452 Zoological Society : — 



Totus pure cinereus, singulis plumis annulis alternantibus 

 albidis et nigrescentibus tenuissime notatis ; striga supra- 

 oculari a loris hide ad aures usque producta alba ; epigastrio 

 pallidiore ; abdomine imo crisso et cruribus Jlavescenti- albidis ; 

 remigibus nigro-fuscescentibus pogonio interno ferrugineo-ful- 

 vescente fasciatis ; cauda dorso concolore, distinctius transver- 

 sim lineolata ; rectricibus duabus intermediis unicoloribus, reli- 

 quis fasciis duabus latis nigris ante apic em notatis, omnibus sub - 

 tus pallidioribus ; rostro et pedibus nigris ; iride obscure grisea. 

 Long. tot. circa 28"; rost. a nar. 13"'; al. 12"; caud. 10"; 

 tars. 5" 2'"; dig. med. 2"; dig. int. 1" 3'"; dig. ext. 1" 5'"; pollic. /'". 



Remarks on the Anas (Anser) erythropus of Linnaeus. 

 By Alfred Newton, M.A., F.Z.S. 

 The determination of the species established by Linnaeus has 

 always been held by naturalists a matter of so great importance, 

 that I have no scruple in occupying a portion of your time this 

 evening with a few remarks respecting the bird which, in the 1 2th 

 edition of his ' Systema Naturae ' is designated by the name of 

 "Anas erythropus ; " especially also as one of his editors (the late 

 learned Professor Retzius), though noticing the " mira circa hanc 

 avern confusio," has, in my opinion, failed to give a satisfactory 

 solution of the difficulty. It will be, I think, universally admitted 

 that the names employed by Linnaeus, when, as in the present in- 

 stance, they are drawn from any physical character, are remarkably 

 apposite. This consideration of itself should have served as a warn- 

 ing to ornithologists against their imagining, as many have done, 

 that he could possibly mean to apply the name " erythropus" to a 

 species like the Bernicle Goose, with which he was sufficiently 

 familiar, and to which it was in no degree suitable. 



It will, perhaps, be convenient to examine first on what founda- 

 tion "Anas erythropus" was established. 



In the 12th edition of the ' Systema Naturae ' (Holmiae, 1/66) we 

 find (vol. i. pars 1. pp. 197-8) the species as the eleventh in order 

 of the genus Anas, and the account given is : — 



"A. cinerea, fronte alba. Faun. Svec. 116." [I omit all the syno- 



nymsborrowed from other authors.] "Rostrum rubrum. Pedes rubri" 



Now these latter characters clearly can have no reference to the 



Bernicle Goose, even if that species were not elsewhere included as 



Anas bernicla, var. (3. 



Turning then to the edition of the * Fauna Suecica ' cited (Stock- 

 holmiae, 1761), we have (p. 41) as follows: — 



"116. Anas erythropus cinerea ; fronte alba. Fn. 92 



Anser cinereus ferus, torque inter oculos et rostrum albo, erythropus. 

 W. Botniensibus Fjaell-gas. *labitat in Helsingia, Lapponiae alpibus." 

 To this succeeds a description of the male, which I admit is open 

 to objection ; but the matter, in my opinion, is rendered conclusive 

 by the description of the female, which, in the edition of the 'Fauna 

 Suecica' here referred to, and published fifteen years previously 

 (Lugd. Bat. 1746), is alone given. It is this : — 

 " Rostrum sordide carneum, frons alba. Caput, collum, dorsum, 



