( 588 ) 



also (lark gi'eeu ; sides of breast aud uijper abdomen, as well as iiuder wing-coverts 

 (except jnst on the edge of the wiiig), red. Uectrices from above dark green, blue 

 towards the tip, tip yellowish. Tail l)l:M'k below, with dirty yellow tips. " Iris 

 orauge-ochre ; uuixilla orange-red, with yellow tip; niiindible black." 



48. Tanygnathus megalorhynchus sumbeusis .Meyer. 



In is.s-,', in Vcr/i. zool. hot. Gcs. Wien, XXXI. p. 762, Dr. A. 1!. .Aicyer 

 described from Snmba a form of Tanygnathus megdlorhi/nclnts which he named 

 \&\. sumbenxis. Salvadori, Cut. B. XX. p. 428 (l8Ul), " greatly doubted whether 

 the asserted locality, Snmba, given on the authority of Dr. Kiedel, was correct." 

 It was therefore of great interest to me that among Doherty"s birds I found a skin 

 of this form, collected in Snmba in February 1896. Unfortunately this skin is iu 

 a very bad condition, but Dr. Meyer most kindly lent me two of the typical 

 specimens of his var. stimlji'iiais, so that I could, with those two and the one 

 received from Doherty, make a careful comparison of the Snmba form with skins 

 from the Moluccas, New Guinea, Waigiou, Sangir, and Talaut. Salvadori, Lc, 

 states that he has " not been able to find any difference " between T. megalorhynchus 

 and Meyer's var. s'lmljcn.si.s. However, I find that there are obvious differences 

 betwceu the two forms, and that Meyer"s observations were ipiite correct. Meyer 

 says : The underside is less yellow, but more greenish. This is decidedly so. 

 Esjiecially the breast is remarkably green in the Sumba specimens. This character 

 varies a little, but the green breasts of the Sumba birds are very conspicuous. The 

 under wing-coverts are less yellow : so they are. The rump is very deep bine : 

 this is the case too, but there are specimens of T. megalorhynchus tyjjicne: which 

 approach and even quite resemble the Sumba birds herein. Another character 

 which strikes mo in the Sumba s])eeimeus is the somewhat bluish tint on the liack, 

 produced by the broad blue edges to the feathers. They are very often indicated in 

 7'. megalorhynchus typictis, but hardly ever so distinct and broad as iu the three 

 Snmba birds now before me. 



It is therefore evident that our bird must stand as 7'. megalorhynchus sum- 

 henxis Meyer. Doherty describes the iris as yellowish, with a brownish outwardly 

 aud a greenish inwardly border, the feet dull grey, beak all vermilion. 



Qnite recently, antcu, p. 176, 1 made known the most westerly locality 

 recorded for '/'. megalorhynchus. 1 may now add that, though no doubt they must 

 be grouped with T. megalorhynchus aud not with the Snmba subspecies, some of the 

 speeimeus from Djumjiea stand a little between the typical Molnccan form and 

 sambeitsis, showing mucli of a greenish tinge on the breast and less bright under 

 wing-coverts. 



4'.'. Niuox nulolli A. 1). Meyer. 



See Ibis, 1882, p. 232, I'l. \l. 

 Two females of this beautiful owl. 



AVing 225 — 2:jO mm. " Iris deej) lirown: cere partly bluish, j)arlly yellowish; 

 beak dull bluish white, commissure and tip blackish ; feet dull ochreous." 



"5(1. Strix flammea 1-. 

 L'ne skill, sex uncertain, above greyish ; tail pale bulf, with blackish bars, below 



