186 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology. 



29. Sterna sumatrana Raffles. 



Sterna sumatrana Raffles, Trans. Linn. soc. London, 1821, 13, p. 329. 



(Sumatra). 



One specimen, a young bird not yet grown, in juvenal plumage was 

 taken at Arhno Atoll in the Marshall Islands, 26 January, 1900. 

 Mathews (Birds of Australia, 1912, 2, pt. 4, p. 372) gives two forms 

 under this species but seems uncertain as to the status of birds from 

 Polynesia as he says "birds from Fiji, Pelew Islands, and Phoenix 

 Island do not seem easily referable to the North-east Australian form." 

 The latter he has described as Sterna sumatrana kcmpi (Nov. zool., 

 1912, 18, p. 210) with Torres Strait as the type-locality. The speci- 

 men in hand is too immature to permit satisfactory comparison. 



30. Thalasseus bergii rectrirostris (Peale). 



Sterna rectrirostris Peale, LT. S. explor. exped., 1848, 8, p. 281, pi. 75, fig. 2. 

 (Feejee Islands). 



Three specimens were taken at Makemo in the Paumotu Islands, a 

 female 22 October, and two males 23 October, 1899. These birds are 

 typical of this subspecies and differ from T. b. pclccanoides (King) in 

 being slightly paler above. The differences noted are slight but seem 

 strong enough to uphold the separation of this form. 



TRERONIDAE. 



31. Ptilopus coralensis (Peale). 



Ptilinopus coralensis Peale, U. S. explor. exped., 1848, 8, p. 190. (Carlshoff 

 or Aratica Island). 



There are fourteen specimens of this fruit pigeon in the collection 

 taken in the Paumotu Islands at the following localities : — Makemo, 

 20 October; Niau, 7 October; Fakarava, 11 October and Makatea, 

 26 September and 6 October. The type of this species came from 

 Carlshoff or Aratica Island, and the specimens listed above give the 

 first definite records known for other islands, though Peale remarks 

 that the species was found on many of the low coral islets of the 



