7'38 DR. O. FINSCH ON THE [NoV. 6, 



Polynesian specimens in comparison with examples of the true 

 A. superciliosa from New Zealand. The Fiji specimens before me 

 confirm my statement ; but going again close into the matter, I feel 

 rather doubtful with respect to our A. pelewensis. I formerly 

 thought it possible to separate this form specifically by the buff 

 coloration of the sides of head, chin, and throat, and by the 

 imperfect dark moustache-stripe always so conspicuous in New- 

 Zealand specimens ; but the Fiji specimens prove these characters 

 not to be constant, as No. 108 agrees perfectly with the Pelew bird, 

 whereas No. 98 shows the dark moustache. The rusty-brown 

 longitudinal band on the outer web of the last secondaries also, as 

 I have noticed since, is not a constant character for A. pelewensis. 

 Therefore only the smaller size remains noticeable ; but in com- 

 paring the table of measurements given above it seems rather difficult 

 to found upon this an available specific character ; and I think 

 A. pelewensis cannot be allowed to be more than a scarcely smaller 

 race. 



C. Birds of Api, Nfiw Hebrides. 



" Our parties were landed for about three hours on Api, with orders 

 not to wander far from the beach. During this time six specimens of 

 birds were obtained, belonging to five species." — J. M, 



1. HiRUNDO TAHITICA, Gm. 



No, 120. Api. Female. "Eyes, legs, and bill black. Stomach 

 contained insects." — J.M. 



This example agrees exactly with specimens from Fiji. 



2. CoLLOCALiA UROPYGiALis, G. R. Gray. 



Collocalia uropygialis, G. R. Gray, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 3, 

 vol. xvii. p. 123 (New Hebrides.) 



No. 121, Api. Male. 

 x/V * 122. „ ,, . '• Legs, eyes, and bill black. Stomach 



contained insects." — Murray. 



This is a very remarkable species, of which I subjoin a description. 



Upper parts black, with a very distinct dark steel-green stripe on 

 the head, back, and shoulders, which, under certain lights, changes 

 into steel blue-black on the wings and tail ; on the rump a broad 

 band of ])ure silky white ; second and third tail-feathers with a lon- 

 gitudinal median patch on the basal part of the inner web ; chin, 

 throat, aud sides of breast and vent dull black, remaining under- 

 parts white ; under wing- and tail-coverts black with steel blue-black 

 gloss ; the anterior portion of under tail-coverts black with white 

 apical margins ; bill black ; feet brownish. 



Male (121) exactly like, but the white spots on the second and 

 third tail-feathers more restricted. 



