404 Mr. A. Newton on the Anas erythropus of Linncms. 



LI. — Remarks on the Anas (Anser) erythropus o/Z/mw«MS*. 

 By Alfred Newton, M.K., F.Z.S. 



The determination of the species estabHshed by Linnseus has 

 always been held by naturalists a matter of so great importance, 

 that I have no scruple in occupying a portion of your time this 

 evening with a few remarks respecting the bird which, in the 

 12th edition of his ' Systema Naturae/ is designated by the 

 name of " Anas erythropus •/' especially also as one of his editors 

 (the late learned Professor Retzius), though noticing the " mira 

 circa banc avem confusio/^ has, in my opinion, failed to give a 

 satisfactory solution of the difficulty. It will be, I think, uni- 

 versally admitted that the names employed by Linnseus, when, 

 as in the present instance, they are drawn from any physical 

 character, are remarkably apposite. This consideration of itself 

 should have served as a warning to ornithologists against their 

 imagining, as many have done, that he could possibly mean to 

 apply the name " erythropus " to a species like the Bernicle 

 Goose, with which he was sufficiently familiar, and to which it 

 was in no degree suitable. 



It will, perhaps, be convenient to examine first on what foun- 

 dation "Anas erythropus " was established. 



In the I2th edition of the ' Systema Naturse' (Holmise, 1766) 

 we find (vol. i. part 1. pp. 197-8) the species as the eleventh in 

 order of the genus Anas, and the account given is : — 



"A. cinerea, fronte alba. Faun. Svec. 116." [I omit all the 

 synonyms borrowed from other authors.] "Rostrum rubrum. 

 Pedes riibri." 



Now these latter characters clearly can have no reference to 

 the Bernicle Goose, even if that species were not elsewhere in- 

 cluded as Anas bernicia, var. /Q. 



Turning then to the edition of the ' Fauna Suecica ' cited 

 (Stockholmise, 1761), we have (p. 41) as follows : — 



" 116. Anas erythrojms cinerea ; fronte alba. Fn. 92 



Anser cinereus ferns, torque inter oculos et rostrum albo, ery- 

 thropus. W. Botniensibus Fjsell-gas. Habitat in Helsingia, Lap- 

 ponise alpibus," 



* This paper was read before the Zoological Society at their meeting on 

 the 26th June last, and is extracted from the ' Proceedings.' It has been 



