128 General Notes. 



Scolecophagus preoccupied. 



Scolecophagus Swainson, 1831, commonly used for a genus of North 

 American birds, is preoccupied by Scolecophagus Geoffroy, 1795. For the' 

 genus of birds known as Scolecophagus the term Euphagus may be em- 

 ployed. The latter was used by Cassin in 1866 (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. 

 Phila., 1866, p. 413) for Psarocolius cyanocephalus Wagler. The two spe- 

 cies will thus stand as: Euphagus carolinus (Miiller), and Euphagus cyano- 

 cephalus (Wagler). — Charles W. Richmond. 



On the name Eniconetta. 



Polysticta Eyton, 1836, as the generic name for Steller's Duck, has long 

 since been rejected in favor of Eniconetta Gray, 1840, because of an al- 

 leged earlier Polysticte Smith, 1836 (sometimes erroneously quoted 

 "1835"). It can be said, however, that Eyton's Polysticta was published 

 in April, 1836 (Catal. Brit. Birds, p. 58), while Smith's Polysticte ap- 

 peared not earlier than June (Smith consistently quotes it "June, 1836" 

 in his Illustrations of South African Zoology), and possibly even later. 

 Smith did not return from his expedition into the interior of South 

 Africa until the middle of March, 1836, after which he prepared his 

 "Report of the Expedition for Exploring Central Africa," published at 

 Cape Town. The date cited by Smith may mean that of the completion 

 of his MS. In any event Eyton's name Polysticta is prior to Polysticte 

 Smith, and should be used for Anas stelleri Pallas. — Charles W. Richmond. 



