Letters, Announcements, <Sfc. 253 



while the specific name modestus will have to drop into a 

 synonym oi Reyuluides proregulus (Pall.)*. 



A fine mature male example of the Black Kite, Milvus migrans 

 (Bodd. 1783) {Falco ater, Gmel. 1788), came into my pos- 

 session in a fresh state on the 11th of May, 1866. It was 

 taken in a trap hy Mr. F. Fulger, the Duke of Northumberland's 

 game-keeper, a few days before, in the Red Deer park at 

 Alnwick. This is, I believe, the first time that this fine rapacious 

 bird has occurred in Britain. The plumage was in very good 

 condition, except on the lower part of the body (where it had 

 sustained some injury from the trap), and agrees with that of 

 mature specimens in my collection, which I received from the 

 continent some years ago. It was proved by dissection to be 

 a male. 



On the 15th of February last I saw a fine specimen in a fresh 

 state of a mature Ivory-Gull [Larus eburneus, Phipps). It was 

 obtained by Mr. E. Crawshay a day or two before, at Islay, on 

 the west coast of Scotland. The bird was in very poor con- 

 dition and had no appearance of having been shot. 



I am, &c., 

 * John Hancock. 



* [Mr. Swinlioe had already shown (P. Z. S. 1863, p. 297) the dis- 

 tinctness of R. superciliosus and R. proregulus, which had been thought 

 (Journ. f. Orn. 1853, pp. 81-96, taf.i., and 'Ibis' 1862, pp. 53-5/) to be 

 synonymous ; but he was not aware that the Regulus modestus of Mr. 

 Hancock's former notice and the Regulus modestus of Mr. Gould were 

 specifically different. He rightly identified Mr. Hancock's specimen with 

 R. superciliosus, but quoted " Regulus modestus, Gould, " as a synonym, 

 under the impression, which, we believe, has hitherto generally prevailed, 

 that the bird shot in Northumberland and that obtained in Dalmatia were 

 specifically identical. We have no doubt that our correspondent, Mr. 

 Hancock, is right in what he now says ; and the common English name of 

 " Dalmatian Regulus " ought to give place to that of " Yellow-browed 

 Warbler," bestowed by Latham in 1/83. It remains to be proved to 

 which of the two species the numerous examples met with by Mr. Giitke 

 in Heligoland belong : those obtained near Berlin, to judge from the plate 

 given by Dr. Cabanis (J. f. O. 1853, ut supr.), doubtless pertain to R. 

 superciliosus. — Ed.] 



