REPORT ON THE BIRDS— TONGA, THE PUIS, API, AND TAHITI. 



37 



Among the specimens before me, Nos. 17, 32, and 49 (Fiji), are adult and fully 

 coloured, which are very rare in collections, and give me a good opportunity of making 

 a close comparison of them with Javan specimens of the true Lalage terat (Bodd.), with 

 which the Central-Polynesian bird has hitherto been confounded. I have myself stated 

 (J. f. Orn., 1872, p. 130) their undoubted identity ; but having then seen only young and 

 a few old specimens in bad condition, I was misled. The series before me seems to con- 

 firm the views of Mr G. R. Gray, who keeps the Polynesian bird separate. 



The latter may be distinguished from Lalage terat by the grey or brownish-grey 

 rump and upper tail-coverts being always barred by irregular but distinct cross-lines, the 

 rump being of a uniform grey with faint darker traces in Lalage terat, by the black 

 shaft-stripe on the white middle row of the upper wing-coverts, which is wanting in 

 Lalage terat, and by the narrow brownish external margins of the primaries and first 

 secondaries, which in the old Lalage terat are white. The latter besides shows a distinct 

 greyish tinge on the breast and sides, whereas in Lalage maculosa the whole undersurface 

 is pure white. The young bird, although much more like Lalage terat, may be dis- 

 tinguished by the much broader cross bands on the sides of the under-surface and on 

 the rump. 



The distribution of Lalage maculosa seems confined to the Central-Polynesian Islands, 

 Fiji, Tonga, and the Navigators'. 



5. Aplonis tabuensis, Gm. 



Aplonis maryinata, Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1836, p. 73. 

 Aplonis tabuensis, Finscli, Proc Zool. Soc, 1877, p. 725. 



No. 8. Ton™ tabu. Male. 



