242 Mr. J. E. Harting on rare ' 



which was said to difter materially from the ouly species of 

 the genus then known to inhabit the New World. Their 

 description and measurements, to which I shall presently 

 refer_, left little to be desired save the acquisition of further 

 specimens and the information which other observers might 

 supply as to the geographical range and habits of the bird. 

 Strange to say, although ten years have elapsed since it was 

 brought to the notice of ornithologists, no further obser- 

 vations, so far as I am aware, have been published in regard 

 to this interesting species. 



An opportunity has just been afforded mc, through the 

 kindness of Mr. Sclater, of examining a carefully finished 

 coloured drawing by Herr Landbeck of the identical speci- 

 men from which the original description was taken. In com- 

 pliance with his request that I would examine and report upon 

 the validity of the species in question, I beg to ofier the fol- 

 lowing remarks : — 



On looking at the plate, which is here faithfully repro- 

 duced (Plate IX.), the first thing which attracts attention 

 is the white head; a second peculiarity is the absence of 

 any white bar upon the wing, so conspicuous in the well- 

 known species R. avocetta and R. americana ; and one cannot 

 fail to notice also that the tail-feathers, instead of being pui'c 

 white, like those of its congeners, are of the same colour as 

 the back and wings. 



It is thus particularly described by its discoverers : — 



"Head and neck white; mantle, wings, and tail black; 

 feet bluish grey. 



"Length from bill to end of tail 1 foot 6 inches 9 lines; 

 bill 3'2 inches ; tail 4 ; wing from carpus 9*6 ; bare tibia 1*3 ; 

 tarsus o'4 ; middle toe 1*7; outer toe 1'5 ; inner toe 1'2; 

 hind toe '3. 



" The wings do not quite reach to the end of the tail. The 

 tibia is bare for 1'3 inch. The bill is horn-black at the ex- 

 tremity, graduating into horn-brown. Iris bright red. Tarsus 

 bluish grey; claws black. Head, neck, breast, belly, under 

 wing- and under tail -coverts, lower part of back and rump, 

 flanks:, and thighs pure snowy white. Upper part of back, 



