134 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. 55. 



jugulum very pale smoke gray, with shaft streaks of fuscous and 

 dark drab, these deepest and most conspicuous anteriorly; rest of 

 lower parts dull white, the sides, flanks, and particularly lower tail- 

 coverts, slightly washed with cinnamomeous ; lining of wing pure 

 white ; " iris yellow ; feet dirty yellow, claws dark horn brown ; bill 

 black, dull yellow at base." 



The typical form of this species was first described by Vieillot^ 

 without indication of locality; but Mr. G. M. Mathews has recently 

 designated its type-locality as Binongka, Celebes. Unfortunately, 

 however, the latter author overlooked Count von Berlepsch's prior 

 designation ^ of Australia as the type region, and also Vieillot's own 

 subsequent statement' that Australasia was the patria of the speci- 

 men on which he had based the name Oedicnemus magnirostris. 

 Furthermore, Dr. A. Menegaux, who, as is well known, has charge 

 of the ornithological collection in the Museum National d'Histoire 

 Naturelle in Paris, informs me in a letter just received, that the type 

 of Oedicnemus magnirostris Vieillot is still preserved in that institu- 

 tion, and that it is a specimen obtained by Peron in Australia ! It 

 seems necessary, therefore, now to consider the Australian bird the 

 typical form, of which Orthorhamphus magnirostris neglectus 

 Mathews* consequently becomes a synonym. In view of this 

 change, the bird from the East Indies, which Mr. Mathews consid- 

 ered typical Orthorhamphus magnirostris., is in need of a new desig- 

 nation, which we accordingly provide here. 



Besides the type, described above. Doctor Abbott obtained two 

 specimens in the Tambelan Islands. One of these is an adult female 

 (No. 1T0880, U.S.N.M.), collected, August 13, 1899, on the reef of 

 Pulo Wai, in company with its mate, the type of Orthorhamphus 

 magnirostris scommophorus ; which two were all that Doctor Abbott 

 saw on this island. Both are in worn summer plumage, and are 

 just beginning to show evidences of molt among the contour feathers. 



The third example is a female in juvenal plumage (No. 171128, 

 U.S.N.M.), taken, August 4, 1899, on Pulo Gilla, by Mr. C. Boden 

 Kloss. This bird also is just beginning to molt its contour feathers. 

 It differs from the adult in having the feathers of the upper parts, 

 including scapulars and tcrtials, conspicuouslj'^ edged, tipped or 

 distall}'^ mottled with light grayish buff; the terminal portion of mid- 

 dle rectrices more broadly barred with dark brown and whitish ; the 

 lesser wing-coverts broadly margined with dull buffy; the dark bar 

 on the inner lesser coverts lighter and much obscured by similar light 



1 Oedicnemus magniroslris Vieillot, Noiiv. Diet. d'Hlst. Nat., vol. 23, 1816, p. 231. 



* Abhandl. Senkenb. Naturf. Gesell., vol. 34, 1911, p. 87. 

 •Encycl. M^th., vol. 1, 1820, p. 339. 



* Novit. Zool., vol. 18, .Tan. 31, 1912, p. 226 (Lewis Island, northwestern Australia). 



