Mr. G. R. Gray on the Soft-billed Duck of Latham. 371 



Length 20 inches; bill 2\ inches; wings 8| inches ; tail 5^ 

 inches ; tarsi If inch. 



Anas malacorhynchus, Gmel. Syst. Nat. i. 526; Lath. Ind. 

 Orn. ii. 862. 



Malacorhynchus Forsterorum, Wagl. Isis, 1832. 



As an appendix, I subjoin the descriptions of five species of 

 birds which are considered to be new to science. 



Falco subniger. Deep brown, margins of feathers lighter ; 

 abdomen, greater wing-coverts, quills and tail blackish brown ; 

 bill and legs plumbeous. 



Length 23 inches ; bill 1 inch and 1 line ; wings \Q\ inches ; 

 tarsi 2\ inches. 



This bird has the form of the peregrine falcon, but is larger 

 in all its proportions ; judging from the plumage, it appears to 

 be an immature specimen of a species not hitherto described. 

 Its locality is unknown, but is supposed to be an Australian 

 species. 



Falco giittatus. Black, the feathers of the back margined 

 with blue, and the inner webs of the quills and tail-feathers 

 spotted with rufous ; throat and a semicollar on the neck 

 white, slightly tinged with rufous ; breast and beneath deep 

 rufous, spotted Mith black. Bill black, cere and legs yellow. 



Length 12^ inches; bill | of an inch; wings 9| inches; 

 tail 5 2^ inches ; tarsi \^ inch. 



Approaches mostly to the Falco frontatus of Gould in size 

 and colour, but the lower parts are deep rufous and distinctly 

 spotted with black. It is from the Philippine Islands. 



Astur cristatus. Glossy brown, top and back of the head, 

 where the feathers form a crest, black ; ear-coverts plumbeous; 

 throat white, with a very narrow streak of black down the 

 centre ; breast rufous, varying with white ; abdomen broadly 

 banded with white and rufous ; thigh white, with narrow bands 

 of rufous brown ; tail ashy, with four dark brown bands. Bill 

 black and legs yellow. 



Length 16| inches; bill 1 inch; wings 8:^ inches; tail 7^ 

 inches ; tarsi 2| inches. 



This bird might at first sight be taken for a species of Baza, 

 as far as regards the position of its colours, but the festooned 

 bill and lengthened tarsi at once distinguish it from that 

 genus. It is an inhabitant of the Philippine Islands. 



Tchitrea rufa. Rufous, with the base of the feathers paler, 

 the inner webs of the quills dusky. 



Length 8^ inches ; bill 1 inch ; wings 3 inches 8 lines ; tail 

 4f inches ; tarsi 9 lines. 



This fine species is from the Philippine Islands. 



