1890. j SPECIKS OF THE GENUS MKRULA. 667 



Merula vanuensis, nom. nov. 



Merula vanicorensis (Quoy et Gaimard), apud Lavard, Ibis, 1876, 

 p. 151. 



Merula vitiensis, Layard, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 4th ser. xvii. 

 p. 30.T (1876). 



The Vanua-Levu Ouzel was discovered by Mr. Tempest at Kandi, 

 a small village 600 feet above the level of the sea, near Bua in Sand- 

 alwood Bay, on the west coast of Vanua-Levu. It was recorded as 

 Merula vanicorensis under the erroneous impression that it was 

 identical with the species said to have been obtained on the island 

 of Vanikoro (Quoy et Gaimard, Voyage de I'Astrolabe, 1826-1829, 

 Zool. i. p. 188). 



Shortly afterwards Mr. Layard discovered his error and described 

 the species as new, hut unfortunately adopted a name which must 

 be abandoned as misleading. When Mr. Layard described the species 

 it was the only Merula known from the Fiji Islands, and the name 

 vitiensis "was applied in a collective sense as denoting an inhabitant 

 of the Fiji Islands. When it was found that two of the Fiji Islands 

 were inhabited by other species the name became somewhat ob- 

 jectionable, but now that we discover that Viti-Levu is inhabited by 

 a fourth species, which everybody has taken for granted to be 

 Merula vitiensis, it is obvious that this name must be no longer used 

 for the Vanua-Levu species, and I have accordingly proposed Merula 

 vanuensis as a substitute. 



There are two examples (male and female) in the Layard Collec- 

 tion, which are the types both of Merula vitiensis and of Merula 

 vanuensis. The British Museum does not possess a specimen of 

 this species, but there is a female in the Tristram Collection. 



The Vanua-Levu Ouzel differs from its ally on Viti-Levu in the 

 following particulars : — (a) The under tail-coverts of both sexes are 

 uniform dark grey without pale shaft-streaks or pale tips. (6) The 

 general colour of the upper parts of both sexes is darker and 

 browner, much less olive, (c) It is a rather smaller bird, wing 4*2 

 to 4*4 inches instead of 4"3 to 4-5 inches, {d) The lower breast and 

 flanks of the male and the lower breast of the female are of a duller 

 chestnut colour, whilst the flanks of the femnle are brownish grey 

 instead of dull orange-chestnut. 



Merula layardi, sp. nov. 



Merula vitiensis, Layard, apud Seehohm, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. v. 

 p. 278(1881). 



The Viti-Levu Ouzel was probably discovered by Mr. Klein- 

 schmidt in the interior of Viti-Levu, whence examples were sent to 

 the GodefFroy Museum in Hamburg, but for want of an opportunity 

 of comparing them with examples from Vanua-Levu they have been 

 hitherto confounded with the allied species. I have two examples 

 in my collection, and there are two examples in the Tristram Col- 

 lection ; but I prefer to make the two examples (male and female) in 

 the British Museum the types of my Merula layardi. It is much 



