Voyage Scientifique en Moree. 353 



at Seville by means of the keeper of the Giralda, who has access to 

 their nests. 



The Strix bubo and Vultur fulvus were met with, but we are not 

 informed whether the former be of the common species of the north, 

 or of a supposed variety which is assigned to the zone of these ob- 

 servations. 



If the list of birds be scanty, to make amends we have a new ar- 

 rangement of the Passeres, and a fresh coinage of names with which 

 M. Geoffroy has favoured his friends and the public. 



The partridge of the Morea is said to be the P. rufa, contrary to 

 our belief that it is the P. Grseca or Bartavelle. Probably both 

 species may occur, and it is pretty certain that the P. petrosa will 

 be found to be the prevailing species in some of the southern 

 islands. 



The beautiful Poule Sultane, or purple water hen of Latham, Por- 

 phyrio hyacinthus, was found in the marshes near Navarino, the plains 

 of Helos, and other localities. It is probably more numerous than 

 it is supposed to be, if the habits resemble those of the species in 

 Sardinia, where they frequent the most infected parts of the marshes, 

 which are almost inaccessible during the heats of summer. 



We strongly recommend to our friends of the new society in St 

 James's Park to take steps for the introduction of this most lovely 

 bird. We were informed by the late Professor Bonelli, that they 

 are abundantly kept in the yards of houses at Catania in Sicily, as 

 they were in the time of the Romans. They live easily in a domestic 

 state, and would only require protection from the winter's cold in 

 this country. Independently of their beauty of plumage, which re- 

 sembles the finest tints of the tropical birds, their habits of using 

 the long prehensile toes to lift their food gives them a peculiarly 

 elegant appearance. 



Reptiles The Testudo emarginata abounds in the Morea, as 



does the T. Grseca, which is common in Sicily, Calabria, &c. 



The Testudo Europa (Gray,) which inhabits the marshes of the 

 south of Europe, was found abundantly at the mouth of the Eurotas. 



A new species is given under the name of C. Hellenica. It was 

 found in the ditches which drain the plain of Nisi, in the heart of 

 Messenia. It appears to differ from its congener, by the form being 

 less elliptical, the sides more rectilinear and elongated. Some were 

 observed to be even less than rectilinear, and to be slightly concave 

 on the sides. There are also some minor points of difference. 



