some Species of Zosterops. 475 



'The Ibis' for 1887 (p. 370, pi. xi. fig. 1), we feel bound to 

 state tliat our good friend has, most unfortunately, been 

 mistaken concerning it. It is beyond all doubt that this 

 specimen (with the history of which, now that w^e have had 

 an opportunity of recognizing it, we are perfectly acquainted) 

 was originally received by one of us from Mr. Bewsher in 

 spirit, and was, along with some others from the same collec- 

 tion, which were sold at Mr. Stevens's rooms at the same time 

 (25th of October, 1881), skinned by Mr. Burton of Wardour 

 Street. We have at present ten or a dozen more specimens, 

 sent in the same bottle, which have been recently skinned by 

 Mr. Cullingford, of the Durham Museum, and these show that 

 the greater length of time that they have been immersed has 

 had the effect of discharging still more of the colour of their 

 plumage. But, after a careful examination, we have no hesi- 

 tation in declaring that all these " victims of alcohol " are 

 nothing more nor less than examples of Z. anjuanensis (Proc. 

 Zool. Soc. 1877, p. 297, pi. xxxiii. fig. 1). 



The Canon has also lent us the type-specimen of his Z. ho- 

 varum (Ibis, 1887, pp. 235, 370, pi. xi. fig. 2). If this really 

 be from Madagascar, there can be little doubt that he is right 

 in deeming it a good species, hitherto undescribed ; but we 

 think it due to the readers of ' The Ibis ' to state, which we 

 do with much regret, that the colouring of the figure of this 

 species, as well as of the so-called Z. prcBtermissa, is so in- 

 correct, that recognition from the plate would be impossible. 



While on the subject of species of Zosterops, we think it 

 advisable to notice that Mr. Sharpe (Cat. B. Brit. Mus. ix. 

 p. 196) refuses to admit the validity of one described some 

 years since by Dr. Hartlaub from specimens in our collection. 

 Mr. Sharpe grounds his objection on the fact that the ''British 

 Museum series " of specimens makes it evident that " a per- 

 fect gradation " exists between Dr. Hartlaub's Z. e.-newtoni 

 (Vogel Madagascars u. s. w. p. 97) and the long-known 

 Z. borbonica. We must own to not having liad the advantage 

 of studying the " British Museum series " of the latter ; but 

 since it admittedly consists of no more than three examples — 

 one adult female and two young — it seems somewhat inade- 



