( 169 ) 

 33. Geospiza paupera (Hidgw.) 



Camarhyudius priiijiei; Ridgway in Proc. U.S. JVai. Mus. XII. p. 11], XIX. p. 559. 



It seems strange that this species was not fonud by Darwin and Baur and 

 Adams. The ^^ Alhdfros.i" had obtained, it seems, three specimens, while onr 

 recent expedition h.as obtained a fnll dozen, among which, however, there is only 

 one male with the head and throat chiefly black. The cnlmen of onr oldest birds 

 witli black bills measnres about IvJ'O — 13-.j, the wing abont 09 — 73 mm. 



G. paupera is evidently a good species, its bill being somewhat stout and at 

 the same time elongated, much less high than it is in (j. psittaoila and allies. 



It is only known from ('harles Island. 



34. Geospiza salvini (Ridgw.) 



Canmrliynchus mlrini, Ridgway in Prru-. U.H. Xnf. Mu.':. XA'II. p. ,'i()4, XIX. p. 5(jl. 



The small curved-billed Geoapiza from ( 'hatham Island is ajjparently very 

 yellowish and huffish in all ages, and much larger than G. prostliemelas. Mr. 

 Ridgway has, besides seven skins in Dr. Baur's collection, examined eleven speci- 

 mens procured by Mr. Townsend, naturalist of the U.S. Fish Commission steamer 

 " A/f/atro.ss." We have before us altogether sixt3'-three skins, sixteen from the Baur 

 collection, forty-seven from the Harris expedition. Among these seventy-four skins 

 thus seen by ornithologists, there is not a single black-headed individual. As the 

 birds shot by Mr. Townsend were procured in March, Dr. Baur's in August and 

 September, Mr. Harris' in October, we may perhaps conclude that this species does 

 not assume a black head and throat at all ; but this is by no means certain, and it 

 will be most valuable to see specimens killed between October and March, and 

 between March and August. The adult male — if we presume it has never a black 

 head — is black-billed, streaked with black on the sides of the breast, these streaks 

 being produced liy the arrow-shaped black markings in the middle of the feathers, 

 and agrees with Mr. Ridgway's description, I.e. The culmeu measnres 1 1 'o — T-i ram., 

 the wing 00 — 07 mm. The a,(ln\t female is like the adult ?««?<■, but slightly smaller^ 

 the culmen not above 11— IT."), the wing 03 — 05 mm. ; the sides of the breast are 

 less streaked, the arrow-shaped Idack markings in the middle of the feathers being 

 indistinct. Some of the young birds are very boldly streaked on the underside, the 

 black markings being less arrow-shaped and reaching to the tip of the feathers, 

 while others are hardly streaked at all. Most of the latter being marked " ? ," we 

 snpjiose they are all female,?. The strongly yellowish tint of (t. .■^aln'/ii in all ages 

 is very consjiicuous if a series is com])ared with any of the other species, but some 

 young G. prostliemelas have exactly the same colour. 



3r). Geospiza prosthemelas (Scl. & Salv.) 



Camarhiiiirhux prnsthrmrhin. Sclater & Salvin in Proi\ Zonl. Snr. Loinl. 1870, pp. 32.3, 325, Rff. 4 (type 

 from Indefatigalile Island) ; Salvin in TnniK. Zoo!. Son. Luwl. IX. p. 490 (I87(!) ; Sharpe, Cut. 

 B. Brit. .MiiK. XII. p. 17 (1888) ; Ridgway in Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. XIX. p. 5G3. 



As far as our material enables us to judge, we consider at present the forms 



from the following islands to be what we call Geo.yn'za prosl/temela.s (Scl. & Salv.) 



1. Indefatigable Island. We have before us twentv-nine skins, collected in 



