2 
on the joints; upper surface of the toes scutellated; nails powerful, 
and not much curved; the nail of the centre toe impectinated. 
BAaLzniceps Rex. 
Bill pale yellow, becoming horn-colour on the culmen and tip, and 
blotched with dark brown; orbits pale yellow; head and neck slaty 
grey, darkest on the crown; chest ornamented with lanceolate feathers 
of a similar colour, with a dark stripe down the centre; abdomen, 
flanks, thighs and under tail-coverts very pale grey ; upper surface 
generally very dark grey, most of the feathers margined with light 
grey ; primaries, secondaries and tail blackish grey ; rump and upper 
tail-coverts light grey ; legs greyish black. 
Total length, from the tip of the bill to the extremity of the tail, 
52 inches; from the tip of the bill to the end of the centre toe, 67 ; 
bill, from the gape to the tip, 9; depth of the bill, 43; breadth, 4; 
wing, 27; tail, 12; tibie, 13; tarsi, 10; middle toe and nail, 7; ex- 
ternal toe and nail, 64; internal toe and nail, 51; hind toe and nail, 4. 
Hab. The upper part of the White Nile, in Eastern Africa. 
Remark.—This is evidently the Grallatorial type of the Pelecani- 
de; at least such is the conclusion to which I am directed after a care- 
ful examination and comparison of it with Pelecanus, Grus, Ardea, 
and Cancroma, to none of which genera is it so nearly allied, except in 
general contour, as to Pelecanus. Perhaps the most singular feature 
connected with this form is the entire absence of interdigital mem- 
brane, a character so conspicuous in the Storks, Herons, and the Boat- 
bill, which latter bird is as nearly allied to Nycticorax as the present 
bird is to Peleeanus. Both Cancroma and Nycticorax have the uail 
of the centre toe strongly pectinated, which character is not found in 
Pelecanus nor in Baleniceps. 
2. DESCRIPTIONS OF TWENTY SPECIES OF COLUMBELLA, AND 
ONE SPECIES OF Cypr#@A. By J. S. GAsKoIN. 
1. CoLuMBELLA TENUIS. Testa pyramidalis, subventricosa, 
levis, tenuis, albicans, maculis irregularibus fuscis magnis 
longitudinaliter dispositis; anfractibus octo, duobus anticis 
gibbosis ; spird subelongatd, acuminatd ; aperturd latd, anticé 
divergente, postice acuminatd, labio externo tenui, internoque 
edentulo, varice externo subelevato; striis tenuibus ab varice 
anticé continuis ; canali brevi. 
Shell pyramidal, rather ventricose, smooth, thin, of a dull whitish 
colour, with large distant dark brown markings extending, irregu- 
larly, in width and form longitudinally over the volutions, which are 
eight in number, the two anterior being gibbous, the others proceed 
to form an acuminated apex; the spire constitutes more than one- 
half the length of the shell *; aperture wide, diverging anteriorly, 
* Jn estimating the proportionate length of the spire of the shell, I take the 
measurement from the termination of the last volution at its junction to form the 
posterior point of the aperture; and the width, at the largest diameter of the an- 
terior whorl. 
