44 ON BIRDS FROM THE SAMOA ISLANDS. 



The island of Eotumah is, as far as I am aware, entirely unknown 



ornithologically ; and the three skins in this collection from that locality 



are, I believe, the first that have ever been received from the island. It 



is a small island, 4 or 5 miles in extent from north to south, and was 



discovered by Captain Edwards in his search for the 'Bounty' in 1791. 



It lies nearly midway between the Fijis and the Ellice group, in about 



P. Z. S. 1878, long. 177 E., lat. 12| S. Some account of it will be found in the 



p. 352. < South-Pacific Directory,' 3rd edition, p. 627 (London, 1871). The 



two species of birds of this island represented are : 



APLONIS VITIENSIS, Layard, P. Z. S. 1876, p. 502. 



Aplonis tavuensis, F. & H. Faun. Centr.-Polyn. p. 1 03, t. x. f . 2 (nee 

 Gmelin). 



One skin of this species, agreeing with skins from Fiji in the British 

 Museum, and others from the same islands in the * Challenger ' collections, 

 determined by Dr. Finsch as "Aplonis vitiensis, Lay." (conf. Finsch, 

 P. Z. S. 1877, p. 735). The native name is given as " Husila." 



MTZOMELA CHERMESINA, Or. E. Gray, G. B. i. pi. 38 ; id. Cat. B. Trop. 

 Islands, p. 11. 



This species was figured by Mitchell in the * G-enera of Birds,' but not 

 described ; nor was any locality mentioned for it in the list of species 

 of Myzomela in the same work. Bonaparte, however, in his ' Conspectus,' 

 gave "New Guinea" as the habitat, though what reason for this he had, 

 other than at that time " Nova Guinea " was a convenient " refuge for the 

 destitute," is not known. The figure in the ' Genera ' represents a bird 

 with a uniform scarlet under surface ; but fortunately the original specimen 

 is still in existence, mounted in the Bird Gallery of the British Museum. 

 Two specimens of a Myzomela, certainly distinct from any other known 

 as inhabiting the Pacific Islands, were contained in Mr. Brown's collec- 

 tion from Eotumah; and a look at Gray's figure sufficed to indicate 

 considerable differences between the two birds. On examining, however, 

 Gray's type of his M. chermesina, it became evident at once that the two 

 birds were really identical, and that the apparent difference, consisting 

 in the belly and vent being of a uniform red in the plate, instead of a 

 brownish-black, was due to a mistake on the artist's part. As Myzomela 

 chermesina has not yet been described, and is irrecognizable from Gray's 

 figure, I herewith proceed to give a diagnosis and description. 



MYZOMELA CHEEMESINA, G. E. Gray, Gen. B. i. pi. 38 ; id. B. Trop. 

 Isl. Pacif. p. 11 ; Bp. Consp. Av. i. p. 394. sp. 3 (" ex Nova Guinea" !); 

 Gray, Hand-1. B. i. p. 154. no. 1989 (" New Guinea ?"). 



J (ad. ?). Fusco-nigricans, alls caudaque nitore nonnullo metallico ; 

 mento, gula, pectore lateribusqiie abdominis, cum dorso uropygioque^ 



