BY E. P. RAMSAY, F.L.S., ETC. 833 



in colour, some being of a pale golden-jrellow with olive vermi- 

 culations on the back, others olive-green or olive-brown above, 

 and golden-yellow or yellowish- olive below. I also found 

 swarms of the young fry about half an inch in length. 



The Cat Fish Copidoglanis tandanus was also caught, all five 

 species being taken with rod and line from the same spot. 



Description of two new Birds from the Solomon Islands. 

 By E. P. Bamsay, F.L.S., &c. 



Halcyon solomonis, sp. nov 



All the upper surface blue, with a slight wash of greenish on 

 the head and back, quills black, the outer webs of a rich cobalt- 

 blue ; tail blue, vermiculated, a slight tinge of green on outer 

 webs ; a stripe from the lower mandible under the eye greenish- 

 blue, ear-coverts bluish back, lores black, no white spot or super- 

 ciliary stripe, no white nape spot ; collar round the neck white 

 or slightly tinged with rufous, bounded in front by a narrow 

 black line from the earcoverts ; on either side of the chest nearly 

 extending across it a rufous patch, the feathers all margined with 

 blue, under wiug coverts white, all the remainder of the under 

 surface, and under tail-coverts white, bill black, a triangular 

 patch of white at the base of the lower mandible, feet brownish. 



A second specimen has a pure white broad collar, bounded 

 above and below with black, and an irregular patch of feathers 

 on the side of the chest, margined with blackish-green, the under 

 wing coverts and all the remainder of the under surface white, 

 no tinge of rufous anywhere on this specimen ; in front of the 

 eye from the nostril a narrow line of white, lores black, no 

 superciliary stripe, head and back washed with greenish, blackish 

 groen next the collar on the interscapular region. 



