424 TETRAONHXE. 



" The bird in question is the Hemipodius tachidromus 

 of Temminck, which is figured in Mr. Gould's Birds of 

 Europe, vol. iv. plate 264. Mr. Gould, to whom we have 

 shown Mr. Goatley's letter, considers this one of the most 

 interesting additions to the British Fauna that has occurred 

 for many years." Ed. 



This species differs from the true Quails in having no 

 hind toe ; in the greater length and more slender form 

 of its bill, and in the very probable circumstance of its 

 laying only four eggs : in all of which points it exhibits 

 an affinity to the Bustards, the Coursers, and the Plovers. 

 I have adopted Mr. Gould's term Hemipode for this bird 

 as at once expressive of an obvious peculiarity. 



Mr. Gould possesses four very interesting letters written 

 by Linneus from Upsal to the Rev. John White, then at 

 Gibraltar, one of the brothers of Gilbert White, of Sel- 

 borne. I have, at page 245, under the article on the 

 Swallow, referred .to a Natural History of Gibraltar in 

 MS. by John White, which unfortunately remains still 

 unpublished. In the first of these letters, dated Upsal, 

 20th January, 1772, Linneus congratulates John White on 

 his being an admirer of the works of the GREAT CREATOR 

 of ALL. In the second, dated the 7th of August, 1772, 

 in reference to John White's Natural History of Gibraltar, 

 Linneus writes, Fauna tua Calpensis esset mihi et omnibus 

 exoptissima. 



Mr. Gould very kindly allows me to make further 

 extracts in reference to three very rare British Birds. 

 John White appears to have been in the habit of sending 

 Linneus specimens, some of which were new to him. Of 

 our White-bellied Swift, page 276 of this volume, Linneus 

 writes, Hirundo melba, quam antea non vidi, affinis H. apus. 

 Of the little Three-toed Quail, the subject of the present 

 article, Linneus writes, Coturnix tridactilus, an ex ordine 



