Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Announcements, ^c. 115 



" (3.) That the Ortyx from the Virgin Islands may very 

 hkely prove to be 0. affinis of Vigors, a species not admitted 

 by Gould. 



" The species then would stand thus : — 



" 1. Ortyx sonninii, Temm. ; no band of spots separating the 

 throat from the breast. 



" 2. Ortyx ? {sonninii, Gould) ; a small collar of spots 



between the throat and breast. 



" 3. Ortyx affinis. Vigors ; a collar as in the preceding species, 

 and some black- and white-spotted feathers along the middle of 

 the throat. 



" The true Ortyx sonninii, Temm., I never saw ; of the 

 Venezuelan bird (Gould's 0. sonninii) I possess one example only; 

 but of the West Indian bird I have compared several specimens. 

 My opinion on the subject is not at all fixed ; but if Temminck's 

 figure is only tolerably correct, I cannot understand how it can 

 be the same bird as that represented by Gould." 



Unfortunately Mr. Riise has returned to St. Thomas, taking 

 with him the only example which he submitted to my inspection ; 

 the matter must therefore remain for the present undecided ; but 

 I have thought it due to Professor Keinhardt to give his remarks 

 publicity, hoping that other ornithologists may assist in deter- 

 mining the point. The description of Mr. Vigors's O. affinis 

 appears to be in the Proc. Com. Sc. and Corr. Z. S. 1830, p. 3. 

 The locality of this supposed species is not given by Mr. Vigors. 



I may add that by accident I omitted to mention Hcematopus 

 palliatus as included in Mr. Riise's collection, to which my 

 former letter referred. 



Yours, &c., Alfred Newton. 



Since the publication of our last Number, another small col- 

 lection of birds has been sent home from the Mauritius bv Mr. 

 Edward Newton. In addition to the species already enumerated 

 ('Ibis,-" ii. p. 201), it contains examples of the following: — 



Palceornis eques. Peculiar to the island. 



Acindotheres tristis. Introduced from India. 



Munia punctularia (?). Introduced from Malacca (?). 



M. oryzivora. Introduced from Java. 



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