( 150) 



browner on the chest, flanks, aud sides of breast. The wing is a little longer- 

 measuring ;">(> to nearly oO mm. in our males, und 52 to ."14 mm. in onr females. 

 (\ 0. hechi is much more closely allied to C. 0. fusca from Abingdon and Biudloe 

 Islands than to C. 0. oUcacea, but differs in being still a faint shade darker above 

 and especially on the sides and flanks. The wing is longer, as in C. o./usca it does 

 not exceed .")4 mm. in the largest males. The bill of C. 0. hecki measures 8 to 9 mm. 

 from nostril to tip. The throat has a distinct ochraceons patch in one male and an 

 ochraceous shade in iy/o females before us. We are not able to say if this colour 

 would be as bright and widely spread as in adult males of C. 0. oliracea, if a 

 larger series from the proper season were examined. 



We have only ten si)ecimeus from Wenman. 



This form is named in compliment to Mr. Beck, who accompanied the expedition 

 as collector. 



5. Certhidea olivacea drownei Rothsch. 



Certhideo ,lr,nc,Ki, Rothschild in Bnll. B. (I. Club. VII. p. ;A (May 1898). 



Only two specimens, both marked " S" were procured on Culpepper Island. 

 They are very much like ( '. o. herki, but the sides of the breast arc darker, more 

 olive, and the pileum is darker, the darker blackish bases of the feathers being 

 somewhat extended. They seem also to be considerably larger. The wing of one 

 measures 62 mm., that of the other 57, but we believe the latter to be a Jemale, 

 although it is marked " c?." The bill from nostril to tip is 9 mm. in one, 8 in 

 the other, but the bill seems to be rather wide at base. The throat is somewhat 

 ochraceous in both. 



A larger series would be desirable to confirm this subspecies. It is named as 

 a compliment to Mr. Drowne, another of the collectors. 



6. Certhidea olivacea mentalis Ridgw. 



Certhidea mentalis, Ridgway in Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. XVII. p. 359, XIX. p. .504. 



This is a most doubtful form from Tower Island. Mr. Ridgway has separated 

 it from its nearest ally, C. fiisca, on account of its being, as he states, " rather 

 smaller, colour darker "and less olivaceous, the under parts dull light olive-greyish, 

 becoming pale buffy on chin and under wing-coverts." Unfortunately all the 

 specimens from Dr. Baur's collection seem to have been in spirits, therefore the 

 slight diff'erences in colour are not of much importance, and our new series of about 

 thhiy specimens, skinned on the spot, are all in such dreadfully abraded, worn 

 plumage, that they are quite unfit for comparison with regaril to colour. There 

 is no appreciable dift'erence in size. It is, however, remarkable that all the 

 specimens from Tower, collected in December, except one, have black mandibles, 

 and of those of Dr. Baur's, shot early in September, two have blackish, the 

 others brownish white mandibles, while in our large series from Abingdon and 

 Bindloe, collected in August, there is not one with a blackish mandible. This 

 character, on the other hand, is probably seasonal. The buff colour on the chin 

 may be a character peculiar to the Tower form, but this is as yet not certain, as we 

 can only see it in four of the typical specimens collected by Dr. Baur. Freshly 

 moulted' material, and if possible from the same season, both from Tower aud 

 Abingdon or Bindloe Islands, will be necessary to decide finally about the form 

 inentalis. 



