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Show 1884.] COUNT S A L V A D O R I O N A N A S CAPENSIS. 173 possess the Synopsis, but from what Stephens says, it seems that Latham described it from a drawing of Sir Joseph Banks, soon after which Gmelin named it Anas capensis, and gave the following short but satisfactory description of it:- "A. cinerascens, dorso spadiceo, alarum speculo expallido virescente carideo albo marginato ; rostrum rubrum, basi nigrum; caput minutim maculatum ; pedes rubescentes ; ungues nigri. " Habitat ad Caput Bona Spei, penelopes magnitudine, 15 polities tonga." Between 1790 and 1824 Latham again, as well as Vieillot and Stephens, have mentioned and described this species without adding anything of their own, except that Vieillot said that a specimen of this species was in Sir Joseph Banks's collection, and Stephens, who merely mentions a drawing, attributes the bird to the genus Mareca. Specimens of this Duck, brought from the Cape by Delalande to the Museum of Paris, received from Cuvier the name Anas larvata, which appeared for the first time in Lesson's • Traite d' Ornithologie,' but without any description. Eyton, in 1838, gave again a good description of this species, including it in the genus Querquedula, and said " it will be figured by Dr. Smith in his forthcoming work on South African Zoology," which, however, never came to pass "*. Dr. Pucheran, studying the types of the Museum of Paris, described at length "Anas larvata, Cuv.," but was not satisfied that it was the same as Anas capensis, Gm., and Anas assimilis, Forst. According to Schlegel and Hartlaub the present species is Anas assimilis, Forst., a surmise which I can scarcely endorse, as Forster's description is not very satisfactory ; the question will be settled only by reexamining " Fig. picta " quoted by Forster, which, according to G. R. Gray, corresponds to No. 75 of the Icones ineditae 2. In the meantime I cannot omit noticing that Bonaparte has attributed, with a query, Anas assimilis, Forst., to Anas guttata, Licht., which bird he calls Anas sparsa, Smith, and from what I have been able to gather, I think that Bonaparte is right in his identification. In fact, Dr. Reichenow, to whom I have addressed myself, very kindly informs me that "Anas guttata, Licht.," is really identical with Anas sparsa, Smith; and as Lichtenstein had already identified Anas guttata of Mus. Berol. with A. assimilis, Forst., we can admit as most probable that Forster's bird is really identical with A. sparsa, Smith, and not with A. capensis., Gm., as Schlegel and Hartlaub seem inclined to consider it. In the opinion expressed above I am confirmed by the fact that Lichtenstein, in his ' Nomenclator Avium,' p. 101, includes as separate species Anas capensis and A. guttata. After these historical and critical remarks I proceed to 1 M r Salvin in his ' Catalogue of the Strickland Collection,' p. 534, among the references of Anas capensis, Gm., includes Querquedula capensis, Smith, 111. Zool S Afr pi. 98 ; but this is a mistake, as Smith's plate 98 is named Bhyn-chaspis (not Querquedula) capensis, and does not represent Anas capensis, Gm., but a species of the genus Spatula. ,.„.,„ , , P At the request of Count Salvadori I have referred to plate 75 of Forster s 'Original Drawings' in the British Museum in company with Mr. E. B. Sharpe W e are both of opinion that the figure, altnough by no means accurate, was based upon a specimen of Anas capensis, and not upon one of A. sparsa.-P. L. S, ] |