RECENTLY OBSERVED SPECIES. 273 



the description given by Mr. Yarrell, of a bird shot in the 

 south of Ireland, in January 1838. Mr. Thompson, in his 

 " additions to the Fauna of Ireland, Ann. Nat. Hist. xv. 

 308, has the following note respecting it: " Pycnonotus 

 chrysorhseus, Swainson. At the meeting of the British 

 Association held at Cork, in 1843, I exhibited at the Na- 

 tural History Section, an example of this African species 

 sent for inspection from the collection of native birds, or 

 those killed in Ireland, belonging to Dr. Burkitt of Water- 

 ford. Dr. B. purchased it from a country-lad who brought 

 it into Waterford, in January 1838, with a number of black 

 birds and snipes, and who thought it was a hen blackbird ; 

 he shot it at Mount Beresford, three and a half miles from 

 Waterford." Mr. Yarrell, who has figured and described 

 the identical specimen, considers this species as referrible 

 to the genus Ixos of M. Temminck, which Mr. Swainson 

 seems to consider nearly identical with his sub-family of 

 Brachypodinse. The species in question, he refers to a 

 sub-genus which he names Hsematornis. 



Turdus aurigaster, Vieill. Encycl. Method. 657. Turdus 

 chrysorhseus, Temm. pi. Oveir. Turdus aurigaster, Yarrell, 

 Brit. Birds, suppl. 15. 



GENUS, PETROCINCLA. ROCK-THRUSH. 



Bill of moderate length, rather slender, straight, com- 

 pressed ; upper mandible with the ridge narrow, the 

 dorsal line slightly arched toward the end, the sides con- 

 vex, the edges sharp, the notches obsolete, the tip 

 very small and slightly decurved : lower mandible with 

 the angle moderate, the dorsal line nearly straight, the 

 tip acute ; gape-line straight. Nostrils oblong, direct, 

 in the lower and forepart of the nasal membrane, which 

 is feathered. Eyes of moderate size, eyelids feathered. 

 Aperture of ear rather large, roundish. Head ovate; 

 neck short; body compact; tarsus rather stout, short, 

 compressed, anteriorly with a long plate and four scu- 

 tella, posteriorly with two longitudinal plates; toes 

 moderate, with large scutella, the third and fourth 

 slightly connected at the base, the lateral about equal; 

 claws slender, much compressed, laterally grooved, 

 arched, acute. Plumage rather blended; short basi- 



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