OCR Text |
Show 1877.] DR. o. FINSCH O N T H E BIRDS O F PONAP£. 779 9. MYIAGRA PLUTO, Finsch, I. c. p. 29. Male and female, as described by me. 10. RHIPIDURA KUBARYI, Finsch, /. c. p. 29, t. 2. f. 2. One male, as cited above. 11. VOLVOCIVORA INSPERATA, Finsch, I. c. p. 27. Male and female, exactly agreeing with my descriptions, taken from specimens dissected by myself. There are, besides these,'two specimens labelled "Males," which agree in coloration with the female, except that the head and neck above are not greyish, but dark rusty brown, like the upper parts ; these, no doubt, are young males. A third specimen, also marked as a male, is changing from the rufous to the slate-grey dress. 12. CALORNIS PACIFICUS (Gm.); Finsch, I. c. p. 31. One male. 13. APLONIS PELZELNI, Finsch, I. c. p. 32, t. 2. fig. 3. One male, exactly like my description. 14. ERYTHRURA, sp. inc., Finsch, I. c. p. 35. It is to be regretted that this collection does not contain well-prepared specimens of this Finch, as those in the first collection of M. Kubary could not be made out, on account of their preservation in alcohol. 15. PTILONOPUS PONAPENSIS, sp. nov. " Pt. fasciatus, Peale," Finsch, I. c. p. 37. Like Pt. porphyraceus (from Tonga), but head, neck, throat, and breast decidedly straw-yellowish (not greenish grey) ; broad ends of all the tail-feathers (c. 8'") dark yellow (not whitish). Size as in Pt. porphyraceus: long. tot. c. 8", al. 5", caud. 2" 7"'. In my first paper I referred the Ptilonopus from Ponape, with a mark of doubt, to fasciatus, Peale, having had only specimens preserved in alcohol, which had apparently caused some discoloration; but I expressed my suspicion that they might belong to a distinct species. Having now before me fresh-skinned and adult specimeus, I see that my latter supposition was right. The Ptilonopus of Ponape comes nearest to Pt. fasciatus and Pt. porphyraceus, having the same dark purplish-red cap, surrounded with a faint yellow line (as in Pt. fasciatus), but may be distinguished at once from both by the straw-yellow coloration of the remainder of its head and neck and under surface to the vent (which had faded in the previous specimens preserved in spirit), as well as by the colour of tbe ventral patch. In the latter respect it comes nearest to Pt. porphyraceus, the ventral patch being likewise dark green, but with a slight tinge of violet. The broad yellow apical margin of the tail-feathers is also characteristic of Pt. ponapensis. The lilac median spots of the outer |