Novelties. — Fuffmus Persieus. 5 



Dr. Jerdon observed this species common about marshy g-round^ 

 and hence the name he sug'g'ested which I have adopted. I have 

 had this specimen four yearsj but never described it^ expecting 

 Dr. Jerdon to do so^, but as he has never done so^ and has now, 

 alas ! left us for ever, I have thoug-ht it right to take an early 

 opportunity of putting on record this one of his many dis- 

 coveries. 



f ttiims icrsiais, S^p. Nov. 



Intermediate in size and other characteristics between P. Anglorum, P. 

 Obscura, and P. Niigax ; a white line round the eye prolonged bach- 

 wards from posterior angle, for from a quarter to half an inch. Length, 

 13 inches. Whole of lateral lower tail coverts, deep brown. 



A SHEARWATER that I at first referred, though vsT'ith great 

 hesitation, to Fvffinus Anglorum, is not uncommon about the 

 moutlis of the Indus and the Kurrachee Coast, and was observed 

 also on several occasions in proceeding up the Gulf of Oman. It 

 is a bird belonging to that particular sub-division which includes 

 P. Anglorum, Kay, P. Yelhuan, Acerbi, P. Obscura, Gmelin and 

 P. Nugax, Solander, but it will not in many respects agree with 

 any of these species. I only succeeded in procuring a single 

 specimen, a female, apparently adult, fresh moulted, except the 

 three first primaries in each wing, which were still more or less 

 m parchment. Macgillivray gives the length of P. Anglorum 

 at 15 inches; Yarrell, at 14 inches; Degland and Gerbe, at 13*8 

 inches; and this bird was 13 inches in length. P. Obscura 

 Yarrell, gives at 11 inches as the result of the measurement of 

 six specimens. The wing, imperfectly developed in my specimen, 

 measured 7 inches ; when fully developed, it might measure 8 

 inches or 8*25 inches. The wing of P. Anglorum is given by 

 several authorities at 9"5 inches and of P. Obscura, at 6*75 inches. 

 It is too small for the one and too large for the other ; moreover, 

 it has the whole of both webs, of both the lateral and the lono-er 

 tail coverts, deep brown, in this respect agreeing with P. Obscwra 

 and also P. Yelkuan ; but the wing in P. Yelkuan is given by 

 Schlegel at from 9-2 to 97 inches, which our wing could 

 never have been, and the tarsus at about 1*9 inches, whereas in 

 our bird the tarsus is exactly 1-5 inches. The mid toe is also 

 given at 1-72 inches, in our bird it is about 1-45 inches ; more- 

 over, Yelkuan is described as being of a paler and greyer tint 

 than Anglorum, whereas our bird is nearly black. Again, the 

 white of the throat extends right up to the eye, and covers half 



