Ornithologists' Club. 295 



there are four distinct species of Antarctic Snipe, as the 

 series now laid before you by Mr. Hartert shows/^ 



To illustrate these notes Mr. Hartert laid on the table 

 more than 40 skins of G. pusilla, 6 of G. aucklandica, 3 of 

 G. Imeyeli, and 2 of G. tristrami. 



In the discussion on Mr. Rothschild's paper which ensued, 

 INIr. H. O. Forbes pointed out that the Snipe of which he 

 had found sub-fossil remains on the Chatham Islands, and 

 to which he had given the name of Gatlina[jo chathamica, 

 appeared to agree in length of bill with G. tristrami. 



Dr. BowDLEii Sharpe made some remarks upon the geo- 

 graphical distribution of the Herons of the genus Butorides, 

 of which he recognized eight different species and subspecies, 

 as follows : — 



1. Butorides atricapilla (Afzel.). 

 Hub. Africa and Madagascar. 



Of this, B. rutenbergi (Hartl.) seems to be the oi-dinary 

 winter dress. 



2. Butorides striata (L.). 



Hab. S. America, from Colombia and Venezuela to Peru, 

 Southern Brazil, and the Argentine Republic. 



3. Butorides javanica (Horsf.). 



Hab. India generally and Ceylon east to Southern China, 

 and south throughout the Burmese countries to the Malayan 

 Peninsula and Indo-Malayan Islands as far as Celebes. 



It is this Indian form which inhabits the islands of the 

 Chagres group, as well as Mauritius, Rodriguez, the Sey- 

 chelles, and the Comoro Islands. In Madagascar, however, 

 the African form, B. atricapilla, occurs. 



Subsp. oi. Butorides amurensis (Schrenck). 



Hab. Amoor Laud and the Japanese Islands, extending 

 south to Southern China (Canton ; Amoy)^ Formosa, the 

 Philippine Islands, and Labuan. 



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