REPORT ON THE BIRDS — TONGA, THE FIJIS, API, AND TAHITI. 57 



across the breast, or the more bluish-green, or the duller brown coloration of the upper 

 parts is peculiar to a certain state of age or sex. All are apparently old specimens, and 

 show every gradation in these characters. 



The dull brownish tone passing into verdigris prevails in most of the specimens ; only 

 Nos. 548 (male) and 554 (female) are more of a greenish-blue, especially on the head 

 and wings ; these specimens have no dark breast-band, this being only faintly shown by 

 rusty tips of the feathers. No. 551 (male) has scarcely any indication of a breast-band 

 (resembling, therefore, the right-hand figure on Sharpe's plate). In Nos. 550 (male) 

 and 552 (male) the breast-band is on a rusty ground-colour, sjieckled with blackish, in 

 the remaining specimens more or less of a brownish-black. 



The length of " wings," varies from 3 inches 3 lines to 3 inches 7 lines. 



Mr Layard mentions Halcyon veneratus from Tonga (Proc. Zool. Soc, 1876, 

 p. 501), but probably obtained the specimen here. 



3. Ptilopits purpuratus, Gm. 



Ptllonopus purpuratits, F. and H., Om. Central-Poly n., p. 122 ; Finscli, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1877, 



p. 741. 

 Ptilonopus taitensis, Elliot, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1878, p. 541. 



[No. 557. Tahiti. Male. 



No. 558. „ Female. 



Feet violet ; eyes orange ; bill green at the base, tip yellow.] 



I am pleased to have an opportunity of examining the Ptilopus of the Tahiti group, 

 which is so rare in collections ; and as the description given in the Ornithology of Central 

 Polynesia (being copied from Peale) turns out to be incorrect in some points, I think it 

 necessary to give a new one. 



Male. Front and vertex delicate purplish-lilac, forming a pale and, not as usual in 

 the members of this genus, a circumscript head-cap ; remainder of head, neck, and under 

 surface ashy-grey with only a very faint greenish tinge, more visible on the middle of 

 the breast and vent ; throat-feathers bifurcate in the centre tinged with pale dull yellow- 

 greenish ; lower vent whitish, under tail-feathers citron-yellow ; tarsal feathers ashy-grey; 

 back, wings, and tail bright grass-green; on the mantle and shoulders with a bronzy 

 shine under certain lights ; remiges slaty black on the outer webs, tips dark green ; 

 secondaries margined externally very narrowly with yellow ; under wing-coverts ashy- 

 grey, the under-surface of wings darker ; tail-feathers with a grey cross band above the 

 ends, scarcely visible on the outer web ; tail from below ashy-grey, with an ill-defined 

 white cross band above the end. 



Female like the male. 



(zool. CHALL. EXP. — PART VIII. — 1880.) H 8 



