344 MR. E. NEWTON ON NEW SEYCHELLES BIRDS. [Mar. 28, 



for this bird ; but the single specimen sent is not in a very good state, 

 and does not permit a very accurate description of the feet to be 

 made. 



12. Sterna exilis, G. R. Gray in Mus. Brit. 



Sterna exilis, Tsch,, Wiegm. Arch. 1843, p. 389, et F. P. Aves, 

 p. 306(?). 



Prof. Nation sends a single specimen of a well-marked species 

 of Tern " from the vicinity of Callao," which is the same as one in 

 the British Museum from Chili, marked " Sterna exilis, Tsch." 

 Whether, however, it can really be Tschudi's bird appears to me to 

 be very doubtful, as it does not accord well with his description. 

 The present species is of about the same size as Sterna superciliaris 

 of Eastern South America, but distinguishable by its long, thin, 

 pointed, and slightly incurved bill (which is yellow at the base and 

 black for the terminal half), its longer and deeply cleft tail, and its 

 grey colour underneath. 



4. Descriptions of some New Species of Birds from the Sey- 

 chelles Islands. By Edward Newton, M.A., C.M.Z.S. 



(Plate XXII.) 



Before proceeding to name and describe some birds obtained by 



myself during a stay of a month in the Seychelles Islands, from Ja- 



/ nuary 24th to February 24th of the present year, I may state that, 



/ previously to my visit, only the following lix. land-birds had been 



' described as coming from those islands, and these, so far as is known, 



are not found elsewhere. They are — 



Tinnunculvs gracilis (Less.) ; Desm., Iconogr. pi. 2.5. 

 Nectarinia dussumieri, Hartl., Journ. f. Orn. 1860, p. 340. 

 N. seychellensis, Hartl., Orn. Beitr. Madag. p. 35 (an errore7). 

 Copsychus sechellarum, A. Newton, Ibis, 1865, p. 322, pi. viii. 

 Turtur rostratus, Bp., Consp. Av. ii. p. 62. 

 Erythroenas pulcherrima (Scop.) ; Temm., Pig. pi. 20. 



The birds I have now to describe are — 



Hypsipetes crassirostris : vulgo "Merle." 



Hypsipetes H. oli\aceo admodiim similis sed rostro valde robus- 

 tiore, gula, pectore abdomineque fiavescentibus. 



Descr. maris adulti. — Svpra fuscus, nonnihil ad olivaceum very ens, 

 pileo nigro i sublus gula pectoreque cinertis flavo tinctis ; ab- 

 domine albido-Jlavescente ; remiyibns rectricibitsque fuscis, 

 secundariis quibusdam externe riijis; rostro sordide aurantiaco ; 

 pedibus fuse ojl avis, unguibus nigris, ii-idibus fuscorubris. 



Long, tola 10v5, alae 5'3, caudse 4'5, acrotarsi 1*05, dig. med. 

 sine nngue 08, halhuis sine ungne 0*.5, maxillae a fronte Tl, ejus- 



