Vertebrata. Zoological Collections. 109 



description, these are the only differences. If the specimens be ultimately 

 proved to be alike, the species should stand in our systems as Larus Scoresbii, 

 Traill, — with the other names as synonymes. I)r Traill's specimen was 

 brought home in a vessel from New South Shetland ; those of the Zoolo- 

 gical Society came from the Straits of Magellan W. J. 



Asiatic Snipe. — It has been generally supposed, that the common snipe is 

 found distributed over the whole world ; but the more minute attention which 

 has lately been paid to the characters of birds has proved the American snipe 

 to be a distinct species, and Prince Charles Bonaparte has named it Scolopax 

 Wilsonii. Having lately had an opportunity of examining the bird which the 

 writers on the natural history of India have called the snipe ( Scolopax gallinago, 

 Horsf. and Raffles, Lin. Trans, xiii.) I find it to be equally distinct from 

 the European and American ones. It agrees with the European bird in 

 every character of colour and dimensions, but the tail has, besides its com- 

 mon tail-feathers, a series of small linear rigid incurved false tail-feathers on 

 each side of the under part, very distinct from the other feathers by their 

 form and rigidity. I propose to call this the Asiatic Snipe, olr Scolopax 

 Horsfieldiiy after the accurate describer of Javanese birds. It is scattered 

 over the continent of India, and is found also in Java, and at Canton, in 

 China J. E. Gray, 1st Nov. 1830. 



South African Zoology (Extract from a letter from Dr Andrew Smith, 



to N. A. Vigors, Esq.) — " Cape Town, 8th September, 1830. — I am sure 

 you will be pleased to learn that I have discovered another species of 

 Macroscelides, as well as a new one of Erinaceus ,• and three species of the 

 genus Otis, together with one of Brachypteryx. The descriptions of these 

 I hope to be able to forward to you in the course of three weeks or a month. 

 The first is designated in our Museum, Macroscelides rupestris ; the second, 

 Erinaceus Capensis ; the third, fourth, and fifth, Otis Vigorsii, Ot. ferox, 

 and Ot. Afrao'ides ; the sixth, Brachypteryx Horsfieldii. The first was 

 found by myself on the mountains near to the mouth of the Orange river,, 

 and the circumstance of its always residing among rocks, together with the 

 difference in its colouring, readily pointed it out as being of a distinct species. 

 As to the colour, the most marked distinction consists in the Cape species 

 having a large tawny rufous or chestnut blotch on the nape and back of the 

 neck. The second, Erinaceus Capensis, exhibits considerable affinity to the 

 European species, yet betrays such marked peculiarities as to warrant its 

 being considered as reaUy different from it. The third, Otis Vigorsii, 

 inhabits the most dry and barren situations in the south of Africa, and is 

 known among the colonists by the name of Karor Koran. The prevailing 

 colour above is a light tawny or reddish yellow, and below tawny gray, 

 passing into dirty white on the belly. The back is variegated by numerous 

 violet blotches or reflections, as well as by whitish spots, and the under 

 parts by transverse narrow zigzag black lines. The fourth is above princi- 

 pally tawny yellow, and below dull bluish gray : it is found in the country 

 toward Latakoo. The fifth is met with on the flats near the Orange river, 

 and is called the Bushman Koran. "With the exception of a great portion 

 of the quill feathers being white, it resembles much the common Koran of 

 the colony, the Otis Afra. The sixth is met with in high rocky situations, 

 and agrees in most respects with the generic character of Brachyptei-yx, as ' 

 described by Dr Horstield."— .^nn. of Phil. Jan. 1831. 



Caille des Isles Malouines, Buff. (Perdix Falklandica, Lath.) — a species of 



Coturnix At a meeting of the Zoological Society in November last, Mr 



Vigors stated, that Captain P. P. King, R. N. had pointed out to him, 

 amongst his collection lately brought home from the Straits of Magellan, 

 specimens of a bird which he made no doubt was the same as the Caille des 



