( l'<' ) 



August, September aiul October, nearly all marked as fcnmles, none with black 

 beak or black head. 



2. Uuucau Islaud. Nine skins, no black-billed or black-beaded specimen. 

 September. 



3. Albemarle Island. Twenty-three skins, among them six black-headed 

 males. Shot in July (Banr), and November (Harris, etc.) 



4. Narborough Island. Four skins, one black-headed. December. 



5. James Island. Twent3--six skins, five black-headod miden ; none witii black 

 bill. All shot in Angnst, September and October. 



G. Jervis Island. Twelve skins ; none black-headed. August and ,Sei)tember. 



7. Charles Island. Twenty-seven skins, of which seventeen are more or less 

 black-headed and black-throated. All these latter are marked " c? " ; the female 

 therefore does not seem to assume a black head. All November. 



S. Gardner Island (near Charles). Five, all young. 



0. Barrington Island. Three young individuals. 



10. Cowley Island-(east of Albemarle). One young individual (Oanr coll.). If 

 is most peculiar that Ridg<Vay had also black-headed individuals fnmi .lames and 

 Charles Islands only ; but no doubt the black heads are only seasonal,'althongli ours 

 from Charles Islands are all killed in November, Eidgway's in April. 



G. prostltcmelas is the smallest form of the curved-billed (Scospirae (Ciimu- 

 rhynchiis of Gould, Salvin, Sharpe, Hidgway), and young birds with little curved 

 bills are sometimes easily mistaken for ivery young H. fxluiinosd, while others 

 are very vellowish, so as to resemble G. saltini. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE VI. 



c? ad. Aug. 1897 (No. 70C). 

 S ad. Sept. 1891 (Baur coll.). 

 ? med. Aug. 1897 (No. 720). 

 ? ad. Aug. 14th, 1891 (Baur coll.). 

 ?. Sept. 1897 (No. 1304). 

 ?. Sept. 1897 (No. 13-,':)). 

 i ad.! Dec. 1897 (No. 2985). 

 ? ? ad. Sept. 1891 (Banr coll.). 

 ? ad. Dec. 1897 (No. 2888). 

 S ad. ! Sept. 1807 (No. 12o.-)). 

 ?. Aug. 1891 (Baur coll.). 

 (? jnn. Aug. 1891 (No. 474, Baur coll.). 

 I. J ad. ! July 1891 (Baur coll.). 



c? ad. July ls91 (Baur coll.). 



? juv. July 1891 (Baur coll.). 

 le 1. (? quite 3'oung, Aug. 1801 (Banr 

 coll.). ' 



These 16 figures are given to show the variation witliin one form, according to 

 age and sex. Figures 1, 4, 7, 8 and lo show about the largest bills in our scries, 

 while figures IT) and KJ show the smallest, both being young birds. Figures 17 to 

 20 show also the variation within one form, while figures 21 to 39 show the bills of 

 typical individuals of some of the other forms, 



