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Show 1869.] FROM THE SOLOMON ISLANDS. 121 This fine new Gracula is, as might have been expected from its patria, nearest to Gracula dumonti of New Guinea and the Aru Islands, of which I exhibit a fine skin from Mr. Wallace's collection for comparison. The naked space round the eye is nearly, though not quite, of the same form. There is also a narrow naked line along the lower edge of the mandible ; but this is not nearly so broad as in G. dumonti, and is almost hidden by the feathers on each side. The primaries have a broad white bar across them, about halfway up on the outer primary, but descending gradually towards the apex on the inner primaries. This forms a white speculum, as in G. dumonti. All the dimensions of the new species exceed those of its ally ; but this is particularly the case in the tail, which in G. dumonti is rather stumpy, measuring only 2*6 inches from the insertion of the feathers in the coccyx, instead of 4*2. I have great pleasure in naming this new Grackle after our active Corresponding Member Mr. Gerard Krefft, to whose kindness I am indebted for the whole of the very interesting series of which it forms a part. The stomach of the single specimen in the collection contained seeds and stones of semidigested fruit. There is a single skin of this Gracula in the British Museum, received from " N e w Ireland" through the late Sir Charles Lemon, F.R.S. It agrees very well with the present specimen, except in having the lower belly rather more deeply tinged with yellow. 6. EURYSTOMUS CRASSIROSTRIS, sp. nov. Similis E. pacifico, sed major, rostro latiore, crassiore, robustiore; capite supra nigricante nee fuscescente; dorso toto viridescenti-cceruleo: ventre magis cceruleo: cauda valde longiore: long. tota 11*5, alee 7*2, caudce 5*0, rostri ab ang. oris lin. dir. 1*6, ejusdem lat. 1*2. Hab. Inss. Salomonenses. There is a single specimen of this Roller in the collection. I have compared it with Mr. Wallace's series of E. pacificus, from which it presents readily appreciable differences, and with other Australian specimens. The strong thick bill and longer tail seem to render it impossible to leave it as a variety of E. pacificus. In Mr. Wallace's collection, however, is a single skin from Waigiou which is generally very similar to the present example, differing principally in having the wing-coverts of a more bluish tinge. The wing-coverts of E. crassirostris are more like those of E. pacificus. 7. TODIRHAMPHUS CHLORIS (Bodd.). Alcedo chloris, Bodd. ex Buff. Pl. Enl. 783. f. 2. A. chlorocephala, G m. One specimen apparently referable to this widely distributed species, which is diffused from the north-east coast of Africa over India, the Malayan archipelago, and the Moluccan and Papuan Islands. In Australia it appears to be represented by T. sordidus. |
