1869.] MR. SCLATER ON A NEW MEXICAN WREN. 591 
A short crest on back part of head. Gular pouch extending in 
a direct line from the lower mandible for about 3 inches upon the 
throat. Around the eye a bare space separated from the bill by a 
narrow line of white feathers. Scapulars, lower portion of greater 
wing-coverts, primaries, and secondaries, some feathers of the upper 
tail-coverts, and tail jet-black. Rest of plumage white, with a 
yellowish tint upon the breast. Gular pouch white, as are also the 
mandibles, the latter having a bluish tinge darkest at the tip, the 
cutting edges yellow; nail of mandible greenish yellow. Ivides 
dark brown ; orbits pale sulphur-yellow, bounded by a narrow ring 
of pale bluish grey. 
Total length about 5 feet ; upper mandible 18 inches in length along 
the culmen, its greatest width 1? inch; wing 25 inches; tail 10 
inches; tarsus 5 inches; middle toe, without nail, 4? inches ; 
auter toe 42 inches, inner 3 inches, hind toe 1} inch. 
Hab. Australia, Van Diemen’s Land. 
This fine species is an inhabitant of Van Diemen’s Land and the 
continent of Australia, in which countries it is very abundant. So 
numerous, indeed, is it on the inland waters, that Capt. Sturt states, 
as related by Mr. Gould, ‘that a channel of a river from 70 to 
80 yards broad was literally covered with Pelicans, and that they 
were in such numbers upon the Darling as to be quite dazzling 
to the eye.” 
The Australian Pelican cannot easily be confounded with any 
other species, its black wing-coverts and tail serving to distinguish it 
from its fellows. 
The nest, according to Mr. Gould, is “a large structure of sticks 
and grassy herbage, placed just above high-water mark; the eggs 
are generally two in number, of a dirty yellowish white, 3? inches 
long by 22 inches broad.”’ 
This species appears to be generally distributed throughout Austra- 
lia, although it is gradually retiring before the advances of civilization. 
8. Description of a new Species of Mexican Wren. By P. L. 
Scrater, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.S., Secretary to the Society. 
(Plate XLV.) 
When looking through the fine series of American birds in the 
Royal Zoological Museum of Berlin last summer, I found an exam- 
ple of a species of Wren from Mexico, which was quite new to me, 
and which, although long since provided with a MS. name, ap- 
peared to be undescribed. Dr. Peters, with his wonted liberality, 
upon my pointing this out to him, immediately offered me the loan 
of the specimen for examination aud description, if new; and as, 
after carefully comparing it with other species known to me, I find 
my anticipations verified, I propose to characterize the species under 
the specific name already bestowed upon it in the Berlin Museum, 
