Birds of the Bonin Islands. 97 



" During the whole time I have been, on Peel Island we 

 have had almost continuous rains, with very few fine days; 

 but the islanders inform me that this is very exceptional, 

 and that their rainy season is October and November. The 

 islanders are the laziest, sleepiest, and most disobliging 

 people I have ever met with, and I am tormented with 

 mosquitoes and horse-flies. 



" I have visited the Parry Islands, about forty miles north 

 of Peel Island ; but we had heavy rain all the time. I have 

 also been to the Baily Islands for a couple of days, where we 

 had the thermometer at 95° in the shade. I have heard of a 

 Sea-Eagle which had come to the north end of Stapleton 

 Island during the last three winters, but it is never seen 

 during summer." 



CORVUS MACRORHYNCHUS JAPONENSIS. 



Mr. Hoist has sent an example of the Japanese race of the 

 Oriental Raven from Peel Island, and one from Nakondo- 

 Shima, an island belonging to the Parry group, about 

 40 miles further north. 



The bill is thick (upper mandible at nostrils 75 inch 

 high), and the general size is large (wing from carpal joint 

 13^ inches) ; but Japanese examples are frequently larger. 

 The feathers of the throat are lanceolate, but those of the 

 upper breast are not. The feathers of the mantle are glossed 

 with green and have dark bases. The example from Peel 

 Island has some white on both wings, being apparently 

 a partial albino. 



Geocichla terrestris. 



Kittlitz's Ground Thrush was discovered in 1828 on one 

 of the Bonin Islands, and was described under the name of 

 Turdus terrestris (Kittlitz, Mem. pres. a TAcad. St. Petersb. 

 par divers Savans, 1830, p. 244). The type is in the Museum 

 of the Imperial Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg ; there 

 is a second example in the Vienna Museum, and a third in 

 the Leyden Museum. 



Mr, Hoist failed to secure specimens of this interesting bird. 

 ser. vi. — VOL. II, H 



