108 MR, R. B. SHARPE ON BIRDS FROM LABUAN. ([Feb. 16, 
Family CorumBIpDz. 
56. CARPOPHAGA BICOLOR (Scop.); Salvad. 7. c. p. 292. 
After reading Count Salvadori’s remarks on this species and its 
allies, I was induced to compare the series in the Museum to see how 
far they agreed with the conclusions arrived at by him in his new 
work on the ornithology of Borneo. He recognizes four species of 
this group, of which two are undoubtedly valid (C. luctuosa and 
C. grisea); and the question is whether C. spilorrhoa of Australia is 
distinct from the ordinary C. bicolor of Malayasia. Now Professor 
Schlegel has united these two birds in one long series, duly noting 
the differences existing in birds from various localities; and his 
conclusions amount to the fact that in the Malay countries the under 
surface is, as a rule, pure white, that in the Australian birds there 
are black spots on the lower abdomen and under tail-coverts, and 
that in the intermediate localities there are gradations uniting these 
extreme forms, so that sometimes both spotted and unspotted birds 
were found in one and the same island. Count Salvadori duly 
admits the instability of the black spots as a character, but separates 
C. spilorrhoa on account of its having only twelve tail-feathers against 
fourteen in C. bicolor.. It is by some accident that the Australian 
specimens examined by him only had twelve tail-feathers; for all 
those before me have fourteen rectrices; and therefore Professor 
Schlegel most likely did not mention the number of tail-feathers 
simply because he saw no difference in this character between Aus- 
tralian and Moluccan examples. The amount of white on the outer 
tail-feather is, again, a character which varies exactly in the same 
degree and is not the same in birds from the same locality. The 
C. melanura of Gray was founded on Bouru examples which have 
very little white on the outer tail-feather, which is black for about 
the terminal third. I give the following list of specimens in the 
British Museum. 
Nicobars. A male collected by Capt. Wimberley on Nancowry 
Tsland (Jan. 24th, 1874).—Wings black, with the slightest possible 
shade of grey on the primaries. Tail-feathers 14, white extending 
to within 0°6 inch of tip of outer feather. No spots on abdomen. 
Siam. Two specimens collected by Mouhot.— Wings black, with 
scarcely any shade of grey on the quills. Tail-feathers 14, white 
extending to within 0°55 inch of tip of outer feather. Slight remains 
of black spots on vent of one specimen ; the other entirely white. 
Province Wellesley. One specimen.—Wings and tail imperfect ; 
only very slight shade of grey on the former, the white extending to 
within 0°45 inch of the tip of outer rectrix ; under surface white, with 
remains of a blackish spot at tip of longest under tail-covert. 
Java. One specimen, purchased of Mr. Stevens in 1861.—Wings 
black, with rather more grey than on the foregoing birds, the secon- 
daries also washed with this colour. Tail-feathers 14, the white ex- 
tending on outer rectrix to within 0°4 inch of its tip. No black 
spots on the vent or under tail-coverts. In this bird the amount of 
white is more extended on one outer tail-feather than on the other ; 
