Letters, Announcements, ^c. 241 



longioribus, apice et margine interno albis; 4) cauda, tarsis, 

 digitis, unguiculis, pro mole avis longioribus. 



" Obs. Speculum alae e tectricibus (ut in Grylle) compositum, 

 in nostris speciminibus hine et inde nigro adspersum, a maculis 

 tectricum nigris apicalibus, versus flexuram alae confertioribus. 



" Utrum prioris ptiloseos vestigia, an persistentes hae maculae, 

 vix diiudicandum." 



I am, &c., J. Reinhardt. 



*;(-* Though Mandt does not seem, any more than Lichten- 

 Steiuj to have perceived one of the most unfailing characters of 

 this species — the almost total absence of the concealed black 

 band on the wing-spot, which has been before pointed out (Ibis, 

 1865, pp. 518, 519), yet there can be no doubt of his descrip- 

 tion referring to the bird w'hich inhabits, so far as we know, 

 exclusively the Greenland and Spitsbergen seas. The spots on 

 the speculum, of which he speaks, are no doubt the remains of a 

 former stage in the plumage, as he himself suggests in his last 

 sentence. — Ed. 



49 Via Romana, Florence, 

 March 3rd, 1869. 

 Sir, — I was very much interested in Dr. Cunningham's 

 letter (Ibis, 1868, pp. 486-495). On the 7th of December, 

 1867, we came across the 'Nassau' lying at anchor near 

 Gregory Bay; but as we were bound outwards, I missed the 

 pleasure of making his acquaintance; for it would have been 

 very interesting to compare notes with him. Since then I 

 see he has been over the same ground as I explored in the 

 'Magenta'; and on reading his letter, I find that all our 

 observations coincide. We were for more than a fortnight in 

 Halt Bay; and the "little Grebe" he noticed there was doubt- 

 less Pelecanoides berardi, Q. & G.*, which is common, but very 



* [The collection of birds sent home by Dr. Cunningham, and, with the 

 permission of the Lords of the Admiralty, presented by him to the 

 Musevun of the University of Cambridge, does not contain this species. 

 There is, however, an example of Podiceps rollandi, Q. & G., obtained in 

 the locality above mentioned, which is, we think, probably the bird 

 spoken of by him. Messrs. Sclater and Salvin have favoured us with a list 

 of and some notes on this collection, which we hope to publish in our next 

 number. — Ed.]. 



N. S. — VOL. V. R 



