Dr. A. L. Adams 07i the Birds of Egypt and Nubia. 15 " prolific/' which Horapollo calls a House-Sparrow ; if it be the same as Sharpe * mentions in his note to the above, there can be little doubt of its similarity to the Swallow, as may be seen in the illustrations in this author's work, and still better on the granite obelisk at Karnak. Merops viridis. There seems to be no variety among the Egyptian specimens I have examined — a noticeable circumstance when the rufous-necked and verditer-throated varieties of India and the Lower Himalaya are considered. The cold of Lower Egypt in December and January seems trying to this species, which is the only Bee-eater that braves the climate then. M.persicus arrives in April. I have seen the above and the Chiff-chafF almost benumbed by a tem- perature of 40° Fahr. in the shade. It is, however, a lively little creature on sunny days, and may be seen sporting about with great vigour, now shooting from the extremity of an acacia- branch, anon flitting from furrow to furrow in a newly-ploughed field ; now four or six are clustered together on a branch, then suddenly, with loud shrieks and chatterings, they break off" in divers directions. It is withal a stupid bird, and allows one to approach within a few feet : not even the report of a gun seems to frighten it. Alcedo ispida. Ceryle rudis. The Common Kingfisher was observed often on the way be- tween Alexandria and Cairo ; it, however, became less common southwards, and eventually disappeared soon after leaving the latter city. The Belted Kingfisher is common wherever there are shallows and sand-banks, but is rarely seen between the First and Second Cataracts, as the shallows there are few and far be- tween. It breeds early in December. All the male specimens (six in number) procured by me had a double collar, whereas in the female specimens (two in number) there was only one black collar. Upupa epops Is extensively distributed over Egypt and Nubia during the * ' Egyptian Hieroglyphics,' p. 33, plate xxvii. nos. 1600 to 1606. 16 Dr. A. L. Adams on the Birds of Egypt and Nubia. winter uiouths, migrating to Europe in spring. iElian* says the Egyptians respected the Hoopoe for its love of its young (?). In the " bird-writing " it signifies a " brick/' perhaps from its dis- position to perch on the crude brick walls of the native huts. On the wall of one of the famous tombs at Beni Hassan a bird- catcher is seen hauling his clap-net, which is filled with Geese and Ducks, whilst on a tree by his side, among other birds of the country, is the Belted Kingfisher, Hoopoe, and Pied Wagtail. The latter, excepting a little exaggeration in colouring, has been drawn with great accuracy. The Hoopoe is exceedingly well done, and, in common with many of the other delineations, retains the brightness'of its colouring, although at least 3800 years have gone by. It is interesting to observe that the fami- liar tenants of the Nile Valley in those days were the same as now ; possibly they may at present be more plentiful, as Egypt was evidently then more densely populated by the human race. Phylloscopus trochilus. Several specimens. were procured in Nubia in January. I think it may turn out to be common in Egypt likewise, as I have reason to think I overlooked it in consequence of its similarity to the next species. Phylloscopus rufus. Measurements of many procured in "Nubia and Egypt, from the beginning of November to the end of January, showed the length of males to average in the flesh 4|^ in., females 4^^. This is evidently only a winter visitor, arriving fi'om Europe in vast numbers towards the latter end of September. I have heard its characteristic call as late as the beginning of November at Cairo. The numbers of this bird in the dhurra-fields, gar- dens, &c., up to the end of February are surprising. Its note is changed in winter to a " hoit," like that of the Willow Wren, but not so strong and loud. P. bonellii I have procured in Malta in spring during its migration northwards, but failed to meet with it in the Nile Valley. Sylvia melanocephala. The Sardinian Warbler is very common in -Nubia, frequenting * Nat. An. x. 16. Dr. A. L. Adams on the Birds of Egypt and Nubia. 17 the impenetrable bushes of camel-thorn, where it secretes itself on the slightest appearance of danger. The white of the lower parts in all I examined in Nubia was not so clear as in many procured in Malta during its migration northwards in spring. Sylvia curruca. Among the acacia and thorny bushes which line the Nubian desert ; it is a lively sight, during a clear sunny day, to witness numerous Lesser Whitethroats, ChifF-rchaffs, and Sardinian Warblers flitting among the countless cobwebs which stretch in tangled meshes from every twig. As the Chiff-chaff flutters like a Humming-bird around the fragrant yellow flowers of the acacia, emitting its lovely " hoit," the Whitethroat moves along stealthily among the twigs, now and then seeking the denser parts to chant its sweet melodious song, while the Sardinian Warbler sits picking the cobwebs to pieces in search of their owners. I procured one specimen of Sylvia cinerea in the The- baid j it is not nearly so common as the Lesser Whitethroat. SUYA GRACILIS. This is in all probability the Sylvia textrix of Savigny *, but whether to consider it the same as Prinia gracilis of Riippell I am not in a position to determinef. It is an active littlecreat ure, and has the restless manner and noisome call of its congeners, the Prinia and Maluri. The iris is brick-red ; the call a loud " creek,'' like that of the Common Wren. It readily secretes itself in thick bush, where its presence is usually discovered by the rough notes invariably uttered when its haunts are approached. This species is common both in Egypt and Nubia. Cyanecula suecica. It would seem that all the southern and oriental specimens of this bird have the breast-spot red. Sometimes in Indian and Egyptian individuals I have noticed a dash of white around the borders or tipping the feathers of the breast-spot ; this, however, is by no means regular, and seems the result of age. * ' Egyptian Expedition,' pi. 5. fig. 4. t I believe this is Prinia gracilis of Riippell's ' Atlas,' t. 2. fig. b. It is, however, as Mr. Swinhoe informs me, a true Suya, congeneric with S. le- pida of India and S. striata of Formosa. — Ed. VOL. VI. C 18 Dr. A. L. Adams on the Birds of Egypt and Nubia. The Blue-breast is plentiful in all cultivated parts of Egypt and Nubia. RUTICILLA PH(EN1CURA. Not uncommon in Lower Egypt, and seen at Thebes. I found it at sea, migrating southwards, in the beginning of November. At that season it arrives in Malta, where a few spend the winter, but the majority proceed to Egypt and North Africa. RUTICILLA TITHYS. The two female specimens I procured in Nubia have the entire plumage ashy brown, excepting the russet of the rump and tail, and the margins of the eyelids gi'ey ; no trace whatever of a fringe on the secondary quills. These peculiarities agree with the E?'i- thacus cairii of Degland. I forward the specimen for examina- tion. It frequents the ruined forts and desert stony places, and is by no means common. Pratincola rubicola. Seen, now and then, all the way to the Second Cataract. Females predominate. I think there is more dull red on the Egyptian than on the English bird, especially on the rump and throat. The AVhinchat was not observed. DROMOLiEA LEUCOCEPHALA, Brchm : (Ibis, 1859, p. 298). From its white head, this handsome Chat might be mistaken on wing for Saxicola leucomela ; otherwise it is exactly like the Black Wheat-ear (D. leucopyyia), with which it was often seen asso- ciating. Among the sterile wastes of Nubia, around deserted villages and the ruined temples of the Pharaohs, it delights to sport. On the carpus and bastard wing of two male specimens a white feather was observed. The average length is 6| inches. DROMOLiEA LEUCOPYGIA, Brchui : (Ibis, 1859, p. 297). Is closely allied to D. leucura. The two upper tail-feathers have about two-thirds of their distal extremities black, the tips of the others being more or less marked with the same colour, which seems to vary in degree in diflPerent specimens; the rest of the tail, vent, and lower portion of the back snowy white; remainder of the plumage glossy black, ex- cepting the wings, which are brownish black in all my speci- mens (females). The average length is 6| inches. This is the Dr. A. L. Adams on the Birds of Egypt and Nubia. 19 most common Chat in Nubia, and is familiar in its habits, frequenting villages and ruined buildings along with the last species ; it often flew on board our boat, and picked up crumbs on deck. A few white feathers were found interspersed among the black of the head in one of the female specimens procured in Nubia. I saw it at Thebes, but the bird is not common north of the First Cataract. I cannot account for the circum- stance that, of the three specimens of D. leucopygia I shot in different parts of Nubia, all were females ; and of four of D. leucocephala, all happened to be males. Saxicola pallida, Riipp. Atl. t. 3^. fig. a. — P. L. S. My specimens (two females) were procured in the Thebaid and in Nubia ; the length of one was 7 inches, the other 6}^ in. This species is not common, at least during the cold months. It frequents the open country, flies at great speed, and was observed catching insects on wing. Saxicola lugens, Licht. Doubl. p. 33 : Bp. Consp. p. 303. Decreases in numbers southwards, and is not nearly so com- mon in Nubia as in Egypt. The pale russet of the vent is always present in the Egyptian bird ; whereas, in specimens I have examined from the Crimea and in India, the under tail- coverts were white *. Average length of several specimens of both sexes, measured in the flesh, 6^ inches. Saxicola deserti, Riipp. — P. L. S. This is the common Desert Chat along the margin of culti- vation in Egypt and Nubia. The russet of the upper parts of males was observed to vary in brilliancy, and the black of the throat in some was a good deal tipped with grey. The rump was pale russet in one male specimen procured at Thebes. Saxicola (enanthe. Females predominate. The Egyptian Wheatears were larger than any I procured at Malta, the plumage a shade lighter, and bill heavier : they seem to agree with var. rostrata-^ of Ehrenberg. I have forwarded specimens J . * S. leucomela (Pall.) : Gray, Gen. of Birds, i. p. 1/8. + Ibis, vol. i. p. 39. X The specimens forwarded appear to be S. isahelUna, Riipp. — P. L, S. c 2 20 Dr. A. L. Adams on the Birds of Egypt and Nubia. Petrocincla cyanea. The Blue Thrush is not, apparently, common in Egypt. I procured one among the rocks at the First Cataract, but saw no more. Pycnonotus arsinoe (Licht.). — P. L. S. This Bulbul is common in winter among the palm-trees at Wadee Halfeh, below the Second Cataract, which is probably its northern limit, as I failed in observing it further dawn. The plumage of both sexes is exactly alike. The male measures 8 inches, the female 7| in. in length. Generally seen in pairs, flitting among the palm-branches. Its mellow chirping note sounded sweetly through the grove, and brought back old asso- ciations of the Himalayan and Indian jungles, where I had been familiar with several of its close allies, to wit, the P. hcemorrhous, which it resembles, except in not having the red vent of that species. AnTHUS RUFIGULARIS. Is very common in fields both in Egypt and Nubia. The red throat in both sexes varies very much in extent and intensity ; specimens may be procured scarcely different from A. pratensis ; it is, however, at least, a permanent race, and comes in at Malta in spring, after the other species (which is a winter resident) has left. Its call is softer and more prolonged than that of the Titlark. The male, in the flesh, measures 6 inches, the female 5^§ in. in length. BUDYTES FLAVA. Is common in flocks in fields, among long grass and grain, all over Egypt to the Pirst Cataract. Experience shows that B. cinereocapilla and B. melanocephala are most probably only varie- ties of this species. At Thebes, in December, I procured several individuals from one flock, in which the white streak above and behind the eye was wanting; the heads of the males varying from a lead-grey to olive-brown among many which had all the characters of B. flava. I have observed the same in Malta in April and September, during the birds' migrations, and at that time procured individuals with leaden-black heads, among others which might be considered good specimens of B. flava and Dr. A. L. Adams on the Birds of Egypt and Nubia. 21 B. cinereocapilla. The yellow of the lower parts varies in extent and intensity in males, being often faint towards the throat, which in some is pure white. The mottling on the breast is often present in the adult. The female seems never to lose the white streak over the eye, and, except that the crown is darker than the back during the breeding-season, I have not been enabled to meet with any decided distinctions to match the grey- and black-headed varieties. In the South of Europe, North Africa, and Egypt it would appear that the B. melano- cephala is the rarest variety; but the blackness of the head of this form is not, seemingly, so intense as that of the Indian bird {B. viridis) *. MOTACILLA ALBA. I saw many on their way southwards in the end of October, when sailing between Malta and Egypt. It is the most com- mon and extensively distributed of the birds of Egypt and Nubia, proceeding far south of the Second Cataract. Another bird, generally mistaken for the Swallow, and conjectured by Cham- pollion to represent a Sparrow, is figured in the hieroglyphic legends as the type of 'an impure or wicked person.' I believe it to be the Wagtail ; and it is worthy of remark that this bird is still called, in Egypt, 'Aboo Eussad' (the father of corrup- tionf )." I must say, I cannot understand what induced the " wise men of the East " to rank this delightful denizen of the country among their birds of bad omen. MOTACILLA LUGUBRIS, Pall. Is often seen among the rapids of the cataracts, and rarely elsewhere on the Nile. The male measures 6^ inches in length. The call is louder and sharper than that of M. alba, and resembles the chirp of the Canary. It is familiar, and often came on board our boat whilst lying in one of the creeks among the rapids of the First Cataract. There is considerable similarity, both in habits and appearance, between M. lugubris and the Indian Henicuri, Like the latter, it delights to sport around the foaming cataract, fluttering from one torrent-worn boulder to another, * Blytb, Cat. As. Soc. Mus. p. 325. t Wilkinson, op. cit. vol. ii. p. 214. 22 Dr. A. L. Adams on the Birds of Egypt and Nubia. or to run with an agile step along the margins of the little eddying bays. MOTACILLA BOARULA. Was met with in its usual retreats, as far south as Nubia. Lanius dealbatus, De Philippi. — P. L. S. I met with only one specimen of this Shrike, which was pro- cured in Nubia, I see no difference between it and L. excuhitor, although the semilunar lines of the female are wanting in the Nubian bird. I send a specimen for comparison with L. de- albatus of North Africa. CORVUS CORAX. CORVUS CORNIX. The Raven is plentiful in Egypt and among the rocky parts of Nubia. I have seen small flocks in Lower Egypt in Novem- ber. The Hooded Crow is rare in Nubia, but one of the most common and familiar birds of Egypt. I have taken its eggs in December. In Lower Egypt the Kestrel may be seen perched on the branch of a date-tree, screaming lustily, whilst the Hooded Crow, in a bullying and very impertinent mannei*, keeps pouncing close to him, and so tormenting the little Hawk that the latter has often to make a bolt of it. Again, as the Black Kite is stooping on his food, the Carrion Crow may be seen hastening to the scene, and frequently, by continual bullying, he will oblige the Kite to yield up the prize ; for the Carrion Crow is a bold marauder, and never shrinks from disputing his priority even with the Griffon and Cinereous Vultures. StURNUS VULGARIS. Often observed in flocks in Lower Egypt during the winter months. Passer salicicola (Vieill.) : Bp. Consp. p. 509. Is extensively distributed over Egypt, but is not common in Nubia, It may often be seen associating with the Domestic species. Flocks of the two frequently become intermixed; but their habits are in many ways different ; and as there is seem- ingly no variety of one or the other, it may be conjectured that they never breed together. Both are gregarious, and build in Dr. A. L. Adams on the Birds of Egypt and Nubia. 23 trees ; the Domestic Sparrow in houses also, preferring, as usual, the habitations of man and the dust and dirt of the crowded city and mud huts to the open country, where the other takes up its quarters. In November and December, during the ripen- ing of the dlmrra, Spanish Sparrows assemble in enormous numbers, and commit much damage to the crop*. In conse- quence of this at early morn men and boys armed with slings repair to the fields to frighten away the crowds of these birds which are seen scouring across the country and attempting to settle on the ears of grain. Any evening at that season, just as the sun dips behind the grey-white limestone-cliffs close to the ancient Necropolis of Thebes, dense flocks of Spanish Sparrows may be seen constantly passing southwards to their roosting- quarters in the little island at Luxor. The sudden rush over- head of thousands of wings is startling, whilst the eccentric-like oscillations and wheelings to and fro of the vast living masses are singularly strange and beautiful. I fancy Mr. Taylor must have mistaken the Domestic Sparrow for the Italian P. italia (Vieill.)t. I have not seen the bird with maroon crown and unicolor sides in Egypt or Nubia. The only variety of P. sali- cicola I have noticed is in Malta, where I made a large series, and found that although the Spanish is the Sparrow of that island, there are shades of plumage intermediate between it and the P. italia, showing a well-marked gradation from the one to the other. I must, consequently, differ from Dr. Bree J, and consider the Italian Sparrow more closely allied to the Spanish than to the Domestic species. LiNOTA CANNABINA. Erythrospiza GITHAGINEA. I put these two pretty little Finches together, as I was sur- prised to find them so often associated in Egypt. Along the confines of cultivation and rocky situations bordering on the desert, the clear tinkling call of the Trumpeter Bullfinch is heard, * " When the ancient Egyptians meant to express ' evil actions,' they drew a bird hke a Finch." — Bunsen. t Ibis, vol, i. p. 48. ;|: Birds of Europe, vol. iii. p. 131. 24 Dr. A. L. Adams on the Birds of Egypt and Nubia. where often the colour of its plumage prevents its being seen. It breeds among the old tombs at Thebes, associating there with the Domestic Sparrow. In Nubia the Sparrow-Hawk may be often observed sweeping around a cliff, with one of these birds in its talons, pursued by the loud lamentations of the whole flock, uttered in their characteristic clear and musical notes. They begin to pair about the end of January ; but for some time before- hand the males may be observed making constant approaches and coquetting around the females, who long resist their attentions. At that time, although the testes in the male are fully developed, the ovaries of the females are unchanged. This circumstance I have often noticed in respect to other species, viz. that con- stant attentions on the part of the male seem to be required before the aphrodisiacal tendency is aroused in the other sex, and moreover (as any one who has paid sufficient attention to the habits of gregarious birds will observe) that it is the hand- somest, largest, and strongest males who are the most assiduous in the love-making season. In the above instance I noticed a marked confirmation of the latter remark, the " gallants " being the largest and richest in plumage. The same may be noticed in the case of Sparrows, Linnets, &c. Certhilauda desertorum (Stanley) : Riipp. Syst. Ueb. p. 78.— P. L. S. Is not uncommon, either solitary or in small flocks, around the pyramids and along the edge of the desert to Nubia. It runs at great speed, with a very erect carriage, stopping every few yards. The male varies from 8^ to 8| inches in length ; the female, 8^ to 8^. The plumage of the latter is more clouded. At Beni Hassan I came on a flock associated with the Cursoritis isabellinus. Galerida cristata. Is most plentiful during the cold months in all cultivated districts of Egypt and Nubia. Galerida isabellina (Temm.) : Riipp. S. U. p. 78. — P. L. S. Is common in waste and stony deserts ; for instance, around the Necropolis and valley leading to the Tombs of the Kings at Thebes. The transparency of its wings and their pale isabella- Dr. A. L. Adams on the Birds of Egypt and Nubia. 25 colour are very noticeable. All I shot were 5 j-| inches in length. I saw it often in Nubia. MiRAFRA, sp.* Is not uncommon^ and usually met with in pairs, on desert wastes and around ruined buildings in Nubia. The male mea- sures 6^, the female 6 inches in length. It feeds on seeds, and has the same habits as the last ; its call-note is loud and Linnet- like. Sexes alike in plumage. Ammomanes pallida, Cab. Mus. Hein. p. 125 : Tristram, Ibis, 1859, p. 423.— P. L. S. Is not uncommon on the deserts of Nubia, and usually seen in small Hocks. It runs at great speed, and, like the other Sand- larks, stops every few steps. It has a call-note very like that of the Trumpeter Bullfinch, which it resembles in its flight. The iris is hazel, c? 5|, $ 5^ inches in length. OXYLOPHUS GLANDARIUS. Is most usually seen solitary, sitting among the dense foliage of an acacia. It is tame, and easily approached. Often met with both in Nubia and Egypt. Crateropus acacia (Riipp.). — P. L. S. I first noticed this Bush-babbler in a thicket of acacia near Der, the capital of Nubia. It frequents bushy situations along the river-bank, and is usually seen in flocks of from six to twelve. Like its congeners, its flight is feeble, and call chattering and gar- rulous, and uttered as it flies from bash to bush, where it often secretes itself. It breeds in January. There is considerable dif- ference in size between the sexes and even individuals. Old males average 10 inches in length. The edges and inside of the mouth are yellow. I believe neither this nor any of the subfamily Timalince is found northward of Der, at all events below the First Cataract. The above species seemed to increase towards the Second Cataract, where it is common in bushy * This Mirafra I cannot at present satisfactorily determine. It does not seem to be included in Riippell's or Heuglin's catalogues. I thought it might be Mirafra cordofanica, Strickland (P. Z. S. 1850, p. 218, pi. 23), but it appears to be different from that species. — P. L. S. 26 Dr. A, L. Adams on the Birds of Egypt and Nubia. situations. The iris in the adult is yellow, paler in young- birds. COLUMBA LIVIA. In Egypt it is not easy to define the limits between the wild and domesticated Pigeons, their plumage being so much alike. The denizens of the dove-cots all preserve the leading charac- teristics of C. livia. Many-coloured birds are uncommon. The two black bars on the wings, and single black bar on the tail, with the white on the edges of the outer tail-feathers, were pre- sent in all the tame birds I have examined. The permanence of colouring may be owing to the circumstance that no pains what- ever are taken to improve the breed. Each town and village has many dove-cots, which are usually the joint property of several persons ; the Pigeons are only kept for their dung, and allowed to shift for themselves. In some districts, as at Sioot, it is marvellous the numbers seen crowding round these mud-built cots, or feeding in the fields. The most common Domestic variety answers to the C schimperi of Bonaparte; but indivi- duals in all respects agreeing with C. livia and C. schimperi may also be met with among the rocks. No doubt stragglers from the towns often take to the wild life ; indeed, at best they are only half domesticated in the dove-cots, where I have seldom seen a pied or white pigeon. The many-coloured varieties are, how- ever, reared in the native houses, and sometimes join flocks of the other ; but they rarely interbreed. From these circumstances it would appear that the Domestic Pigeon of Egypt has reverted very much towards its original wild state. On one of the walls of the Temple of Medinet Haboo is a sculpture of the time of Rameses III., b.c. 1297, representing that famous monarch as having just assumed the crown of Upper and Lower Egypt. The procession is seen moving on in regal state, and in all the pomp and splendour of the time, whilst a priest is letting ofi" four Carrier Pigeons to announce the glad tidings to every quarter of the globe. This is very interesting, as it shows Pigeons were then used for the purpose of conveying information. According to Horapollo, the flesh of Pigeons was greatly esteemed, and there are records of their having been eaten as early as B.C. 3000. Dr. A. L. Adams on the Birds of Egypt and Nubia. 27 TURTUR SENEGALENSIS. Universally distributed over the habitable parts of Egypt and Nubia. Breeds in Cairo and other towns in the lower country. Horapollo says, when the ancients wished to represent " a woman who remains a widow till death," they drew a black Dove. Neither Doves nor Pigeons have been found embalmed. Pterocles exustus. Is common in Upper Egypt, where, with the other species, it is known by the native name " Gutta." Its pointed tail and black belly distinguish it on wing, when it is likewise recognized (as, indeed, are all the Sand-Grouse) by its continual gur- gling call. The various species live much in the same way, re- pairing to the desert during the day, and the young wheat fields, &c., at dusk and early morn. They feed extensively on the dhurra. This Pintail breeds in June ; its nest is simply a hole in the sand, with a circle of dried grass to preserve the shape. Several old nests were seen near Ombos, below the Pirst Cataract. The wounded bird spreads out its tail and wings, hiding its head under the breast, and emits a series of chuckles, like a fowl. Although its flight is strong, it is not difficult to shoot, provided the sportsman is not too precipitate. As I found in India, its flesh is very dry ; indeed such is the case with all the family : the only passable way of making them fit for the table is by re- moving the skin before they are cooked. Pterocles coronatus, Licht. The only occasion I met with this handsome Sand-Grouse was whilst seated among the rocks of the Second Cataract, watching Vultures devouring a camel. A flock alighted on a sand-bank, and rushed in a body to the water, and drank like Pigeons. I was fortunate in being enabled to bag two brace on that occa- sion. The measurements of both sexes were alike, being in length 12 inches. I saw P. senegalensis often on wing, and identified several specimens in collections made in the Thebaid. I could not learn that P. alchata has been met with in the country. Gallus, sp. The bird called " Chick " by antiquaries, and which repre- sents the vowel o or u, as in the Oval of Shofo, is probably the 28 Dr. A. L. Adams on the Birds of Egypt and Nubia. young of the Domestic Fowl. The rudimentary state of the wings, and bulging of the abdomen at the vent, are in favour of its being at least the young of some species. Fowls, how- ever, do not apjDcar on the monuments of Egypt, perhaps for the reason assigned by Sir Gardner Wilkinson, that they were in universal use as an article of food . Ammoperdix heyii (Temm.). This species is closely allied to A. bonhamii of Afghanistan and the north-western Punjaub *. It has likewise a marked resemblance to that bird in habits, frequenting bare rocky ra- vines and low hills ; it runs at great speed, and flies strongly, uttering a loud clear whistle. When alarmed, they disperse over the country, and secrete themselves under rocks and fallen boulders. A female measured 10 inches in length. The flesh is pale and tender, but wanting in flavour. The iris is true brown ; bill orange, and legs yellow. It is evid,ently partial to localities; in Nubia I met with small coveys among the rocky parts at Dendor. The traveller Burckhardt mentions a " small species of Partridge with red legs " which he killed occasionally in Nubia f. COTURNIX DACTYLISONANS. Is distributed over Egypt and cultivated parts of Nubia, as- sembling in the wheat-fields in February and March, before its migration northwards across the Mediterranean, which takes place during the middle and latter part of April. It appears among many votives to the gods, and in the bird-catching scenes on the tombs, &c. ; it was not sacred, and does not appear to have been found embalmed, possibly for the same reason as the Domestic Fowl. CEdicnemus crepitans. Is not uncommon, singly or in flocks, on the stony and desert tracts of Nubia and Egypt. Cursorius europ^us. Was seen several times, and always in small flocks, at different * Vide Gould's ' Biids of Asia,' and Author's list, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1858, p. 503. t ' Travels in Nubia.' Dr. A. L. Adams on the Birds of Egypt and Nubia. 29 points on the Arabian side of the desert, between Syene and Cairo. j3i]gialites minor. Is plentifully distributed over the shallows of the river, even in Nubia. ]\Iuddy fields, after the subsidence of the river, are favourite resorts of this little Plover. Neither yE. hiaticula nor any other species was observed. PlUVIANUS ^GYPTIUS. To this species, as well as the Spur-winged Lapwing, the name Zic-Zac is applied by the natives, who, in bird-nomenclature as in other subjects, evince no great accuracy or perception. Every bird of the shape of a Goose or Duck is a " Wiz," ac- cording to their naming. It is not easy to see the reason why they should apply the above to the Black-headed Plover, unless that it frequents the same situations, and is consequently mis- taken for the other, as this handsome Plover has neither in plumage nor voice any similarity to the Spurwing. The Black- headed Plover is usually seen in pairs, and breeds about March ; its flight is rapid, and call loud and piping. One series of notes, when alarmed, resemble the words chip-chip-hoit, which it utters on wing, as it wheels past your boat and settles on the bank. It is not at all common above the First Cataract, owing to the absence of sand-banks and islands. HOPLOPTERUS SPINOSUS. Is very closely allied to the Lapwings {Vanellus, Brisson), both in appearance and habits. There appears to me better reason for considering this species the Trochilos of Herodotus ^ than the last, inasmuch as the well-known narrative of the Greek histo- rian, strange to say, is still current among the Egyptians, and with reference to this bird, which they state, in its capacity of leech-catcher to the Crocodile t; is sometimes shut up within the jaws of the animal when the latter falls asleep on a sand-bank. On such occasions the Zic-Zac (^1 J:, from its call) applies his spurs to the interior of the Crocodile's mouth, by way of re- * B. i. 68. t Burckhax'dt says it feeds likewise on the digested food thrown up by the Crocodile. (' Travels in Nubia') 30 Dr. A. L. Adams on the Birds of Egypt and Nubia. freshing the memory of the latter that his faithful henchman is within, when the monster^s jaws reopen immediately, as if his reptilian majesty was sorry for his obliviousness. This addition to the old story was given me on good authority, as being very generally believed among the Nile boatmen. As to the Black- headed Plover, I see no cause to sustain its claim in preference to this species, nor even to the Common Sandpiper and other small aquatic birds which frequent the sand-banks along with Crocodiles. The Spurwing is usually seen in pairs, but it does not breed until March and April. The noisome and garrulous voice of the Zic-Zac has gained it notoriety with Egyptian travellers. Its loud calls, as it stands on a sand-bank jerking its head up and down, or wheeling in circles overhead, serve as a warning to the Crocodile to seek his muddy bed, and many a wary bird to be on the look-out. What Nile voyager who, in vain attempts to outmano3uvre a flock of Geese, has not had his whole labour lost by this prattling intruder ? Vanellus cristatus. Replaces the last species to a great extent in Upper Egypt and Nubia. It is common in flocks in fields and along the river-banks, and is remarkably mute during the winter months, its well-known "pee-wit" being seldom heard. It is the head of a Lapwing that is represented on the hieroglyphic figures upon the "augural stafi"" of the gods. This species is also called Zic-Zac by the natives. Grus cinerea. Was often seen in large flocks in Lower Egypt. Among the interesting zoological scenes depicted on the walls of the tombs at Beni Hassan is a flock of these birds being driven along with other royal presents. Horapollo says, " When they wished to signify a man skilled in heavenly matters, they drew a Crane flying." The great altitude this bird often gains may have suggested that idea. The hieroglyphic figure alluded to appears to me to resemble more the Cormorant than the Crane. CiCONIA ALBA. CiCONIA NIGRA. The Great White Heron is often observed in Lower Egypt in Dr. A. L. Adams on the Birds of Egypt and Nubia. 31 large flocks^ associated with Night-Herons, Spoonbills, Pelicans, &c. The Black Stork is not so shy nor gregarious, and is fre- quently met with in fields and by the side of pools. ArDEA CINEREA. Nycticorax gardeni (Jard.). The Cinereous Heron is plentiful all along the river in suitable places. The Night-Heron was often seen, and frequently in large flocks, with other Waders. A Heron is observed on the walls of the tombs with two long plumes ; and the fact of being generally coloured a bluish grey would lead to the supposition that one or other of the above is meant, and not the A. buhulcus of Savigny, as stated by Wilkinson *. I am inclined, therefore, to think the " Tufted Benoo " (one of the emblems of Osiris) is the " Night-Heron." Ardea garzetta (L.) ? Flocks of a small White Heron withWack bill were often seen in the distant and inaccessible shallows and mud-banks, also fre- quently on wing ; I could not, however, ascertain with certainty whether they belonged to the above, to A. alba (L.), or to the A. nigj'irostris of Bonaparte. BUPHUS RUSSATUS, Bp. This bird feeds chiefly on frogs, of which it devours large numbers. The call resembles the " bleat " of sheep. The colour of the iris varies from a pale to a bright yellow. The only dif- ference I can perceive between this and the Paddy-bird of India [A. caboga, Franklin) is, that the yellowish white, instead of being on the crown, is on the forehead (in Indian specimens at least) during the winter season. I have seen a specimen of Ardeola minuta (Bp.) which was killed in Upper Egypt ; and on two or three occasions, below Beni Hassan, I identified flocks of Spoonbills. Ibis religiosa. I can find no reason for considering the Sacred Ibis to have been a native at any time of either Egypt or Nubia, and I doubt very much if it is ever seen south of its haunts at the junction * Op. cit. vol. ii. p. 225. 32 Dr. A. L. Adams on the Birds of Egypt and Nubia. of the Blue and White Nile. Heuglin found it on the coast of Abyssinia. No doubt it was imported by the ancient Egyptians ; and^ judging from the numbers which are constantly turning up in the tombs and pits of Sakkara and elsewhere in Egypt, and the accounts of Herodotus, Diodorus, Strabo, &c., the Ibis must have been very numerous, and, like the Brahmin Bull in India, " did as it choosed." The last-named writer says, " Every street in Alexandria is full of them. In certain respects they are useful, in others troublesome. They are useful, because they pick up all sorts of small animals and the offal thrown out of the butchers' and cooks' shops. They are troublesome, because they devour everything, are dirty, and with difficulty prevented from polluting in every way what is clean and what is not given to them." * The late Mr. Rhind informed me that he found several jars full of white eggs as large as a Mallard's, along with many embalmed bodies of Ibises, at Thebes ; these, with his valuable collection, have since been presented to the Royal Museum of Antiquities in Edinburgh. Mummied Ibises are usually found alone, but sometimes with other sacred animals ; and although Hermopolis was the patron city of the bird, as Buto of the Kestrel and other Hawks, we find it also among the tombs of Thebes and Memphis. Some au- thorities think both species of Ibis were sacred. The /. falcinellus is, I believe, occasionally seen in Egypt, as it is pretty common in the E. Atlas ■\, and I have shot several in Malta in the begin- ning of May, and seen others. No doubt the White Ibis was imported into Italy, and kept about the temples of Isis J. It was the emblem of Thoth, the scribe or secretary of Osiris, whose duty it was to write down and recount the deeds of the deceased ; in consequence the bird is constantly seen on the ancient monu- ments under various forms. In the gizzards of the mummied specimens unrolled at Thebes I found large pebbles, beads, many shells of Pahidince, but chiefly remains of coleopterous insects, especially of a small black beetle which is common on dung- heaps along the river's bank. All the paintings at Beni Hassan and the Tombs of the Kings represent the /. religiosa. * Strabo, lib. xvii. c. 2. \ Tristram. X See Bulwor's note tob. i. p. 34 of ' The Last Days of Pompeii.' Dr. A. L. Adams on the Birds of Egypt and Nubia. 33 NUMENIUS ARCUATUS. Is not uncommon in Egypt during the winter months. Tringoides hypoleuca. Is constant all the way to the Second Cataract, and beyond. Tringa temminckii. Is plentiful about Alexandria and the Delta. I did not see it above Cairo. Tringa ochropus. Tringa calidris. The Green Sandpiper was seen in flocks in the fields near Cairo during the subsidence of the river in November; and solitary individuals were often met with by the sides of pools and canals all the way to the Second Cataract. T. calidris was plentiful about Alexandria in February. Both the Common and Jack Snipe were occasionally seen all the way up to the confines of Nubia ', and a few specimens of the Painted Snipe {Rhynchaa bengalensis) were shot by some friends near Siout. A Fulica, apparently of the same size and colour as F. atra, with a white crest, was several times seen on the river between Cairo and Thebes. I procured several specimens of the Stilt {Himan- topus melanopterus) above Cairo. It is not common. Phcenicopterus antiquorum. Several flocks were seen in Egypt. According toBunsen, the Egyptians took their idea of red from the Flamingo, and accord- ingly drew it when they meant to express that colour. Anser albifrons. Is the most common Goose on the Nile, and usually seen in vast flocks at daybreak, returning to the shallows from feeding all night in the wheat-fields. This species decreases southwards, and is rarely seen beyond the marsh at Edfoo. The young birds have a black line around the base of the bill, and no bars on the breast and belly. The White-fronted and also, seemingly, the Grey Goose were domesticated by the early Egyptians. There is a characteristic delineation in the British Museum, where the steward, in the presence of the owner, is counting geese and ducks, whilst VOL. VI. D 34 Dr. A. L. Adams on the Birds of Egypt and Nubia. their feeders, one after another, are making their obeisance to their master. The above species appears likewise among the votive offerings on the temples. I especially noted, in the little temple of Amada, in Nubia, a scene of this description. The colouring was still clear, and the markings distinct, in consequence of having been sealed up for many centuries by mud, with which the early Christians bedaubed the walls of the temples, in order to efface all records of the idol-worship of their predecessors, little aware at the same time what delightful pictures they were preserving for future generations. ChENALOPEX jEGYPTIACA. Is generally seen in small flocks, and although not so nu- merous as the last, is more extensively distributed. A few were noticed near the Second Cataract. This is assuredly the " Vul- panser^'* of Herodotus; it appears frequently on the monu- ments, and is often delineated with great artistic skill. The richness of the plumage and remarkable appearance of this spe- cies, compared with the other Nile Geese, would have naturally attracted the early artists. Wherever the colouring has been pre- served, we find usually the head and neck painted red ; the breast and belly blue ; the back yellow, with the tips of the wings red ; the tail with narrow lengthened tail-feathers like the PintailDuck, which many of the Karnak intaglios more closely resemble. The Goose was the emblem of Sib, the father of Osiris, but was not sacred ; it signified a " son," and consequently occurs very often in the Pharaonic ovals, signifying " son of the sun." HorapoUo says it was adopted in consequence of its affection for its young. Casarca rutila. Occasionally a single bird, at most two, was observed below Siout. MaRECA PENELOPE. D API LA ACUTA. Rhynchaspis CLYPEATA. QUERQUEDULA CIRCIA. * Book ii. 72. Dr. A. L. Adams on the Birds of Egypt and Nubia. 35 querquedula crecca. Anas boschas. Nyroca leucophthalma. The Wigeon was identified on two occasions from specimens shot above Cairo, and seen on wing. The Pintail is not uncom- mon in the shallows of the low country. The Shoveller, Mal- lard, and Teal are met with in Nubia. The Ferruginous Duck seems to be the most common species ; I noticed it among the rapids of the Second Cataract. A Garganey Teal was shot. The ancient Egyptians were evidently in a measure dependent on the wild-fowl of the river. Bird-catching scenes are constantly re- presented on the temples and tombs. On the walls of the lately excavated temple at Edfoo is observed a scene where a net is being closed over numbers of wild Geese, Ducks, Waders, &c. The Coot is seen running across the meshes, whilst fish are swimming below. Strange to say, along with these are several Oryxes, Gazelles, and a Stag with antlers. The latter idea is de- cidedly Homan, of which age are both the temple and sculptures. The bird part of the scene is evidently copied from what took place constantly in the Edfoo marsh in the neighbourhood, which has been famous from time immemorial for the quantities of its water-fowl. There are several other strange scenes on the walls of the above temple, representing the hunting of the Hippopo- tamus. Phalacrocorax carbo. Is plentiful below Thebes northwards. Flocks roost in the date-trees. It breeds at Manfloot. I have frequently noticed a small Cormorant, possibly P. pygmcEUS. Pelecanus onocrotalus. Is usually seen singly or in large flocks. It is not common in Nubia. According to Horapollo, the Pelican was the symbol of a "fool," from its inattention to its young. There is no more characteristic scene on the river than, when the sun is setting in all his fiery beauty, to witness Pelicans, one after another, gliding along so close to the surface of the glassy Nile that they appear as if propelled over a lake of ice. d2 3G j\lr. A. R, Wallace's Remarks on the Value of Gelochelidon anglica. Sylochelidon caspia. Both species are common in Lower Egypt ; and occasionally the Gull-billed Tern was seen in Nubia. Xema ridibundum. Is very plentiful in Lower Egypt during the subsidence of the river in November, especially about the sluices, where the natives catch small fish. There it and the Black Kite may be seen in great numbers, darting on the banks where the refuse of the fish had been thrown. Larus fuscus. The Herring-Gull is common on the river below Beni Hassan. I saw a solitary individual near the Second Cataract ; but it is not by any means so frequent in the upper country. I have seen Larus canus on wing near Cairo. A little Diver was occasionally noticed in the river, even as high as Thebes, and the same species is very common in the marshes about Alexandria. n. — Remarks on the Value of Osteological Characters in the Clas- sification of Birds. By Alfred B. Wallace. May I beg for a few lines to correct a statement of M. E. Blan- chard, and to show that it is not by osteology only that correct prmciples of classification are to be arrived at ? In his * Re- cherches sur les Caracteres Osteologiques des Oiseaux,' p. 75, M. Blanchard states that "one of the best-characterized and best- defined groups in the class of Birds has been misunderstood by all naturalists except one only (M. FHerminier)." He then goes on to explain that this group consists of all Passeres except the families now generally classed as Fissirostres (including the Hummers, Swifts, Hoopoes, and Hornbills) and Scansores (in- cluding the Barbets and the Musophagidce) . M. I'Herminier, it seems, had founded this great group more than thirty years ago from an examination of the sternum, but his work had remained almost unknown to ornithologists; and M. Blanchard has now by his own more extensive researches established the same fact. Previous, however, to M. Blanchard's publication, and without having ever seen or heard of M. PHerminier's work, I had Osteological Characters in Ornithology. 37 arrived at identical results from a cousideration of the general external structure, habits, and affinities of the birds in question, and with but little or no knowledge of their osteology. In my paper on " A Natural Arrangement of Birds " in the ' Annals and Magazine of Natural History^ for 1856 (vol. xviii. p. 214), I separate from the Passeres every family which M. Blanchard has separated, and of the rest I remark, " There remains an extensive series of species which we believe constitutes one great group of equal value with those we have already defined. This group may be called the normal or typical Passeres, and consists of above thirty -five families, containing between three and four thousand species, or at least half of the known birds. These, we believe, are too intimately connected with each other to allow of their being separated into a few great divisions without violating many of their natural relations. They have all normal or ^-toed feet, which are never so short or weak as to be unadapted for pro- gression. The bill is always moderate in size and form, and in the few cases where it is peculiarly modified (as in some species of Dendrocolaptidce) other species in the same family possess the normal form. There is also a remarkable moderation in size; for though the species are so numerous, there are none either so large or so small as are to be found in the two abnormal groups. There is also a much greater uniformity in texture of plumage and in form, as well as in habits, which binds the whole into one compact and natural group. It is also a most important point to consider that there are no isolated families — none but have numerous points of connexion and tran- sition with others ; and to such an extent is this the case, that there is scarcely an extensive family group about the limits of which ornithologists can agree. The Thrushes, Warblers, Fly- catchers, Chatterers, Tanagers, Finches, Shrikes, Bush- Shrikes, and many others are in this condition, and ofi'er a striking con- trast to the families of the Fissirostres and Scansores, about the limits of every one of which there i& scarcely any doubt or diffi- culty whatever. Here then we have three groups, one of which, though very much more extensive than the others, offers less variation in the form and size of the species and in the modifi- cations of their principal organs. Correct principles of classifi- 38 Mr. A. R. Wallace's Remarks on the Value of cation would surely oblige us to consider the three groups of only equal rank," This extract^ I think, proves that I both fully appreciated the uriity of this group and accurately defined its limits some years before M. Blanchard's publication ; for though it is (in its separate form) altogether without date, yet he quotes works in 1857 — a year after the publication of my paper*. No one can be more convinced than myself of the utility of osteology, and especially of the sternum, in the classification of birds, and I sincerely trust this great work may be brought to a conclusion. I cannot, however, allow that osteological characters are an all-sufficing guide. Like every other character taken singly, osteology is a very uncertain and irregular test of affinity, and is, moreover, in almost every case accompanied by parallel external characters. Sometimes one sometimes another part of the bird's organization has varied more rapidly, so that one group exhibits the most striking constancy of a part which in another group is subject to extreme modifications. The sternum is no exception to this rule, and by following it alone we should make the greatest errors in classification. For example, the sterna of the Finches and the Flycatchers are scarcely distinguishable, notwithstanding the great dissimilarity in almost every part of the structure of these birds — their bills, their feet, their plumage, their habits, food, and digestive organs. On the other hand, the sterna of the several genera of the Caprimulgidce difier from each other more than do those of the most distinct families of the restricted Passeres. The Bee-eaters, the Barbets, and the Woodpeckers, again, are three very distinct families, which, in a classification founded upon all parts of a bird's organization, cannot be brought in close contact ; and yet their sterna, according to M. Blanchard, much resemble each other. It is evident, therefore, that the whole structure of a bird and its corresponding habits may be profoundly modified, and yet the sternum may retain a very close resemblance to a common form ; and, on the other hand, the sternum may undergo important changes, while the general organization and habits are but little altered. * M. Blanchard's paper was published in the ' Annales d. So. Nat.' for 185:). Sec Ibis, 1860, p. 93.— Ed. Osteulogical Characters in Ornithology. 39 To prove that true affinities indicated by the sternum are also in most cases exhibited in external characters, it is only necessary to refer to the paper above quoted, in which the relation of the Hummers to the Swifts, and the separation of the Hornbills, the Rollers, the Musophagida, and the Parrots from the Pas- seres, were pointed out from the consideration of such characters alone. In that paper, however, I made two important errors, namely, putting the Todies with the Passeres (from the descrip- tions given of their habits), and including the Swallows among the Swifts. The character of the sternum is undoubtedly of great importance in finally settling such points as these. I also at that time included the Psittaci among the Scansores ; but I am now quite convinced that they deserve to rank as a primary division of the class of Birds, a rank to which the great peculiarity of the sternum, the large brain-cavity, and highly organized cranium fully entitle them. With regard to M. Blanchard's determination of affinities from the body of the sternum only, without its appendages, 1 must remark that it often leads to erroneous results. For example, he says that the sterna of Merops and Tamatia do not differ enough to deserve a separate description ; and he includes Megalcema with Tamatia in one section, as having the same form of sternum. He notices some differences in the Picidce, but remarks on their resemblance to Megaliema and to the Toucans. Now in all these points an examination of the entire sternum, with the furcula, coracoids, and clavicles attached, leads me to very different results. The sterna of Merops and Nyctiornis, compared with those of two species of Megalcema, seem to me to show no resemblance whatever : in almost every part they present important differences of form, surface-texture, and pro- portions, while the furcula and coracoids are so different in the two, that I should unhesitatingly place them far apart, in at least different tribes or primary divisions of the Passeres. On the other hand, the sternum of the Toucans {Pteroglossus) re- sembles that of Megalcema most closely in every particular, and especially in the extreme weakness and complete separation of the two arms of the furcula — a character which I am not aware exists in any other families of birds. The stertium of the Picidce 40 Mr. A. R. Wallace's Remarks on the Value of presents many important differences from those of all these families, and fully bears out the isolation which their external characters exhibit. It differs much from Megalama and Pteru- glossus in its general form, as well as in details of structure, and still more from Merops. It seems to approach the typical Pas- seres more than either of the other groups to which M. Blanchard compares it; but its peculiar pyramidal shape, so remarkably narrowed at the anterior extremity, and its very short clavicles distinctly separate it as a characteristic and isolated form. It will, therefore, I think, be admitted that the affinities indicated by the complete sternum and appendages are much more in accordance with those derived from external form and structure, and from habits and economy, than those which M. Blanchard deduces from the body of the sternum alone. These remarks are made in no spirit of depreciation of this very interesting and valuable work, but for the purpose of showing that isolated characters may lead to erroneous conclu- sions from whatever part of the organism they are chosen, and that in this respect osteological have no positive superiority over external characters. M. Blanchard tells us, in the introduction to this first instalment of his work, that he proposes to examine successively each separate part of the bird's skeleton. His future researches may therefore seriously modify the conclusions he has hitherto arrived at. I cannot but think, however, that he would have produced a more satisfactory work, if he had based it upon the comparison of the entire sternum, with its appendages attached, and also on the cranium, these two parts being of the greatest importance in classification. It has been well observed by Professor Owen that those parts of an animal which have the least immediate connexion with its habits and economy are exactly those which best exhibit deep- seated and obscure affinities. The wings, the feet, and the beak in birds may undergo the most extraordinary modifications in the same group in accordance with differences of habits and of external conditions, while at the same time such apparently in- significant characters as the general colouring, the texture of the plumage, the scaling of the tarsi, or the colour and texture of the eggs remani constant, and reveal the true relations of Osteological Characters in Ornithology. 41 the species. Thus it is that the form of the sternum is of such importance, since it has no immediate dependence on external form and habits. The Sparrow, the Flycatcher, the Wren, and the Sunbird, all have one characteristic form of sternum ; while between those of the Swallow and the Swift there is the greatest diversity. It is evident also that the modifications of form immediately dependent on habits and external conditions are generally to be seen in the skin even better than in the skeleton of a bird. These are principally changes of form, size, and proportion in the bill, the feet, and the wings, which are excellent characters for distinguishing genera and even families ; while for deter- mining the true affinities of isolated groups we must have re- course to those characters which, having no direct dependence on habits, &c., are often persistent in a remarkable degree. Of these, no doubt, the sternum is of the highest value ; but there are many others of almost equal importance. Such are the tex- ture of the plumage ; the form of the feathers and their arrange- ment over the surface of the body ; the form of the nostrils ; the scutellation of the tarsi ; the mode of nidification, with the form, texture, and colour of the eggs ; the covering of the young bird, and its changes of plumage ; peculiarities of food, characteristic habits, and peculiar attitudes and actions. As an instance of the value of such apparently trifling charac- ters as the last, I may mention that the first time I saw a Roller [Coracias temmincki) alive, I was at once satisfied it was a Fissi- rostral bird, from a peculiar jerking motion of the head and tail when it alighted, which is common to Kingfishers, Trogons, Bee-eaters, and Motmots, but never seen in the typical Passeres. In like manner the motions of the Eurylcemi convinced me that they were not Fissirostres, but typical Passeres, as mentioned in my paper quoted at the beginning of these remarks (Ann. Nat. Hist. 1856, p. 199). Now that true principles of classification are becoming so much better understood, we may, I think, hope that the chaos which has so long existed in ornithology will soon give way to a truly natural system which must obtain general acceptance. 4^ Mr. C. A. Wright's List of the Birds III. — List of the Birds observed in the Islands of Malta and Gozo. By Charles A. Wuight. The following birds, w4th a few exceptions which are noted, have been observed by me in Malta and the adjacent islands during the last ten or twelve years. As no complete catalogue of the birds of Malta has appeared since that published by Signor Schembri in 1843*, and as in the lapse of twenty years new facts have come imder observation and mistakes become apparent, I have thought a fresh list might prove useful. In this will be found 30 speciest not contained in that of Schembri. These raise the total to 253 species, considering the Sparrows of Malta as belonging to one species {Passer salicicola), and the Motacilla cinereocapilla and M. melanocephala of Bonaparte as varieties of M. flava of Linnaeus. Only ten or twelve species are resident, that is, remain with us all the year round, Malta being merely a resting-place for birds in their periodical migrations across the Mediterranean. From Schembri's list should be omitted Vanellus gregarius and Fringilla amadava, both of which were erroneously included, the former on information from ignorant persons, and the latter from the fact of two examples having been taken in Malta many years ago, but which were doubtless escaped captives. Perdix petrosa, Lath., noticed byTemminck and Savi, and Perdix f ran- * Catalogo Ornitologico del Gnippo di Mall ;a, da Antonio Schembri Malta, 1843. t These ai-e — 1. Aquila nsevia. 11. Anthus cen'inus. 20. Arenaria calidris. 2. Pandion haliaetus. 12. Turdus viscivorus. 21. Rallus bailloni. 3. Circus pallidas. 13. Saxicola aurita. 22. Fuhca cristata. 4. Falco barbarus. 14. PhjUopneuste tro- 23. Stercorariiis catar 5. eleonorae. chilus. rbactes. 6. Strix otus. 15. Hippolais icterina. 24. Lams audouiui. /. Hirundo daurica. 16. Cettia melanopo- 25. gelastes. 8. Caprimulgus rufi- gon. 26. Anas casarca. collis. 17. Charadrius canti- 27. Fuligula ferina. 9. Muscicapa atrica- anus. 28. rufina. pilla. 18. Limosa rufa. 29. Podiceps auritus. 10. Alauda lusitauica. 19. Tringa temminckii. 30. Uria troile. observed in the Islands of Malta andGozo. 43 colinus, Lath., by Bree and others, have no claim to be Maltese. Barbary Partridges have, it is true, been killed in Malta ; but considerable numbers being brought over from Barbary, it is not improbable that they were fugitives. In 1808 some of these birds were turned out on the rocky islet of Comino, between Malta and Gozo, where they multiplied, but for many years have been extinct. Other necessary corrections will be met with in the following list, in which, as a general rule, I have followed the nomenclature of Degland. As might naturally be expected, the arrivals of birds chiefly take place at the periods of the vernal and autumnal equinoxes, during their migration at the former season to Europe, and at the latter on their return to Africa. Occasional visitors appear during the winter months, and a few in summer. Birds generally arrive and leave at night, and do not usually remain more than one day, thus giving little opportunity of studying their habits. Some species, however, remain a few months on the island, and several of them breed here en route to Europe ; whilst flocks, chiefly of Grallatores and Natatores, may be seen passing high in the air, without alighting. Taking into con- sideration the nature of the island, the absence of forest-trees, the want of rivers and marshes, and the dense population spread over every part of the country, it will be apparent that, even putting aside the crowds of native sportsmen who sally out during the shooting-seasons, there is little inducement to migra- tory birds to prolong their stay. The influence exerted by the wind over these migrations is doubtless very great, and aflbrds an interesting point for eluci- dation. Owing to the changeable and local character of the winds in the Mediterranean, it is not easy to lay down any general rules with much precision ; but observation has shown that the following facts are pretty constant. In spring, the Quails and most of the short-winged and smaller birds, and such as are of weak flight, although not unfrequently arriving in calm weather, generally appear during the prevalence of winds from the N.N.W. to S.S.W., and in autumn, with those from the S.S.E. to N.N.E., being probably stopped in their migratory course, and driven to seek rest on our shores. Sometimes a fresh breeze 44 Mr. C. A. Wright's List of the Birds suddenly springing up from any point will bring with it num- bers of the smaller birds ; and if it increase in strength, the larger kinds and those of greater powers of flight will also make their appearance. But there appears to be no rule for birds strong on the wing, which arrive under all circumstances of weather and with winds from all points of the compass. It will be seen from this list that Malta can boast of none but European forms ; but this is not surprising, when we con- sider that, from an ornithological point of view, the northern coast of Africa, from Tunis to Cape Spartel, is not much more than a province of Europe, and that the avifauna of Tripoli, although having relations with Egypt, is mostly European. Malta is so little known to English readers, except in its qualities of a fortress and a coaling-station, and so generally con- sidered as little more than a huge rock, that ornithology in con- nexion with it seems almost paradoxical. Burnt up and barren under the African sun of its summer, with the rains of winter it rises, like a phoenix, from its ashes to verdure and life. It more especially in spring that in the rocky ' wieds ' we find the bright-coloured Bee-eaters, Orioles, and Rollers sheltering them- selves from boisterous winds, while the dense foliage of the Carob-trees {Ceratonia siliqua) and orange-groves serve them and many others for shade and roosting-places. At this season the Harriers scour the rocks and corn-fields ; the Quails crouch amongst the tangled stalks of the crimson ' Sulla' {Hedysarum coronarium) ; the Larks [Alauda brachydactyla) hover over the rocky wastes, covered with the aromatic-smelling Thymus capi- talus ; and the numerous thickets of prickly pear {Cactus opun- tia), fig- and pomegranate-trees, provide resting-places for Warblers. The air is perfumed by thousands of wild flowers ; here and there rises a tall palm ; and the Arab houses, language, and origin of the inhabitants indicate, despite Acts of Parlia- ment and a European fauna, Malta's alliance with Africa and the East. 1. Neophron percnopterus. (Egyptian Vulture.) Aikla, Maltese. This is the only species of Vulture which I have observed in Malta, and it is merely an accidental visitor. A specimen in my observed in the Islands of Malta andGozo. 45 collection was killed on the east coast of the island on the 30th September, 1861. It appeared to be a bird of the year, and on dissection proved to be a female. 2. Aquila heliaca. (Imperial Eagle.) The capture of one specimen is recorded in Signor Schembri's Catalogue. 3. Aquila n^via. (Spotted Eagle.) A bird, believed to be of this species, but mistaken for a young Golden Eagle, was shot in September 1859; and another, a male, was killed on the 18th October, 1862, and kindly sent to me by Dr. Gulia, the author of several works on the local zoology and botany. 4. Pandion haliaetus. (Osprey.) Arpa, Maltese. Although by no means common, this bird not unfrequently shows itself, in spring and autumn, on the coast and in our creeks and harbours. One was shot, several years ago, at the head of the Marsamuscetto Harbour, with a fine mullet in its talons, which was also taken. Two others were observed at dif- ferent times in the same locality by W. C. P. Medlycott, Esq. ; and I am informed of a fourth which was seen in the Great Harbour on the 28th October, 1860. A fifth was killed at St. Julian's, on the 15th October, 1861. It had just caught a mullet, of two pounds' weight, and retired to the shore to feast on it. I have a specimen which was taken alive at sea, on the rigging of a ship, about a hundred miles to the eastward of Cape Passaro. Two or three were seen, in the spring of this year (1863), in the Marsamuscetto Harbour. 5. Circaetus gallicus. (Short-toed Eagle.) Very rare, and not of annual occurrence. A fine specimen in my collection was killed at Gozo, at the end of August 1857. 6. Pernis apivorus. (Honey Buzzard.) Kucciarda, Maltese. Passes annually in March, April, and May, and again in Sep- tember and October, and is not uncommon. Flocks of six to a dozen are sometimes seen migrating together. 4G Mr. C. A. Wright's List of the Birds 7. MiLVUS REGALis. (Common Kite.) Falkun, Maltese. Very rare. Said by Schembri to breed in Gozo ; but I have not been able to obtain any confirmation of this fact. 8. MiLvus NIGER. (Black Kite.) Astun, Maltese. Very rare. 9. Circus rufus. (Marsh Harrier.) Bu-ghadam (meaning " the father of bones " — a name given by the Maltese to the different species of this genus, in reference to their great osseous development). The Marsh Harrier is pretty common in spring and autumn, commencing to appear, in the former season, in March, and in the latter in September. It may then be seen, with the other Harriers, hunting the rocks and fields for quails, lizards, insects, and small birds. Harriers will turn at the sound of a quail-call, and the Maltese sportsmen often use it to draw them within shot. 10. Circus cyaneus. (Hen Harrier.) Bu-ghadam abiad (" white father of bones "), adult male ; Bu-ghadam, female and young, Maltese. Visits us at the same time as the preceding species. A cir- cumstance regarding this bird is worthy of remark. Although I have closely examined as many as thirty females in one season, all exhibiting the white rump, or having it very slightly spotted, I have never met with an adult male. 11. Circus cineraceus. (Montagu's Harrier.) Bu-ghadam abiad, adult male ; Bu-ghadam, female and young, Maltese. Much less common than the other Harriers. Appears at the same seasons. 12. Circus pallidus. (Pale-chested Harrier.) Bu-ghadam abiad, adult male ; Bu-ghadam, female and young, Maltese. This is perhaps the commonest of the Maltese Harriers, and observed in the Islands of Malta andGozo. 47 arrives at the same seasons as the others. It is most abundant in April, when it is a conspicuous feature on a spring morning, gliding noiselessly over the open country in quest of insects, lizards, and small birds, the remains of which I have frequently found in its maw. In a large series which I have collected of these birds, the grey bars over the rump are very distinctly marked in the adult males, some of which have the chest and all the under part of the body of a pure white ; others have the chest pale grey ; while others, again, probably immature males, have the chest marked with more or less fine brown striae. 13. AsTUR Nisus. (Sparrow-Hawk.) Falkett, Maltese. Pretty common in spring and autumn, and seen occasionally throughout the summer and winter. It is most frequently met with in October and November. 14. ? AsTUR GABAR. (Little Red-billed Hawk.) This African and rare European bird was said by the late Mr. Hugh Strickland [vide Bree, vol. i. p. 52) to have been found in Malta ; and I admit it here on his authority. 15. AsTUR PALUMBARius. (Goshawk.) According to Schembri, occasionally seen in the summer and autumn months ; but I have never met with it myself. 16. Falco peregrinus. (Peregrine Falcon.) BieSy Maltese. Appears in spring and autumn, and occasionally at other sea- sons. I have a female which was caught in a net on the 26th December, 1860. A young male in my collection was killed on the 23rd October, 1861, and a female was taken alive on the 1st November of the same year. The Peregrine has been known to breed in precipitous rocks on the south coast of Malta and Gozo. For several years a pair nested and brought up their young in an inaccessible cliff near Casal Zurrico. 17. ? Falco barbarus, Linn. Syn. F. punicus, Gen. Levaillant. A specimen of this interesting bird was, according to ' The Ibis ' 48 Mr. C. A. Wright's List of the Birds (1859, p. 159), shot in Malta by Colonel Drummond-Hay. I wrote to Mr. Tristram, the author of the statement in ' The Ibis,' and he very kindly informed me that Colonel Drummond- Hay fancied the bird shot by him was a small Peregrine ; but Mr. Tristram thinks he is mistaken. Under these circumstances, I admit the bird on probation only. 18. Falcg subbuteo. (Hobby.) Bies, Maltese. Not uncommon in spring and autumn. As is the case with nearly all the birds of passage, the Hobby is much scarcer in some years than in others. In the autumn of 1862 I could not obtain a single specimen. 19. Falcg eleonor^e. (Eleonora Falcon.) Mr. Tristram kindly informs me that a specimen of this rare bird was shot in Malta by Colonel Drummond-Hay, and is in his (Colonel Drummond-Hay's) collection. 20. Falco lithofalco. (Merlin.) Spagnolett or Seker, Maltese. Not uncommon in spring and autumn, particularly in the lat- ter season, when both old and young appear. 21. Falco vespebtinus. (Orange-legged Hobby.) Spagnolett -ekhal or Vespertin, Maltese. This pretty little Hawk also visits us in the vernal and autumnal periods of migration, and in some years in much larger numbers than in others. It is sometimes to be met with in small flocks, when they will allow repeated shots to be fired at them without taking alarm. In this way I have killed three or four in a few minutes out of a flock of twenty, and might, I dare say, have killed many others. An adult male, belonging to Dr. Leith Adams, was caught in a platform-net, while in the act of stoop- ing at a decoy Yellow Wagtail. 22. Falco tinnunculus. (Kestrel.) Spagnolett, adult male ; Seker, female, Maltese. Common in spring and autumn. Breeds here in the cliffs and fortifications in May, and a few pairs are to be seen all the year. observed in the Islands of Malta and Gozo. 49 23. Falco cenchris. (Lesser Kestrel.) Spagnolett, adult male ; Seker, female and young, Maltese. Not uncommon in April and May, and passes sometimes in flocks of nearly a hundred ; but is not so often seen as F. tinnun- culus. I have also obtained it in autumn. 24. Strix psilodactyla. (Sparrow-Owl.) Kokka, Maltese. Merely accidental. Specimens obtained in Malta were sent by Signor Schembri to the late Prince Charles Lucien Bonaparte, and determined by that eminent naturalist. But we cannot help thinking that there must have been some confusion here in the nomenclature, and that the specimens were more probably ^^Aene noctua, var. meridionalis. 25. Strix flammea. (Barn Owl.) Barbagianni, Maltese. A few of these birds are to be seen at all seasons, for the most part about the battlements of Valletta and the Three Cities, where they breed in the ruined walls. Fresh arrivals appear to take place in spring and autumn. They are sometimes observed to strike at fish, like an Osprey. 26. Strix brachyotus. (Short-eared Owl.) Omm-issubien, Maltese. Very common in spring and autumn, and has been known to breed here. Individuals are taken throughout the winter, when the plumage generally becomes of a lighter hue, mixed with white ; in one specimen the under parts were almost pure white. 27. Strix otus, (Long-eared Owl.) Looking over some skins collected in Malta by Dr. Leith Adams, 22nd Regiment, I observed one of these birds ticketed "Malta, 12th October 1861." He kindly gave it to me, and I have much pleasure in recording this species, I believe for the first time, as a visitor to Malta. There is a specimen in the Malta University Museum, probably taken in this island, but no locality is mentioned. 28. Strix scops. (Scops Owl.) Kokka, Maltese. Very plentiful in the seasons of its migrations, and by far the VOL. VI. E 50 Mr. C. A. Wright's List of the Birds commonest Owl found here. It commences arriving towards the end of February or beginning of March^ and continues pass- ing till May, reappearing in September, October, and Novem- ber. It is sold in the market in great numbers, with Nightjars {Caprimulgus europcsus) and other birds for the table, and is considered good eating by the natives. It is easily tamed, and becomes very familiar in captivity. A few probably winter here, as individuals are taken in December and January. In 1862-63 I obtained nearly a dozen specimens in the market, at different times in these months. 29. YuNX TORQUiLLA. (Wryneck.) Sultan-issummiem (King of the Quails) or Bu-lehhiet (Father of Crouchers), Maltese. One of the earliest visitors in spring and autumn. Occasion- ally, but very rarely, met with in winter. 30. CucuLus CANORUS. (Cuckoo.) Kuku or Dakkuka Kahla, adult ; Sultan-il-gammiem, young. Common in spring and autumn. Arrives rather later than the foregoing species, but generally precedes the Doves. Its well-known call is occasionally heard amongst the carob-trees in the valleys, when not molested by the countless sportsmen who infest every ornithological quarter in the island. 31. CucuLus GLANDARius. (Great Spotted Cuckoo.) An exceedingly rare species here. I only know of three spe- cimens shot in Malta. One of these was killed at Sliema, in May 1854. 32. LoxiA cuRviRosTRA. (Crossbill.) Only an accidental visitor. It has generally been seen in September or October. I have a male which was shot, with another (supposed to be a female), in October 1861 ; and an- other obtained in October of this year (1863). 33. Pyrrhula europ^a. (Bullfinch.) This is another very rare bird here. The only cases of its occurrence which have come to my knowledge are two caught in March 1835, another in 1840, and a fourth some years afterwards (Schembri). Its presence may therefore be considered quite accidental. observed in the Islands of Malta and Gozo. 51 34. Pyrrhula githaginea. (Vinous Grosbeak.) Trumbettier , Maltese. A few of these birds are taken annually, generally from Octo- ber to March. One was caught in the last week of October I860, and another in November 1862. It soon becomes very tame in captivity. Its note is like the sound of a penny trum- pet, from which it derives its Maltese name. 35. Pyrrhula erythrina. (Scarlet Grosbeak.) Schembri records the capture of two examples on the 25th December, 1839, under the name of Fringilki incerta — a pseudo species, now recognized as the young of P. erythrina. 36. Pyrrhula serinus. (Serin Finch.) Apparell, Maltese. Very common in October, and stays the winter. Often kept as a cage-bird, and crosses with the Canary. Its joyous song- may be heard in places where there are trees. The note is louder than the Siskin's, and more vociferous, as if several in- dividuals were joining in concert. 37. Coccothraustes vulgaris. (Hawfinch.) Ghasfur-ta-Zehbug, Maltese. November and December. Pretty common in some years, rare in others. 38. Chlorospiza chloris. (Greenfinch.) Verdun, Maltese. Common in flocks in the winter. I have never seen the North-African Greenfinch (C. aurantiiventris) in Malta. 39. Passer salicicola. (Spanish Sparrow*.) Ghasfur-tal-beit, Maltese. It appears to me doubtful whether the birds known as the Spa- nish and Italian Sparrows are sufficiently distinct to be considered separate species. The principal diff"erencc recognized by authors, * The specific term hispaniolensis given by Temminck to this SpaiTow is very objectionable, Hispaniola being a term usually applied to the island of St. Domingo, not to Spain. Again, I have never seen this form in Spain, and I do not believe it occurs there. The ordinary Sparrow of Spain is cer- tainly P. domesticus. On the other hand, Vieillot's term salicicola, used in Bonaparte's Conspectus, combines the two mwits of priority and appli- cability.— Ed. E 2 52 Mr . C . A . Wright's List of the Birds and which, according to some, constitutes them distinct species, is the presence in P. salicicola of lateral black streaks, which are absent in P. italicus. In Malta there are both these varieties ; that with streaks, however, is by far the most common, the other being rarely met with. But in a collection of forty or fifty spe- cimens I have found intermediate birds having the streaks more or less visible, so that a series may be formed with gradations so imperceptible that it is quite impossible to draw the line of de- marcation. In other respects I can discover no important points of difference, except perhaps in depth of colour, — that with the striae most distinctly marked being a somewhat more handsome- looking bird. These remarks apply only to the males ; in the females I can find no difference whatever. Both kinds breed and associate in the same localities, and in habits are precisely the same, constructing their nests in holes in the house both in town and country, in the walls of the fortifications, and in the rocks on the coast. Now, should these Sparrows be considered two distinct species that interbreed and produce a hybrid pro- geny, or one species subject to variation in the matter of streaks ? I think, for all purposes of science they should be considered as one. A large collection of skins of birds obtained by Dr. Leith Adams and myself at different seasons, and from different parts of Malta and Gozo, showing these gradations, was submitted to Sir William Jardine. After carefully comparing them with nu- merous specimens from various parts of the world, Sir William has kindly given his opinion thereon, which entirely confirms the ideas I had formed on the subject. Sir William Jardine writes — "All the Sparrows sent to me from Malta are Pyrgita italica (Vieill.) 1817, and=:P. salicaria sive hispaniolensis." I may here mention that, after the breeding-season, the bright chestnut-colour of the head of the Maltese Sparrow becomes sprinkled with a greyish or sand-colour, the deep black of the beak changes to horn-colour with a tinge of yellow about the base, much of the black about the throat and flanks disappears, and the whole plumage is duller. With reference to the distinctions between this Sparrow observed in the Islands of Malta and Gozo. 53 {Passer salicicola) and Passer domesticus (not found in Malta), Sir William Jardine observes, in the letter above quoted : — " Pyrgita domestica, so far as I have yet seen, is distinct from the above. The females are easily distinguished from each other ; and the males in some states, and when vievi^ed in cer- tain positions only, cannot be easily separated. I have placed three specimens before me on their backs, two British and one Maltese, and in that position they appear exactly similar ; but when turned with the back uppermost, you never find in P. domestica the base of the feathers of the centre of the crown of the deep chestnut of the Maltese species, although that part in the latter may be almost as grey from the long tips of the feathers covering the chestnut. The deep-chestnut head and dashes of black on the breast and flanks indicate the breeding-state. In winter specimens (Nov.), the crown, &c., appears nearly grey until the feathers are separated, when the chestnut appears. The Malta Sparrow is equal to that of the South of Europe, and seems to represent that of North Europe — our P. domestica, and has as good claims to be a species as nine-tenths of the birds that are acknowledged. It does not appear you have P. domestica at all in Malta, and of course there can be no inter- breeding." I must observe, however, that Passer domesticus is, notwith- standing, a common bird further south than Malta, as I have seen several specimens killed by Dr. Leith Adams, and others by Mr. S. Stafford Allen, in Egypt, and Capt. Loche includes it in his Birds of Algeria. Mr. Medlycott writes to me from Gibraltar that he found it there, and did not see P. salicicola. 40. Passer montanus. (Tree Sparrow.) I know of only one specimen having been taken, many years ag-o, and which is now in the collection of Signor Schcmbri. He begs me to correct an error he fell into, in saying that this species bred in Malta. 41. Passer petronia. (Rock Sparrow.) It is only at long intervals of time that a bird of this species is met with here. I obtained one, which was taken alive on the 23rd November, 1863j it died after about a month's confinement. 54 Mr. C. A. Wright's List of the Birds 42. Fringilla Cyelebs. (Chaffinch.) Spunsun, Maltese. Flocks of Chaffinches arrive in October, and a good many stay the winter. On the approach of spring, all disappear. 1 have never met with the Algerian form, F. sj)odiogenia. 43. Fringilla montifringilla. (Bramble Finch.) Spunsun selvag, Maltese. Rather rare ; but a few are taken nearly every year, in October and November. 44. Carduelis elegans. (Goldfinch.) Gardil, Maltese. Not very common. Arrives in October, and again in April and May. A few are to be found in the winter months. Has been known to breed here. Numbers of young birds are im- ported from Sicily in August. 45. Carduelis spinus. (Siskin.) Ecora, Maltese. This bird also makes its appearance in October and Novem- ber, and a few specimens are taken every year. In some years they are much more plentiful than in others. It is often crossed with the Canary by the native bird-fanciers. 46. Cannabina linota. (Linnet.) Gioin, or Gioin tal warda or tal warda bianca, Maltese. Very common from October till March. Most of them depart before the males assume the crimson breast and forehead of the nuptial plumage ; but a few remain to breed. 47. Emberiza cirlus.- (Cirl Biinting.) I have what appears to be a female of this species, taken on the 12th November, 1862. Signor Schembri possesses a male, which was captured on the 20th November, 1839. 48. Emberiza cia. (Meadow Bunting.) Kanal salvag, Maltese. This is also a very rare bird. It visits the island occasionally, in the fall of the year and in winter. One was taken alive in January 1863, and appeared very lively in captivity, taking observed in the Islands of Malta and Gozo. 55 hemp and other seeds readily. It lived till the following August, when, like most pets, it came to an untimely end. 49. Emberiza hortulana. (Ortolan Bunting.) Ortulan, Maltese. Not uncommon in some years. It appears in spring and autumn — in March and April in the former, and in September and October in the latter season. It is fond of bathing itself in pools formed by the rain in the rocks. 50. Emberiza schceniclus. (Reed Bunting.) This is another of the Buntings, which only at long and irre- gular intervals favours us with a visit. I obtained one on the 13th November, 1860, andanother on the 14th November, 1861. 51. Emberiza miliaria. (Common Bunting.) Duraisa, Maltese. This well-known bird is more or less common during the greater part of the year. It is especially abundant in the breed- ing-season, in March, April, and May, when its nest is one of the commonest of the few found here. 52. Emberiza nivalis. (Snow Bunting.) Schembri mentions two individuals having been taken alive, in the autumn of 1840, by a man netting for Larks. 53. Regulus cristatus. (Golden-crested Regulus.) Ziemel, Maltese. 54. Regulus ignicapillus. (Fire-crested Regulus.) Ziemel, Maltese. Both these species have been taken in the winter months ; and I have a specimen of the Fire-crested Regulus which was shot by Mr. J. Home on the 5th November, 1860. They both appear to be somewhat rare, although no doubt they often escape detection, 55. CoRvus frugilegus. (Rook.) Corvu or Ciaulun, Maltese. A bird of passage in October and November, when it gene- rally appears in small flocks. In the winters of 1861-62 and 1862-63 it was very common, and remained on the island several months, associating with Jackdaws and Starlings. This year I 56 Mr. C. A. Wright's List of the Birds observed it till the beginning of April, when it disappeared, probably having taken its departure northward to breed. 56. CoRVUs MONEDULA. (Jackdaw.) Ciaula or Kola, Maltese. One of our resident birds, and is to be seen at all seasons all over the island, being most plentiful on the south and south- western parts, where the rugged cliffs afford it excellent and secure places for nidification. It has very much increased in numbers of late years. Formerly it was a rare thing to see a Jackdaw within a mile of the town ; now it breeds freely in the fortifications of Valletta, in company with a number of semi- wild Pigeons, and may sometimes be seen resting on the tops of the houses in the middle of the town. It is asserted some- where that the Jackdaw is an importation of the Knights of St. John ; but this appears to be rather apocryphal. I have never seen Corvus daUricus of authors in Malta. 57. Pica caudata. (Magpie.) Ciaula baida, Maltese. Schembri informs us that one of these birds was shot on the 7th October, 1839, probably a straggler blown off the southern coast of Sicily, where it exists in great numbers. 58. Sturnus vulgaris. (Starling.) Sturnell, Maltese. Common in September and October, and stays the winter. 59. Sturnus unicolor. (Sardinian Starling.) Schembri includes this species, from two specimens shot out of a flock of five or six many years ago. 60. Pastor roseus. (Rose-coloured Pastor.) This elegant species is rare here, and visits us very irregularly. Examples have been taken in spring, autumn, and winter. A specimen was killed on the 7th August, 1855, at Citta Vecchia, the old capital of the island ; and since then three or four others have been obtained — three of them at the Marsa, at the head of the Grand Harbour. The fourth was a bird of the year, which I purchased in the market in the first week of November 1858. Since then I have not seen any others. observed in the Islands of Malta and Gozo. 57 61. HiRUNDo RUSTiCA. (Common Swallow.) Huttafa or Hauiefa, Maltese. Arrives in great numbers early in Marchj and may be seen in town and country till May. At the end of August, on its return southward, it again makes its appearance, and is plentifully spread over the island till October. Specimens of the variety H. iitstica orientalis have also been taken. 62. HiRUNDO DAURiCA (Linn.). (Rufous Swallow.) Syn. Hirundo rufula, Temminck. This species appears to be the Common Swallow of Palestine and Greece ; and as it is an occasional visitor in Algeria, Sicily, Italy, and south of France, 1 was long of opinion it would turn up in Malta ; but it was not until the 5th April, 1862, that I had the pleasure of seeing it. Out shooting with Dr. Leith Adams, at the Salini, we distinctly recognized three individuals, of which Dr. Adams succeeded in shooting one. We noticed at the same time H. rustica and H. rijyaria, of which I shot two or three. A strong easterly wind was blowing ; indeed, easterly winds had prevailed for some days, to which probably was owing the presence of H. daurica so far to the westward of its usual habitat. A day or two subsequently. Dr. Adams obtained another speci- men from the same place, and saw several others. There are two specimens in the Malta University, evidently taken many years ago, but no locality or time is given. 63. Hirundo urbica. (House Martin.) Huttafa or Hauiefa, Maltese. The Martin is as common here as the Chimney Swallow, and is to be seen at the same seasons. It is perhaps even more plentiful in the towns and fortifications. It also remains with us part of the winter, when H. rustica has departed. 64. Hirundo riparia. (Sand Martin.) Huttafa or Hauiefa, Maltese. Also common in spring and autumn, but arrives a little later. The first I saw in 1862 was on the 5th April. 65. Hirundo rupestris. (Rock Swallow.) Huttafa or Hauiefa, Maltese. Schembri says it is rather common both in its April and Sep- 58 Mr. C. A. Wright's List of the Birds tember migrations. It can hardly be very common, as, although I have looked out pretty closely for it, I have never met with a single one. 66. Cypselus apus. (Swift.) Rundun, Maltese. Commences arriving from the south in March and April, and remains with us till August, breeding in the precipitous rocks and caverns on the coast and in the walls of the fortifications. Repasses in September. In spring and summer it is plentifully distributed all over the island^ but disappears as autumn ad- vances. 67. Cypselus melba. (White-bellied Swift.) Rundun ta Zaccu baida, Maltese. Much less common than its congener. A few are annually seen in spring and autumn; but it makes no lengthened stay, and does not breed here. Mr. Tristram and Mr. Medlycott found it breeding in the island of Sardinia in May, in company with the Lesser Kestrel {Falco cenchris). 68. Caprimulgus europ^us. (Nightjar.) Bukraik or Bukarak, Maltese. Plentiful towards the end of March and in April and May. Great numbers are shot in these months for the table. As many as one hundred and thirty have been shot in a day by one gun. In spring they are most abundant in south-westerly winds after a dark night. They are generally found asleep in the daytime on the branches of the carob-trees, invariably arranging their bodies and long tails in a line with the branches. Thus, being of the same colour as the bark, they are very difficult to perceive. They are also found reposing on stones and on open rocky ground. In Gozo the country-people have a way of snaring them with a noose at the end of a stick. I have often seen these birds before sunrise, and again in the evening after sunset, hunt- ing for insects on the wing. They repass in September and October, at the same time as the Scops Owl. 69. Caprimulgus ruficollis. (Rufous-necked Goatsucker.) A specimen of this bird was shot at Imtahlep, on the south- west of Malta, at the end of May 1860. The preserved skin observed in the Islands of Malta and Gozo. 59 fell into my possession a few days afterwards. This is the only instance of this species having been obtained in this island. 70. MusciCAPA GRisoLA. (Spotted Flycatcher.) Zanzarel, Maltese. Very common in spring and autumn, and arrives later than its congeners. It is one of the last to leave us in the spring. 71. MusciCAPA ATRicAPiLLA. (Pied Flycatcher.) Zanzarel, Maltese. Another of our spring and autumn visitors. Although often seen in the valleys and by roadsides in the neighbourhood of trees, it is not so numerous as M. grisola. 72. MusciCAPA ALBicoLLis. (Whitc-neckcd Flycatcher.) Zanzarel, Maltese. This non-British species arrives and departs about the same time as M. atricapilla, but is less common. Schembri, in his Catalogue, has confounded these two birds, as only M. albicullis is given, to which is attached the English name of " Pied Fly- catcher." 73. Lanius excubitor. (Grey Shrike.) 74. Lanius meridionalis. (Great Grey Shrike.) 75. Lanius minor. (Lesser Grey Shrike.) Merely accidental visitors. Of the first, L. excubitor, one specimen is recorded by Schembri. Of the second, L. meridio- nalis, several specimens have been taken. I have two in my possession — one of them a female, in the plumage of the adult male, killed on the 12th February, 1861. Of Lanius minor I know of no examples except those mentioned by Schembri, taken upwards of twenty years ago, one of which he has still in his possession. 76. Lanius rufus. (Woodchat Shrike.) Cacciamendula or Bughiddiem (Father of Biters), Maltese. The Common Shrike of Malta, and may be seen during a great part of the year. Perched on the uppermost twig of some tree, its shining white breast forms one of the most conspicuous objects in the ornithological landscape in April. On the first 60 Mr. C. A. Wright's List of the Birds appearance of danger it flies off to another and more distant tree, and taking up a similarly elevated position, scans the country round till the danger which had excited its alarm has passed away. It breeds here in May and June, constructing a compact and well- formed nest in the fork of a carob or almond tree. Its affection for, and the courage it displays in the protection of, its young are remarkable. Wary as it is at other times, on these occasions it seems to lose all fear ; uttering piercing cries, it will fly close round the bead of the intruder, and actually make a feint of dashing in his face. In September fresh arrivals take place, but all disappear before winter. In autumn those taken are generally birds of the year. 77. Alauda arvensis. (Skylark.) Aluet, Maltese. Abundant in flocks in October, when great numbers are taken in nets and shot. A few remain the winter, till the beginning of February. It repasses in March and April, but in less num- bers than in autumn. I have not heard it sing here. My col- lection contains a curious cream-coloured variety of this species, with ashy markings on the back and wings. 78. Alauda cristata. (Crested Lark.) Rare ; in March and October a few are sometimes taken. 79. Alauda arborea. (Wood Lark.) Ciuklaita (Rattle), Maltese. Rather less rare than the preceding species, but it cannot be considered common. Appears at the same seasons. I have also seen it exhibited for sale with Skylarks. 80. Alauda brachydactyla. (Short-toed Lark.) Bilhla, Maltese. This is one of the most characteristic birds of Malta in spring, and does duty amongst English residents as the Skylark, with which it has some habits in common. In the breeding-season, from April to June, it is abundantly spread in pairs all over the island, and the song of the male is then constantly heard encouraging its mate in the labours of incubation. Its mode of ascending in the air is different from that of the Skylark, consisting of a succession of jerks, which may be peculiar to the observed in the Islands of Malta and Gozo. 61 species. It delights in the wastes and desert tracts of the island. At the commencement of autumn it gathers together in flocks, which appear to be joined by numerous fresh comers from the north ; but all speed away long before the winter sets in. 81. Alauda lusitanica (Gmel.). (Cream-coloured Lark.) The capture of a single specimen, of which the skin is in the possession of Signor Schembri, entitles it to a place in this catalogue. 82. Alauda calandra. (Calandra Lark.) Calandra, Maltese. An annual visitor in March and October, and a few may not unfrequently be detected by their larger size amongst flocks of Skylarks. It cannot, however, be said to be very common. Numbers are yearly imported from Sicily, and kept as cage-birds for their song, which is too powerful for a room. A good songster is much esteemed, and fetches a high price. 83. Anthus richardi. (Richard^s Pipit.) Bilblun selvag, Maltese. Accidental. In the spring of 1853 I was so lucky as to shoot one of two which appeared on Fort Manoel Island. My atten- tion was attracted by its exceedingly sharp and powerful note. Another is recorded as having been taken in October. 84. Anthus campestris. (Tawny Pipit.) Bilblun, Maltese. Common from March to May, and again in the autumn. I have never seen it in winter. 85. Anthus pratensis. (Meadow Pipit.) Pespus tal giargir, Maltese. Exceedingly plentiful in October and November, and com- mences arriving when the Short-toed Larks disappear. A good many stay the winter. Passes again in March. 86. Anthus cervinus. (Red-throated Pipit.) That no notice has been taken of this species as a visitor to Malta is probably owing to its having been considered only a variety. The first specimen that fell into my hands was shot on the 7th April, 1860, by Signor Pace, who kindly gave it to me. 62 Mr. C. A . Wright's List of the Birds Since then I have seen and shot many individuals. This has generally been in April, but I have also observed it in autumn. Arrives in small flocks. It is interesting to notice the grada- tion in depth of colour of the throat that a series of these birds presents, sliding into the plumage of A. pratensis. 87. Anthus arboreus. (Tree Pipit.) Tis, Maltese. Very common ; arrives in small flocks in spring and autumn, which soon get dispersed over the country. It departs in May, to return in September and October, a few passing the whole or part of the winter with us. 88. Anthus spinoletta (Linn.). (Water Pipit.) I have only seen one specimen, which I shot by the sea-side, on Fort Manoel Island, on the 5th November, 18G0. 89. MoTACiLLA ALBA (Linn.). (White Wagtail.) Zic-zak or Zakak, Maltese. Common in autumn, and stays the winter; is seen generally in small flocks, or solitary, by the sides of pools and in newly ploughed fields. Leaves early in spring, and is rarely observed in the breeding-plumage. M. yarrelli of Gould was, I believe, erroneously stated to have been found here. 90. MoTACiLLA BOARULA. (Grey Wagtail.) Zakak ta del (Zakak of shady places), Maltese. Arrives about the middle of September, and is common in October, a few remaining till March. Always solitary or in couples, it is very partial to shady spots by the side of running water and the sea-shore. Breeds here in April. 91. MoTACiLLA FLAVA, Linn. (Yellow Wagtail.) Kappamosk or Garnell, Maltese. Commences arriving in flocks about the middle of March, and is seen again in September, associated in both seasons with Motacilla cinereocapilla, Bp. (Grey-headed Yellow Wagtail), which is not quite so plentiful. Again, in the same flocks with these may be found M. melanocephula , Bp. (Black-headed Yel- low Wagtail), which is the rarest. The Maltese bird-catchers call the last Ohrosk, from a real or fancied grating peculiarity observed in the Islands of Malta and Gozo. 63 in its notCj both in spring and autumn, which they consider different from that of M. flava and M. cinereocapilla. If this be true, it is rather an important fact in favour of its being a dis- tinct species. They are all caught in nets during their migra- tions, and are frequently kept in shops and houses for killing flies. 92. Oriolus galbula. (Golden Oriole.) Taira safra (Yellow Bird), adult; Taira hadra (Green Bird), female and young, Maltese. This strikingly beautiful bird is a regular visitor in spring, and arrives in small flocks. It would probably breed here, if not disturbed. It is very common sometimes in Sant' Antonio Gardens, and is very destructive to the fruit of the Japan Med- lars [Mespilus japonica), of which it appears to be exceedingly fond. Occasionally, adult females, probably old birds, are found in the brilhant plumage of the males. A few also pass in Sep- tember. 93. TuRDUS-MERULA. (Blackbird.) Malvitz isued (Black Thrush)^ Maltese. Arrives annually in October and November. A few remain the winter, individuals having been taken in December, January^ February, and even in March. Leaves in spring. 94. TuRDUs TORQUATUS. (Ring Ouzel.) Malvitz tas-sidra baida (White-chested Thrush), Maltese. Arrives about the same time as the other Thrushes, but it is one of the rarest. Nevertheless a winter seldom passes without some being taken. 95. TuRDUs Musicus. (Song Thrush.) Malvitz, Maltese. Very abundant in October and November, and a few continue to be seen till December. It repasses in March. 96. TuRDUs viscivoRUS. (Missel Thrush.) Malvitzun (Large Thrush). A specimen was obtained by me on the 1st February, 1861, and another by Mr. J. Home on the 2nd December the same year. I obtained a third in the winter of 1862, and two others in the autumn of this year (1863). 64 Mr. C. A. Wright's List of the Birds 97. TuRDUs PILARIS. (Fieldfare.) Malvitzun, Maltese. The latest of the Thrushes which visit us in the winter. It is seldom seen before January, when a few are taken every year. It generally lingers in the island a few weeks. 98. TuRDUS iLiACUs. (Redwing.) Malvitz, Maltese. Rare ; does not make its appearance every year. In Novem- ber and December 1861 I obtained two specimens, and Mr. J. Home another on the 2nd of the latter month. 99. Petrocincla saxatilis. (Rock Thrush.) Gianbuhlu, Maltese. Arrives early in spring (about the middle of March), generally in pairs, and may be seen till May. It reappears in September, on its voyage southwards. 100. Petrocincla cyanea. (Blue Solitary Thrush.) Meril or Ciccu di Diu, Maltese. Indigenous. A lover of rocky and solitary places, it not un- frequently approaches the dwellings of man ; and it is no un- common occurrence to see it perched on the corner of some house, giving vent to its melodious but plaintive song, which it also often pours forth on the wing. It is most commonly met with in pairs on the south coast, where it breeds in the high cliffs. It also constructs a loosely formed nest in ruined buildings, in which case its progeny are sure to be taken by the country-lads, who find a ready sale for them in the town as cage-birds. The Blue Thrush becomes strongly attached to the locality in which it has been brought up, and seldom quits it. This affection is also shown in a state of captivity, and it rarely long survives removal to a new and strange place. Many in- stances of this kind have come under my notice. One is worth mentioning. When the New Market in Valletta was opened, many of the market-people brought with them cages containing these birds from the old market, where they had been reared. One after another of the birds pined away and died, and in a few weeks not one survived the change of locality, yet they were fed by the same hand, and with the same description of food. Almost observed in the Islands of Malta and Gozo. 65 fabulous prices are sometimes given for a good songster. An instance is fresh in my memory of a noble lady who considered herself fortunate in securing one for £7 10s., as the owner was very loth to part with it ; and two or three pounds is not an unusual price. The male nestlings may easily be distinguished from the females at a very early age by their blue wing-coverts. In confinement they are much subject to a disease of the feet, which generally proves fatal. The Maltese suspend a piece of red cloth and a cowry-shell in its cage, which they consider a certain specific against the " evil eye." 101. Saxicola genanthe. (Wheatear.) Kuda bianca, Maltese. Abundantly spread over the island in spring and autumn. In the former season it commences to appear in March, and in the latter in August. 102. Saxicola stapazina. (Russet Wheatear.) Dumnikan, Maltese. Comparatively scarce ; but a regular annual visitor in spring and autumn. It arrives at the same time as the preceding species, or perhaps a little later. It sometimes perches on the branches of trees — a habit I have never observed in Saxicola cenanthe. 103. Saxicola aurita. (Eared Wheatear.) Dumnikan, Maltese. This bird first came under my notice as a visitor to Malta in 1859. I shot one, in the spring of that year, in St. Julian's Valley. Since then I have met with it annually in spring and autumn, although never in any great numbers. It arrives and departs about the same time as the other Wheatears. 104. Saxicola rubetra. (Whinchat.) Buciak tal Kudi, Maltese. Arrives at the same time as the other Saxicola. In April and May, and again in September, it may be met with almost daily in the fields and open places. 105. Saxicola rubicola. (Stonechat.) Buciak, Maltese. Also arrives in spring and autumn, but is rather more common VOL. VI. p 66 Mr. C. A. Wright's List of the Birds than the Whinchat. The Stonechat passes the winter with us, which none of its congeners do. Indeed, one can scarcely move about anywhere in the country in winter without seeing his hvely little figure. This diflference of habit in migration has also been noticed in England and Scotland, where the Stonechat remains the winter, unlike the Whinchat, which invariably travels south before the inclement season begins, 106. Philomela luscinia. (Nightingale.) Rosignol, Maltese. The Nightingale visits us in flocks in April and May, and again towards the middle of August and September. It is, in fact, one of the first arrivals in autumn. In spring I have often listened to its thrilling notes, both in the daytime and at night, the songster himself hidden in the dark foliage of the carob- tree. It is, however, more appreciated here for the delicacy of its flesh than the quality of its song. Attempts have been made to keep it in confinement ; but it bears captivity ill, and those taken in spring rarely long survive the loss of liberty. Great numbers are taken in nets, which are thrown over a low spreading carob-tree selected for the purpose, and the birds driven from other trees into it, — a mode of capture very successfully adopted for most of the Warblers and other small birds, which are sold in the market under the general name of beccafichi. 107. RuTiciLLA PHCENicuRA. (Redstart.) Kudiross or Ta demhu, Maltese. Common in spring and autumn, and stays here several weeks during its migrations. 108. RuTiciLLA TiTHYs. (Black Redstart.) Kudiross isued, Maltese. In spring and autumn, but not so common as the preceding. I have occasionally seen it when the winter was far advanced. 109. Erithacus rubecula. (Robin.) Pettiross, Maltese. The Redbreast is one of our winter residents, arriving at the end of September, and staying till March. Here, as at home, he affects the habitation^ of man ; but not being driven by want. observed in the Islands of Malta and Gozo. 67 as in cold climates, he is not so familiar. He is most commonly met with in gardens, and may not unfrequently be heard singing merrily from some housetop, either in town or country. 110. Cyanecula suEciCA. (Blue-throated Warbler.) Very rare ; only now and then seen. The two or three I have examined had the pectoral spot very light rufous, or pure white. 111. Accentor modularis. (Hedge Accentor.) Rather rare. I met with it on the 26th November, 1860, and on the 3rd December, same year ; and Dr. Adams observed two or three others, of which he obtained one. I have another, which was taken in May 1862. Individuals have also been captured in December and January. 112. Sylvia atricapilla. (Blackcap.) Not common ; has been observed in January, February, and March, as well as in September and October. I shot two males in February 1859, and a female the following March. Two were taken in October 1858, and one or two others in October 1860. One was obtained in Gozo in January 1861, and two or three more were seen at the same time. I purchased two in the market in the last week of September 1862, and have since obtained two or three others. 113. Sylvia hortensis. (Garden Warbler.) Beccafik, Maltese. In April and the middle of August and September, flocks of Garden Warblers visit us on passage ; and numbers are netted and brought to market, where they are eagerly sought after for the table ; as many as a hundred dozen are sometimes brought in at a time. It is the far-famed beccafico of the Italians. 114. Sylvia curruca. (Lesser Whitethroat.) The capture of a single specimen is recorded in Schembri's Catalogue. Inhabiting the north coast of Africa, as well as Europe, its appearance in Malta is to be expected; but I have never met with one myself. 115. Sylvia orphea. (Orphean Warbler.) Appears to be rare ; I have only seen ti single specimen — one f2 68 Mr. C. A. Wright's List of the Birds sent in 1858 to Sir W. Jardiue by his son, who was serving in one of Her Majesty's ships on this station. Schembri states that a few pass yearly, in March, September, and October. A recent writer on Malta (Tallack) says it is common in the Soldiers' Cemetery at Floriana; but I believe this statement arose from a misunderstanding, and that the Sardinian Warbler [S. melano- cephala) was meant. 116. Sylvia cinerea. (Whitethroat.) One of the commonest of the Sylviidce in spring and autumn, 117. Sylvia PAssERiNA. (Subalpine Warbler.) This pretty species is a regular visitant in spring and autumn. It is not uncommon in March, April, and September. It varies much in size. 118. Sylvia conspicillata. (Spectacled Warbler.) Ghasfur-e.l-harruh or Ghasfur tal Gamiem, Maltese. The only one of the Warblers that is a constant resident. It is partial to dry stony places, and selects for its nest low coarse under-shrubs, such as Inula viscosa and Euphorbia dendroides, which flourish in wild rocky situations. During the time of nidification its vigorous and pleasing song is heard for a con- siderable distance around, delivered from the topmost branch of a tree, or the apex of a stone, in the vicinity of its nest, over which it sometimes hovers and sings in the manner of the Blue Thrush. It has another note, somewhat like that of the S. me- lanocephala, but less powerful. It is an early breeder, laying four or five eggs, and, I should think, produces two broods in the season, as I have found nests with young in May and June as well as in March. In fine weather it commences singing as early as January. It appears very excited on any one approaching its nest, from which it never wanders far. A favourite place for it is the Soldiers' Cemetery at Floriana, before alluded to, where a search for it will seldom prove unsuccessful. It delights in flitting from tombstone to tombstone, or amongst the under- shrubs and few trees to be found there. It will allow itself to be watched very closely, and reward the observer with strains of music, which, if not of ajaigh order, strike pleasantly on the ear in observed in the Islands of Malta and Gozo. 69 au island not much favoured by the song of birds. One of these birds, fed on bread and milk, throve and sang in confinement. 119. Sylvia melanocephala. (Sardinian Warbler.) Busueida, Maltese (in allusion to its black head). This is another strikingly pretty little Warbler, which visits Malta from southern Europe and northern Africa. It generally appears in the winter months, which has given rise to another local name by which it is also known, Ghasfur tal Maltemp, or the " Bird of Bad Weather." It is never very numerous, and in some years is not often met with. The locality mentioned as a good one for the last two species is also a favourite resort of the Sardinian Warbler. When disturbed, it flits along the ground in a slinking manner to the nearest bush, into which it enters so rapidly that it is difficult to catch more than a glimpse of its outspread tail before it disappears from view ; and if the bush furnishes a good hiding-place, it will not readily move out again. Its characteristic note is powerful and harsh, resembling the winding of a clock; it has also another note, "chuck-chuck-chuck." It is not unfrequeutly seen amongst thickets of cactus [Cactus opuntia), with which this island abounds ; and it is also partial to gardens. I have never known it breed here. 120. Sylvia provincialis. (Dartford Warbler.) Included in Schembri's Catalogue from the capture of a single specimen. Is found in North Africa. 121. Phyllopneuste trochilus. (Willow Warbler.) Bu-fula, Maltese. A bird of passage in March, April, September, and October. It does not appear to be very common ; but in the above seasons I have obtained several specimens — in the latter chiefly the young of the year. 122. Phyllopneuste rufa. (Chifi'chafi'.) Bu-fula, Maltese. (Father of a Bean.) Arriving in autumn, after passing the summer in Europe, the Chiff'chaff' remains with us all the winter. During that season until spring, when it is joined by new-comers, it is one of the most familiar birds, being generally spread over the country, in 70 Mr. C. A. Wright's List of the Birds gardens, orange-groves, and places where the carob and other trees afford it shelter and insect food. Careful measurement of numerous specimens taken by myself and sent to me by friends, has shown that the Chiffchaffs found in Malta are generally somewhat smaller than the dimensions, given by authors, of those from northern Europe. Sir William Jardine has also noticed this peculiarity in examples sent to him by Dr. Adams and myself. In other respects they are precisely similar. Half a dozen examples now before me, measured in the flesh, did not exceed 1 1 centimetres in length ; and upwards of a dozen kindly lent me for examination by Dr. Adams were all of the same diminutive size. 123. Phyllopneuste sylvicola. (Wood Warbler.) Bu-fula, Maltese. Common in spring and autumn. It especially affects fig- and almond-trees when in leaf, the colour of whose foliage mostly assimilates to its own plumage, and renders it not easy of de- tection when at rest. It is also found in the olive- and carob- trees. I cannot confirm Schembri's statement that it passes the winter in Malta, though I have seen it late in autumn. In this I am supported by Dr. Adams's observations. 124. Phyllopneuste bonellii. (Bonelli's Warbler.) Bu-fula, Maltese. A bird of passage in spring and autumn. It is very liable to be confounded with P. trochilus, which it much resembles in general appearance, especially in the young birds of autumn, which have more yellow about the under parts than the examples taken in spring. There can be no doubt, however, of their being different species. The eggs, I am informed, are widely different — totally unlike. A propos of eggs as indicative of specific distinction and of generic relation, Mr. W. C. P. Medlycott writes to me that he went over several drawers of Mr. Tristram's extensive collection with him, and in many, indeed almost all cases where SylvicE were most closely allied in the external characters of form and colour of plumage, the difference between their eggs was most plainly marked. Thus in the present instance in P. bonellii the eggs are white, thickly spotted with dark chestnut (closely observed in the Islands of Malta and Gozo. 71 resembling those of P. sylvicola), while in P. trochilus they are much more sparsely spotted with very light chestnut. Again, specific approximation may frequently be traced by the eggs, as in the case of Cettia cetti, where its singular eggs seem to mark its affinity to the Indian genus Prinia. In all the Maltese specimens I have examined, I have found the length of the wing, from the carpus to the end of the longest primary, to be about 5 millimetres longer in P. trochilus than in P. bonellii. There is also a slight difference in the relative length of the wing-feathers. 125. HippOLAis iCTERiNA (Gcrbc, Eev. Zool. 1844, p. 440, and 1846, p. 433; and Diet. d'Hist. Nat. 1848, xi. p. 237). (Vieillot's Willow Warbler.) This species, which has been so often confounded with its congener, H. "polyglotta, is a regular visitor in April, May, Sep- tember, and October. Although never very numerous, it is far from being rare. I have frequently met with it on the sheltered sides of hills, among fig-trees, and obtained a good many speci- mens at different times. Owing to its restless disposition, which induces it to be constantly on the move, it is not easy to shoot; yet it is not shy. Schembri, in his ' Catalogue of Maltese Birds,^ gives H. polyglotta, which I have never seen here, instead of H. icterina. There is no reason why that species should not also be observed in Malta ; but it appears to me that he has probably mistaken H. icterina for it, as the Prince of Canino, who examined most of his specimens, has figured H. icterina, in the 'Fauna Italica,' as H. polyglotta, and M. De Selys Longchamps made a similar mistake in the 'Faune Beige,' in 1842. M. Gerbe has since so clearly indicated the essential points of difference, that one would think these birds could scarcely be again confounded. H. icterina is found in Algeria and other parts of Barbary. I have examined many specimens of it shot by myself, and others sent me by Dr. L. Adams, and they all agree with M. Gerbe's diagnosis in having the first primary longer than the fourth, and nearly equal to the third, the second longest, and the wings in repose reaching to about the middle of the tail. According to M. Gerbe, the wing in H. polyglotta does not reach halfway to the tail, and 72 Mr. C. A. Wright's List of Birds observed in Malta. the first primary is equal, or nearly equal, to the fifth. Dr. Adams tells me that he has seen this bird in May, hunting for flies on the wing, like the true Flycatchers {Muscicapidce) , and that its call-note is a harsh creak ; but that he had never met with H. polyglotta. 126. Aedon rubiginosa. (Rufous Sedge Warbler.) Rare ; does not occur annually. It has most often been ob- served in September. One taken in that month in 1857 lived for some time in captivity. 127. Calamoherpe turdoides. (Great Sedge Warbler.) Baghal (Mule), Maltese. Not common ; but a few are taken every year, in spring and autumn. 128. Calamoherpe arundinacea. (Reed Warbler.) Generally seen in September and October. Mr. J. Home shot one in the last week of August 1860. Not common. 129. Cettia luscinoides. (Savi's Warbler.) Schembri notices a single specimen, captured in November 1842. 130. Cettia melanopogon. (Moustached Warbler.) A single example, shot by Dr. L. Adams on the 11th Novem- ber, 1860, at the Marsa. This specimen is in the possession of Sir William Jai'dine. 131. Calomodyta phragmitis. (Sedge Warbler.) Not uncommon in April, May, September, and October ; but not seen in any great numbers. 132. Locustella fluviatilis. (River Warbler.) One specimen noticed by Schembri. 133. Upupa epops. (Hoopoe.) Dakkuka tal pennac, Maltese. Very common, and a regular visitor in spring and autumn. In both seasons it is one of the earliest arrivals. I have seen it as early as the middle of February and the middle of August. It is said to breed in great numbers in Tripoli. Mr. E. C. Taylor on the Birds of the West Indies. 73 134. CoRACiAS GARRULA. (Roller.) Karnaclic or Farrug, Maltese. Appears annually in spring and autumn, sometimes in small flocks of five or six. It is common in April and May^ a few lingering till June. An instance is recorded of a pair breeding in a ruined house in an unfrequented part of the country. This bird is often called the " Jay," or " Blue Jay/' by English residents and visitors ; and it is probably owing to some such mistake that Yarrell and other authors have given Malta as a locality of Garrulus glandarius (Linn.), which is never seen here. 135. Merops apiaster. (Bee-eater.) Kirt-el-nahal, Maltese. In April and May it arrives in large flocks, and its peculiar gurgling note may be heard at a long distance. Towards evening they settle to roost on the carob-trees, and nestle so close to one another that I have known as many as twenty or thirty to be brought down at one shot. Three were seen in 1861 as late as the 7th June. In Gozo they have been observed to lay their eggs in the sand. They reappear in autumn. 136. Merops persicus. (Blue-cheeked Bee-eater.) One example, killed in September 1840, noticed by Schembri. 137. Alcedo ispida. (Kingfisher.) Ghasfur ta San Martin, Maltese. An annual visitor; generally seen about the sea-shore in pairs. Arrives in August and September, and occasionally observed in the winter months. One was killed on the 14th March, 1862. Said to breed here sometimes. [To be continued.] IV. — Five Months in the West Indies. By E. Cavendish Taylor, M.A., F.Z.S. Part I. — Trinidad and Venezuela. Having determined to spend the winter of 1862-63 in the West Indies, I left England the 2nd December, and went to Trinidad, via St. Thomas, where I remained from December 22nd 74 Mr. E.G. Taylor on the Birds of the West Indies. till March 24th. During that time I made two separate excur- sions on the mainland of South America, each of which occu- pied a fortnight. The first was by steamboat 300 miles up the. Orinoco^ to the important town of Ciudad Bolivar, or Angostura as it w^as formerly called. The second was also by steamboat down the coast of Venezuela to La Guaira, the port of Caracas, the capital of that republic ; whence I rode up to Caracas, and stayed there a few days. En loute both to and from La Guaira, we touched at the ports of Carapano, Pampator (in the island of Margarita), Cumana, and Barcelona, staying at each a sufficient time to enable me to go ashore and make a brief investigation of the birds to be seen in those localities. After finally taking my departure from Trinidad on March 24th, I visited the islands of Martinique, Dominica, and Porto Rico, staying a fortnight in each. In all, I spent five months in the West Indies, during the whole of which time I devoted myself pretty steadily to bird- collecting and the study of West Indian ornithology. The re- sult of my labours I now propose to lay before the readers of ' The Ibis' in tw^o articles, the first devoted to Trinidad and the main, the second to the islands of Martinique, Dominica, and Porto Rico. Trinidad is a large island, its average length being 50 miles, its average breadth 35 miles, and its area over 2000 square miles. It is the most southern of the British West Indian Islands. It lies between 10° and 11° of N. lat., and 61° and 62° of W. long. On the west it is separated from the mainland of Venezuela by the shallow lagoon called the Gulf of Pai'ia; on the south it is divided by a comparatively narrow channel of deeper water from the vast swamps of the Orinoco delta; on the east and north it is bounded by the open sea. In its general appearance Trinidad bears no resemblance whatever to the volcanic islands of the lesser Antilles ; it seems rather a detached portion of the adja- cent continent. Its general surface is pretty level, with a range of mountains along the north coast which attain a maximum elevation of 3000 feet, a much lower range of hills along the south coast, and a boss of low hills in the centre of the island. The north-coast range corresponds with the chain of mountains extending along the north coast of Venezuela, which Mr. E. C. Taylor on the Birds of the West Indies. 75 terminates in the lofty point called La Pena, exactly opposite the north-west promontory of Trinidad, and distant from it about fifteen miles. The channel between these points is divided by three small rocky islands, called Monos, Huevos, and Chaca- chacave, into four channels or bocas, which form the northern entrance to the Gulf of Paria, and are collectively called the Boca del Drago, or the Dragon's Mouth. The range of hills on the south coast of Trinidad has no corresponding range on the main, but terminates opposite the low land of the Orinoco delta ; the channel opposite to them forms the soixth entrance to the Gulf of Paria, and is known as the Boca del Serpente, or the Serpent's Mouth. Port of Spain, the capital of the island, is situated on the Gulf of Paria, at the foot of the northern range of hills. Immediately to the south of the town lies an extensive mangrove-swamp, through which the Caroni, one of the largest rivers in the island, finds its way to the sea. The Caroni is navigable by boats for about eighteen miles from its mouth. Sugar and cocoa are the principal products of Trini- dad. The cultivation of the former is almost confined to the dis- trict along the coast of the Gulf of Paria and the valley of the Caroni ; the latter is chiefly grown in the narrow, shady valleys of the northern chain of mountains. Nearly the whole of the interior of the island is utterly destitute of roads or even paths, and is covered with a magnificent growth of virgin forest. One of the most valuable trees in Trinidad is the Cedrela odorata, the wood of which is much used for building houses. This tree is rather like the common ash-tree in appearance and foliage, but is universally called cedar from the smell of the wood, which resembles that of the true cedar {Cedrus libanotica). In point of size, however, the silk-cotton tree [Eriodendron anfractuosum) is quite unrivalled. Until I went to Trinidad I did not know what a really big tree was. I had seen the oaks of Fontaine- bleau and the elms of Aranjuez, which are, I believe, considered the largest trees in Europe, but these do not give one the least idea of the size which trees attain in Trinidad. Had the gen- tleman who wrote an account, in the last-published volume of * Long- Vacation Rambles,' of how he went up the Amazon in order to see large trees, and returned home without having 76 Mr. E. C. Taylor on the Birds of the West Indies. succeeded in doing so, — had he only gone to Trinidad and seen the silk-cotton trees which I saw there, he must, I am sure, have been satisfied. In Venezuela this tree is called Ceiba. In Martinique it goes by the name oiFromagier, though what connexion with cheese it is supposed to have I cannot imagine. I am inclined to believe that, owing to its warm moist climate and its rich soil, Trinidad is equal to any part of the world in rankness and luxuriance of vegetation. It especially abounds in palms, of which more than twenty species are found in the island. I was by no means idle while in Trinidad, and I think I ma- naged, in the course of my many excursions, to see the greater part of the island. A steamboat runs daily from Port of Spain to the town of San Fernando, which is situated about thirty miles to the south, on the Gulf of Paria. Twice a week this same steamboat continues its course beyond San Fernando to La Brea and Cedros. Shortly after my arrival I went by this steamboat to La Brea to visit the celebrated pitch-lake, which lies about two miles inland from that place. The lake, which is surrounded with dense bush, is irregularly circular, about half a mile in diameter, and has in it two or three small islands co- vered with trees. In the centre of the lake the pitch is soft, and seems to bubble up ; at the sides it is quite hard and much crevassed, the crevasses being filled with water. Except for the said crevasses, it would have been very like the asphalt of the Paris boulevards; and this, I may remark, was the only thing I saw in the West Indies that at all reminded me of Paris. Travelling on horseback is, of course, the only way of getting about in the interior of the island, and even that is a matter of some diffi- culty owing to the excessive density of the forest. The longest expedition I made in Trinidad was to ride in two days right across the island to the east coast, or " Bande del Est" as it is called, where T remained a week. The east coast, which is ex- posed to the open Atlantic, is very different in its features from the shores of the Gulf of Paria. It presents towards the ocean a shore of beautiful hard sand, fringed for a length of more than twenty-five miles with a natural growth of cocoa-nut trees {Cocos Mr. E. C. Taylor on the Birds of the West Indies. 77 nucifera). The oil extracted from these cocoa-nuts is the only produce of the district. I arrived at Trinidad fully impressed with the idea that its avifauna was absolutely identical with that of the adjacent con- tinent, and altogether distinct and dissimilar from that of the other islands. I have since, however, somewhat modified this opinion. In the first place, the island of Tobago has undoubt- edly much more rapport ornithologically with Trinidad than with the other islands of the Antillean group, as is proved by the collections, especially of Humming-birds, received from that island. On the other hand, although I do not suppose that Trinidad possesses any species peculiar to itself, my list will show that there are several species, not uncommon on the adjacent continent, which I believe are never found in Trinidad. It would be the work of a lifetime to make a complete collection of the birds of Trinidad, so rich in species is the island. I do not even profess to give a list of all I saw there myself, but only of the collection I made during my stay in the island, and in my two short excursions on the mainland of South America. The shores of the lower Orinoco, and the coast between Trini- dad and La Guaira, especially the immediate neighbourhood of the town of Barcelona, swarm with birds to a far greater degree than even Trinidad itself. I regret much that in my flying visit to those parts I had time to shoot so few birds, and to skin only about half of those I did shoot. In Humming- birds {Trochilidce) , however, I found the parts of the mainland I visited far inferior to Trinidad, which, both as regards species and individuals, is hardly to be surpassed, I should suppose, by any equal area in the world. Out of the nineteen species of Humming-birds said to be found there, I succeeded, as my list will show, in procuring fourteen. The names in the following list are chiefly taken from Dr. Sclater's Catalogue of his Collection of American Birds. I am also indebted to Dr. Sclater for his kind assistance in identifying the species. RAPTORES. •^ 1. Cathartes atratus. Black Vulture. The first thing that struck me on arriving at Port of Spain 78 Mr. E. C. Taylor on the Birds uf the West Indies. was the number of Black Vultures that swarm all over the town. There they are, on the roofs of the houses, expanding their wings in the sun, or in the streets, on the look-out for any scraps of food that may suit their taste. They live apparently on the best of terms with the fowls and chicken, which seem not at all afraid of them, and with reason, for I believe that this species of Vulture never by any chance attempts to prey on any living thing. So very tame and familiar are they, that I have often poked them with my stick or umbrella as I walked along the streets. In Trinidad all Vultures are indiscriminately called Corbeaux, and the quartier of Port of Spain where the slaughter-houses are situated is distinguished by the name of Corbeau Town. How, where, and when these birds breed in Trinidad is a mys- tery I was unable to solve. The whole time I was there the town swarmed with them, and they roosted at night in the trees in the gardens and squares. I was, moreover, assured that they remain in equal numbers all the year round ; yet no one could tell me anything about the time of year they breed, or seemed to know what the eggs or young were like. I found this spe- cies very abundant all over Trinidad and the parts of Venezuela I visited, especially in the neighbourhood of the towns and vil- lages. Neither this nor any other species of Vulture occurs in any of the islands between Trinidad and St. Thomas, — not even, I believe, in Tobago, and certainly in none of the others. Porto Rico is also quite Vultureless. In Jamaica I am informed that Cathartes aura is the only species *. As regards St. Domingo and Cuba, I can give no information on the great Vultui'c ques- tion. The irides of C. atratus are brown. ^ 2. Cathartes aura. Turkey Buzzard. This species is not very numerous in Trinidad, where it avoids the towns and keeps to the open country. It is a much hand- somer and cleaner-looking bird than the preceding species, and may be distinguished from it at a glance when on the wing by its less flapping and more graceful flight. It is generally to be seen skimming just over the tree-tops, as though it were trying * Cathartes atratus has also lately made its appearance as a straggler in Jamaica (see Proc. Acad. Philad. 1863). — Ed. Mr, E. C. Taylor on the Birds of the West Indies. 79 how near it could go without touching. It is certainly, in its flight and general appearance, by far the most aquiline-looking species of Vulture I have ever seen, and it was not until I had shot one that I could bring myself to believe that it was really a Vulture, and not an Eagle. On the Orinoco I found this bird much more numerous and less shy than in Trinidad ; but even there it did not frequent the towns in the same familiar way as Cathartes atratus. In Jamaica, where, as I believe, C. atratus does not occur, this species takes its place as scavenger in the towns and villages. Its irides are brownish red. *^3. Gyparch us PAPA (Linn.). King Vulture. The only occasion I came across this species was on my jour- ney through Trinidad from Port of Spain to the east coast, or " Bande del Est " as it is called. I and my companion had got just about halfway across the island when we suddenly came on a party of these birds, about six in number. On arriving at the place where we fii'st saw them, I found that the attraction was an enormous dead snake in a putrid state, on which they had been gorging themselves. My friend shot one, which fell apparently dead ; while I, thinking that I should like to shoot one too, went a little further into the forest and did so. Great was my surprise on returning to the one first shot to find that it had miraculously revived, and flown to the top of a high tree. The Trinidadians distinguish this bird by the name of " King of the Corbeaux." V 4. POLYBORUS BRASILIENSIS. I frequently saw this bird on the shores of the Orinoco. It was very tame, and generally allowed a near approach to the tree on which it was perching, and when disturbed did not fly far. I believe this species never occurs in Trinidad. 5. Pandion haliaetus. Osprey. This truly cosmopolitan bird is not uncommon on the Ori- noco ; and once or twice I saw an Osprey flying over the Gulf of Paria, not far from Port of Spain. \/ 6. BuTEG albicollis (Vieill.). This fine Buzzard is pretty common in Trinidad, and is gene- rally to be seen in the clearings in the neighbourhood of high 80 Mr. E. C. Taylor on (he Birds of the West Indies, woods. The Creole name for tliis and other large birds of prey- in Trinidad is " Gavilan." 7. ASTURINA NITIDA. Perhaps the most common species of Hawk in Trinidad. Another common species is rather larger than the Common Buzzard {Buteo vulgaris), of a blackish slate-colour, with a broad white band on the tail-feathers. I shot one of these birds on the east coast of Trinidad, but unfortunately had not time to skin it. 8. Falco peregrinus, Linn. Peregrine Falcon. I saw an individual of this species, in immature plumage, which had been killed not far from Port of Spain. 9. TiNNUNCULUs sPARVERius. American Kestrel. Occasionally seen in Trinidad, but much less common there than in the Antillean islands. 10. GlAUCIDIUM FERRUGINEUM. This very minute Owl is pretty common in Trinidad. It flies about in the daytime, apparently indifferent to the blazing tro- pical sun. It is far smaller than any other species of Owl I ever met with. PASSERES. 11. TuRDUS gymnophthalmus, Sclater's Cat, no. 20. Pretty common in Trinidad. 12. TuRDus FUMiGATUS, Sclatcr's Cat. no. 21. The commonest species of Thrush in Trinidad, especially fre- quenting the cocoa plantations. 13. TuRDUS FLAviPEs, Sclatcr's Cat. no. 34. Less common in Trinidad than the two preceding species. 14. MiMUs GiLvus, Sclater's Cat. no. 56. Very abundant on the Orinoco and the coast of Venezuela, frequenting low bush and savannah, but not high woods. I do not believe this species occurs in Trinidad. 15. Campylorhynchus nuchalis, Sclater's Cat. no. 106. The neighbourhood of Barcelona is the only locality where I Mr. E. C. Taylor on the Birds of the West Indies. 81 fell in with this bird; there^ however, it was abundant, fre- quenting low trees in small flocks. 16. Thryothorus rutilus, Sclater's Cat. no. 134. Obtained in Trinidad. 17. Geothlypis ^quinoctialis, Sclater's Cat. no. 171. Obtained in Trinidad. 18. Dendrceca .estiva, Sclater's Cat. no. 194. Common in Trinidad. Both this and the following species seem to enjoy a wide geographical range, no difference being perceptible between specimens from Trinidad and from the States of North America. 19. Setophaga ruticilla, Sclater's Cat. no. 220. Common in Trinidad. This bird much resembles a Redstart in appearance and manner. 20. Cyclorhis flavipectus, Sclater's Cat. no. 275. Obtained in Trinidad. 21. Dacnis cayana, Sclater's Cat. no. 308. 22. Chlorophanes atricapilla, Sclater's Cat. no. 318. This and the preceding species are pretty common in Trini- dad, and inhabit shady valleys. 23. Ccereba cyanea, Sclater's Cat. no. 320. Pink-footed Creeper. This and the following species of Ccereba are abundant in Trinidad during the dry season, but I am not sure whether they breed there or not. Its legs and feet are bright red. 24. Ccereba c^rulea, Sclater's Cat. no. 322. Yellow- footed Creeper. 25. Certhiola luteola, Sclater's Cat. no. 329. Very abundant. This continental species differs from Cer- thiola flaveola and the other species or varieties inhabiting the Antilles in being rather smaller, and in not having the promi- nent pink lips at the gape which form so conspicuous a feature in them. Creole name, " Sucriei\" 26. EuPHONiA NiGRicoLLis, Sclater's Cat. no. 342. Much less abundant in Trinidad than on the main. VOL. VI. G 82 Mr. E. C. Taylor on the Birds of the West Indies. ■^ 27. EuPHONiA viOLACEAj Sclater's Cat. no. 354. Common in Trinidad, where its brilliant plumage and pleasing song render it a favourite cage- bird. Creole name, "Louis d'Or." v/ 28. Calliste guttata, Sclater's Cat. no. 382. Decidedly the rarest of the three species of Calliste found in Trinidad. Local name, " Tiger Tanager." ^ 29. Calliste desmarestii, Sclater's Cat. no. 400. Very abundant in shady valleys and moist woods. Local name, " Cacao-headed Tanager." v30. Calliste vieillotii, Sclater's Cat. no. 404. Found in the same localities as the preceding species. This bird is known in Trinidad by the very grotesque name of " Diable enrhume." The only suggestion that I can oifer as to the origin of this remarkable sobriquet is that, in the opinion of the niggers, its note resembles the sound which his Satanic majesty might be supposed to emit in the very improbable con- tingency of his having a cold in his head. "^1. Tanagra cana, Sclater's Cat. no. 439. Very common both in Trinidad and on the main. It espe- cially affects the tree called " Bois immortel" [Erythrina coc- cinea), and seems to feed on the honey contained in its brilliant scarlet blossoms. Local name, " Blue Bird." ''32. Tanagra melanoptera, Sclater's Cat. no. 444. Abundant, and generally to be seen on cocoa-nut trees {Cocos nucifera) . ^ 33. BAMPHOcffiLUs MAGNiRosTRis, Sclater's Cat. no. 458. Very numerous all through Trinidad. Local name, " Bee d' Argent.'' 34. Phcenicothraupis rubra, Sclater's Cat. no. 482. I never saw this bird near the towns or in cultivated spots, but only in deep shady woods ; there, however, it is not rare. Local name, " Le Cardinal." ■^ 35. Tachyphonus melaleucus, Sclater's Cat. no. 492. Common, and generally seen in pairs. The male black, with Mr. E. C. Taylor on the Birds of the West Indies. 83 a white patch on the shoulder ; the female uniform chestnut- brown. 36. Saltator OLIVASCENS, Sclater's Cat. no. 561. This and the following species seem to prefer dry open situ- ations and low bush to the shade and moisture of a tropical forest. I found both species particularly abundant in the small islands Chacachacave and Monos, which are very much drier than Trinidad itself. 37. Saltator maculipectus, Sclater's Cat. no. 572. 38. Saltator, sp. ? At Ciudad Bolivar, on the Orinoco, I shot a Saltator rather smaller than S. olivascens, and much brighter coloured; unfor- tunately I had not time to skin it. 39. Cardinalis phceniceus, Sclater's Cat. no. 592. The low sandy coast near the town of Barcelona in Venezuela, covered with dense bush and low trees, is the only locality where I met with this beautiful species ; there, however, it was tole- rably plentiful. I do not believe it ever occurs in Trinidad. ^40. Spermophila intermedia, Sclater's Cat. no. 611. Obtained in Trinidad. " 41. Spermophila minuta, Sclater's Cat. no. 623. Abundant in Trinidad in small flocks, especially frequenting the sugar-cane pieces. 42. VoLATiNiA JACARiNA, Sclatei"'s Cat. no. 634. Common in Trinidad, but less abundant than the last species. 43^. Paroaria nigrigena, Sclater's Cat. no. 650. Not uncommon in the bush about Ciudad Bolivar. Never seen in Trinidad. ^4. Sycalis brasiliensis, Sclater's Cat. no. 758. Abundant in the bush on the shores of the Orinoco. I never saw it in Trinidad. 4^. OsTTNOPS cristatus, Sclater's Cat. no. 771. Inhabits the high forest of Trinidad in small flocks, but is not very common. g2 84 Mr. E.G. Taylor on the Birds of the West Indies. ^46. Cassicus persicus, Sclater's Cat. no. 778. This species is tolerably abundant both in Trinidad and on the mainland. It is a noisy, restless bird, something like a Jay in its manners. When alive or fresh killed, it has a strong. Crow-like smell. On my return from the Bande del Est, on the 20th February, I came upon a colony of these birds breeding. The locality selected was four trees standing in a small clearing in the woods, from which the long purse-like nests hung down in masses. The nests were high up, and the niggers who were with us declined to climb up the trees on account of the ants ; but I managed to pull down several of the nests with a long bamboo-pole, while the birds flew about, screaming with all their might. Most of the nests contained young birds or eggs ready to hatch ; however, I succeeded in obtaining a few fresh eggs. These are small for the size of the bird, being no larger than a Thrushes, white in colour, spotted and streaked with dark puv- ple. No nest contained more than three eggs or young birds, and some less. 47. Icterus xanthornus, Sclater's Cat. no. 808. Very abundant both in Trinidad and on the main : in the former place it goes by the name of " Corn-bird," probably from its bright-yellow colour. The nest is similar in shape to that of Cassicus persicus, but smaller ; it is usually suspended from the end of the long slender fronds of the Groo-groo Palm {Abto- comia, sp. ?). This bird does not breed in colonies, but singly. Ji8. Xanthosomus icterocephalus, Sclater's Cat. no. 829. Occurs in Trinidad, but is not very common. >49. Leistes guianensis, Sclater's Cat. no. 835. Obtained in Trinidad, but not abundant there. ^50. QuiscALUS LUGUBRis, Sclatcr's Cat. no. 855. Local in Trinidad ; never seen by me near Port of Spain, but common in some other localities. Very tame and familiar. Irides yellow. 51. QuiSCALUS, sp. ? I found a species of Quiscalus, which I never saw in Trinidad, excessively abundant on the Orinoco and the coast of Venezuela, /y- Mr. E. C. Taylor on the Birds of the West Indies. 85 especially in and near the towns and villages. This bird was decidedly larger than Q. luguhris, and seemed more like the Antillean species Q. barita. I regret that I did not preserve a specimen. ^2. Xenops RUTiLAi^s, Sclater's Cat. no. 973. Obtained in Trinidad. /53. Dendrornis susurrans, Sclater^s Cat. no. 1012. Common in Trinidad, where it fi'equents the cacao-plantations, and is accused of damaging the pods by piercing them with its long sharp bill. This bird runs up trees like a Woodpecker. 54. Thamnophilus major, Sclater's Cat. no. 1051. / ... Not uncommon in Trinidad, where it frequents thick bush and the outskirts of the forest. Irides red. ^55. Thamnophilus atricapillus, Sclater's Cat. no. 1065. Obtained in Trinidad. 56. Thamnophilus doliatus, Sclater's Cat. no. 1069. The commonest species of Bush-Shrike in Trinidad, where it is called " La Pintade,'' from its mottled Guinea-fowl-like plumage. 5^. Myrmotherula axillaris, Sclater's Cat. no. 1101. Obtained in Trinidad. 5^. FoRMicivoRA INTERMEDIA, Sclatcr's Cat. no. 1109. This bird seems rather local in Trinidad, as it was abundant in the low, dry bush of the small island Chacachacaye, though J^i I do not remember seeing it elsewhere. N^. Fluvicola pica, Sclater's Cat. no. 1226. Very common in Trinidad, and tame and familiar in its habits like a Wagtail [MotaciUa). 60. Machetornis rixosa, Sclater's Cat. no. 1245. I believe that this species never occurs in Trinidad ; but on the main I found it rather common. It does not seem at all to merit its very warlike name, but is generally to be seen on the ground, near cattle, peaceably picking up insects. .SI. MioNECTES OLEAGiNEUs, Sclatci's Cat. no. 1296. Obtained in Trinidad. 86 Mr. E. C. Taylor on the Birds of the West Indies. J@2. Phyllomyias semifusca, Sclater's Cat. no. 1306. Obtained in Trinidad. S^' Camptostoma imberbe, Sclater's Cat. no. 1310. This little bird is not uncommon in Trinidad, where I obtained two or three specimens, which differ so slightly from the speci- men from Mexico figured in ' The Ibis ' (1859, p. 444, pi. 14. f. 1) that Dr. Sclater does not think it necessary to make two species of them, — though it seems unusual for so small a bird to range from Mexico to Trinidad. 64. Elainea pagana, Sclater's Cat. no. 1321. Obtained in Trinidad. j85. Myiozetetes cayennensis, Sclater's Cat. no. 1342. A common species on the coast of Venezuela, near Barcelona. I never saw this bird in Trinidad, either alive or in collections. '^66. PiTANGUS RUFiPENNis, Sclatcr's Cat. no. 1361. This species, Megarhynchus pitangua, and Tyrannus melancho- licus are the most abundant of all the numerous Tyrants in Tri- nidad, where the Creole name for the whole family is " Qu'est- ce qu'il dit," from the cry of the three species named, which exactly resembles that sentence, — on the principle of the names ' Peewit ' and ' Kittiwake ' in England. All three species are very common and very noisy, but Pitangus rufipennis is the com- monest and the noisiest of the three. In the morning, espe- cially, they sit on the top of low trees screaming out " Qu'est-ce qu'il dit " to one another at the top of their voices. I found a nest of this species in February ; it was very large and funnel-shaped, and contained only one egg nearly ready to hatch. 67. Myiodynastes audax, Sclater's Cat. no. 1368. Not uncommon in Trinidad : its note is quite different from that of the preceding species. j68. Megarhynchus pitangua, Sclater's Cat. no. 1375. Very common in Trinidad. I found it difficult to distinguish this bird, at a distance, from Pitangus rufipennis, as the two species are very similar in size, colour, voice, and habits. 69. Pyrocephalus rubineus, Sclatei*'s Cat. no. 1395. 1 found this very pretty bird tolerably abundant both at Ciu- Mr. E. C. Taylor on the Birds of the West Indies. 87 dad Bolivar and Barcelona ; in habits it seems very like a Fly- catclier [Muscicapa). I do not believe that it ever occurs in Trinidad : the specimens received from thence are, I believe, killed on the main. JO. CoNTOPUs BOGOTENsis, Sclatcr's Cat. no. 1420, I shot a specimen in a shady valley in Trinidad, near Port of Spain ; but the species does not seem common there. 71. Myiakchus ferox, Sclater's Cat. no. 1433. I procured one specimen of this bird in Trinidad, and another on the Orinoco; but it was not abundant in either locality. /72. Tyrannus melancholicus, Sclater's Cat. no. 1443. Very abundant both in Trinidad and on the main. 73. Tyrannus rostratus, Sclater, MS.* I shot a specimen of this fine and well-marked species in Trinidad, not far from Port of Spain. I never saw it on any other occasion. 74. Pachyrhamphus niger, Sclater's Cat. no. 1473. Obtained in Trinidad. 7b. Pachyrhamphus albogriseus, Sclater's Cat. no. 1477. Obtained in Trinidad. ,T6. PiPRA AURiCAPiLLA, Sclatcr's Cat. no. 1514. Not uncommon in Trinidad. '77. Chiromach^ris manacus, Sclater's Cat. no. 1531. Very common in Trinidad, frequenting thick shady woods, * This is the bii-d entered in my Catalogue as Tyrannus magnirostris (no. 1449, p. 236). I am now, however, convinced that it is not the T. magnirostris of D'Orbigny (in La Sagra's Cubaj, but quite a different species, and I propose to call it Tyrannus rostratus, sp. nov. T. supra cinereus ; crista ceiata coccinea ; alls caudaque cinerascenti-fuscis, secundariorum marg. ext. auguste albidis : subtus albus, pectore et lateribus cinereo adumbratis ; tectricibus subalaribus et crisso vix flavi- cantibus : rostro et pedibus nigris ; long, tota 9'0, alae 4'5, caudse rectr. med. 3'2, rectr. ext. 3'5, tarsi 0 8, poll, el dec. Angl. Hab. in ins. Trin. et in Guiana. Mus. P. L. S. et Edv. Taylor. Obs. Affinis T. griseo et coloribus huic plerumque similis, sed rostro majore, crassitie paulo miuore, et Cauda magis furcata dignoscendus. — P. L. S. 88 Mr. E. C. Taylor on the Birds of the West Indies. where it keeps near the ground. This little bird emits a very remarkable sound — a loud harsh noise, like that produced by striking two stones together. 78. Chasmorhynchus niveus, Sclater^s Cat. no. 1565. ^ Occurs in Trinidad, but only in the depths of the forest, away from the haunts of man. It seems to prefer an altitude of from 1500 to 2000 feet, being hardly ever met with in low-lying localities. Creole name, " Campanero." I have occasionally heard the note of this bird, which certainly has an impressive effect on account of the stillness of the forest ; but I must say that to my ear it is more like the croak of a frog than the sound of a bell. 79. MoMOTUs swAiNSONi, Sclatcr's Cat. no. 1578. Obtained in Trinidad, where it is not uncommon. 80- Chloroceryle Americana, Sclater's Cat. no. 1596. Pretty common in Trinidad, especially among the mangroves in the swamps and lagoons. /81. Chloroceryle superciliosa, Sclater's Cat. no. 1599. I found this pretty little species not uncommon in Trinidad, on the Caroni River ; but I did not see it elsewhere. 82. Galbula ruficauda, Sclater's Cat. no. 1602. Not uncommon in Trinidad, where it keeps to the shade and quiet of the deep woods. 83. Trogon viridis, Sclater's Cat. no. 1653. Obtained in Trinidad. y 84. Trogon collaris, Sclater's Cat. no. 1658. Obtained in Trinidad, where it is less common than the pre- ceding species. ■^ 85. Steatornis caripensis. Towards the end of January, while in Trinidad, I set out with Mr. Kriiger, the colonial botanist, to visit a cinchona-])lantation which he had established on the highest ridge of the northern range of mountains. Mr. Kriiger joined me at Arima, a village in the interior of the island, where I was then staying; and the next morning we set out on foot, as there was no track through the forest practicable for horses. After walking for about four Mr. E. C. Taylor on the Birds of the West Indies. 89 hours we were quite beyond the last settlement, and having left behind us the cacao-plantations and all signs of cultivation began a steep ascent through the virgin forest. As we ascends higher the forest got more and more damp, and the ci'oaking note of the "Campanero" [Chasmorhj/nchus niveus) began to be heard. This and a pair of Curassows [Crax alector) were the only birds I saw that were not already familiar to me. In fact, one seldom does see many birds in the depths of the forest, as the excessive density of the foliage prevents anything being seen. I shot, however, a snake, 7 feet long, of the species called in Trinidad " Cribo." We arrived at our destination just before sunset, and slept in the forest in our hammocks, at an altitude of about 2500 feet above the level of the sea. I found the night very cold, and at sunrise next morning the thermometer was only 62^^ Fahr. T had heard that near the cinchona-plantation there was a cave inhabited by a colony of wonderful birds, called " Gudcheros " ; so, after inspecting the cinchona-plants, I set out for the Cueva de los Guacheros, as it is called, guided by two native Spanish hunters whom we had brought with us. We followed the downward course of a small mountain-stream for about half a mile, when we came to a steep slope of rock, down which the stream tumbled and disappeared within the arch of a gloomy cavern. In this cavern were numbers of large brown birds about the size of Crows, some flying about and uttering a peculiar harsh loud scream, others sitting on their eggs, many of which we could see lying on ledges in the face of the wall of rock opposite to us, but separated from us by the chasm down which the stream disappeared. The eggs seemed to be white, and about the size of those of a Wood-Pigeon {Columba palumbus). The scene was a striking one. The whole place was so gloomy and overshadowed by trees, that not only did the sun not shine, but it seemed as if it never could have shone there. Were I of an imaginative turn of mind, I might have fancied that I saw before me the entrance to the infernal regions, with the dmes damnees flitting about, screaming in despair ; but as I am not, I first took the precaution of shooting a few of the birds, and then descended into the cavern to pick them up. To my great regret, I found the eggs quite inaccessible both to my efforts and 90 Mr. E. C. Taylor on the Birds of the West Indies. to those of the native hunters ; but I secured four good specimens of the birdsj which proved to be Steatornis ca?'ipensis. This extraordinary-looking bird is quite sui generis, and is very unlike the Caprimulgida, with which it is usually classed. It has the beak of a Hawk, and is without the enormous gape of a Capri- mulgus. The feathers of the wings and tail are strong and stiff; and the food is said to be fruits. The wounded birds defended themselves with their strong beaks with great spirit. These birds are known in Trinidad as Gudcheros, and the nestlings are eaten and much esteemed ; they are said to be very delicate, and excessively fat : the old ones have a strong, Crow-like smell ; their legs are nearly bare of feathers. There is another breeding- station of these birds in Trinidad, in a cave opening on to the sea, in an island near the Boca del Drago. The difference in temperature between the two caves (the one at an elevation of 2500 feet, the other on a level with the sea) must be very great ; so I suppose the Steatornis is not particular to a few degrees of heat more or less. 86. Nyctibius pectoralis, Sclater's Cat. no. 1669. Obtained in Trinidad from a native collector. 87. LuROCALis SEMiTORQUATUS, Sclater's Cat. no. 1671. Obtained in Trinidad. ' 88. Nyctidromus guianensis, Sclater's Cat. no. 1690. Obtained in Trinidad, from a native collector. "" 89. Glaucis mazeppa, Gould, Mon. Troch. i. pi. 6. Trinidad abounds in Humming-birds, as I before stated, far more than those parts of the mainland which I visited. I pro- cured fourteen species in Trinidad, and one species on the main. I was informed that nineteen species occur in Trinidad; but I only saw the fourteen species that I proceed to enumerate. Glaucis mazeppa is one of the most abundant and about the least brightly coloured of the Trinidad Humming-birds. It fre- quents flowering trees and shrubs in gardens, where it may be seen in numbers darting about from flower to flower. *i)0. Phaetiiornis guyi, Gould, Mon. Troch. i. pi. 26. This species seems solitary in its habits, as, contrary to the Mr. E. C. Taylor on the Birds of the West Indies. 91 general rule with Humming-birds, one seldom or never sees it except singly. It avoids gardens and open ground, and affects deep shady ravines and valleys. It is the only species of Humming-bird that I saw high up in the mountains, on my excursion to the cave inhabited by Steatornis caripensis. Local name, " Fork-tailed Humming-bird." / 91. Phaethornis longuemareus, Gould, Mon. Troch. i. pi. 31. In habits similar to the preceding species ; but less abundant, I should say, in Trinidad. , 92. DoLERiscA FALLAx, Gould, Mou. Troch. ii. pi. 56. This sober-coloured species is the only Humming-bird I saw on the main. I found it pretty common near Barcelona in Venezuela, where I shot my specimens. '93. Lampornis mango, Linn. ; Gould, Mon. Troch. ii. pi. 74. The most abundant species of Humming-bird in Trinidad. It especially affects the tree called " Bois immortel " [Erythrina coccinea), which abounds in Trinidad, and blossoms in January, from the brilliant scarlet flowers of which it seems to " gather honey all the day." In the genus Lampornis the difference in plumage between the sexes is very striking. All Humming- birds are very pugnacious and fond of fighting in the air ; the present species is preeminently so. / 94. Lampornis gramineus, Gould, Mon. Troch. ii. pi. 77. This is the largest Humming-bird in Trinidad ; it is not very common, and is locally known as the " Green-throated Hum- ming-bird." y95. Florisuga mellivora, Gould, Mon. Troch. ii. pi. 113. Obtained in Trinidad, where it is rather rare. Local name, " Jacobin." '96. Lophornis ornatus, Gould, Mon. Troch. iii. pi. 117. This very beautiful little species is usually abundant in Trinidad in the dry season ; but when I was there, from some cause or other, it was very scarce. Local name, " King Hum- minoc-bird." 92 Mr. E. C. Taylor on the Birds of the West Indies. \/' 97. Chrysolampis moschitus, Gould, Mon. Troch.iv.pl. 204. This very brilliant species is abundant in Trinidad, where it is called the " Ruby Humming-bird," from the colour of the crown of its head, which glitters like a ruby in the sun. V 98. Chrysobronchus virescens, Gould, Mon. Troch. iv. pi. 230. Obtained in Trinidad, where it is not very common. Creole name, " Colibri vert-perU." 99. Heliomaster longirostris, Gould, Mon. Troch, iv. pi. 259. Rather a rare species in Trinidad, where it is called " Car- mine Humming-bird." ^ 100. Thaumantias chionipectus, Gould, Mon. Troch. v. pi. 293. Tolerably abundant in Trinidad, where it frequents deep shady woods. Local name, "White-throated Humming-bird." -^ 101. Erythronota antiqua, Gould, Mon. Troch. v. pi. 316. A very common species in Trinidad, where it is called " Eme- rald Humming-bird." ^102. EucEPHALA c^RULEA, Gould, Mou. Troch. V. pi. 331. Equally common with the preceding species. Known in Tri- nidad as the " Sapphire Humming-bird." ^ 103. Chlorostilbon atala, Gould, Mon. Troch. v. pi. 356. Not very abundant in Trinidad, where I am told it prefers the open country, and is called the " Savannah Sapphire." ^ 104. Crotophaga ani, Sclater^s Cat. no. 1905. Decidedly the commonest bird in Trinidad, where it is called " Blackbird " or " Tickbird." It is very tame and familiar, and, with the exception of Cathartes atratus, it is the only bird (except Humming-birds) that one sees habitually in the town of Port of Spain. It is always to be seen in fields where there are cattle grazing, to which it resorts, no doubt, for the sake of picking up the grasshoppers and other insects which are disturbed by the cattle. In the month of January it was breeding in the acacia- trees in the savannah of Port of Spain. As the egg has already been figured in * The Ibis,' I will not describe it. On the Mr. E. C. Taylor on the Birds of the West Indies. 93 mainland I found this bird much less numerous than in Trinidad. I did not see it at all either in Martinique or Dominica, and do not know whether it ever occurs in those islands. I found it common both in St. Thomas and Porto E-ico, but not so abundant in either place as in Trinidad. vl05. Crotophaga major, Sclater's Cat. no. 1907. Occurs in Trinidad, where, however, it is rare. vl06. DiPLOPTERUS NiEVius, Sclatcr's Cat. no. 1911. Abundant in Trinidad, especially in clearings on the outskirts of the forest. Creole name, " La Trinite." y 107. Piaya cayana, Sclater's Cat. no. 1915. Not uncommon in Trinidad. %/108. Ramphastos vitellinus, Sclater's Cat. no. 1936. This is, I believe, the only Toucan that occurs in Trinidad, where it is not uncommon in the depths of the forest. ^109. Dryocopus erythrops, Sclater's Cat. no. 1984. This fine large Woodpecker I obtained in Trinidad, but it is not very common there. -./IIO. Celeus cinnamomeus, Sclater's Cat. no. 2007. Pretty common in Trinidad. K^ 111. Chloronerpes rubiginosus, Sclater's Cat. no. 2026. This small species is by far the commonest Woodpecker in Trinidad. 112. Chrysoptilus punctigularis, Sclater's Cat. no. 2029. I never saw this species except in the vicinity of Barcelona in Venezuela, where I saw several, and procured two specimens. I feel pretty sure that it never occurs in Trinidad. 113. Centurus tricolor, Sclater's Cat. no. 2049. A common species in Venezuela ; but I never saw it or heard of its occurring in Trinidad. 114. Ara ararauna. Blue and Yellow Maccaw. Abundant on the lower part of the Orinoco, where I saw quantities of them flying over the river just before sunset. 115. CoNURUs PERTiNAX, Sclater's Cat. no. 2077. Very abundant in the vicinity of Barcelona in Venezuela, 94 Mr. E. C. Taylor on the Birds of the West Indies. where they were generally in pairs. Like most Parrots, they are very noisy. I never heard of this species occurring in Trinidad. "^ 116. Chrysotis, sp. ? A species of Chrysotis is very abundant in Trinidad ; it roosts in the mangroves in the swamps, and is considered very good eating. I often saw it, but neglected to preserve a specimen. 117. Urochroma. melanoptera, Sclater^s Cat. no. 2129. ^ . . . . Inhabits Trinidad in small flocks, and is known as the " Seven- coloured Parroquet." 118. PsiTTACULA CYANOPTERA, Sclatcr's Cat. no. 2135. I never saw this species in Trinidad, but found it excessively abundant everywhere on the main. At Carapano, in Venezuela, the whole bush seemed alive with these tiny Parrots ; and I remember being struck by seeing the roof of the church there almost covered with them. COLUMB^. .119. COLUMBA, sp. ? A large blue Pigeon, in general appearance resembling Co- lumba corensis of the Antilles, is tolerably abundant in Trinidad, where the Creole name for it is " Rarnier." I did not preserve a specimen. ^ 120. Peristera rufaxilla. Obtained in Trinidad, where it is common. Local name, " Mangrove-Dove." 121. Cham^pelia squamosa. Ciudad Bolivar is a great place for Ground-Doves ; the bush and savannah in the neighbourhood literally swarm with them. This species is not quite so abundant there as the next one, and is readily distinguished from it by its much longer tail and paler colour. 122. Cham^pelia talpacoti. Procured at Ciudad Bolivar, where it is excessively abundant. 423. Cham^pelia albivitta. Obtained on the small island of ChacachacaVc, where I saw ^^^j Mr. E. C. Taylor on the Birds of the West Indies. 95 several. I believe that this is the species of Ground-Dove com- mon throughout Trinidad. RASORES. i/124. Crax alector. Curassow. Occurs in Trinidad, where it is called the " Wild Turkey " ; it is usually to be seen at the top of a high tree. GRALLATORES. ^125. Ardea c^rulea. Abundant in Trinidad, especially at the mouth of the Caroni River. The immature birds of this species are white. I saw also numbers of white Egrets, both in Trinidad and on the Orinoco ; but as I did not procure a specimen, I am unable to identify the species. All Herons are called " Gaulins " in the West Indies. ^126. BUTORIDES virescens. I found this species both in Trinidad and the other West Indian islands I visited. yy' 127. Nycticorax violacea. The Creole name for this bird is " Crabier" I found it abun- dant in Trinidad, in the Oropuche lagoon ; but did not see it elsewhere. 128. EuRYPYGA helias. Sun-Bittem, I occasionally saw this species on the Orinoco, where it is often kept as a pet in houses, and is said to be useful in clearing them of cockroaches and other insects. I do not know whether it ever occurs in Trinidad. The specimens living in the Zoolo- gical Society^s Gardens, though sent from Trinidad, were pro- cured on the mainland, as I was informed by the gentleman who presented them. 129. Ibis rubra. Red Ibis. Abundant on the Orinoco. ^130. Tringoides macularius. Spotted Sandpiper. Very abundant in Trinidad, in suitable localities. 96 Mr. E. C. Taylor on the Birds of the West Indies. vl31. Crex olivacea. I shot a specimen of this bird in Trinidad, where, I believe, it is not uncommon. 132. Parra jacana. Very common in swampy spots near the Orinoco, especially in the neighbourhood of Ciudad Bolivar. 133. PORPHYRIO MARTINICA. Occurs in Trinidad, in suitable localities. NATATORES. 134. Chenalopex jubatus. Orinoco Goose. Common on the Orinoco. 135. Sterna magnirostris. This large, Gull-like Tern is very abundant on the Orinoco. Its dark-grey back and big yellow bill are conspicuous charac- ters when it is on the wing. I did not see it elsewhere than on the Orinoco. ■^ 136. Sterna cayana. A large Tern with a red bill, which I have little doubt was of this species, was flying about in numbers in the roadstead of Pampator, in the island of Margarita, which was the only place in which I saw it. >/l37. Eregata aquila. Frigate Pelican. Common all over the West Indies. 188. SuLA FIBER. Booby. In flight and manner of plunging into the sea, very like the Gannet of Europe {Sula alba), to which, in size, it bears about the same proportion as Pelecanus fuscus does to P. onocrotaliis. 139. Pelecanus fuscus. Decidedly the most abundant species of sea-bird in the West Indian waters. 140. Plotus anhinga. I saw several of these birds on the Orinoco. They were gene- rally perched on the stump of a tree overhanging the river, ready at the shortest notice to plunge into the water. :b:«i864^PI,.l. el,et,liti jyL Cti .hanhairt . AGP.Q GE PH ALU S S TE NT QPJ.U S Mr. S. S. Allen on Acrocephalus stentorius. 97 141. Phalacrocorax, sp. ? I saw Cormorants on many occasions, especially in the road- stead of Pampator, where they were abundant. They seemed to be about the size of Ph. carbo ; but I did not obtain specimens. V. — On Acrocephalus stentorius, a rare Species of Sedge-warbler from Egyjjf. By S. Stafford Allen, (Plate I.) I came upon this remarkable and almost unknown species quite by accident, whilst searching unsuccessfully for the Violet Gallinule [Porphyi'io veterum) in a small lake about six miles from Damietta, in May 1863. Shortly after entering the labyrinth of tall reeds which covers the greater part of the lake, and is intersected by narrow lanes of water, along which the flat-bottomed boat is poled, a curious harsh grating note burst out suddenly, with almost startling abruptness, from the reeds a little distance ahead, and was answered by others in two or three difierent directions. On questioning the Arabs who accompanied me, they replied that it was "only a little bird," which I could scarcely believe at first; but on watching the spot closely for a short time, we presently saw a little sober-coloured bird, rather larger than a Nightingale, hopping in and out among the reeds, every now and then making the air ring with his noisy song. After some little trouble, owing to their active habits and the difficulty of getting far enough away to avoid injuring them too much, I succeeded in obtaining two specimens, which at the time, not having any books, or skins for comparison, at hand, I took for the Thrush-like Reed-warbler, A. turdoides, Temm., though, on seeing the two species together afterwards, the differences were sufficiently obvious. In consequence of this mistaken idea, I omitted putting down the dimensions of these birds and other particulars before skinning, as is my usual practice with the rarer species. The specific name given to this species in the only published notice of it, which occurs in Hemprich and Ehrenberg's work on VOL. VI. H 98 Mr. E. P. Ramsay on Didunculus strigirostris. the 'Natural History of Egypt and Palestine'*, is highly appropriate, as its loud voice is the first point that strikes the observer. Two out of the three specimens mentioned in the above work were obtained in the neighbourhood of Damietta; the third from the shores of the Red Sea. Riippell does not appear to have met with this Reed-warbler, as it is not mentioned in his work, and it seems probable that the species will prove to be extremely local. As I am likely to be in Damietta again in the course of next spring, I hope to be able to supply the readers of ' The Ibis ' with more full and accurate particulars respecting the habits, &c., of this curious little bird, and to obtain a good series of specimens. VI. — On the Didunculus strigirostris, or Tooth-billed Pigeon from Upolo. By E. P. Ramsay. It appears that the Tooth-billed Pigeon {Didwiculus strigirostris) of the Navigator Islands is not quite extinct, as has been sup- posed ; and many of your readers will be glad to learn that a living specimen of this peculiar bird has been brought to Syd- ney from Upolo, one of that group of islands, by Mr. Williams, H.B.M. Consul. Mr. Williams has kindly allowed me to ex- amine his specimen several times, and has given me the following information respecting its habits. The Didunculus, or Enalleodea, is known by the natives under the name of Manu-mea, and was at one time very plentiful on the islands, especially upon Upolo, where, in August 1862, Mr. Williams obtained his bird. Owing, however, to the number of cats which now infest the island, the Manu-mea has become almost extinct. * Hempr. et Ehr. Symb. Phys,, Aves, fasc, i. : — " Curruca stentorea, H. & E. Specimina 3 adsunt, unum Damiatticum iEgypti inferioris, duo Maris Rubri meridionalis. Habitu et colore Currucm [Sylvia) turdoidi simillima, sed paullo inferior, sexpollicaris, remigum 2'''' quam 5''^ aut C" minore, rostro loiigiore, pedibus gracilioribus. C. turdoides differt, statura majore, remigum 2'*" et 3'^'' longissimis, pedibus validioribus, longioribus, rostro breviore et paullo altiore. Plura alibi." Mr. E. P. Ramsay on Didunculus strigirostris. 99 The natives also had a great share in its destruction ; for as long as this Pigeon could be procured in considerable numbers, they were in the habit of making annual excursions into the mountains for the sole purpose of catching and feasting on the Didunculus. The natives used bird-lime, made from the gum of the breadfruit-tree mixed with oil, to secure the birds, or caught them in nets by making use of a decoy Manu-rtiea kept for the purpose. The Didunculus is strictly a ground-Pigeon, giving a decided preference to the thickly wooded sides of the mountains, where, when plentiful, they assemble in flocks of from ten to twenty in number, feeding upon berries and wild fruits, their favourite food being the mountain-plantain. On taking flight, they make a great flapping, which has given rise to the native saying, "As noisy as a Manu-mea." The only note observed by Mr. Williams (and which I myself have since heard) is a very low plaintive cry, something like that of a young chick, repeated only once or twice. The head, neck, and upper part of the chest are of a dull slate-blue colour, the feathers on the back of the head and neck and on the lower sides of the neck having a gloss of metallic green in some lights. The lower part of the chest, breast, and abdomen are of a dull slaty brown ; the edges and under sides of the wings and the under tail-coverts are of a dark brown. The scapular region is brown, the centre and edges of the feathers being chestnut, as are the short feathers on the wings, with the exception of the very short feathers covering the primary quills, which are a dull dark brown. The upper parts of the outer webs and tertiaries are chestnut ; the rest of the tertiaries and the se- condaries are dark brown. The back is of a deep-chestnut tint; the upper tail-coverts a dull dark brown, centred and margined broadly with chestnut. The tail is of a deep chestnut, the outer feathers being the shortest, and their inner webs being brown. Some of the tail-feathers of this specimen are missing, but I believe it had originally fourteen in all. The bill is of a bright deep flesh-colour, with a slight tint of orange, becoming light flesh-colour at the inner edges of the mandibles, and almost light horn-colour at the tip of the upper H 2 100 Mr. A. R. Wallace on the Genus Pitta. mandible, which has besides a dark line down the margin. The eyelids and cere (or what answers to the latter) are flesh-colour ; the iris of a rich dark brown, the centre of the eye being black. The legs and feet are of a deep flesh-colour, the claws almost white ; and the tarsi have a few scales in front, the rest being bare, with a smooth skin. The bird is quite a young specimen, and still has a patch of light-brown feathers on the side of the head and throat, through which can be discerned a few feathers of the new plumage *. VII. — Remarks on the Habits, Distribution, and Affinities of the Genus Pitta. By Alfred R. Wallace. The beautiful birds which are now generally included in the single genus Pitta have lately been monographed by iMr. Elliot, and have also been the subject of an article by Prof. Schlegel in the 'Museum d'Histoire Naturelle des Pays-Bas,' as well as of a monograph forming the first part of a work entitled ' Les Oiseaux des Indes Neerlandaises/ while the first volume of Mr. Jerdon's 'Birds of India' gives an accurate account of the species inhabit- ing that country. The tiuie therefore seems appropriate for generalizing the information contained in these works as to the geographical range of the several species, and for giving a few observations on the habits of those which I myself met with in the Malay Archi])elago. The Pittas, or Ground-Thrushes, are a group of insectivorous birds which inhabit the forests of the Eastern tropics, and are generally adorned with brilliant and strongly contrasted colours. The rich blues and crimsons, the delicate greens, yellows, and purples, the velvety black and pure white (three of which tints at least generally adorn each species) remind one of the Tanagers of South America ; and, in fact, these two groups are almost the only ones which have no one characteristic tint or style of dress, * Dr. Bennett's latest letters to the Secretary of the Zoological Society (read at the Meeting on the 10th November last) announce the arrival in Sydney of a second living specimen of the Didunculus ; and that, with his usual liberality, he had purchased the pair for the Society, and was intend- ing to send them to England by the first convenient opportunity — Ed. Mr. A. R. Wallace on the Genus Pitta. 101 but whose different species seem free to adorn themselves with the brightest hues from Nature^s laboratory. There is, however, this difference, that whereas the Tanagers are a dominant group, aboundnig in genera, species, and individuals, over a very wide area, and presenting to our view much variety of form and almost every possible combination of colours, the Pittas are a small and probably decreasing genus, with but slight modifica- tions of form, and alike poor in species and in individuals. They inhabit a district which has been recently broken up into many fragments, and which seems to have been, during long epochs of the past, in an unstable and ever-changing condition. The effects of such changes of surface are to be traced in the consti- tution of this lovely genus, which, though so small, yet presents us with at least ten distinct styles of coloration, each of which, under more favourable circumstances, might have been the nu- cleus of a group of variously modified species. In form the Pittas are characterized by a short rounded body, densely clothed with plumage, by very long legs, short wings and tail, and by a long and strong bill, so much like that of a Jackdaw or Jay as sufficiently to explain why Linnseus named the only species known to him Corvus brachijurus. Their motions are very pleasing. They never seem to hurry, and yet get along at a great rate by hopping, generally on the ground, but occa- sionally perching on a stump or bush, and, when hard pushed, taking a long, straight, and silent flight. They are almost uni- versally rare birds, and are only to be met with by assiduously searching for them in the station which each species is found to prefer. Sometimes they frequent deserted plantations and dense thickets near villages. I obtained the beautiful Pitta eleyans in such places near Palembang, in Sumatra. Most of the species are, however, found only in the virgin forests, often preferring the densest and thorniest jungles, where it is almost impossible to catch sight of them, except when so near that they cannot be shot without spoiling the specimen. In the island of Bouru the Pitta rubrinucha was only found among the tangled coils of the prickly rattan-palms, where it is impossible for a man to pass without first laboriously hewing a pathway. My best hunter had seen this bird many times during our two 102 Mr. A. 11. Wallace on the Genus Pitta. months' stay in the island, without ever being able to secure a specimen. Not liking to be beaten, he proposed to me to go and sleep in a deserted hut near the place where he had most frequently seen it ; because just after sunrise they are busily feeding, and are more easily approached. His plan succeeded, and he shot two adult specimens ; but he was so close to one of them that it was literally blown into several pieces ; and his success cost me his services for a fortnight, owing to his having seriously torn and cut his feet in his too eager pursuit after the game in its prickly fastness. In the Aru Islands the beautiful species P. novce-guinece and P. mackloti quite baffled my Malay hunters ; but the little Papuan boys, creeping stealthily through the thick jungle, shot them with blunt prong-headed arrows, and thus })rocured me many fine specimens. The noble Pitta maxima, one of the very finest birds of the Malay Islands, is found only in the rocky forests of the mountainous island of Gilolo, where it hops among the crags and stones with such activity that it is very difficult to follow it. The only place where I could do more than catch an occasional hasty glimpse of a Pitta was in the island of Lombock. The Pitta concinna was there rather plen- tiful in a level sandy tract densely overgrown with low trees and shrubs and intersected by numerous pathways. As there were very few insects in the neighbourhood to distract my attention, I devoted a good deal of time to shooting; and nothing gave me more pleasure than hearing the note of a Pitta, watching for it to appear, and getting a successful shot at it through some narrow opening in the jungle. The bird's presence would often be first made known by its little pattering tread among the dry leaves ; a glimpse would then be obtained as it passed lightly under the thickest of the covert, and the least motion to obtain another glimpse would often be followed by a slight flutter and flash as it flew almost noiselessly away. A dead Pitta, as it lies when just shot, is exceedingly beautiful. You do not find it lying on its side, or all in a heap, like other birds, but invariably flat on its back, the feet up in the air, the plumage beautifully puffy, and the crimson patch on the belly displayed to the best advan- tage. This peculiarity of the dead bird is pcrha])s owing to the short tail and wings and the roundness and ])lumpness of the Mr. A. R. Wallace on the Genus Pitta. 103 body; but it produces an effect which I was never weary of admiring, and gave a crowning charm to the excitement and pleasure of P^7/fl-shooting. The voice of all the smaller species that I met with was of a constant character, and could easily be distinguished from that of any other bird. It is a plaintive whistle of two notes, the second lengthened out and quickly succeeding the first. When the birds are undisturbed, this cry is repeated at intervals of a minute or two. The large P. maxima and the P. elegans have each three notes of a similar character, according to the testi- mony of my Malay hunter ; and Mr. Jerdon gives three notes also to the P. bengalensis. The food of the Pittas consists of various kinds of insects, especially Coleoptera and small Orthoptei'a, and also of worms. Their powerful bill enables them to dig for these latter, as is proved by its often being incrusted with earth. They do not seem to like ants, as I never found these insects in their stomachs, nor do they frequent places where ants most abound. Another consideration would also lead us to the conclusion that to feed on ants is not the part which the Pittas have to play in the economy of nature ; for these insects are everywhere abundant in the tropi- cal forests ; many of the species swarm in countless myriads of individuals, and it is therefore natural to suppose that the birds which could find in them a congenial food would be abundant also, and would be as ubiquitous as the ants themselves. The true Ant-Thrushes [Formicariina) of South America do answer this ' description, which the Pittas do not ; and the comparative scarcity and irregularity of their most congenial food may be one reason why these lovely birds are so invariably scarce and local. In the majority of the species the sexes certainly do not differ; in some, however, the fact is doubtful. In the large P. nipalensis, the female, according to Hodgson, is duller coloured and more rufous on the back. Mr. Elliot describes sexual differences in several of the species, especially in P. cyanura, P. elegans, and P. cmrulea, but does not state on what authority he has determined the dif- ferently coloured specimens to be adult and fully plumaged females. Prof. Schlegel, who has obtained these species with the original notes of the naturalists who procured them, seems to 104 Mr. A. R. Wallace on the Genus Pitta. consider that the females, when fully adult, in every case resem- ble the males; and in this I am inclined to agree with him. If the adult female of P. carulea is the brown bird so generally supposed to be that sex, it would almost seem a good ground for establishing a genus for this in many respects peculiar species. The nidification of only four species has been observed — Pitta strepitans in Australia, P. cyanura in Java, P. cucullata in North India, and P. venusta in Sumatra. All these build their nests near the ground, rather rudely formed of sticks or reeds, roots, dead leaves, and moss. P. strepitans lays four eggs, which are creamy white, blotched and spotted with brown; those of P. cyanura are described as being similar in colour and markings, but five eggs were found in a nest, while the only nest of P. venusta ever found had two eggs of a pure white colour. The nest of P. cucul- lata is described by Jerdon as being formed principally of roots and fibrous materials, and as having three eggs, of a faint greenish white, with a few reddish and brown spots. On looking through the works of Messrs. Elliot and Schlegel already alluded to, I have been surprised to see the large pro- portion of the species about which no information whatever has been obtained, and of which even the colours of the bill, feet, and iris had to be put in by guess. The specimens collected by Miiller and the other Dutch naturalists in the Archipelago appear to have been all obtained through native collectors ; and no care seems to have been taken to teach these men to make the necessary observations while skinning the birds. Having myself shot or skinned more species of Pitta than any other person, and wishing to make this communication as complete and useful as possible, I will here give the colours of the soft parts of all the species collected by myself, or of which I have obtained accurate information from the person who shot them. P. crassirostns . Bill black, base of lower mandible horny, feet pale horn- or flesh-colour, iris dark. P. vigursi . . Bill black, feet pale yellowish horn-colour, iris dark. P. concinna . Bill black, feet pale yellowish horn-colour, iris dark. P. muclleri . . Bill black, feet blackish, iris dark. Mr. A. R. Wallace on the Genus Pitta. 105 P. 7iuvce-guine<£ . Bill blacky feet dusky, iris olive-brown. P. celehensis . . Bill blackish horny, feet dusky lead-colour, iris pale olive. P. rubrinucha . Bill blackish horny, feet light bluish lead, iris light olive-brown. P. rufiventris . . Bill dark horny, base of lower mandible red- dish beneath,feet pale lead-colour, iris olive. P. cyanonota. . Bill blackish horny, feet dusky olive, iris olive. P. mackloti . . Bill black, feet dusky, iris olive. P. elegans . . Bill black, feet olive-brown, iris dark. P. granatina . . Bill black, feet black, iris jiurple-black. P. maxima . . Bill black, feet pale yellowish horn-colour, iris dark. The genus Pitta has been subdivided into three named genera, which are tolerably well characterized ; but several others would seem equally worthy of being separated, owing to there being numerous slight modifications of form in the most nearly allied species ; and the whole group is so compact and natural, that I prefer following those naturalists who keep it entire. There are, however, four distinct groups of species, each characterized by a peculiar style of colouring, and several other smaller groups and isolated species which it is impossible to combine naturally with any of these. And whereas the genus, treated as a whole, seems irregularly and, as it were, fortuitously scattered over a wide area, yet when we consider the separate groups of species above alluded to, we find them in many cases to have each a well-defined and restricted geographical range. I shall therefore divide the genus into sections, which agree generally with those of Bonaparte, and consider the distribution of each separately. Sect. 1. The green-backed species, buff beneath, with dark head, blue shoulders, and red belly. These may be arranged geo- graphically as follows : — 1. angolensis . . West Africa. 2. hengalensis . . India proper, from Himalayas to Ceylon. 3. nympha . . . China. 4. cyanoptera . . Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo. 5. megarhyncha . Banca Island. 106 Mr. A. R, Wallace on the Genus Pitta. 9. 10. trena . concinna , strepitans crassirostris . . Sulla Islands. vigorsi . . . Banda Island. . Timor and "Ternate," Schleg. (query crassirostris). . Lombock, Sumbawa, and Flores. . Australia. This form therefore extends over the whole area of the genus, from West Africa to Eastern Australia. It is absent, however, from the Philippine Islands, Celebes, Java, and New Guinea, where species of other sections take its place. Having such a wide range, and being of comparatively simply-coloured plumage, this group may be looked upon as typical of the genus, as being that portion of it which probably retains most of the primitive type, and from which the other more brilliantly coloured and more isolated forms may be supposed to have been derived. Sect. 2. Species in which the buff of the under parts in the last group is replaced by green. All are of comparatively small size : — 11. cucullata . . Nepal,Burmah,and the Malay Peniusula. 12. muelleri . . Sumatra and Borneo. 13. hangkana . . Banca Island. 14. atricapilla . . Philippine Islands. 15. forsteni . . Celebes. 16. novce-guinea . New Guinea and the Papuan Islands. This group has also a rather wide range, extending from the Himalaya to New Guinea. A remarkable feature of its distribution is the gap between Celebes and New Guinea (including all the MoluccaIslands),in which no species of this section seems to exist. Sect. 3. Species with ashy-blue breast and red belly, and which want the silvery-blue patches on the rump and shoulder of the preceding groups : — 17. erijthrogastra . Philippine Islands. 18. celebensis . . Celebes. 19. ruhrinucha . . Bouru. 20. rufiventris . . Gilolo and Batchiau. 21. cyanunota . . Ternatc. 22. mackloti . . New Guinea and the Papuan Islands. Mr. A. R. Wallace on the Genus Pitta. 107 This compact little group of closely allied species is confined to the Austro-Malayan province, with the exception of one species from the Philippines. These islands, however, though placed in the Indo-Malayan province, show a decided affinity in many of their productions to those of the island of Celebes, with which they were probably at some former period more closely connected than at present. We may therefore consider this to be a very well-defined geographical group. Sect. 4. Species with finely banded breast, brown back, yellow coronet, and elongated tail : — 23. eleyans . . . Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. 24. schwaneri . . Borneo. 25. cyanura . . Java. This distinct group of most elegant birds, to which the name of Pitta has been by some authors restricted, has a very definite geographical range, being confined to the three great Malayan islands and the peninsula, which so closely resemble each other in every department of nature. The very close connexion of Sumatra with the Asiatic continent is here, as in so many other cases, indicated by an identity of species, while Java and Borneo possess each very distinct forms. Sect. 5. Species entirely purple and red, with blue wing-coverts and neck-stripe : — 26. granatina . . Malay Peninsula and Borneo. 27. venusta . . . Sumatra (Borneo ?). A small but very distinct and beautiful group, which cannot be naturally combined with any other species of the genus. It differs from Sect. 3, with which Bonaparte placed it, in its shorter wings and its smaller hind toe and claw, as well as in its quite distinct style of coloration. Sect. 6. Species with red back, blue crown, and white throat and wing-band : — 28. baudi . . . Borneo. This exquisite bird is so distinct in the arrangement of its colours, that it cannot be placed with any of the other groups. It seems to have relations to the species of the last two sections, with which it also consorts geographically. 108 Mr. A. R. Wallace on the Genus Pitta. Sect. 7. Black, with green back, blue shoulder-patch, and reddish bellv :— 29. iris .... North Australia. This species, though much isolated, has evident relations with the birds of Sect. 2 ; and as it is only found in the extreme north of Australia, I have little doubt that the same or an allied spe- cies exists in the southern parts of New Guinea. This species, in fact, approaches so much to Pitta nova-guinece, that it ought perhaps to have been placed in the same section. Sect. 8. A large species, black, with white breast, red belly, and blue shoulder-patches : — 30. maxima . . Gilolo. This magnificent bird, perhaps the finest of the genus, is much isolated; the form of its wings, the pale-coloured legs, black head, crimson belly, white wing-bar, and blue shoulder-patch show its nearest affinities to be with Sect. 1. Sect. 9. A large light-blue bird, spotted beneath. 31. cyanea . . . Arracan, Tenasserim. This is another remarkable and very distinct bird, which by its somewhat elongate tail approaches Sect. 4, while its colouring and size would more approximate it to the next. It is interest- ing to remark that its geographical position is also intermediate between that of these two groups. Sect. 10. Large birds of dull colours and somewhat coarse plumage : — 32. nepalensis . . Nepal to Arracan. 33. cosrulea . . . Peninsula of Malacca, Sumatra. These species depart most from the typical characters of the genus, and have been separated under the name of Heleornis. It seems prefei-able, however, not to break up the genus, but to retain these as an aberrant section. Let us now carefully examine the preceding list of species, and cull the various interesting facts of distribution with which it furnishes us. The first thing to notice is that two of the largest groups (Sections 1 and 2), comprising sixteen species, are widely distributed over nearly the whole area of the genus, and are Mr. A. R. Wallace on the Genus Pitta. 109 nearly equally divided between the Indian and Australian zoolo- gical regions. Of the remaining groups, five sections, com- prising nine species, are Indian, while three sections and seven species are Australian. The great majority of the species, how- ever, inhabit the Malayan Islands, as distinguished from the continent of Asia on the one hand and Australia on the other. Thus we find in Africa and Asia . . 6 species of 3 groups, Australia .... 2 „ 2 „ Malay Islands ... 25 „ 8 „ proving that the genus is preeminently Malayan, and is one of the very few which characterize the Archipelago as a whole, and not, as is much more frequently the case, the eastern or western portion of it only. The island which contains the greatest number of species is Borneo, which would thus seem to be the metropolis of the group. It possesses five or perhaps six species ; Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula each have five; the Philippines possess two ; and Java only one. These islands combined, constituting what I term the Indo-Malayan province,have thus fourteen species of Pitta. Further east, no one island possesses more than two species, due partly to the much smaller size of the islands, and also because in the great island of New Guinea we reach the eastern limit of the genus. On combining these islands to form the Austro-Malayan province, only ten species of Pitta are found to inhabit it. The variety of form also, as expressed by the number of sections into which the species fall, is greater in the Indian than in the Australian division of the Archipelago. Thus, Austro-Malayan province . 10 species of 4 groups. Indo-Malayan province . . 14 „ 6 „ It is interesting to remark that two species of the same group scarcely ever inhabit one island : where two or more species arc found in an island, they almost invariably belong to as many distinct sections of the genus. This illustrates Mr. Darwin's theory of the extermination of closely allied forms by the more dominant race, and also of the efi"ects of intercrossing in keep- ing up the uniformity of a species over a wide area. It thus 110 Mr. A. R. Wallace on the Genus Pitta. happens that it is on the continent that the species have the widest range, though the varieties of physical condition in India, from the Himalayas to Ceylon, must certainly be greater than from island to island in the Archipelago. But those slight modifica- tions which tend to bring a species into more exact harmony with surrounding conditions can be accumulated and rendered constant by " natural selection " in an island where intercrossing with the forms of other districts is impossible ; while on a conti- nent the same mode of action will be very often neutralized by the intermingling of the various forms which must occasionally come in contact with each other, except where the habits of the animal are much opposed to locomotion. It is an interesting confirmation of this theory that the only species of Pitta which presents any well-marked varieties is that which has the widest range. Two or three forms of P. bengalensis have been described as distinct species ; but it is found that these forms are unstable and graduate into each other. We have here an evident tendency to produce distinct forms, which intercrossing continually pre- vents ; but if continental India were broken up into three or four large islands (a change which the southern extremity of Asia has already undergone), we can hardly doubt but that a form spe- cially adapted to the conditions, physical and organic, of each island would be developed by natural agencies from the variable material that we know already exists there. This segregation has already taken place to a remarkable extent in the Archi- pelago. Generally speaking, each island or little group of islands has its peculiar species distinct from those of the islands that surround it. Some of these cases of localized species are among the niost extraordinary known. The little island of Banda, hardly more than a mile across, has a species peculiar to it. Ternate, a mere volcanic satellite of Gilolo, and not more than ten miles from it, has a Pitta all to itself, though closely allied to the distinct species which inhabits the large islands of Gilolo and Batchian. The small rugged metalliferous island of Banca, between Sumatra and Borneo (but so close to the former island as to seem only a detached fragment of it), has actually two species peculiar to itself; while, what is still more strange, the two allied species of which they seem to be modifications (P. cya- Mr. A. R. Wallace on the Genus Pitta. 1 1 1 7io])tera and P. muelleri) are both common to the great islands of Sumatra and Borneo. This is an arrangement totally opposed to our ideas of putting the right bird in the right place. It is exactly as if the Isle of Man possessed two peculiar species of Thrush, while the allied species were common to Britain and Ireland. Those naturalists (and I fear they are many) who consider that the Darwinian school attempts to explain too much of the mys- tery of nature will perhaps think that I should give some idea of how this anomalous state of things came about, and, if I neglect to do so, will lay claim to it as a fact in op])osition to my own doctrines. Now though I entirely object to judgment being passed on a theory of nature by its power to explain all mysteries — seeing that the most important data for solving such problems as this are almost always wanting — yet in the present case it is by no means difficult to give a fair conjectural expla- nation. Modification of form is admitted to be a matter of time. The amount of diversity in the organic remains of two beds or strata is a measure of the time between the deposition of those strata. So the amount of diversity in the species of two adja- cent islands is the measure of the time those islands have been separated. In the present case, therefore, as the island of Banca, close to Sumatra, presents in this genus a greater diversity from it than does Borneo, it would follow that Banca was separated and became an island at a time when Sumatra and Borneo were still united. Looking at the position of these islands on the map, this seems hard to believe ; but it is in reality by no means improbable. The whole coast of Sumatra opposite Banca is barely raised above the level of the sea, and is a network of tidal channels through a soft alluvial soil. Evidently this part of Sumatra is newly formed land, the result of the action of tro- pical rains on the mountains and high lands more than a hundred and fifty miles back in the interior. The nearness of Banca to Sumatra is therefore recent and illusory. The south-west coast of Borneo is almost equally low, and has been increasing in a similar manner. The sea immediately between Sumatra and Borneo has thus been lately filled up by alluvial deposits : it was formerly deeper; and the connexion between those islands 112 Mr. A. R. Wallace 07i the Genus Pitta. was not in this direction, biit through the intervention of the Malay Peninsula. The position of the Anamba and Natuna Islands, and a sea under fifty fathoms deep, show the probable line of connexion of Borneo with Malacca, while the narrow and island-choked strait west of Singapore indicates the point of junc- tion with Sumatra. At this time Banca was already isolated ; its rocky surface and mineral products show a great resemblance to the peninsula, from which it was probably separated at a still earlier period. There is therefore a, prima facie case for consider- ing Banca to be an older island than Sumatra or Borneo, If so, the fact of its possessing these peculiar species is exactly what we might expect, instead of being the hopeless puzzle it seems to be if we only take into consideration the present position of the surrounding islands. I have dwelt somewhat fully on this case, because it is one of the most interesting with which I am acquainted ; and though the explanation I have offered of it is in a great measure hypothetical, it shows in a most forcible man- ner how impossible it is to understand the curious problems pre- sented to us by the geographical distribution of animals, without taking into consideration all the probable and possible changes which may have recently taken place in the distribution of land and water on the earth's surface. The position which the genus Pitta should hold in a natural arrangement of birds, and its relations of affinity to the other genera and families of Pcrchers, are problems which cannot yet be said to be satisfactorily solved. By most recent authors Pitta has been considered to belong to the same family as the Ameri- can Ant -Thrushes, along with a host of other genera of obscure affinities. Messrs. Horsfield and Moore include all these as a subfamily of the true Thrushes, while Cabanis and Dr. Sclater consider them to belong to distinct sections of Passeres. Bona- parte, in his family Pittid^e, included several other genera, such as Brackypteryx, Pnoqnjga, and Myiophonus, all inhabiting the same countries as the Pittas, and having considerable resemblance to them in form and habits, but differing totally in coloration. Mr. Elliot, in his ' Monograph of the Pittidcs,' gives only the species of Pitta, to which I presume he intends to restrict the family. Mr. A. R. Wallace on the Genus Pitta. 113 Judging from external characters alone, it would seem almost impossible to separate the Pittas from the Furmicariidce, or from the above-mentioned genera with which Bonaparte associates them. The first primary in all these groups is more or less de- veloped— a character which at once distinguishes them from the Turdidce, in which it is always rudimentary ; and the struc- ture of the bill and feet, as well as the general form and habits, present no constant differences of the slightest importance. An examination of the sternum and its appendages in these birds does not throw much light on the matter, though it serves to confirm the isolation of Pitta, which is expressed in its pecu- liar colouring rather than in its external form or habits. In Bi'achypteryx, Myiophonus, Zoothera, and Henicurus the general form of the sternum is so much like that of the Thrushes, that it is hardly possible to seize on any character to separate them. In Myiophonus it has rather a lower keel, and the forked pro- cesses of the episternum are rather blunter and more divergent, while the coracoids are a little longer. Brachypteryx almost exactly resembles Turdus fumidus in the form of the sternum ; but the branches of the episternum are more slender. In Pitta the differences are more apparent : the keel is high and arched, and rises more abruptly from the extreme posterior margin than in any of the above-mentioned species, and this margin is very much narrowed. The anterior extremity of the keel is much produced, and the anterior margin hollowed out in a deep curve above the large epistermim. This is most remarkable on the under surface, where it forms a perfect Y with slender cylin- drical arms, differing in this part of the sternum from any Passerine bird I possess. The coracoids are long and stout, as in Myiophonus, considerably exceeding in length the sternum itself from their insertion to the posterior margin. The only Pormicariine sternum which I have been able to examine is that of a species of Grallaria. This so closely approaches the same part in Brachypteryx as to suggest a direct affinity; while the differences, where they exist (as in the lower and less arched keel), are such as to remove it rather further than that genus from the form of the sternum in Pitta. It would seem therefore that, pending a more accurate exami- VOL. VI. I 114 Mr. P. L. Sclater on the Genus Cosmetornis. nation of the details of structure in these and the allied genera from all parts of the world, we must consider the Pittas to form a group apart, closely allied to Myiophonus, Brachypteryx, and Pno'epyga, and, through them, to the South American Formi- cariida. Cinclus, Henicurus, Eupetes, and Zoothera seem also to come in the same group ; and it is a question whether the whole of the Timaliidee must not follow them. These would form a large and very natural family of short- winged terrestrial or semi- terrestrial insectivorous birds, of which the Pittincp, Myiopho- nince, CinclinfS, and Timaliince would be the Old- World section, while the ThamnopMlince, Formicivorinte, and Formicariince would characterize the New World. This arrangement is put forward with much diffidence as a mere suggestion which has arisen from the comparisons of these various groups while endeavouring to make out the affinities of the genus Pitta. VIII. — Note on the Caprimulgine Genus Cosmetornis. By P. L. Sclater, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.S. (Plate II.) In the second Number of his ' Icones Avium ' Mr. Gould has figured a singular form of Goatsucker, with the inner primaries very much elongated, for which he has proposed the name Semeio- phorus vexillarius. The term Semiophorus, having been previously employed in science, was subsequently altered by Mr. G. R. Gray into Cosmetornis. In the Macrodipteryx lonffipennis of Western Africa (a bird known since the days of Afzelius) the same remarkable peculiarity is exhibited by the male bird. But in Maa-odipteryx the shaft of the elongated primary is denuded, and only terminated by a webbed extremity, whereas in Cosme- tornis the elongated primary is webbed throughout its length. As, however, the general structure of these two forms closely agrees, they can only be considered as subgenerically different. While Macrodipteryx longipennis is not an uncommon bird in cabinets of natural history, Cosmetornis vexillarius has hitherto but rarely made its appearance in European collections. There Mr. p. L. Sclater on the Genus Cosmetoruis. 115 is one example of it in the British Museum, and another in Sir William Jardine^s collection. The latter specimen was taken on board a vessel in the Mozambique channel ; and, curiously enough, an example of this same species, presented to me by Mr. Edmund Gabriel, which I exhibited before the Zoological Society* in 1861, had been obtained in the same way in a ship off the west coast of Africa. Among the birds from the South African Museum, examined and reported upon by Dr. Hartlaub in the fourth volume of this Journal f, was likewise a young male example of this species, said to have been collected in Damara-land by Mr. Andersson. My friend Captain J. H. Speke, during his recent success- ful expedition through Eastern Africa, met with this curious Goatsucker in Uganda, and brought home one not very perfect specimen, which forms the subject of the accompanying Plate by Mr, Wolf. I was at first inclined to consider Captain Speke's bird referable to a different local variety from the true Cosme- tornis vexillarius of Mr. Gould, as, instead of the long " standard feather " being white all along the inner web, it is of a nearly uniform darkish brown thi-oughout. But it would seem that Captain Speke's specimen is not quite adult, and that this feather (which is an ornament of the adult male) may probably change colour. Moreover, as Mr. Gould's type was obtained on the east- ern coast of Africa, it is very improbable that two representative species should be found within the same area. Captain Speke tells me that he shot this bird flying, after nightfall, at Urondogami, north of Lake Nyanza, in Uganda. He saw others flying backwards and forwards, and often alight- ing on the bare grovind in the cleared patches near the villages, whence they flew off again when disturbed. In the 'Annals of Natural History' for 1862 (vol. x. p. 445) Mr. G. R. Gray has described a second species of Cosmetornis from Western Africa, under the name C. burtoni. The single typical specimen of this species is in an imperfect state. It ap- pears to differ from Cosmetornis vexillarius chiefly in the amount of white upon the primaries. * See P. Z. S. 18G1, p. 44. f See Ibis, 1862, p. 143. 1 2 116 Recent Ornithological Publications. IX. — Recent Ornithological Publications. 1. English Publications. In our own country we have to welcome the appearance of the 3rd and 4th Parts of Mr. Gould's ' Birds of Great Britain/ in which the following species are illustrated : — Part III. Great Spotted Woodpecker. Golden Eagle. Sea-Eagle. Nightjar or Goatsucker. Great-crested Grebe. Red-necked Grebe. Eared Grebe. Swallow. Sand- Martin. Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. Green Woodpecker. Nuthatch. Land-Rail. Water- Rail. Meadow-Pipit. Part IV. Common Buzzard. Common Snipe. Snowy Owl. Great Snipe. Long-eared Owl. Summer Snipe. Short-eared Owl. Steller's Duck. Pallas's Sandgrouse. Goldfinch. Wren. Common Sparrow. Golden-crested Wren. Tree-Sparrow. Fire-crested Wren. Of the merits of this great work we have already spoken in a former notice of the two first parts *. It will be observed that, in the case of the Eared Grebe, Mr. Gould has I'ightly rejected the specific term auritus, which Temminck misapplied to this bird, the true Colymbus auritus of Linnseus being, no doubt, nothing more than the Podiceps cornutus, or Sclavonian Grebe. The Eared Grebe of the South of Europe and Northern Africa (concerning the breeding of which Mr. Tristram has given us some details in a former volume of this Journal f) is correctly named Podiceps nigricollis (Gm.). ' Natural History and Sport in Moray, collected from the Journals and Letters of the late Charles St. John,' is the title of a volume recently J published in Edinburgh, consisting " entirely of the observations and notes of Charles St. John," ♦ Ibis, 1863, p. 102. t Edmonston and Douglas, 1863. t Ibis, 1860, p. 159. Recent Ornithological Publications. 117 the author of a well-known and deservedly popular book, called ' Wild Sports of the Highlands/ " It is made up of entries in his journals and note-books, incidents in letters to his friends, and a careful description of the Birds of Moray which he left in MS. With these materials, hitherto unpublished, the sub- stance of the ' Field Notes of a Natui-alist,^ which he published in 1849, has been incorporated." We have to congratulate Dr. Jerdon upon the issue of a second portion of his ' Birds of India ' — a work upon the general scope and object of which we have already spoken *. The present volume (which is called vol. ii. part i.) completes the account of the great Insessorial Order, embracing the conclusion of the Merulidce, the Brachj/jjodidce, Sylviidce, and Ampelidce, and the Conirostres, in which group Dr. Jerdon includes three families — Corvidce, Sturnida. and Fringillidce. We have not often occasion to refer to the Ornis of funiicr geological epochs, although the birds of all time, as well as those of every country, must be embraced in the studies of the true ornithologist. But the extraordinary interest that attaches itself to the fossil bird of the lithographic slate of Solenhofen, which has recently become national property, leads us to say a few words on Professor Oweu^s memoir on this subjectf, which has been courteously communicated to us by the author. The history of the Archeopteryx may be given in Professor Owen^s own words : — " The first evidence of a bird in strata of the Oxfordian or Co- rallian stage of the Oolitic series was afforded by the impression of a single feather, in a slab of the lithographic calcareous lami- nated stone or slate of Solenhofen ; it is described and figured witb characteristic minuteness and care by M. Hermann von Meyer, in the fifth part of the ' Jahrbuch fiir Mineralogie.' He ap- plies to this fossil impression the term Ai^cheopteryx litkographica; * See Ibis, 1862, p. 219 t " On the Archeopteryx of von Meyer, with the description of the fossil remains of along-tailed species, from the lithographic slate of SolenhofeUj" by Prof. Owen, F.R.S., Phil. Trans. 1863. 1 18 Recent Ornithological Publications. and although the probability is great that the class of birds was represented by more than one genus at the period of the deposit of the lithographic slate, and generic identity cannot be pre- dicated from a solitary feather, I shall assume it in the present instance, and retain for the genus, which can now be established on adequate characters, the name originally proposed for it by the distinguished German palaeontologist. " At the Meeting of the Mathematico-Physical Class of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Munich, on the 9th of November, 1861, Professor Andreas Wagner communicated the discovery, in the lithographic slate of Solenhofen, of a considerable portion of the skeleton of an animal, with impressions of feathers ra- diating fanwise from each anterior limb, and diverging obliquely in a single series from each side of a long tail. " These and other particulars of the fossil Professor Wagner gave on the authority of M. Witte, Law-Councillor (Oberjustiz- Rath) in Hanover, who had seen the fossil in the possession of M. Haberlein, District Medical Officer (Landarzt) of Pappen- heim. " Upon the report thus furnished to him. Professor Wagner proposed for the remarkable fossil the generic name Griphosau- rus, conceiving it to be a long-tailed Pterodactyle with feathers. His state of health prevented his visiting Pappenheim for a per- sonal inspection of the fossil ; and, unfortunately for palseonto- logical science (which is indebted to him for many valuable contributions), Professor Wagner shortly after expired. " I thereupon communicated with Dr. Haberlein, and reported on the nature and desirability of the fossils in his possession to the Trustees of the British Museum. They were accordingly inspected by my colleague Mr. Waterhouse, F.Z.S. j and an in- teresting and instructive selection, including the subject of the present paper, has been purchased for the Museum." Archeopteryx, as is shown in the detailed examination of the fossil which succeeds its history, "differs markedly from all known birds in having two free unguiculate digits in the hand" resembling in this respect a Pterodactyle. But its chief interest centres in the excessive multiplication of the caudal vertebrae. " In Bats there are short-tailed and long-tailed species, as in Recent Ornitholuyical Publications. 119 Rodents, Pterodactyles, and many other natural groups of air- breathing Vertebrates ; and it now is manifest that, at the period of the deposition of the lithographic slate, a like variety ob- tained in the feathered class. Its unexpected and almost startling character is due to the constancy with which all birds of the neozoic and modern periods present the short bony tail, accompanied in most of them with that further departure from type exemplified by the coalescence and special modification of the terminal vertebrae, to form the peculiar ' ploughshare-bone ' supporting the coccygeal glands, and giving attachment to the limited number of fanwise radiating rectrices, constituting the outward and visible tail in existing birds. All birds, however, in their embryonic state exhibit the caudal vertebrae distinct, and, in part of the series, gradually decreasing in size to the pointed terminal one. " In the embryo Rook the proper extent of the caudal vertebrae is shown by the divergence of the parts of the ilia to form the acetabula; and as many as ten free but short vertebrae are indicated beyond this part. Five or six of the anterior of these subsequently coalesce with each other and with the hinder halves of the ilia, lengthening out the sacrum to that extent. The tail is further shortened by the welding together of three terminal vertebra3 to form the ploughshare- bone. " In the young Ostrich from eighteen to twenty such verte- brae may be counted, freely exposed, between the parts of the iliac bones behind the acetabula ; of which vertebrae seven or eight are afterwards annexed to the enormously prolonged sacrum, by coalescing with the backwardly produced ilia; while two or three vertebrae are welded together to form the terminal slender styliform bone of the tail, without undergoing the ' plough- share ' modification. In Archeopteryx the embryonal separa- tion persists with such a continued growth of the individual vertebrae as is commonly seen in tailed Vertebrates, whether reptilian or mammalian. " Thus," concludes Prof. Owen, " we discern, in the main differential character of the by -fossil -remains -oldest -known feathered Vertebrate, a retention of a structure embryonal and 120 Recent Or nit holoyical Publications. transitory in the modern representatives of the class, and a closer adhesion to the general Vertebrate type." 2. French Publications. Messrs. Florent Prevost and C. L. Lemaire have published a volume * on the birds of Europe, which has, at all events, the merit of being cheap. We believe it to be only recently published ; but there is no date on the title-page or anywhere else in the volume, that we can discover. Although called a history of the birds of Europe, and spoken of in the avant-propos as about to treat of more than 400 species, the volume deals only with the Insessorial birds, or Omnivores, Insectivores, Granivores, and Zygodactyles and Anisodactyles of Temminck^s arrangement. But no second volume is announced. The most novel thing wc can find in it is the following truly Prench story of a Common Swallow : — " On dit qu'un cordonnier du Bale, ayant mit a une Hiron- delle de fenetre un collier sur lequel etait ecrit — ' Hirondelle, qui est si belle, Dis-moi I'hiver ou vas-tu ? ' re^ut le printemps suivant, et par le meme courier, cette reponse h sa demande — ' A Athenes, cliez Antoine. Pourquoi t'en informes-tu ? ' " Even this, though amusing, has not, we fear, the merit of truth in its favour. 3. German Publications. The second part of Wiegmann^s ^Archiv^ for 1863 contains the termination of Philippi and Landbeck's " Beitrage zur Pauna von Peru," to which we referred in our last Number. Their new species Leistes albipcs is closely allied to Sturnella militaris (at least we suppose this to be the species indicated by Philippi under the name Leistes americanus) ,diXidi in all probability identical * ' Ilistoire Naturelle des Oiseaux d'Europe,' par Florent Prevost et C. L. Lemaire. 1 vol. 8vo, Paris, 80 coloured plates, price 25 fr. Recent Ornithological Publications. 1,21 with S. bellicosa, De Filippi^ which we have received in collections from Ecuador. A third species of the group is S. defilipjni from La Plata, easily distinguished by its black under-wiug-coverts. Recwvirostra andina (capita colloque albis : pallio, alis et Cauda nigris : pedibus plumbeis), from Arica in Peru, seems to be a good new species of Avocet. The existence of an Avocet in South America has already been noted by Rengger (Reise nach Paraguay, p. 225) and A. d'Orbigny (Voy. pt. ii. p. 317), but this is, so far as we know, the first time the species has been identified. Dastjcephala albicauda is obviously an Agriornis allied to A. livida and A. maritima — two Chilian species, concerning the habits of which some good remarks are given subsequently (p. 136). Messrs. Philippi and Landbeck are, however, quite wrong in referi-ing these birds to Dasycephala, that name of Swainson being synonymous with Attila of Lesson, and having for its type the Muscicapa cinerea (Gm.) — a more or less terrestrial bird of the forests of Brazil, very different in habits from the Agriornithes of the Andes and of the coasts of Chili and Patagonia. A second paper by Messrs. Philippi and Landbeck, in the same Number of the ' Archiv,' gives a very interesting account of the four species of Geese found in Chili*. These are, according to ]\Iessrs. Philippi and Landbeck, Bernicla melanoptera (Eyton), B. dispar, sp. nov., B. chiloensis, sp. nov., and B. antarctica (Gm.). Bernicla melanoptera, which is the "Piuque" of the Chilians and the ^'Huacha" of the Peruvians, is stated to inhabit the small lakes in the Cordilleras of Chili, at a height of 10,000 feet above the sea-level, and to breed there in pairs. In winter the families descend into the low^er marshes. This Goose extends northwards from Chili into Bolivia and Peru. The sexes are alike, the female being, however, smaller in size. This species, we may remark, is well figured in the ' Zoology of the Voyage of the Beagle,^ Aves, pi. 50. There are five examples of it in the British Museum, amongst which is Eyton's type-specimen, and one from Lake Titicaca, Bolivia, obtained by Mr. Pentland. * " Uebev die Chilenischeii Gaiise," ibid. p. 185. 122 Recent Ornithological Publications. Bernicla dispar, Philippi et Landb., sp. nov., which is the "Gansillo" of the Chilians, is stated to be common near San- tiago in winter, and to breed in the middle provinces of Chili, on the Cordilleras, descending into the plains in winter. It is figured by Cassin in the * Zoology of the United States Naval Astronomical Expedition ' (pi. 24) under the name B. ma- gellanica. We believe Messrs. Philippi and Laudbeck to be quite right in separating this bird from the true B. magellanica, in which the male is unspotted white below. There is a Chilian bird in the British Museum exactly corresponding with their description, except that the rect rices are all black. B. magellanica vera is found in the Falkland Islands, whence the Zoological Society of London obtained the specimens which now breed in their Gardens every year. It extends, however, over the southern part of South America, one example, marked " Chiloe," being in the British Museum. Bernicla chiloensis, Messrs. Philippi and Landbeck's third species, is stated to be very common in the Island of Chiloe, where it is called " Canquen" ; but also occurs as far north as Valdivia, from February to April. Our authors are quite correct in considering this species as distinct from the Anas inornata of King, although it is the bird figured in Mr. G. R. Gray's ' Genera of Birds ' under that name, and has also been called by Gray Bernicla inornata. But it was not necessary to propose a new name for this unfortunate Goose, as it has also been called polio- cephala by Mr. Gray in his Catalogue of the specimens of Anseres in the British Museum, and has long been well known as the Ashy-headed Goose [Chloephaga poliocephala) in all the Zoolo- gical Gardens of Europe. Bernicla antarctica (Messrs. Philippi and Landbeck's fourth species of Chilian Goose) appears in Chili only in winter, being occasionally found in the harbours of Corral and Arique, in the province of Valdivia. It is singular that while in this species, as in Chloephaga dispar and C magellajiica, the sexes are so differ- ently coloured that they run the risk of being considered different species, in C. poliocephala an^ C. melanoptera the male cannot be distinguished from the female except by size. This is likewise Recent Ornithological Publications. 123 the case with Chloephaga rubidiceps of the Falkland Islands, wliich is closely allied to C.poliocephala. A third paper^ by the same writers, which follows the last, gives descriptions of a new Duck {Querquedula angustirostris) , obtained by the deceased Herr Frobeen in Peru, and of a new Tern {Stei'na atrofasciata) from the province of Colchagua, in Chili. The former species is stated to be allied to Q. oxyptera ; but the affinities of the latter are not given. The same Number of the ' Archiv ' contains the commencement of an article, by Dr. A. Bocking, on the American Rheaf. The account of the habits of this bird seems to be very full and complete ; but Dr. Bocking can never have seen a specimen of Rhea darwini, nor even, we should suppose, have read a description of it, or he could scarcely have called it a climatic subspecies of R. americana. Many generally recognized genera do not possess the strong characters that separate the former species from the latter and distinguish them in every stage from the egg upwards. Herr Aug. von Pelzeln has lately commenced to publish, in the ' Verhandlungen ' of the I. B. Zoological and Botanical Society of Vienna, a catalogue of the very fine series of Vulturida and Falconidaia the I. B. Cabinet J. The arrangement followed is nearly that of Gray: the recent synonyms, since the publication of the ' Genera of Birds,' are given very fully. The first part contains the Vultures and Polyborince, Buteonince, and a part of the Aquilina. The second part contains the completion of the catalogue of Aquilince and the FalconincB. A third and concluding part, promised to appear shortly, will treat of the remaining subfamilies Milvina, Accipitriiice, and Circina. Extracts from the late Johann Natterer's notes on many of the species are appended. This catalogue is a most important contribution to our know- * " Beschreibung einer iieuen Ente und einer neuen Seeschwalbe," ibid. p. 202. t " Monographie des Nandu oder sudamerikanischen Strausses {Rhea americana)," ibid. p. 213. X " Uebersicht der Geier und Falken der kk. Ornithologischen Samm- lung." Voii Aug. V. Pelzeln. Verb. kk. Zool, Bot. Gesellschaft, 1862. 124 Recent Oniithulogical Publicatiuns. ledge of the Accipitres. The Vienna collection seems to be particularly rich in this order of birds. The former Gustos, Johann Natterer, was not only a most diligent collector personally during his long travels in the different parts of the Brazilian empire (where he is stated to have obtained examples of 1000 species of birds), but also purchased largely in London and other places. There have been also many valuable specimens recently obtained from Heuglin, Kotschy, Ida Pfeiffer, and others. 4. Dutch Publications. Professor Schlegel has commenced the publication of a new illustrated work* on the birds of the Dutch possessions in the East Indies, of which we have seen one part. This embraces the genus Pitta, — the plan being to issue monographs of the dif- ferent genera that have been worked out in the National Museum at Leyden, and so render the work an illustrated companion to the catalogue of the birds of that establishment given in the * Revue Methodique des Collections du Musee des Pays-Bas.' The work is intended to extend to about 100 plates, containing more than 800 figures, and to be completed in about five years. The principal portion of the text is in Dutch ; but a revue si/nop- tique of the species, in French, is appended. The figures are on a reduced scale. They are well executed, as we need hardly say, being drawn by Professor Schlegel himself, but perhaps not quite so carefully coloured as might be ; but then the low price of the work must be taken into consideration. The third livraison of the ' Bevue Methodique des Collec- tions du Musee des Pays-Bas^t contains the conclusion of the " Buccones," by Lieut. A. GofEn; and lists of the "Ardea'' and " Alcedinides," and the first portion of that of " Merops," by Professor Schlegel. Under the head of " Buccones" two very distinct families are united, namely the true Buccofiidce and the Capitonidce. These groups differ not only in external form, but also in internal structure and in habits. The error of uniting * De Vofjjels van Nederlandsch Indie, beschreveu en afgebeeld door H, Schlegel. Haarlem, Kiuseiuan, 18G3, 4to, part i. t See Ibis, 1863, pp. 105 et 358. Recent Oi-nithulogical Publications. 125 them was first pointed out by Dr. Cabanis, and has since been commented upon by Professor Burmeister, by ourselves, by Mr. Wallace, and by other winters. The Capitonidcs are closely allied to the Toucans in habits and structure. Like them, they have but ten tail-feathers, and the fuj'cula imperfect at the junc- tion of the rami. The Bucconidoi, on the other hand, are essentially allied to the Trogons and Jacamars, with which indeed they are united by Burmeister into one family. The Ardece are divided by Professor Schlegel into sections which correspond to the different generic groups of most modern writers. If Prince Bonaparte, who published the last account of these birds in the second part of his ' Conspectus,' made too many species. Professor Schlegel cannot certainly be said to have erred on this side, and we think Professor Schlegel without doubt the more nearly right of the two. But we wish he had indulged us with Latin titles for the different sections of his Ardece, instead of terming them " Petits Herons," "Aigrettes," &c. In the "Alcedines," p. 43, we observe it stated somewhat positively as regards Tanysiptera, " On ne connait jusqu'aujour- d^hui que quatre especes de ce petit groupe." Had Professor Schlegel seen Mr.Wallace's rediscovered T. nympha (P.Z.S.1862, p. 165), he would hardly have said this; and in our opinion, if four species are to be allowed of the genus, we must admit all the nine, as given by Mr. Wallace (P. Z. S. 1863, p. 24). 5. American Publications. The Report of the Smithsonian Institution for 1861 contains a paper by Mr. E. Coues and Mr. D. W. Prentniss on the birds of the District of Columbia*. The list enumerates 226 species as being met with in this locality, of which only forty-four are " permanent residents." There are likewise forty-four " winter residents," i. e. species breeding further north, and fifty-nine " summer residents," i. e. species which resort to the District for the purpose of breeding there ; the " spring and autumn visitants" are fifty-four; and those of accidental occurrence, * " List of Birds ascertained to inhabit the District of Columbia, with the times of arrival and departure of such as are non-residents, and brief no- tices of habits, &c.," Smiths. Rep. 1861, p. 399. 126 Recent Ornithological Publications. twenty-five. We extract two passages from Messrs. Coues and Prentniss's general remarks on tlie Columbian avifauna : — " Though the number of birds which are resident throughout the year and those which breed here is considerable, they are few in comparison with those which pass through during their spring and autumn migrations and remain for a longer or shorter time each season. The number of species, indeed, is not greater, but the individuals of each are very numerous. It is on this account that for a month or so during the spring and autumn (from about the 20th April to the 20th May, and from the 1st September to the middle of October) the collector is so amply repaid for his pains, while at other times oruithologizing, except for some particular birds, is hardly worth the time and trouble. So numerous, indeed, are individuals of most of the migratory species, that at the height of the season in spring we have collected in a walk before breakfast from forty to fifty specimens of various species of Warblers, Thrushes, Flycatchers, Finches, &c. As an instance of the number of birds which pass through the District on their way north to breed, compared with those which remain with us during the summer, may be cited the Wood- Warblers, or Dendroica. Of the twelve or thirteen Wood- Warblers found more or less abundantly in the spring and fall, only thi'ee are known to breed here. The same might be affirmed of other birds, as the Thrushes, Flycatchers, Sandpipers, &c. * * * * " A circumstance which has considerable influence on the ap- pearance of birds in the immediate vicinity is the presence of a large city. This is most strikingly shown in the case of the Ducks and other water-fowl, to which the attention of the sports- man is especially directed. The peculiar character of Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries renders them the favourite winter resort of nearly all the species of Anatidce ; but the incessant persecutions to which these birds are subjected have effected a material dimi- nution of their numbers, and caused a great part of them to retire to the bogs and inlets of more southern shores. The same is true, though less markedly, of various shy and solitary birds (as for example the Hylotomus pileatus), which are gradually re- tiring with the clearing up of the forests to more mountainous Recent Ornithological Publications. 127 and inaccessible regions. Nevertheless the pertinacity with which some birds hold their ground is surprising. Thus the common Partridge^ though so continually persecuted by sports- men, is still very numerous even in the immediate vicinity of the city. A total change of habit by civilization, sometimes to be observed, is extremely interesting. There can be no doubt that, before the settlement of the country, the Ch(Btura jielasgia bred in hollow trees. This habit is now totally lost, the bird finding chimneys better suited to its wants. In like manner, the Hirundo horreorum now breeds altogether on the rafters and beams of barns and outhouses, while the H. lunifrons is gradually abandoning the sides of cliffs for the convenient situations af- forded by the projecting eaves of buildings. The Progne pur- purea always gives preference to the boxes now everywhere placed for its accommodation.'^ In a new paper in the Philadelphian Academy's Proceedings* Mr. Coues completes his review of the North American Laridte, treating of the third section of the Skuas, but embracing in his remarks, on this occasion, all the known species of the group. As in the case of former papers, Mr. Coues adopts ante-Linnean names for both genera and species, and thereby seeks to intro- duce what we consider objectionable changes into their nomen- clature. Mr. Coues divides the Skuas into two genera, for the first of which, containing the Larus catarractes of Linnaeus, and its (barely separable) southern representative, Stercorarius ant- arcticus, he uses Mcehring's term Buphagus[\) ; for the second, Stercorarius of Brisson. Of the latter group six species are enumerated, viz., 1. S. pomarinus (Temm.) ex Eur. et Am. Sept. 2. S. parasiticus (Linn.) ex Eur. et Am. Sept. 3. S. 7'ichardsoni (Sw.) ex Am. Arct. 4. S. hardyi (Bp.) ex oc. Pacif. (?) 5. S. spinicauda (Bp.) ex oc. Atlant. (?) 6. S. buffoni (Boie) ex Eur. et Am. Sept. Sterco7'arius richardsoni, we may remark, has been usually con- * Proc. Acad. Philad. 1863, p. 121, "On the Lestris richardsoni of Swainson, with a critical review of the subfamily Lestridince.^' 128 Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, ^c. sidered the same as the true S. parasiticus of Linnaeus and Briin- uich. But Mr. Coues has discovered several specimens of Skuas from Arctic America in the Smithsonian Institution which " agree minutely ^^ with Swainson's plate and figure, and appear to possess differential characters* which indicate the existence in Arctic America (of a second Skua) allied to S. parasiticus. With re- gard to the fourth and fifth species, we believe them to be pure figments, like many other "species" manufactured during the declining hours of the late Prince Bonaparte. Professor Baird has commenced publishing in the same Aca- demy's Proceedings some " Notes on the Birds of Jamaica, by W. L. March," who has been collecting in that island for the Smithsonian Institution. The present portion refers to the Accipitres and Cuculidce. Among the former is Cathartes atra- tus — a " recent settler in Jamaica/' not known to Mr. Gosse. Mr. Lawrence has kindly forwarded to us a new part of his catalogue of the birds collected in Panama by Mr. J. McLeannan, containing additional species, and notes and remarks on former published species t> The total number of species obtained by Mr. McLeannan, who is, we believe, superintendent at one of the stations of the railway, amounts now to 415. Petrochelidon albilinea, Lawrence, we suppose to be the same Swallow as that recently described by Mr. Salvin J as P. littorea. X. — Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, ^c. 3 have re Editor " '.— We have received the following letters addressed " To the Porto S. Giorgio, September 12, 1863 (Italy, Marche). Before reading, in the last Number of your periodical (July 1863)j Mr. H. B. Tristram's observations on what I had pre- * "Major; rostro, tarsis alisque longioribus ; Cauda magis producta et rotundata, rectricibus latioiibus" (I. c. p. 135). X " Catalogue of a Collection of Birds made in New Granada, by James McLeannan, Esq., of New York, with Notes and Descriptions of New Species." Pt. 4. Ann. Lye. Nat. Ilist. New York, vol. viii. (May 18()3). t P. Z. S. 1862, p. 189. Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, ^c. 129 viously written about the Birds of Mount Vetore, which I had taken for Snow Buntings [Plectrophanes nivalis), I had ah'eady obtained some specimens thereof, when I found they were in reahty the Snow Finch {Montifringilla nivalis, Brehm), thus removing the conclusion I had originally been led to form (in the absence of a near sight of the bird), upon the assertions of sportsmen on the spot, that the bird in question had the claw of the hind toe rather long. It is strange that even Prince L. Bonaparte entertained a like erroneous opinion, as shown in his work entitled ' Specchio comparativo delle Ornitologie di Roma e di Filadelfia,^ Pisa, 1827, where he states (p. 46) that the Emberiza nivalis, Linn., "pro- bably inhabits also our Apennines, and is abundant on the Mount Cenis," while, without doubt, he was mistaken in both assertions, since, according to Savi, they do not exist even on the latter mountain (Ornitologia Toscana, vol. ii. p. 116), though the Snow Finch is found in both places. I have deemed it well to say thus much in order that your readers should not be led into error by my first conjecture. Yours, &c,. Dr. Thomas Salvadori. Lyon, le 27 Octobre, 1863. Monsieur, — Le fait ornithologique le plus remarquable de notre epoque est, sans contredit, Papparition dans uos contrees du Syrrhaptes paradoxus. Apres avoir envoye, pour ainsi dire, des emissaires isoles en Occident, cette espece s^y est montree ensuite par bandes nombreuses, et cela non seulement en Frauce, mais encore en Allemagne, ou sa presence a ete constatde un assez grand nombre de fois. Le Docteur Altum, dans un memoire interessant qui vient de paraitre dans le ' Journ. fiir Ornithologie,^ cite encore d'autres localites visitees par PHe- teroclite. D'apres cela, ne serait-on pas fond^ h. admettre, ^ titre de conjecture, que cet oiseau tendrait a se deplacer ^ Pex- emple de quelques autres, qui sont devenu rares dans les pays oil on les trouvait communement ? Dans son dernier memoire, le Docteur Altum rapproche des Outardes le genre Syrrhaptes, opinion que j'avais dejk emise il y VOL. VI. K 130 Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, ^c. a quelques annees (Voy. Naumannia, t. v. p. 312, et t. vii. p. 177), en parlant des Gangas. Je regrette seulement, ainsi que M. Altum, de n'avoir pas eu il ma disposition des squelettes de Gangas et d^Outardes, dont la eomparaison aurait fourni de nouveaux caracteres pour rappro- cher ces families, que I'on a jusqu'a present eloignees les unes des autres. A defaut, M. Altum demontre anatomiquement I'erreur de eeux qui rapprochaient les Pteroclides des Pigeons. Je terminerai ces quelques lignes en exprimant le desir de voir realiser Pacclimatation de cette jolie espece parmi nous. On ne voit pas pourquoi elle ne pourrait pas trouver dans FEurope oc- cidentale des conditions d'existence aussi favorables que dans les deserts de I'Asie ; mais il est fort k craindre que des nuees de chasseurs ne lui fassent payer cher I'hospitalite qu'elle est venu nous demander, et ne forcent les survivants k chercher une autre patrie. Veuillez agreer mes salutations respectueuses, Leon Olph-Galliard. 26 Charlotte Street, Bedford Square, Nov. 30, 1863. Sir, — I have just received from my friend Ed. Hearle Rodd, Esq., of Penzance, the following letter relating to the capture of a second species of Muscicapa parva ; and conceiving this commu- nication worthy of a place in ' The Ibis,' I forward it for inser- tion in the next Number. The specimen appears to be a male of the year, which might or might not have been bred in our island. Yours, &c., John Gould. Penzance, Oct. 27, 1863. My dear Sir, — You were kind enough to make a very early communication to me respecting the capture of the first speci- men of the Muscicapa parva in Britain, and gave me valuable particulars of its characters, &c. I feel it due to you, therefore, to receive from me a second example which has now come under my notice, This has been forwarded to me, or rather to Mr. Vingol with a message to me, by my nephew and Mr. Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, ^c. 131 Augustus Pechell, who are staying with Mr. Smith for the Snipe- and Woodcock-shooting which the Scilly Islands afford at this season of the year. These gentlemen are good observers of birds, and have been watching the arrival of the great autumnal flight of small birds, consisting of Blackbirds, Thrushes, Larks, Snow Buntings, Chaffinches, Hawfinches, Willow-Wrens, and other soft-billed members of our Sylviidce. On Friday last Flycatchers appeared; and two apparently young Pied Flycatchers (a species almost unknown as Cornish, except just in statu migratorio), and a third, which from its size and tone of colour was thought to be a Chiffchaff, were ob- tained. The character of the exterior four tail-feathers, show- ing white in their basal halves, drew their attention to the bird, and it was fortunately forwarded for identification. This proves to be a veritable M. parva, differing only from the female skin you were good enough to make me a present of in the under-plumage presenting a tinge of buff-brown, parti- cularly on the sides of the breast, whereas in the specimen I have from you these parts are of a uniform silvery light grey approaching to white. The tips of the wing-coverts are in the present bird edged with a lighter (or rather more reddish) brown than the rest of the upper plumage, and the latter has a more decided tone of brown than my stuffed specimen. This leads me to offer you my opinion that the bird is an immature male ; the buff-coloured breast, &c., agreeing with one of those laws which appear to regulate the tone of colour in birds pre- senting sexual differences when adult. It must be here remarked that this bird was in company with the young Pied Flycatchers, and exhibited the gestures and habits of the Muscicapidce in abrupt flights, &c. Yours, &c., Edward Hearle Rodd. Magdalene College, Cambridge, December 1, 1863, Sir, — The "Notes on the Ornithology of Iceland," contributed by me to Mr. Baring-Gould's recent work, hardly deserve, I fear, k2 132 Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, ^c. the praise which you have been kind enough to bestow on them (Ibis, 1863, p. 465). Although I had long been collecting ma- terials for a paper on the subject, I found myself called upon to complete it sooner than I expected ; and being thus pressed for time, I unfortunately omitted at the last to apply in various quarters for the information which alone could render it what you are pleased to term "an exhaustive resume of the present state of our knowledge." Permit me, therefore, through the medium of your Journal, to make some additions to the list of Icelandic Birds. In the first place let me mention that Mr. G. G. Fowler in- forms me that, in 1862, he shot a female Gadwall {Anas strepera) at My vatn as she rose from her eggs, two in number ; and, the day after, he killed a fine drake near the same spot. I also learn from Mr. Proctor that he has once or twice received skins of this bird direct from Iceland. As the testimony in each case is in- dubitable, the species must no longer be subject to suspicion. Next, I am glad to be able to speak with greater confidence respecting the species of large Geese which occur in Iceland. Mr. Fowler has kindly sent me the head of one he shot in the north. This is certainly that of Anser ferus. He states that it was with a brood of young, and that he was shown the place where it had hatched. Mr. Proctor also tells me that he has had three or four examples of this species, and as many of the Bean Goose {Anser segetum). But, more than all, he has once or twice received the Pink-footed Goose {Anser hrachyrhjnchus) from Iceland. One of these specimens he lately showed me in the Museum of the University of Durham, and he assured me that with it were sent some eggs, of which it was stated to have been the mother. Mr. Proctor further tells me that a single specimen of the Long-eared Owl {Otus vulgaris) has been sent him from Iceland, and that he has once or twice received thence the Pigmy Curlew {Tringa subarquata), on two occasions the Ivory Gull {Pagophila ehurnea), and, once, two examples of the Northern Puffin {Frater- cula glacialis) . The latter, which he believes to have been obtained on the island of Grimsey, are now in Mr.Tristram^s collection. All these four species have been hitherto unrecorded as Icelandic. Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, i^c. 133 From the same excellent authority, I find that the Starling {Sturnus vulgaris) has certainly been met with two or three times in Iceland — a fact which renders it probable that Gliemann was not, as I had supposed, mistaken in saying that it had occurred there. I am also reminded, by a notice of Mr. Baring-Gould's work in a recent Number of the ' Annals and Magazine of Natural History ' (ser. 3. vol. xii. p. 397), that the late Etatsraad Rein- hardt mentions (Vidensk. Selsk. Afh. vii. p. 96) that, in the be- ginning of the summer of 1824, a flock of ten or twelve Glossy Ibises {Falcinellus igneus) were observed on the southern extre- mity of Iceland. I am. Sir, Yours obediently, Alfred Newton. November 30, 1863. Sir, — Reading in ' The Ibis ' of last year the review of the Memoir of Bewick, I observe a list given of his works. I bought at a sale the other day a book called ' A New Family Herbal,' by Robert John Thornton (pubHshed by Richard Phillips, Bridge Street, Blackfriars, London, 1810), in which the plants are stated to be " drawn from nature " by Henderson, and " engraved on wood by Thomas Bewick." This forms, I fancy, an addition to your list of his works. Yours, &c., J. W. P. Orde. A letter addressed to the Editor by Mr. E. L. Layard (dated Cape-town, September 18th) mentions that the writer had lately seen at Simons Bay, in the possession of Lady Walker, the wife of Admiral Sir Baldwin Walker, living specimens of two very in- teresting species of Guinea-fowl from the eastern coast of Africa. These were N. vulturina, brought from the east coast, a little northwards of Zanzibar, and N. cristata (?), of which the exact locality had not been ascertained. [The eastern form of iV. 134 Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, ^c. cristata is N. pucheranii, Hartl.] Mr. Layard continues as fol- lows : — "Nearly all our Swallows and Swifts are come. Hirundo rustica arrived September 1st; on the 2nd, Ci/pselus leucorrhous ; on the 5th, C. apus; 13th, H. capensis; and today (18th), C. alpinus and C. apus in thousands. The two still wanting are H. paludicola and H. ruhrifrons. These are probably in the colony, but have not yet fallen under my notice. H. paludicola is generally the first to come. The little black H. holomelas was at the Knysna three vt^eeks ago." In fulfilment of the design announced in our last Number, Mr. Tristram left England for Palestine early in October last, and the various members of his expedition departed by different routes about the same time, Malta being the point of reunion. The party consists of Messrs. H. B. Tristram, W. C. P. Medlycott, G. G. Fowler, and H. M. Repcher. They have secured the services of Mr. H. Bowman as photographer, Mr. E. Bartlett as zoological collector, and Mr. B. T. Lowne as surgeon and bota- nical collector. The plans of the expedition are to devote November and December to the country from Beirut to Jerusalem, taking the coast-line to Carmel, and thence working zigzag through the less-frequented mountains and wooded country of Ephraim. January and February they give to the shores of the Dead Sea and the Southern Ghor. They will endeavour especially to get quite round the Dead Sea, close to its eastern shores, to note its geology, and to take as many photographs of it as possible. All the little streams which run into this lake will be carefully ex- plored for zoology and botany. March, April, and beginning of May they allot to the Northern Ghor and to the course of the Jordan from Jericho up to Tibe- rias. Nesting will come in on the wooded banks of the Jordan ; and they hope to visit Heshbon Essalt (Ramoth Gilead), and to explore, as far as possible, the Land of Gilead and Bashan. The Sea of Galilee will come in in the beginning of May, and particular attention will be paid to its fishes. After that, they propose to pass by the Waters of Merom, and Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, ^c. 135 to try to ascend the top of Hermon. Thence they descend to Damascus, spend July in the Lebanon, and return home via Beirut. Mr. Tristram has ah'eady forwarded to us the following notes made in Central France, where he spent a few days, en passant, in order to study the geology of the volcanic district of Auvergne : — " Our journey through France has proved that the decree of the Emperor in favour of small birds has not yet been productive of any great improvement in their condition. A Kittiwake, two Hooded Crows, a barren Grey Partridge, and a few parties of Magpies were the visible bird-population from Boulogne to Paris. Arrived at Clermont, the poulterers' shops revealed very plainly the fact that the Passerine birds have small chance of safety unless the gastronomic taste of the people be changed. The stock in the principal shop of this town of 40,000 inhabitants consisted of a few Hares and Rabbits, one Alpine Hare, two brace of Grey and three brace of Red-legged Partridges, upwards of a dozen Ring- Ouzels, a few Thrushes and Blackbirds, two Tree- Sparrows, some Yellow Wagtails and Crested Larks, three Cirl Buntings, nine- teen Great Tits, nearly thirty Blue Tits, and four or five Cole- Tits. " We made an expedition to the summit of the Puy de Dome, 4850 feet high. On the way we observed the Cirl Bunting taking the place of our Yellow Hammer, and several Yellow Wagtails apparently on their migration. At the foot of the mountain is a little cabaret, closed for the season ; and here an excited chasseur, who had had the good fortune to secure two Alpine Hares among the stunted hazels on the mountain-side, in his paroxysm of delight rejected the previous contents of his bag, consisting of a Cole-Tit, which I picked up and skinned as a souvenir. Arrived at the summit, the only signs of bird-life were a solitary Kestrel, a Tithys Redstart, and a lonely Rock- Sparrow [Petronia stulta), which sat Wheatear-like on its rocky perch, giving forth its monotonous note in the confidence that the ascent of the mountain was too fatiguing even for the most ardent chasseur. 136 Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, ^c. " On our next day's expedition we discovered that both Petro- cincla rupestris and Tichodroma muraria inhabit the environs of the town. M. Le Coq, one of the principal inhabitants, has a first-rate collection both of the birds and eggs of Europe ; indeed I have never seen a cabinet richer in carefully selected series of southern forms of the latter. Although far from perfect in northern species, it is well worth a visit from any ornithologist. His collection of birds contains eight specimens of Gypaetus harhatus from the Pyrenees, and I noticed that they are of a much deeper colour on the breast than those from the Atlas. " Arrived at Marseilles, in the course of a long ramble on the heights beyond the city, two Tithys Redstarts were the sole con- tribution we could have made to an ornithological census. I think it is Victor Hugo who somewhere describes a chasseur of Mar- seilles as so delighted by the sight of a Blackbird that he pur- sues him in vain for a fortnight into the centre of France. Such enthusiasm today must needs have been latent. Yet, returned to our hotel, we found that there was actually ' gibier a la carte ; ' for two Thrushes were marked at three francs. My friend could not but inquire after them, and extracted from the garqon the humiliating confession that even at that price the ' grive ' had but a paper existence. Having two days on hand, we started on a geological expedition twenty-five miles to the east. We met with few birds on the mountain-sides, but those we did see were full of interest. Sylvia melanocephala and *S. passerina were to be seen in the hollows ; Ruticilla tithys now and then among the rocks ; and occasionally Tichodroma muraria, with his singularly shaped oblong heavy wings, against the cliff-side, responding in a low treble to the harsh wail of Petrocincla cyanea on the heights above him. Of large Rapjtores, even in this mountainous district of Cassis, we did not see a vestige." We are again compelled, from the same reason as before, to delay the promised article on the invasion of Syrrhaptes. THE IBIS. No. XXII. APRIL 1864. XI. — List of the Birds observed in the Islands of Malta and Gozo. By Charles A. Wright. [Concluded from page 73.] 138. CoLUMBA PALUMBUS. (Wood Pigeoii.) Tudun, Maltese. Passes in April and May, and again in September, October, and November. Never seen in great numbers. Does not breed here, doubtless owing to the want of woodlands. 139. CoLUMBA (ENAs. (Stock Pigeon.) Also called Tudun, in Maltese. Spring and autumn. Does not breed in the island. 140. CoLUMBA LiviA. (Rock Pigcou.) Hamiem-tal-gehel, Maltese. Sedentary in the rocks and precipices of the southern coast of Malta and Gozo, and on the rocky islet of Filfla, where it breeds in considerable numbers. The young birds fly in June, when (the Quail season being over) the sportsmen amuse them- selves by pursuing them in boats. In July their numbers get pretty well thinned ; probably a good many then leave us, owing to the difficulty of finding a sufficiency of food. As examples of escaped Domestic Pigeons are to be seen breeding in the same localities, crosses doubtless often occur. 141. CoLUMBA TURTUR. (Turtlc-Dove.) Gamiera, Maltese. Passes in large flocks in April and May, when great numbers VOL. VI. L 138 Mr. C. A. Wright's List of the Birds are caught in platform-nets. Hooded decoy-birds, which are sometimes kept for six or eight years, are used to entice the wild ones into the nets. This sport is a favourite amusement with the country gentry ; and in most of the casals, or villages, the village priest, whose occupations and duties afford him an abundance of idle time, pursues it with great assiduity. The manner in which the Doves are taken is as follows : — A spot is chosen, generally on the summit of a hill over which it is ascer- tained from experience the birds are accustomed to pass. This spot is laid out with flat stones over an area of (say) 24 feet by 8 or 9, so that the nets, in turning over, may lie flat. The nets are laid, and fastened to the ground, one on each side of this platform. Two hooded birds are placed at one end, in a depres- sion, in order that they may be perfectly free of the nets when they are pulled over them. They are fastened by the leg to a piece of wood, moving on a hinge, so that by pulling a string the bird can be raised gently in the air and exposed to the view of passing flocks. It is generally the custom to post two or three birds, hooded and secured in like manner, as outsiders, on raised heaps of stones, to render them more conspicuous objects of attraction. When the Doves are seen approaching in the distance, one or more of these distant decoys are first raised and let down, and afterwards the others. Twenty or thirty Doves, and upwards, are frequently caught in this way at one haul. Great care and attention are requisite in keeping the decoy-birds from one year to another, as the success of the deception depends very much on the plumage being as perfect as possible. Instances of Columba turtur breeding in captivity, and also of its crossing with C. risoria, are known, but such occurrences are rare. From time to time it has been observed to breed in Gozo in a wild state. As an illustration of the great power of flight of these birds, it may be mentioned that thousands of them may annually be seen passing over the island without alighting. In September they reappear on their way from Europe, but are not generally so plentiful then as in spring. At this time they consist chiefly of birds of the year, which want the collar, so conspicuous a feature in the adult, and are altogether of a duller hue. observed in the Islands of Malta and Gozo. 139 Mr. E. Newton writes to ' The Ibis/ in August 1859, dated during his voyage down the Red Sea, as follows : — " Altogether I have seen a good many birds between Malta and Alexandria ; " and amongst the rest he notices having observed Turtur risorius. Is not Columba turtur here intended ? Or if that accurate observer saw T. risorius, is it not more likely to have been when passing down the Red Sea, where, with T. agyptiacus, T. risorius takes the place of Columba turtur ? T. risorius is not included in European lists, and does not usually appear so far north as the Mediterranean, which sea Columba turtur annually crosses twice in its migrations from Africa to Europe, and vice versa. 143. Pterocles alchata. (Pintail Sandgrouse.) Schembri records the capture of several examples at Marsa- scirocco {a bay on the S.E. coast of Malta), at the Marsa, and on the islet of Comino, all in April 1843. Since then I have not heard of any others having been taken. 143. Perdix coturnix. (Quail.) Summ,iena, Maltese. In spring and autumn, especially the latter, large numbers of these birds alight on the island, and constitute the principal game of the sportsmen of Malta. Although usually arriving with the prevalent winds of the season, as before mentioned in reference to birds in general, they also find their way here during perfect calms, provided that it is their season of migration. In spring they come during the night, and chiefly to the west and north-west coasts, Gozo being at this season the most favoured locality. In autumn, on the contrary, they arrive for the most part during the hours of daylight, and then the east and south- east coasts are the parts where they are most abundant; at both seasons, however, they are found scattered throughout both islands. Quails come here in the greatest numbers in September, though in April very large flights occasionally occur. A good shot may bag in a day, in the height of the season, fifty to sixty brace by hard work, notwithstanding the numerous sportsmen out ; but such sport is the exception, days repeatedly occurring on which hardly a bird can be found. Ten or fifteen brace are ordinarily a very good bag. Various methods, in l2 140 Mr. C. A. Wright's List of the Birds addition to shooting, are adopted for catching these birds. A few breed here in March. Some of these are also caught by imitating the call-note of the female, and so drawing the males, which are the first to arrive, into nets spread on the standing corn. A few solitary birds are to be found throughout the winter. 144. Otis tarda. (Bustard.) Pittmrun, Maltese. Rare; every two or three years one or two are shot, chiefly in Gozo. It has also been obtained at Marfa (the N.W. ex- tremity of Malta) and in the Valley of Naxiar. Since 1857 I have known of the capture of five individuals. In the autumn of 1862, I was forestalled in the purchase of a fine male in the market by the Governor's purveyor, who had just secured it for Prince Alfred's dinner. 145. Otis tetrax. (Little Bustard.) Pittarra, Maltese. Rare ; but perhaps rather less so than the preceding species. One, a female, was shot in October 1862. 146. Otis houbara. (Ruffed Bustard.) Quite accidental. About twenty years ago a male specimen was obtained, during a storm. 147. CuRSORius europjEUS. (Cream-coloured Courser.) Rare, although few years pass without some being taken. I have seen specimens shot in March, April, and May. It is said to appear also in July, August, and September. The natives very inappropriately call it Pluviera ta VInghilterra (English Plover). 148. CEdicnemus crepitans. (Thick-knee.) Tellerita, Maltese. Common in spring and autumn, until the end of November. Breeds here, in June and July, on the barren rocks in the uncul- tivated parts of the island, particularly about Marfa. Occa- sionally seen late in the winter. May be almost considered resident. 149. Charadrius pluvialis. (Golden Plover.) Pluviera, Maltese. observed in the Islands of Malta and Gozo. 141 Taken in considerable numbers, and sold at the poulterers', in November, a few generally arriving in October. Appear again in March, but in much more restricted numbers. A few are seen in December and January. The only one I ever saw in summer plumage was shot in May 1861 ; it was very small, and in exceedingly bad condition. Bree says that Charadrius longipes, a small variety or race found on the Asiatic sea-coasts, has been captured at Malta ; and Mr. Tristram writes to me that the specimen referred to was shot by Colonel Drummond-Hay. 150. Charadrius morinellus. (Dotterel.) Birwina, Maltese. Also common ; arrives early in autumn, and is met with till November. It is most plentiful in October and November. Rarely met with in spring. 151. Charadrius hiaticula. (Ringed Plover.) Monakella prima, Maltese. Common at the heads of the creeks and harbours in spring and autumn. It commences to appear in March, and is occa- sionally seen in summer. 152. Charadrius minor (Mey. & Wolf). (Little Ringed Plover.) Monakella sekonda, Maltese. Common, arriving and departing with the preceding species. 153. Charadrius cantianus (Lath.). (Kentish Plover.) Mr. W. C. P. Medlycott and myself shot several on Fort Manoel Island, in the Marsamuscetto Harbour, in the year 1853 ; but since then I have not observed it. Owing to its likeness to the cognate species, C. minor, it has doubtless been overlooked — as I cannot believe, common as it is on the north and south shores of the Mediterranean, it does not pretty often give us a call in its periodical migrations. 154. HiEMATOPus osTRALEGUs. (Oystcr-catchcr.) Cavalier, Maltese. Only an accidental visitor. It has been observed in April, August, September, October, and November. Mr. Medlycott saw one on the 1 7th April 1 854 — a day rendered famous by the appearance of almost every species of the families Ardeida 142 Mr. C. A. Wright's List of the Birds and Scolopacida that is known to visit Malta, including some of the rarer ones. The wind blew fresh from the eastward, and the passage of birds continued all day. A specimen was killed in the summer of 1860, and another on the 1st April 1861. 155. Pratincola glareola. (Collared Pratincole.) Perniciotta, Maltese. An annual visitor in spring and autumn. Tt passes in March, April, and May, and again in August and September. In some years it is common, and is generally found in open, freshly ploughed fields, feeding upon beetles and other Coleopterous insects, of which it appears to be very fond. Its flesh is coarse and unfit for food. 156. Vanellus cristatus. (Lapwing.) Veneua, Maltese. Passes in flocks, from November to March. In 1861 some were shot as late as the 14th April ; but this is a very rare occurrence. 157. Vanellus helveticus. (Grey Plover.) Pluviera pastarda, Maltese. A pretty regular visitor in April and May, and again in August and September. I have shot specimens in all its muta- tions of plumage, from the light-grey suit of winter to the black- and-white coat and black waistcoat it puts on for its nuptial attire. The Grey Plover is generally seen here singly along the sea-shore, wading at the brink of the water in the manner of the Scolopacida. 158. Grus cinerea. (Common Crane.) Grua, Maltese. A few are seen annually in spring and autumn, and occasion- ally in the winter months. One was killed on the 13th December 1860, and another in March 1861. 159. Anthropoides virgo. (Numidian Crane.) Damigella, Maltese. Accidental ; only two or three specimens are recorded. The last was killed in March 1861. N.B.— The Balearic Crane {Balearica pavonina) is mentioned observed in the Islands of Malta and Gozo. 143 by authors as having been met with at Malta, but I have not been able to confirm this. 160. Ardea cinerea. (Common Heron.) Russet imperial, Maltese. Not uncommon in spring and autumn. Sometimes seen in winter in stormy weather. 161. Ardea purpurea. (Purple Heron.) Russet culur-cannella, Maltese. Large flocks may be seen passing in spring and autumn. Single birds are also often seen and shot. They alight on the earob-trees and along the sea-shore. 162. Ardea alba. (White Heron.) Schembri records this Heron as a rare visitor. 163. Ardea garzetta. (Egret.) Ayrett, Maltese. Common in spring and autumn. Large flocks are often seen passing, in company with A, purpurea. 164. Ardea comata. (Squacco Heron.) Agrett isfar (Yellow Heron), Maltese. I have met with this bird most frequently in May, and shot four or five at difierent times on Fort Mauoel Island in that month. It is also seen in June. It passes again in September. 165. Ardea bubulcus. (Buff-backed Heron.) There is a preserved skin of this bird in the Malta University Museum -, and Schembri records the capture of two specimens in Malta. 166. Ardea stellaris. (Bittern.) Cappun imperial, Maltese. It is only now and then that one hears of a Bittern being shot, and it is certainly a rare bird. One was killed at the Marsa in March 1859, another in the spring of 1860, and another in December following. Another was brought to me in October 1863. 167. Ardea minuta. (Little Bittern.) Blongios, Maltese. Not uncommon in April, May, and September. It may often 144 Mr. C. A. Wright's List oj the Birds be put up from the sw/Za-fields at the Marsa, aud is also met with in the carob-trees. 168. Ardea nycticorax. (Night Heron.) Quack, Maltese. A common annual visitor in spring and autumn. It is gene- rally first seen in March. I have often heard the note of this Heron at night-time passing overhead. It roosts in the carob- trees like the other Herons. 169. CicoNiA ALBA. (White Stork.) Grua or Cicogna baida, Maltese. Rare ; not seen annually. One was shot on the 22nd March 1857. I am indebted to Capt. Carr, R.A., for noting two other examples of this bird,, which were shot on the 4th aud 7th May 1863, and which he kindly sent me for my collection. 170. CicoNiA NIGRA. (Black Stork.) Grua or Cicogna seuda, Maltese. Also rare. I saw three alight in some carob-trees in St. Julian's Valley in April 1852 ; and I have one which was shot in May 1860, having a malformation of bill. 171. Platalea leucorodia. (Spoonbill.) Paletta, Maltese. Rare. The following are the only instances of this bird being seen or shot that have come to my knowledge : — One observed on Fort Manoel Island in May 1858; the same or another was shot a few days afterwards at St. Paul's Bay, and another a few weeks later. Three were killed in Gozo in the spring of 1860; and another at Marsascirocco in November of the same year. One of two was killed in May 1861, and two others in June 1862. Another (young), which is in my possession, was obtained at the Salini on the 21st September 1862. 172. Ibis falcinellus. (Glossy Ibis.) Velleran, Maltese. A pretty regular visitor in spring and autumn in small Hocks. Sometimes a solitary one is seen accompanying a flock of Egrets {Ardea garzetta). 173. NUMENIUS ARQUATUS. (CuilcW.) Gurlin, Maltese. observed in the Islands of Malta and Gozo. 145 Spring and autumn. Oftencst seen in September and October. It also passes in July, when its well-known call may not unfre- quently be heard on still nights. 174. NuMENius PH^opus. (Whimbrel.) 175. NuMENius TENUiROSTRis. (Slender-billed Curlew.) These two birds are often confounded together, and are indis- criminately called by the Maltese sportsmen Gnrlin sekond and Gurlin terz. They arrive at the sarnie seasons as the Common Curlew. I have shot five or six specimens of N. tenuirostris at different times, and examined many others obtained in the market. It is certainly the commonest species of the three. I cannot agree with Dr. Bree's opinion that there can be any question regarding the specific difference between N. phcBopus and N. tenuirostris. As far as my observations extend, the difference between the two species is distinct and constant ; and the points in which they differ are clearly laid down by Degland, and entirely correspond with my own experience. The variations observable in the size and length of the bill should not present any difficulty, as the same occur in the common species, N. ar- quatus, and doubtless arise from difference of age and sex. I gain confidence in this opinion on reading a letter from Sir "William Jardine to Dr. Leith Adams, which has been kindly placed at my disposal. The remarks contained in this letter are so much to the purpose, that I shall make no apology for giving them here. Referring to some specimens of the Slender-billed Curlew sent to him from Malta by Dr. Adams and myself. Sir William Jardine says : — " You may rest perfectly satisfied about N. tenuirostris. I have not seen Dr. Bree's remarks, but there is no doubt about the distinction. I have compared Whimbrels from a great many localities, and they agree very well together ; and I have type-spe- cimens of T. tenuirostris from the Prince of Canino, which are identical witli the birds I examined, and now have from you. The nearest state of the Whimbrel to T. tenuirostris is the male in breeding-plumage. This I have, killed in May; but it is easily distinguished by strength of bill, head-markings, and tail. Of com'se, in both the kinds you have, the bills differ in length, thickness, and strength, as in the Curlew.'' 146 Mr. C. A. Wright's List of the Birds 176. LiMosA jEgocephala (Degland). (Black-tailed Godwit.) Ghirwiel prim, Maltese. Not very common. Early in spring and autumn. Passes also in January and February in the winter plumage. 177. LiMOSA RUFA. (Bar-tailed Godwit.) One example is recorded as having been taken by W. J. RosS;, Esq., on the 22nd September 1843. For this information I am indebted to Dr. Leith Adams, who also informs me that this specimen is now in the Derby Museum at Liverpool. 178. ToTANUs GLOTTIS. (Grcenshank.) Ceu-ceua, Maltese. Arrives in March and September, and is seen occasionally in June, July, and August ; also in April and May. 179. ToTANUs Fuscus. (Spotted Redshank.) Ciuvet, Maltese. Not so common as the preceding. Spring, summer, and autumn, in all states of plumage. It is oftenest seen from March to May. 180. ToTANUS STAGNATiLis. (Marsh Sandpiper.) Ceu-ceua sekonda, Maltese. Appears annually in spring and autumn, but is not generally very common. Unlike most of its congeners, it is very tame, and easily approached. I have known it to crouch, as the Stints will sometimes do, and allow a person to walk close past it, without taking flight. 181. ToTANUS CALiDRis. (Redshank.) Pluvei'ot, Maltese. Rather common in March and April, and again in September. Occasionally observed in the summer and winter months. 182. ToTANUS GLAREOLA. (Wood Sandpiper.) Pespus-tal-bahar, Maltese. This is one of the commonest and earliest of the Sandpipers in March, and continues to be seen throughout April and part of May. Repasses in July and September. I once saw a flock of upwards of a hundred together. They uttered a loud twittering note, which, coming from so many throats at the same time, produced a curious effect. observed in the Islands of Malta and Gozo. 147 183. ToTANUs ocHROPUs. (Gi'eeu Sandpiper.) Sweida, Maltese. Also rather common, and arrives at the same seasons as the preceding species. It is sometimes to be seen in June. Is more partial to inland situations than T. glareola. 184. ToTANUs HYPOLEUcus. (Commou Sandpiper.) Beggazsina tar-rocca, Maltese. Very common in spring and autumn. Arrives in March, and is common till May. It then becomes scarce, and, until the middle of July, it is rarely seen. About this time small flocks reappear on the coast, and in August and September it is again common. It almost entirely disappears in winter. A few probably breed here in summer. 185. Machetes pugnax. (RufF.) Ghirwiel, Maltese. Arrives early in spring, and is rather common in March and April. I have seen it rarely as early as February. Repasses towards the end of September, October, and November. Indi- viduals in the full nuptial dress have been taken ; but they are very uncommon. 186. ScoLOPAX MAJOR. (Great Snipe.) Bekkach-ta-meju, Maltese. Not uncommon sometimes in April and May, and occasionally seen earlier ; but I have never heard of its being observed in the autumn or winter. 187. ScoLOPAx GALLiNAGO. (Common Snipe.) Bekkach, Maltese. Pretty common in February, March, and April, and seen till May. It is never, however, very plentiful. Repasses in Sep- tember, October, and November. 188. ScoLOPAX GALLiNULA. (Jack Snipe.) Cincogna, Maltese. Pretty common in March, and reappears in October and No- vember. 189. ScoLOPAx RUSTicoLA. (Woodcock.) Gallina, Maltese. In some years the Woodcock is not uncommon at the period of 148 Mr. C. A. Wright's List of the Birds its migration in October and November. A few are said sometimes to stay the winter. Individuals are occasionally shot in March. 190. Tringa canutus. (Knot.) Ghirwiel rar (rare), Maltese. There is a specimen in the Malta University Museum. Schembri records the capture of two or three examples in January and February, in winter plumage. 191. Tringa subarquata. (Curlew- Sandpiper.) Beggazzina liamra (red), Maltese. Common in spring and autunm. In May it assumes the beautiful red plumage of the breeding-season, in which state I have often shot it in company with Stints [T. minuta). I have also seen it in June, July, August, and September. 192. Tringa cinclus. (Dunlin.) Beggazzina-ta-tis, Maltese. Common in spring and autumn. Arrives earlier in the spring than the preceding species. On its return in autumn it is seen till November. 193. Tringa minuta. (Stint.) Tertusca, Maltese. Very common in spring, part of summer, and autumn. 194. Tringa temminckii. (Temminck's Stint.) I shot one of these diminutive birds on the 21st September 1855, in winter plumage, and another, in summer plumage, in 1858. 195. Arenaria calidris. (Sanderling.) Mr. J. Home has kindly sent me two Sandpipers which were shot at Marfa (the north-west extremity of Malta) on the 24th September 1862. One of them is Arenaria calidris, assuming the winter plumage, and the other Tringa cinclus. I have never met with the Sanderling in Malta before, and I believe it is a rare bird in the Mediterranean. 196. Strepsilas interpres. (Turnstone.) Monakella imperiala, Maltese. A rather irregular visitor, and somewhat rare. It generally observed in the Islands of Malta and Gozo. 149 appears in May, August, and September ; but I have shot it in December. 197. HiMANTOPUS MELANOPTERUS. (Stilt.) Fra-servient, Maltese. Not uncommon in March and April, and reappears in Sep- tember and October. 198. Recurvirostra avocetta. (Avocet.) Scifa, Maltese. Very rare. When seen, it has generally been in April and May. There are two specimens in the University Museum, which were shot many years ago. I have a specimen, a female, shot at the Salini, out of a party of three, on the 7th November 1860. One of the two others, a tine male, was afterwards killed at the same place, and another in the spring of 1862. 199. Ph(enicopterus roseus. (Flamingo.) Fiamingu, Maltese. Merely an accidental visitor. When seen, it has generally been in June. One was shot in 1860, in May. The Flamingo is very common on the lagoons and inland lakes of Barbary, particularly on the lagoon of Tunis, where I shot two in March 1859. I know of no more striking sight than the flight of a large number of these extraordinary-looking birds, of which it is no unusual thing to see as many as five or six hundred or even a thousand together. Their long legs and necks stretched out to their fullest extent, with an African sun shining on their white bodies and crimson wings, form a spectacle which, once witnessed, must ever remain deeply impressed on the mind. They are exceedingly shy, and it was only by pursuing them for several days in a sailing-boat, and using a heavy charge of powder and pistol-bullets, that I finally succeeded in obtaining the specimens alluded to. 200. Rallus aquaticus. (Water Rail.) Gallotz-ta-scitua (Winter Rail), Maltese. Not very common. Spring and autumn, and a few in the winter months. 201. Rallus crex. (Corn Crake.) Gallotz-ta-Germania, Maltese. 150 Mr. C. A. Wright's List of the Birds Not uncommon. It is an early visitor in spring, and appears again in autumn. Never heard it call. 202. Hallus porzana. (Spotted Crake.) Gallotz sekond, Maltese. Pretty common. Appears at the same time as the preceding species. Most plentiful in March. 203. Rallus bailloni. (Baillon's Crake.) This bird is probably commoner than it is generally considered to be, owing to its retiring habits and its being mistaken for Rallus pusillus. The first that came under my notice was shot by Mr. J.Quintana, at the Marsa, on the 27th October I860, and another was killed at the same place on the following day. Two others are in my possession, both obtained in March — one in 1861, and the other in 1862. I have seen three others in local collections. The most recent capture (March 19, 1863) came into the possession of Capt. Morgan, who skinned it. 204. Rallus pusillus. (Little Crake.) Gallotz terz, Maltese. Rather plentiful in spring in some years, but less so in autumn. Oftenest met with in March, in low humid localities at the head of the Great Harbour. 205. Gallinula chloropus. (Water Hen.) Gallotz prim, Maltese. Not uncommon in March, April, and early in May, and again in September. 206. Fulica atra. (Coot.) Tigiega-tal-Bahar, Maltese. Common in spring and autumn, more particularly in the latter season, when it begins to appear about the middle of August, and is seen till November. 207. Fulica cristata. (Crested Coot.) I killed a specimen of this African species, in fine breeding- plumage, in May 1859. Dr. Gulia informs me that three others were shot at Marsa Scala, in February 1860. 208. Stercoharius catarractes. (Skua.) On the 9th June 1860 a specimen of this northern bird fell observed in the Islands of Malta and Gozo. 151 into my hands, which had been shot at the Salini, on the north coast of Malta, some time before. 209. Stercorarius pomarinus. (Pomarine Skua.) Schembri notices the capture of a single individual at sea, twenty miles to the northward of this island. 210. Larus fuscus. (Lesser Black-backed Gull.) Rather rare. Mr. W. C. P. Medlycott shot one in the winter of 1858. I have seen several at different times in the winter of 1859-60, and in May 1861 and 1863. In May 1863, two fine examples appeared daily, for upwards of a week, in the Marsamuscetto Harbour, in company with several Herring-Gulls ; and one of them was shot by Lieut. Sperling, R.N., of H.M.S. ' Icarus.' 211. Larus argentatus. (Herring-Gull.) One of the commonest Gulls here in winter and spring, when it may be seen daily in the harbours and round the coast. It becomes very scarce in summer and autumn ; but a few breed annually in the precipitous cliffs on the southern coast of both Malta and Gozo. I have an egg of this bird, taken here, and have seen several others. The Maltese call all the Gulls by the general name of Gauja. 212. Larus audouini. (Audouin's Gull.) I have a note from Mr. Tristram saying that he had observed this species at Malta. 213. Larus canus. (Common Gull.) Schembri says it is common in autumn and winter. There is a specimen in the Malta Museum. 214. Larus tridactylus. (Kittiwake Gull.) Schembri records the capture of one in January 1843. It is said to be common at Gibraltar. 215. Larus gelastes. (Slender-billed Gull.) There are two Malta-killed specimens in the University Mu- seum. I believe that I have seen it several times flying about the harbours, but never succeeded in shooting one. 216. Larus melanocephalus. (Adriatic or Mediterranean Gull.) 152 Mr. C. A. Wright's List of the Birds This is the Common Gull of Malta, and visits us very regu- larly at the time of its migrations. It arrives in large flocks about the first week of December, and sometimes a little earlier. By the end of March, when it has assumed the pure black head of the breeding-plumage, it suddenly departs in search of suitable places for nidification. Not a single bird lingers behind; and all my endeavours to find it breeding here have proved in vain. It is very sociable in its habits, and during winter congregates in large flocks in the harbours, feeding on the ofi'al from the ships and town. It is amusing to see what excellent time- keepers they are in reference to the hours of meals on board the men-of-war. On their return in December the black head is no longer visible, having become white at the autumnal moult. They are then accompanied by the young of the year, which, like other Gulls, difi'er considerably in their plumage from the adult birds. Mr. Medlycott and Mr. Tristram saw this species breeding in the clifi"s of the Island of Sardinia, in May. 217. Larus RiDiBUNDUS. (Black- or Brown-headed Gull.) Associates with the former species, but is by no means so common. It does not appear to remain long enough to assume the brown head ; at least, I have never met with it in the breed- ing-dress. Scbembri mentions having obtained a specimen of the variety Larus capistratus, Temm., or Masked Gull, which he includes as a species. 218. Larus minutus. (Little Gull.) In some years this species is pretty plentiful in our harbours in winter, and it not unfrequently arrives in September. Its great tameness and fearlessness of danger are a remarkable fea- ture in this bird. I have shot as many as nine or ten in the course of a few hours, and might have shot more. It may easily be recognized on the wing by its small size, peculiar light butterfly manner of flight, and dark under-wing-coverts, I have never seen it here in the breeding-plumage. Besides the general name of Gauja, or Gull, the Maltese call it Cirleua, or Tern, from its somewhat similar mode of flight. 219. Sterna cantiaca. (Sandwich Tern.) A few are sometimes seen in autumn and winter. observed in the Islands of Malta and Gozo. 153 220. Sterna hirundo. (Common Tern.) A few in spring, autumn, and winter. 221. Sterna minuta. (Lesser Tern.) Rare. Mr. Mecllycott shot a specimen a few years ago. I saw two others in St. Paul's Bay, in August 1855. In Marsala, Sicily, I observed a good many of these pretty little Terns, and shot several in the month of August. 222. Sterna fissipes. (Black Tern.) Occasionally observed in autumn and later. I shot one out of three on the 23rd July 1858, at Fort Manoel. 223. Sterna leucoptera. (White-winged Black Tern.) Visits us in spring and autumn. Several in my possession were shot in May. 224. Sterna hybrida. (Whiskered Tern.) Visits us in spring, summer, and autumn. Not common. I have a specimen that was shot, with two or three of the preceding species, on the 16th May 1860. This and the preceding species generally appear at the head of the Great Harbour in May, after or during a strong north-westerly wind. 225. PuFFiNus ciNEREUs. (Ciuereous Shearwater.) Ciefa, Maltese. 226. PuFFiNUs ANGLORUM. (Manx Shearwater.) Garni, Maltese. Both these species are sedentary, and breed on the southern coast of Malta and Gozo and on the islet of Filfla, as also on the small island of Comino. I have frequently visited Filfla in June and July, and taken the eggs, as well as the young and old birds. They lay a single egg of a pure white, rather large, and deposit it on the bare ground, in a crevice or under a frag- ment of rock. That of Puffinus anglorum is rather smaller and more elliptical than the other. Like many other sea-birds, they allow themselves to be taken whilst sitting, without making any attempt to escape, merely snapping at the intruder's fiagers with their strong sharp bill. Both young and old birds, when handled, are apt to eject, in a very disagreeable manner, a green- ish fluid, formed by their feeding on the Inula crithmoides, one VOL. VI, M 154 Mr. C. A. Wright's List of the Birds of the few plants that grow on that desolate rock. The fisher- men use the flesh of these birds to bait their wicker pots. 227. Thalassidroma pelagica. (Storm Petrel.) Cangiu-ta-Filfla, Maltese. Sedentary, and very common on the south side of the island. Also breeds at Filfla. It lays a single white egg, without making any nest. This bird was described by Schembri as a new species, under the name of T. melitensis, on account of certain variations in the white markings of the tail-feathers. These variations, however, are observable in specimens from other parts of Europe. 228. Phalacrocorax carbo. (Cormorant.) Margun, Maltese. Not uncommon, but is not very regular in its visits. Gene- rally appears in the winter months. I have seen it, however, in spring, summer, and autumn. 229. Pelecanus onocrotalus. (Pelican.) Sassia (Scoop), Maltese. Accidental. In 1848 a great many were driven on this island during a violent gale of wind from the north-east, and many were shot at Sliema, St. Julian's, and other places on the north coast. In July 1859, after a gale from the north-west, a male in full breeding-plumage was shot at Marsascirocco. At the end of October and beginning of November 1861 several were seen, and two or three shot (young birds). 230. Anser sylvestris. (Bean Goose.) Wizza salvaggia, Maltese. In stormy weather about the time of the autumnal equinox, and in winter, flocks of Wild Geese are sometimes seen passing over the island or along the coast. They seldom make any stay, and are not very often shot. All those I have examined were of this species. ]S.B. — The two specimens of Anser hrachyrhynchus noticed in my list, published in Dr. Gulia's ' Ripertorio di Storia Naturale di Malta,' as having been obtained in the Malta market in May 1858 by Mr. Tristram, proved, on closer examination by that gentleman, to be examples oi Anser sylvestris ; so that^. hrachy- rhynchus must come out of the Malta list. observed in the Islands of Malta and Gozo. 155 231. Cygnus ferus. (Hooper.) Zinna, Maltese. From time to time, at rare intervals, small flocks of Swans have been seen flying along the coast in stormy weather. The only one examined by me was a specimen of C. ferus, which was shot on the 27th January 1847, and is now in the Malta Uni- versity. 232. Anas tadorna. (Shieldrake.) Culuvert-ta-Barberia, Maltese. At the end of October or beginning of November these birds first arrive, and a few pass throughout the winter. 233. Anas casarca. (Ruddy Shieldrake.) One specimen shot, by Signor F. Borg, on the north coast, and its skin preserved. 234. Anas clypeata. (Shoveller.) Palettuna, Maltese. One of the commonest of the Maltese Ducks. Passes from November till the beginning of spring. 235. Anas boschas. (Mallard.) Culuvert, male ; Borca, female, Maltese. Not uncommon along the sea-shore in November and De- cember. A few appear again in March. 236. Anas acuta. (Pintail Duck.) Siljiun, Maltese. Occasionally in the winter. 237. Anas strepera. (Gadwall.) Culuvert sekond, Maltese. Occasionally in the winter. 238. Anas penelope. (Wigeon.) Siljiun, Maltese. Not uncommon in winter, and sometimes seen in spring and summer. I have a specimen which was shot on the 8th June. 239. Anas querquedula. (Summer Teal.) Sar sella, Maltese. Not uncommon in spring and autumn, and occasionally in summer. M 2 156 Mr. C. A. Wright on the Birds of Malta and Gozo. 240. Anas crecca. (Teal.) Sar sella, Maltese. Not uncommon in spring, and from November to March. They also sometimes appear diu'ing the strong north-westerly winds which prevail in June. 241. FuLiGULA FERixA. (Pochard.) The first Maltese specimens I saw of this species were a male and female, which I shot on Fort Manoel Island, in November 1858. Mr. W. C. P. Medlycott afterwards shot one in Sliema Creek, in December 1859. Since then I have almost yearly observed a few individuals in the market. 242. FuLiGULA CRisTATA. (Tuftcd Duck.) Braimla, Maltese. Very rare ; seen in winter. 243. FuLiGULA NYROCA. (Nyroca Duck.) Braimla, Maltese. Perhaps the commonest Duck which visits the island. Ar- rives in the autumn, winter, and spring. 244. FuLiGULA RUFixA. (Red-crcsted Whistling Duck.) A specimen was obtained on the 1st September 1861. I was only in time to secure the bill and legs, which were enough to determine the species ; the rest had been consigned to the pot. Mr. Tristram, I believe, has also observed it in Malta. 245. Mergtjs serrator. (Red-breasted Merganser.) Serra, Maltese. A well-known bird here ; but it is much rarer in some years than in others. It arrives in November ; but I have seen it oftenest in December and January, when both immature and, very rarely, adult birds are met with. 246. Mergus albellus. (Smew.) Serra, Maltese. Very rare. Never saw it myself, but give it on the authority of Schembri. 247. CoLYMBUs SEPTEXTRioxALis. (Rcd-throated Diver.) Blongiun, Maltese. Schembri states that he saw one in 1839, and another in Mr. E. C. Taylor on the Birds of the West Indies. 157 1841 ; and I am informed by Dr. Gulia that M. Barthelemy, of Marseilles, shot four specimens (young birds) in Gozo in the winter of 1858-59. 248. PoDicEPs CBISTATUS. (Crested Grebe.) Blongiun prim, Maltese. Common. Arrives in September, and may be seen during the greater part of the winter. It is sometimes seen on passage in the spiing. 249. PoDiCEPS coRNUTUS. (Homed Grebe.) Blongiun sekond, Maltese. Met with in winter. 250. PoDicEPs AURiTus. (Eared Grebe.) Blongiun sekond, Maltese. Not very common ; but I have obtained four or five specimens. 251. PoDiCEPS MINOR. (Little Grebe.) Blongiun terz, Maltese. Not uncommon about the end of August or beginning of September. 252. Uria troile. (Guillemot.) One specimen was taken about twelve years ago, and is still in the possession of Dr. Grech Delicata, Professor of Zoology and Botany in the Malta University. 253. Fratercula arctica. (Puffin.) Schembri mentions the capture of a single specimen of this rare Mediterranean bird in November 1832. XII. — Five Months in the West Indies. By E. Cavendish Taylor, M.A., F.Z.S. Part II. — Martinique, Dominica, and Porto Rico. [Continued from p. 97.] From Trinidad or Venezuela to the Windward Islands is a great descent in an ornithological point of view ; for whereas the former localities are excessively rich in birds, both as regards species and individuals, the latter are decidedly poor in species. 158 Mr. E. C. Taylor on the Birds of the West Indies. and, except in the case of Humming-birds {Trochilidce), in indi- viduals also. I may here mention that by the term Windward Islands I mean the whole chain of islands, formerly called the Lesser Antilles, lying between Trinidad and the group of small islands called the Virgin Islands. Bird-collecting in these islands is rather uphill work, as birds ai'e rather scarce, and it is impossible (at least I found it so) to obtain any assistance either in shooting or skinning them. Porto Rico is better sup- phed with birds than the Windward Islands, but is, of course, not to be compared with Trinidad. Before giving a list of the birds I succeeding in procuring in these localities, I will briefly describe the route of the Royal Mail Steam-packets from Trinidad, through the Windward Islands, to St. Thomas and Porto Rico, making a few remarks on each island en passant. Tobago I did not see, so I con- tent myself with saying that its capital is Scarborough, on the windward coast of the island; but the steamer calls at Courland Bay, on the opposite or leeward coast. After leaving Port of Spain, Trinidad, and steaming through one of the lovely channels of the Boca del Drago, a run of about nine hours brings us to Granada, which has the great advantage, shared by but few of the British West Indian Islands, of possessing a good though not large harbour, on which stands the town of St. George, the capital of the island, where the steamer calls. For- merly, when the niggers were slaves and obliged to work, Gra- nada was one of the most important and productive of these islands ; but now, with the exception of St. Lucia and Dominica, it is the most poverty-stricken. Most of the estates are aban- doned, and a great part of the island has gone back to bush. Granada differs from the other islands of the group in not pos- sessing one of those lofty, conical, semi-extinct volcanos which, in these parts, are called souffrieres. It is a lovely green island, extremely rugged and mountainous, but nowhere attaining a very high elevation. It is considered very healthy, and has a specialite for fruit and turtles. As the steamer stops here to coal on its way up to Trinidad, I was able to spend the whole day on shore — an opportunity of which I gladly availed myself. This was my first day ashore in the West Indies. Mr. E. C. Taylor on the Birds of the West Indies. 159 I remember seeing a good many birds, and being much de- lighted with my first introduction to live Humming-birds, which took place here. The impression derived from that day's experience was, that Granada is richer in birds than Marti- nique or Dominica ; but as I had not my gun on shore, and as I was then quite ignorant of West Indian forms, I really cannot give the name of any one species I saw. After leaving Granada we pass, without stopping, the group of little islands called the Grenadines, the chief of which is Cariacou. Both going and returning I passed these islands in the night, and therefore saw nothing of them. We then arrive at St. Vincent, the capital of which is Kingstown, where the steamer calls. This is also a beautiful green-looking island, not so rugged in its general features as Granada, but with a lofty souffriere towards the north coast, which attains a height of 4000 feet, and is said to be one of the best worth seeing in the West Indies. It was once very prosperous and highly cultivated, but is now very much the reverse ; still I do not think it has fallen quite so low as Granada. I had intended staying a fortnight in St. Vincent ; but yellow fever having broken out there j ust as I was passing, I abandoned that intention. From St. Vincent a beat of 100 miles dead to windward brings us to Barbadoes, where the passengers by the Trinidad boat have generally to tranship into the boat from Demerara. Barbadoes, or " Bimshire " as it is playfully called, presents a very striking contrast to the other Windward Islands. The latter are beautiful, green, mountainous, covered with forest, little cultivated, and very thinly inhabited ; the former is ugly, brown, utterly devoid both of mountains and woods, is every inch under sugar, and swarms with a very dense population. Barbadoes is, I believe, just the size of the Isle of Wight ; it is rather larger than Granada, St. Vincent, or Antigua, is about half the size of Sta Lucia and Dominica, and about twice that of St. Kitt's. It is quite harbourless, — the anchorage off Bridgetown, where the packets lie, being a mere open roadstead. Bridgetown, the capital, is a large, straggling, ill-built town, its only points of merit being its ice-house, which is the best in the West Indies, and its street-cabs, which other West Indian towns do not pos- sess. Barbadoes lies quite out of the chain of the Windward 160 Mr. E. C. Taylor on the Birds of the West Indies. Islands, its position being about 100 miles to the east or wind- ward of them. In its geological formation it is also distinct fi'om them ; they are all (except Antigua) volcanic, while it is a coral-island. The sea in the neighbourhood of Barbadoes swarms with flying-fish, which are eaten and much esteemed : I found them good, but rather dry. All the flying-fish I saw while in the West Indies seemed to be of the same species; from the length, and backward position of the ventral fins, I suspect that they were Exocoetus exiliens. From Barbadoes a course of about 100 miles brings us to Sta Lucia, where we lie ofi" at the en- trance of the fine harbour of Castries, the capital of the island. Sta Lucia decidedly enjoys a worse reputation than any other of these islands ; it is undoubtedly about the most desolate and poverty-stricken of the lot, and it is said to be the most un- healthy. And then Sta Lucia swarms with venomous snakes to such a degree that I was told one could not go even a step or two into the bush without being bitten ; and, if bitten, one was sure to die. Any one living in a neighbouring island looks upon a friend about to visit Sta Lucia as a " gone 'coon," and begs him to make his will before starting. It is cer- tainly a remarkable fact that the adjacent islands, Sta Lucia and Martinique, swarm with a peculiarly venomous species of snake, while all the other Windward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Porto Rico are quite free from any venomous snake whatever. The scientific name of this much-dreaded reptile is Trigono- cephalus lanceolatus ; the English call it the Rat-tailed Snake ; the French call it Serpent fer de lance. It attains a large size, and is, I believe, peculiar to these two islands. In Sta Lucia these serpents come even into the town at night, so that it is not safe to walk in the dark without a lantern ; in the much more cultivated and inhabited island, Martinique, they are less numerous. En revanche, Sta Lucia is exceedingly lovely as seen from the sea — so beautifully green and wooded. Its souffriere is said to be very curious and well worth a visit, and it abounds in conical sugar-loaf-shaped hills, locally called pitons. I do not think that any of its mountains are very high ; but their out- line is peculiarly picturesque. The next island, going north, is the fine and important French island, Martinique, in which I Mr. E. C. Taylor on the Birds of the West Indies. 161 stayed a fortnight. This is, next to Guadaloupe, the largest of the Windward Islands, being about a third larger than Sta Lucia or Dominica. It is far more prosperous, better cultivated, and more inhabited than any of the English islands, except Barba- does. Sugar is its chief if not its only produce, but of this it manages to produce a great quantity. The steamer calls at St. Pierre, the commercial capital, which is the largest town, I believe, in the West Indies, except Havana. The seat of govern- ment, however, is at Fort de France, formerly Fort Royal, which has the advantage over St. Pierre of possessing a good harbour. Fort de France is the first port of call of the new French line of West Indian steamers which run from St. Nazaire here, and hence on to St. Jago de Cuba and Mexico. It is a much smaller town than St. Pierre, but far cooler and pleasanter. Martinique most certainly does not abound in birds : I could make a larger collection in Trinidad in a week than here in a couple of mouths. I was told that four species of Humming-bird were found in Martinique; but I only saw three, viz. Orthorhynchus exilis, Eulampis jugularis, and E. holusericeus, of which the first is the most abundant, and the last the least common. I made several excursions into various parts of the island ; the most in- teresting was to a mineral-bath establishment, about two hours* ride from Fort de France, situated on the slope of a group of beautiful volcanic mountains called Les Pitons de Carbet, where I stayed for a day or two. This was the best locality for birds that I discovered in Martinique. The highest mountain in the island is the extinct volcano called La Montagne Pelee, situated a few miles N.E. of St. Pierre, which attains an elevation of about 4500 feet. Next to Martinique comes Dominica, the most beautiful, the wildest, and the least cultivated and inhabited of any of these islands, where I stayed a fortnight, the happy guest of his Excellency Thomas Price, Esq., the Governor. The island of Dominica is about thirty miles long by fifteen miles wdde, and is simply a mass of mountains rising abruptly, and in many parts perpendicularly, out of the sea, and clothed from base to summit with the greenest and most luxuriant vegetation. As palms and silk-cotton trees are the specialite of Trinidad, so are tree-ferns of 162 Mr. E. C. Taylor on the Birds of the West Indies. Dominica. In many parts, especially where the forest and bush have been burnt, the hills are covered with tree-ferns, which average, I should say, from twenty to thirty feet in height. The capital is Roseau, on the leeward coast, where the steamer calls. There is not a single mile of carriage-road in the whole island; and although the town of Roseau is situated at the mouth of a river of the same name, there is absolutely no bridge ; so that, unless you are on horseback, you must strip and wade, if you want to get across it. The reproach levelled at the town by Mr. A. Trollope of having no pier or landing-place exists no longer, thanks to the energy of the present Governor, who has had a very good and convenient stone pier constructed, and is proceed- ing to build a bridge also. The mountains of Dominica are the highest of any in the whole chain of the Lesser Antilles : the high- est peak of Morne Diablotin, in the centre of the island, reaches a height of 5300 feet ; and Conliabon, near Roseau, exceeds 4500 feet. There is a large lake, of vast depth, up in the mountains, at an elevation of over 3000 feet ; also a souffriere near the south end of the island; and a lot of hot springs, which boil up, in the Roseau valley, — all of which I visited. I found the same three species of Humming-birds in Dominica as in Martinique ; in Dominica, however, Eulampis holosericeus and Orthorhynchus exilis were the most common, and were excessively abundant, Eulampis jugularis being much less so. The island also abounds in a very large species of Frog [Cystignathus ocellatus), much larger than the North-American Bull-Frog; these are called by the Creoles Crapauds, and are eaten and highly esteemed. I can vouch, from experience, that they are excellent ; the flesh is white, and tastes like that of a young rabbit. The Antillean Boa [Boa diviniloqua) is also very common here; its Creole name is Serpent tete-chien : I caught several of them, and brought one alive to England. After leaving Dominica and crossing the channel, of about twenty-five miles, which separates the islands, we come to the French island, Guadaloupe, which is considerably the largest and in many respects the most remarkable of the Lesser Antilles. Guadaloupe is a double island : the leeward or western portion, which is called Basseterre, is mountainous and volcanic, and Mr. E. C. Taylor on the Birds of the West Indies. 163 rather larger than Dominica ; the windward or eastern portion, which is called Grandeterre, is level, formed of coral, and is larger than Barbadoes. These two islands are separated by a very narrow channel, called La Riviere Salee. The steamer calls at Basseterre, on the leeward coast. This is a small town, but is the seat of government of Guadaloupe : it is situated on open ground, which gradually slopes up from the sea to the foot of the souffriere, a fine, picturesque, semi-extinct volcano, 5000 feet high. The commercial capital is called Pointe k Pitre; it is in Grandeterre, just at the south entrance of the Riviere Salee, and is a fine, well-built town. Guadaloupe produces a great quantity of sugar, the larger part of which is, I believe, grown in Grandeterre. Basseterre produces coffee as well as sugar. I am inclined to believe that, on the whole, there is more to be seen in Guadaloupe than in any other of the Windward Islands. The next island to the north is Antigua, which differs from most of the rest of this group in not being volcanic, nor mountainous, nor very beautiful. I do not mean to say that it is flat and ugly, like Barbadoes ; but it has no mountains and no forests, which are two important elements of beauty in tropical scenery. The capital is St. John^s, on the north coast, which has no good harbour. The steamer calls at English Harbour, on the south : this is a deep, land-locked, but very narrow harbour, in which is a dockyard and government establishment. Close to English Harbour is the larger but less deep harbour of Fal- mouth, which was lately surveyed by order of Government, to see if it would do, instead of St. Thomas, as the port of tranship- ment for the Windward Islands, Trinidad, and Demarara ; it was, however, declared to be too shallow, and English Harbour too narrow, for the purpose. This is much to be regretted, as in point of location Antigua is perfect, being the shortest route to every important point — which St. Thomas is not. Though much fallen from its former prosperity and importance, Antigua is yet much more cultivated and inhabited, and produces more sugar, than any other of the English islands I have mentioned in this article, except Barbadoes. On leaving Antigua, our course, which has hitherto been nearly due north, takes a westerly direction, and we steer for St. Kitt's, 164 Mr. E. C. Taylor on the Birds of the West Indies. and lie-to off Basseterre, the capital of this small but pretty and prosperous island. St. Kittys has a high mountainous ridge in the centre of the island, called JNIount Misery, which attains a height of 4000 feet. Near the coast the land is level and well cultivated, and produces a good deal of sugar. Close to St. Kittys, to the S.E., is the still smaller island, Nevis, which seems to be a single, high mountain, with very gradually sloping sides, covered with sugar-cane. Both these islands are now, I believe, doing very well. I was informed by several people well acquainted with St. Kitt's that the island abounds with monkeys, which live in the mountains, and descend at night to the sugar-cane pieces and do a great deal of damage. I was further assured that these monkeys, which are about the size of a cat, and very fierce and untameable, are also found in Nevis. Now it cer- tainly seems a very wonderful thing that monkeys should abound, or even exist, in these two small islands, when all the other West Indian Islands, both Greater and Lesser Antilles, in- cluding the large islands of Cuba, St. Domingo, Jamaica, and Porto Rico, are utterly monkeyless. In Trinidad, of course, there are lots of monkeys, of two sorts, viz. a Mycetes and a Cebus, of the same species as those found on the adjacent parts of South America. After leaving St. Kittys we touch nowhere till we arrive at St. Thomas, which much-abused little Danish island may be said to consist simply of a harbour, with a town at the head of it, backed by a high, steep ridge of hills. Both harbour and town are very good of their kind, the harbour being large, deep, commodious, and well sheltered ; the town, which is called Charlotte Amelia, being one of the best, though not one of the largest, in the West Indies. One morning I walked to the top of the high, steep ridge at the back of the town, and was re- warded by a beautiful view, which embraced the greater part of the group of Virgin Islands. I had also the pleasure of seeing again my old friend, Crotophaga ani, whom I had lost sight of since I left Trinidad; also another Cuckoo, probably Coccyzus seniculus, and lots of Ground-Doves. After spending three days at St. Thomas, on the evening of the 1st of May I went on board the Jamaica packet, and the Mr. E. C. Taylor on the Birds of the West Indies. 165 next morning, at sunrise, found myself off the north coast of Porto Eico, in sight of St. Juan, the capital, where the steamer calls on its way to Jamaica. I remained a fortnight in Porto Rico, enjoying the kind hospitality of Mr. George Latimer, one of the principal inhabitants of the island. Porto Rico is the fourth in point of size of the West Indian Islands, being very little inferior to Jamaica in that respect, but far superior to it in population, prosperity, wealth, and quantity and value of pro- duce ; indeed, it is second to Cuba alone of West Indian colonies in its annual exports of sugar. This satisfactory result may be ascribed in a great measure to the institution of slavery, which still obtains here. The greater portion of Porto Rico is pretty level, and well adapted for the cultivation of the sugar-cane; the centre of the island, however, is mountainous, the highest part being the range called the Sierra de Luguillo, towards the east end; even here, however, the elevation does not exceed 4000 feet. The scenery is in many parts exceedingly beautiful ; it must be confessed, however, that in the size of its trees, the extent of its forests, and the general luxuriance of its vegetation, Porto Rico does not come up to Trinidad, nor, on the other hand, does it equal in grandeur the magnificent mountain- scenery of Dominica. St. Juan, the capital, is decidedly the best and most city-like town I saw in the West Indies. St. Juan is brilliautly lighted with gas, while St. Pierre, Martinique, and St. Thomas are dimly lighted with oil; and Port of Spain, Trinidad, is not lighted at all. In general appearance, in the fashion of its houses and fortifications, but above all in situ- ation, St. Juan is singularly like Cadiz, only not so large nor so dilapidated. During my stay in Porto Rico, I spent three or four days at a sugar-estate belonging to Mr. Latimer, situated on the River Loisa, at a distance of about twenty-two miles to the east of St. Juan, where I had the opportunity of observing the work- ing of an estate by slave-labour. This estate (which is called Punta) and its vicinity I found a very good locality for birds. I also made several shorter excursions in all directions from the capital. Porto Rico is much richer in birds generally than either Martinique or Dominica, and it especially abounds in Pigeons [Columbida). Humming-birds [Trochilidce) , on the contrary, I 166 Mr. E. C. Taylor on the Birds of the West Indies. found very scarce : Lampornis viridis is the only species I pro- cured here, and that was by no means abundant. This island is singularly deficient in Mammalia ; it can boast of no wild native mammal larger than a rat : even the Agouti {Dasyprocta) , which is found in all the Windward Islands and even in St. Thomas, does not occur here. The names in the following list of the birds which I met with during my tour through these Islands are mostly taken_, as in my former paper, from Dr. Sclater's ' Catalogue of American Birds.' 1. TiNNUNCULUs sPARVERius. American Kestrel, Occurs, I believe, in all the Windward Islands. I saw it fre- quently, in Dominica. 2. MiMOCICHLA PLUMBEA (Vieill.). Tolerably common in Porto Eico, where I obtained a specimen. I have a strong suspicion that I saw it also in Martinique. Bill, eyelids, legs, and feet bright yellow. 3. Ramphocinclus brachyurus (Vieill.). Obtained in Martinique, where it was pretty common in the thick forest. It seems a noisy, restless bird. Creole name. Gorge blanche. Seen nowhere but in Martinique. 4. Dendrgeca petechia (Linn.) ; Sclater, Cat. A. B. p. 32. Abundant in Porto Rico, and still more so in Dominica ; but I do not remember seeing it in Martinique. Specimens from Porto Rico are larger than those from Dominica. 5. Progne dominicensis (Gm.). Obtained in Porto Rico, where it was very abundant. 6. ViREOSYLviA altiloqua (Vieill.). Common both in Porto Rico and Dominica ; but not observed in Martinique. Note loud and clear. 7. Certhiola flaveola (Linn.). It is a remarkable fact that each of the three islands I visited has its own peculiar species of Certhiola, and that the specimens from each island are so very distinct in size and colour that any doubt as to their specific value can hardly exist. The specimens from Porto Rico, to which Dr. Sclater assigns the name Cer- thiola flaveola, are much the smallest, and agree exactly with the Mr. E. C. Taylor on the Birds of the West Indies. 167 description of the Certhiola from Jamaica given by Messrs. A. and E. Newton (Ibis, 1859, p. 68). 8. Certhiola dominicana, sp. nov. This species (which isvery abundant in Dominica) differs from the last in being considerably larger, in having the yellow patch on the rump much less clearly defined, the throat much darker in colour, the yellow of the under parts much brighter and deeper in tint; and in the white on the outer edge of the primaries being altogether absent. These birds were breeding in Domi- nica in April. 9. Certhiola albigula, Bp. Notes Orn. p. 51. This, the Martinique species, is not quite equal in size to that from Dominica, and the yellow of the under parts is paler and duller in tint. The patch on the rump is so faintly marked as to be hardly perceptible ; and it has no white on the outer edge of the primaries. But the most striking specific character is a broad stripe of white down the centre of the throat. The Creole name of this bird, both in Martinique and Dominica, is Sucrier. 10. Saltator guadalupensis, Lafr. Obtained in Dominica, where it is pretty common. Not seen in either of the other islands. 11. LOXIGILLA NOCTIS (Gm.). Abundant both in Martinique and Dominica, but not seen in Porto Rico. 12. Phonipara omissa, Jard. This plain-coloured little bird is very common in Martinique, Dominica, and Porto Rico. In the two latter islands I found its nest, which is domed like a Willow Wren's, but smaller. The eggs, three in number, are white, with spots of rusty-red colour. I never found the nest of any West Indian bird, except Croto- phaga ani, containing more than three eggs. 13. Icterus banana (Linn.). Common in Martinique, where it is called Le Caroiige ; but not seen either in Dominica or Porto Rico. It is said to suspend its purse-like nest from the fronds of the banana or plantain. 14. Icterus dominicensis (Linn.). Common in Porto Rico, where it especially affects the Cabbage- 168 Mr. E. C. Taylor on the Birds of the West Indies. Palm trees [Areca oleracea), in which, I suspect, it builds. Legs dark blue. 15. Icterus xanthomus, Sclater, Cat. A. B. p. 131.* Excessively abundant in Porto Rico, and very tame and fami- liar. I did not see either this or the preceding species in the Windward Islands. Legs black. 16. QuiscALUs BARiTA (Gm.) ; Bp. Consp. p. 425. This species is pretty common in Martinique, but still not very abundant. The Creoles there call it Le Merle, and do not seem at all aware that it in any respect differs from the true Black- bird of Europe. In Dominica I did not happen to see it ; but it probably does occur there. In Porto Rico it is extremely abun- dant, and is in fact the commonest bird in the island. It is very tame, and especially frequents the farm-buildings on the estates. It had only just begun to breed when I was in Porto Rico, in the beginning of May ; however, I found a nest in an Avocado Pear tree [Persica gratissima) : it was placed in a fork near the top of the tree, and was in size, form, and general appearance very like that of a Blackbird [Tardus merula). It contained one egg, which is decidedly small for the size of the bird, and in colour resembles those of the rest of the Quiscalince. 17. CORVUS LEUCOGNAPHALUS (Vieill.). One morning, in Porto Rico, as I was looking after birds in a large wood, I heard at some distance off a most extraordinary sound — a kind of piping or jabbering noise such as I had never heard before ; so I went to see what it could be. I found it proceeded from two large Blackbirds jabbering to one another in the top of a high tree. I did not succeed in procuring one on that occasion ; but subsequently I was more fortunate. In size this species fully equals and, I think, even exceeds the com- mon Crow {Corvus corone). Although when the feathers lie * In my Catalogue (in a footnote) I described this bird as new, not being able to associate it with any known species. The locahty there given (Mexico) was taken from M. Verreaux's label to the specimen de- scribed. It now appears that this was an error, and that the true home of the species is Porto Rico. — P. L. S. ]l[r. E. C. Taylor on the Birds of the West Indies. 169 smooth 'the bird seems entirely blacky on raising them it is seen that the base of each feather is white. Irides bright red. 18. Tyrannus griseus, Vieill. This is a very abundant species in Porto Rico ; but I did not meet with it anywhere else. It is very bold and familiar, and has a loud, shrill note. Next to Quiscalus barita, I think this is the most common bird in Porto Rico. 19. PiTANGUS TAYLORI, Sclatcr, Sp. UOV.* This species, which Dr. Sclater has done me the honour of naming after me, is by no means rare in Porto Rico; it is not, however, nearly so abundant as the preceding one. 20. Myiarchus, sp. ? I shot a pair of birds of an obscure species of this genus in Dominica one morning ; but, as this was the only occasion that I saw it, I suspect it is not very common. 21. Elainea martinica, Linn. I found this little bird rather common in Dominica, but did not meet with it elsewhere. 22. Lampornis viridis, Gould, Mon. Troch. ii. pi. 78. Porto Rico is the only locality where I met with this rare Humming-bird, and it was by no means abundant there. 23. EuLAMPis JUGULARis, Gould, Mon. Troch. ii. pi. 82. I obtained this fine species both in Martinique and Dominica ; it is abundant in the former, but less so in the latter island. It frequents cool valleys and thick shady places, and shows a strong preference for bananas and plantains, on the flowers of which it seems to feed. It is decidedly the largest species of Humming-bird I have ever seen alive. * PiTANGUS TAYLORI, Sp. nOV. P. supra fuscus, capite nigiicante, crista interiore flava : alarum mar- ginibus grisescentibus : cauda unieolore : subtiis albus, lateraliter ^risescens, tectricibus subalaribus flavidis : rostro et pedibus nigris. Long, tota 85, alie 40, caudae 35, tarsi 0*9. Hab. Ins. Portoricensi. Affinis P. caudi-fasciato (ex Jamaica et Cuba) et ejusdem fornifp, sed caudae fascia liasali carens et colore corporis supra fusco nee nigri- canti-griseo. — P. L. S. VOL. VI. N 170 Mr. E. C. Taylor on the Birds of the West Indies. 24. EuLAMPis HOLOSERiCEUs, Gould, Mon. Troch. if. pi. 83. Of the three species of Humming-bird that I obtained in Martinique and Dominica, this is in Dominica the most abun- dant, and in Martinique the least so. It frequents open places where there are flowering plants and shrubs, upon the blossoms of which it seems to feed. In Martinique it is called Culibri emeraude. 25. Orthorhynchus exilis, Gould, Mon. Troch. ii. pi. 207. This pretty little species is very common both in Martinique and Dominica. In both islands the males were more numerous than the females. Its Creole name in Martinique is Colibri oiseau- mouche. 26. Crotophaga ani, liinn. I did not meet with this bird either in Martinique or Domi- nica ; but it was? common at St, Thomas and in Porto Rico. 27. Saurothera vieillotii, Bp. Abundant in Porto Rico, especially in the forests. Both this and the next species are, in Porto Rico, called Pajero boho {An- glice, Foolish Bird). This species has the naked skin round the eyes of a bright red colour. 28. CoccYZUS nesigtes, Cab. & Hein. C t?o)nfmcw5, Sclater, Cat. A. B. p. 323. Equally abundant in Porto Rico as the preceding species. I shot and skinned a female, early in May, which contained an egg ready for laying ; the shell was quite hard, and of a pale-blue colour. This bird in general appearance is very like the next species, from which, however, it is readily distinguished by its much smaller size. 29. CoccYZUs seniculcjs, Vieill. This species I found tolerably common in Dominica ; but I did not see it elsewhere. The crop of an individual that I skinned contained a large ball, composed of the remains of large o-rasshoppers and tree-crickets. Creole name, Coucou manioc. 30. Melanerpes portoricensis (Vieill.). This Woodpecker is very common in Porto Rico wherever there are large old trees. I did not see or hear of any of the Woodpecker family [Picidoe) in Martinique or Dominica. Mr. E. C. Taylor on the Birds of the West Indies. 171 31. Chrysotis vittata, Bodd. Abundant in Porto Rico, where it is generally to be seen in small flocks. 32. CoNURUS XANTHOLiEMUs, Sclater. Obtained in St. Thomas. 33. COLUMBA CORENSIS, Gm. I obtained a specimen of this fine large Pigeon in Dominica, where it is pretty common on the mountains and in the forests. It also occurs in Porto Rico, where, however, it is less abundant than the next species. In Dominica it is called Ramie?'. Legs and feet dull red. 34. CoLUMBA LEUcocEPHALA, Linn. Very abundant in Porto Rico. 35. Zenaida martinicana, Bp. Consp. ii. p. 82. This Dove is very common both in Dominica and Porto Rico, and probably in Martinique also, though I did not happen to see it there myself. Legs and feet bright red. 36. Geotrygon MONTANA, Bp. Cousp. ii. p. 72. This species is not uncommon in Porto Rico, where it by no means confines itself to the mountains, as its name would imply; for I have frequently seen it in low-lying bush and forest near the coast. Legs and eyelids bright red. This bird is generally to be seen on the ground, and not in trees. 37. CHAM.EOPELIA TROCHILA, Bp. CoUSp. ii. p. 77. Very abundant in Porto Rico and St. Thomas, from the latter of which islands my specimens were obtained. This species is very like Chamaopelia passei'ina of North America, but very unlike any of the species of Ground-Dove I obtained in Trinidad or Venezuela. 38. Ardea c^rulea. Common in Porto Rico. 39. BUTORIDES virescens. Abundant in Dominica and Porto Rico. Legs and feet yellow. 40. PORPHYRIO MARTINICA. This bird, which in size and habits much resembles Gallinula n2 172 Mr. E. C. Taylor on the Birds of the West Indies. chloropus of Europe, is very abundant in Porto Rico, in suitable localities. 41. PODILYMBUS DOMINICUS. I once came upon several of these birds swimming about in a broad deep ditch in Porto Rico, and succeeded in shooting one. This bird differs from the true Grebes {Podiceps) in having the feet semipalmated as well as lobated, and also in the form of the bill, which is much deeper than in that genus. 42. Dendrocygna autumnalis. Abundant in Porto Rico, where it breeds. 43. Larus atricillus. American Black-headed Gull. This is the only species of Gull that I saw in the West Indies, and I did not see this south of St. Thomas. There, however, and at Porto Rico it was very numerous, especially in the harbours of St. Thomas and St. Juan de Porto Rico. 44. Sterna fuliginosa. Sooty Tern. In the market at St. Thomas I saw a large basketful of the eggs of this species, which had been taken at Tortola ; so I bought a dozen of them for half-a-dollar. 45. Phaethon ^thereus. Red-billed Tropic-Bird. Tropic-Birds breed in great numbers in Martinique, in the high cliffs, composed of volcanic ash, which extend from the town of St. Pierre, along the coast towards Fort de France. I was there at the end of March, and I used to watch them flying in and out of their circular holes in the vertical face of the cliff. I tried to procure specimens both of the birds and their eggs, but without success. I could see their 7'ed bills quite plainly; so no doubt the species was Phaethon cethereus. I also frequently saw Tropic-Birds flying about the harbour of St. Juan de Porto Rico. 46. Fregata aquila. Frigate Pelican. I used often to see this graceful bird, soaring high in the air, among the Windward Islands. 1 was never fortunate enough to see it attack other birds to rob them of their prey ; but I have seen it plunge into the sea, as if fishing on its own account. The Lieut. -Col. Tickell on the Hornhills of India and Burmah. 173 roadstead of Painpator, in the Island of Margarita, is the locality where I found the greatest number together. 47. SuLA FIBER. Dusky Gannet. Occasionally seen among the Windward Islands ; but much more frequently on the coast of Venezuela. 48. Pelecanus fuscus. Dusky Pelican. Abundant everywhere in the West Indian seas. XIII. — On the Hornhills of India and Burmah. By Lieut.-Col. S. R. Tickell. (Plate III.) 1. Toccus tickelli. (PI. III.) Buceros tickelli, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xxiv. pp. 266^ 285, et xxviii. p. 412. Dimensions, 2 • — Length 2' 2|" ; spread 3' 1" ; wing 1' ; tail 11^", exceeding wing by 7^" ; bill 4^y ; tarsus 1||"; middle toe 1^"; greatest vertical depth of bill and casque 2". Form. — As in the smaller Hornhills. Neck a little more plu- mose. A well-developed recumbent blunt crest. Bill and its elevated ridge as in the young of Buceros {Meniceros) bicornis. Edges serrated by erosion, but without hiatus. Culmen for basal half of bill compressed into a keel-like process, rising rather abruptly from forehead, and then inclining downwards and forwards subparallel to the arch of the bill, with which it amalgamates at about 2" from tip, the conjunction becoming more and more abrupt by age, but not exceeding an angle of 45° with the arch of the bill. Orbital space bare. Tail pretty long and rounded, centre exceeding outermost rectrices by ]^". For the rest the details are typical, as in B. hirostris. Colour, c? & $ . — Iris grey ; brown next pupil. Bill dark horn ; basal half of casque or culminar protuberance dull orange. Orbital skin pale smalt. Legs dark- greenish horn, with pale soles. Head bistre-brown, shafted pale. Upper parts umber- brown, rather dull and opake, with a tinge of olive, and glances of dull green in half-lights. Secondaries and primaries green- ish black, the latter with their outer margins midway, for a short 174 Lieat.-Col. Tickell on the Hornhills space, and their tips whitish. Two central rectrices as back, with pale tips ; rest greenish black, with pale tips. All under-parts ferruginous, rather pale, brightest on throat, dull and clouded with vinous ashy on belly. Auriculars striated bistre-brown, as are sides of neck obscurely. Tertials as upper parts. Lining of wings dusky and tawny. The male is two inches longer than the female. The specimen figured is a female, obtained from the Tenas- serim Hills, January 1855. The bird has no vulgar specific, being unknown to the natives. The district of Amherst, in the Tenasserim Provinces, is lon- gitudinally traversed for its whole extent, north and south, by a range of mountains (a branch of the Yomatoung of Burmah), which proceeds southwardly, through Tavoy and Mergui, into the Malayan peninsula, of which it forms as it were the backbone. The range is composed of numerous ridges, more or less tortu- ous, rising along the middle to peaks of from 6000 to 8000 feet in height, and occupying in breadth a space of about 40 miles. The hills are exceedingly steep, with narrow profound valleys, and everywhere clothed with dense forest and underwood, except on some of the loftiest summits, which are bare granite, scantily clad with coarse grass and scrubby bushes. But on the lower spurs, and especially in the plains at their feet, the soil, watered by numerous brooks and streams, and covered by vegetable de- tritus washed down from the uplands, is exceedingly rich, and nourishes the growth of trees, which attain prodigious dimensions. The "Thengan" [Hopea odorata), " Toungbing,'' and " Kathyk- kha" trees, used by the Burmese and Talaings for making "dug- outs" of 50 tons and upwards, rise to 150 feet before sending out a branch, their summits attaining a height of 230 feet, and their trunks smooth, round, and perpendicular, measuring near the ground from 10 to 12 feet in diameter. It is exclusively on these giants of the forest that this species of Hornbill rests and feeds, never being met with in jungle where the trees are of ordinary size. I met with thera from about the base of the hills to as high up as 4000 feet above the sea-level, but not beyond. They appeared less rare on the of India and Burmah. 1 75 easterly skirt or Siam side of the range, occurring in pairs or small parties of five or six, incessantly calling to each other in loud plaintive screams, '■^ whey -whey o, whey-whey o^^ and, while engaged feeding, keeping up a low murmuring cackle like Par- rots. Their flight is smooth and deliberate, like that of Buceros pu- saran, not with alternate flappings and sailings like B. albirostris, B.plca, or B. bicornis; and it is performed at great elevations, especially when crossing over from mountain -top to mountain- top. Keeping thus ever at immense heights, and being withal as quick-sighted and wary as the rest of the genus, it may readily be imagined how difficult this bird is to procure with the gun. I succeeded, in fact, in " bagging^' but one specimen, and wound- ing another, which escaped, during my cold-weather excursion into the Teuasserim Mountains in January 1855. I procured two more, some years subsequently. In the case of the specimen here figured, its companions showed much excitement when it fell, coming boldly down to the lower branches, with loud screams, and remaining within easy shot while I was reloading. This occurred at Thengangyee sakau (literally, " halting-place of great Thengans"), a spot in the forest so named from the huge Thengan- trees about it, situated on the eastern skirt of the range above de- scribed. This is one of the resting-places on the wild path pursued by travellers from the Shan states of Yahan, in Siam, to Moulmein. On revisiting the same spot in March 1859, not a single bird of this kind was to be found there, or in the hills around. Being a frugivorous bird, it has to make partial migrations, as its food fails or passes out of season in one place, to where some other kind of fruit is ripening — a compulsory habit, common also to all the Treronina or fruit- eating Pigeons. I fell in with them, accordingly, during the last-mentioned period, in a very different locality, in the flat forest lying along the south of the Houng- thrau River, considerably to the south of Thengangyee sakan, and on a much lower level. They were on these occasions so wild as not to allow approach within gunshot ; but on my last day's march, which led through the§e forests to the banks of the Houngthrau, whei'e my boats were in readiness to take me down to Moulmein, I came across three of these birds near a Karen clearing. To my surprise, they allowed me to approach within 176 Lieut. -Col. Tickell on the Hornbills a long shot. The first bird I fired at fell from his perch (on a vast tree) into a thicket. Its companions did not fly away ; and my second barrel brought down another^ which hitched in the tree, to all appearance desperately wounded. I, of course, con- gratulated myself on having secured two of this very rare spe- cies ; but, to my intense chagrin, when my people had come up to search for and secure the prizes, the second bird flew away as if unscathed, and the first was not to be found ! The Karens declared they had seen it fly away ! And, in truth, the voices of all three were presently afterwards heard from the interior of the jungle. The heavy morning dew made any diversion from the path equivalent to a plunge in the rivei"; so I sent a Burman follower, whom I had taught the use of a gun, after the fugitives, and he succeeded in fairly bagging two of them. They proved to be males, not diff'ering perceptibly in plumage from the female here figured. This last is now, I have to add, in the museum of the Asiatic Society in Calcutta. Without taking up the pages of ' The Ibis ' by descriptions of birds already known to science, I am desirous of adding such details as appear to have escaped other ornithologists, or to be unknown to them, of a class of birds which, by their great size and grotesque forms, constitute so striking a feature in the forests of India. 2. BUCEROS (HOMRAIUS) CAVATUS, HodgSOU. Of this Hornbill Hodgson has left little to say. I have kept several specimens alive, and have been an eye-witness of the singular mode of incubation of the bird. The young have the casque no more developed than in the subgenus Toccus of Lesson. At the commencement of the second year the anterior extremity begins to separate from the culmen, and during the third year assumes the transverse crescent shape, sending the two edges or cornua outwards and upwards, while the whole anterior portion gets broader, till it is equal to the hinder part. But the casque is not fully developed till the fifth year. Nevertheless the brittle and quasi-osseous edging to the bill is perfected in the second year, becoming quickly eroded by wear of India and Burmah. 177 and tear. In Nepal, according to the natives, the " Homrai " or "Bun-rao" (King of the Woods) ascends the mountains to near the snows during the hot weather. In the Tenasserim Provinces, however, I have found it so late as April in the lowest and hot- test forests, and never higher than 2000 feet above sea-level. Our hill Hornbill in that country is B. [Aceros) nipalensis of Hodgson, which 1 have shot on a spur of the great Mooleyit peak, full 3500 feet above the sea. All the known species of the genus Buceros may be divided into two groups as regards their flight. B. cavatus, B.pica, B. albi- 7-ostris, B. affinis, and B, bicoj-nis proceed with quick, short flaps, alternating with soarings or sailings, on outstretched motionless pinions ; while B. tickelli, B. nipalensis, and B. pusai-an have a heavy, steady, ordinary flight. The voice of B. cavatus is prodi- giously loud. Its roars re-echo through the hills, and it is difficult at first to assign such sounds to a bird. As in other species of which the notes are sharper, the noise is produced both in exhaling and inhaling. B. cavatus when caught young is easily tamed, but becomes bold rather than gentle, menacing a too near approach with its huge bill, which inflicts severe bites. Those I have had in my possession would not sufl"er themselves to be caressed, as the smaller species B. albirostris is fond of doing. They flew about the garden and grounds, resting on large trees or the roof of the house, and often coining to the ground, where they pro- gressed by sidelong hops, squatting occasionally on their heels (or elbows) and searching for food in the grass, where they picked up and swallowed insects and worms. I once saw one of them seize a frog; but after nipping it and tossing it about, the bird relin- quished it. Early of a morning, when the dew was heavy on the ground, I have seen this bird go flapping through beds of weeds or long grass till thoroughly saturated, when it would sit in the sun, with expanded wings, drying itself like a Vultui-e or Cormorant. This species, as well as B. albirostris and B. bicoj-nis, has the same singular palsied jerk of the neck in moving the head from side to side or up and down — a peculiarity owing perhaps to the rigidity of the connecting ligaments of the cervical vertebrae, as described by the late Dr. Bramley when residency- surgeon in Nipal. In a captive state, I have never heard this 178 Lieut.-Col. Tickell on the Hornbills bird utter more than a little murmuring grunt. Its capacity of swallowing is prodigious : a whole plantain can be gulped down without an effort. In picking fruit off a tree^ it tosses it up into the air, and lets it fall down the throat. It eats lizards readily, not only from the hand, but will search for and seize them. The unfledged or half-fledged nestling is constantly uttering a feeble croak, alternating with a piping, whistling noise. A re- markable trait I observed in one or two of the birds in my pos- session was their fondness for rain. They would remain for hours exposed to the heaviest shower, and sit perfectly saturated, with the water trickling from the end of the beak in a ridiculous manner. In describing the singular mode of incubation of this bird, I cannot do better than transcribe the account written by myself at the time and place of observation : — " Kylk, on the Houngthrau River, February 16, 1855. — On my way back to Moulmein from Mooleyit (a celebrated peak in the Tenasserim range), when halting at Kyik, I heard by the merest chance from the Karen villagers that a large Hornbill was sit- ting on its nest in a tree close to the village, and that for several years past the same pair of birds had resorted to that spot for breeding. I lost no time, accordingly, in going to the place next morning, and was shown a hole high up in the trunk of a moderately large straight tree, branchless for about 50 feet from the ground, in which the female, I was told, lay concealed. The hole was covered with a thick layer of mud, all but a small space, through which she could thrust the end of her bill, and so re- ceive food from the male. " One of the villagers at length ascended with great labour, by means of bamboo-pegs driven into the trunk, and commenced digging out the clay from the hole. While so employed, the female kept uttering her rattling sonorous cries, and the male remained perched on a neighbouring tree, sometimes flying to and fro and coming close to us. Of him the natives appeared to entertain great dread, saying he was sure to assault them ; and it was with some difficulty I prevented them from shooting him before they continued their attack on the nest. When the hole was enlarged sufficiently, the man who had ascended thrust in of India and Burmah. 179 his arm ; but was so soundly bitten by the female, whose cries had become perfectly desperate, that he quickly withdrew, nar- rowly escaping a tumble from his frail footing. After wrapping his hand in some folds of cloth, he succeeded with some trouble in extracting the bird, a miserable-looking object enough, wasted and dirty. She was handed down and let loose on the ground, where she hopped about, unable to fly, and menacing the by- standers with her bill ; and at length ascended a small tree, where she remained, being too stifi" to use her wings and join her mate. At the bottom of the hole, nearly 3 feet from the orifice, was a solitaiy egg, resting upon mud, fragments of bark, and feathers. It was of a dirty yellowish brownish-white, spindle-shaped or pointed at either end, and of a coarse surface, indented with numerous pores. Longitudinal and transverse axes 2|-^" and \y respectively. In the hole were numerous berries, resembling the wild 'jamoon,^ in all stages of decomposition. The female, I should remark, was deeply stained with a yellow exudation from the uropygial gland, frequently observed on the feathers of this species, B. [Hydrocissa) pica, and B. albirustris." 3. BucEROs (Hydrocissa) pica. 4. BucERos (Hydrocissa) albirostris. These two nearly allied species inhabit the forests respectively of India and of British Burmah. The second-named is the more numerous of the two, as far as my own observations lead me to judge. I have met with B. pica in the forests of the jungle mahals, Midnapore, Singbhoom, and Chota Nagpoor; but it is by no means common. B. albirostris, on the eastern side of the Bay of Bengal, is much more frequent. The manners of the two species are so much alike, that they hardly need separate description ; with B. albirostris, however, I am now familiarly acquainted, having had two or three of them tame, in confinement and at large; for this bird be- comes so soon domesticated as not to require imprisonment, if it be brought to the house from the nest. It remains perched on a verandah-rail, soon becoming accustomed to the in- mates, and readily takes food from the hand. One or two pet ones are to be seen in almost every village in Arakan. Those 180 Lieut.-Col. Tickell on the Hornbills I possessed used to roost on the roof, flying in and out of the house at pleasure. One in particular, which we kept for nearly two years, became a great favourite. It was fond of being patted and stroked, and would beg for the luxury, throwing its head back to have the throat scratched or tickled. During the day it usually sat under the portico, hailing every arriver with loud screams, and uualarmed by the noisy approach of carriages. It would fly to me or to the children from any distance in the gar- den or grounds ; and especially attached itself to the young folks, allowing them to scratch its neck, throwing itself into absurd attitudes, as if coaxing them to continue, and never on any occasion hurting them with its formidable bill. Thus the bird, grotesque and ugly as it was, became associated, in our minds, with its pretty playmates, and an inseparable appendage to their little sports. But alas ! like all pets, this one met with an un- timely end. It was found by the servants early one morning on the roof of the house, dead, with the marks of teeth in its breast, inflicted probably by some marauding cat which had surprised it during sleep. Like the rest of the genus, B. albirostris is nearly omnivorous, but prefers fruit to other food. According to Jerdon, it is found in Northern India, Midnapore and Rajmahal, and Monghir on the Ganges. My own experience does not corroborate this. The breeding-time in Arakan and the Tenasserim Provinces is in July or August ; and the female is said to lay two to four eggs in the hollow of a tree, without any nest. The eggs are white. I have never seen them. 5. BucEROs (Rhyticeros) pusaran (Baffles). This species is very numerous in the Tenasserim Provinces and in the inland forests of Arakan. Its presence is soon known, on entering the lofty woods to which it resorts, by its loud and as it were menacing voice, uttered in a short, gruff dissyllabic croak, " Kukkuk," which it repeats at intervals, either when perched or when flying over the tree-tops. Its powers of flight are much more extensive than in any other species of the genus. I have seen parties of five or six of these birds in Arakan, high in air, flying over the sea ; and have watched them till they of India and Biirmah. 181 melted from sight into the horizon, as if they had finally left the shore. Where these excursions end it would be curious to know; for the bird is not found on the west shores of the Bay of Bengal. Its most northerly habitat appears to be the hilly jungles on the highest parts of the Koladyn River in Arakan ; but whether it extends into Chittagong or the hills of Cachar and Munnipore I know not. They seem to get more and more numerous towards the south, and on the Houngthrau River, which rises in the southernmost Shan states of Siam, are quite common. The flight of this bird, unlike that of the species before described, is slow and regular ; and the rush of the air through its pinions so loud as to be heard at half a mile distance. This remark applies also to B. cavatus. It is generally wild and wary; at times, however, when feeding on the fruit of some large Ficus (its favourite resort), it will allow approach within gun-shot, and is so voracious as to return two or three times to the same tree after being as often shot at. They settle generally on the large branches near the summit, jumping from place to place, and greedily picking off and swallowing the soft ripe figs of the Banian, Bur, Goolur, Peepul, Pakhur, or similar trees of the Ficus family. They feed usually in silence, and mix indiscri- minately with the numerous fruit-eating Pigeons {Carpophagi, Trerones, &c.) and ^lovLVQy%{Hylobateslar,Semnopithecusp)hayrei, Inuus nemestrinus, &c.), which, similarly engaged, constitute a singularly varied crowd amongst the lofty branches of these gigantic trees, and a picture so remarkable as not to be easily forgotten by the observer. The pouch, peculiar to this species, which is plainly visible as the bird flies overhead, with neck extended, appears to be ana- logous to that of the i\.djutant {Leptoptilos arqala), and connected rather with the breathing-apparatus than the alimentary canal ; but I have never dissected it, and speak entirely from inference. The female incubates generally about the end of the cold weather, laying two or three eggs in some convenient hole high up the stem of a tall tree in the deepest forests. The Karens say that the female is not immured w^hile sitting, as is the case with B. cavatus. An egg, brought to me towards the end of February 1855, is pure white, opake, and coarse on surface ; size 2" by 182 Lieut.-Col. Tickell on the Hornbills of India and Burmah. 1^". I was on that occasion on my way down the Houngthrau, a clear, pretty stream, shaded by lofty timber, eddying in deep pools under high gravelly banks, breaking into foam and tum- bling over boulders of sandstone, or rippling along shallow beds of clean pebbles and silvery sand. To the last-named spots, just before or during the short twilight of a tropical evening, these Hornbills used to resort in great numbers, allowing my boat to approach pretty near, as it glided down the stream. I could thus watch them on the little sand-flats, hopping freely enough along the ground, and delving their beaks in as if searching for worms or molluscs ; while some stood up to their bellies in the water, apparently much enjoying their bath. As the dusk gathered over the river, I remarked them resorting to roost on the loftiest trees fringing its course. The Karens who live in these virgin forests say that between the " Yowng-yowng " {B. cavatus) and the " Owkhyen net " (the present subject) there is always open war ; and, in truth, I do not remember to have re- marked the two species anywhere together. 6. BUCEROS (ACEROS) NIPALENSIS (HodgSOu). I have very little to add to what is already known of this species from the writings of Hodgson, save that it extends as far south along the south-east Himalayan spurs as the mountains of Tenasserim. I shot a very fine male specimen on the 27th February 1859, on the great spur leading to Mooleyit peak, at an elevation of about 3500 feet. It had crossed over the deep valley separating me from the Napulloo range to the south, and was just about to top the ridge where I was journeying along, when I brought it down by a snap shot through the trees. I sent the skin to the Asiatic Society's Museum in Calcutta, as it was the first and only individual of the species ever met with in British Burmah ; but it differed in nothing noticeable from those procured in Nepal, where (in the Teraie) it is by no means un- common. The flight is as in B.pusaran, and the voice also, save that its croak is monosyllabic. ]« 1364 PI. C.newi.t.soii.litk EC-OS OF FALCO SACER. Mr. J. H. Cochrane on Falco lanarius. 183 XIV. — Note on the Nesting of the Lanner Falcon (Falco lanarius, Schlegel). By J. H. Cochrane. (Plate IV.) On the 26th of March, 1863, I left my Nile-boat, and set out with some friends to visit the Pyramids of Ghizeh. While they explored the wonders of the place, I walked towards the three trees to the left of the Sphinx and Third Pyramid in hopes of finding something worth shooting, as on a previous visit, in 1862, I had there observed a pair of what I had ima- gined to be Falco peregrinus. In this I was unsuccessful. A Bedouin, who had followed me for some time, on hearing what 1 wanted, volunteered to get me four young birds of what he called " Sagr el h'ohr," and forthwith ran off to find them. Feeling very tired and decidedly sceptical about the Bedouin's success, I paid very little attention to him ; but, on his return, my curiosity was much excited by his saying there were no young birds — only eggs. Of course I was all anxiety to see them, and followed him to the south side of the Small or Third Pyramid. A short but steep climb brought one up to the nest (if it was worthy of the name) — a few feathers and still fewer sticks in a hollow on one of the steps, about thirty feet from the top, and on them four eggs. I saw both the birds — one of them very distinctly. Most stupidly, I tried a long shot, missed, and lost all chance of satisfactorily identifying them. I feel almost sure they were not Falco peregrinus. The Arab described them as having a red head. Two of the eggs were addled, two incubated. On the 3rd of April following, on my return from a fortnight's trip down the Rosetta branch of the Nile, the same Bedouin, whom I had asked to look out for nests for me, brought me a fine living female Falco lanarius and three eggs, which he had taken on the Dashoor Pyramid. The eggs were much incubated, and I unfortunately broke one in blowing it. The Bedouin said he had taken the bird by throwing a cloth over it at night, and in so doing had broken one of the eggs, which originally had been four in number. These eggs much resemble those before mentioned. The bird itself was brought by me to 184 Mr. A. R. Wallace on Astur griseiceps. England alive, and is now in the gardens of the Zoological Society of London. [Mr. W. C. Hewitson has, with his usual kindness, drawn the accompanying Plate, in which what we believe to be the first well-identified eggs of Falco lanarius, Schlegel, are depicted. Fig. 1 represents one of the eggs obtained, April 3rd, 1863, from the Pyramid of Dashoor, along with the female now alive in the Zoological Society^s Gardens. Fig. 2 represents one of the eggs obtained from the small Pyramid of Ghizeh, 26th of March, 1863. We may remark that we believe that Egyptian specimens of Falco sacer are not distinguishable from the European form which has been termed Falco feldeggii. On the other hand, Abyssinian examples {Falco tanypterus, Licht.) are decidedly smaller and darker in colouring. — Ed.] XV. — Note on Astur griseiceps, Schlegel. By A. R. Wallace, F.Z.S., &c. (Plate V.) This beautiful Hawk, which has been recently described by Dr. Schlegel (Museum d'Histoire Nat. des Pays-Bas, " Astures," p. 24), presents us with another case of the island of Celebes possessing its own restricted species. The well-known Astur trivirgatus of Temminck ranges over Sumatra, Java, Borneo, the Philippine Islands, and, with but slight modification, over the whole of India and Ceylon ; but the moment we pass over into Celebes, we find it represented by the allied yet perfectly distinct species now figured. The specimens of Astur griseiceps in the Leyden Museum are from the northern part of the island, where I also found it. I likewise obtained one specimen of this species in the south, near Macassar. It seems, however, to be a rare bird, as the Leyden Museum contains only three specimens, obtained from Forsten, who collected for nearly two years in North Celebes ; and I myself got the same number during about nine months' assiduous collecting in various parts of the island. IbiB 1864 4 .Wolf, del , et IiLk , M & n Hankarl ASTUR GRr8BICEPS . yr. Metcalfe , Litk^-^ Camiricl^ On the Irruption of Pallas' s Sand-Grouse in 1863. 185 XVI. — On the Irruption of Pallas' s Sand-Grouse (Syrrhaptes paradoxus) in 1863. By Alfred Newton, M.A., F.L.S., F.Z.S. (With a Sketch-Map— Plate VI.) For many reasons I should wish still longer to defer noticing in the ' Ibis ' the Tartar invasion of which Europe was last year the scene — an invasion which is certainly unparalleled in the annals of ornithology, but chiefly because the record of observations is still incomplete, especially on that side of the Continent first reached by the wanderers. On the other hand, an account of the irruption has been long promised to the readers of this Journalj and having now collected a very large mass of intelli- gence respecting it, I think I am in a position to place some of the particulars before the public. Besides, it seems to me that the more the late visitation of Syrrhaptes paradoxus is written about and talked about, the more chance there is of gaining fresh information concerning it. Knowing, then, that I am very far from having exhausted the subject, but hoping still further to excite the attention of ornithologists to it, I now attempt to discharge the duty which our Editor has laid upon me. With the general history of this remarkable bird I presume all the readers of the ' Ibis ' are pretty well acquainted ; for Mr. T. J. Moore's excellent paper in our second volume (' Ibis,' 1860, pp. 105-110) contains, as I before have had occasion (P. Z. S. 1861, pp. 203, 204) to remark, nearly all that was then to be said on the subject. It is only necessary here to recapitulate that the species was first brought to the notice of Pallas by Nicolas Rytschof as a dweller on the Kirgish Steppes, which may be taken as extending eastward from the northern half of the Cas- pian Sea to the regions round Lake Balkach. In 1809 Professor Fischer, of Moscow, received through the then Governor of Irkoutsk, Von Treskine, two well-preserved examples of this spe- cies from a much more eastern locality — the great steppes of Gobi (Mem.Mosc. iii. p. 271)*. It was from a drawing and description * Fischer at once saw that the species ought not to be included iu the Linnean genus Tetrao, and states that he communicated his views on this point to Pallas, and subsequently (April 1810) to Temminck. Had he then published his paper, his proposed name Nematnra would have taken VOL. VI. O 186 Mr. A. Newton on the Irruption of of one of these birds, sent him by Fischer, that Temniinck (Hist. Pig. et Galhnac. iii. pp. 282-287) took his account. In 1825 naturalists learned from M. Drapiez (Diet. Class. d'Hist. Nat. viii. p. 182) that M. Delanoue had met with this species on the Chinese frontier of the Russian empire. He is stated to have had several opportunities of studying its habits, and to describe its nidification ; but he makes, as I shall presently show, one assertion not borne out by later investigation. In 1853, in a list of the birds met with at Sarepta, on the Lower Wolga, Herr Moschler (Naumannia, iii. p. 305) enume- rated Syrr/iaptes paradoxus, attaching to its name a symbol indicating that it was "very rare^' there. Considering what Professors Eversmanu and Eichwald had ascertained concerning its geographical range, the fact is not of a surprising nature ; but this seems to be the earliest authentic record of its actual oc- currence in Europe, though Prince C. L. Bonaparte, moved per- haps by a lucky spirit of prophecy, had in 1838 (Comp. List, p. 42) included it as a bird of this quarter of the globe. So passed on the time until 1859, when, as all my readers will be aware, four examples of this bird were killed, and others seen, in Western Europe *. But these were not all that were obtained in that year ; for I am informed by Mr. George Jell, of Lydd in Kent, that he stuffed a specimen which was killed, in November 1859, at New Romney in that county, and is now in the possession of Mr. Simmons, a gentleman living at East Peckham, near Tonbridge. I also find that, in the month of May precedence of lUiger's Syrrhaptes, which stands from 1811 ; but the third volume of the Moscow ' Meraoires' bears on its title-page 1812. Hetero- clitus of Vieillot is long subsequent in date, though many of the French ornithologists persist in using it ; it is also objectionable from its resem- blance to Heteroclites, preoccupied in conchology by Lamarck. * Lobserve that one or two writers of late have misquoted the dates and localities of these occurrences. It may be as well, therefore, to repeat here, that one was killed at Walpole St. Peter's, in Norfolk, early in July 1859 ; on the 9th of the same month a second, near Tremadoc, in North Wales ; on the 23rd, a third, near Hobro, m Jutland ; and at the beginning of Oc- tober in the same year, the fourth, being one of a pair which had haunted the sand-hills near Zandvoort, in Holland, since July, was shot at that place I give these particulars after consulting the original records. Pallas' s Sand-Grouse in 1863. 187 in the same year (1859), a pair of Syrrhaptes paradoxus are re- ported to have been killed in the Government of Wilna *, on the western frontiers of the Russian empire. It will be further recollected by my readers that, in May 1861, we were pleased to hear that this species had occurred abun- dantly during the previous winter on the plains between Pekin and Tientsin, and on the banks of the river Peiho downwards. As stated by Mr. Swinhoe in these pages (' Ibis,^ 1861, pp. 341, 342), numbers were caught in clap-nets, and exposed, alive or dead, in the markets, so that the Anglo-French forces revelled on them as cheap luxuries. It seems that they made their ap- pearance about the beginning of November f in large bands, and, I presume, the survivors of them stayed all the winter in the neighbourhood ; but I can find no mention of their departure. Several of the gentlemen engaged on the expedition brought living examples to England. Mr. James Stuart- Wortley started with seventy-three, and handed over thirty-four of them to the Zoological Society. Captains Hand % and Commerell brought some more (P. Z. S. 1861, pp. 196-198). Others were pre- sented to the Queen by Captain Dyce, R.A. ; and a few besides, I believe, passed into the possession of private persons. Of those deposited in the Zoological Society's Gardens, the majority * I owe the knowledge of this fiict to Mr. J. H. Gurney, who kindly sent me a copy of the ' Kolnische Zeitung,' No. 339, for 7th December, 1863, which contains a report of a Meeting of the Silesian Society " fiir vaterlandische Cultur." I shall have occasion hereafter to quote from this report, which, though containing some few misstatements, on the whole appears to be very credible. Professor Grube is said to have brought the subject of the irruption of Syrrhaptes before the Societj'. t Mr. John Hancock has been good enough to let me see a letter ad- dressed to him by Captain Carr, R.A., in which that gentleman says that the 10th November, being the day after he left Pekin for the south, was, he believes, the first day he saw them, and that on the 16'th they were being sold in great numbers in the streets of Tientsin. This also agrees with, but is more precise than, Mr. James Stuart- Wortley 's statement to Dr. ScUiter (P. Z. S. 186], p. 196). X Captain Hand identifies the Loung-Kio of Hue's Travels with Syr- rhaptes paradoxus; and the Abbe's description, though, of course, extremely untechnical, is not so vague as to leave me any doubt on the subject, ex- cept that it might refer to the larger species, S. tibetauus of Gould. 188 Mr. A. Newton on the Irruption of lived a good many months. One bird has even laid several eggs, one of which I had the pleasure of exhibiting at the Society^s Meeting on the 10th December following (P. Z. S. 1861, p. 397, pi. 39. fig. 1). A few, however, died, and Mr. W. K. Parker has been thereby enabled to make a careful examination of their osteology, the results of which examination, judging from the abstract of them which has already appeared (P. Z. S. 1862, pp. 253-260), we await with the highest interest. Other zoo- logical gardens in Europe, also, have largely benefited by our fortunate acquisitions. Before coming to treat actually of the late irruption, I must quote from the important work, published in 1861, of Gustav Radde *, a traveller who, as before mentioned in this Journal (' Ibis,' 1859, p. 204, and 1862, p. 382), has had great oppor- tunities of observing the habits of Syrrhaptes paradoxus towards the more eastern limits of its breeding-range, and who gives a much fuller account of its peculiarities than does M. Delanoue in the passage to which I have above referred. Herr Radde passed the spring of 1856 in the basin of the Tarei-nor, a lake situated in Dauria, about 50° N. and 116°E. (from Greenwich). He remarks particularly on the favourable- ness of the district for migratory birds, among which Syrrhaptes is one of the earliest to appear, ari'iving (already paired, though keeping in flocks) on the 10th (22nd) March. Three days after- wards, when the winter's snow was yet lying on the hillocks of the high steppes, he describes it as still living in small societies (but always paired) on the adjacent salt-plains, from which it used to resort early in the morning to the fresh-water springs of the Tarei to drink. There these flocks would remain until about nine o'clock in the day, and then repair to the white salt-pans, among which are some slight elevations covered with grass. On these they scrape shallow pits, and sit therein, pass- ing the rest of the day in quiet, some sleeping, while others walk about and pluck the young shoots of Salicornia, unless they * ' Berichte iiber Reisen in Siiden von Ost-Sibirien.' St. Petersburg, 1861 . The passages from which I quote are to be found between pages 373 and 417. The book is one altogether most interesting to a naturalist, and an English translation of it would be very desirable. Pallas' s Sand-Grouse in 1863. 189 are disturbed by a Falcon, when they instantly take wing, and, after several ringing flights, make off, alarming as they go their nearest comrades, who follow their example, until the air is filled with countless small flocks. But just as quickly as their quiet is disturbed, so is it again restored. They begin to descend, at first timidly, and then settle down on the elevations, keeping so still that, owing to the colour of their plumage, they are hardly remarked. On the 30th April (12th May) the first young are hatched, and by the 15th (27th) May the second brood of eggs were laid. Herr Radde goes on to say that at the end of May (or, ac- cording to our reckoning, about the second week in June) he made an excursion to the island of the Tarei, passing over a high steppe, in the course of which he met with numerous bands of Syrrhaptes. There were two great flocks, each consisting of at least a thousand birds ; but they were so shy, that neither on horseback nor by stalking could he approach them. After being many times disturbed, they betook themselves, flying with no small noise, to the bank of the Tarei, and eastwards over the high steppe, alighting on two places where herds of cattle had been folded in the wintei*, and consequently covered with a thick layer of dung, trodden so hard that no vegetation appeared through it. Here they settled themselves closely, and as night came on he left them, making sure of finding them next day. But in the morning they had vanished without leaving a trace, and throughout the whole course of the summer in that district he never again met with one bird. The herds- men assured him they would return again ; but in this he was disappointed, and it was only in October, in another locality, near Abagaitui, that he once more saw them. They were then flying in skeins {Kettenzuge), like Plovers, high and rapidly towards the north. Rightly enough may Herr Radde remark that " the peculiar build of this bird corresponds with singular habits, and that the characteristic 'paradoxus' holds as well for the first as for the last.^^ I may conclude this portion of mv paper by saying that the Cossacks, who accompany the caravans to Pekin across the Gobi, told him that Syrrhaptes also inhabits those plains in great numbers, and serves them for game on 190 ]\Ir. A. Newton un the Irruption of tlicir inarch ; and that lie obtained a complete series of specimens of this species, showing its development from the egg to the adult bird. By the above passages from Radde's experience, it will be seen that Sijrrhaptes is subject to sudden movements oil a very large scale, and of a kind which, at first sight, appear almost capri- cious. Bearing this in mind, we shall be, I think, the better pre- pared for the consideration of last yearns extraordinary irruption. I must only premise that it is not at all to be taken for granted, as I have commonly seen it done, that the immense flock which then or formerly visited Europe started from Dauria or the frontiers of China. On the contrary, a little reflection will show that it is of course far more probable that the birth-place of the European invaders was the western extremity of their ordinary range — the country immediately on the other side of the Caspian Sea, whence, as I have said, the species was first obtained and described. But this is quite far enough off to make such a Scythian exodus in these days sufficiently remarkable. Some 4000 geographical miles is a pretty long journey, even for a bird blessed with such powerful organs of aerial locomotion as Sj/r- rhaptes jmradowus ; and yet it is as certain as anything well can be that at least this distance was accomplished by several birds, and a distance not much less by very many birds, none of them, be it remembered, guided to a fixed goal by the traditional instinct of migration accumulated through long generations, but all urged by some not less forcible impulse, concerning which, for the present, we must suspend our judgment. I have now to compile from the records, whether published or unpublished, that have reached me a catalogue of all the occurrences of Syrrhaptes paradoxus in Europe during tlie last twelve months. This Hst I shall arrange geographically, and therein it will differ from any I have yet seen. My main reason for doing so is that, unfortunately, many of these records are without ]n-ecise date, and, therefore, it would be next to impos- sible in any other way to avoid a great deal of confusion. To the name of each locality I add its approximate longitude as calculated from Greenwich, and ascertained in every case, as far as possible, by reference to Keith Johnston's ' Royal Atlas of Pallas' s Sand-Grouse in 1863. 191 Modern Geography' (Edinburgh and London, 1861). This plan not only affords a means of classifying the different occurrences, but also provides, as it were, a convenient index for finding out the places on the Sketch-Map (Plate VI.) accompanying this paper, and concerning which I must say a few words. I have spared no trouble in preparing it, and yet the result is not en- tirely satisfactory to me. This, I believe, is chiefly owing to the small scale on which it has been drawn; but of two evils I wished to choose the least, and I believe that a map which has to be unfolded when referred to is always looked upon as an incum- brance. On the other hand, I fully admit that the crowding of the names of places in some parts (the natural consequence of this small scale) is a very serious drawback, the more so that it often prevents the exact locality being accurately indicated. I have therefore to pray the kind indulgence of my readers for this last imperfection *. To keep the map as distinct as possible, the name of not a single place has been inserted at which a Syrrhaptes has not been recorded as observed either in 1863 or the present year. The general intelligence of my readers will, I am sure, supply the omission of rivers and mountains, as well as the names of countries, the insertion of which woxild only have compli- cated the map's general appearance, while it would have thrown no light on the course of the movement t- Here also I must express my thanks to the many friends who have assisted me in drawing up this paper, especially to those naturalists who have been so very kind as to forward me advance-sheets of their own articles on the subject, among whom I have to name the Editors of the ' Journal flir Ornithologie," Mr. John Hancock, Professor Reinhardt, and M. de Selys-Longchamps. Nor are my obliga- * This defect will be most perceptible in the case of several of the localities in Cambridgeshire, which, in order to obtain the requisite space for writing their names clearly, have been of necessity placed on the wrong side, west, instead of east, of the meridian of Greenwich. t I am sorry to say, the geographical knowledge of many naturalists is far from being what it ought to be. In reference to the present subject, I find numerous errors of this class, some of which are almost laughable. Borkum, for instance, is s])oken of as in the Baltic; Sarepta is placed in the Crimea; but, worst of all, Jutland is made a " cuutre'e de Groenland" !! 192 Mr. A. Newton on the Irruption of tions to the ' Field ' newspaper and that useful magazine, the ' Zoologist/ to be overlooked. My readers will bear in mind that I am not writing a history of Syrrhaptes paradoxus, but only giving an account of its irruption into Europe last year. To this I strictly confine myself, and accordingly extract from the numerous records no details respecting the food, plumage, or habits of the species, valuable and interesting as such details are. Lastly, for the sake of brevity, I have in this list always omitted the " 1863," which is to be understood after every date, and after every reference to a periodical (excepting the ' Zoolo- gist '), unless the contrary is especially stated. 1. Brody, 25° KV E. No further particulars. Prof. Grube, ' Kolnische Zeitung,' No. 339, 7th Dec. 2. Willenberg, 20° 55' E. One killed, out of more than twenty seen, " about four weeks ago." * Magdeburger Zeitung,' 21st June; quoted by Dr. Carl Bolle, 'Journal fiir Ornitho- logie,' p. 247. 3. Pesth, 19° 4' E. A flock, sometime in spring. Dr. An- ton Fritsch, J. f. 0. p. 296. 4. Stuhlweissenburg, 18° 25' E. No further particulars. Prof. Grube, K. Z. No. 339. Perhaps another version of the last notice. 5. Gothland, 18° to 18° 30' E. One specimen killed. Prof. Reinhardt, in litt., 1st August. 6. Tuchel, 17° 50' E. A male shot about 14th May. Dr. Carl Bolle, on authority of HH. Ludwig and Defert, J.f.0.p.241. 7. Brieg, 17° 30' E. A young bird, shot in August; exhi- bited by Prof. Grube to the ' Schlesische GesellschaflFt fiir vater- landische Cultur,' K. Z. No. 339. 8. Miloslaw, 17° 30' E. Two examples obtained through Herr Boncowski, 16th December, out of a flock of five. Some days after, another bird obtained. Lieut. Alex. v. Homeyer, J. f. 0. 1864, p. 61. 9. Nykjoping, 17° E. Three shot, out of a small flock, in May. Mr. H. W. Wheelwright, in the ' Field,' 15th August. Pallas' s Sand- Grouse in 1863. 193 10. Sokolnitz, 16° 40' E. One killed, out of a Hock of four, 6th May. ' Wiener Jagdzeitung/ No. 16 ; quoted by Dr. Quis- torp, J.f. 0. p. 392. This appears to be the earliest date recorded with precision. 11. Vienna, 16° 23' E. Examples killed in the spring, later than those at Pesth (No. 3). Dr. Anton Fritsch, J. f. 0. p. 296. 12. Polkwitz, 16° 10' E. Three knocked down by telegraph- wires, 17th May, out of a flock of about twenty-five. Dr. Carl Bolle, on authority of Lieut. Alex. v. Homeyer, J, f. 0. p. 242. 13. Dobrzisch, 14° lO' E. One killed in May. A flock of about sixteen remained some time in the neighbourhood. ' Leip- ziger lUustrirte Zeitung^ of 6th June, quoted by Dr. Carl Bolle, J. f. 0. p. 245 ; also Dr. Anton Fritsch, J. f. 0. p. 296. 14. Jasmund, 13° 40' E. A pair shot out of a large number, apparently at the end of September. Dr. Quistorp, J. f. 0. pp. 392, 393. 15. Greifswald, 13° 30' E. Two believed to have been killed. No further particulars. Herr von Preen, J. f. O. p. 394. 16. Wittow, 13° 20' E. A pair killed about 29th September, out of a flock of fifteen. A flock of from one hundred and fifty to two hundred seen by Herr Fock, flying high from N.W. to S.E., 3rd October. Herr L. Holtz, J. f. 0. 1864, p. 59. 17. Barth, 12° 40' E. One caught alive, i7th October. On 19th and 21st one, and on the 23rd October two were seen. Herr L. Holtz, J. f. O. pp. 395-399. 18. Bimini, 12° 30' E. One obtained in July, and now in the collection of Sign.Liverani at Imola. Dr. Thomas Salvadori, in lift., 16th March, 1864. 19. Wohlau, 12° 15' E. A pair killed, with others, out of a flock of about thirty, 20th May. Dr. Carl Bolle, on authority of Herr Ludwig. Further particulars quoted, given by Herr Braune to Count Solm, J. f. 0. p. 243. 20. Copenhagen, 12°30'E. One killed about twenty miles from this place. Prof. Reinhardt, in litf., 1st August. 194 Mr. A. Newton un the Irruptiun of 21. Belluuo, 12^ 15'E. No further particulars. Prof. Grube, K. Z. No. 339. 22. Havellande, 12° lO'E. Que killed 4th June. Now in the Royal ]Mu.seum at Berlin. Dr. Carl Bolle, on authority of Herr Ludwig, J. f. 0. p. 245. 23. Harsleben, 11°10'E. One killed about 2nd June. Dr. Carl Bolle, on authority of Herr Haberkorn ; received through Herr Ferdinand Heine, J. f. 0. p. 246. 24. Halberstadt, 11° E. A flock of eighteen or twenty seen, 25th May, by Herr Ferdinand Heine, and his son Albrecht, the former of whom informed Dr. Carl Bolle of the fact, J. f. 0. p. 245. 25. Laaland, 11° to 11° 50' E. A pair killed 20th May. Pastor P. W. Theobald, in Utt., 27th May. 26. Wolterdingen, 0° 50' E. One shot 24th May. Recorded as Pterocles alchata. ' Leipziger Illustrirte Zeitung/ quoted by Dr. Carl Bolle, J. f. 0. p. 245. Probably the notice in the ' Field,' 6th June, respecting one shot near Hanover, refers to this occur- rence. 27. Pinneberg, 9° 40' E. A large flock seen, and some killed, about middle of September. Herr von Preen, J. f. 0. p. 394. 28. Schlacht-Rossbach, 9° 20' E. Some shot in May, out of a flock of about forty. Dr. Wilhelm Schilling, in the ' Magde- burger Zeitung,' pointed out the probability of the birds breed- ing in Thuringia, and also, in the ' Wiener Jagdzeitung,' No. 16, particularly recommended them to the protection of landowners, sportsmen, and naturalists. Editors J. f. 0. p. 277 ; and Dr. Quistorp, J. f. 0. p. 392. 29. Ribe, 8° 50' E. Large flocks in the neighbourhood at the end of June and beginning of July. Prof. Reinhardt, in Utt., 1st August. 30. Novara, 8° 35' E. A female shot about the middle of February 1864, and now in the Museum of the University of Turin. Professor de Filippi intends to publish some observations on it. Dr. Thomas Salvadori, in lltt., 16th March, 1864. Pallas' s Sand- Grouse in 1863. 195 31, Sylt, 8°20'E. A flock of birds often seen there in summer, at tirst taken for Dotterel [Eudromias morinellus), but believed by Herr von Preen to have been Syrrluqjtes. J. f. 0. p. 394. 32, 33. Ringkjobing and Nymindegal, 8° 1 0' E. On the sand- hills [KUtter) between these places a large number of Palla&^s Sand-Grouse have been observed during the past summer, as I am informed by my excellent friend Professor Reinhardt, who has most kindly favoured me with a copy in manuscript of the con- cluding portion of a paper on the subject read by him in the " Naturhistoriske Forening '' of Copenhagen, and which will be published in their ' Videnskabelige Meddelelser*.^ This com- munication enters so fully into details, that I am compelled here to give but a very concise abstract of it, though it contains matter far more interesting than I have met with elsewhere. Early in June last, Herr Bulow, an officer in the Custom-Housc at Ringkjobing, sent the Professor several living birds which had been snared by a gunner on their nests in the above-mentioned district, together with four of their eggs. One of the latter was found by Herr Bulow in the box which conveyed the birds, having been laid on the journey. It was colourless, indicating that it had been prematurely produced. The other three eggs were fully coloured. It appears that this gunner found two nests of Syrrhaptes in his own neighbourhood, and a third at a place called Bierregaard. On two of the nests both the birds (in each case the hens first and then the cocks) wei'e caught, on the 6th June. These nests wei'e near one another ; and one, con- taining three eggs, consisted of a slight depression in the sand, lined with a little dry marram. The other had only two eggs, was placed among some ling, and furnished in a like manner. The third nest was similar to the first, and was halfway up a * I had been in hopes to have given my readers a recapitulation of the whole of this valuable paper ; but the invasion of Denmark by the Prussian and Austrian armies having interrupted the direct postal communication between that country and our own, my design has been frustrated. As it is, I consider myself most fortunate in having received so much information in time to use it on the present occasion. 196 Mr. A. Newton on the Irruption of sand-hill. Of the three eggs sent to Herr Bulow, he found that two were quite fresh^ but in the third the foetus had begun to form, showing that they had been taken from diflferent nests. Some more nests were found by other people, but unfortunately none of them were taken care of. The gunner, at Herr Bulow's request, made further search, but not until the 27th of July did he succeed in making any new discoveries. On that day he met with a flock of about a dozen birds, of which he shot two. He then w^ent again to Bierregaard, where at last he put a bird off its nest among some stones in the sand, and containing three eggs. Next day he returned to it, and set a snare, in which, after two or three hours, the hen-bird was caught ; and a few hours later, having reset the snare, he procured the cock in the same way. In the interval, he found, to his surprise, that one of the eggs had hatched. He took away with him the pair of old birds, the newly born chick, and the remaining two eggs, which, on getting home, he put in a box of wool by the fire, where a second egg was hatched. The third proved to be rotten. The chicks only lived one day, and it seems they were not pre- served. On that same day (the 28th), while waiting about for these birds to be caught, he stumbled on another nest, from which he shot both the owners. I quite agree with Prof. Reinhardt that it follows incontestably from all this that Si/rrhajjtes is not poly- gamous, since both sexes share the duties of incubation, and that the full complement of eggs is three, as in the other Ptero- clidce, and not four, as formerly advanced by M. Delanoue, in the passage to which I before referred. The only questions, as the Professor remarks, on which doubts may exist are whether Syrrhaptes on this occasion was strictly " double-brooded," as it is stated by Herr Radde, in the extract I have given from his work, to be in Eastern Siberia, and whether the same birds may not even have bred in their own home before they started on their colonizing expedition. But, unless they hatch much earlier in the Kirgish Steppes than they do in Dauria, — the 12th May, according to Radde's observation {op. cit. p. 381), reduced to new style, — this last can hardly be the case, since, as I have shown, the horde had already reached the centre of Europe by the 6th of that month. Pallas' s Sand' Grouse in 1 863. 1 9 7 34. Heligoland, 7° 55' E. First observed and shot on the 21st May. Each successive day, up to the earlier part of June, seen in flocks varying from about three, five, fifteen, to fifty, and once or twice even to a hundred. Out of these nearly thirty were shot, the earlier birds being, with two exceptions, all males, the later nearly all females. On the 22nd June, six again made their appearance ; of these five were shot — all females, and not in fresh plumage. Herr H. Gatke, ' Field,' 25th July, p. 101. Herr Gatke infers from the above facts that " all through this abnormal and mysterious excursion of this species, they still adhered to the rules of birds on a regular spring migration — that is, the males forming the van, the finest specimens coming first, after which the females make their appearance, the rear being invariably brought up by weak, badly-developed, or injured individuals of a shabby appearance.^' I regret having to express my dissent from the opinion of a naturalist who is entitled to so much respect ; but it is plain that the irruption of which I am writing is not a common case of " regular spring migration," wherein the birds may be said to have an instinctive knowledge whither they are travelling ; and until it is explained to me by what means the individuals which on this occasion are said to have brought up the rear became acquainted with the course taken by the van, I cannot agree with Herr Gatke's inference. I believe that gentleman to be fully justified in his statement of what is the general rule in ordinary migrants ; but every person who has indiscriminately collected birds must be aware how often, at certain times and places, one sex of a species largely predominates over the other; and I think it is safer to follow the example set me by Mr. Osbert Salvin in a similar case (' Ibis,' 1860, pp. 259, 260), and " not raise an hypothesis upon the facts that I have up till now collected." I must, however, remark that these facts, as may be gathered from the present paper, do not entirely agree with Herr Gatke's observations in Heligoland, as among the earliest recorded occurrences there is a very fair proportion of female birds. 35. Mandal, 7° 30' E. Two killed near this place in the beginning of June. Mr. Percy Godman, in Hit., 21st August. 198 Mr. A. Newton on the Irruption oj 36. Lingen, 7° 20' E. One killed against the telegraph-wires, 28th May. ' Neue Hannoversche Zeitung/ quoted by Dr. Carl Bolle, J. f. O. pp. 244, 255 ; and ' Magdeburger Zeitung ' of 2nd June, op. fit. p. 246. 37. Norderney, 7° 10' E. A large flock in autumn. Herr von Preen, J. f. 0. p. 394. 38. Borkum, 6^ 40' E. Appeared on the 21st May in flocks of from fifteen to a hundred, but paired {paariceise) . None seen from 23rd June to 1st July, when large flocks returned. In August, quite as if at home (ganz wie zuHause). Dr. Altum, who records the above facts, saw them alive first on the 8th August. He examined thirty-eight examples which had been shot, ten. of which were in the flesh. He gives some minute and valuable descriptions of the species, particularly as regards its pterylology and structure in comparison with other birds, as well as a detailed account of its habits, so as almost to justify the use of poisoned grain, which he seems to have tried in order to obtain specimens. From the 29th August to the 11th Sep- tember, when he made a second visit to Borkum, the birds were yet in moult. A fine old cock which he shot on the 9th Sep- tember was entirely new-feathered, though the attenuated quills had not yet grown to their full length. An old hen, shot the same day, had still some of the worn plumage remaining. " The summer and winter dress," he adds, " apart from the freshness of coloration in the latter, are altogether identical," J. f. 0. pp. 248-260 and pp. 321-326. 39. Groningen, 6° 30' E. No particulars. Heer J. P. van Wickevoort Crommelin, ' Nederlandsch Tijdschrift voor de Dier- kunde/ p. 225. 40. Weert, 5° 45' E. A male, shot out of a flock of six, 24th September. M.de Selys-Longchamps, 'Bullet. Acad. Belg.^ 1864, pp. 24, 25. 41. Rocour, 5°35' E. x\ female netted, 12th October. M.de Selys-Longchamps, B. A. B. 1864, p. 24. 42. Pierre, 5° 20' E. Five observed, but no further particulars P alias's Sand- Grouse in 1863. 199 given. Dr. F. B. de Montessus, on authority of M. Rossignol, ' Revue de Zoologie/ p. 403. 43. Chalon-sur-Saone, 4" 50' E. A male killed, 2nd June, in the neighbourhood, from a flock of eight, which was seen again on the 18th of the same month. Dr. F. B. de Montessus, R. Z. p. 358 and pp. 393-404. In recording the occurrence of the bird last mentioned, M. de Montessus takes the opportunity of dwelling at some length on the history of the species, and his paper is illustrated by two plates representing both sexes, with enlarged figures of the head and foot. Unfortunately, not having had the advantage of seeing the 'Ibis,^ he falls into several mistakes as regards previous occurrences of Syrrhaptes in Europe. 44. Velzen, 4° 37' E. A female taken alive about the 9th June, and sent to the Gardens of the Zoological Society of Am- sterdam. Heer J. P. van Wickevport Crommelin, N. T. D. p. 222. 45. Zandvoort, 4° 32' E. Numerous bands showed them- selves, in the beginning of May, on the dunes here, which it will be remembered were frequented also by a pair of these birds in the summer of 1859, and where it is even asserted that in that year two eggs were discovered (N. T. D. p. 223). In 1863, Heer Crommelin states that these birds " vivaient ordinairement en petites families de sia \_qu. six ?] a quatorze individus, qui se reunissaient parfois en bandes de trente a cinquante sujets.^' He goes on to say, " Cependant, peu de temps apres I'arrivee de ces gallinaces on fit lever une paire, qui se senait \_qu. tenait ?] pres d^un nid ou plutot d'un creux dans le sable, ou se trou- vaient deux oeufs : ceux-ci etaient de la grosseur de ceux de la tourterelle, niais un peu plus alonges et presque d'egale epaisseur aux deux bouts; la couleur etait d'un cendre clair un peu nuance de roussatre, avec des todies [^w. taches ?] brunes peu distinctes. On pla9a de suite des lacets afin d^attraper les oiseaux ; cependant on n^y reussit pas, puisqu'ils abandon- nerent les objets de leur plus tendre affection. * * Apres la decouverte de ces oeufs dans les dunes des environs d'Harlem, on n'y a plus remarque d^heteroclite, qui seniblait s'occuper des soins de la reproduction. Toutefois on pretend avoir trouve dans JiOO Mr. A. Newton on the Irruption of les menies dunes une seconde couvee, composee de deux oeufs pareils aux premiers." (N. T. D. pp. 222, 223.) This very inter- esting notice gives us thus good reason to beheve that Denmark was not the only country in Europe where this Sand-Grouse bred last year. The author of it also states that, on the 17th June, three females were obtained at Zandvoort, out of a flock of about forty. Two of these are now in his collection ; the third, being only wounded, was sent to the Amsterdam Gardens, where, however, it only lived five days. A few days afterwards, an- other was found dead on the beach at the same place ; and on the 5th September three males and two more females were killed there. On the 11th September, when he was writing, a few birds still continued to haunt the locality, a flock of fifteen keeping constantly on a field sown with buck-wheat, while a larger company of about thirty were leading a nomad life on the sand-hills. Heer Crommelin, in the course of his paper, which is of some length, dwells on the history of this curious species, and further remarks on the singularly dirty appearance presented by the specimens obtained some weeks after they had arrived in Europe, so different from that of the examples first killed. This appearance has been noticed by many English ornithologists who have had much experience of our visitors, and seems worthy of more attention than it has received ; for I am not aware that it has been accounted for, though Heer Crommelin makes some suggestions on the subject. N. T. D. pp. 219-225. 46. Nordwijk, 4° 27' E. One killed after 17th June, now in the Leyden Museum. Heer J. P. van Wickevoort Crommelin, N.T.D.p.223. 47. Wassenaar, 4'' 25' E. A female killed 9th June, now in the Leyden Museum : it contained well-developed eggs. Another killed later, also in the same museum. Heer J. P. van Wickevoort Crommelin, N. T. D. pp. 222, 223. 48. St. Quentin, 3° 15' E. ?* A female killed by M. de Tur- * I append a mark of doubt in this case, because I do not feel sure that I have quite rightly identified the locality mentioned. M. Marchand speaks Pallas' s Sand-Grouse m 1863. 201 tigny, and received on the 6th October by M. A. Marchand, who records its occurrence. R. Z. p. 391. 49. Lille, 3° E. No particulars. M. Leon Olph-Galliard, on authority of M. E. Fairmaire, J. f. 0. p. 390. 50. Ostend, 2° 50' E. A male, " en apparence de I'annee," killed 4th January 1864, by M. H. Serruys. M. de Selys- Longchamps, on authority of Professor Poelman, B. A. B. 1864, p. 25. 51. Bergues, 2° 25' E. Several supposed to have been ob- served. The people in Picardy imagined that their appearance was due to the wreck of some ship which had them on board. M. A. Marchand, R. Z. p. 391. 52. Yarmouth*, 1° 35' E. One female found dead on the beach, 23rd May. One male shot, 6th June, now in Mr. J. H. Gurney's collection. One female killed, 20th June, in Mr. Newcome's collection. A male and female sent thence, 8th July. Small parties observed throughout August and Sep- tember. Mr. Stevenson, locc. citt. 53. Waxham, 1° 43' E. One male and three females killed, 4th June, out of a flock of eight or nine birds. Two of these were presented to the Museum at Norwich. One male killed, 24th June. Mr. Stevenson, locc. citt. 54. Winterton, 1° 42' E. One male killed, 17th June, out of a flock, which, since the 10th of that month, had been seen on of it as if situated in the Department of the Somme. After consulting several maps, I can find no such place within the limits of that depart- ment; but in the adjoining Department of the Aisne there is a very vi'ell- known town, named St. Quentin, and as that is built on the banks of the river Somme, I suppose it may be the locality intended. * Mr. Stevenson having taken the trouble to sift out the particulars of Sand-Grouse which have been killed in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, and to compile therefrom three excellent papers which have appeared in the 'Zoologist' for the past year (Zool. pp. 8/08-8718, 8849-8852, and p. 8957), I shall in this article follow the decisions which he has arrived at, instead of quoting the original authorities. Judging from the records, the number of bhds (69 or 70) obtained in those two counties far exceeds the number obtained in any other district of Em-ope of like size. VOL. VI. P 202 Mr. A. Newton on the Irruption of Winterton Warren. On the 3rd August a small flock of twelve or thirteen seen on the beach there. Mr. Stevenson, locc. citt . 55. Kessingland, 1° 42' E. One female killed, 24th June, out of a flock of twelve or fourteen which had frequented the neigh- bourhood for a fortnight previously. About the last week in July a flock of fifty or sixty strange birds, supposed to be of this species, were seen flying southward. Mr. Stevenson, locc. citt, 56. Horsey, 1° 41' E. Eighteen birds, male and female, shot out of a flock of more than forty, 10th and 11th June. Mr. Stevenson, locc. citt. 57. Breydon, 1° 40' E. A female shot, 8th June, in com- pany with a flock of about nine Grey Plovers {Squatarola hel- vetica). Mr. Stevenson, locc. citt. 58. Crotoy and Somme, 1° 40' E. Nine killed, apparently in September, on the dunes, seven of which were eaten. Mr. Leathes, in litt.^, on authority of M. Morel, of Noyelles-sur-Mer, near St, Valery-sur-Somme. 59. Walberswick, 1°39'E. Two males and one female killed, 5th and 6th June. A flock of about eighteen seen there at the same time, as well as two smaller parties of seven and three. Mr. Stevenson, locc. citt. 60. Thorpe, 1° 38' E. A female procured, 28th May. Four females and one male killed, 11th and 13th June. As many as fifteen or sixteen appear to have been seen in this locality up to the latter date. Mr. Stevenson, locc. citt. 61. Alderton, 1° 35' E. One seen and shot at, 18th Sep- tember. Mr. Stevenson, locc. citt. 62. Sizewell, 1° 34' E. A male killed, 7th July. Mr. Ste- venson, locc. citt. 63. Chartres, 1° 30' E. One found in a pastry-cook's shop, 25th September, which had been killed seven or eight kilo- metres from the town. M. A. Marchand, R, Z. p. 391. * I ara indebted to Mr. J. H. Gurney for this communication. M. Ber- tbemieux (R. Z. p. 424) mentions, on M. Pucheran's authority, one killed in this locality in July. P alias's Sand- Grouse in 1863. 203 64. Sherringham, 1° 15' E. Four females, 26th June. Mr. Stevenson, locc. citt. 65. Morston, 58' E. A flock of nine seen, which subse- quently dwindled to three, of which one was shot about 22nd June. The last week in July a flock of thirty appeared in the neighbourhood, but vanished next day. Mr. Stevenson, locc. citt. 66. Mersea, 55' E. One male and two females killed, 29th June (?). Dr. Bree *, ' Field,' 4th July. 67. Dungeness, 55' E. One caught by a dog, near the lighthouse, at the beginning of August. Mr. G. Jell, in litt., 7th October. 68. Lydd, 52' E. One killed out of a flock of eight, 20th July ; five more of them killed the following week. Mr. G. Jell, in litt., 7th October. 69. Elmley, 45' E. Four obtained out of a flock of six, of which two were killed, 7th June. Mr. E. Young, ' Zoologist,' p. 8721. 70. Croxton, 42' E. A male killed about the second week in July. Mr. Stevenson, locc, citt. 71. Elveden, 41' E. A very fine male brought alive to me, 6th June. It was found by a stable-lad who was exercising a horse in the morning. He saw it running in some long grass ; and when he caught it, imagined it had been drenched by the very heavy rain we had had on the preceding night, and so rendered incapable of flight. There was a little blood on one of the wings, which I at first attributed to a self-inflicted injury as it beat itself about in the basket in which it was put; but, on in- * In the ' Field ' of 1st August, 1863 (p. 157), my friend Dr. Bree, writing of the visitation of the Sand-Grouse, says, " Their destination was probably the Sahara, or the great sandy plains which skirt the Mediterranean on the south." It would be satisfactory to know by what means the birds became aware of the existence of these places, because it would greatly raise one's opinion of their general intelligence. He also adds that, " till last year [i. e. 1862] this bird was unknown in Europe," apparently forgetting that in a part of his recent work, published in that very year (B. Eur. iii. pp. 230, 231 ), he had mentioned the four best-known cases of its occurrence in Europe in 1859, which have been recorded in this Journal. p2 204 Mr. A. Newton on the Irruption of quiry, I found that a strange bird had been shot at, and hit, two days before, by a man close by, who, when interrogated, said he thought it had been a Golden Plover, though it seemed to him to fly somewhat like a Partridge ; and that when the shot struck it, it " shruck " (shrieked) out like the former bird. I kept this example in a cage for a few days, feeding it on canary-seed, which it ate readily enough. It was extremely wild ; but I suc- ceeded in placing it so that I could observe its actions, unseen myself. 1 subsequently transferred it to the Gardens of the Zoological Society, where, in company with the hen bird from China, which has several times produced eggs, it is now living very contentedly. Mr. Bartlett, at my request, made a careful comparison of this and a living Chinese cock bird, and he in- forms me there was no difference whatever to be seen between them. 72. Wangford, 37' E. About the same time as the last- mentioned bird was obtained, I am told that several were killed on the Warren at this place, and sent to London. Some of these, among a good many others, probably made their appear- ance on the shop-boards of the poulterers there. I may add, that I know of scarcely any place in England which I could conceive better fitted to become a home of this Sand-Grouse than the locality where these birds were killed. 73. Holme, 32' E. Twelve birds, males and females, shot between 10th and 15th June. The bodies of two of these were sent to me for examination by my friend Mr. Thomas South- well. A good many more seem to have been seen in the neigh- bourhood. A female was found dead on the beach, 1st July. Three males were killed, 3rd October, out of a party of four. Another male was shot the last week of November. Mr. Ste- venson, locc. citt. 74. Methwold, 30' E. Mr. Newcome informs me that a bird was killed in the fen-land here, out of a flock, sometime, he believes, in September. I have seen the specimen, which has been preserved by Mr. Leadbeater. Earlier in the year, several flocks of strange birds, thought by the observers to be Dotterel [Eudromias morinellus), were seen in the adjoining fens of the Pallas' s Sand- Grouse in ] 863. 205 southerly district, Feltwell and Hockwold. They were very likely Saud-Grouse; but as Dotterel do almost every year make their appearance in those parts, I have given them the benefit of the doubt. 75. Bexhill ^, 28' E. A female killed against the telegraph- wires, 29th May. Mr. J. Button, ' Zoologist,' p. 8683. 7Q. Fordham, 22' E. Several killed, the beginning or middle of June, as I learn from Mr. Baker, of Cambridge, who had them to skin. 77. Pevensey, 20' E. A flock of eight seen, 28th May, from which probably the bird killed by the telegraph-wires at Bex- hill (No. 75), the following day, was one. Mr. J. Button, ' Zoo- logist,' p. 8683. 78. Eastbourne, 15' E, One killed, out of seven or eight. No particulars of date or precise locality. Mr. C. S. Willes, ' Field,' 13th June. 79. Saffron Walden, 15' E. A male and female shot, 7th June. Mr. E. Taylor, ' Field,' 27th June. 80. Saltfleet, 12'E. A male and female killed, and pre- sented to the Scarborough Museum. No date mentioned. Mr. A. Roberts, ' Zool.' p. 8722 ; and Captain Woodall, in litt., 3rd Sept. 81. Alford, 11' E. Several, at the end of May or June. Mr. T. H. Allis, ' Zool.' p. 8724. 82. Swaffham Prior, 10' E. One killed. No date. Mr. F. Bond, 'Zool.' p. 8722. 83. Leake, 8' E. Male and female shot, out of a flock of thirteen, 25th May f- Mr. John SHght, in litt., 12th Feb. 1864. 84. Cottenham, 7' E. Four or five obtained, out of a flock of forty, end of June and July. Three caught alive, one of * Spelt " Box Hill " in the published notice ; but as I find no place of that name near Pevensey, I conclude Bexhill is meant. t These were erroneously recorded in the ' Field ' as having been killed two years previously ! Mr. Slight was good enough to give me the precise date. 206 Mr. A. Newton on the Irruption of which, a male, is still living in the possession of my friend Mr. F. Barlow, of Cambridge. Mr. J. Baker, Mr. F. Bond, and Mr. S. P. Saville *, ' Zool/ pp. 8722-8724. 85. Courteille, 5'E. Five killed, out of a flock of sixteen, 21st June. Dr. de Montessus, on authority of M. Saillant, R. Z. p. 402. 86. Oakington, 4' E. Male and female, end of June or July. Mr. F. Bond and Mr. S. P. Saville, ' Zool.' pp. 8722- 8724. 87. Barrington, 1' E. Several. Mr. F.Bond, 'Zool.' p.8722. 88. Forest Gate, 0^. One killed. Preserved by Mr. Argent, and seen by Mr. Newman. No date recorded. Mr. J. Withers, ' Field,' 18th July; ' Zool.' p. 8684. 89. Louth, 0°. Several obtained in May or June. Mr. T. H. Allis, 'Zooi.'p.8724. 90. Boston, I'W. Some shot on the coast, a few miles north of this place. Anon., ' Field,' 13th June ; Mr. C. G. Hol- land,'Zool.' p. 8687. 91. Royston, 5'W. Nine killed, said to have been all hen birds. Mr. S. P. Saville, ' Zool.' p. 8723. 92. Balcombe, 7' W. One killed, as it appears, on 5th June. Mr. Frederick Russell f^ in ' Sussex Express,' loth June; quoted 'Field,' 20th June. 93. North Burton, 11' W. One of a pair, the male, killed the first week in June. Mr. W. W. Boulton, ' Zool.' p. 8724. 94. Barnet, 12' W. Two males killed, at South Mimms, near that place, before the 1st August, and preserved by Mr. Cooper. Mr. Newman, 'Zool.' p. 8685. 95. Bridlington, 13' W. One killed in May or June. No further particulars. Mr. T. H. Allis, ' Zool.' p. 8724. * Mr. Saville was so obliging as to send me the sternum of one of these birds. t This gentleman considers the extraordinary feet in this bird to be " a provision of nature to counteract the great heat of the hot sands ".' P alias's Sand-Grouse in 1863. 207 96. Peterborough, 15' W. One or two killed in May or June. No other information. Mr. T. H. Allis, ' Zool.' p. 8724. 97. Skidby, 25' W. One, weak and emaciated^ caught alive, last week in July. Mr. W. W. Boulton, ' ZooL' p. 8769. 98. Flotmanby, 25' W, Seven killed, out of a flock of nine- teen, between 3rd and 10th June. Four were preserved, the remainder eaten ; 'Times,' 19th June. Mr. E.Wright, 'Zool.' p. 8688, Mr. A. Roberts, ' Zool.' p. 8722, and Captain Woodall, in litt., 3rd September. 99. Whitby, 35' W. One killed in May or June. No fur- ther particulars. Mr. T. H. Allis, ' Zool.' p. 8724. 100. Aldershot, 45' W. The female of a pair killed, 26th May ; another female killed, out of a flock of nine, shortly after- wards. Mr. M. A. Mathews, ' Zool.' pp. 8683, 8684. 101. Unst, 55' W. One shot, 4th November, at Halligarth, on this the most northern of the British Islands. The bird was first seen on 28th October, and others also appeared in the neighbourhood. Mr. H. L. Saxby, 'Zool.' p. 8888. 102. Dax, 1°W.* No particulars. M. LeonOlph-Galliard, on authority of M. E. Fairmaire, J. f. 0. p. 390. 103. Farnsfield, 1° 2' W. A pair killed, out of four birds seen, 2nd June, by Mr. T. Jackson, of Allamoor Farm. Auct. anon., ' Field, ^ 6th June. 104. York, 1° 5' W. One killed in the neighbourhood, out of a party of four, before 22nd June. Five offered for sale to a game-dealer there, but the place where they were obtained not known to the reporter. Mr. E. Wright, ' Zool.' p. 8688^ and Mr. T. H. Allis, ' Zool.' p. 8724. 105. Teesmouth, 1° 10' W. A flock of sixteen or seventeen stayed some time in the salt-marshes in this neighbourhood. * I imagine that this occurrence may be the one alluded to by Dr. de Montessus as having taken place at a certain Solferino : the exact locality I cannot find on any map. The Doctor says, however, that it happened *' une vingtaine de jours " before the 3rd June, which seems to me hardly likely (R. Z. p. 403). 208 Mr. A. Newton on the Irruption of Three said to have been shot on the 13th May*^ and one several days later. All the specimens killed were males. Mr. Tristram, in Hit., 12th June, and 'Times/ 17th June. 106. Whitburn, 1° 20' W. Two flocks seen to settle in standing corn, about middle of June. Mr. John Hancock tj ' Transactions of Tyneside Naturalists' Field-Club.^ 107. Oleron, 1° 25' W. Three killed in this island in Octo- ber. M. Berthemieux, R. Z. pp. 423, 424. 108. Sheffield, 1° 28' W. Four shot, out of a flock on the moors, at the end of May. Mr. C. Doncaster, ' Zool.' p. 8688. 109. Biscarolle, 1° 30' W.?J One of three captured in a pine-nursery, 3rd June. Dr. de Montessus, R. Z. p. 402. 110. Farsley, 1° 32' W. Two killed, out of a flock of four- teen, 10th June. Mr. W. Liversedge, ' Zool.' p. 8689 ; and Mr. W. Christy Horsfall, ' Zool.' p. 8722. 111. Cowpen, 1° 32' W. A male shot, out of a flock of about twelve. In ]\fr. Hancock's possession. Two or three more killed in the neighbourhood, and in the possession of Mr. Snow- don at Alnwick. Mr. John Hancock, ut supra citatum. 112. Thropton, 1° 34' W. Two males and one female shot, at 3 o'clock A.M., 21st May, out of a flock of fourteen. Mr. * If there is no mistake here, these birds are the earhest obtained in England that year ; but on tracing the course of flight across the continent of Europe, I feel sure that the date assigned is at least a week too soon. My energetic friend is far too well employed just now in the Holy Land to make me regret his absence, though I am thereby prevented from having the matter cleared up satisfactorily. •\ Mr. Hancock has been at great pains to ascertain the exact particu- lars of all the occurrences of Syrrhaptes in Northumberland and Durham ; I shall therefore in this case, as I did in that of Mr. Stevenson's compen- dium for Norfolk and Suffolk, abide implicitly by his determinations, to the exclusion of original authorities. Mr. Hancock most kindly forwarded me, as I before stated, his very valuable paper ; but, as it was in manuscript, I am unable to cite the exact references to it. X I am unable to identify this place with accuracy ; but I believe it is close to Bayonne, and is consequently the most southern limit of the irruption recorded, as that town is in latitude 43° 2.9' N. This occurrence is probably the one alluded to by M. Leon Olph-Galliard, J. f. O. p. 390. Pallas' s Sand-Grouse in 1863. 209 Jolin Hancockj ut supra citatum. If there be, as I consider there is, an error in the information supplied to Mr. Tristram respecting the Teesmouth examples, these are the earliest re- corded occurrences of the bird in England last year. 113. Ryton, 1° 37' W. A female killed, out of a flock of about sixteen, 2nd June. Mr. John Hancock, ut supra citatum, 114. Embleton, 1°39'W. A female found wounded, and seen in a game-dealer's shop at Newcastle-on-Tyne. About a fortnight later another individual was shot in the same locality. Mr. John Hancock, ut supra. 115. Bamborough, 1°43'W. Two females and a male taken, about 5th October. Mr. John Hancock, ut supra. 116. Ross Links, 1° 46' W. A pair shot, about 24th June. Mr. John Hancock, ut supra. 117. Belford, 1° 50' W. Four females and one male, a few days before the 23rd August, and sold at Newcastle the week of the meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. Mr. John Hancock, ut supjra. 118. Berwick-on-Tweed, 2°W. A pair shot, and sent, 26th September, to Newcastle. Mr. John Hancock, ut supra. 119. Imber, 2°5'W. A female killed, 29th June. Mr. A. C. Smith, ' Zool.' p. 8888. 120. St. Jean-de-Mont, 2° 10' W. Two killed, apparently on 21st November, out of a numerous flock. 'Petit Journal,' 1st December, quoting ' Phare de la Loire.' M. Guerin-Mene- ville, R. Z. p. 404, note. 121. Muchalls, 2° 12' W. ?* Two killed, out of a flock of at least fifteen, 28th May. Sir William Jardine, on authority of Prof. Dickie, 'Edinburgh New Philosophical Magazine,' p. 167. 122. Eccleshall, 2° 15' W. Two shot, out of a flock of about twenty, 22nd May. Mr. S. Yates, 'Times,' 28th May. * In Sir William Jardine's notice, the name of the locality is called " Munchals "; but as I can find no such place on any map that I have con- sulted, I presume it is a misprint for Muchalls. 210 Mr. A. Newton on the Irruption of 123. Kilcot, 2° 20' W. One found, "evidently starved to death/' about the second week in January 1864. Mr. V. R. Perkins, ' Zool.' p. 8958. 124. Montrose, 2° 27' W. Six, shot on the Links, about the first week in June. 'Edinburgh Evening Courant,' 13th June. Lieut. -Col. Drumraond-Hay, in litt., 15th June. 125. Warrington, 2° 35' W. One shot, about four miles off, on the 28th November. Mr. James Cooper, ' Zool.' p. 8958. 126. Ludlow, 2° 43' W. A flock of eighteen strange birds, supposed to be Partridges, but more probably of this species. Anon., ' Field,' 30th May. 127. Penrith, 2° 45' W. One shot, in May or June. Mr. T. H. Allis, ' Zool.' p. 8724. 128. Noss, 3° 5' W. A flock seen, between the 8th and 23rd June. Mr. H. Osborne, 'Times,' 26th June. 129. Oswestry, 3° 5' W. Two killed, from a flock of nearly one hundred ; preserved by Messrs. Buffon and Wilson. ' Field,' 13th June. 130. Gordon Castle, 3° 6' W. One shot by the Duke of Richmond, out of a flock of seven or eight, 16th October. Mr. Knox, on the Duke's authority, in litt., 23rd October. 131. Westerseat, 3° 10' W. A male shot, out of a flock of ten or twelve, 8th June ; now in Dr. Sinclair's collection. Mr. H. Osborne, ' Times,' 26th June. 132. Leasowe, 3° 10' W. A male shot, early in November. Mr. T. J. Moore, ' Zool.' p. 8889. A male previously shot in the same district, at Hoylake. Mr. T. J. Moore, ' Intellectual Observer,' October, p. 200. Erro- neously recorded by the same gentleman in ' Times/ 6th June, as having been killed near Perth. 133. Walney, 3° 15' W. A pair shot, 22nd May, out of a flock of about fourteen. Mr. E. J. Schollick, ' Times,' 26th May. This was the first published notice, I believe, of the arrival of Syrrhaptes in England. P alias's Sand-Grouse in 1863. 211 134. Lossiemouth, 3° 20' W. A male struck down by a Hawk, and preserved for the Elgin Museum. No date. ' Banff- shire Journal,^ quoted ' ZooL' p. 8959. 135. Slapton, 3° 38' W. A pair shot, out of a flock of thirteen, apparently about the end of June. Mr. H. NichoUs, * Field,' 18th July. 136. Brora, 3° 50' W. A flock of seven birds, at the time taken to be Golden Plover by the observer, who was, however, afterwards convinced that they were Syrrhaptes, 1st June. Mr. T. Mackenzie, ' ZooV p. 8959. 137. Stirling, 4° W. No particulars. Mr. F. 0. Morris, on authoi'ity of Mr. A. Johnstone, ' Times,' 13th July. 138. Dornoch, 4° 5' W. A male bird shot, 5th or 6th June. Mr. W. A. M'Leay, ^ Field,' 13th June; and Mr. T. Mackenzie, ' Zool.' p. 8959. 139. Heanton, 4° 10' W. A female shot, 11th December. Mr. J. L. Langdon and Mr. M. A. Mathews, ' Zool.' p. 8958. 140. Renfrewshire, 4° 15' to 4° 50' W. One caught alive " seven or eight weeks ago ;" in possession of Mr. Small. Exact locality not stated. Auct. anon., ' Field,' 1st August. 141 . Haverfordwest, 4° 59' W. A female shot, 8th February, 1864, and seen by Mr. Gould in the flesh. Mr. H. Ward, in litt., 8th March, 1864. 142. Land's End, 5° 41' W. A female shot, about the second week in June. Mr. Rodd, ' Zool.' p. 8682. 143. Balbriggan, 6° 15' W. Legs and wing-feathers of a bird found, as it would seem, at this place. Mr. R. P. Williams, * Proceedings of the Natural History Society of Dublin,' 4th De- cember ; reported in ' Saunders's Newsletter,' 15th December. 144. St. Agnes, 6° 20' W. A male picked up dead, 23rd June. Mr. Rodd, ' Zool.' p. 8682. 145. Thorshavn, 7° W. One found dead in the sea, at the end of May. Two males killed in June ; two more, perhaps a pair, observed at the same time, but not shot. These stayed on 213 Mr. A. Newton on the Irruption of the island as late as September. The most northern locality ever recorded, as far as I know^ for the occurrence of the species. Professor Reinhardt, on authority of Herr Miiller, in litt., 5th February, 1864. 146. Ross, 7° 46' W {circa). One of two shot, 8th June. Lord Clermont, ' Zool.' p. 8934. 147. Drumbeg, 6° 55' to 8° 40' W. ?* A male bird sTiot, apparently 17th June ; and a female captui-ed alive the following day, out of a flock of thirteen or fourteen previously observed. Mr. Sinclair, ' Field,' 20th and 27th June. 148. Naran, 8° 26' W.f A pair shot " lately." Mr. M. B. Cox, ' Field,' 18th July. This is the most western locality for the species recorded with precision. Thus much for the recorded facts of the irruption. A brief recapitulation of the most remarkable points only is necessary. I have been able to trace the course of the invading host through more than thirty-three degrees of longitude, from Brody in Gal- licia (No. 1) to Naran on the west coast of Donegal (No. 148) ; and it will be seen that towards the western limits of Europe it extended over some five-and-twenty degrees of latitude, from Biscarolle in Gascony (No. 109) to Thorshavn in the Fseroes (No. 145). Unfortunately I am at present ignorant of the exact time of its first appearance in the most eastern localities. The earliest date given with precision is the 6th May, at Sokolnitz in Moravia (No. 10). A week later (the 14th May), the right flank of the advancing army had reached Tuchel in West Prussia (No. 6) ; on the 17th its centre was observed at Polkwitz in Silesia (No. 12). On the 20th May birds occurred at Wohlau, in Anhalt (No. 19), and on the Danish island of Laaland (No. 25). The following day (the 21st) they had not only over- * I must apologize for a mistake on my map with reference to this locaUty. The name is there spelled ' Drugoobe,' instead of ' Drumbeg'j but this place is not marked on any map that I have had access to. A living male bird, said to have been obtained in the same county, was presented to the Zoological Society by Lord Francis Conyngham, 11th December. + In the notice, the name of the locality is spelled " Nairn "; but I have little doubt Naran is the place meant. Pallas' s Sand-Grouse in 1863. 213 run the British dependency of Heligoland (No. 34), but had even established themselves on the shores of England, at Throp- ton in Northumberland (No. 112). The next day they had pene- trated to Eccleshall, in Staffordshire (No. 122), and crossed the country toWalney, on the coast of Lancashire (133). By the end of the month they had arrived at the Fseroes (No. 145). These dates, as indications of the continuous advance made by the in- vaders, I have thought it advisable to have inserted on the accom- panying map (Plate VI.), which, however, it has seemed to me inexpedient to encumber with further chronological details; because it is pretty plain that, having with so small a loss of time reached meridians so far to the west, it became almost purely a matter of accident when they were recognized in any more eastern locality. Besides, too, these dates, few as they be, I think, are quite sufficient for another purpose. They serve to show the nearly equable rate of the invaders^ progress. There is certainly a considerable break between the recorded observations of the 6th and the 14th of May (Nos. 10 and 6), and it would be very desirable could the movements of the birds during the interim be satisfactorily accounted for. But, with this exception, the Tartar horde seems to have swept uninterruptedly onwards in an almost uniformly north-western direction, small bands de- taching themselves from the main body at intervals, and these again often separating into pairs throughout the entire transit. Once arrived at the borders of the ocean, if one may judge from the evidence before us, many were driven back. Then they seem to have spread themselves over the surrounding coun- tries, where some of them have almost ever since been occurring sporadically, seeking out, as was natural, districts most agree- able to their habits. Thus I would partly account for the pre- ference shown to the east coast of England, which the map renders very plain ; but I would remark that too much depend- ence ought not to be placed on this supposed cause, for along the whole shore, from Pevensey Bay to Berwick Bounds, the prevalence of gunners, who make their living all the year round by shooting wild-fowl, and whose attention was immediately ex- cited by these strangers, must also be taken into consideration. When Mr. Gould, last August, wrote the account of this spe- 214 Mr. A. Newton on the Irruption of cies for liis magnificent work, now publishing {' The Birds of Great Britain '), comparatively few of the facts of the irruption of 1863, which I have here collated, had been published. It might, therefore, have been fairly open for him (though such was never my own opinion) to state of Syrrhaptes that it " has arrived in numbers at a time, and for several years in succession. Since its first appearance in 1859, it has been steadily arriving, either in pairs, little companies of from eight to ten in number, or in packs of from fifty to a hundred " ('Birds of Great Bri- tain,' pt. iv.). Now, as I have said above, all the assertions I have seen with respect to its occurrence in England, or even in Europe, between 1859 and 1863, have their origin in careless mistakes ; and the summary I have attempted in the preceding paragraph, to my mind, proves that the irruption of 1863 was, if one may so say, one single act. To suppose that the several hundreds of Syrrhaptes which last year occurred in Central or Western Europe came flocking in intermittently and by dribblets necessitates the belief (as I before pointed out in controverting Herr Gatke's views) that the later comers knew in some myste- rious manner the route their predecessors had taken ; and this presumption, I am fully satisfied, is not warranted by any of the details as now unfolded to us, but, on the other hand, is mani- festly opposed to what seems to me the simplest idea of the whole case, namely, to regard the movement as the passage of a single large band, such as one of those, a thousand or more in number, which were seen by Eadde in Dauria, and described by him in the extract I quoted from his work *. I rather doubt if the main body ever reached England. Nearly one hundred is the largest flock recorded as having been ob- * The curious circumstance of the absence of these birds from Heligo- land for at least a fortnight in the earlier part of June, which partly helped to mislead my worthy correspondent, I think rather points to the con- clusion I have formed. In that little island, under the keen eyes of its watchful ornithologist, they could not possibly have escaped observation. I therefore regard their absence as an established fact, and would explain it on the hypothesis which I have before laid down, that the examples seen subsequently to the 22nd of June had returned thither after vainly attempt- irg to find suitable resting-places further west. The case was similar in Borkum. Pallas's Sand-Grouse in 1863. 215 served in this island at one place, namely Oswestry (No. 129). The bulk of the invaders seem to have been checked in their onward course by the North Sea, and to have passed the summer on the flat and sandy coast extending from Holland to Jutland, both of which countries witnessed, as I have related, attempts on the part of the colonizers to increase and multiply. In Holland we have flocks of a couple of hundred spoken of as fre- quenting the sand-hills in June (J. f. 0. 1864, p. 69). At the beginning of July, Professor Reinhardt informs me there were large flocks in Jutland and Slesvig (No. 29). About the middle of August, Dr. Altum tells us that bands of from ninety to one hundred were still seen on the Frisian island of Borkum (No. 38). A month later, in September, a great flock was observed at Pinneberg in Holstein (No. 27), and some time in autumn a large flight on Norderney (No. 37) ; while the latest notice I can find of a numerous company being seen together is on the 3rd of October, when a flock of from one hundred and fifty to two hundred were seen at Wittow in Riigen (No. 16), flying high in air from north-west to south-east, and making pro- bably for the land of their birth. With regard to the actual numbers of the invading host, it is not very easy to come to any definite conclusion. I compute those which we know to have been obtained during the past twelve months at not far from 345, of which 35 may have been killed since the beginning of last October. I think we may also safely allow another 155 for birds which, falling into the hands of ignorant persons, have been altogether lost sight of*. We have thus about 465 to add to the 150 or * This, of course, is only guess-work ; but I believe it is an almost re- ceived opinion among British naturalists that for each foreign bird killed in England, and coming to the knowledge of ornithologists, at least another escapes their notice altogether. Not to overstate my case here, I have assumed that we become acquainted with two instances only out of every three. In Scotland, Ireland, and most parts of the Continent, the propor- tion of recorded to unrecorded occurrences must be still less. The fate of most of the examples of Syrrhaptes obtained in France, Germany, and England is rather curiously significant. In the first-named country the majority are stated to have been eaten (R.^Z. p. 391 ) ; in the second they were preserved as specimens and deposited in public museums ; while here they were also preserved, but generally retained in private hands. 216 Mr. A. Newton on the Irruption of 200 which were observed in Riigen (No. 16) on the 3rd of October, most likely on their return journey. But as I do not suppose that all the surviving visitors could have then collected together, we ought perhaps to allow some 50 more for those which were at that time scattered over Europe, even as far as Italy and the frontiers almost of Spain, many of which (say 35) have since been killed. This would bring the strength of the invading force at the first instance up to 665 or 715. It may be that in reality many more started : it would not surprise me to learn that some had tarried on the steppes of the Ukraine, or other places nearer their own home. And then, again, much larger flocks than those whose numbers are actually specified may have been seen in Western Europe, in Denmark, in Ger- many, and Holland ; but the statements are too vague to be of much use to us. A man who looked upon Syrrhaptes paradoxus as a very rare bird might consider himself justified in calling a party of a score or so a large flock. Any how, from the infor- mation we have, I do not think we can set down the number at less than 700. It has been represented to me by a naturalist for whose opinion I have a very great respect, that all the birds, even the first obtained, were in full moult, and therefore that it was highly improbable that any of them should remain to breed with us. I have already thrown out the suggestion that it is possible that some of them had already bred in their own country, before they commenced their journey. But, setting aside the undoubted facts, so circumstantially detailed, that a few of them did actually breed in Jutland and in Holland, and also that still later, in autumn and winter, young birds of the pre- ceding season, which were in all probability bred in Europe, have been recognized, as at Brieg (No. 7) and Ostend (No. 50), I would remind my readers that in the somewhat allied family, the Tetraonida, certain of the species are always on the moult from March to November, and therefore it is not unlikely that the same habit may obtain in the Pterodida^. From the accounts which I have received from many persons well qualified to judge, as also from my own experience of the specimens I * I see no occasion to follow Nitzsch's example (Pterylograpliie, p. 162) and make a distinct family of Syrrhaptidee. P alias's Sand- Grouse in 1863. 217 dissected, I am sure that most of the examples killed in May and June, both males and females, were in a condition to breed very shortly. The birds obtained later in the year, so far as I have observed, had successfidly progressed in or had accomplished their moulting ; and this is an additional testimony in favour of their well-doing in Europe. The beauty of the autumnal speci- mens, in their new apparel, far surpassed that of the earlier ones. And now to indulge myself in a few speculations on what may have brought about this irruption of which I have just given some of the details. I have conversed and corresponded with many of my ornithological brethren on the subject, and I have heard many ingenious suggestions respecting it, but, I must say, without meeting with a satisfactory solution of the difficulty. I commenced by observing, that in the records of ornithology it is an unparalleled event ; the nearest approach to it, that I am aware of, is the extraordinary visitation of Amp e lis yari-ulus to the valley of the Muonio River, in 1858, which I before mentioned in this journal (Ibis, 1861, p. 100). Yet that . fell far short of this irruption, inasmuch as the distance traversed by the wanderers was probably very much less. The influx of the same bird, the Waxwing,into England in the winter of 1849-50, and the great band of Nucifraga caryocatades which, in the autumn of 1844, pervaded AVestern and Central Europe, im- portant though they be, are events which were, probably, simply the results of the ordinary migi'atory impulse turned in a new direction, and in their efi'ects not comparable to the movement of which I have here endeavoured to compile an account; for in neither case was the migration attended with a real increase of the breeding-range of the species. In the first place it is only right that I should place before my readers some of the various reasons which have been suggested to account for the pre- sent occurrence. Dr. de Montessus considers that the Syr- rhaptes was driven from its proper home " par quelque com- motion atmospherique" (Rev. Zool. 1863, p. 393), and that, without doubt, some " revolution extraordinaire dans la nature bouleversee de sa patrie a determine une perturbation terrible dans ^essence de ce petit etre^' {op. cit. p. 394) ; but I confess myself at a loss to imagine of what nature this atmospherical VOL. IV. Q 218 Mr. A. Newton on the Irruption of commotion or this extraordinary revolution might be. He seems to think that the continuance of a week's violent north-east wind, which preceded the date (June 3rd) when his first ex- ample occurred, may have been sufficient to account for Now that such a wind may have deflected the course of our invaders I am not prepared to deny ; but then we know that ex- amples of this bird had been met with in Europe nearly three weeks before this wind began to blow. I cannot therefore agree to the suggestion*. Another cause has been imagined by Dr. Darracq, who conceives that the birds " pourraient fort bien avoir opere leur migration dans le cours de Fautomue dernier (1862), et leur retour se serait elFectue beaucoup plus tard que chez les autres especes. S'il en etait ainsi, il faudrait admettre qu'ils eussent suivi une route inaccoutumee '' (Rev. Zool. 1863, p. 401). But this, I would submit, does not touch the question. I am more ready to coincide with an expression that follows : — " Toutefois, convenons que Tinstinct d'emigration de la race ailee est tel, qu'il pent dejouer toutes nos theories, mettre a la torture Pesprit scrutateur le mieux exerce et lui causer plus d'une deception." In the letter which Mr. Hancock was good enough to place in my hands, and which I have before mentioned. Captain Carr states of these birds, " I think that their appearance in England during the last year or two may be partly accounted for by the colonization of the valley of the Amoor by the Russians, and the probably increased amount of land sown with seed along the roads leading from thence to European Russia. My idea is that some birds, instead of seeking food in the country around Pekin, have gone westward, supplying themselves with food from cultivated lands which a few years ago were in a state of nature — perhaps a desert." But I have said above that we ought not to assume that our visitors came from a region so re- mote as Eastern Siberia ; I therefore must dechne to acknowledge this as the true cause of the irruption. Dr. Altum, in the second of his valuable articles on the occur- rence of Syrrhaptes in Borkum, endeavours to account for its * I am bound to say, however, that it meets with the approval of no less high an authority than Professor Gratiolet (R. Z. 1863, p. 460). Pallas' s Sand- Grouse in 1863. 219 appearance as follows : — '^ I, for my part, think of the drought in Hungary, so forcibly represented to us in the newspapers this summer, and conceive that a like condition of weather may have laid all the freshwater lakes in their home quite dry, and scoi'ched up all vegetation, which may have caused the business of breeding, already begun, to be given over, and the old birds this year to become the nomads of other times " (Journ. f. Oru. 1863, p. 326). That such a reason might suflSce I fully admit; but is it a recognized fact that a drought so severe as to induce the effect we have to meet has really occurred from Hungary to the further shores of the Caspian ? and if it has, would it not bring about the expatriation of almost every other kind of bird ? for I look upon it that Syrrhaptes can and does maintain itself where most species would starve. Yet, as Mr. T. J. Moore has well remarked (Intellectual Ob- server, Oct. 1863, p. 205), with regard to the year of their former apparition (1859), that it produced no other unusual Eastern birds*, and I think the same (with the exception of Anthropoides virgo) may be said of the past summer, while, on the other hand, if Dr. Altum's suggestion be the right one, surely we should have had many other natives of Tartary turning up. Shall we then be far wrong in considering the proximate cause of this wonderful movement to be the natural overflow of the population of Srjrrhaptes, resulting from its ordinary in- crease ? It must be borne in mind that it cannot have many enemies in its own haunts. Radde, as I have mentioned, shows how nimbly it escapes from the attacks of Falcons; indeed the effects which most raptorial birds produce upon it as a species must be beneficial in maintaining a vigorous race, for any member of the flock assailed that is not in the highest condition will assuredly fall a prey to the pursuer, and thus only the * Mr. Moore does, indeed, cite one instance of the occuiTence in England that autumn of Otis tetrax; but when one considers that that is a species which is very abundant in many parts of Europe, certain districts in France among the rest, the probability is strongly against this example being of oriental origin. It is, besides, a bird which occurs nearly every year in this country. q2 220 Mr. A. Newton on the Irruption of healthiest individuals will live to propagate their kind. It is almost impossible that there can be enough Falcons to mate- rially thin the ranks of, and keep down the numbers of, a bird so swift and enduring in its flight as we know Syrrhaptes is. The time necessary for incubation and the growth of the young we also know, from Radde's observations, to be short in com- parison with what it is in most ground-breeding birds. Syr- rhaptes is therefore exempt from much risk which attends them. Again, regard those acuminated primaries, those filiform tail- feathers, those syndactylous feet, such as exist in no other bird. Do not they indicate a highly specialized organization ? Grant that the Sand-Grouse are, as a family, of inferior develop- ment. Does not Syrrhaptes show, to borrow an expression from that pregnant paper of Mr. Parker's (P. Z. S. 1863, p. 258), " the culmination of the Pterocline type of structure" ? Surely even those who refuse credit to the asserted validity of " natural selection " when urged to its utmost limits, must admit that this bird is probably the conquering hero of a long " strug- gle for existence." Under this conjecture it may be literally " seeking pastures new." It may have been striving to extend its range in all directions ; if so, assuredly it will have found the direction of least resistance. Northwards climatic causes would probably hinder its expansion ; eastwards the country is already stocked by its own race nearly as far as the Pacific ; southwards it would trench on the district occupied by its big brother, *S^. tibe- tanus; westwards therefore it must turn. It got its foot in Europe as long ago as 1853, it may be longer ; we must allow for the imperfection of our record. In 1859 it comes again, the stress being now, with time, severer : possibly more birds start, and the birds that start reach a greater distance. In 1863, from the same increasing pressure from within, still more come, and come still further. If this notion be correct, unless some physical change occurs in the Tartar steppes, which may have the efi'ect of relieving the pressure, another outpouring may be safely predicted, and probably the already thrice-found channel will be again used by the emigrating population. Let us look then to the naturalists of llussia, on whom the mantle of Pallas so worthily rests, to enlighten us still further as to Pallas' s Sand- Grouse in 1863. 221 the history of the bird which we strive to associate with his memory. Before quitting the subject, there is one point on which I must say a few words, which will be, I hope, not thought out of place. Hitherto, throughout this paper, I have contented my- self with merely recording the facts of this wonderful irruption. I have now to declare, as strongly as I am able, the feeling of utter disgust with which I have all along regarded the brutal and unnecessary slaughter of these harmless immigrants. In this feeling I am sure all true lovers of ornithology share. It has made the collecting and arranging of materials for this account, which, though a laborious, would have been otherwise a congenial task, from beginning to end irksome to me. I rejoice to say that not one single naturalist, who has favoured me with any communication on the subject, has ever, even in the ex- pression of opinions intended only for my private use, and which may therefore have been unguarded, given me reason to think that he approved the cruel massacre which has been perpetrated, while many have in the most forcible terms condemned it. In published notices^ so far as I know, only one person, whose boldness excites my wonder, has attempted to palliate it, and he, forsooth, writing of these birds, though desirous, he says, " to make them available for scientific purposes," has neglected to chronicle the exact date and locality of the slaughter he committed, thereby cutting himself off from the only excuse that would justify his acts. Perhaps he has made what atonement he could, and deposited the remains of his victims in some public museum. But so far from this having been the prevailing practice in this country among other Syrrhapticides, I know that but a short time ago not a single British-killed example of the species had found its way into the national collections of England, Ireland, or Scotland. What would have been the consequence had our recent visitors been allowed to remain unmolested, the informa- tion I have quoted from Denmark and Holland leaves no room for doubt. That much which is written in newspapers on " bird- murder" is arrant nonsense no naturalist will deny *. The editors * In November last a paragraph went the round of the papers, headed " Stupid Slaughter," " More shame to him," and with other similar titles. 232 Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, ^c. of those journals cannot be expected to have that special know- ledge which alone would enable them to detect the fallacies of which many of their correspondents; well-meaning though they be^ are guilty. And if such a man has the ear of an influential journal, and gets his remonstrance inserted in its columns, however inconclusive the arguments he brings forward may be, it only serves to exclude any further and, perhaps, better-reasoned communication on the topic. But I have especially to lament, as Mr. Gould, in his ' Birds of Great Britain,^ has done before me, that the Acclimatization Society established among us did not use its influence to restrain the destruction of the Sand-Grouse. Volunteers for naturalization as they were, they had a peculiar claim on its sympathies. Yet, instead of taking any step in that direction, this body confined itself to discussing at its annual dinner the merits of the species as an article of food — merits on which a score at least of the officers engaged in the late Chinese war were already able to pronounce. Had the Society exerted itself in the manner that might have been expected of it, my map would probably not have presented the dismal array of names which fringes the eastern shore of our island, and my readers would have been spared much pain in conning over the blood- stained roll which records the second irruption of Syrrhaptes paradoxus into England. Magdalene College, Cambridge, March 1864. XVII. — Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, S^c. We have received the following letters addressed " To the Editor":— 5 Peel Terrace, Brighton, November 24, 1863. Sir, — On the 19th September, as a man was watching his nets, near " the Dyke," the highest ground on these downs, a mentioning that a gentleman had shot an example of Syrrkaptes in the beginning of that month. Now, considering the season of the year, the death of that one bird could have no appreciable effect on the species at large ; I therefore consider blame in this case to have been somewhat un- necessarily applied, the more so since the person in question showed that he turned the specimen to good account by the intelligent notice he pub- lished respecting it. Had the like sarcastic remarks been made some months earlier, good might have followed. These were much too late. Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, ^c. 223 party of six Knots {Tringa canutus) came across, and all were secured at the same pull. If we take four as the supposed number of eggs laid by this bird, we have here the whole family, which had, most likely, that very day arrived from their breediug-giound in some unknown land, concerning the situ- ation of which 1 wish they could tell us. What took them into the net I cannot make out : I have known many birds do the same, without any apparent object. A Hobby [Falco subbuteo), now alive in my possession, was thus caught : the "reason why " he went there we understand ; but what takes Knots and Cross- bills, &c., in ? The only motive I can assign is curiosity — fatal to many besides the tribe of Aves. It is very strong, we are aware, in some species. I have seen a good deal of rearing birds from the nest, and am often astonished to observe with what different dispositions and characters they are hatched, which variations they preserve through life. I find in the same brood the greedy, the quarrelsome, the timid, and the mischievous. Of some Lesser Black-backed Gulls {Larus fitscus) kept in my garden, the prevaiHng characteristic of Mr. Jack is mischief; and his tricks, if related, would fill a small book — too much, therefore, for the patience of your readers : Bob, one of his com- panions, on the contrary, is the most quiet, unobtrusive creature possible — presenting the most marked difference. But to return to our Knots : a male and female of these were put into Sways- land's aviary, where I saw them. Certainly, if Sterne had ap- plied to them in the place of the Starling, we should have lost a very pretty bit of sentiment ; for instead of " We can't get out," it was nothing but " We are ready to stop in," and this at once apparently regardless of everybody. I never saw anything like their tameness and affection towards each other. Two Fire-crested Wrens [Regulus ignicapillus) were obtained by Mr. Svvaysland, in his garden, October 15, three being ob- served, all in company with Cole-Tits {Parus ater). One of the latter only was seen to enter the net ; on going up, however, a Regulus ignicapillus was also found ; another flew in, a few minutes after ; a third escaped. Comparing these with about a dozen specimens of the common sort {Regulus cristatus), I was surprised to find that the epithet " fire-crested " would apply 224 Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, 6fc. with much greater force and propriety to many of them. But, in addition to the black bands on the cheeks, there is a beautiful broad blush of orange-red round the neck of the rarer Regulus, which is absent in Regulus cristatus. I dislike changes of name ; yet " Fire-crested^^ appears to convey a wrong impression. Young naturalists fall in with a bright-crested male of one kind, and fancy that it is the other. I find, in my notes, the capture of a Regulus ignicapillus on the Dyke-road, near Brighton, re- corded, 29th October 1853; and Mr. Swaysland tells me of a fourth instance many years before. These are all the cases of its occurrence that I can give in these parts. A Crested Lark [Alauda cristata) was also brought in by a bird-catcher, from near Shoreham, alive, 20th October, as I saw the same day. If Mr. Morris's Sussex example counts as the second (though no particulars have been given), this would be the third time of its appearance in this country. I have reason to believe there have been more passing over this autumn. Lastly, a Sea Eagle [Haliaetus albicilla) was shot on the beach near New Shoreham, 12th November. It had been sailing in the air over the church, and is said to have weighed 10^ lbs. This is a quarter of a pound more than the bird killed, Febru- ary 1858, at Arundel. One of these Eagles appears to visit this neighbourhood every two or three years, as I have a memorandum of the death of another from an ornithological friend, 23rd February 1860, who states that it met its end not far from the Lighthouse, Seaford, a few days before. Their destruction I mention with regret. I am. Sir, Yours, &c., George Dawson Rowley. Lyon, le 29 Novembre, 1863. Monsieur, — Plusieurs ornithologistes se sont eleves contre la tendance de quelques auteurs k multiplier le nombre des especes, et cherchent au contraire k le diminuer autant que possible. D'autres, voulant eviter ces deux exces, y tombent quelquefois sans le vouloir. Les nombreux memoires qui ont ete publics. Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, ^c. 225 il y a peu d'annees, sur la question de I'espece, n'ont pas coin- pletement remedie k cet etat de choses. Car, sur ce point, il est plus facile d'etablir des theories que d^en faire ^application, et Ton pent dire sans trop se hasarder, que les naturalistes ne seront jamais d'accord sur le nombre d'especes dont se compose la faune d'une local ite. Toutefois, loin d^embrouiller la science, n'est-il pas plus profitable de decrire comme especcs toutes les races ou varidtes locales, pourvu qu^elles presentent des carac- teres appreciates et constantes ? Peu importe que la Pica mau- ritanica soit ou non une race de la Pica caudata d'Europe. Que fera-t-on de la Pica leuconota de Brehm, qui a ete observee en Suede et en Norvege par M. Meves (Ofvers. af K. Vet. Ak. Forhandl. 1860, p. 192), et que j'ai trouve sur notre marche de Lyon ? Quand il sera demontre que ce n'est qu^un age different de la Pie d'Europe, ou une variete du meme oiseau, alors seule- raent on pourra la faire disparaitre de la serie des especes. Pour ne pas trop nous appesantir sur une question qui nous menerait trop loin du sujet qui Fa motive, contentons-nous de signaler encore un autre desavantage de ^application trop severe du prin- cipe de la reduction des especes ; c'est de nous faire negliger une foule de formes ou de races, auxquelles on n'a attache jusqu^k present tres peu d'importance. De "ce nombre est la Starna palustris, Demeezemaker. Voici ce que m'a ecrit a ce sujet cet ornithologiste distingue : — " Bergues, le 27 Mars, 1863. " L'an dernier, vous avez eu la bonte de m^envoyer une variete de Perdrix de couleur un peu gris-cendre. Connaissez-vous son origine, et croyez-vous qu^on en trouve encore de semblables dans la localite d'ou elle vient?* Je vous fais cette demande, parce- que depuis une quinzaine d'annees je remarque une espece ou race de Perdi'ix qui a du rapport avec celle-ci, et dont la couleur dominante est un gris-bleuatre moins ondule de roussatre que la votre. Cette race existe dans notre pays. En voici I'bisto- rique. Cette Perdrix se trouve dans une contree d'une dixaine * L'oiseau dont il est question ici a ete trouve au marche de Lyon, mais sans aucune indication sur son origine. Un autre exemplaire, achete egale- ment au marche de Lyon, est, si je m'en souviens bien, un peu plus fort de taille que le premier. — L. O.-G. 226 Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, &c, de kilometres de largeur sur une quinzaine de longueur bornee au nord par la mer, k Pouest par la route de Bergues a Dun- kerque, au sud par le canal de la Basse-Calene^ et ^ Pest par la Belgique en depassant la frontiere de quelques kilometres. De cette espece, une ti-entaine de sujets ont ete tues k ma connais- sance, tant jeunes qu'adultes ; tons les jeunes etaient identique- ment semblables, et tons les adultes egalement semblables entre eux. Ceux-ci ont le jaune de la tete et de la gorge comme la Perdrix ordinaire, ainsi que le fer a cheval de la poitrine; mais les couleurs en sont tres-pales, comme dans Pindividu que j'ai repu de vous. Cette espece ou race est connue des chasseurs du pays, qui Pappellent Perdrix de marais. II est vrai que le terrain sur lequel on la trouve se compose en partie de terres basses et de marais dessechesj mais on ne la trouve jamais dans les marais proprement dits. Les deux premieres que j'ai vues avaient ete tivees du meme coup de fusil, ce qui me portait ft croire qu^il y en avait une compagnie entiere. C'etait a pen de distance au- delh, de la frontiere de Belgique. Peu de temps apres j'en ai tue deux individus isoles ; il semblait qu'elles ne recherchaient pas les Perdrix ordinaires, ou qu'elles en etaient rebutes. Huit jours apres, mon fils en a tue encore une aussi isolement, et suc- cessivement des chasseurs' m'en ont envoye en communication. Au mois de Fevrier dernier, il y en avait une au marche de Duu- kerque ; une compagnie entiere existait pres de Bergues il y a deux ans, mais elle a bientot ete detruite. Un de nos gardes en a vu ensemble au mois de Janvier (1863). Enfin douze sujets, tant jeunes qu'adultes, ont ete prepares dans le pays. " II me semble que ces Perdrix, se reproduisant toujours sous la meme livree, ne peuvent pas plus que la Perdrix de montagne (dont je ne connais que deux exemplaires tues dans le Pas de Calais), etre consideres comme variete de la Perdrix grise." Je dois a I'obligeance de Monsieur Demeezemaker un jeune sujet de cette Perdrix, qui ofFre les caracteres suivants : — Meme disposition de couleurs que dans la Starna cinerea. Les taches longitudinales du bas du corps sont mieux marquees et plus apparentes, attendu qu'elles sont d'un blanc assez pur, et rehaussees de chaque cote par une teinte noire assez foncee, Les teintes gendrales sont un gris-cendre, un peu bleuatre. Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices,