76 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 



gracilis * a term preoccupied by Falco gracilis Temminck.t which is a 

 .synonym of Geranospizias caerulescens (Vieillot). It may, therefore, be 

 called Cerchneis araea, nora, nov. 



Cerchneis alopex deserticola Reichenow. 



The name Cerchneis alopex deserticola, proposed by Dr. Reichenow i 

 for a west African hawk, is preoccupied by Falco sparverius deserticolus 

 Mearns,§ now conceded to be the same as Cerchneis sparveria phalaena 

 (Lesson). The African bird therefore requires a new title, and may 

 stand as Cerchneis alopex eremica, nora. nov. 



Family Rallidae. 

 Rallus intermedius Milue-Edwards. 



The fossil rail called Rallus intermedius by Milne Edwards || needs a 

 new name, for its present one is invalidated by Rallus intermedius Her- 

 mann,? which is now a synonym of Porzana pusilla (Pallas). The fossil 

 species (Rallus intermedius Milue-Edwards) may therefore be known as 

 Rallus adelus Oberholser, nora. nov. 



* Traitfi d'Ornith., 1831 (May, 1830), p. 93 (loc. ign.). 



tNouv.Rec. Planch. Color. d'Ois., I, livr. 16, Nov. ,1821, pi. 91 and text (Eastern Brazil). 

 t Ornith. Monatsber., VII, No. 12, December, 1899, p. 1 90 (Mangu, hinterland of Togo, 

 western Africa). 



§ Auk, IX, No. 3, July, 1892, p. 263 (Fort Verde, Arizona). 



II Oiseaux Foss. de la France, II, 1869-1S71, p. 144 (vicinity of Paris, France). 



t Obs. Zool., 1, 1804, p. 19S (Argentor River, France). 



