250 Mr. H. J. Elwes on the Genus Henicurus. 



49. EuDYPTEs PACHYRHYNCHUs, Gray. 

 One living specimen. 



50. EUDYPTILA MINOR (Forst.). 



Several specimens. 



Mr. Travers finds from careful inquiry that there is no evi- 

 dence of the following birds ever having inhabited the Chatham 

 Islands, although they have been reported to have been seen 

 there (Trans. New-Zealand Institute, i. 178) — Ardea alba, Ocy- 

 dromus, sp., Anas chlorotis, and Apteryx, sp. 



XXXI. — A Revision of the Genus Henicurus. 

 By H. J. Elwes, F.Z.S. &c. 



(Plate IX.) 

 Though the genus Henicurus does not present any grave difii- 

 culties to the ornithologist, yet, as the species composing it have 

 been a good deal confused and from what we know of its geo- 

 graphical distribution it is not likely that any new ones remain 

 to be discovered, I think the following notes may not be un- 

 acceptable. 



Temminck first proposed the name Henicurus (errore Enicu- 

 rus, €vik6<; et ovpd) for three species of birds from Java and 

 Sumati'a — namely, Turdus leschenaulti (Vieill.), H. ruficapillus, 

 and H. velatus — which he figured and described in the Planches 

 Coloriees, vol. iii. livr. 27, 19, & 90. A few years later, when the 

 riches of the Himalayas were first brought to light, four more 

 species were described by Hodgson and Vigors. 



Though the exertions of such indefatigable and skilful natu- 

 ralists as Jerdon, Blyth, Swinhoe, and David have added hun- 

 dreds of species to the avifauna of Asia, only two distinct Heni- 

 curi have, in my opinion, been since discovered. 



The birds in question form a very well-marked group, of 

 doubtful affinity ; for though they are placed by most authors 

 in the family Motacillidce, and resemble the Wagtails greatly in 

 habits and appearance, it is by no means certain that they are 

 rightly so placed. 



Blyth, a naturalist whose opinion on any point of classifi- 



