728 DR. O. FINSCH ON THE [NoV. 6, 



In our ' Ornithology of Central Polynesia ' we followed Professor 

 Schlegel in uniting the Hawk of the Fijis with Astur cruentus of 

 Australia ; but, as on some other occasions, we depended too much 

 on Prof. Schlegel' s authority, and Prof. Schlegel has since declared 

 himself to have been in error. Not having access to specimens, I 

 cannot myself judge of the correctness of Prof. Schlegel's new 

 view ; but the fine series now before me inclines me to believe that 

 A. rufitorques is most probably peculiar to the Fiji group, and not 

 the same species as is distributed widely in the Malay archipelago 

 and usually known as A. griseigularis and A. henicogrammus, Gray 

 { = A, CBquatorialis, Wall.). 



In coloration the Fiji specimens are pretty constant, all showing 

 above a beautiful ashy-blue, beneath a fine vinaceous rufous, which 

 latter forms also a broad neck-collar. This is less developed in 

 No. 35, and looks rather imperfect. The under-surface in No. G2 

 shows a nearly obsolete undulation of narrow darker lines on the 

 ventral region ; the under wing-coverts in aJl the specimens before me 

 are not "uniform white" as noted in his specific diagnosis by Mr. . 

 Sharpe {I. c. p. 9.5) ; but the white is washed with delicate pale 

 vinaceous, which shows in Nos. 34 and 80 faint darker undulations. 

 An old specimen of A. griseigularis is generally conspicuously darker, 

 slaty-brownish on the back, wings, and tail, the underparts also dark 

 vinaceous-rufous with perceptible narrow light cross bands (agreeing 

 exactly with figs. 3, 4, taf. 14, in Schleg. ' Vog. van Nederl. Indie'). 

 A young bird of A. griseigularis hardly shows any difference from 

 our young male (No. 36), except that the lores, cheeks, and a median 

 stripe on the chin are decidedly ashy. 



2. Platycercus splendens, Peale. 



Platycercus splendens, Fiusch, Mon. Papag. ii. p. 237 ; Layard, 

 P. Z. S. 1875, p. 425 ; Ibis, 1876, p. 143 (first race only). 

 No. 52. Kandavu. Male. " Eyes red." 

 oo. ,, ,, ,, 



oo. ,, „ ,, 



112. „ „ " Eyes orange, feet and bill black." 



64. „ Female. " Eyes yellow." 



All the specimens agree among themselves; all show a blue neck- 

 collar, but which differs in extent, in one (No. 1 1 2) being interrupted 



