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Show 1875.] MR. RAMSAY ON PTILONORHYNCHUS RAWNSLKYf. 69 58. QUERQUEDULA HOTTENTOTA, Smith. Tamatave. 59. SARCIDIORNIS AFRICANA, Eyton. Tamatave. A female from the above locality ; and a fine male is in the present collection from the S.E. coast, with several eggs of a creamy white colour with a dull smooth surface, like the egg of Cairina moschata. 60. GRACULUS AFRICANUS, Gm. S.E. coast of Madagascar. Two males and three females are in the present collection, in different stages of plumage. Called "Ramangavia" by the natives of the S.E. coast. 4. Notes on the Original Specimen oi Ptilonorhynchus rawnsleyi. By E. P. R A M S A Y , C.M.Z.S. [Eeceived December 31, 1874.] Having recently had an opportunity of examining the original specimen of Ptilonorhynchus rawnsleyi, I beg leave to offer to the Society a few remarks on this curious bird. The whole of the plumage of this specimen is of a shining bluish black, intermediate in tint between that of the male Regent bird (Sericulus chrysocephalus), and that of the Satin bird (Ptilonorhynchus holosericeus). On the primaries is a broad band of bright golden yellow, beginning at 2*5 inches from the upper edge of the shoulder ; this band or patch of yellow extends to the tips of the secondaries ; the outer webs of the feathers from the seventh primary are divided as in the adult male Regent bird. The two outer tail-feathers are margined with pale yellow on their outer edge; the three next on each side are just touched with the same tint, except the centre pair, which are touched with a deeper tint of orange-yellow ; the outer tail-feathers are margined on their inner webs with pale brownish yellow. The feathers of the head are short, resembling those of the adult male Regent bird; the feathers on the crown of the head and those extending over the back of the head to the nape have a patch of orange colour near the centre of the end of each feather ; the outer edge of this spot, where it joins the narrow blackish blue margin, is of a deeper orange tint, some feathers having a line of bluish black down the centre along their shafts, dividing the orange-coloured spot in half; the extreme narrow margin of all these feathers is of a bluish black, of the same tint as the rest of head- and neck-feathers*. * The orange-coloured markings on these feathers do not show conspicuously, unless the feathers on the crown are raised, when, however, they are easily seen. The moment the skin was handed to me, I noticed them, and was greatly surprised that this very important mark of hybridism had been apparently overlooked by Mr. Gould (Suppl. B. Austr. pl. 34) and Mr. Diggles (Ornith. Austr. pl. 52), both of w h o m have figured the bird from this identical skin. |