Letters, Announcements, ^c. 365 



leucocapillus, Gould, is not that bird, but the A. melano- 

 genys of Gray. All notices therefore of the " Noddy " under 

 the former name in my writings on the birds of Fiji must 

 be read as for the latter species. 



My identification of A. stolidus, obtained during the hurri- 

 cane on Turtle Island, is correct. 



Of the true A. leucocapillus, Gould, I have a fine specimen 

 obtained off New Britain. None of my specimens, how- 

 ever, are as light as those figured by Mr. Saunders. The 

 sooty colour is darker, the black marks about the eyes are 

 intensely black ; and the top of the head (the cap) is coloured 

 as in fig. 1 of his plate. 



A careful revision of the other Gulls procured shows me 

 that they are all rightly determined. 



I may add that we have recently obtained a specimen of 

 Sterna melanauchen, Tcmm., in non-breeding plumage on the 

 islands off" Noumea. It fell to my son^s gun among a flock 

 of S. gracilis. 



Add to Mr. Saunders's remarks on Sterna nereis, Gould 

 (p. 663), that it breeds in New Caledonia. 



The birds procured on Fiji and identified as Sterna panay a 

 [ = an<Bstheta, Scop.), show the peculiarity of the webbing in 

 the foot figured by Mr. Saunders (p. 665) . 



The Gygis alba { = Candida) procured at Eooa (Tongatabu) 

 accords with the head of that species as figured (p. 668). 



Sterna hergii, Licht., was obtained in all stages, mottled, 

 young, and adults ( (^ and $ ), breeding and non-breeding. 

 We have it here also. 



Yours &c., 



E. L. Layard. 



Noumea, New Caledonia, 

 January 22, 1879. 



Sirs, — Being in possession of a pair of living examples of 

 that rare Parrot, Lorius chlorocercus, Gould, perhaps a few 

 notes on their habits may not be uninteresting to some of 

 your readers. 



My pair are supposed to be male and female, and are quite 



