Letters f Announcements, ^c. 153 



tion of my paper he informed me that the female A. caudata ob- 

 tained a white head when adult, and that he arrived at this con- 

 clusion from the dissection of a specimen shot by himself near 

 Leyden, which he forwarded to me. I was then inclined to doubt 

 the truth of the observation ; but its correctness is now proved. 



Prof. Sundevall further tells me that Saxicola modesta, Tris- 

 tram (Ibis, 1869, p. 206), is identical with Erithacus schlegeli, as 

 suggested by Mr. Tristram {loc. cit. note) to be possibly the case. 



I am, &c., 



11 Hanover Square, London. E,. B. ShaRPE. 



Sir, — I wish to make a few remarks on that part of Mr. 

 Howard Saunders's paper (Ibis, 1869, pp. 391-397) which re- 

 lates to Italian ornithology. 



Mr. Saunders says [torn. cit. p. 396) that Larus atricilla is " a 

 regular visitant in winter " in the neighbourhood of Palermo. 

 During a recent visit to Sicily I had the opportunity of examin- 

 ing the specimens which he thought belonged to that species, 

 and I found them to be examples of L. melanocephalus, young 

 and in winter dress. If Mr. Saunders had been able to compare 

 them with examples of L. atricilla, he would have immediately 

 perceived the difference. I doubt much whether L. gelastes is so 

 common on the coasts of Italy as Mr. Saunders says ; but cer- 

 tainly the two specimens in the Museum of Palermo determined 

 as belonging to that species are nothing else than examples of 

 L. ridibundus in winter dress. 



As to the two specimens of Glaucidium passerinum said {loc. 

 cit.) to exist in the Museum of Catania, I can positively affirm 

 that they are G. pumilum from South America, and were most 

 probably from collections sent by members of the imperial family 

 of Brazil to their relatives of the royal family of Naples. I do 

 not remember having seen the Hirundo cahirica in the same 

 Museum, and I cannot understand the doubts expressed by Mr. 

 Saunders as to the existence of Francolinus vulgaris in Sicily ; 

 for specimens of it have recently been received by Prof. Doderlein 

 from Terranova which are actually in the Museum at Palermo. 

 And now, turning to the Continent, I should wish to have the 

 specimen of Bubo ascalaphus mentioned by Mr. Saunders [torn, 



N. S. VOL. VI. M 



