( 173 ) 



skins, and we do not find the slightest diU'erence from those fvoiu James. The 

 female is, according to Kidgway, brighter yellow beneath, browner above, and the 

 top of the head more tinged with yellow. These characters may have been visible 

 in what we should have called the type,* but they are only of an individual nature, 

 as we find P. nanax to vary very much in the depth of the colour, freshly moulted 

 specimens differing from bleached ones, and young males running through many 

 shades of colour. From Albemarle we have sixteen specimens, but only five adult 

 males. Neither males narjcmalrs differ at all from those from James and Albemarle 

 Islands. From Dancan wo have nineteen skins, nine females and immature males, 

 and nine adult males. They do not differ from those from James, Indefatigable, 

 and Albemarle Islands. One adult male and three young males from Jervis are like 

 the former. From Charles Island we have not less than forty-two skins, and we do 

 not find them to differ in any way from the former. The alleged differences of 

 ]'. rarolensis do not exist. The same must be said of those of Abingdon and 

 Biudloe Islands. From the latter we have six adidt males and t\\vc.c females ; from 

 the former two males and one female. The underside of the males is extremely 

 variable in colour, being much brighter and more vermilion after the moult, more 

 scarlet in others, and sometimes orange-chromo-yellow. The latter is esjiecially the 

 case with most of Dr. Baur's specimens, which look as if they had been partially 

 immersed in spirits for a short time, or had been in contact with some other 

 chemical. The specimen from Bindloe, mentioned by Ridgway on p. 578 (I.e.), 

 which has the throat and chest pure scarlet and the breast and abdomen abrui)tly 

 " pale Saturn red,'' is probaldy in some way partly discoloured. As its right side is 

 not quite like the left side, it should have convinced Mr. Eidgway that these shades 

 of colour are not of any specific value. Our other 7nale from Bindloe is totally 

 diftei'ent from the one in Dr. Banr's collection. 



We have, besides the above-mentioned skins, many examjjles in spirits, bnt 

 they are useless as skins, the colour being entirely gone. 



2. Pyrocephalus dubius Gould. 



Pi/ronjihalus ihdiinn, GoulJ, T'<;(. Beaijle, Birds, III, p. 4(5 ; Ridgway in Proc. U.S. Nut. .l/iis. 



XVII. p. 368 (1894) ; XIX. p. SVo! 

 Pyrocejihalus minimus Ridgway in Prnc. U.S. K<it. .l/«s. XII. p. 113 (ISflU).' 



This species inhabits Chatham Island only. It differs from P. nanus in being 

 considerably smaller, the wing about 4 or 5 mm. shorter, the tail at least .^i or (i mm. 

 shorter. The males do not seem to become so bright scarlet beneath as those of 

 P. nanus. Iho female has a broad and conspicnous superciliary stripe, is much more 

 ochraceous buff beneath than Vac females of P. naiias, and the throat is not so pale 

 and not in such a sharp contrast to the breast. 



Genus COCCYZUS Vieill. 



Cucci/ziiK, Vieillot, .-inalyar, p. 28 (181G). 



" Temperate and tropical America generally." 



* No. 418 of Dr. Banr's collection, Indefatigable Island, August Gtli, 1S.91, an .-ulult 7iiiile, is marked 

 as the type of P. intercnhnu l)_v Ridgway, but as the alleged differences liave apparently only been noticed 

 in the female, the latter should be the real type of P. intercedens. 



