( 152 ) 

 1. Progne coucolor Gnuld.* 



Hivumlo coiicoliir, Gould in Prof\ yCooI. Hoc. Lund. p. 22 (1837). 



Ptoijne i-oiiciilor, Salvia in Tninx. Zoiil. Soc. Loud. IX. p. 470 ; .Sharpe, Cat. li. Brit. Mia. X. p. 17fi; 



Sharpe & Wyatt. Monograph SimUows, II. p. 4G3, pi. 90. 

 Hirunilo iimclfKla, Xrboux in Rev. Zwtl. p. 291 (1840). 

 Progne mnilexla, Gould, Zool liaigle, III. Jiirds, p. :i9, pi. f> ; Kidgway iu Proc. U.S. Xiil. .I/hs. 



XIX. p. 505. 



This species ilifters from F. subis (= purpurea) in its consideraMy smallci- 



size, the wing of the adult mole not measuring more than 130 mm., and generally 



less, and in the absence of tlie concealed s])ot under the wing. The underside oftlie 



Jemnlf differs widely from tliat of the Jr/nfi/r of /'. ■■<i(/jis, being deep sooty brown 



without any white. 



Darwin discovered this swallow on James Island (not Chatham Island, as 

 quoted by mistake in Caf. li. Brit. Mii.'<. X. p. 170), Xeboux obtained it on Charles 

 Island, Townsend on Indefatigable, where it had also been seen by Habel, Baur 

 {American 2ial(iralist, Ls'JT, p. 783) mentions it from Barrington (teste Ncboux), 

 and we have received a beautiful series of twenty-six skins from Charles, Chatham, 

 and Albemarle Islands. 



" The iris is brown iu both sexes, feet and bill black." 



Genus HIRUNDO L. 

 Nearly cosmopolitan. 



1. Hirundo rustica erythrogastra Bodd. 



Hitundo tifijthrogastcf Bodd. Tail. PL Enl. p. 45 (1783 j. 



Five skins of the North American swallow were procured iu October and 

 November on ( 'harles iuul < 'hatham Islands. Tliey are doubtless migrants from 

 the north. 



Genus GEOSPIZA .J. Gould. 

 (Plate VI.) 



Geospiza, J. Gould, in P. Zuol. Sur. Land. 1837. p. 5 (Type : G. nuiynirustiis). 

 Cactornis, J. Gould, ilnd. p. G (Type : C. srandens). 

 Camarhiinvhus, J. Gould, ihkl. p. tj (Type : C. pxilttirnlti). 

 Platyspiza, Bidgway, in P. f/..S. Xal. J/».s-. XIX. p. 54r, (IHHC). 

 Oiclospiza, Kidgway, ibid. p. .540 (1896). 



In the Catalofpie of Birds Dr. Sharpe recognised the three genera created by 

 Gould in 1837, but Mr. Kidgway, in 1894 and 1890, united Geo.ynza and Cnrfor//i.s 

 for good reasons, keeping, however, Camarhynchm separate, without, in our opinion, 

 sufficient reasons, and created two new generic names {Cactospizu and /'/(if>/.spizi/), 

 without need and to no practical purpose, as he did not even use these terms in his 

 nomenclature. We cannot see the use of subgeneric names, as they are, by universal 

 agreement, not to be used in nomenclature. If it is convenient to separate gronjis 

 within a genus they may be named a, h, c, or groups with longer, intermediate or 



* The name concolor has been rejected on account of the existence of a I/iruiula coneolor of Sykes in 

 1S32. As, however, Sykes' cJiirolcr belongs to another genus, there is no logical reason for rejecting that 

 name. The disturbing jiaragraph •' once a synonym always a synonym " i.s a great mistake if ado]jted in 

 similar cases. We are not accepting tliis custom, and one of us has already elsewhere written on 

 the subject. 



