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Show 510 MESSRS. SCLATER AND SALVIN ON THE CRAC1D.E. [June 9, to O. poliocephala by Cassin. W e have given our reasons below for considering Mr. Lawrence's determination as correct. (1860.) Mr. G. R. Gray publishes a synopsis of the genus of Penelope in this Society's ' Proceedings,' giving short Latin characters of all the species known to him. Four species are described as new, viz. :- Q R Qray (Qf th.g Sjnopsis -, P. nigricapilla = P. obscura. P. bridgesi = P. obscura. P. sclateri = P. sclateri. P. lichtensteini •*-*= P. argyrotis. (1860.) Salvin, in the second volume of 'The Ibis' (p. 248), gives full details of the history of the Oreophasis derbyanus, which was previously entirely unknown except from Mr. Gray's figure. (186-?.) Prof. Reichenbach publishes his " Vollstandigste Natur-geschichte der Tauben und Taubenartigen Vogel," forming part of his ' Handbueh der speciellen Ornithologie.' W e cannot find any date attached to any part of this work, and therefore cannot give the exact date of issue. Reichenbach divides the natural family Cracidee into two groups-Cracince and Penelopince, and, in order to fill up the voids in the number of his ridiculous quaternary system, associates with them the Didince and Microdactylince (i. e. the Cariamas), and constitutes out of this heterogeneous mass his family " Alectorinee," the fourth division of his " Columbarice." Reichenbach's account of the genera and species of Cracidae is, as regards merit, about on a par with tbe above-mentioned arrangement of the higher divisions of the group. It is evidently a wretched compilation, written mainly without reference to original specimens. No less than four new species of Crax and one of Penelope are sought to be established solely upon figures of the older authors ; and Crax itself is subdivided into four subgenera (Crax, Mituporanga, Crosso-laryngus, and Spheerolaryngus), the very distinct Crax urumutum being left among the typical Craces! Ortalida leucogastra and O. albiventris are referred to the genus Chamcepetes! Penelopsis (established in the ' Av. Syst. Nat.' as Penelops) is here transferred, to become the type of a genus uniting P. rufiventris of Tschudi and P. adspersa of the same author ! (1866.) Mr. G. R. Gray describes, in this Society's ' Proceedings,' a new species of Penelope, P. greeyi, from a specimen living in the Society's gardens. (1867.) Mr. G. R. Gray publishes his ' List of specimens of Birds of the Order Gallinae in the British Museum.' In this important work the Cracidae are arranged as the second family of the order, the first being the Pteroclides, and the third the Megapodidee. This is no doubt very nearly its natural position, as the Pteroclidcc are still more nearly allied to the Columbce than the Peristeropodous Gallinee. As in his ' Genera of Birds,' M r . Gray divides the Cracidee into two subfamilies, Penelopince and Cracince. T o the former subfamily are referred three genera (Penelope, Ortalida, and Oreophasis), containing altogether thirty-five species represented in the national |
