( 3V9) 



One of onr specimens has also extremely wide bars on the undersurface, and they 

 are not so deep black as in our gurneyi. More material, with the sexes reliably 

 stated, and with full-grown wings, are, however, desirable to set forth the dis- 

 tinguishable characters between the two most closely allied forms from the Eastern 

 Papuan Islands and the Solomons. 



When naming the two Baza from Gnadalcanar we examined all onr material 

 of that gronp from the Eastern Archipelago — namely, the two from Gnadalcanar, 

 two from New Hanover, fonr from Queensland, forty-five from various parts of New 

 Guinea (Anday, Kapaur, Ron, Ambernoh River, Milne Bay, Mt. Cameron, Kotoi 

 District, Fly River), Fergusson Island, Waiglu, Salwatty, Am, Dammar, Key 

 Islands, South Flores, Sumba, Timor, Djampea, Lombok, Goram-laut and Buru ; 

 one from Obi, and one from Batjan. After having also seen the series in the British 

 Museum, we have come to the conclusion that the following forms only can be 

 separated, and that they are closely allied and best considered subspecies : — 



Baza subcristata subcristata : Northern Australia. Subtermiual band to tail 

 narrow, wings long. 



Baza subcristata reimcardti : Southern Moluccas, New Guinea, Am, Key, 

 Mysol, Salwatty, and Lesser Sunda Islands from Samba and Timor to Dammer and 

 Djampea. Subtermiual band to lateral rectrices narrow (generally 1 to 2 cm. on 

 outer rectrices, sometimes almost 4 cm.), under wing-coverts strongly tinged witJi 

 rusty buff, underside more or less tinged with rusty buff, wings shorter than in the 

 Australian form. The shorter wing of this form (difference about 2 to o cm.) is 

 apparently the only constant character by winch to separate the two forms. 



Baza subscristuta bismarcki : New Ireland, Duke of York Islands, New 

 Hanover. The alleged occurrence in New Guinea requires confirmation ! Abdomen 

 with the ground-colour white, under wing-coverts very light. AVing about as long 

 as in the Australian form. 



Baza subcristata gurneyi : Solomon Islands. Like bismarcki, but smaller. 



Baza subcristata rufa : Northern Moluccas only, including Obi Major. Sub- 

 terminal bar to lateral rectrices and size as in reinwardti, hut at once distinguishable 

 by the dark rufous appearance of the under-surface and dark rufous under wing- 

 and under tail-coverts. The Celebesian and other more western forms belong to 

 different species. 



Dr. 0. Finsch {Notes Leyden Mas. xxii. p. 50) has stated that B. reinwardti 

 is confined to the southern Moluccas, and that the form ranging from New Guinea 

 to Timor and the adjacent islands must be separated as Baza stenozona Gray, 

 without, however, giving any reasons for his opinion. Ornithologists, nevertheless, 

 not being obliged to recognise two species as dift'ereut merely because one of their 

 colleagues authoritatively says that they are different, we did our best to discover 

 the sujijiosed difi'erences, but in vain. Neither size, nor coloration on any part 

 of the plumage, nor the width of the bars or tiieir number, offers us any constant 

 character for the separation of the supposed stenozona, and we cannot therefore 

 confirm Dr. Fiusch's statement. 



41. Astur albogularis (Gray). 



1870. Acrij/itcr albogularis Gray, Ann.±Vat. 11. (4) V. p. :i27 (S;in Christoval !). 

 1888. Astur woodj'ordi Sharpe, P.Z.H. 1888, p. 183 (Gnadalcanar). 

 We have compared our specimens with those in the British Museum, and 

 found that albogularis and woodjordi are doubtless the same. The only difference 



