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Show 628 DR. F. H. H. GUILLEMARD ON BIRDS COLLECTED [June 16, 50. SAUROMARPTIS GAUDICHAUDI (Q. et G.). Sauromarptis gaudichaudi, Salvad. op. cit. vol. i. p. 487. a-h. 3 • Waigiou. i-n. 2 • Waigiou. o-r. 2 • Batanta. s. Jr. 8 • Batanta. t-x. 3. Mysol. y,z. 2- Mysol. a', V. 2 • Am. c'. 2 • Salwatti. Iris brown ; bill greenish yellow ; tarsus pale olive-green. Length 31*7-34 centims. ; wing 13*5-14*5 centims. In spite of Salvadori's opinion to the contrary, I cannot help regarding the blue-tailed bird as the male, and the chestnut tail as, in adult individuals, an invariable mark of the female sex. Salvadori holds that the females also assume the blue tails, but only in extreme adult life ; aud, secondly, that the male has at first a chestnut tail, but assumes the blue tail at an early stage. The present series does not bear this first assertion out. Without a single exception ail the adult examples with chestnut tails are marked 2 * aU those with blue tails 3. Among the former are some which are undoubtedly old birds, with the maxilla worn and notched at the edge, but the tails show no sign of turning blue. Again, in Salvadori's series of 98 individuals, of those labelled as § , with the tail blue, two only have Beccari's initial appended ; the rest are birds obtained from Bruijn. Conversely, of those labelled o* with a chestnut tail, all are from Bruijn with the exception of two, which are of Beccari's collecting. I do not for a moment wish to imply that Mr. Bruijn's collectors are more unreliable than natives usually are, but I can only say that of m y own hunters there was but one on whom I could depend for the accurate determination of sex. The females have not the same deep glossy black back as the males, and the scapulars are in no case edged with blue. Example s is a young bird, with a very short beak and tail; the collar, eye-streak, loral spot, and sides of throat are fulvous ; the blue on the wings is much paler; the tail beneath is red as in the female, but on the upper surface the basal half is strongly tinged with blue. It is a male. The bill is greenish black ; basal half of mandible whitish. 51. MELIDORA MACRORHINA (Less.). Melidora macrorhina, Salvad. op. cit. vol. i. p. 500. a. 3 • Waigiou. b. Jr. 8 • Waigiou. c. 5 . Waigiou. d. Jr. 2 • Dorei. Iris brown; bill-maxilla very dark brown, mandible greenish yellow ; feet greenish brown. Length of adult 33*7 centims. ; of immature birds 27*0 and 29*5 centims.; wing 11*5 centims. |
