Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Heligoland. 163 
rio , Ehr. When the wing is expanded it shows no trace of 
white. 
The example of Acrocephalus certhiola (Pallas) agrees ex¬ 
actly with specimens in Lord Tweeddale's collection, except 
that the under surface is somewhat more streaked, probably 
a sign of immaturity. 
Since Mr. Cordeaux’s paper was written a very interesting 
bird has been added to Gaetke's collection, shot on 22nd June 
1875. It is a Goatsucker, exactly identical with Severtzoff's 
type of Caprimulgus arenicolor (Ibis, 1875, p. 491). In the 
British Museum is a skin from Egypt agreeing both with 
SevertzofPs and Gaetke's birds in length of wing and pro¬ 
portion of primaries. In Capt. Shelley's collection are skins of 
Caprimulgus cegyptius , Licht. (of which C. isabellinus , Temm., 
is a synonym), considerably smaller than the above-named 
birds, and slightly varying in the proportion of primaries; 
but there are also intermediate forms, leading to the inevi¬ 
table conclusion that C. cegyptius, C. isabellinus , and C. are¬ 
nicolor are synonyms of one species. 
Motacilla vidua , Sundevall, of Cordeaux, Ibis, 1875, p. 180, 
is incorrectly named. The bird shot 18th May 1866, is an 
undoubted M. lugubris. 
Ruticilla mesoleuca (Hempr. et Ehr.). There is a fine male 
of this bird, shot 12th June 1864, in the collection. 
Among the examples of Lanius excubitor in Gaetke's studio 
are two birds which differ from that species in having only 
one instead of two bars on the wing. The basal portion of 
the primaries is white; but the secondaries are black or dark 
brown throughout, except that at the apex they are more or 
less tipped with white. One bird has no trace of cross-barring 
on the underparts; but the other bird is slightly barred. 
These birds appear to agree exactly with Pallas's description 
of Lanius major . In Dresser's collection and in the British 
Museum are similar skins collected by Hobson near Constan¬ 
tinople. Whether this form be really a distinct species I do 
not pretend to decide. It appears to be intermediate between 
L. excubitor and the American L. borealis. 
The Red-tailed Shrike, identified by Blasius as Lanius 
