Letters, Extracts, Notices, &;c. 157 



{Balaniceps rex). It was obtained by Mr. W. S. Doggett, 

 Sir Harry's collector, at Entebbe (or Ntebe), on the north 

 shore of Lake Victoria, on April the 22nd last. It is marked 

 " Female : eye Naples-yellow." The specimen is now on 

 exhibition in the entrance-hall of the British Museum, among 

 the recent acquisitions. 



The only previously known locality for this remarkable 

 bird was the White Nile, where it was discovered by Mans- 

 field Parkyns in 1849 (see P. Z. S. ) 850, p. 1, Aves, pi. xxxv.). 

 For a recent notice of its occurrence there see ' Ibis,* 1900, 

 p. 692. 



Ornithology at the Exposition Universelle. — We cannot say 

 that the Exposition Universelle of 1900 contained much of 

 special interest to the ornithologist. But there were many 

 small series of birds exhibited in the sections. Amongst 

 these may be specially noticed those in several of the sections 

 of the division ' Colonies Frangaises,^ which was one of the 

 most complete and best arranged departments of the ' Expo- 

 sition.^ The series of birds from New Caledonia seemed to be 

 fairly complete, though the specimens were not scientifically 

 labelled. The collection of Natural History objects from 

 the Transvaal was also well arranged and labelled. It was 

 selected, we believe, from the Pretoria Museum by Dr. 

 Gunning, F.Z.S., who, we are pleased to learn, has been 

 confirmed by the new British authorities in his post as 

 Director of that Institution. 



The Usage of the Generic Term Gavia. — American or- 

 nithologists have recently proposed to supersede the generic 

 name 'Urinator,' which has been hitherto used in the ' Check- 

 list* for the Divers {Colymhus), by 'Gavia' of Forster 

 (Enchir. Hist. Nat. p. 38, 1788). Dr. Reichenow shows 

 in a note on the subject (Orn. Mon. viii. p. 135) that this is 

 not correct, because Gavia was employed in 1770 by Gmelin 

 (Reise Russl. p. 152) as the generic name of Larus ichthy actus, 

 and must therefore be considered as a mere synonym of 

 Larus. It would seem by this, and by other similar cases, 



