58 



BULLETIN 98, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Doctor Abbott observed this bird on Pulo Mata, August 24 to 

 September 1, 1899; and on Pulo Telaga, September 14-15, 1899. 

 The two adults measure as follows: 



Measurements of specimens of Lamprocorax panayensis heterochlorus . 



1 Measured in the flesh by the collector. 



1 Type. 



The earliest name among the subspecies of Lamprocorax cJialybeus 

 of authors is of course Lamprocorax panayensis (Scopoli), 3 which there- 

 fore becomes the name for the species as a whole, and of which Lampro- 

 corax cJialybeus becomes a subspecies. The proper designation for 

 the last-mentioned form is, however, Lamprocorax panayensis stri- 

 gatus Horsfield, 4 because Turdus strigatus Horsfield 4 has anteriority- 

 over Turdus chalybeus Horsfield 5 of even date. 



Some recent authors have united the genus Lamprocorax Bonaparte 

 with Aplonis Gould, on the ground that the characters usually as- 

 signed to these groups are not constant. This is true, for in both 

 form of bill and of tail there are intermediates, which might without 

 violence find a place in either group. There is, however, a structural 

 character which does hold good for the separation of all the forms 

 of both genera examined. In Lamprocorax the second (counting from 

 the spurious outermost) primary is decidedly longer than the fifth, 

 while in Aplonis it is usually shorter, sometimes equal, but never 

 longer. Furthermore, the recognition of two genera by this criterion 

 leaves all the species, with one exception, in the genera in which they 

 have been. This exception is Aplonis cantoroides, and the necessity 

 for its transferral was long ago suggested by Dr. R. B. Sharpe. 6 The 

 following species of these two genera have been examined in this 

 connection : 



Lamprocorax metallicus (Temminck) and subspecies. 



Lamprocorax panayensis (Scopoli) and subspecies. 



Lamprocorax today ensis Mearns. 



Lamprocorax minor (Ramsay). 



Lamprocorax cantoroides (Gray). 



'Muscicapa panayensis Scopoli, Del. Flor. et Faun. Insubr., pt. 2, 1786, p. 96 (Panay Island, Philip- 

 pine Islands). 



* Turdus strigatus Horsfield, Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond., ser. 1, vol. 13, pt. 1, May, 1821, p. 148 (Java). 



6 Turdus chalybeus Horsfield, Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond., ser. 1, vol. 13, Pt. 1, May, 1821, p. 148 (Java). 



* Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. 13, 1S90. p. 125. 



