180 Letters, Extracts, Announcements, S^c. 



two reasons which induce me to differ from this opinion. In 

 the first place, the bird, as mentioned in my description of it, 

 had akeady assumed more or less of the adult plumage on 

 the forehead, nape, mantle, chin, throat, and breast; and 

 secondly, this specimen was thus ticketed by Lieut. Richards, 

 who obtained it, " ^ • Iris bright yellow, feet orange ; 27th 

 August, 1878 ;" whereas a specimen, probably, from the date 

 when it was killed, about eight months younger, and in 

 which the bases of the primaries were still in their sheaths, 

 subsequently procured by Lieut. Richards in the same loca- 

 lity, was marked by him thus, " ^ , young. Iris drab, feet 

 yellowish ; food lizards &c. ; 16th December, 1880." The fact 

 of the changes o£ colour accomplished in the eyes and feet of 

 the first specimen, and commenced in its plumage also, seem 

 to me to indicate that it had advanced sufficiently towards 

 maturity to be already full-grown. 



I may add the following measurements, taken from the 

 second and younger male : — wing 7*9 inches, tarsus 2-2, mid- 

 dle toe s. u. 1*5. 



Yours &c., 



J. H. GURNEY. 



Durham, Dec. 1, 1881. 

 Sirs, — I have been much interested by Dr. Sclater^s very 

 interesting addition to the known species of the restricted 

 genus Erythrura ; and while unhesitatingly admitting both 

 his species (though E. regia comes extremely close to E. 

 pealii, which, judging from the five specimens before me, is 

 a rather variable species), I must demur to his attempt to 

 unite E. cijanifrons of Layard with E. trichroa. By an 

 error reference is made to " Ibis, 1879, p. 280," instead of 

 " p. 191." There I have pointed out the distinction between 

 these two species, viz. that the bill of E. cyanifrons is scarcely 

 half the size of that of its congener. In fact, the difference 

 is as great as between the bills of a Linnet and a Greenfinch. 

 When writing, I had before me seven examples of the one 

 and eight of the other (a fair series for comparison), and the 

 distinction was constant and uniform. 



