NO. 1881. FORMS OF COLLOCALIA FUCIPHAGA—OBERHOLSER. 19 



COLLOCALIA FUCIPHAGA VANIKORENSIS (Quoy and Galmard). 



Hirundo vanikorensis Quoy and Gaimard, Voy. Astrolabe, Zool., vol. 1, 1830, 

 p. 206, pi. 12, fig. 3 (Vanikoro Island, Santa Cruz Islands, Pacific Ocean). 



Cotyle vanicorensis Boie, Isis, 1844, p. 170 (nom. emend, pro Hirundo vanikorensis 

 Quoy and Gaimard). 



Cypselns inquielus Kittlitz, Denkwurd. Reise Russ. Amer., vol. 2, 1858, p. 26 

 (Uala Island, Caroline Islands, Pacific Ocean). 



Chars, subsp. — Similar to Collocaliafuciphaga meamsi, hut upper sut- 

 face more brownish; lower parts decidedly darker and more brownish. 



Measurements. — Wing, 109-114 (average, 111.5) mm,; tail, 54; 

 exposed culmen, 4; tarsus, 9. 



Type-locality. — Vanikoro Island, Santa Cruz Islands, Pacific Ocean. 



Geographical distribution. — Islands of the western Pacific Ocean: 

 north to the Caroline Islands; west to New Guinea; south to the 

 Loyalty Islands; and east to the Tonga Islands and the Duke of 

 York Island (Union group). 



From Collocalia fuciphaga fuciphaga the present race may be sepa- 

 rated by its much darker, more blackish (less brownish), more uniform 

 upper surface; dark rump concolor with the back; and decidedly 

 darker under parts. It is distinguishable from Collocalia fuciphaga 

 amechana by its darker, more blackish upper parts, dark rump uni- 

 form with the back, and far more deeply colored and more brownish 

 ventral surface. Compared %\'ith Collocalia fuciphaga elaphra it is 

 much smaller, with darker, less brownish upper surface, rump not 

 lighter than the back, and very much more deeply colored lower 

 parts. It is very much smaller than Collocalia fuciphaga capnitis, and 

 has the upper surface darker, less glossed with greenish, the rump con- 

 color with the back, the lower parts much darker, more brownish, 

 with scarcely appreciable darker shaft lines on the posterior portion. 

 It may be distinguished from Collocalia fuciphaga vestita by its very 

 much more deeply colored, more bro^vnish lower surface, and slightly 

 darker, less greenish upper parts. It is apparently closest in color 

 to Collocalia fuciphaga aerophila, but differs in rather more brownish, 

 less greenish-glossed upper surface, and in darker, decidedly more 

 browTiish lower parts. 



Birds from the Carohne Islands are, by the characters above given, 

 with ease subspecifically separable from true Collocalia fuciphaga 

 fuciphaga of Java; although the writer on a previous occasion * was not 

 able to distinguish the present race with the material then available. 



Without specimens from the Santa Cruz and neighboring islands, 

 I am now obliged to consider the birds from there the same as those 

 from the Carolines, although they may represent an additional race. 

 The name to be applied to the ]-)resent form is, therefore, of necessity, 

 Hirundo vanikorensis Quoy and Gaimard,- from Vanikoro Island, the 



' Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phlla.,July26, 1906, p. 186. 

 » Voy. Astrolabe, Zool. , vol. 1 , 1830, p. 206, pi. 12, flg. 3. 



