38 Mr. Strickland's Commentary 



that the Corrira italica, Gm., is the Dromas ardcola, Paykull ; but as 

 long as any doubt remains, it is better to retain the latter name as 

 Mr. Gray has done. 



P. 66. The four genera, Egretta, Ardeola, Botaurus and Nyctico- 

 rax, originated, not with Brisson, but the two first with Bonaparte, 

 and the two last with Stephens. 



For Tigrisoma lineata read T. lineaium. (All words ending with 

 soma, stoma, &c., are neuter.) 



Ought not the genus Herodias, Boid, as restricted by Bonaparte, 

 to be kept distinct from Egi-etta ? 



P. 67. For Leptoptilos waite Leptoptilus. (The terminal as in 

 Greek is always made us in correct Latin.) 



The specific name argala is Latham's, not Gmelin's; but as Gmelin's 

 name dubia, though prior, implies an erroneous proposition, for the 

 species is not dubious, Latham's name may be allowed to stand. 

 The genus Ibis was founded, not by Brisson, but by Lacepede. 

 The genus Falcinellus, attributed to " Ray," is, I believe, now first 

 established by Mr. G ray. If retained, a new specific name will be 

 wanted for the European bird, as Colonel Sykes is of opinion (Proc. 

 Com. Zool, Soc. pt. ii. p. 161) that the Tantalus igtieus, Gm., is 

 distinct from T. falcinellus, Lin. It would, however, be far better 

 to give a new name to this genus, if a genus it be, the name Falci- 

 nellus being pre-occupied by Cuvier, who asserts that Vieillot changed 

 it to Erolia. 



P. 68. The genus Numenius, " Ray," was founded by Latham. 

 Limosa, " Briss.," was first used generically, I believe, by Leisler, 

 and Totanus, " Ray," by Cuvier, 1802. 



The name Guinetta, " Briss.," is now first used generically by Mr. 

 Gray, and therefore should not supersede Actitis, 111., as restricted 

 by Boie. 



P. 69. For Macroramphus write Macrorhamphus. 

 P. 70. I have been quite unable to reduce the synonymes of the 

 genus Rhynchaa into order, and Mr. Gray would do a good work if 

 he would publish a monograph of this genus with all the synonymes 

 at full length, and with the distinctive characters of the species. 



Mr. Gray must be in error when he unites the Scolopax paludosa, 

 Gm. {S. undulata, Bodd.) with S. sabini, Vig. Bonaparte, in his 

 elaborate monograph of the genus Scolopax, in the ' Osserv. Cuv. 

 Reg. An.' p. 123, describes S. paludosa, Gm., as having the beak 

 3| inches long, and the lateral rectrices " angustissimi, acuminati," 

 characters which do not apply to S. sabini, which Bonaparte there 

 calls (after Vieillot) <S. sakhalina. 



I cannot approve of separating Scolopax gallinula, Lin., g'^neri- 

 cally from the other Snipes ; but those who do so should retain the 

 name Gallinago (founded by Stephens) for the true Snipes, and call 

 the -S. gallinula, Philolimnus, Boie. At any rate, the specific name 

 gallinula, Lin., should not be superseded by a term used previously 

 to the binomial System. 



The specific name lobatus, Wils., should not be given to Stegano- 

 pus, because it was used by Wilson under the erroneous impression 



