Miscellaneous, 473 



In 1850, Mr. Cassin unknowingly described this bird under the 

 new name of Pastor 7iigrocinctiis (Proc. Acad. Philad. 1850, p. ()S). 

 The description, he informs us, was taken from two specimens — one 

 in the Albany Museum, U.S., and the other in the Philadelphian 

 Academy. The fact of the similarity of this species with that of 

 Lesson was first pointed out by Dr. Sclater (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1857, 

 p. 6). It is one of the birds which I had, in my *List of Genera,* 

 published in 1855, "so quietly recapitulated," as the learned Editor 

 of 'The Ibis' (1862, p. 291) is pleased to remark, "with the dry 

 interrogatory, * Nonne avis arte facta V" I was induced to affix this 

 observation from the appearance presented in my drawing, which 

 was taken from M. Bourcier's typical specimen. It is now proved, 

 in part at least, that I was not altogether wrong in supposing that 

 the art of the taxidermist had been employed in endeavouring to 

 replace by artificial means what the New-Guinean natives had de- 

 prived the three previously known specimens of, — for example, their 

 wings and legs. The false restoration of these organs was the cause 

 of a w rong position being assigned to the bird in regard to the family 

 it occupied in the system of ornithology. Mr. Wallace's perfect 

 specimens prove that the true wings and legs are very similar to 

 those of the genus Gracula, both in form and colour ; and it appears 

 to be intermediate between the genera Gracula and Basilornis, being 

 allied to the latter in its more slender-formed bill. 



The name and synonyma of this fine and singularly coloured bird 

 will now stand as follows : — 



Gracula (Melanopyrrhus) Anais. 



Sericulus Anais, Less., Rev. de Zool, 1839, p. 44 ; Pr. Bon., Consp. Av. 



i. p. 349. 

 Melanopyrrhus Anais, Pr. Bon., Compt. Rend. 1853, p. 831 ; G. R. Gray, 



List of Gen. 1855, p. 46. 

 Pastor nigrocinctus, Cass., Proc. Acad. Philad. 1850, p. 68. 

 lOriolus Anais, G. R. Gray, Gen. of B. App. p. 11 ; id. Cat. of Birds of N. 



Guin. p. 26. 

 Gracula pectoralis. Wall., Proc. Z. S. 1862, p. 166. pi. 20. 



Hab, New Guinea (Wall.). 



The Gorilla. By Thomas J. Moore. 



A statement, resting upon no reliable authority, lately appeared in 

 the Liverpool newspapers, announcing the arrival and exhibition in 

 this port of a young living specimen of a Gorilla. 



This announcement, having been copied into the * Times,' and 

 continuing to be copied into various other papers, being absolutely 

 untrue, it becomes necessary to give it an unqualified contradiction. 



The so-called Gorilla is simply a Chimpanzee, standing somewhat 

 over two feet in height, and having the large ears, flesh-coloured 

 muzzle, with white hairs on the chin, and the deeply cleft fingers so 

 characteristic of the species. 



It is a robust, lively, and amusing creature, imitating its keeper 



