NOVITATKS ZOOLOGICAE XXII. 1915. .C i 



" Rallina " and Eulabeornis, as Tomirdus tricolor, saying that he pointed out its 

 differences from Eulabeornis and Rallina in B. Australia i. p. 204. 



We fail to understand this from Ids text, bnt find that he says, on the contrary, 

 that Rallina tricolor and its subspecies " agree quite well in structural features 

 with Eulabeornis, though they are admittedly not typical." Further on he proves, 

 with the help of " Rallina woodfordi " Grant, that " Rallina tricolor " and " Eula- 

 beornis " agree "in every structural character," and consequently he unites tricolor 

 with Eulabeornis. This decision seems to us to be quite wise and satisfactory, and 

 we accept it here, instead of the undefined genus " Tomirdus," the type of which 

 by original designation is tricolor. If one places side by side Eulabeornis castaneo- 

 ventris (the type of Eulabeornis), poecilopterus, wood/ordi, and tricolor, one cannot 

 draw a line between them, and must unite all under the name Eulabeornis. The 

 " weaker " " fasciata " might be kept separate, under the name Rallina, but even 

 this does not appear to be necessary.] 



3. Gymnocrex plumbeiventris (Gray). 



Rullws plumheieeiitris Gray, Proc. Zool. Sue. 1861, p. 432 (Morty Island). 



? ad., Dampier I., 21. ii. 1914 (No. 6710). "Iris brown ; bill dark horn- 

 colour, greenisli yellow towards base ; feet red." 



This bird had a nest on the ground between the roots of a large tree. It con- 

 tained eight eggs. 



These have a smooth glossy shell of a light [pinkish cream-colour, with rufons- 

 brown spots and patches and underlying purplish grey markings. They measure 

 41-2 X 31-4, 41-3 X 31-3,4M x 30-8, 412 x 31-2,42 x 31-5, 41-8 x 30-4, 42 x 31-5, 

 41-6 X 31-4 mm. 



4. Demigretta sacra (Gm.). 



Ardea sacra Gmelin, Si/sl. Nat. i. 2. p. 640 (1789— Tahiti !) 



? ad., slate-coloured, Dampier Island, 0. ii. 1914 (No. 6600). 



5. Megapodius duperreyi duperreyi Less. & Garn. 



Megapodius Duperreyi Lesson et Garnier, Bull. Soc. Nut. viii. p. 113 (1826 — Dorey). 



6 (?c? (Nos. 6546, 6597, 6599, 6680, 6781, 6782) and 3 ? ? (Nos. 6543, 0550, 

 6770) Dampier Island, February and' March 1914. "Iris dark brown; bill dull 

 yellow, base brown ; feet black and dull greenish brown." 



While we find M. d. eremita — or what we suppose to be eremita (of. Nov. Zool. 

 1914, p. 208 !) — on the chain of islands from the Echiquier to the Admiralty and 

 other islands of the Bismarck Archipelago, also the Solomon Islands, and certainly 

 on Rook Island, M. duperreyi duperreyi is the form of the mainland of Papua and 

 of the islands close to it, such as Dampier and Vulcan Islands. 



The generally lighter colour, more brownish abdomen, slightly less bare fore- 

 head and longer crest serve to distinguish ^f. d. duperreyi from eremita. 



0. Caloenas nicobarica nicobarica (L.). 



See Nov. Zool. 1914, pp. 208, 28C. 



3 ad. (Nos. 6681, 6688, 0737), 4 juv. (Nos. 6598, 6621, 6640, 6765), February 

 and March 1914, Dampier Island. 



