xvu 



In tLe discussion on Mr. Rotlischilcl's paper wliich ensued, 

 'Mr. H. O. Forbes pointed out that the Snipe of AvLicL he had 



found sub-fossil remains on the Chatham Islands, and to 

 Tshich he had given the name of GaU'iaago chathauuca, ap- 

 peared to agree in length of bill Avith G. tristrami. 



Dr. BoATDLEii Sharpe made some remarks upon the geo- 

 graphical distribution of the Herons of the genus Bvtorides, 

 of -n-hich he recognized eight different species and races, as 

 follows : — 



1. BUTORIDES ATKICAPILLA (Afzcl.). 



Hab. Africa and [Madagascar. 



Of this^ B. ruitnbergi (Hartl.) seems to be the ordinary 

 ■«'inter dress. 



2. BUTORIDES STRIATA (L.). 



Hab. S. America, from Colombia and Venezuela to Peru, 

 Southern Brazil, and the Argentine Republic. 



3. BUTORIDES JAVANICA (HoTsf.). 



Hab. India generally and Ceylon east to Southern China, 

 and south thronghont the Burmese countries to the Malayan 

 Peninsula and Indo-]\[alayan Islands as far as Celebes. 



It is this Indian form Trhich inhabits the islands of the 

 Chagres group, as uell as IMauritius, Rodriguez, the Sey- 

 chelles, and the Comoro Islands. In Madagascar, however, 

 the African form, B. atricapilla, occurs. 



Subsp. a. BuTORiDEs AMUREXsis (Scbrcnck). 



Hab. Amoor Land and the Japanese Islands, extending 

 south to Southern China (Canton; Amoy), Formosa, the 

 Philippine Islands, and Labuan. 



This is simply a very large race of B. javanica, which has 

 been identified by some authors with the Australian B. macro- 

 rhyncha. 



Subsp. nov. /S. BuTORiDEs spodiogaster, Sharpe. 

 Similis B. javanicoz^ sed omninu saturatior, fuliginoso-schis- 



