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Show 578 MR. P. L. SCLATER ON BIRDS [May 21, nine specimens of Chionis minor and seven of Querquedula eatoni; and these are the only land-birds included by Mr. Sharpe in his memoir in the Royal Society's volume on the Transit-Expedition of 1875. The female of the Querquedula (of which there is one example determined as such, and two others, evidently of the same sex) differs from the male not only in the absence of the green alar speculum, but also in its smaller size, in the fuscous edgings to the feathers generally, and in the much shorter tail. There is also one chick of this species in the collection. D. New Zealand (June 1874). In New Zealand only four skins, belonging to three species, were obtained, namely :- 1 Miro albifrons jr., Hardy Bay. 2 Hcematopus unicolor jr., Hardy Bay. 1 Botaurus pceciloptilus jr., Wellington. E. Hong-Kong, China (January 1875). From Hong-Kong seven skins, belonging to four species, all known Chinese birds, were procured, viz :- 1 Turdus mandarinus, Bp. 1 Halcyon pileata (Bodd.). 2 Alcedo bengalensis, G m . 2 Coturnix communis, Bonn. 1 Turnix maculosus (Temm.). F. Meangis Lslands (February 1875). Four examples of Eos indica were obtained here (of which three have arrived home), under the circumstances mentioned in Mr. Murray's MS., as follows1:- " O n the 10th February, 1875, while the ship was dredging, some natives came off in a boat. They had with them mats and cocoa-nuts and some Perroquets. The following are those which were purchased for tobacco:-• "440, $."j 441, $ • Feet black ; bill orange ; eyes red, or light brown in 442, 5 . [ the male. 443, tf.J " W e kept the male for several days alive; he used to fly about the ship and return to the house on deck when shown his food. " H e died from eating some green stuff, it is supposed, but was perhaps hurt aloft. "The natives came from the southermost isle of the Meangis group." This is the most northern species of Eos known; its hitherto only ascertained locality is the neighbouring Sanghir group of islands2. 1 Cf. also Lord G. Campbell's ' Log-letters ' p. 245. 2 Cf Rowley's Orn. Misc. p. 123, where a beautiful figure of this species is given. |
