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Show 1882.] MR. E. P. RAMSAY ON A N E W TEPHRAS. 357 coloration, a description of the one would apply almost equally well to the other. The measurements of a young bird of G. macrodactyla less than a week old, and consequently unable to fly, are :-Bill 1*5, wing 2*5, bare portion of tibia '5, tarsus 1*7 inch. Before concluding m y remarks on this species it seems desirable to say a few words on the synonymy, since the bird has hitherto been usually known as Gallinago bernieri of Pucheran, who named it after the first collector who brought specimens of the bird to Europe. Pucheran's description was published in the 'Revue de Zoologie,' 1845 ; but some years prior to this, namely between 1832 and 1841, Bonaparte's ' Iconografia della Fauna Italica' appeared in parts (unpaged). In one of these parts, in the course of a notice of Gallinago brehmi (a variety of the common European Snips), of which the part in question contains a coloured figure, a review of the various species of Gallingo known to the author is given, in the course of which two new species are described:-one from Madagascar, named by Bonaparte macrodactyla ; the other from the Cape, named by him nigripennis, and subsequently by Riippell (1845) tecpuatorialis. His description of macrodactyla, which applies to the present species, was founded upon a specimen in the Paris Museum, which had been brought by Dr. Bernier from Madagascar, and was in all probability the same type from which Pucheran subsequently described and named his Gallinago bernieri. It is evident, therefore, that Bonaparte's name for this species, Gallinago macrodactyla, has precedence. I have seen no specimen of this bird from any part of Africa ; and, so far as at present known, it appears to be confined entirely to Madagascar. 4. Description of a new Species of Bird of the Genus Tephras. By E. P. RAMSAY, F.L.S., C.M.Z.S. [Eeceived March 14, 1882.] The species which I propose to describe is based on a specimen from a collection made along the south coast of N e w Guinea and at the Aru Islands by the late S. White, Esq., of South Australia. I propose to call it TEPHRAS WHITEI, sp. nov. All the upper surface dull brown washed with olive-yellow, tinged with brown on the head ; brighter on the rump and upper tail-coverts, and on the outer margins of the webs of the wing- and tail-feathers ; the wings and tail brown above and below ; axillaries and under wing-coverts whitish, inner margin of the webs of the quills towards the base whitish ; shafts of the wing and tail-feathers below white, above brown ; all the under surface of the body, chin, margins of shoulders below, and the under tail-coverts citron-yellow, deeper |