206 On a Collection of Birds fi'om the Neiv Hebrides. 



I have on tlie tabic four Samoau specimens. Their mea- 

 surements rmi all slightly smaller than those of P. indicus ; and 

 besides they have not the suffused blue on the back, which is 

 black-brown instead of blue-black. The Samoan bird is, I 

 think, distinct from the P. indicus. Whether it be distinct 

 from P. vitie7isis, Peale, I cannot say, not having a specimen 

 from the Fijis. Peale distinctly states that P. vitiensis is 

 much smaller than the Samoan bird; and he gives measure- 

 ments which accord pretty nearly with my Samoan specimens. 

 Probably, then, Mr. Whitmee is correct in his conjecture that 

 his bird is P. vitiensis (Ibis, 1875, p. 44-G) ; but it is, perhaps, 

 a little larger. My solution of the confusion is that Cassin 

 got hold of a specimen of the species I am now describing, 

 which was erroneously marked as from Samoa, and identified 

 it as P. indicus, the real Samoan bird being very close to 

 that species. 



The New-Hebrides bird is halfway between P. indicus and 

 the large P. melanotus of Australia and New Zealand, both 

 in size and coloration. 



Mr. Inglis writes of its habits that it lives inland, and eats 

 taro and sugar-cane (as Mr. Layard says of the Fiji bird). 

 It is known to the natives as '' In-nga.^' 



25. Angus stolidus, L. 



From Aneiteum. Native name " Ketipup." 



26. Gygis CANDIDA, Sparim. 

 From Aniwa. 



27. Phaeton rubricauda, Bodd. 



From Aneiteum, where its tail-feathers are much prized 

 by the natives, who call it " Intoueg.'^ 



Besides these, there are memoranda in Mr. Inglis's letter 

 of three other species of birds which have perished in transit. 

 There are also several nests bearing numbers corresponding 

 to those of birds which have perished. One is probably the 

 nest of the Rhipidura, a very fine Flycatcher-structure resting 

 on two horizontal branches. Another I can only refer to 3Iy- 

 zomela. It is exceedingly fine, compact, and tough, of a con- 

 sistency between a Humming-bird's and a Tree-Avasp's nest. 



