OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 369 



Notes of a Collection of Birds from New Britain, New Ireland, 

 and the Puke of York Islands, with some remarks on the 

 Zoology of the Group By E. Pierson Ramsay, F. L.S. , Curator 

 of the Australian Museum, Sydney. 



Australian ornithologists may be pleased to know that a fine 

 collection of Birds obtained at the Puke of York Island, New 

 Ireland, and New Britain, has been secured for the Australian 

 Museum. This fine collection consists of 257 specimens and 90 

 species, nearly all of them from the abovenamed localities. They 

 were collected by the Rev. George Brown and Mr. James Cockerell, 

 from whom they were purchased. 



This collection is remarkable not only for containing a large 

 number of species, but particularly in bringing to light again a 

 number of interesting forms of which little or nothing has been 

 seen or heard since the voyage of the Coquille in 1820-5. Among 

 these I may mention the beautiful golden and black flycatcher 

 Arses (nionarcha), chrysomela, Cynnyris aspazia, Centropus ater-albus, 

 Dicceum erythrothorax, (Less.), (1). schistaceiceps, Gray), and the true 

 Campephaga Tcwru (Less.) : from this last it is very evident that our 

 Australian bird known under that name is specifically distinct, and 

 may perhaps be, as stated in Gray's Hand-list, C. rufiventris. Others 

 again, such as Dendrochelidon mystaceus, Arses telescopthalmus, 

 Monarcha inornata, Piezorliynclius chalybeoceplialus, are also repre- 

 sented. The Accipitres are by no means numerous. One species 

 of Milvus, perhaps M. affiyiis of a dark race, A star 1 dog aster (J)* 

 adults and young having no bars on wings or tail, from New 

 Britain and New Ireland. Haliaetus lencogaster, Haliastur inclus, 

 var. leucocephalus, and Baza reinwardti were obtained from the 

 same localities. Also two specimens of Ninox from New Ireland ('?), 

 one N. variegata, and the other of a new species closely allied to 

 N. toeniata and iV. hypogramma, and not unlike Athene brama. 

 One of the most interesting birds is the minute true esculent-nested 

 swallow, Collocalia escidenta, L. There are many specimens of the 



* Perhaps a new species, as it does not altogether agree with A. hiogaster. 



