BIRDS OF THE ANAMBA ISLANDS. 59 
Aploms opaca (Kittlitz) (= Aplonis kittlitzi Authors). 
Aplonis atrifusca (Peale). 
Aplonis vitiensis Layard. 
Aplonis brevirostris (Peale). 
Aplonis tabuensis (Gmelin) (—=Aplonis cassini Gray). 
Aplonis atronitens Gray. 
Aplonis striata (Gmelin). 
Family DICRURIDAE. 
~; DISSEMURUS PARADISEUS MICROLOPHUS, new subspecies. 
Subspecific characters.—Similar to Dissemurus paradiseus paradiseus 
of Siam, but frontal crest denser, stiffer, and very much shorter. 
Description.—Type, adult male, No. 171074, U.S.N.M.; Pulo 
Jimaja, Anamba Islands, September 21, 1899; Dr. W. L. Abbott. 
Entire plumage brownish black, all the exposed parts of the body 
plumage, except on the chin, throat, abdomen, and flanks, glossy 
metallic greenish or bluish, this on the breast taking the form of 
apical spots, on the pileum and nape broad V-shaped terminal 
markings which leave more or less well-defined dull shaft streaks, 
these most conspicuous on the crown; wings and tail somewhat 
shiny brownish black, the rectrices and remiges with their outer 
webs mostly metallic greenish or bluish, the exposed surface of the 
upper wing-coverts similar; racquets large; crest short. 
Eleven specimens are in the collection, from the islands of Siantan, 
Jimaja, Piling, Mobur, Riabu, and Telaga. All are more or less in 
process of molt; some have the long racquet feathers fully developed, 
others but partially, while one (No. 170907, U.S.N.M.) lacks them 
entirely. Among the adults there is comparatively little individual 
color variation, though some specimens are rather more bluish, 
others more greenish on the metallic portions of the plumage. 
Three (Nos. 170906, 170908, and 170934, U.S.N.M.) are immature, 
in which condition they differ from the adults in being much 
duller, the upper parts mixed with brown, the lower parts almost 
entirely dull brown, with very few metallic bluish or greenish 
feathers. Doctor Abbott notes that No. 170934 (immature) has the 
1 This species has for long been known as Aplonis kittlitzi (Finsch and Hartlaub) (Calornis kittlitzi 
Finsch and Hartlaub, Beitr. Fauna Centralpolyn., 1867, p. 109 [Ualan Island, Caroline Islands.}). It was, 
however, first recognized and described by Kittlitz (Kupfertafeln Naturgesch. Vogel, Heft 2, 1833, p. 
11, pl. 15, fig. 2), who applied to it the names Turdus columbinus Gmelin (which is Lamprocorar panay- 
ensis Scopoli) and Lamprotornis opaca, a manuscript name of Lichtenstein’s, here first given nomen- 
clatural status by being published with a description and a figure. The latter name is introduced by 
Kittlitz in the following fashion: “Fig. 2. Turdus columbinus Gm. L. oder Lamproth. opaca Lichten- 
stein, ein haufiger Vogel auf den Marianen und Carolinen, * * *.”? The species must therefore bear 
the name Aplonis opaca (Kittlitz), since this is long prior to Aplonis kittlitzi (Finsch and Hartlaub). 
Subsequently G. R. Gray called it Calornis opaca (Cat. Birds Trop. Is. Pac. Brit. Mus., 1859, p. 26), 
using Lichtenstein’s name opaca, and citing the above-mentioned descriptions and figure of Kittlitz, 
under the name “‘ Lamprotornis columbina”’ Kittlitz. 
