102 Mr. H. E. Dresser on Eurystomus orientalis. 



sirostris. The variation in tone of colour is by no means 

 small, some being gi'eener, and some bluer than others, but 

 much depends on the light, as in some lights the bird appears 

 bluer or greener than it does in others. The greenest speci- 

 men I have examined is one from Tenasserim, and the bluest 

 one from the Philippines, and the richest examples in 

 general coloration and having the head darkest are some 

 from the Philippines and N. Borneo. 



The only conclusion at which I can arrive is that neither 

 Eurystomus latior nor E. calonyx are valid species, and that 

 both should be united to Eurystomus orientalis. It is easy 

 enough, as any ornithologist who has examined large series 

 will know, to find a sufficient individual variation in tone of 

 colour (more especially in richly coloured birds) in a large 

 series to enable one to separate them into several groups ; but 

 when each group is found to be spread over almost all the 

 range, and not to occupy any separate region, these slight 

 variations cannot possibly be considered as of any specific 

 value. To adopt sucli characters would only result in an 

 indefinite multiplication of bad species. 



1 have made careful measurements of the entire series, but 

 the examples from all the localities vary so considerably that 

 it is scarcely worth while to give full particulars, and I will 

 only point out that the variations are as follows : — gape 1'35 

 to 1'5 inch; wing 7*1 to 7'75 ; tail 3*9 to 4'5 ; tarsus 0'7 to 

 0"75. The largest specimen is from Ambru, and the smallest 

 one from Sanghir Island. 



As regards Mr. Sharpens third new species, Eurystomus 

 solomonensis, I have examined, besides the three specimens in 

 the British Museum, two others from Guadalcanar, both of 

 which have the bill without any black tip, whereas examples 

 from New Guinea, New Britain, and New Ireland all have 

 the culmen slightly tipped with black. Hence this character, 

 although but a small one, appears to be constant, and the 

 Solomon Island bird may therefore be looked on as fairly 

 separable from Eurystomus crassirostris. The specific name, 

 however, should, I think, be spelt solomonensis and not solo- 

 monensis. 



