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Show 290 MR. P. L. SCLATER ON ATHENE VARIEGATA. [Mar. 5, 1858, p. 174) of the K^ Islands, but is a larger and stronger darker on the head, and paler on the throat and belly. 10. DENDROCHELIDON MYSTACEA (I. c. p. 105). Five skins from Duke-of-York Island. 12. CENTROPUS ATERALBUS (/. c. p. 106). Three examples of this Coucal from New Britain. In one the head is black, and back of the neck partly so; in the second the neck is white; and in the third the head is also white,-showing that, as I suggested (/. s. ci), there is much variation in colour in this species. 13. ECLECTUS POLYCHLORUS (I. c. p. 106). Of twenty skins of this species, mostly labelled " Duke-of-York Island," but without indication of sex, fifteen are males (green) and five females (red). 18. (EDIRHINUS INSOLITUS (/. c. p. 110). Of this singular Fruit-pigeon, until lately supposed to be so excessively rare, there are no less than nineteen skins from Duke-of- York Island. The sexes are not marked ; but there is no variation in their plumage; so we may consider them identical in this respect. Some of the specimens have the frontal knob much more developed, and are probably males. In Part viii. of his 'Ornithological Miscellany' (pl. lxvi.) Mr. Rowley has given us an excellent figure of this species. 21. MEGAPODIUS EREMITA, Hartlaub, P. Z. S. 1867, p. 830. Count T. Salvadori informs me that he has satisfied himself that Megapodius hueskeri of Cabanis and Reichenow, as I had called this bird, I. s. c, is identical with the species previously described by Hartlaub under the name above given. He further assures me that m y Megapodius rubrifrons from the Admiralty Islands (P. Z. S. 1877, p. 556) is undistinguishable. 23. TRINGA ACUMINATA, Horsf. One skin of this species, which was not represented in the first series, from New Ireland. M r Sclater took this opportunity of exhibiting the specimen recorded by him (P.Z.S. 1869, p. 123) as Athene variegata, and subsequently described and figured by Mr. Sharpe (P. Z. S. 1876, p. 673, pl, lxii.) as Ninox solomonis. Mr. Sclater had compared this specimen with the type of Noctua variegata of Quoy and Gaimard, and had ascertained that his identification was correct, and that there was therefore no need of Mr. Sharpe's new name for the specimen. |
