1881.] MR. R. B. SHARPE ON RHIPIDURA PREISSI. 387 



exertions are necessary to catch it, although its movemeats are in 

 themselves extremely clumsy. 



F. Food. 



The food of the Seals on the Fro Islands seems to be principally 

 fish ; Halibut {Hippoylossits vulgaris) appears to be a delicacy to 

 them. As a proof that they fetch their food from a considerable 

 depth, it is related that a few years ago a young one was found 

 caught by one of the hooks of a fishing-line that was placed at a 

 depth of between 70 and 80 fathoms on the outer side of one of the 

 islands. Grey Seals have several times been seen to come up to the 

 surface with Lings (Molva vulgaris), and other deep-water fishes in 

 their mouths, such fishes being seldom or never found at a less depth 

 than between 60 and 70 fathoms. 



There has never been any success with attempts made to rear 

 young G-rey Seals in confinement, although it has been tried several 

 times on the Fro Islands. 



3. A Note on Rhijndwa preissi, Cab. By R. Bowdlkr 

 Sharps, F.L.S., F.Z.S._, &c., Senior Assistant, Depart- 

 ment of Zoology, British Museum. 



[Eeceived February 23, 1881.] 



"When I wrote the fourth volume of the ' Catalogue of Birds ' I 

 was unable to say any thing about the Fantail Flycatcher of Western 

 Australia {Rhipidura preissi), as no specimen existed at that time 

 in any English collection, nor had it been figured by Gould in his 

 Supplement to the ' Birds of Australia.' In fact, since it was de- 

 scribed in 1850 by Dr. Cabanis, I believe that nothing whatever 

 has been written concerning the species. I was pleased, therefore, 

 on visiting Birmingham last November, to find an interesting collec- 

 tion of birds in that town in the possession of Mr. Walter Chatnber- 

 lain, who obtained all his specimens himself during his travels in 

 the Australian and Indian regions. Amongst other rarities, he had 

 an example of Rhipidura preissi, shot in King George's Sound in 

 Western Australia ; and he very kindly responded to my request to 

 lend me the specimen. 



I find that, as stated by Dr. Cabanis, the species is very closely 

 allied to R. albiscapa, but is more slaty brown, and differs in the 

 grey spot on the throat, which is much lighter than in R. pelzelni, 

 with which species I at one time supposed it might be identical. It 

 seems to me to be a good species, if indeed any of these white- 

 shafted Fantails are really worthy of specific rank ; I think that 

 they are rather races of one species, varying with locality. 



The following is a description of Mr. Chamberlain's specimen : — 



