( 206 ) 



ON THE BIRDS COLLECTED BY MR. MEEK ON ST. AIGNAN 

 ISLAND IN THE LOUISIADE ARCHIPELAGO. 



By ERNST HARTERT. 



IN Vol. V. of this Journal, pp. 521 — 532, 1 have given a list of the liirds collected 

 liy Mr. Albert Meek on Sndest Island, and on ]ip. 70 — 84 of this volnme a list 

 of those found on Kossel Island in the same archipelago. From Sudest Island I 

 was able to enumerate 42 species and subspecies ; from Rossel 3(5. The present list 

 of St. Aignau will show that the ornis differs in many cases from that of the other 

 islands of the group. 



Although it is possible that a few species of birds are overlooked on St. Aignan, 

 there can l>e no doubt that we may now claim to possess a very good knowledge of 

 the ornis of St. Aignan as well as of that of Rossel and Sudest Islands. 



St. Aignan, or Misima, as its proper native name is, lies north-west of Tagnla 

 or Sudest Island. It is long and narrow, and about 2.5 miles long from east to west, 

 and the high mountains, rising to about 3300 feet, are thickly covered with forest. 

 The island is inhabited by friendly natives, and recently by some gold-diggers, who 

 by very hard work are able to make some money. 



Our previous knowledge of birds from Misima (St. Aignan) is very scant_y. The 

 " Rattlesnake " did not visit it. Canon Tristram, in the Ibis for ls9'J, described 

 Cinmjris christianae from St. Aignan, and mentioned a few other species. In 1892, 

 in an official Report, Mr. De Vis mentions ^'■Monarcha guttidatiis" "M. chalyheo- 

 ci'pkalus" "Pachjcejiliala melanura " (my P. i-osseliana), and Mi/zomela nigrita as 

 being found in Misima. 



In another such Report, for 1889, the following species were mentioned : — 

 Lorius In/pocnochrous (not sent by Meek), Halcyon sanctus, Em-ystomus crassirostris, 

 Collocalin jMiplinga, f Rhipidara setosa (my Rh. s. nigromentalis), Lulage hnru, 

 Myzometa nigrita, Calornis metallica, Ptilopus rirolii (recte Ptiliuopus stropliium .'), 

 ? Macropygia nigrirostris (J/, doreya cunctata subsp. nov.). 



Mr. Meek sent 64 species and the nests and eggs of some of them. 



1. Corvus orru Bp. 

 One inale. " Iris dirty white." Wing 337 mm. 



2. Calornis metallica (Temm.). 



Two males and a female, shot in August and September, are in splendid 

 plumage. 'l\^& female is coloured like the male, but a little smaller. 



These birds breed, as we know, in holes of trees. Mr. Meek sent several 

 clutches, consisting of three eggs each, but he does not say if this is the full 

 number. The eggs are like those of the same species from Queensland and the 

 Trobriand Islands. 



3. Aplonis cantoroides (CJray). 



St. Aignan and " small island off St. Aignan," September and December 1807. 

 The male does not differ from the female, except that the latter is distinctly smaller. 



