Letters, Announcements, ^c. 83 



than those of S. hirundo and S. arct'ica. One egg is somewhat 

 similar to one figured on Hewitson's plate ; but all twelve are 

 from 0*2 to 0*3 less in length. Two that I have resemble mi- 

 niature eggs of the Black Guillemot, and are perfect beauties. 



In 1868 I again visited the same gheel ; but, owing to a scanty 

 fall of rain, the swamp was next to dry, and not a Tern near it. 

 I am gladj however, to find from a letter just read from a cor- 

 respondent at Fyzabad, that the birds have this season returned 

 to their old breeding-haunts, but have not yet commenced to 



build. ' 



I remain, &c., 



Andrew Anderson. 



2 August, 1871. 



Sir, — The supposed specimen of Athene noctua from Poona, 

 in the Norwich Museum, referred to by Dr. Jerdon (Ibis, 1871, 

 p. 349), proves, on closer examination, to be only an example of 

 Athene hrama. 



I may also remark, with reference to Dr. Sclater's allusion (at 

 p. 358 of the same volume) to the Short-eared Owl of the Sandwid 

 Islands, that in 1869 1 examined specimens from those islands in 

 the museum of the Jardin des Flantes, which appeared to me to 

 be identical with the ordinary widely spread Otus brachyotus. 



I am yours, &c. 



J. H. GURNEY. 



Colonial Museum, Wellington, N.Z., 

 August 5, 1871. 



Sir, — I send you some synonyms of two of Forster's Petrels 

 which I think I have made out, and which have for a long time 

 " wanted a situation.^' 



Procellaria tristis, ¥orst., = p. grisea, L. (not of Forst., 

 which is P. cinerea, Gmel., nor of Kuhl, which is P. atlantica, 

 Goxild), = Pi/ffinus amaurosoma, Coues. 



This is the " Mutton-bird " of the south part of New Zea- 

 land : the under wing-coverts are white ; the bill is bluish 

 white passing into black on the culmen and gonys ; feet and legs 



g2 



