8. COLLOCAXIA. 497 



a neighbour's nest for their own, so that frequently more than two 

 eggs are found and sometimes one only. Possibly some species may 

 lay more than two, but I greatly doubt it. 



Ranrje. The Indian and Malayan countries, throughout Papuasia 

 and the Pacific Islands to Northern Australia and the Fiji Islands. 

 As far East as Mauritius and the Seychelles, and perhaps Madagascar. 



So many species of CoUocxdia have been distinguished and named 

 by various ornithologists and subsequently reunited by others, that 

 it would be most difficult, and in some cases almost impossible, to 

 determine the species from the literature ; but the materials in the 

 British Museum, supplemented by the specimens lent to me by 

 several friends, though still quite imperfect from certain localities, 

 have enabled me, I believe, to throw a little light upon this group. 

 Ornithologists are no doubt aware of the fact that C'uHocahce are 

 resident birds, often confined to a small tract of country, where they 

 find suitable caves for breeding, and may therefore readily form 

 local races ; on the other hand, their power of flight is so great that 

 the occurrence of any species far from their regular abode is by no 

 means astonishiua;. 



Key to the Species. 



a. Without white on the abdomen. 



a'. Without whitish or greyish band 

 across the rump. 

 a" . Larger ; tail-feathers nearly equal, loivi, p. 498 

 b". Smaller ; tail distinctly emarginate. [pp. 498-501. 



«'". Lighter below fuc'iphaga and allies, 



h"' . Darker below, especially on the 



throat ; wings rather long .... leucophcea, p. 502. 

 h'. With a greyish or whitish band 

 across the rump. 

 c". Larger ; wing more than 5 inches, imwiuinata, p. 503. 

 d" . Smaller; wing less than 5 inches . francica and allies, 



b. With more or less white on the [pp. 503-506. 



abdomen. 

 c'. '^^'ith a white band across the rump. 

 e" . With blackish shaft-stripes to the 

 white feathers of the rump ; no 

 white spots on the rectrices. 

 c'". Much larger; wing more than 



4 inches leiicoj^yr/ia, p. 506. 



d'". Much smaller ; wing less than 



4 inches troglodytes, p. 507. 



/". Band across the rump pure white 

 without dark shaft-stripes ; white 

 spots (sometimes obsolete) on most 



of the rectrices uropygialh, p. 507. 



(/'. Without white band across the rump. 

 y" . Rectrices without white spots. 

 e" . Upper tail-coverts, except the 

 longest, distinctly margined 



with white marginata, p. 508. 



VOL. XVI. 2 K 



