On the After shaft of certain Birds. 19 



p. 337) agree completely with the specimen now figured 

 (Plate I. fig. 2), which was formerly in my collection. If, 

 therefore, I am correct in referring the last-named specimens 

 to the female of C. sandivichensis , then C. scIateri=C. sand- 

 wichensis ? . And should it prove eventually that these two 

 forms are not male and female, but belong to two different 

 species, a view which receives some support from the fact 

 that the two ' Challenger ' skins are marked as " female " 

 by the collector (though I am strongly of opinion that this 

 was an erroneous determination), yet even then the name 

 " sclateri" will apparently have to yield to maculata, Gm. — 

 the Muscicapa maculata of Gmelin having been, as it would 

 seem, based on a female of this species. 



It should be acknowledged that Mr. Ridgway appears in 

 this case to have been rather misled by Mr. Sharpe, who in 

 the ' British Museum Catalogue,' iv. p. 232, has omitted 

 any description of the female of Chasiempis sandivichensis, 

 although the only specimen then belonging to the Museum 

 was of that sex, and has only given a description of the male 

 from the ' Challenger ' expedition. It is true that both sexes 

 are introduced into the diagnoses (p. 231) ; but the characters 

 set forth seem to be intended to separate the two sexes of 

 Ch. sandivichensis from the corresponding sexes of Ch. di- 

 midiata, and are not sufficient to separate the two sexes of 

 Ch. sandwichensis from one another. 



III. — On the Aftershaft in the Feathers of certain Birds. 

 By F. E. Beddard, M.A., F.Z.S., Prosector to the Zoo- 

 logical Society of London. 



My attention has been directed to a recent number of the 

 'Actes de la Societe Linneennede Bordeaux,' which contains 

 part of a memoir by Dr. A. T. de Rochebrune upon the fauna 

 of Senegambia*. 



The paper in question deals with the birds of this region ; 



• " Faune de la S^nt5gambie, Oiseaux," par le Dr. A. T. de Rochebrune, 

 Actes d. la Soc. Linn, de Bordeaux, s^r. 4, t. viii. Mtrch 1884, p. 85. 



C 2 



