No. 6.] THE AUSTRAL AVIAN RECORD 155 



p. 1296, Hartert has used Branta leucoiisis (Bechstein 1803) 

 and as a synonym quoted " ? Anas Irota MuUer, Zool. Dan. 

 Prodr., p. 14 1776." In the Zool. Dan. Prodr. (pref. 

 March 31), 1776, Muller gave (p. 14) "A{nas) hrota 

 Isl. R. 667." 



The reference is to " Eg Olaffens og B. Povelsens Reise 

 grennen Island Soroe, 1772," and we there found an account 

 of a goose called in England the Bernacle Goose and a fairly 

 good description is given which should be sufficient for any 

 one studying Palsearctic Geese to decide its identity. Con- 

 sequently, if the bird described be the Bernacle Goose, the 

 name would become Bernicla hrota (Muller 1776). 



The Iceland Gull. 



As the scientific name for this species Larus leuco'pterus 

 Faber 1822 has been used for some years past. In the 

 B.O.U. List Larus glaitcus was used for the Glaucous Gull, 

 but the Americans had discarded the latter for L. hyperboreus 

 without discovering that its aMy was also in trouble. 

 Consequently, in the B.O.U. List two alterations seem 

 necessary, viz. : — 



Larus hyperboreus for Larus glaucus, and 

 Larus glaucoides for Larus leucopterus. 



This reads so easily that the amount of labour spent on 

 such an item cannot be reahsed. We might take up some 

 pages in detaihng the research necessary to epitomise the 

 result so neatly. Also we have gained not a httle knowledge 

 of the birds in the pursuit of the bird names through varied 

 books, and also quite a little regarding the history of the 

 species named. 



First, Larus leucopterus is used as of Faber 1822 and 

 the book cited was published in that year. Ridgway, 

 however, noted that this was not Larus leucopterus Vieillot, 

 Tabl. Ency. Method , Vol. L, p. 346, 1823. It is now well 

 known that the Encycl. Method, was published in parts, 

 and the following data has been published by Woodward 

 and Sherborn, 



