species of the Genus Acrocepbalus. 41 



genus Acrocephalus, I am liappy to know that I have the 

 sanction of my friend Mr. Seebohm, who has already ab- 

 sorbed one of them^ A. syrinx, and who assures me that^ had 

 his attention been called to them, he should have also in- 

 cluded the other species in his valuable fifth volume of the 

 Brit, Mus. Catalogue. I am also justified in ray proposal by 

 the remarks of Dr. Hartlaub (Faun. Central-Pol. p. 70). 



The genus Tatare was formed by Lesson in 1830 for the 

 reception of Turdus longirostris, Gva., = Sitta caffra, Sparrm., 

 = Sitta otatare, Less. Voy. Coquille, i. p. QQQ. To this 

 various other species have since been added. 



The group is a most interesting one, being one of the very 

 few links (the others being the solitary Hirundo tahitica and 

 the Merulce) between the avifauna of Oceania and our own ; 

 and it has a much Vv^ider range east and west than either of 

 the other links, extending from the Carolines in the east to 

 the Marquesas in the west. 



There is nothing whatever in Lesson's diagnosis of his 

 genus Tatare to separate it from Naumann's and Mr. 

 Seebohm^s definition of Acrocephalus, under which genus 

 I propose to class all the Sylviinse of Oceania at present 

 known, as : — 



1. Acroce]3halus otatare. 



2. Acrocephalus mendance. 



3. Acrocephalus syrinx. 



4. Acrocephalus plstor. 



5. Acrocephalus mariannce, and 



6. Acrocephalus cequinoctialis. 



1. Acrocephalus otatare (Less.). 

 Turdus longirostris, Gm. 

 Sitta caffra, Sparrm. 



Sitta otatare, Less. Voy. Coq. i. p. 666, t. 23. f. 2 (1826). 

 Tatare otaitensis, Less. Tr. d'Orn. p. 317 (1830). 

 Tat area longirostris, E,eich. 1834. 

 Tatare fuscus, Less. Rev. Zool. 1842, p. 210, juv. 

 Though thei-e can, I think, be no doubt that this is the 

 species intended by Gmelin; whose description and measure- 



