3 





726 DR. O. FINSCH ON THE [NoV. C, 



"Shot July 21 and 22. These birds were very shy; though we 

 heard them frequently, it was very difficult to get a shot at them," 

 —J. M. 



Of this species, which is peculiar to the Friendly group, a full 

 description and characters of distinction from the Fijian and Navi- 

 gators' Pt. fasciatus are given as cited above. 



7. Carpophaga pacifica (Gm.). 



Carpophaga pacijica, F. & H. Orn. Central-Polyn. p. 142 ; Journ. 

 f. Oruith. 1870, p. 134 (Tonga); Layard, P. Z. S. 1875, p. 503 

 (Tonga). 



No. 18. Tongatabu. Male. Shot July 21. 



" This large pigeon ' coos ' very like our pigeon at home. It 

 appears to be common but shy. Eyes red." — J. M. 



No. 26. Tongatabu. Male. "Eyes red." 

 31. ,, Female. 



79. Samoa. Female. 



" Eyes and legs red. Presented alive by the Rev. George Brown." 



The sexes are alike in plumage ; but the female is without the 

 knob on the base of the bill, and exactly agrees with specimens from 

 the Navigators' and the Fijis ; the vinaceous tinge in the male birds 

 seems to be more strongly developed during time of incubation. 



In our ' Ornithology of Central Polynesia,' Dr. Hartlaub and I 

 erroneously united C. oceanica. Less., with this species; but since then 

 we have shown (P. Z. S. 1872, p. 101, and Journ. Mus. Godeffr. Heft 

 viii. 1875, p. 26) that the latter is a distinct species, occurring in 

 the islands of the Western Pacific. C. pacijica is confined to the 

 Central-Polynesian Islands. 



8. Ardea sacra, Gm. 



Ardea sacra, F. & H. Ornith. Central-Polyn. p. 201, Journ. f. 

 Orn. 1870, p. 136 (Tonga) ; Layard, P. Z. S. 1875, p. 503 (Tonga). 



No. 19. Tongatabu. Female. " Eyes yellow." 

 20. ,, Female, young. 



" Common on the reefs at low water ; also met with in the woods 

 through the island. Shot July 21." — /. M. 



No. 22. Tongatabu. Male. Shot July 22. 



No. 19 is white, assuming the slate-coloured dress from below and 

 on the hack ; slate-blue appanage in full development. 



No. 20. Slate-blue, with white chin-stripe ; the scapular appanage 

 in beginning of development. 



No. 22. White, sprinkled on the neck, back, and below with single 

 slate-blue feathers ; no development of scapular appanage visible. 



On several occasions I have shown that the white dress in this 

 Heron is not dependent upon age or sex, and that at present we are 

 not able to explain the causes of these interesting differences in 

 coloration satisfactorily. 



9. PoRPHYRio samoensis, Pcalc. 

 P. samoensis et P. vitiensis, Peale. 



