IL 
ANNALES MUSEI NATIONALIS HUNGARICL 
1904 
AN EXTRAORDINARY DISCOVERY IN ORNITHOLOGY. 
By Dr. Julius v. Madarász. 
(With 3 textfigs.) 
I have very great pleasure in acquainting the scientific world with 
a discovery of utmost importance, which will not only suprise ornitho¬ 
logists but at the same time it will entirely modify the hithertho esta¬ 
blished principal characteristics of the Order of Passeriformes. 
The Hungarian National Museum received recently a fair number 
of bird-skins collected along the shores of Lake Jippe in East-Africa by 
Coloman Katona (who went there in company of Baron Paul Bornemisza) 
which gentleman is engaged in zoological operations on the Kilima-Njaro 
and in the adjoining districts since 1902. 
There are many new and interesting species in this collection, howe¬ 
ver amongst them is a pair of Birds, which have a pronounced likeness 
with Cape-Larks. This «Cape-Lark»-like Passerine-birds are distinguished 
by there terminal third of the tibia beeing unfeathered, scaled and reti¬ 
culated as this is the case with Plovers etc. It can be taken granted that 
this difference is in strict accordance with accomodation to aquatic life. 
On account of this most extraordinary peculiarity this hitherto 
unknown bird ought to be classified in a new genus ; the description of 
which is as follows : 
Charadriola nov. gen. 
The general characteristics of this new genus are similar to those 
of Macronyx, but the terminal third of the tibia is unfeathered, scaled 
and reticulated; the bill more slender as of Macronyx ; front of tarsus 
scutellated; the upper and under part of hinder tarsus with scutellation ; 
hind toe with claw not exceeding the length of tarsus ; the principal co¬ 
lours of plumage are yellow, brown and black ; male and female differ in 
colours. 
Charadriola singularis n. sp. 
Male: General colour above brown and shaded with olive-yellowish, 
the feathers obscurely edged with lighter brown ; upper tail coverts lemon- 
