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Show 518 MR. J. J. LISTER O N T H E N A T U R A L [Dec. 4, Unfortunately no birds in young plumage were obtained, though one with a mottled breast was seen. A partially immature female of this bird was obtained during the visit of the ' Flying-Fish ' to the island, and described in tbe Report on that collection by Mr. Sharpe1. We obtained adult birds of both sexes, and from these it is evident that the species must be referred to the genus Merula. The closest ally of the Christmas-Island Thrush is not very easy to determine. Merula javanensis is the nearest species geographically, but its uniform dark brown head and breast are very different from the white chin, grey breast, and crown uniform with the " ashy olive brown " back of our bird. M. chrysolaus from China, which in winter is said to range as far south as Luzon (the most northerly of the Philippines)-seems to be more closely allied, but the male of this species has a black throat. The bird that most closely resembles it is M. vitiensis, from the Fiji Islands, which, indeed, only differs in having the white below the head limited to the chin, not extending as far as the breast. No member of this group of Thrushes has been hitherto found in the Austro-Malay region or in Australia. ZOSTEROPS NATALIS, sp. n. (Plate XXVII.) Supra olivaceo-viridis, ad rostri basin flavescens; tergo fuscescentiore ; annulo circum-oculari conspicuo ; loris nigrican-tibus, supra pallidiore limbatis ; regione parotica cinerescente; subtus albescens, lateribus fuscescentibus; subcaudalibus sulphureis ; rostro nigro ad tnandibuli inferioris basin plumbeo pedibus plumbeis. Bill black, except the base of the lower mandible, which is slate; crown and nape yellow-olive, yellower towards the bill ; eye-ring distinct, interrupted at the anterior canthus by the lore; lore black, the black feathers being continued below the eye-ring as far as the middle of the pupil. A short pale yellow band extends along the upper edge of the lores from the bill to the eye-ring; ear-coverts grey, shading into black in front, and into the green nape behind ; mantle a slightly browner shade of olive than the crown, passing into the rather yellower rump and upper tail-coverts ; throat and middle line of under surface white, shading into pale buff at the sides of the chest, pale cinnamon-brown on the flanks ; legs slate ; lower tail-coverts pale yellow; tail brown above, yellowish olive on the outer edges of the rectrices, pale brown below ; wings above, upper coverts, and outer borders of the quills, excapt the first, olive-green ; the rest of the quills dark brown ; shafts black, the inner ones brown. Below : lower wing-coverts white, tinged with green ; quills brown, with a pale inner border ; shafts white ; edge of wing dark brown, nearly black. The feathers on the upper and lower surfaces of the body are dark slaty grey at the base. 1 P. Z. S. 1887, p. 507. " Eeport on Collections made by H.M.S. 'Flying- Fish ' at Christmas Island." |