.330 DR. H DOHRN ON THE BIRDS OF PRINCE'S ISLAND. [June 12, 



postico et interscapidio pulchre viridi-smaragdineo resplenden- 

 tibus ; sincipite dilute cinereo ; cauda ardesiaco nigricante : 

 subtus unicolor cinerea ; subcauddibus ochraceo irroratis ; 

 collo antico nitore nonnullo virente ; subalaribus ardesiacis ; 

 capitis lateribus cinereis ; rostri dimidio basali nigricante, 

 apicali flavido ; pedibus carneis. 



Long. 0-30, rostr. a fir. 0-02, alee 0-18, caudoe 0;10, tars. 0-02 m. 



Very rare ; I saw only a few specimens, the skins of which were 

 with one exception spoiled by humidity and insects. 



23. Peristera principalis, Hartl., n. sp. 



Supra brunnea, nitore cupreo-rubente et virescente ; sincipite 

 cnno ; nucha vinaceo-purpurascente ; remigibus fuscis, 2°-5 m 

 valde emarginatis ; subalaribus ardesiacis; mento niveo ; pec- 

 tore vinaceo-rubente ; abdornine sensim albicante ; subcaudali- 

 buscanis; colli lateribus teste rubentibus ; rectricibus, 2 mediis 

 exceptis, nigris, apice late et dilute cinereis ; rostro nigro, pe- 

 dibus nitide i-ubris. 



Long. 0-26, rostr. a fr. 018, alse 0156, caudsc 008, tars. 003 m. 



Uncommon ; nearly allied to P. simplex from San Thome. 



24. Glareola nordmanni, Fisch. 



One specimen, not different from Russian specimens. 



25. Ardea gularis, Bosc. 



Common on the rocks of the shore. Breeds in March and April. 

 Young birds are not white, as Hartlaub asserts, but dark grey ; their 

 head is adorned with a crest of hairy feathers, which disappear in 

 older specimens. Adult birds exhibit white feathers on their wings, 

 varying sometimes on the right and left wings of the same bird, and 

 show a tendency to grow white. I got one specimen, a very old 

 one, nearly quite white ; in some parts of the body the colour is 

 somewhat greyish and dirty white, and some feathers are as dark as 

 usual in this species. 



26. Ardea atricapilla, Afzel. 



Less common than the preceding species ; not different from coast 

 specimens. 



27. Geronticus olivaceus, Dubus. 



Soon after my arrival on the island I was informed by some natives 

 that there was a very remarkable bird in the island called " Corvao." 

 One told me that it was a kind of raven with splendid metallic wings; 

 another described the bird " with the head of an owl and the feet of 

 a duck, climbing up and down trees ;" and others gave me other ex- 

 travagant descriptions of it ; but all of them agreed that the bird 

 lived in almost inaccessible rocky and wooded localities of the 

 southern district, and that if ever a specimen passed over the town 

 it was a bad omen for the white inhabitants, who in such case were 

 exposed to heavy disease or death. Of course I was very curious 



