the Avifauna of New Caledonia. 255 



pared specimens sent by Mr. Layard^ and also several New- 

 Caledonian skins in the British Museum labelled R. albiscapa, 

 and find that the distinctions already pointed out by Mr. 

 Layard in ' The Ibis ' hold good in all cases, the smaller 

 size and the conspicuous white shafts of the rectrices discri- 

 minating the bird at a glance. — H. B. T.] 



28. Rhipidura verreauxi, Marie. 



Already recognized by the Editors of ^ The Ibis ' from a 

 specimen I sent (see Ibis, 1877, p. 358). 



29. EopsALTRiA VARIEGATA, G. R. Gray. 



30. EoPSALTRIA CALEDONICA (Gm.). 



These are the same species, and rightly reunited by G. R. 

 Gray in his catalogue (cf. ' Cruise of the ' Cura9oa,^ Aves,^ by 

 G. R. Gray) . We can only find two species here, this one and 

 E. flavigastra, Verr. & Desm. They are very unlike in form 

 and habits ; E, caledonica, in form, resembles the Australian 

 E. australis ; whereas E. flavigastra resembles the Australian 

 genus Micrceca [M. macropterd) , especially in the flattened 

 broad bill and Robin-like figure. Its habits are also similar. 

 We have no generic description by us, Gould^s ' Handbook 

 of the Birds of Australia ■* falling lamentably short in this 

 respect ; but we have specimens of the birds before named, 

 procured by E. L. L. in Australia. 



35. Pachycephala, sp. 



We only know the three species of Pachycephala pre- 

 viously named by M. Marie from the neighbourhood of 

 Noumea ; but there is a fine new species in the Lifu collec- 

 tion, which, as they all so much resemble one another as to 

 aff'ord little or no distinguishing mark, we propose to name 

 after our respected " Director of the Interior '' * : — 



Pachycephala littayei, sp. nov. 



Male. Upper three fourths of the head jet-black ; chin and 

 throat, from lower mandible, pure white, succeeded by a broad 



* We take this opportunity of correcting a tj^pographical error 

 (Ibis, 1877, pp. 356, 357) : for '' yellow-billed " {Pachycephala xanthe- 

 trcsa) read " yellow-bellied." 



