Recent Ornithological Publications. 327 



with the ^Ethiopian type. As to the publication of Museum ap- 

 pellations without descriptions, we also cordially agree with Mr. 

 Cassin that " this proceeding, though it may do well enough to 

 heighten the distinction and scientific consideration of the not 

 very energetic directors or head or assistant keepers of museums, 

 yet materially retards the most important object for which they, 

 and the establishments with which they are connected, are 

 maintained by their governments or constituents, — which is the 

 difi'usion of knowledge." 



P. ] 24. Calornis corvina. — This bird is certainly not a Calor- 

 nis, that genus being typified by Calornis cantor, a very difiierent 

 form. We believe it would be better placed in Prince Bona- 

 parte^s genus Lamprocorax, as it has been arranged by Dr. 

 Hartlaub (Journ. f. Orn. 1854, p. 168). Is Mr. Cassin sure 

 that the Samoan bird is the same as the Carolinian ? 



P. 155. Tanioptera obscure. — Tanioptera is a pure Neogean 

 (New-world) form belonging to a purely Neogean family, the 

 Tyrannida. It would be quite as unnatural to find a Tanioptera 

 in the Sandwich Islands as a Phasianus in South America, or a 

 Toucan in Africa. The wing, "with the first quill short," at once 

 shows this bird is no Tmiioptera, — in that genus the first quill 

 being nearly as long as the second. We suggest for this bird 

 the new generic title Phceornis, and propose to call it Phaornis 

 obscura. 



P. 159, Tatare otaitiensis. — The oldest synonym for this 

 bird is Tvrdus longirostris of Gmelin, it being Latham's " Long- 

 billed Thrush " (Gen. Syn, iii. 67), from the island of Eimeo, 

 as we are able to assert, from having examined type specimens 

 so marked in the Derby Museum. 



P. 277. Peristera erythroptera. — There seem to be several 

 nearly-allied species confounded under this name. Mr. G. R. 

 Gray has recently (P. Z. S. 1856, p. 7. pi. 115) described and 

 figured the bird from the Samoan islands as Caloenas stairi. 

 The group seems far removed from Peristera. We have recently 

 seen specimens of a closely-allied species from New Caledonia. 



P. 337. Bernicla inornata. — The bird represented in Gray and 

 Mitchell's Genera, pi. 165 (as has been already stated in P. Z. S. 

 1859, p. 290), is not Anas inornata, King, and should bear the 



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