21 [ Vol. xxxix, 
Mr. H. J. Exwes said that it had not been possible up to 
the present to arrange a meeting of the Committee appointed 
to inquire into the causes of the present scarcity of Grouse in 
Scotland (ante, p. 8), but he had received several letters on the 
subject which would be very helpful in their investigations. 
He hoped the Committee would be able to cooperate with the 
Scottish Agricultural Society and would report as to the con- 
clusions arrived at in due course. 
Dr. Ernst Hartert sent the following communication:— 
In the forthcoming number of ‘ Novitates Zoologice’ 
(vol. xxv. p. 361) I have shown that Corvus affinis Riipp. 
and Corvus brachyurus A. E. Brehm are preoccupied and 
can therefore not be used for the “ Fan-tailed Raven.” 
I stated that therefore this species must be called Corvus 
brachyrhynchus Brehm. Unfortunately this name is also 
preoccupied by C. brachyrhynchus Brehm, Beitr. z. Vogel- 
kunde, ii. p. 56 (1822—North America). A new name 
must therefore be given, and I propose the name of 
Corvus rhipidurus, nom. nov., 
for the Corvus afinis Rippell. 
Mr. Cuartes Cuvuss sent the following descriptions of 
new forms of South and Central American birds :— 
Gampsonyx swainsonii magnus, subsp. nov. 
Gampsonyx swainsoni (nec Vig.), Tacz. Orn. Pér, i. 1884, 
p. 140 part., Tumbez. 
Adult male. Similar to G. s. swainsonii, and differing only 
in the larger wing and tail measurements. “Iris yellow ; 
feet yellow ; bill black” (P. O. Simons). Total length 
245 mm., culmen from edye of cere 14, wing 177, tail 104, 
tarsus 32, middle toe and claw 32. 
Adult female. Similar to the adult male. Wing 176 mm., 
tail 105. 
Habitut. West Peru and West Ecuador. 
