472 On a new Thrush from the Loyalty Islajids. 



The moment he withdrew the latter from its iiest he ex- 

 claimed, '^ Another new Blackbird ! " 



We propose to designate it after the island of which it is 

 native ; and we will now describe and compare it with T.pritz- 

 bueri and T. vanicorensis of Samoa, to which latter it is most 

 closely allied. 



TURDUS MAREENSIS, Sp. nOV. 



Male. General colour very dark smoky brown (almost 

 black), precisely the tint of T. vanicorensis of Samoa. Here 

 and there on the underside the feathers of the body show 

 traces of a paler colour on the edges. A palish brown patch 

 (very indistinct) from the back of the eye to the nape (this 

 is quite wanting in T. vanicorensis). Upper surface of back 

 almost (in some lights quite) jet-black, Low^er centre of 

 belly and over vent a patch of white and red-brown feathers ; 

 these same colours extend down the centre of each feather of 

 the under tail -coverts. This at once distinguishes it from T. 

 vanicorensis, in which these parts are immaculate, and the 

 shafts of the tail-feathers are dark, whereas in the new bird 

 they are very light ■^. Eyelid and bare space about eye yel- 

 low ; bill yellow, with orange tip ; legs and feet very light 

 bright yellow. Length 7" 3'", wing 4", tail 3", tarsi 1" 2'", 

 bill 1" 2'" (broader than in T. vanicorensis, but this may be 

 caused by the dry state of the latter) . 



From Turduspritzhueri, T. mareensis differs in being a much 

 " slimmer " (slighter) bird (this peculiarity at once struck us 

 and caused our exclamation), being very much darker in 

 general colour, in the coloration of the vent and under tail- 

 coverts, the paler legs and darker bill, and the concolorous 

 head and breast. Of course to our other known species, 

 T. xanthopus, it has no resemblance. 



It is curious that these two islands, so near together (Lifu 

 and Mare), should each possess its own peculiar species of 

 Blackbird, differing entirely from the New- Caledonian species, 

 while Tanna, so much more distant, should have one identical 

 with Lifu. In habits, our native informant said, the Mare 



* Cf. Tristram's remarks on Tnrdtis vanic-orensis (Ibis, Apr. 1879, p. 188). 



