398 Mr, T{. Svviuhoe on Amoy Ormthohgy. 



first winglct-fcather, and of first qnill pure white. Secondaries 

 broadly tipped with white. 



Dissection : — Testes small. Gizzard containing dark green 

 digested matter, mixed with large quantities of small, smooth 

 siliceous grit. The green matter was dry, and composed chiefly 

 of remains of Notonectce and Dytisci, mixed with what I took to 

 be pond-weed. Cseca long. 



I note in Gray^s * Genera of Birds ' that Bewick's Swan is 

 set down as " Cygnus yninor, Pallas." Pallas did not make a 

 species of it ; he simply noted it under Cygnus olor as " var. 

 /3." The word minor is the commencement of his description 

 (Zoogr. B.-As. ii. p. 214). It is consequently only "C. olor, 

 var. /3, Pallas," which form of designation not being admissible 

 as specific, Pallas's priority in pointing out the distinction be- 

 tween this and the common species must give way, and Yarrell's 

 name, C. hewicki, be adopted. 



February 2nd. — Beceived the skin of a Curlew, smaller than 

 Numenius arcuatus. This must be " no. 29 " of Mr. Cassin's 

 paper in the Philadelphia ' Proceedings,' on the Birds of 

 Hakodadi (Japan), criticized by myself (Ibis, 1863, p. 445). 

 It seems to me to be a good species, and to add another to our 

 already long list of Curlews. Mr. Cassin has not proposed for 

 this bird a name ; I will therefore introduce it as 



Numenius cassini, sp. nov. 



Length of skin 17*5 in. ; wing 10*25 in. ; tail 4*5 in., of twelve 

 feathers. Bill from forehead 4*7 in. Naked tibia 1*6 in., tarse 

 3*25 in., mid toe and claw 1*7 in., outer and inner toes of 

 nearly equal length. Sides of breast with big long spots. Toes 

 short. Back largely shaded with blackish-brown on centres of 

 feathers. This species is certainly distinct from N. arcuatus 

 and N. major, and is more of a size and colour with the smaller 

 N. uropygialis, but wants the barred rump of that species. 

 Bill curving more rapidly towards the tip, shorter, and not 

 nearly so broad at the base as in N. arcuatus. Tarse longer, 

 middle toe shorter, outer and inner toes more of a length than 

 in that species. 



Feb. 6th. — Returned from a few delightful days of Duck-shoot- 



