Letters, Extracts, Notices, ^c. 175 



which I have proposed (see Ibis, 1897, p. 338) for a new 

 genus of Fringillidse from New (ruinea^ has been previously 

 employed in ornithology for a North-American Finch (see 

 Ridgway, Manual N. Amer. B. ed. 2, p. 605). I therefore 

 wish to change this terra to Oreostruthus. The New-Guinea 

 bird will, therefore^ in future stand as Oreostruthus fuliginosus. 



Yours &c., 



C. W. DE Vis. 

 Brisbane, Queensland, 



Sept. 4th, 1897. 



Sirs, — A remarkable misapprehension as to the positions 

 usually assumed by the Penguins when on land appears to 

 have gained ground among naturalists. Both Dr. Morrison 

 Watson, in his Report on the Anatomy of the Spheniscid?e 

 {' 'Challenger' Reports,' Zoology, vol, vii. p, 237), and Dr. H. 

 Gadow, in his contribution to Bronn's ' Thier-reich ' (vol. vi. 

 Abth. 4, Aves, Syst, Theil, pp. 12 1, 126j, state that these 

 birds are plantigrade — applying the tai'so-metatarsus as well 

 as the toes to the ground when walking. 



That this is an error will be evident to any one examining 

 the fine series of living Penguins which has been exhibited 

 at the Zoological Society's Gardens this summer. This 

 comprised, on the oocasioas on which I inspected it, three 

 examples of Spheniscus demersus, two of Eudyptala minor, 

 and one each of Aptenodytes pennanti, Eudyptes chrysocome, 

 and E. sclateri — a good representative collection. 



These birds, which I observed Avith especial care, all walked 

 in the ordinary digitigrade position common to birds in 

 general, their weight being supported mainly or entirely by 

 the toes. 



When at rest, also, these birds usually stood up on their 

 toes, though I have seen the plantigrade position occasionally 

 assumed by all the species except the two " Rock -hoppers." 



But this latter was certainly not the ordinary standing 

 position, as is stated by Professor A. Newton in his ^Dictionary 

 of Birds' (art. Penguin, p. 705), where the gait of Penguins 

 when in motion is described correctly. 



