NOVITATE^^^OLOGICAE, 



Vol. VIII. DECEMBER, 1901. No. 4. 



LIST OF A COLLECTION OF BIRDS 

 FROM GUADALCANAR ISLAND, IN THE SOLOMON C4R0UP. 



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



(See anteii, pp. 179 to 189.) 



THE collection we are here describing has been made on Guadalcanar during 

 the months April and May, 1901, by Mr. Albert S. Meek and his assistants. 

 As Guadalcanar i.s the island of the Solomon Arcliipelago on which most 

 collections have been formed (especially by Messrs. Cockerel], Morton, and C. M. 

 Woodford), novelties could hardly be expected ; but nevertheless the collection has 

 not only added considerably to the Tring Museum collections, but has also cleared 

 up several doubtful points. 



1. Dicaenm aeneum Pacher. et Jacq. 

 A good series of both sexes. 



2. Cinnyris frenata (S. Miill.). 

 Large series. 



3. Myzomela dubia Rams. 



A fine series of both sexes confirms what we have said on pages 181 and 182. 

 A young male has exactly the brownish coloration of the type of M. shai-pei, 

 therefore our suspicion that the latter had been in spirits may be erroneous. " Iris 

 dark brown, feet bluish slate-colonr, bill black." The/emale is like the male, only 

 somewhat smaller. The wings of the males measure 64 to 66 mm., those of the 

 females 59 to 60. 



4. Edoliisoma erythropygium Sharpe. 



(Sharpe, Froc. Zool. Soc. London, LSSS, p. 184, Guadalcanar !) 

 We were quite mistaken when (on p. 181) we doubtfully referred two males and 

 a, female from Florida to E. solomonis Tristr. We have since compared the type 

 in the British Museum and a co-type in the Liverpool Museum of E. salom.onis, and 

 find that our birds have nothing to do with them. E. salomoiiis is uniform bluish 

 grey above, including the ear-coverts, rufous cinnamon below ; at least the adult 

 females are so, and the male has only the under wiug-coverts rufous. In any case 

 our birds from Florida are the same as those from Guadalcanar, which are Sharpe's 



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