212 lULLETlN": MISKUM OF t OMPAUATIVE ZOOLOGY. 



ol)Scurely witli dull pinkish buff; rump between clay color and tawny 

 olive; upper tail coverts Saccardo's umber; rectrices and reniiges 

 olive-brown; lesser wing coverts tawny olive; middle and greater 

 coverts olive-brown the feathers margined with pinkish buff; outer 

 web of outer tail feather and tips of others obscurely white; rest of 

 rectrices and remiges margined with pale olive-buff'; superciliary 

 stripe and spot on lower eyelid cream-buff'; superciliary distinct; 

 lores dull white; auricular region changing from dull cream-buff 

 anteriorly to buft'y brown posteriorly; throat and upper breast and 

 abdomen washed with i^ory -yellow ; lower breast washed with cha- 

 mois, this color deepening somewhat on the sides; flanks washed with 

 cinnamon-buff; under tail coverts pinkish buff; bend of wing pinkish 

 butt"; under wing coverts between pinkish buff and cinnamon-buff'. 



Measurements. — Males (four specimens) wing 88.2-91.0 (90.1); tail 

 78.2-82.0 (79.4); exposed culmen 21.0-22.5 (22.0); tarsus 30.0-33.5 

 (31.5). 



Range. — Island of ]\Iakatea, Paumotu Islands. 



Remarks. — Four specimens were secured on Makatea Island, 26 

 September, and two more were added to the collection from the 

 same locality, 6 October. Four of these birds are males; the other 

 two do not have the sex indicated certainly. This is the most dis- 

 tinct of all the forms of Conopoderas atypha at present knoA\Ti, a 

 circumstance to be expected as Makatea is cut off by deep ocean from 

 the main Paumotu Group. The central Islands lie on a plane bounded 

 by the thousand fathom curve, while Makatea is outside of this 

 irregular line. 



Two specimens show an indication of albinism. One has the rec- 

 trices, save for the two central pairs, entirely white. In the other one 

 the outer rectrix is white, and there are irregular white blotches on the 

 tips of the others. In size, and in more prominent pale margins on the 

 feathers of the dorsal surface this form shows a very slight approach 

 toward Conopoderas caffra of Tahiti. It is so distinct, however, in its 

 much browner coloration, smaller size, and general appearance that it 

 cannot be considered as a connecting link between that species and 

 C. atypha. C. a. erema is distinguished from all other forms of C. 

 atypha known at present by its larger size, longer bill, and much more 

 buffy plumage. The differences are in fact almost sufficient to give 

 it recognition as a separate species. In view of the great variation 

 in the wide ranging C. atypha, however, it seems better to consider 

 the Makatea bird as a subspecies. 



