210 Prof. H. H. Giglioli on the 



male and two females, 7th June 1880 ; the seventh, a male, 

 was shot at Palo, near Civita Vecchia, in April 1871. 



Terekia cinerea (Giildst.). 



I was fortunate enough to pick up a fine specimen of this 

 very rare bird in the market at Florence ; it was a female, 

 shot at the Saline near Barletta, on the 20th of November 

 1876. The only other instance I know of the occurrence of 

 this species in Italy is that mentioned by Savi and Salvadori, 

 when three were shot out of a small flock on the 9th of May 

 1869, at Vecchiano, near Pisa. 



LiMosA RUFA, Briss. 



A scarce bird with us ; our collection possesses a single 

 specimen, shot in autumn 1839, near Florence. 



Gallinago major (Gm.). 



This species, as well as the common Snipe, presents indi- 

 vidual variations in the number of the rectrices ; and I have 

 in the collection a specimen with eighteen tail-feathers 

 (the number given by Savi, Orn. Tosc. ii. p. 309), the 

 normal number being sixteen. Thus the specific distinction 

 between G. scolopacinus (or coelestis !) and G. brehmi, founded 

 merely on a like character, falls to the ground. 



PoRPHYRio c^ruleus (VandcUi) . 



This is the Italian species, and is not rare in Sardinia and 

 in Sicily, but is not easy to be got at ; for it keeps to the 

 thickest of the marsh-reeds, which must be sometimes fired 

 to make it rise. It breeds beyond doubt in the former 

 island ; and as recently as the 26th of last September four 

 specimens in juvenile garb were shot in the marsh of Asse- 

 mini, not far from Cagliari : I have received one of them, a 

 male. In Sicily it is a resident species in the marshes at 

 Lentini, between Catania and Syracuse, whence I have a 

 pair, male and female, shot in December 1879; moreover 

 all the Purple Waterhens I have seen in the museums at 

 Messina, Catania, and Syracuse belong to this species. I 

 am not aware of its occurrence in Corsica ; but there is no 

 reason why it should not be found in the marshes of Biguglia 



