368 Letters, Announcements, S^c. 



psaltria placens. It is very much to be regretted that a new 

 species cannot come from such an out-of-the way place as 

 South-eastern New Guinea without being burdened at once 

 with useless synonyms. It is the more annoying in the pre- 

 sent instance;, as Mr. Broadbent's collection was sold to the 

 British Museum with a distinct understanding that it was a 

 direct consignment to England^ and that no portion of it had 

 been distributed elsewhere. It would appear, however, from 

 Mr. Ramsay's paper, that most of his supposed novelties were 

 the result of Mr. Broadbent^s exertions. I trust that my brother 

 ornithologists will accept my assurances that, had I suspected 

 that any portion of the collection had been sent to Sydney, I 

 should have held my hand before writing about the series in 

 the Museum, and should have waited for Mr. Ramsay's paper. 

 The latter arrived, unfortunately, too late for me to stop the 

 publication of my diagnoses in the ' Annals.' 



Most of the species described by Mr. Ramsay will, I think, 

 be found to possess names already ; and, at the request of my 

 friend Count Salvadori, I have given him my opinion upon 

 the majority of these supposed novelties*. 



I am &c., 



R. BOWDLER ShARPE. 



British Museum, May 6, 1879. 

 Sirs — By an oversight I have named a Flycatcher in the 

 fourth volume of the 'Catalogue of Birds,' p. 311, Rh'qndura 

 saturata, from Tasmania, without noticing that this name is 

 already occupied by Count Salvadori (Ann. Mus. Civic. Gen, 

 xii. p. 323). I wish therefore to call the Tasmanian bird 

 Rhipidura diemenensis. 



I am &c., 



R. Bowdler Sharpe. 



Brigliton, March 7. 

 Sirs, — A residence of some months in Brighton has given 

 me unusual opportunities of investigating three forms of 



* Cf, Salvadori, siqjra, p. 317. 



