774 DR. O. FINSCH ON A COLLECTION OF [NoV. 20, 



has narrow rusty borders on the feathers of the vertex, also on those 

 of the back ; but these are more obsolete ; the middle wing-coverts 

 are white, tinged with pale rusty and with a black median streak. 

 This is seen only on the right wing ; on the left the white patch is 

 nearly fully developed. 



The second specimen is an interesting albino variety. All the 

 parts which in the adult male are black are in this specimen pale 

 tawny ; the middle tail-feathers are brown, the rest of them pure 

 white ; bill and feet horn-colour. 



9. Aplonis tabuensis (Gm.). 



A.marginata, Gould ; Cass. Expl. Exp. pi. 30. f. 1. 



Lamprotornis fusca, Peale (part). 



A. cassini. Gray (part). 



Native name Megi (Hiibner). 



Two specimens, male and female (exactly alike), from Eua. Mr. 

 Hiibner found this species breeding in the hole of a tree. According 

 to him it occurs also on the Hapai group. 



In our 'Ornithology of Central Polynesia' (p. 103), and later 

 (Journ. f. Ornith. 1870, p. 131), we have followed Peale in 

 stating the Aplonis from the Tonga and Viti group to belong to 

 one and the same species, i. e. A. tabuensis (Gm.). A close ex- 

 amination convinces me, however, that they are not identical, but 

 of two distinct species. The true A. tabuensis, which seems to be 

 confined to the Tonga group (Eua, Tongatabu), is generally darker ; 

 and the underparts are dirty brownish-grey, with obsolete whitish 

 stripes, which are caused by the light-coloured shafts on the breast 

 and vent. 



The dimensions do not give distinctive characters, although the 

 Viti birds generally seem to be smaller. 



The Yiti bird is generally hghter ; the shafts of the feathers on 

 the back and shoulders are whitish, and form very narrow striae ; 

 the under surface is light brownish, streaked longitudinally with 

 whitish, each feather being, along the shaft, broadly whitish, so that 

 the white shaft itself remains inconspicuous, and does not form the 

 narrow striation as in A. tabuensis. 



The Viti bird, which must for the future be called Aplonis 

 vitiensis, Layard \ seems to be widely distributed on the Viti group :, 

 Ovalau {Griiffe), Vatu Lele (Kleinschmidt), Kandavu, Suva, Loma- 

 loma, Taviuni {Layard). 



"Whether the Aplonis collected by Dr. Griiffe on the small island 

 Uea, Wallis group, belongs to this species or to A. tabuensis, 1 

 cannot say, not having seen specimens from that locality. 



' Layard, P. Z. S. 1876, p. .'''02, = A. /aJtunisis, F. & Hartl. Ornith. Ceulral- 

 Polyn. p. 103, tab, x. i'. 2, el Layard, P. Z. S. 1875, p. 435. 



