Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, S^c. 199 



almost identical, and in G. R. Gray's list, New Guinea specimens 

 are put as T. dea. If so, then the larger white-tailed species 

 found in Amboyna and Ceram is undescribed, and is perhaps 

 the same as the white-tailed specimens from the Kaisa Islands, 

 sent with my Batchian collections*. The Carpophaga perspicil- 

 lata of Amboyna differs also from those of Gilolo and Batchian 

 in the much lighter colour of the head. Now, I believe in all 

 these cases, where the difference is constant, we must call them 

 distinct species. A 'permanent local variety' is an absurdity 

 and a contradiction ; and, if we once admit it, we make species 

 a matter of pure opinion, and shut the door to all uniformity 

 of nomenclature." 



To the Editor of ' The Ibis: 



Feb. 27, 1860. 



Sir, — I wish to correct an error in my paper on Egyptian 

 birds (Ibis, vol. i. p. 47), where I call the only species of Shrike 

 I procured or saw in Egypt Lanius excubitor. I have since 

 shown my specimen to Mr. H. B. Tristram, who declares that it 

 is Lanius dealbatus, differing from his specimens from the 

 Algerian Sahara only in having the white of the under parts 

 less pure. I was unacquainted with Lanius dealbatus when I 

 was in Egypt six years ago, and when I wrote the paper for ' The 

 Ibis,' I had not my specimen by me ; hence the mistake. I am 

 surprised that Mr. Tristram found Pterocles arenarius and P. al- 

 chata so very unpalatable (Ibis, vol. ii. p. 70). This fact differs 

 strikingly from my experience in Egypt of Pterocles exustus 

 and P. senegalensis, which species we used to consider veiy good 

 eating, the flesh of the thigh especially being peculiarly white 

 and tender. However, our Dragoman was an artist of no ordi- 

 naiy culinary skill, which may perhaps in some degree account 

 for the different opinion Mr. Tristram and I have formed of the 

 esculent merits of the birds of the genus Pterocles. 



Yours, &c., 

 E. C. Taylor. 



* Mr. Gray has named the Havre Dorey bird T. galatea (P. Z. S. 1859, 

 p. 154). That from Ternate must be the true T. dea, Ternate being the 

 locaUty given for the Alcedo dea of the old authors. We beUeve that Mr. 

 Gray refers the examples from Batchian and from the Kaisa islands to dif- 

 ferent species both undescribed. — Ed. 



