114 THE AUSTRAL AVIAN RECORD [Vol. III. 



Calidris. 



The most important item in Richmond's paper appears 

 to be the discovery that " an anonymous reviewer of Bech- 

 stein's Orn. Taschenbuch presents his views on the arrange- 

 ment of certain genera of Limicolce, by means of the following 

 key, in which several new generic names are introduced — 



Philomachus Tringa pugnax 



Calidris Tringa calidris, arenaria, u.a. 



Cinclus Tringa cinclus, alpina, islandica, u.a. 



Arenaria Tringa interpres 



Tringa Tringa gambetta, ochropus . . . u.a. 



Canutus Knot der englischen Naturforscher. 



This account appeared in the Allg. Lit.-Zeitung, 1804, Vol. 2, 

 No. 168, June 8, 1804, col. 542, and the above names are 

 accompanied by diagnoses which Richmond has reproduced, 

 but which are not quoted above. 



The genus name Calidris was used by Mathews in his List 

 of the Birds of Australia, p. 69, 1913, as of Illiger, 1811. It 

 first appears in the table in Vol. I. of Cuvier's Lecons d'anat. 

 comp. as the equivalent of " Maubeches," a division of 

 Tringa used for the genus " Vanneaux." It has been decided 

 by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, 

 that these names are acceptable if the vernaculars are recognis- 

 able from the Tabl. elem. d'Hist. Nat., published in 1798. 

 In this case the name is not so determinable, -so that Calidris 

 Cuvier, 1800, is an absolute nomen nudum. The present 

 introduction prevents the continuation of Calidris Illiger, 

 and we must fall back upon Billberg's " useless synonym " 

 Crocethia ; a rather striking instance of the truth that a 

 useless synonym is a very rare thing. 



Calidris, 1804, is an absolute synonym of Totanus Bechstein, 

 1803, the same species being type in each case. 

 Hence Crocethia leucophaea (p. 69). 



,, ,, leucophaea. 



,, „ tridactyla. 



,, ,, carteri. 



