OCR Text |
Show 1873.] LETTER FROM MR. R. SWINHOE. 729 Hab. in statu Antioquia, reipubl. Columbianae. Mus. P. L. S. Obs. Species habitu generali C. callipareee et C. phcenicotis prse-dita, sed rostro paulo fortiore, et facie aurea distinctissima. GRALLARIA RUFICEPS, sp. nov. Supra brunneus, pileo toto et capitis lateribus ferrugineo-rufis subtus cinerea, subalaribus et remigum pogoniis interioribus cervinis: rostro nigro,pedibus corylinis: long, tota 8, alee caudce 2, tarsi 2*5. Hab. in statu Antioquia reipubl. Columbianae. Mus. P. L. S. Obs. Species tarsis elongatis insignis, Grallarice nuchali proxima, sed crassitie majore, pileo omnino rufo et ventre cinereo distinguenda. Mr. Sclater exhibited a pair of horns of the new Bubaline Antelope from the Bogos country, lately named Alcelaphus tora by Dr. Gray *, and remarked that it was evidently the same species as v. Heuglin had recognized as the " Bubal" (Antilope bubalis), as v. Heuglin had given the Amharic name of this species as " Tora " and stated that it inhabits the western slope of the Abyssinian tableland on the Barka and Atbarat* Mr. J. E. Harting exhibited a curious variety of the common Partridge, which had been shot at Corbridge-on-Tyne in September last. The dark chesnut colour, which generally takes the form of a horse-shoe on the breast, was, in this specimen, diffused over the sides and flanks. The primaries, instead of being greyish brown with transverse bars of buff, were of a uniform pitch-brown colour; the back and wing-coverts of an almost uniform rich reddish brown, a few of the feathers only mesially streaked or tipped with buff. The bird had been sent to Mr. Harting as a hybrid between the Partridge and Red Grouse; but there was nothing except the remarkable coloration to justify such a supposition. The bill and tarsi were those of Perdix. There were stated to have been five or six birds similarly coloured in a covey of about twice that number. The following extracts were read from a letter addressed to Secretary by Mr. R. Swinhoe, F.Z.S., dated Chefoo, 25th August, 1873:- " On the question as to what White Stork is found in China I have received the following note from Pere Heude, of Si-Rae-Wei, Shanghai:-'Je suis parfaitement sur d'avoir tire a balle sur des Cigognes blanches a bee rouge. Elles sont communes et pechent en troupes avec la Cigogne noire. Je n'ai pu les atteindre, parce que je n'avais pas le temps d'attendre a l'ambuscade: j'ai vu ces oiseaux en Alsace et les connais bien au moins quant au genre.' * 'Nature,' vol. viii. p. 364 (4th Sept, 1873). t See Heuglin, 'Reise in d. Geb. d. Weissen Nil,' p. 319, and "Ant. u. Buff. N. O.-Afrika's," in Acta Acad. Leop.-Car. xxii. p. 21. |