observed during the Voyage of the 'Valhalla.' 693 



land-birds on the island. At one end there is a hill sixty- 

 feet in height, made of drifted sand. Upon landing and 

 entering the scrub, the first thing that we noticed was the 

 curious squealing and grunting of the Rails (Rallus abbotti), 

 which put us in mind of a sty full of pigs. 



ClNNYRIS ABBOTTI RidgW. 



Cinnyris abbotti Ridgway, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. xviii. 

 p. 523 ; Nicoll, Bull. B. O. C. xvi. p. 106. 



Five adult males, one adult female. 



Abbott's Sun-bird is the only small land-bird at present 

 known from Assumption*, but it is very abundant. Two of 

 the males obtained are in good plumage. The sooty-black 

 under parts, from the red collar to the vent, are the charac- 

 ters which distinguish this species from Cinnyris aldabrensis. 



Corvus scapulatus Daudin. 



Corvus scapulatus Ridgway, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. xviii. 

 p. 523. 



One male, perhaps adult. 



Iris, bill, tarsi, and toes black. 



We met with a few Crows on Assumption, where they 

 breed. I examined several nests, all of which were empty. 

 They were typical Crows' nests built at the tops of the tallest 

 trees on the island. Unlike most of the birds on Assumption, 

 this species is extremely wild. 



TuRTUR ASSUMPTIONS. 



Turtur aldabranus Ridgway, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. xviii. 

 p. 522. 



Turtur assumptionis Nicoll, Bull. B. O. C. xvi. p. 105. 



Two pairs of adult birds. 



Bill greyish brown; tarsi and toes red; iris reddish orange. 



Dr. Abbott saw this Dove on Assumption, but he procured 

 no examples of it, and Mr. Ridgway, in his paper on 

 Dr. Abbott's collection, has mentioned it as T. aldabranus. 

 I found our four specimens to differ very decidedly from 

 T. aldabranus. The upper parts are much darker (adult 



* I feel certain that I got specimens of every resident laud-bird on 

 Assumption, and that there is no Zosterops there. — M. J. N. 



