Miscellaneous. 321 



that its eggs are unknown, he proceeds to describe the eggs of a 

 widely different Nearctic species, the Spine- tailed Swift, and remarks 

 that he has " reason to believe that eggs of this species are passed 

 off by some dealers for those of the Needle-tailed Swift " {A. caud- 

 acuta) — a statement which, if correct, merely tends to show how 

 very easily mere egg- collectors are imposed on by unscrupulous 

 dealers. 



No care appears to have been exercised in selecting the proper 

 scientific names, either generic or specific, in accordance with the 

 generally accepted rules of synonymy ; and one finds therefore the 

 Killdeer Plover rejoicing in the generic title of Oxyeclius, the Spotted 

 Sandpiper in that of Trin()oicles, and the Solitary Sandpiper in that 

 of Khyacophilus, whereas, on the other hand, both the Yellow-legged 

 Sandpiper and the Bar-tailed Godwit are classed under Totanus. 



At pp. 91 and 92 lists are given of the doubtful species which 

 the author considers should be admitted in or excluded from the 

 British List ; and here we fail to see, judging from the evidence on 

 record, why Buteo lineatus, Coracias leucocephalus, Colaptes auratus, 

 Churadnus viryhiicus {dominicus), Podilymhus podiceps, &o. should 

 be admitted, and Emheriza pusilla, Emberiza melanocepJiala, 

 Motacilla viridis, &c. excluded. 



Many other comments and criticisms occur to us as we glance 

 through the pages of this List, but we think that it will be useless 

 to weary our readers with further remarks. 



At the end of the List (pp. 97-148) " a few remarks on evolution " 

 are given, and (pp. 150, 151) a " compendious scheme of Keconcilia- 

 tion between the Earth's Kecord compiled in the Nineteenth Century 

 and the Divine llecord delivered to Moses " is given in tabular form ; 

 and here, again, we can offer no further comment than that we think 

 it would have been better both for the author and his readers had 

 he studied the subject a little more closely and digested the vast 

 amount of available material before committing his ideas to paper. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



On a new Parasitic and Nldulant Rhahdoccelan (Fecampia 

 erythrocephala). By M. A. Giaed. 



The curious TurbeUarian which forms the subject of this note is 

 very common on the shores of Fecamp and Yport. During a part 

 of its existence it lives parasitically in Decapod Crustacea of various 

 species — Carcinus moenas, Platycarcinus pagurus, and Pagurus 

 Bernhardus. Carcinus moenas is the most commonly infested, but 

 only when it is young ; to find the parasite we must open crabs 

 from -^ to ^ inch broad. The grey or blackish colour of the cara- 

 pace reveals almost with certainty the presence of the Fecampia. 

 Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 5. Vol. xviii. 22 



