( 168) 



We ennmcratc these Charles Ishmd sjiocimens ]irovisioiially as a siihspecies 

 of G. psittftri/lii, hnt \\\' do not consider it an establislied turm, as a better series 

 may prove its identity with G. psittacula /jsittacula. 



311. Geospiza affinis (Ridgw.) 



Ciimarhijiiehiis affiiv^, Uidgway in Proc. L'.i-i. yut. Mits. XVII. p. 3G5 (1894) ; XIX. p. 5.i4. 



Tlic form from Albemarle and Narborough Islands differs so mucli fnim 

 G. psittacula in its smaller size, especially of the bill and wiugs, that we, for the 

 present, allow its si)eciflc rank. The " rather liroadly and distinctly streaked 

 breast" of the tyi>e, which is before ns, is no si)eeilic character, since it is found 

 ill a number of immature G. psittac(ila und other allied forms. 



Adult males with black bills have the entire head, neck and chest black, the 

 black colour developing into broad streaks on the sides of the breast. The culmen 

 of adult males is 12'5 — 13o mm., the wing 08 — 7:^. 



31. Geospiza incerta (Uidgw.) 



Caimirhi/iuhus incerlua, Ridgway in Proc. U.S. Xat. J/tis. XVIII. p. 294, XIX. p. 560. 



Three skins before us I'ronl James Island, one of them the type, belong no doubt 

 to the form called by BIr. Hidgway C. iiicertua. They are very closely allied to 

 fi. ajlinis, in fact hardly differ from the latter at all, except by their apparently 

 smaller bills. The culmen measures 12 — 13 mm., but probably not one of these 

 specimens is adult. One of them is marked male, and its beak is very dark, 

 almost black, marked by the collector on the label as ''blackish, lighter below," 

 but, although being darker on the head than the others, especially on the lores and 

 ear-coverts, it wants the black head. 



Five specimens from Duncan are not separable from those from Jarmes Island, 

 but they are also females or immature males, and adult males would be necessary to 

 finally settle their relationship. 



We have seen that the specimens from Jervis Island, which lies in the middle 

 between James and Duncan Islands, are true G. psittacula. Therefore, if the 

 Duncan and James birds are the same, we should i)robably find it also on Jervis 

 Island. Much better material is retjuired to decide whether G. incerta can be 

 separated from G. ajjlnis or not. 



32. Geospiza habeli (Scl. k Salv.) 



Comdrhyiwlma hibtli, Sclater & Salvin in Pn:c. Zwil. S,„: hmt. (1870) pp. 323, 325, fig. 3 in te.xt ; 



Salviu iu Tniiis. Zoul. Soc. IX. p. 49il, PI. XXXVI. (1870) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. XII. 



p. 17 (1888) ; UiJgway in Proc. C.S. -Va/. .1/it.s. XIX. p. u:>5. 

 Camarhjnchm biiiMoci, llidgway in Pmc. U.S. Not. -I/h.?. XVIII. p. 294 (189C), XIX. p. 556. 



G. habeli from Bindloe and Abingdon is a very distinct form, the bill being 

 rather deep, the height at base lieing almost or fully ecpial to the distance from 

 nostril to tip of upper jaw. Length of culmen 1. ")•.')— 10 mm., wing 74 — 70 mm. 



We have examined, besides those in the British Museum, twelve skins from 

 Bindloe and thirteen from Abingdon, including tlie type of C. hindloei, but we cannot 

 recognise any differences between the birds from the two islands. 



