ON BIRDS COLLECTED BY THE 'CHALLENGER.' 85 



61 skins, referable to 37 species. As might have been expected, all, or 

 nearly all, belong to well-known Australian forms, one or two only being 

 left uncertain for want of more materials and on account of the immature 

 condition of the specimens. Most of the skins are in excellent condition ; 

 and their value is much increased by the notes in Mr. Murray's journal 

 as to the colour of the soft parts &c. Besides Cape York, Raine Island 

 (at the end of the Barrier Reef), Wednesday Island (in Torres Straits), 

 and Booby Island (also in Torres Straits) were visited, and collections 

 made. I copy the following extracts from Mr. Murray's journal as 

 regards the localities where birds were obtained : 



" Raine Island, Barrier Beef, Australia. Ship landed two boats for 

 nearly three hours. The following birds were taken" (several sea-birds, 

 Rallus pectoralis, and Strepsilas interpret). 



" Cape York, Somerset. Ship arrived on evening of 1st Sept., 1874 ; 

 left Cape York on Sept. 8th." (44 skins were obtained here.) 



" Wednesday Island, Torres Straits. Parties landed the same day 

 (Sept. 8). Most of the birds seen were the same as those shot about p. z. S. 1878, 

 Cape York. The following two, however, have not been procured at P- 1-1- 

 Cape York ; they were shot on shore (Totanus incanus and ^gialites 

 inornatus). A great many flocks of Bee-eaters were noticed making 

 passages between the islands. 



" On 9th Sept., 1874, a party landed on Booby Island, a very small 

 island, with only a few shrubs on it. The following land birds were shot 

 or brought on board ; and in addition a Rail was seen, a Mec/apodius, and 

 one other land bird." (The species obtained were Todirhamphus sanctus, 

 Merops ornatus, Zosterops luteus, Pacliycephala sp., Ptilopus superbus, and 

 Syncecus cervinus.) 



In the following list I have, with a few exceptions, followed the 

 arrangement and nomenclature of Mr. Gould's * Handbook to the Birds 

 of Australia.' 



1. NINOX BOOBOOK (Lath.). 



Ninox boobook, Sharpe, Cat. of B. ii. p. 168, 



Spiloglaux marmoratus, Gld. Handb. B. Austr. i. p. 73. 



One male skin of this species from Cape York. No. 167. " Stomach 

 contained insects " (Murray, MS.). 



The specimen sent agrees generally with two skins in Mr. Godman's 

 collection from the same locality, and with Mr. Gould's description of 

 Spiloylaux marmoratus, which Mr. Sharpe, in the second volume of his 

 catalogue, treats as " the adult of the large form of JV. boobcok " (I. c. 

 p. 170). 



2. PODA.RGTTS PAPUENSIS, Quoy & Gaim. 



Podaryus papuensis, Quoy & Gaim. Voy. de 1'Astrol. Ois. t. 13 ; Gould, 

 B. of Austr. Supp. pi. ; id. Handb. B. Austr. i. p. 91. 



