Volumes of the B. M. Catalogue of Birds. 325 



'' Ornitologia ^ of more than a hundred species — that is to 

 say, nearly half the known ones. 



As regards the Nectariniidae, Mr. Gadow recognizes only as 

 races Nectarinia bocagei, N. cupreonitens, Mtliopifga cava, 

 JE. nicobarica, and JE. horsfieldi ; and perhaps he may have 

 some apparent reason, although to my mind, several of these 

 are entitled to specific rank as much as many others recognized 

 as distinct by Mr. GadoAV. According to my idea the genus 

 Eudrepanis, if not Urodrepanis, ought to be kept separate 

 from Mthopyga. Under C'mnyris venusta Mr. Gadow unites 

 four races, which Capt. Shelley separates as species. C. osiris, 

 C. erythroceria, C. bifasciata, and C microrhyncha are united 

 with C. mariquensis ; C. andamanica with C. flammaxillaris ; 

 C. frenata with C. jugularis ; C. ac'ik with (7. senegalensis ; 

 C. kirki with C. amethystina ; Anthotlireptes hypodila and 

 A. zambesiana with A. collaris ; and A. celebensis, A. rho- 

 dolmna, and A. chlorogaster with A. malaccensis ! 



But Mr. Gadow has made still greater havoc in the 

 Hermotimia group. While twelve species (leaving out H. 

 grayi) and three subspecies have been admitted by Captain 

 Shelley, who ought to know something about them, Mr. 

 Gadow has reduced them to three only ! Even allowing that 

 H. morotensis may not be sufficiently distinct from H. auriceps, 

 H. salvadorii from H. nigriscajndaris, and //. aspasioides, 

 Cornelia, corinna, mysorensis, jobiensis, and even maforensis 

 from H. aspasia, I should like to ask anybody who knows 

 anything about birds if H. auricep)S and H. porphyrol(emay 

 with the metallic portion of the plumage (except the head) o£ 

 a very dark steel-blue, can be united with H. aspasia, H, 

 nigriscapularis , and H. proserpina, which have the metallic 

 portion of the plumage golden green on the upper tail- 

 coverts and rump, while the last two species are so con- 

 spicuously different from H. aspasia, wanting the bright 

 golden-green scapulars, and differ inter se as regards the 

 smaller wing-coverts, which are entirely bright bluish green 

 in H.jjrosei'pina, and black, except a few on the angle of the 

 wing, in H. nigriscapularis. 



The importance of all these differences is confirmed by the 



