

NOVITATES ZOOLOGICAE. 



Vol. VIII. OCTOBER, 19UI. No. 3. 



LIST OF A COLLECTION OF BIEDS FEOM KULAMBANGEA 

 AND FLOEIDA ISLANDS, IN THE SOLOMONS GEOUP. 



By HON. WALTER ROTHSCHILD, Ph.D., and ERNST HARTERT. 



THE fact that the birds of the Solomon Islands are so little known, has been 

 the reason why we have always been auxions to get collections from that 

 large gronp. Hitherto onr eflforts have been in vain, and onr matirial of birds 

 from the Solomons has so far been very poor. We have a few specimens from the 

 collections made about fourteen years ago by Mr. C. M. Woodford on Guadalcanar. 

 Captains Webster and Cotton, a few years ago, brought home only a few specimens 

 in spirits from New Ceorgia, and Messrs. Wahnes and Ribbe sold us a score or so 

 of fine skins from the Shortland group, mostly from Fauro. To enlarge this scanty 

 material, we had arranged years ago with our enterprising and able correspondent, 

 Albert 8. Meek, to make larger collections on the Solomons, although we were 

 aware that the hostility of the natives would prevent him from visiting the least 

 known islands, especially, we were afraid, Bougainville and Choisenl. We have 

 now received the first consignment of birds from the Solomon Islands, namely, 

 a small collection from Kulambangra, or Knlambangara, north of and very close 

 to New Georgia, and from Florida, north of and not far from Guadalcanar. 



We do not know enough of the ornis of tliis gronj) of islands, and these 

 first collections are not large enough, to draw important conclusions about the 

 zoogeographical relations of the two islands, but we can see that the birds of 

 Kulambangra are in many cases identical with, or closely allied to, those of Bngotu 

 or Isabel Island, and appai'ently — from the geographical position we should say 

 doubtless — those of New Georgia ; but we do not know enough of either Bngotu 

 (Isabel) or New Georgia. The birds of Florida are mostly like those of Guadalcanar, 

 but some are different. 



We have been able to describe confidently not less than nine new forms, seven 

 of which are from Kulambangra, two from Florida. With the exception of a 

 cuckoo {('(i€omant/s addendus) and a most interesting parrot (^Hi/pochannosi/iia 

 mee/d), the new forms belong all to the Passeres. 



Nine new species out of a total of only forty-eight is nowadays a remarkable 

 number. All these birds were collected by Mr. Meek's men, before Meek Iiimself, 

 who has been very ill, we are sorry to say, could join them. Meek is, however, 

 now at work on the islands, and we may confidently soon expect more extensive 

 collections, which will doubtless further increase our knowledge of the birds of 

 the Eastern Archipelago. 



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