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NOTES on the ZOOLOGY of the SOLOMON ISLANDS. 

 By E. P. Ramsay, F.L.S., &c, &o. 



Part I.— AVES. 



Some montlis ago Mr. James Oockerell accompanied Captain 

 Broclie of the Schooner " Ariel" to the Solomon Islands, where 

 through the liberality of Capt. Brodie, he was enabled to make a 

 very fine collection of the fauna of those Islands, and, although 

 only visiting three " Stations," collected about 50 mammals and 

 about 350 skins of birds. Having had an opportunity of examining 

 the whole of these collections, I have made a few notes on the 

 subject which may be of interest to ornithologists. 



One of the principle features in the collection is the large 

 number of that beautiful and hitherto rare parrot, Lorius cardimlis> 

 of which there is a very large series. The rare Halcyon leucopygia 

 one sex only of which was previously known, is also well 

 represented ; I was glad to find also a beautiful hawk, I think 

 identical with Astur soloensis from the Celebes, and among the fly- 

 catchers there are at least four new species, one closely allied to a 

 Celebes form. Amongst the pigeons is a beautiful Ptilopus, P. 

 viridis, var. or what may perhaps hereafter prove to be a distinct 

 species; also the beautiful Carpopliagarufigula which is closely allied 

 to C. rubricera from the Duke of York Islands, and New Ireland. 

 The collection also contains fine specimens, adults and young, of 

 the Megapodius from the Island of Savo, M. brenchleyi of Gr. E. 

 Gray. A fine species of Halcyon, probably H. chloris, a great 

 number of the beautiful Dicmcm erythrothorax, besides many other 

 birds, made known to us by the early voyagers. The following 

 is a list of the species with remarks respecting them. 



