150 Mr. E. Newton's Notes of a Visit 



him*. I have little doubt that this is a new species. From 

 what I can make out, it is probably one of the DrymoecincB, and 

 nearly allied to the genus Orthotumus. Its habit, too, of raising 

 its tail is just as Dr. Jerdon describes in 0. longicauda (B. Ind. 

 ii. p. 166). If my supposition is right it will be satisfactory, as 

 affording another proof of the connexion between the Mascarene 

 Islands and India; and this will be the case should Rodriguez, 

 the easternmost one of them, be found to possess an Indian 

 form which the more western members of the group are without. 

 I have no doubt that my new bird is exceedingly common in 

 that island j and if I had only had the time, I could have got a 

 good series of specimens. 



After this we had to turn homewards. We walked chiefly on 

 the beach ; and I saw, as I think, a Curlew [Numenius arquatus) — 

 not Whimbrel (iV. phcBopus) ; and I had a shot at a Turnstone 

 {Strepsilas inter pres), of which I saw a flock of some six or 

 seven. 



After dinner it was arranged that we should start in boats at 

 midnight, the tide then serving, for the caves on the south-west 

 side of the island. "We eventually got off about one o'clock in 

 the morning of the 2nd November. The police magistrate took 

 Captain Anson, myself, and three others in his whale-boat. 

 The Captain of the ' Rapid ' took in his Captain Barkly, and two 



* The specimen thus obtained was exhibited at the Meeting of the 

 Zoological Society, 4th January, 1865, and was characterized as follows : — 



"DrYMCECA (?) RODERICANA, Sp. UOV. 



" D. supra cinereo-olivacea, subtus flavescens, annulo periophthalmico 

 paroticisque albis flavido tinctis. 



" Descr. maris adulti. Rostro gracili, sub apicem emarginato ; maxilla in- 

 curvata ; mandibula recta, ultra medhim levissime sursum inclinata ; 

 naribus basalibus, superne membrana clausis, inferne rima longitudinali 

 apertis ; rictu setoso ; alis brevioribus, rotundatis, remigum primo bre- 

 vissimo, secundo abrupte longiore et nono ccquali, tertio quarto et 

 quinto subsequalibus longissimis, externe emarginatis ; cauda rectrici- 

 bus decern, elongata, gradata ; acrotarsis longiusculis. Supra cinereo- 

 olivacea, flexura flavescente, remigibus rectricibusque olivaceo-fuscis, 

 illis externe griseo limbatis; subtus pallide flavescens, annulo peri- 

 ophthalmico paroticisque albis pallide flavido tinctis; maxilla per- 

 fusca flavo limbata ; mandibula flava ; pedibus schistaceo-brunneis. 

 "Long, tota b'lb, alae 28, caudse 2'6, acrotarsi "9, dig. med. cum 

 ungue '58, hallucis cum ungue '51, rostri a fronte "54, ejusdem a 

 rictu 7 poll. Angl. et dec." — Ed. 



