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Show 1877.] MR. P. L. SCLATER ON A NEW PLECTROPTERUS. 47 'A History of the Birds of Europe ;' it appears, however, from the latest observations, that its distribution extends from the North Cape through the whole of Northern Russia and Siberia, and in an easterly direction as far as Russian North America. Those which annually make their appearance in the birch-woods of Finmark for the purpose of breeding take an easterly course, their passage to and from that locality being through Northern and Eastern Russia. This is the case too with several others of the smaller land birds of eastern origin that breed in Finmark-for instance Anthus cervinus, Otocorys alpestris, and Plectrophanes lapponica, which never, or at least very seldom, cross the southern parts of Norway on their passage; the same observation applies to the colonies of Acrocephalus schceno-beenus and Cyanecula suecica, which breed in Finmark, and perhaps to the majority of land birds of passage breeding in those regions. It is highly probable therefore that P. borealis crosses Western Europe on its passage hither; and the specimens obtained on the island of Heligoland, which enabled Professor Blasius to correct the erroneous designation formerly given to this species, must therefore in all probability be regarded as the result of those occasional visits to Western Europe which are paid from time to time by East-European and North-Asiatic species. 2. Notice of an apparently new Species of Spur-winged Goose of the Genus Plectropterus. By P. L. S C L A T E R, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.S., Secretary to the Society. [Eeceived February 5, 1877.] (Plate VII.) On former occasions1 I have done my best to establish before the Society the distinctness of Plectropterus rueppelli, as I have proposed to name the bare-necked East-African form of the Spur-winged Goose, from the ordinary P. gambensis, which has a much wider range. Of both of these species we have at the present time specimens living in the Society's Gardens2; but we have also a pair of birds which, so far as I can judge from an examination of the living examples, clearly belong to a third species of this genus. O n June 6th of last year we received from Lieut.-General A . V. Cunyngham, Commandant of H.M. forces at Cape Town, two evidently adult birds of this genus, which appear to be quite distinct from either of the above-named forms. Their general appearance, as will be seen from the coloured drawing by Mr. Smit which I exhibit (Plate VII.), is rather that of P. gambensis, inasmuch as they have not the prominent frontal knob, nor bare spaces on the 1 See P. Z. S. 1859, p. 131, and 1860, p. 38. 2 Namely:-Plectropterus gambensis cf, presented by 0. B. Mosse, Esq., M ay 6, 1867; Plectropterus gambensis §, received in exchange, Aug. 13, 1868; and Plectropterus rueppelli cf, presented by Mons. J. M . Comely, C.M.Z.S. Sept 28, 1876. |