Miscellaneous. 475 



Note on the Otothrix Hodgsoni. 

 By G. R. Gray. 



In a late Number of ' The Ibis,' Mr. Blyth refers to my Otothrix 

 Hodgsoni (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1859, p. 101. pi. 152), and makes it ab- 

 solutely identical with Podargus comutus. He goes so far as to say 

 that the former is the young of the latter species. If he had, how- 

 ever, actually compared them together, he could never have made 

 such an erroneous identification. In his Catalogue of Birds, Mr. 

 Blyth doubtfully considers the Podargus comutus as the adult of 

 P. javanensis, while in another work (Journ. A. S. B. 1847, 

 p. 1180) he tells us that the P. javanensis is the young dress of 

 P. auritus (!). 



Mr. Blyth has, however, referred to two examples as B & C, 

 under the head of Podargus affinis, in his Catalogue, p. 81, in these 

 words : " Head, wings, and tail of two specimens of a nearly allied 

 but distinct species. From Darjiling." This locality is identical 

 with that from which the Otothrix Hodgsoni is brought, and I be- 

 lieve therefore that these fragments belong to my species ; so that in 

 these he could see distinctive characters, although he now ventures 

 to judge from the figure only, and pronounces my Hodgsoni to be no 

 other than comutus, young. 



The specimen of Otothrix Hodgsoni from which the description 

 and figure were derived is that of an adult female, taken from the 

 nest with its young ; and it has, among other differences, a smaller 

 bill than that of P. comutus, its general coloration, the extreme 

 length of the whiskers, &c- 



Note on Pleuronectes sinensis, Lacep. 

 By Dr. A. Gunther. 



The generic name of Tephritis has been given by me to the Chinese 

 Turbot, or Pleuronectes sinensis, Lacep. (Catal. Fish. iv. p. 406). 

 Having since found it preoccupied by a genus of insects, I propose 

 to replace it by that of Tephrinectes. 



Note on the Size of a Seal at the time of Birth. 

 By Dr. J. E. Gray, F.R.S. &c. 



We have received from the Zoological Gardens the body of a 

 Ringed Seal {Callocephalus foetidus), that had died soon after its 

 birth. It was entirely covered with closely set, well- developed fur 

 of a silver-grey colour, being rather browner on the upper surface. 

 It is 2 feet 8 inches long, from the tip of the nose to the end of tail ; 

 the fore paws are 6, and the hinder 8 inches long, and the latter are 

 7 inches wide when expanded. The webs of the feet are covered 

 with hair, and the claws are well developed and black. The whiskers 

 are white, well developed, and slightly waved. — Proc. Zool. Soc. 

 June 10, 1862. 



