NOVITATES ZOOLOGICAE XXll, 1913. 57 



?1 c? juv., Aroa River, 29. i. 1903. (No. A 149, A. S. Meek coll.) Feathers 

 of crown brown with pale brownish grey edges ; back rnfous brown ; upper tail- 

 coverts not brownish orange, as iu the adult birds, but with straw-colour ; underside 

 buff, more greyish and with glossy ashy silvery margins to the feathers on throat 

 and breast. The abdomen shows brownish black feathers coming, and we therefore 

 believe that this bird is a young L. caniceps. 



? 9 (? ? , apparently mostly young, like the young male just mentioned, Owgarra, 

 on the Angabunga River, January and February 1905. A. S. Meek coll 



Some of these birds are quite young, being cinnamon brown above and below, 

 lighter underneath, darkest on back. 



We are not sure if these birds really are L. caniceps or another (unnamed) 

 species. There is, among the adult birds from Yule Island, a male with just one 

 feather on the back of the same colour as in those from Owgarra. 



5. Lonchura caniceps kumusii (Hart.). 



Munia caniceps kumusii Hartert, Bull. B. 0. Club xxvii. p. 47 (Uill — Kumusi River). 



7 c?d" 4 ? ? ad., Kumusi River, June and July 1907. Nos. 3077, 3078, 3079, 

 3108, 3109, 3342, 3343, 3344, 3345, 3346, 3372, A. S. Meek coll. 

 " Iris brown ; feet slate : bill black." 



6. Lonchura caniceps (?) subsp. nov. 



1 ad., inland of Holnicote Bay. Rohu coll. 



This bird is much paler underneath than even the palest kumusii, having sides 

 of head and throat creamy whitish grey, rest of under surface greyish brown, more 

 brownish towards the vent. It is probably another race of L. caniceps, but it would 

 be hazardous to name it from one single specimen without a very definite locality 

 and elevation where found. 



7. Lonchura spectabilis (Scl.). 



Donacicola spectabilis Solater, Proc. Zonl. Soc. London 1879. p. 449. pi. xxxvii (New Britain, 

 Brown coll.). 



2 (?(? ad., 1 juv. (first plumage) Ralum, New Britain, January 1894 (Cayley 

 Webster coll.) (From spirits.) 



t? juv.. New Britain, 13. v. 1880, Kleinschmidt coll. (From spirits.) 

 About a series of young birds see Xod. Zool. xxi. 1914, p. 217. 



8. Lonchura melaena (Scl.). 



Munia melaena Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. London. 1880. p. 66. pi. vii. 2 (Kabakadai, on the coast of 

 New Britain). 



7 adult birds, Ralum, New Britain, 7. i. 1894. Cayley Webster coll. (From 

 spirits.) 



9. Lonchura nigerrima (Rothsch. & Hart.). 



Munia iiir/errinta Rothschild and Hartert, Orii. Monatsber. vii. p. 139 (1899— New Hanover). 

 1 (S ad., 1 juv., New Hanover, 1897. Cayley Webster coll. 



