Letters, Announcements, ^c. 199 



ration of the heads of Lamprolia victorine and L. minor (if that 

 name has been retained) differs^ I still adhere to my former 

 opinion, at least so far as regards the specimens in my pos- 

 session. I have before me three males (one in full breeding- 

 plumage), three females, and one young male. In all, espe- 

 cially the breeding male, there is a distinct inverted- V-shaped 

 patch of dull-coloured feathers inserted into the brilliant blue 

 of tiie back of the head, which is entirely wanting in L. minor, 

 of which I have a pair (male and female) , given me in ex- 

 change by my friend Kleiuschmidt. They are not well pre- 

 pared, but well enough to show that the head is entirely 

 covered all down the nuchal portion with iridescent blue 

 feathers. I must admit one thing, however : on exposing 

 my L. victories to a strong slanting sun-\\^h.t this morning, 

 I can perceive sparkles of blue on the feathers of the ^-shaped 

 mark ; but this my critical examination has shown me that 

 the blue of the head of L. minor is much coarser than that of 

 L. victoria. I observe also that the silvery white of the tail 

 of the female of the former extends nearer the tip than it 

 does in the male, in which I cannot (without having the means 

 of very accurate measurement) see that more difference be- 

 tween it and L. victoria exists than is consistent with their 

 relative sizes. 



If Count Salvadori will hold L. victories with its bill to- 

 wards him, I think he will see the V-shaped mark to which 

 I refer, with its apex pointing to him ; in this position 

 it is very distinct. I think, too, abrasion of the extreme tip 

 of the tail may have something to do with the peculiarity 

 noticed by him ; at least such is the case in my specimen. 



I am, &c., 



E. L. La YARD. 



P.S. Since writing the above, a Mr. Chamberlain, who has 

 been collecting in Fiji, has been with me. On looking over 

 my collection I pointed out the black ^-shaped mark on the 

 heads of Lamprolia, which he at once saw, but remarked 

 what large birds mine were. He then picked ujj a specimen 

 that had escaped my notice, and said, " All my birds of are 

 this size." To our surprise we then saw all the head was 

 blue, as in />. minor. 



