7712 /?m/5. 



t!ie comiuoii acceptation of the phra«e, or sucli as would be figured as diffficnt species 

 by Mr. Gould. In a culleclion of Chinese paintiuus of birds, among numerous spe- 

 cies at once recojiiiiziible, was one of a very fine Bonusa, or " ruffed grouse," as yet 

 nndescribed. The collection referred to was taken to England by the late Viscount 

 Hardinge.— ^. Blylh. 



Note on Slrnthiunidce, — In the ' Conspectus Ineptorum et Struthionum' of the 

 late Prince of Canino, published in the ' Comptes Rendus,' torn, xliii. p. 840-1, only 

 one species of Casuarius is recognized, but a second Dromaius or Eineu, as Dro- 

 niaius ater, Vieillot, from " I'lsle Decres," which would appear to be already extinct ; 

 while a third species, fmni the interior of Australia, with transversely barred plumage, 

 has recently been brought to the notice of the Zoological Society. He also indi- 

 cated a second oslrich doubtfully, as Siruthio epoaslicus, C. L. Bonap., which is 

 doubtless the northern race with smooth and poreless egg-shell. The two living spe- 

 cies of Nandou, or Rhea (the threetoed American ostrich), are of course recognized ; 

 and at least three, if not four, living Sjiecies of Apteryx ; with no fewer than thirty- 

 eight species, more or less satisfactorily made out, of Inepti and Struthiones of various 

 zoological epochs ; but the knowledge of the greater portion of these is vague in the 

 extreme, and the Prince's bold attempt at classification of them will simply, as such, 

 meet with approval. At the head of tlie Iiiepti he places the huge Epiornis of Mada- 

 gascar, a fragment of the egg-shell of which I have recently received from M. Zill. 

 This giant bird appears to have been first indicated (to Europeans) by the missionary 

 Ellis, though not scientifically brought to notice. The natives of Madagascar imagine 

 that the egys of the Epiornis are these of some huge S.iurian. — Id. 



Notice of the Breeding of the Tufted Duck (Anas fuligula) in Northumberland. — 

 In the year 1858 Sir Walter C. Trevelyan, Bart., informed me that a small duck had 

 reared its brood, consisting of eight or nine, on a pond near his house at Walliugton. 

 Sir Walter again informed me, in the early part of the following year, that the same 

 Eort of small duck which had bred at Wallington the previous year was on the pond 

 again. During May of the same year, I paid a visit to Wallington, and immediately 

 on my arrival I strolled down to the pond to ascertain if possible what species of duck 

 it was. I was not there many minutes before I observed two small ducks on the water 

 at the far side of the pond. With the aid of a small telescope I soon discovered that 

 they were tufted ducks. The male was in full plumage ; he carried his flank feathers 

 quite over the wing, which gave him a very odd appearance, in fact the white almost 

 met over the back. It was clear that they were also breeding this year, for they would 

 not leave the water unless driven from it. I remained at Wallington from the 24th 

 of May till the morning of the 28th, and during that time made many searches to find 

 the nest, but without success. I had the satisfaction, in company with Sir Walter 

 and Mr. Wooster, of observing the birds each day. The pond is surrounded with high 

 trees, and between the trees and the water's edge there are clumps of rhododendrons 

 and other evergreens. At day-break of the 28th Mr. Wooster and I visited the pond 

 for a final search before I lelt. We thought by going early we should surprise the 

 duck on the eggs if she were sitting. We were disappointed, however, to observe her 

 swimming about as usual with her mate, and were therefore perfectly satisfied that she 

 had not yet commenced to sit. I left, however, quite assured that I should soon have 

 the satisfaction of hearing from Wallington that the nest had been found, as it was 

 evident, from the limited nature of the locality, it must be ultimately discovered. 

 Accoidingly, ou the 21st of June, I received a letter from Sir Walter, stating that the 



