TOWNSEND AND WETMORE : THE BIRDS. 219 



81. Aplonis opaca (Kittlitz). 



Lamproth[ornis] opaca Kittlitz, Kupfertafeln naturgesch. Vogel, 1833, 2, 

 p. 11, pi. 15, fig. 2. (Marianne and Caroline Islands). 



Nine specimens of this bird were secured in the Caroline Islands. 

 Four males and one female were taken on Kusaie, 8 February, one 

 male on Ponape, 11 February, and a female on Uala in the Truk 

 Group, 16 February. In addition an alcoholic specimen (preserved 

 now as a mummy) was taken on Kusaie 9 February, and there are 

 two skins marked from the Caroline Islands with no definite locality 

 given. 



These birds all seem to be immature, and none show iridescence on 

 the feathers to any great degree. These specimens average smaller 

 than a series from Guam in the collection of the U. S. N. M., but as 

 immature birds in the same stage of plumage are lacking from the 

 Ladrone Islands specimens from the two localities are not directly 

 comparable. Oberholser (Bull. 98 U. S. N. M., 1917, p. 59) has 

 shown that the name Lamprothornis opaca given by Kittlitz as a 

 manuscript name of Lichtenstein is available for this present species. 



Measurements of the specimens from the Caroline Islands follow: — 



MELIPHAGIDAE. 

 82. Myzomela rubratra rubratra (Lesson). 



Cinnyris rubraier Lesson, Diet. sci. nat., 1827, 50, p. 30. ("Oualan"). 



Four males, three females, and an immature bird secured on Kusaie 

 in the Middle Carolines, 8, 9 February were made into skins and in 

 addition eight birds were preserved as mummies. Males and females 



