Dr. J. Murie on Steatornis caripensis. 81 



placed over India generally by E. parva — the Ralli, however, 

 being permanently resident, whilst the Erythrosternce are 

 winter visitants only. 



There appear to me to be two races hitherto confounded 

 under Grus cinerea, both of which would seem to occur in 

 Europe, but (so far as I have seen) only one of them in India. 

 They differ much in extent of development (however old the 

 bird, and in both sexes alike) of the crimson nude skin upon 

 the head. In the Indian race this is confined to a narrow 

 band crossing the vertex, whereas in the other it extends over 

 the whole occiput and is somewhat peaked behind. There is a 

 specimen of each form at present in the Zoological gardens. Not 

 long ago, also, there were two specimens I then assigned to 

 G. canadensis, which appeared to me to be of different races, 

 a larger and a smaller. The larger (a male) had the crimson 

 nude skin upon the head developed to exactly the same extent 

 as G. americana, whereas in the smaller (a female, which still 

 survives) it is continued much further backward. I have 

 merely called attention to these diversities, which I have re- 

 marked for many years past in several specimens assigned alike 

 to G. cinerea. 



What is the meaning of the name gingalensis as applied 

 to the small Hornbill peculiar to Ceylon which is so desig- 

 nated? I rather suspect that it originated in a misprint for 

 lensis. 



VII. — Fragmentary Notes on the Guacharo or Oil-Bird (Steat- 

 ornis caripensis). By Dr. James Murie, F.L.S. &c. 



I must refer the reader to the ' Personal Narrative ' of Baron 

 Alexander von Humboldt for a vivid description of this remark- 

 able bird in its native caverns, and other strange particulars con- 

 nected therewith. The memoirs and notices of PHerminier*, 

 Johannes Mullerf, Sclater J, and others contain much con- 



* Nouv. Ann. du Mus. 1834, p. 321 ; Ann. Sci. Nat. 1836, p. GO ; and 

 Rev. et Mag. Zool. 1849, p. 321. 



t Monatsb. Berlin, 1841, p. 172; and his Archiv f. Anat. 1842, p. 1. 

 X P. Z.S. 1866, pp. 125, 127, 130. 



SER. III. VOL. III. G 



