128 



4. Note on the Uplanc Goose. 

 By Philip Lutley Sclater, M. A., F.L.S. etc. 



The new " TJpland Goose " recently received by the Society from 

 the Falkland Islands, is certainly the true Magellanic Goose (Ckloe- 

 phaga magellanica), Gmehn's name magellanica being founded on 

 Buffon's PI. Enl. 1006 — a sufficiently recoguizable representation of 

 what seems to be the female of this species. See also Darwin's 

 Zool. of the Beagle, Birds, p. 134, where " TJpland Goose " is stated 

 to be the name applied to this bird at the Falklands. 



The bird, which has for several years, I believe, bred in the So- 

 ciety's Gardens, and is commonly called the *' Magellanic Goose," 

 is "The Ashy-headed Goose" (Chloephaga poliocephala) of the 

 British Museum Catalogue of Gallinse, Grallae and Anseres, published 

 in 1844. 



This species is well figured in Gray and Mitchell's Genera of Birds 

 (pi. 1G5), under the name Berniela inornata. But it seems doubt- 

 ful ■vvhether this is really the true Anas inornatus of King (Proc. 

 Comm. Zool. Soc. i. p. 15). 



The adults of both sexes of this Goose, which are now in the So- 

 ciety's Gardens, are coloured as nearly as possible alike, which is 

 rather curious, if, as appears to be the case, in the nearly allied C. 

 magellanica the malė and female are quite differeut, 



There are two other fine Geese which inhabit the southern extremity 

 of the S. American continent — namely, B. antarctica (Gm.) and B. 

 melanoptera, Eyton. Specimens of all these four species are in the 

 British Museum. 



5. Description of a New Genus of Gorgoniad^. By Dr. 

 John Edward Gray, F.R.S.,V.P.Z.&Ent.Soc.,F.L.S. etc. 



(Radiata, PI. VII.) 



ACANTHOGORGIA. A^*^ 



Coral branchy ; branches free, cylindrical, slender, be*h of them 

 almost entirely composed of transparcnt spicula ; cells elegantly bell- 

 shaped, contracted at the bottom, and less so rather belovr the aper- 

 ture, spinulose, with eight equidistant lines of two or three series of 

 diverging short spines ; the mouth of the cell surrounded with nume- 

 rous diverging, very slender, transparent, elongate spines, nearly as 

 loug as the cell. Axis horny black, more slender and brown near 

 the tips. 



Acanthogorgia hirsuta, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1851, Radiata, pi. 3. 

 fig. 2. 



Coral branched ; branches nearly on the šame plane, separate. 

 Hab. Unknown. British Museum. 



This genus bears some relation to Primnoa, but the cell is armed 

 esternally with rows of short, thin, and its mouth with a series of 



