Recent Ornithological Publications. 21 1 



that this last really belongs to the Sturnidce [Gracula), to which 

 group the new bird is also referred. 



The two specimens from which the species, and genus, is de- 

 scribed were obtained in February 1864, by the late Dr. Bern- 

 stein (whose premature death is so much to be regretted), from 

 the island of Soula Mangouli, lying between Borneo and Min- 

 danao. To judge from the very beautiful plate which illustrates 

 the paper, Charitornis fills among the Starlings the position of 

 Ui'ocissa among the Crows. 



Professor Schlegel's second paper is one which requires a 

 more detailed notice, since it is made up of " Contributions a 

 la Faune de Madagascar et des iles avoisinantes, d'apres les de- 

 couvertes et observations de MM. Fran9ois Pollen et M. D.-C. 

 Van Dam," and contains descriptions of several new species. 

 These are Nisus brutus, Dicrurus waldeni, Zosterops flavirostris, 

 and Columba pulleni from the island of Mayotte, and Noctua 

 polleni and Xenopirostris dami from Madagascar. Professor 

 Schlegel is unwilling to accord specific rank to Mr. Gurney^s 

 Tinnunculus newtoni (Ibis, 1863, p. 34, pi. 2) and T. gracilis 

 (Lesson), stating that the examples sent from the island of 

 Nossi-Be by MM. Pollen and Van Dam agree perfectly with 

 a type specimen of Cuvier^s Falco punctatus received from the 

 Paris Museum ; but, writing with a not inconsiderable series of 

 Kestrels from Madagascar, Mauritius, and the Seychelles before 

 us, we have no doubt whatever as to the birds from these three 

 localities belonging to as many perfectly distinct species. It is 

 a matter of very small importance whether the name bestowed 

 upon the Madagascar species is to be retained or not ; and this 

 point can only be settled when we have ascertained from which 

 island the types of Cuvier's F. punctatus were obtained. If they 

 came from Madagascar, as we gather from Professor SchlegeFs 

 statement (Mus. des Pays-Bas, Falcones, p. 29), then the Mau- 

 ritian bird, hitherto generally regarded as the true Tinnunculus 

 punctatus, will require a new specific distinction. We, however, 

 quite agree with our author in considering the Tchitrea pretiosa 

 of Lesson, the T. mutata (L.), and the T. holosericea (Temm.) 

 synonymous, these names having been applied to the same 

 species in difi"erent plumages {cf. P. Z. S. 1865, p. 835). 



p2 



