1 74 Letters, Extracts, and Notes. 



A glance at the original description and the list of species 

 given by Lesson will show that the type is obviously (by 

 tautonomy) "le Schetbe ^^ of Vtw^on^= Lanius nifus Gm.= 

 Lantzia rufa of Madagascar of Shelley's ' Birds ' (p. 195), so 

 that it cannot be applied to the Cusenier. 



In the case of Owynotus the name is preoccupied by 

 Rafinesque, 1810, for a genus of Fishes. 



It is therefore necessary to find a new generic name for 

 the Cusenier of Mauritius, and I would propose Coquus, 

 gen. n. ( = a cook) as a suitable name with type Oxynotus 

 rufiventer Swainson. 



The two known species of the genus will therefore be 

 Coquus rufiventer (Swains.) from Mauritius, and Coquus 

 newtoni (Pollen) from Reunion. Moreover, as Schetba 

 Lesson 1830 antedates Lantzia Hartl. 1877, the type of 

 which is also Lanius rufus Linn., the Rufous Vanga or the 

 Schetbe of Buffon from Madagascar will have in future to 

 be known as Schetba rufa (Gmel.). — W. L. Sclater. 



Wild Birds Protection Act. — The Home Secretary has 

 recently appointed a Committee to inquire what action has 

 been taken under the above act for the protection of our 

 wild birds, and to consider whether any amendments of the 

 law or improvements in its administration are required. 

 The members of the Committee are : — The Hon. E, S. 

 Montagu, M.P., Under-Secretary of State for India (chair- 

 man) ; Lord Lucas, Parliamentary Secretary to the Board 

 of Agriculture ; Mr. Frank Elliott, of the Home Office ; 

 Mr. E. G. B. Meade-Waldo, Mr. W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, and 

 Mr. Hugh S. Gladstone. The secretary to the Committee 

 is Mr. H. R. Scott, of the Home Office, to whom any com- 

 munications on the subject of the inquiry may be made. 



Penguins in South Georgia. — To the October number of 

 the American Museum Journal Mr. U. C. Murphy com- 

 municates a graphic and richly illustrated account of his 



