202 
In its family it is certainly allied to Ceratorrhina, but well de- 
serving to constitute a genus by itself. The bill still more com- 
pressed, is in fact much more angulated beneath, and covered at the 
base, not by a bony process or horn, but by a soft membrane or 
saddle, which leaves a simple slit along the margins for the imper- 
vious nostrils. 
Genus novum PHALERIDINARUM. 
SaGMATORRHINA, Bp. Saddle-Bill. 
Rostrum duplo longius quam altum ; maxilla ad basin recta cerd 
maximd induta, apice incurva ; mandibula ultra medium statim 
adscendens, angulum obtusum constituens ; nares lineares, mar- 
ginales. 
As the bird has been so well described by Latham, Mr. G. R. Gray 
very properly suggests that its specific name should be taken from 
that author. 
SAGMATORRHINA LatHami, Bp. Maxima; nigricans; subtus 
albido-fuliginosa: rostro pedibusque rubris; cerd palmisque 
nigris. 
Long. 16 poll.; rostr. 2 poll. long., 1 altum, 3 latum ad basin, $ ad 
med. ; ale 7} poll.; cauda 3}; tars. 1}; digitorum longissimus 23. 
This species is the largest of the subfamily, which is well known 
to contain the dwarfs of the Water birds; it is one-third larger than 
Ceratorrhina monocerota, of which it has precisely the colouring, 
wanting only (at least in the state we have it) the little white feathers 
above the eye and at the corners of the mouth. The proportions of 
wings, tail, feet and toes are the same: the bill and toes must have 
been reddish ; the cere and membranes black. Like the Cerator- 
rhina, it seems to be confined to the North-western Arctic regions of 
America; and we are led to believe it does not extend to the Siberian 
shores, from the circumstance of its not having been noticed by 
Russian naturalists. 
The well-marked family of Alcide forms, with the Colymbide, 
Podicipide and Spheniscide, the great section of the Urinatores, 
which, with the Lamellirostres, constitutes alone the Order Anseres, 
as it must be restricted to the web-footed Precoces of Prof. Owen. 
The other two sections, Longipennes and Totipalmi, constitute now 
the Order Gavie of my Conspectus, being, in fact, web-footed Altri- 
ces, which have no more right to remain in Anseres than the Pigeons 
among the Galline,—than the Herodiones among the Gralle. The 
passage between my Gavia or web-footed Altrices, and my Herodiones 
or grallatorial Altrices, is beautifully exemplified by that most re- 
markable bird the Baleniceps, whose affinity with Pelecanide has so 
well been pointed out, and even exaggerated, by Mr. Gould. On the 
other hand, it is no less obvious that the Longipennes, some of which, 
with tumid bills, have been considered as Sea-Pigeons, connect them 
(the Gavie) with the Columbe ; whilst between the two subclasses 
the connections and correspondence (affinity and analogy) take place 
