OCR Text |
Show 1877.] DR. o. FINSCH O N BIRDS F R O M NIUAFOU ISLAND. 783 2. DOMICELLA FRINGILLACEA (Gm.). Native name Ilega, Hiibner. Three specimens (October 1876); not differing from those from Eua. A young bird shows onlv a few red feathers on the vent; but the red and blue on the head is the same as in old birds. 3. EUDYNAMIS, sp. 1 Mr. Hiibner (in litti) mentions having heard the call-note of a Eudynamis, which, no doubt, will turn out to be E. taitiensis (Sparrm.). 4. COLLOCALIA, sp. 1 There is no specimen of this genus in the collection; but Mr. Hiibner writes :-" The Beka-beka ( Collocalia) breeds in a hole of a rock on the lake in the interior of Niuafu. I always found two eggs or young ones in each nest. The natives laughed when I told them I wanted to obtain eggs of these birds, as they believed them not to lay eggs at all." 5. APLONIS TABUENSIS (Gm.). Native name Megi, Hiibner. Three specimens (October 1876). The underparts look a little more brownish ; but this may be caused by the specimens not being in full plumage and partially moulting; otherwise there is no difference from Eua birds in colour or dimensions, except that the bill is a little shorter ; but this may also be a sign of immaturity. 6. PTILONOPUS PORPHYRACEUS (Forst.). Native name Kulu-kulu, Hiibner. Two specimens, adult, male and female (October 1876) ; are exactly like specimens from Eua. This species is easily distinguishable from Pt. fasciatus, Peale (who first obtained that species on the Navigators'), by the dark purplish-violet spot on the middle of the vent, which in Pt. fasciatus is dark purplish-vinaceous. All the specimens which I have inspected from Upolu and Uea (Wallis Island) agree in this respect; but 1 have no specimens from the Vitis for comparison. According to Mr. Layard (P. Z. S. 1876, p. 495) the Viti bird is of a different species, which he erroneously calls Pt. apicalis, Bp. As Bonaparte established his species on a specimen from Vavao (Tonga Island), it belongs undoubtedly to Pt. porphyraceus, whereas the name fasciatus, Peale, should stand for the Navigators' bird, having been founded on specimens from this locality. If the Vitian Ptilonopus is really different from Pt. fasciatus and Pt. porphyraceus, it must be renamed. 7. CARPOPHAGA PACIFICA (Gm.). Not in the collection, but observed by Mr. F. Hiibner. 8. MEGAPODIUS STAIRI, Gray, P.Z.S. 1861, p. 290 (Samoa!). M. prilchardi, P. Z. S. 1864, p. 41, pl. vi. (Nina-fou). 51* |