1872.] FROM THE PELEW AND MACKENZIE ISLANDS. 105 



Two white females, shot in September, have the wings mixed more 

 or less with slate-coloured feathers. 



One female, shot in December, is strongly in moult, especially on 

 the neck, where the new dark slate-coloured feathers predominate over 

 the old reddish-brown feathers, the remains of the young plumage. 



In one slate-coloured male, shot in December, there is only a small 

 white spot on the middle of the throat. Another male, shot in 

 September, has no white feathers at all. The dimensions are, as usual, 

 very variable. 



Long. al. rostr. tars. dig. med. 



9"9'"-ll" 3"l"'-3"7"' 2"9'"-3"3'" 23-38" (12 spec, from Uap.) 



Mr. Kubary has observed both the dark and white bird fishing in 

 company. These birds frequent chiefly the lagoons, and roost on the 

 mangroves near the shore. The nest consists only of an excavation 

 of the ground, bordered by stems of grass (?). The natives di- 

 stinguish the black bird under the name " Khau," the white as 

 "Wunensy," and believe the different colorations to be sexual. 



Concerning this species see also v. Kittlitz (Denkwiird. einer 

 Reise, i. p. 368), who observed the bird on Ualan. 



32. Ardea sinensis, G-mel. 



Ardea lepida, Horsf. 



Six specimens from Uap, collected (in the beginning of October) 

 by Mr. Kubary and Capt. Peters. 

 " Irides yellow " (Kubary). 

 They agree in every respect with specimens from Java. 



Long. al. caud. rostr. tars. dig. med. 



4" 7"'-5" 1'" 19-20'" 22-23'" 20-21'" 17-18|'" 



The Western Carolines are a new locality for this widely-distri- 

 buted species. 



The " Thogil," as the bird is called by the natives, resorts chiefly 

 to the mangrove-scrub on the shore. 



33. Nycticorax griseus (L.). 



One specimen from Uap (Kubary') in the spotted plumage of the 

 young. 



Mr. Kubary notices this species as a very rare visitor on the island 

 of Uap during the north-east monsoon. 



Long. al. caud. rostr. rict. tars. tib. dig. med. 



10" 6"' 3" 9'" 2" 5'" 3" 4'" 2" 5'" 6"' 2" 4"' 



"The natives call this ' Orror;' it is very rare" (Kubary). 



34. Nycticorax manillensis, Vig. ; Schleg. Mus. P.-B. Jrdece, 

 p. 60. 



Nycticorax caledonicus, H. & F., P. Z. S. 1868, p. 117 (Pelew). 

 Two old and a young specimen from the Pelew Islands (Capt. 

 Heinsohn). 



