138 Avifauna of New Caledonia and the New Hebrides. 



Merula, originally procured in, and described from, Lif u. We 

 cannot recollect any land-bird common to Fiji and the New 

 Hebrides, much less any Samoan species ; but there are several 

 examples of Loyalty-Islands and New-Caledonian species 

 being foand in both localities. Of course, not having actually 

 seen specimens, these remarks are only suggestions. 



Myzomela cardinalis, /. c. p. 337. 



Under this head Mr. Ramsay takes exception to our iden- 

 tification of a Myzomela killed by L. L. on Vate, and brought 

 to Noumea in alcohol (c/. Ibis, 1878, p. 270), stating we had 

 probably alluded to M. cardinalis, as M. sanguinolenta, the 

 species to which we had assigned it, was " confined to 

 Australia.''^ 



Hitherto, up to March 1879, the New-Caledonian bird has 

 been considered identical with the Australian species. Mr. 

 Forbes, however, has separated it (P. Z. S. 1879, p. 260) on 

 account of some differences ; but it is so like the Australian 

 bird that it might well be mistaken for M. sanguinolenta 

 vera. Whether the Vate bird was M. sanguinolenta or its 

 ally, M. caledonica, Forbes, as we were not aware of the 

 differences at the time, we will not undertake to say ; but 

 M. cardinalis, which is well known to us, it certainly was 

 not. 



Myiagra melanura*, E.amsay, /. c. p. 339. 



Mr. Ramsay, in attributing error to E. L. L. in describing 

 the female of this bird as black, has fallen into error himself. 

 He is apparently unaware that the 6/ac^-breasted and chest- 

 WM^-breasted birds belong to two distinct races, and that we 

 have numerous examples of both sexes of both colours {cf. 

 Ibis, 1878, pp. 271, 272, and Ibis, 1880, pp. 226, 227, and 

 paper in the 'Field,'' therein quoted). There are several 

 well-known black-throated species and red-throated species 

 (e. g. M. viridinitens and M. caledonica in New Caledonia, 

 and M. luguieri and M. intermedia in Lifu) ; and Mr. Ramsay's 

 " invariable " rule falls to the ground. 



* Misprinted "melamera " by Mr. Ramsay. 



