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Show 1873.] DR. O. FINSCH ON LAMPROLIA VICTORIA. 735 tholaea, Cab. (type Saxicola albifrons, Riipp.), of the subfamily Saxicolinse. I may add that, according to m y view, Thamnobia, Sw. (type Motacilla fulicata, L.), is scarcely separable from Pen-tholaea. Amongst Australian and Polynesian genera Petroica is the nearest ally, but easily distinguished by its long wings, with the very prominent point of the primaries, and by its long tail. LAMPROLIA VICTORIEE, Finsch, sp. nov. (Plate LXII.) Diagn. Jet-black; feathers on head and neck tipped, scale-like, with shining steel-blue; rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail partly silky white. Descr. av. ad. Jet-black ; mantle and shoulders velvet-black, the same as the outer webs of the secondaries, which latter in certain lights exhibit a purplish gloss ; the feathers on the head, sides of head and neck, on the chin and throat, as well as the smallest wing-coverts along the cubitus, tipped with oblong apical spots of a rich shining steel-blue, which in certain lights changes into glossy green ; feathers on the occiput, nape, and hind neck show the same structure, but the apical tips are glossy purplish violet, changing into steel-blue or green; lores deep jet-black ; rump and upper tail-coverts shining silky white, the same as the two middle tail-feathers, which are broadly tipped with black, glossed strongly with purplish violet; the remaining tail-feathers black, and only on the outer web shining silky white, which on the outer feathers is more restricted, showing a gradually broader black apical portion; the outermost tail-feather uniform black; bill and feet black. Total Outmost Bill from Bill from Middle length. Wing. Tail. feather. front. gape. Tarsus. toe. centims. millims. millims. millims. millims. millims. millims. millims. c. 14 85 45 38 12 19 23 12 - 78 45 40 12 19 23 14 The specimen from which the above description was taken is undoubtedly an old bird in full dress, and apparently a male; the second specimen agrees in every respect, except that the wings are a little shorter and the point of bill shows scarcely any emargination; it may perhaps be a female. This new bird is a native of the yet unexplored island of Vuna, or Taviuni, of the Feejee group, which, separated only by the Somo-Somo passage, lies a few miles east of the south-east point of Vanua-Levu, one of the main islands of that group. A collector's note says, " The small black bird, native name * Kaya,' from top of mountains, Taviuni, has the habits of a perching bird or Robin ; eyes dark brown." I have great pleasure in naming this most remarkable and brilliant new species Lamprolia victoriee, in honour of Her Imperial and Royal Highness Victoria, Crown-Princess of the German Empire and of Prussia. |