APPENDIX. 529 



and I have seen a third species in the British Museum, 

 which I beheve is from New Caledonia. All these have a 

 general resemblance both as to form and style of colouring ; 

 and it would be as well perhaps if they were formed into 

 a new genus ; for I have always considered them somewhat 

 removed from the true Merula, of which the Blackbird of 

 our own island is a familiar example. I have long wished to 

 know something of the habits and economy of these birds, 

 but at present nothing has been ascertained : there appears 

 to be less difference in the colouring of the sexes than occurs 

 among the Merulcp, of the North ; for the birds I consider to 

 be females are very similarly coloured, and are only a trifle 

 less in size. 



Head, neck, and front of the throat light ashy brown, the 

 remainder of the plumage dark sooty black ; in some speci- 

 mens the under tail-coverts have a stripe of dull white down 

 the centre of each ; bill, eyelash, and feet yellow. 



Sp. 5. ' MERULA VINITINCTA, Gould. 



Vinous-tinted Blackbird. 

 Merula vinitincta, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part xxiii. p. 15. 



Manila vinitincta, Gould, Birds of Australia, Supplement, foL, pi. 



Although birds of this form are common in Europe, India, 

 Africa, and South America, none have yet been discovered in 

 Australia and New Zealand; yet, strange to say, two very 

 distinct species inhabit the small group of islands lying nearly 

 midway between those two countries. This is rather sur- 

 prising, and the ornithologist is at a loss to conceive why 

 such a form should thus be dotted over the face of the globe ; 

 that, however, such is the fact, is proved by Mr. MacgilHvray 

 having procured two fine examples of the present bird on 

 Lord Howe's Island, I regret that no account of their habits 

 accompanied the specimens, for it would be most interesting 



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