290 MR. P. L. SCLATER ON ATHENE VARIEGATA. [Mar. 5, 



1858, p. 174) of the Ke Islands, but is a larger and stronger bird, 

 darker on the head, and paler on the throat and belly. 



10. Dendrochelidon mystacea (/. c. p. 105). 

 Five skins from Duke-of-York Island. 



12. Centropus ateralbus (/. c. p. 106). 



Three examples of this Coucal from New Britain. In one the 

 head is black, and back of the neck partly so ; in the second the 

 neck is white ; and in the third the head is also white, — showing 

 that, as I suggested (I. s. <?.), there is much variation in colour in 

 this species. 



13. ECLECTUS POLYCHLORUS (/. C. p. 106). 



Of twenty skins of this species, mostly labelled "Duke-of-York 

 Island," but without indication of sex, fifteen are males (green) and 

 five females (red). 



18. CEdirhinus insolitus (/. c. p. 110). 



Of this singular Fruit-pigeon, until lately supposed to be so ex- 

 cessively rare, there are no less than nineteen skins from Duke-of- 

 York Island. The sexes are not marked ; but there is no variation 

 in their plumage ; so we may consider them identical in this 

 respect. Some of the specimens have the frontal knob much more 

 developed, and are probably males. 



In Part viii. of his 'Ornithological Miscellany' (pi. lxvi.) Mr. 

 Rowley has given us an excellent figure of this species. 



21. Megapoditjs eremita, Hartlaub, P. Z. S. 1867, p. 830. 



Count T. Salvadori informs me that he has satisfied himself that 

 Megapodius hueskeri of Cabanis and Reichenow, as I had called this 

 bird, /. s. c, is identical with the species previously described by 

 Hartlaub under the name above given. He further assures me that 

 my Megapodius rubrifrons from the Admiralty Islands (P. Z. S. 

 1877, p. 556) is undistinguishable. 



23. Tringa acuminata, Horsf. 



One skin of this species, which was not represented in the first 

 series, from New Ireland. 



Mr Sclater took this opportunity of exhibiting the specimen re- 

 corded by him (P. Z. S. 1869, p. 123) as Athene variegata, and 

 subsequently described and figured by Mr. Sharpe (P. Z. S. 1876, 

 p. 673, pi. lxii.) as Ninox solomonis. Mr. Sclater had compared 

 this specimen with the type of Noctua variegata of Quoy and 

 Gaimard, and had ascertained that his identification was correct, and 

 that there was therefore no need of Mr. Sharpe's new name for the 

 specimen. 



