(58) 



As alreadj- mentioned by Mr. Rotbscbild in Atifauna of Laysan I. p. 2 of his 

 article on his x\crocephahmfumili(iris, I agree with liim and Canon Tristram in uniting 

 the so-called Tatare with Acrocephalus. Although Tatare longirostris and luscinia 

 seem to differ much from onr Acrocephalus in their long bills, there are A. sijrinx 

 and A. mendanae bridging over the gap between A. arundinaceus and ^4. longirostris 

 or luscinia, nor has the form of the wing sufficient constancy to warrant a generic 

 separation. P.nt even if Tntare is kept np b}- fanatic genus-splitters, A.familiaris 

 Rothsch. from Laysan wonld go with Acrocephnlus, not with Tatare. Song and 

 nests and eggs of the so-called Tatare are like those of Acrocephalus sensn strictiore. 

 On the other hand, Onstalet (p. 210) retains the genns Tatare, and says that certain 

 members of the genns have diiferent plnmages in different seasons, a character which 

 is not fonnd in Acrocephalus. However, neither A. luscinia nor A. syrinx, of which 

 we have large series, show any different plmnages in different seasons or ages, so 

 that I doubt the propriety of attributing generic value to the facts stated by Prof. 

 Onstalet, of which we should very much like to know more. 



A. luscinia has been rebaptised A. mariannae by Tristram, because he "feared 

 that luscinia was preoccupied as a s])ccific sylviad name," but I cannot find any 

 Acrocephalus of that name, and we need not consider Aiklon luscinia (the 

 nightingale), which is in a totally different genus. I do not know either why 

 Sharpe in the Catalogue of Birds accepted the name of T. mariannae, as it was 

 against his usual practice. Kittlitz's note that he heard the song of his Sylvia 

 syrinx in the swamps of Guam no doubt refers to .1. luscinia. 



It is an extraordinary fact that, according to Onstalet, t.c. p. 210, ^1. syrinx 

 {Tatare syrinx) was fonnd by Marche on the island of Pagan, one of the northern- 

 most Jlariannes. As this species is otherwise an inhabitant of the Carolines, and 

 seems not to occur in the Southern Mariannes, we would have here a peculiar 

 instance of distribution, much like that of Zosterops semperi, if there is no mistake 

 about that. 



14. Aplonis kittlitzi Finsch & Hartl. (Oust. I. p. 212). 



Wiglesw., Ares Pnbjncsiae p. 44. 



Iris, Ridgw. VI. 11 (lemon-yellow); bill, Ridgw. II. 1 (black); legs, toes, and 

 claws, Ridgw. II. 3 (blackish slate). Another specimen: Iris V. 9 (ochre-yellow): 

 bill II. 1; legs, toes, and claws, Ridgw. II. 1 (black). 



Local name Guam: " Sal6 " and " Solei." 



Very common on the island of Guam. Size somewhat variable, the wings of 

 the males measuring from 118 to 131 mm., but mostly about 125 to 128 mm. 



In May, June, and July many males had^many of the white-edged feathers of 

 the young on the underside, and old birds were much in moult, but in November, 

 January, and March they were all in good plumage. 



Finsch & Havtlaub described this species from the Caroline Islands, but it 

 was found on the Marianne Islands by Kittlitz and Marche, and on the Pelew 

 Islands by Tetens and Kubary. 



We have also received a small series from Saipan, collected in July, and partly 

 in monlt, partly in full jjluniage. The Saipan s])ecimens have mostly higher bills 

 and mostly longer wings, but it seems impossible to found on them even a sub- 

 species. Their wings measure from 122 to 133 mm. The Marianne birds cannot, 



