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Show 1881.] MR. R. B. SHARPE ON RHIPIDURA PREISSI. 387 exertions are necessary to catch it, although its movements are in themselves extremely clumsy. F. Food. The food of the Seals on the Fro Islands seems to be principally fish; Halibut (Hippoglossus vulgaris) appears to be a delicacy to them. As a proof that they fetch their food from a considerable depth, it is related that a few years ago a young one was found caught by one of the hooks of a fishing-line that was placed at a depth of between 70 and 80 fathoms on the outer side of one of the islands. Grey Seals have several times been seen to come up to the surface with Lings {Molva vulgaris), and other deep-water fishes in their mouths, such fishes being seldom or never found at a less depth than between 60 and 70 fathoms. There has never been any success with attempts made to rear young Grey Seals in confinement, although it has been tried several times on the Fro Islands. 3. A Note on Rhipidura preissi, Cab. By R. B O W D L ER S H A R P E , F.L.S., F.Z.S., & c , Senior Assistant, Department of Zoology, British Museum. [Eeceived February 23, 1881.] When I wrote the fourth volume of the ' Catalogue of Birds' I was unable to say anything about the Fantail Flycatcher of Western Australia (Rhipidura preissi), as no specimen existed at that time in any English collection, nor had it been figured by Gould in his Supplement to the ' Birds of Australia.' In fact, since it was described in 1850 by Dr. Cabanis, I believe that nothing whatever has been written concerning the species. I was pleased, therefore, on visiting Birmingham last November, to find an interesting collection of birds in that town in the possession of Mr. Walter Chamberlain, who obtained all his specimens himself during his travels in the Australian and Indian regions. Amongst other rarities, he had an example of Rhipidura preissi, shot in King George's Sound in Western Australia; and he very kindly responded to m y request to lend me the specimen. I find that, as stated by Dr. Cabanis, the species is very closely allied to R. albiscapa, but is more slaty brown, and differs in the grey spot on the throat, which is much lighter than in R. pelzelni, with which species I at one time supposed it might be identical. It seems to m e to be a good species, if indeed any of these white-shafted Fantails are really worthy of specific rank; I think that they are rather races of one species, varying with locality. The following is a description of Mr. Chamberlain's specimen :- |