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Show 344 MR. E. NEWTON ON NEW SEYCHELLES BIRDS. [Mar. 28, for this bird ; hut the single specimen sent is not in a very good state, and does not permit a very accurate description of the feet to be made. 12. STERNA EXILIS, G. R. Gray in Mus. Brit. Sterna exilis, Tsch., Wiegm. Arch. 1843, p. 389, et F. P. Aves, p. 306(?). Prof. Nation sends a single specimen of a well-marked species of Tern "from the vicinity of Callao," which is the same as one in the British Museum from Chili, marked "Sterna exilis, Tsch." Whether, however, it can really be Tschudi's bird appears to me to be very doubtful, as it does not accord well with his description. The present species is of about the same size as Sterna superciliaris of Eastern South America, but distinguishable by its long, thin, pointed, and slightly incurved bill (which is yellow at the base and black for the terminal half), its longer and deeply cleft tail, and its grey colour underneath. 4. Descriptions of some New Species of Birds from the Seychelles Islands. By E D W A R D N E W T O N , M.A., C.M.Z.S. (Plate XXII.) Before proceeding to name and describe some birds obtained by myself during a stay of a month in the Seychelles Islands, from January 24th to February 24th of the present year, I may state that, previously to m y visit, only the following six land-birds had been described as coming from those islands, and these, so far as is known, are not found elsewhere. They are - Tinnunculus gracilis (Less.) ; Desm., Iconogr. pl. 25. Nectarinia dussumieri, Hartl., Journ. f. Orn. 1860, p. 340. N. seychellensis, Hartl., Orn. Beitr. Madag. p. 35 (an errore?). Copsychus sechellarum, A. Newton, Ibis, 1865, p. 322, pl. viii. Turtur rostratus, Bp., Consp. Av. ii. p. 62. Erythremias pulcherrima (Scop.) ; Temm., Pig. pl. 20. The birds I have now to describe are- HYPSIPETES CRASSIROSTRIS: vulgo "Merle." Hypsipetes H. olivaceo admodum similis sed rostro valde robustiore, gula, pectore abdomineque flavescentibus. Descr. maris adulti.-Supra fuscus, nonnihil ad olivaceum vergens, pileo nigro; subtus gula pectoreque cinereis flavo tinctis; abdomine albido-filavescente ; remigibus rectricibusque fuscis, secundariis quibusdam externe rufis; rostro sordide aurantiaco; pedibus fusco-flavis, unguibus nigris, iridibus fusco rubris. Long, tota 10-75, alse 5*3, caudae 4*5, acrotarsi 1*05, dig. med. sine ungue 0 8 , hallucis sine ungue 0*5, maxilla? a fronte 1*1, ejus- |