224 Bibliographical Notices. 



but with the exception of the skin alone, and the description of the 

 outward form of the bird, we have received almost no other inform- 

 ation ; in fact, we are more deficient in our knowledge of the ceco- 

 nomy of Australian species than of those of any other quarter of the 

 world. This department should be Mr. Gould's great object : he 

 should endeavour to collect everything, together with what he can 

 himself observe, regarding the manners of those species which have 

 given rise to so much speculation among our systematists, and to se- 

 cure for after- dissection individuals of the various genera, which he 

 well knows have long been desiderata to the comparative anatomist, 

 Apteryx, Menura, Alectura, &c. We firmly trust that health and 

 strength may be spared to him actively to go about his work, and 

 safely to return again to his native country. 



Chcetura macroptera. Mr. Gould should endeavour to procure in- 

 formation regarding the manners of this bird, particularly its scanso- 

 rial habits. Most of the Hirundinidte make use of the tail as a sup- 

 port when resting, or when constructing their nests ; but the authen- 

 ticity of the fact of their climbing on the face of cliffs in search of 

 food rests scarcely on complete evidence, and it will be a curious 

 circumstance if confirmed, in the ceconomy of birds possessing so 

 great extent and power of wing. — Dacelo cervina, a beautiful spe- 

 cies, and apparently very rare ; Mr. Gould remarks that only two 

 specimens are known in London . This is another genus of birds 

 worthy of attention ; a good account of their manners would be a 

 valuable acquisition to our knowledge. — P achy cephala pector alls, M. 

 & F. The females of this genus have frequently been described under 

 distinct names from the opposite sex. — Amadina castanotis, M. & F. 

 — Nestor hypopolius. — Platycercus ktematogaster, n. s. — Myzomela 

 nigra, n. s., a curious species, the colours black and white, with 

 nearly the same distribution as in M. cardinalis. — Apteryx Australis, 

 an interesting figure of this very singular and still little-known bird. 

 Mr. Gould mentions the existence of four specimens in the London 

 collections, and from his examination of them has been led to con- 

 clude that it will range among the Struthionida, (where also Mr. 

 Swainson places it in the tenuirostral type,) but that between the 

 large members of this family and the Apteryx there may be supposed 

 to exist several undiscovered intermediate links ; indeed he mentions 

 in the description, that at a meeting of the Zoological Society, a na- 

 tive of New Zealand, who was present, when shown the Apteryx, 

 stated that he knew another kind, " with a shorter bill." — The last 

 figure in the number is JEgialitis (Charadrius) Monachus, a chastely 

 coloured species, and now not very uncommon in our collections. 



