BIRDS OF THE ANAMBA ISLANDS. 59 



Aplonis opaca (Kittlitz) ( = Aplonis hittlitzi Authors). 1 



Aplonis atrifusca (Peale). 



Aplonis vitiensis Layard. 



Aplonis brevirostris (Peale). 



Aplonis tabuensis (Gmelin) (= Aplonis cassini Gray . 



Aplonis atronitens Gray. 



Aplonis striata (Gmelin). 



Family DICRURIDAE. 



DISSEMURUS PARADISEUS MICROLOPHUS, new subspecies. 



Subspecific characters. — Similar to Dissemurus paradiseus paradiseus 

 of Siam, but frontal crest denser, stiller, and very much shorter. 



Description. — Type, adult male, No. 171074, U.S.N.M.; Pulo 

 Jimaja, Anamba Islands, September 21, 1899; Dr. W. L. Abbott. 

 Entire plumage brownish black, all the exposed parts of the body 

 plumage, except on the chin, throat, abdomen, and flanks, glossy 

 metallic greenish or bluish, this on the breast taking the form of 

 apical spots, on the pileum and nape broad V-shaped terminal 

 markings which leave more or less well-defined dull shaft streaks, 

 these most conspicuous on the crown; wings and tail somewhat 

 shiny brownish black, the rec trices and remiges with their outer 

 webs mostly metallic greenish or bluish, the exposed surface of the 

 upper wing-coverts similar; racquets large; crest short. 



Eleven specimens are in the collection, from the islands of Siantan, 

 Jimaja, Piling, Mobur, Riabu, and Telaga. All are more or less in 

 process of molt; some have the long racquet feathers fully developed, 

 others but partially, while one (No. 170907, U.S.N.M.) lacks them 

 entirely. Among the adults there is comparatively little individual 

 color variation, though some specimens are rather more bluish, 

 others more greenish on the metallic portions of the plumage. 

 Three (Nos. 170906, 170908, and 170934, U.S.N.M.) are immature, 

 in which condition they differ from the adults in being much 

 duller, the upper parts mixed with brown, the lower parts almost 

 entirely dull brown, with very few metallic bluish or greenish 

 feathers. Doctor Abbott notes that No. 170934 (immature) has the 



» This species has for long been known as Aplonis hittlitzi (Finsch and Hartlaub) (Calornis kittliui 

 Finsch and Hartlaub, Beitr. Fauna Centralpolyn., 1867, p. 109 [Ualan Island, Caroline Islands.]). It was, 

 however, first recognized and described by Kittlitz (Kupfertafeln Naturgesch. Vogel, Heft 2, 1833, p. 

 11, pi. 15, fig. 2), who applied to it the names Turdus columbinus Gmelin (which is Lamprocorax panay- 

 ensis Scopoli) and Lamprotornis opaca, a manuscript name of Lichtenstein's, here first given nomen- 

 elatural status by being published with a description and a figure. The latter name is introduced by 

 Kittlitz in the following fashion: " Fig. 2. Turdus columbinus Gm. L. oder Lamproth. opaca Lichten- 

 stein, ein haufiger Vogel auf den Marianen und Carolinen, * * *." The species must therefore bear 

 the name Aplonis opaca (Kittlitz), since this is long prior to Aplonis kittlitzi (Finsch and Hartlaub). 

 Subsequently G. R. Gray called it Calornis opaca (Cat. Birds Trop. Is. Pac. Brit. Mus., 1859, p. 26), 

 using Lichtenstein's name opaca, and citing the above-mentioned descriptions and figure of Kittlitz, 

 under the name " Lamprolornis columbina " KittliU. 



