170 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 



MATERIAL FOR A MONOGRAPH OF THE SPHENISCIDJS. 

 BY DR. ELLIOTT COUES, U. S. ARMY. 



This paper is based chiefly upon the specimens contained in the 

 Philadelphia Academy and Smithsonian Institution, one portion 

 of it representing a descriptive catalogue thereof. The Academy's 

 collection is the largest and most nearly perfect in this country, 

 and has not heretofore been worked up; while that of the Smith- 

 sonian is particularly valuable because it contains the t}-pes of all 

 the species described as new by Mr. T. R. Peale, in 1848. With 

 this material is collated that in the Museum of the Boston Society, 

 as recently elaborated by the custodian, Prof. Hyatt. Extensive 

 lists of s} T nonyms have been prepared, representing, it is believed, 

 every name, generic or specific, that has been proposed for these 

 birds, with numerous additional references. Some anatomical 

 investigations have been made in an attempt to determine the 

 genera. An annotated list, in chronological order, of the prin- 

 cipal authorities upon the subject, from the Linnasan starting- 

 point to the present day, is likewise given. 



I. ON THE LITERATURE OF THE SUBJECT. 



1766. Linnjeus, Syst. Nat. i. pp. 214, 219. Gives two species, 

 under different genera. One, Diomedea demersa, based on Wil- 

 loughb}', 242, Edwards, 94 (black-footed penguin), Clusius, 101 

 (Anser magellanicus), and Brisson, vi. pp. 97, 99, pi. 9 (Sphe- 

 niscus 1 noevius) is now the Sphenicus demersus auct. It is 

 quoted from the Cape of Good Hope. The other, Phaeton demer- 

 sus, is based upon Edwards, 49 (red-footed penguin), and the 

 Catarractes 1 of Brisson, vi. 102; it is the Eudyptes catarractes of 

 this paper. In strict interpretation, the species should be called 



1 These names, Sphcniscus and Catarractes, conflict with no Linnrean 

 genera, and so far are tenable. Spheniscus holds; but the other is ante- 

 dated by Catarractes of Mohring, and therefore falls, since Mohring's 

 name does not conflict with a Linnsean one. If the very strict rules that 

 some contend for should go in force among the penguins, I hardly know 

 what would become of our nomenclature of the group. The bouleversement 

 of the familiar names would certainly be complete. 



