241 
Mr. J. E. Harting on little-known Limicolse. 
1849, on the day of the “ Feast of the Conception/'' at the 
Salini, by Mr. Ardouino, who still remembers the occurrence* *. 
The specimen of Cygnus alluded to (Ibis, 1864, p. 155) was 
doubtless the young of C. olor , a species already registered as 
visiting Malta (Ibis, 1869, p. 248). It is more than probable 
that C. ferns has also occurred here; but I have no authentic 
information of the fact. There is an example of C. olor in 
the Malta University Museum nearly pure white, but with 
scarcely any appearance of the frontal knob. I think the 
occurrence of Alauda cristata (Ibis, 1864, p. 60; 1865, p. 464), 
even as an accidental visitor, is very doubtful, also Podiceps 
cornutus (Ibis, 1864, p. 157), as I have never myself seen a 
specimen of either. Whilst on the subject of corrections, I 
may state that the alleged specimens of the American Gull 
{Larus atricilla) taken in Sicily, and preserved in the Palermo 
University Museum (Ibis, 1869, p. 255), do not belong to 
that species. During a recent visit to Palermo I had an oppor¬ 
tunity, through the kindness of the learned professor in charge 
of the zoological department, of examining them. They arc 
unmistakably examples of the Adriatic (or, as it is better 
called, the Mediterranean) Black-headed Gull. It may be 
taken for granted that the American species does not occur in 
the Mediterranean; and the allusions of authors to it, Yarrell 
among others, doubtless refer to Larus melanocephalus . 
XXVIII.— On rare or little-known Limicolse. 
By J. E. Harting, F.L.S., F.Z.S. 
(Plate IX.) 
The Genus Becurvirostra. 
So long ago as 1863, in WiegmamEs f Archiv* for that year, 
p. 131, Messrs. Philippi and Landbeck described an Avocet 
from the Andes, which they named Recurvirostra andina, and 
* [Since this paper was sent to the printers Mr. Wright has sent us 
the fragments mentioned above. On comparing them with specimens in 
Mr-. Dresser’s collection, we are able to state that they belong, without 
doubt, to a young individual of S. pomatorhinus. —Ed.] 
