Letters, Announcements, ^c. Ill 



as in the male. The bill, from the peculiar conformation of 

 the lower mandible, shows a decided inclination to " gape," 

 as in Anastomus. We think that Mr. Elliot might have se- 

 lected a more appropriate name for this singular bird. It 

 is not like any Pachycephala with which we are acquainted ! 

 If he had called it myiolestoides, it would have expressed its 

 likeness much better, and been three letters shorter ! ! It is 

 exactly like a Myiolestes in shape and coloration, and, but 

 for the bill, would be taken for one when in the hand^. 



E. L. L. & L. L. 



Bremen, October 18, 1878. 

 Sirs, — As a supplement to the note of Mr. H. Gatke (Ibis, 

 1878, p. 489), on the capture of a specimen oi Larus affinis, 

 Reinh., on Heligoland, I beg leave to record two more cases 

 of the occurrence of this species in Europe. When in Leiden 

 last June, I took occasion to compare my specimens of Gulls 

 from Siberia with those in the Museum. In the extensive 

 series of Larus argentatus at Leiden I found a specimen la- 

 belled " Larus argentatus, 16 November 1863, Tajo, Lis- 

 sabon," which belongs undoubtedly to L. affinis, although it 

 is a young bird, with blackish bill (yellow at the base and 

 tip). A second specimen, shot by Herr F. A. Verstor, 

 14 August 1874, at Katwijk, near Leiden, labelled also *' L. 

 argentatus," belongs also to L. affinis. It is likewise a young- 

 bird, with black primaries and tail-feathers (the latter barred 

 at their bases with white), but in process of change to full 

 dress. The dark colour of the back is always a distinguishing 

 mark of this species, of the identity of which there cannot 

 be the slightest doubt, as, by the kindness of Professor Rein- 

 hardt, I was enabled to compare his type with my Siberian 

 specimens. In reference to the distribution of this species, 

 let me add that a specimen from Kamchatka in the Leiden 

 Museum {" L. occidentalis, Schleg. Cat. No. 1, from Brandt, 



* Mr. Cockerell, the zoological collector, now here on his way to the 

 Solomon Islands, on being shown this bird by us, exclaimed, "Why 

 I shot that in Fiji ! " He was thinking of Myiolestet vitiensis. 



