202 



In its family it is certainly allied to Ceratorrhina, but well de- 

 serving to constitute a genus by itself. The bill still more com- 

 pressed, is in fact much more angulated beneath, and covered at the 

 base, not by a bony process or horn, but by a soft membrane or 

 saddle, which leaves a simple sUt along the margins for the imper- 

 vious nostrils. 



Genus novum Phaleridinarum. 



Sagmatorrhina, Bp. Saddle-Bill. 



Rostrum duplo longius quam altum ; maxilla ad basin recta cerd 



maximd induta, apice incurva ; mandibula ultra medium statim 



adscendens, angulum obtusum constituens ; nares lineares, mar- 



ginales. 



As the bird has been so well described by Latham, Mr. G. R. Gray 



very properly suggests that its specific name should be taken from 



that author. 



Sagmatorrhina Lathami, Bp. Maxima; nigricans; subtus 

 albido-fuliginosa : rostra pedibusque rubris ; cerd palmisque 

 nigris. 



Long. 16 poll. ; rostr. 2 poll, long., 1 altum, f latum ad basin, f ad 

 med. ; alse7ipoll.; cauda 3|^ ; tars. H ; digitorum longissimus 2f . 



This species is the largest of the subfamily, which is well known 

 to contain the dwarfs of the "Water birds ; it is one-third larger than 

 Ceratorrhina monocerota, of which it has precisely the colouring, 

 wanting only (at least in the state we have it) the little white feathers 

 above the eye and at the corners of the mouth. The proportions of 

 wings, tail, feet and toes are the same : the bill and toes must have 

 been reddish ; the cere and membranes black. Like the Cerator- 

 rhina, it seems to be confined to the North-western Arctic regions of 

 America ; and we are led to believe it does not extend to the Siberian 

 shores, from the circumstance of its not having been noticed by 

 Russian naturalists. 



The well-marked family of Alcidce forms, with the Colymbidce, 

 Podicipidce and Spheniscidce, the great section of the Urinatores, 

 which, with the Lamellirostres, constitutes alone the Order Anseres, 

 as it must be restricted to the web-footed Prcecoces of Prof. Owen. 

 The other two sections, Longipennes and Totipalmi, constitute now 

 the Order Gavice of my Conspectus, being, in fact, web-footed Altri- 

 ces, which have no more right to remain in Anseres than the Pigeons 

 among the Gallince, — than the Herodiones among the Grallce. The 

 passage between my Gavice or web-footed Altrices, and mj Herodiones 

 or grallatorial Altrices, is beautifully exemplified by that most re- 

 markable bird the Balceniceps, whose affinity with Peleeanidce has so 

 well been pointed out, and even exaggerated, by Mr. Gould. On the 

 other hand, it is no less obvious that the Longipennes, some of which, 

 with tumid bills, have been considered as Sea-Pigeons, connect them 

 (the Gavia) with the Columbce ; whilst between the two subclasses 

 the connections and correspondence (affinity and analogy) take place 



