520 MR. J. J. LISTER ON THE NATURAL [DcC 4, 



6. The ear-coverts are grey, not olive-brown. 



7. The edge of the wing is nearly black, not pale. 



8. The general colour above is a brighter olive. 



9. The bill is longer and more slender. 



Z. atriceps. Gray, Z. fuscifrons, Salvad., Z. hypoleuca, Salvad., 

 which, along with Z. viysoriensis, form a small group in the neigh- 

 bourhood of New Guinea and the Moluccas, have the dark colora- 

 tion on the crown of the head more strongly marked than the 

 present species, a character which distinguishes them from the rest 

 of the genus. Z. albiyularis, Gould, from Norfolk Island, is very 

 similar in colouring to our bird, and is, I believe, the only other 

 species which has grey ear-coverts. The olive-brown on the head, 

 and the cinnamon flanks are, however, much more strongly marked 

 than in the Christmas-Island form. 



COLLOCALIA NATALIS, Sp. U. 



C. neglectse (Gray) similis, sed plumis uropygii Umbo albido sub- 

 latiore ; gula obscurius fuliginosa ; areolis albidis subcaudalium 

 minoribus. 



This small Swift was frequently seen hawking along the line of 

 shore-bushes at dusk, or among the tops of the high trees on the 

 summit of the island. No nests of it were seen. 



It belongs to the same group as that which builds the edible 

 nests in Java and elsewhere. 



This bird is only separable from C neglect a, GrayS from Timor, 

 by the following rather small differences : — 



1 . There is less white mingled with the dark metaUic green on 

 the lower tail-coverts. 



2. The white spots at bases of the outer rectrices are less sharply 

 de6ned. 



3. The fuliginous colour of the throat is darker. 



4. There israther broader white edging to the rump-feathers. 



In the first anfl third characters it is nearer C. esculenta (Linn.), 

 but in the duller and browner metallic green of the upper surface it 

 exactly resembles C. neglecta, and is quite distinct from that more 

 brightly coloured species. 



Carpophaga whartoni, Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1887, p- 615, pi. xliii. 



Mr. Sharpe's description of this bird was drawn up from a 

 specimen which had been sent home in spirits of wine and which 

 had lost much of the fine metallic gloss which is present in skins 

 which have not been so treated. 



The back and wing-coverts are rich dark bronze and bronzy 

 green, slate when the back is viewed from behind, and held away 

 from tbe light, and the whole upper aspect of the tail is dark glossy 

 bronze-green, its under aspect being dark brown, with the lateral 

 rectrices pale brown. There are 14 rectrices, as usual in this genus; 

 the crown is slate, varied with iridescent lights, behind shading into 



1 G. E. Gray, " On the Genus Collocalia," Ann. Nat. Hist. rvii. 3rd series. 



