144 



3. Note on some Birds from the Island of Ascension. 

 By Philip Lutley Sclater, M.A. 



Dr. Acland, of Oxford, haviug lately placed in my hands, for 

 naming, a small collectiou of birds from the Island of Ascension, I 

 think it will be useful to record a list of them, although uoue of 

 them are of great rarity, in order to make some contribution, how- 

 ever small, tovrards a more aecurate knowledge of the geographic 

 range of species. 



Mr. Darwin (Zool. Beagle, p. 133) tells us that there are no abo- 

 rigiual land-birds on this island. The only bird he mentions, which 

 might claim that name, is a Porpkyrio (P. simplex, Gould), which 

 hovvever, we are informed, wasevidently a straggler not long arrived. 



But recoUecting the beautiful Thrush {Nesocichla eremito) lately 

 described by Mr. Gould from the Island of Tristan d'Acunha, there 

 is certainly no primdfacie reason vvhy the Island of Ascension should 

 not also possess peculiar land birds. 



The specimens in Dr. Acland's collection are all Natatores, be- 

 longing to the following species. 



1. Onychoprion ftjliginosus (Gm.). 



Latham (G. H. x. 102) has recorded the existence of this Tern 

 upon the island in " prodigious numhers.'" It is found also on the 

 American coasts from Texas to the Floridas. 



2. Phaethon ^thereus, Linn. (PI. Enl. 998). 



Visits Tobago, whence Sir William Jardine received the eggs of 

 this species from his correspondent Mr. Kirk. See Cont. to Orn. 

 1852, p. 351, pi. 84, where the eggs of all three species oi Phaethon 

 are figured. 



3. Phaethon flavirostris, Brandt (PI. Enl. 369). P. cethe- 

 reus, Audub. nec Linn. 



Mr. G. R. Gray has rejected Brandt's excellent appellation for 

 this species in favour of Brisson's candidus. But Brisson was no 

 binomalist, and has no claim to bestow specijic names in a binominal 

 system. This Phaethon breeds on the Bermudas (Cont. Orn. /. c), 

 and visits the coast of Florida ( Audubon). 



Professor Brandt has written a good Monograph of the Phaėthon- 

 tincB in the Transactions of the St. Petersburgh Academy. These 

 two species, and the P. phoenicurus from the Indian Ocean, appear 

 to be the only three well-distinguished birds of the genus. 



4. Tachypetes aguila (L.). 



This name ought, I think, to be retained for the Atlantic bird. 

 Mr. Gould has described and figured a smaller species from Australia; 

 but he has also a larger bird from the coasts of that country, which 

 appears different from the present. 



5. Sula fusca, Vieill. Gal. Ois. pi. 277 ; Gould, B. Aust. vii. 

 pi. 78. 



