1886.] REV. CANON TRISTRAM ON A NEW DUCK. 79 



with several young, also without locality, in the Leyden Museum ; 

 and the present individual from Salangore. 



28. Tragulus kanchil, Raff. 



a. Salanga, Junkceylon, 16/2/79 {Darling), b. Taroar, 4/2/79 

 {Darling), c-e. Klang, Salangore, 5 and 10/79, and 2/80. 

 f, g. Singapore island, 8/2/79. 



3. On an apparently new Species of Duck {Dafila) from the 

 Central Pacific. By H. B. Tristram, D.D., F.R.S. 



[Eeceived November 14, 1885.] 

 (Plate VII.) 



I lately received a small parcel of birds collected by Mr. J. V. 

 Arundel, at Sidney Island, Phoenix Group, lat. 4° 30' S., long 171° 20' 

 W. The island, which is a mere coral-lagoon island, has never, so far 

 as I know, been visited by any naturalist. But, alas, Mr. Arundel 

 was not able to discover any land birds whatever, beyond Charadrius 

 fulvus and Totanus incanus. He has, however, sent three specimens, 

 one male and two females, of a Duck which appears to be hitherto 

 undescribed. The only note I have respecting it is, that there were 

 no Ducks on the island on Mr. Arundel's arrival, but that alterwards 

 they appeared, and were tolerably numerous for a time. I gather 

 from this remark that it is probably a migrant from one island to 

 another ; and a glance at the position of Sidney Island on the map 

 will show that a Duck may enjoy a considerable range of migration 

 in those regions, without necessarily coming under the eye of a col- 

 lector. It is now nine years since Dr. Streets described a new 

 Gadwall from Washington Island (Bull. Nuttall Club, i. p. 46), and 

 yet the species has not since that time been met with, 



The bird before us is a plain-coloured Pintail of diminutive size. 

 The male specimen is just discarding the young or summer dress, 

 and assuming the delicately vermiculated and pencilled plumage of the 

 flanks and back which characterize our own Pintail in breeding-dress. 

 On the flanks only two or three young feathers remain. 



I propose to name it, from its extreme simplicity of plumage, 



Dafila modesta, sp. nov. 



c? . Supra cinerea, lineis albidis spissis vermiculata : pileo 

 brunneo nigra et subfiisco minute striata, gula rufescente, collo 

 postico brunneo, albido minute striata, subtus alhida, brunneo 

 minutissime penicillato ; remigibus citieraceis, intus pallidiori- 

 bus, scapis albis ; secundariis cinereis, extus metallice viridi- 

 bus, late albo terminatis ; tectricibus alarum cinereis, castaneo 

 terminatis : Cauda brunnea, acuta, supracaudalibus brunneis, 

 alba marginatis : corpore toto subtus fulvo, indistincte maculata : 

 lateribus transfasciatis et sicut dorsum vermiculatis : axilla- 



