Rev. S. J. Wliitmee on Samoan Birds. 439 



calls their attention to the note of the bird ; for it appears to 

 me to make as much noise in fine weather as in wet. More 

 than once have I known the note of the bird to be interpreted 

 into a prediction of some calamity^ or into an oracular de- 

 liverance. 



10. Petrceca pusilla. Peale. Tolai and Tolai-fatu. 

 This little bird is very common in all parts of the islands, 



I have more frequently seen it and Bhipidura nebulosa in 

 the mountains than any other bird ; and it is abundant on the 

 coast. It has a note more nearly approaching to a song than 

 most of our birds. 



11. Merula vanicorensis^ Quoy. Tutumalili. 

 Common in the bush. There is no living object in Samoa 



which gives me so much of ho7ne feeling as this bird. It flies 

 low before one for short distances_, with the peculiar Black- 

 bird notCj exactly as its congener does along the English 

 hedgerows. The only thing lacking is the English Black- 

 bird's song. Its nest is very similar to that of the English 

 Blackbird, except that it is rather smaller, to suit the smaller 

 size of the bird ; and, unless my memory fails me since my 

 birds'-nesting days, the eggs of the two might almost be 

 interchanged without the error being detected, except that 

 the Samoan e^^ is perhaps the smaller of the two. The figure 

 of the Merula' s egg in Finsch and Hartlaub's work is very 

 incorrect. 



12. Rhipidura nebulosa, Peale. Se'u = Sehu. 



This hird is very frequently met with in the bush. It 

 always amuses me by its self-important fussy manner as, with 

 tail widely expanded, like a fan, and wings partially expanded 

 and drooping, it hops from branch to branch of the bushes. 

 It is constantly on the move, flies short distances, and seems 

 to delight in keeping company with travellers. It utters a 

 short twittering note at short intervals. This and the pretty 

 little Petrceca pusilla often afi'ord me much amusement when 

 riding alone in the bush. The nest is a very thin structure 

 built of grass. An egg is figured in Hartlaub and Finsch's 

 ' Birds of Central Polynesia ' (pi. i. fig. 6). 



