260 Canon Tristram on a Collection of 



much as I am uot aware of the existence of any separate 

 paper on the avifauna of this group. 



Unfortunately the box was about a year on its way to me, 

 and the greater part of tlie contents, especially the parcel 

 from Erromanga, have been utterly destroyed by damp and 

 sea-water — so much so that many of the specimens are 

 reduced to a mass of pulp, and utterly unrecognizable. Of 

 those that have escaped utter destruction there seem to be 

 twenty-seven species ; only one, however, of these is new to 

 science. 



1. StRIX DELICATULA, Gould. 



The collection contains two specimens, witli the remark, 

 " lives in woods and not much seen. Native name ' Nalith- 

 mot.^''^ The specimens no way vary from others I possess from 

 Australia, Fiji, and the Samoa Islands. I may mention in 

 passing that, though the Pacific specimens I have seen are 

 for the most part of a much purer wliite on the lower surface 

 than the British StriiZ! fiammea, yet one from Samoa is as 

 nmch spotted as many English specimens. The specimens 

 are from Aneiteum. 



2. CoLLocALiA UROPYGiALis, G. R. Gray. 



l^his is one of the brightest-coloured species of the group. 

 The W'hole upper surface has a fine resplendent sheen ; and 

 the pure white rump is very conspicuous. The lower surface 

 is white slightly mottled Avith grey. The bird is figured in 

 Brenehley^s ' Cruise of the Curayoa.^ There are specimens 

 from Aneiteum and Aniwa; and it is stated to be plentiful. 

 Native name " Jumat-juma." 



3. Halcyon juli^e, Heine. 



Of this pretty Kingfisher there are specimens from Erro- 

 manga, Aneiteum, and Aniwa. It would seem to be one of 

 the most abundant species in the group. There are speci- 

 mens of the young as Avell as of the adult, corresponding well 

 with Mr. Sharpens figure in his " Alcedinidse," excepting that 

 the collar is of a deeper chestnut and very clearly defined. 

 Mr. Inglis merely states of it that it lives near the shore, and 

 is known to the natives of Aneiteum as " Nedeng." 



