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Show 728 DR. O. FINSCH ON TIlE [Nov. 6, Long. l'ostr. dig. aloo. caud. a cer. tars. med. in. lin. in. 1m. lin. in. lin. lin. No. ::$4. 8 9 6 0 8 2 3 17 35. 8 6 6 2 8 2 3 17 36. 7 3 5 2 7 1 11 13 62. 8 10 6 4 8! 2 1 16 80. 8 9 510 9 2 1 16 8 9 6 2 2 1 16 Q jun. Ovalau. 7 3 5 0 7 2 0 13t d' Viti Levu. 8 2 6 0 8 2 1 15 d' Tern ate. 180 62 86 90 8t 2 3 16 jQun . H"a lmahera. In our t Ornithology of Central Polynesia' we followed Professor Schlegel in uniting the Hawk of the Fijis with Astw' cruentus of Australia; but, as on some other occasions, we depended too much on Prof. Schlegel's authority, and Prof. Schlegel has since declared himse1f to have been in error. Not having access to specimens, I cannot myself judge of the correctness of Prof. Schlegel's new "iew; but the fine series now before me inclines me to believe that A. rufitorques is most probably peculiar to the Fiji group, and not the same species as is distributed widely in the Malay archipelago and usually known as A. griseigularis and A. henicogrammus, Gray ( = A.. requatorialis, Wall.). In coloration the Fiji specimens are pretty constant, all showing above a beautiful ashy-blue, beneath a fine vinaceous rufous, which latter forms also a broad neck-collar. This is less developed in No. 35, and looks rather imperfect. The under-surface in No. 62 shows a nearly obsolete undulation of narrow darker lines on the ventral region; the under wing-coverts in all the specimens before me are not" uniform white" as noted in his specific diagnosis by 1\1 r. Sharpe (l. c. p. 95); but the white is washed with delicate pale vinaceous, which shows in Nos. 34 and 80 faint darker undulatiolls. An old specimen of A. griseigularis is generally conspicuous1y darker, slaty-brownish on the back, wings, and tail, the underparts also dark viuaceous-rufous with perceptible narrow light cross bands (agreeing exactly with figs. 3,4, taf. 14, in Schleg. 'Vog.van Nederl. Indie'). A young bird of A. griseigularis hardly shows any difference from our young male (No. 36), except that the lores, cheeks, and a median stripe on the chin are decidedly ashy. 2. PLATYCERCUS SPLENDENS, Peale. Platycercus splendens, Finsch, Mon. Papag. ii. p. 237; Layard, P. Z. S. 1875, p. 425; Ibis, 1876, p. 143 (first race only). No. 52. Kandavu. Male. "Eyes red." 53." " " 63." " " 112." " " Eyes orange, feet and bill black." 64. " Female." Eyes yellow." All the specimens agree amollg themselves; all show a blue neckcollar, but which differs in extent, in one (No. 112) being interrupted |