14S THE AUSTRAL AVIAN RECORD [Vol. m 



Sharpe, Cat. Birds, Vol. XXVI., p. 251, 1898, based 

 on Ardetta melcena Salvador!, 1878. 



It is not, however, exactly the same, and this species 

 comes from Batchian, Morotai, Bourn, etc., and is not 

 known from the Aru Islands yet. Consequently Ardetta 

 nigra Diggles, presumably from the Aru Islands, cannot 

 be exactly determined. 



The next, of which a full description is given which I 

 , will not repeat here, was named Ardetta cockerelli or 

 Cockerell's bittern. " Shot at the same time and place 

 as the preceding." 



The description applies exactly to Zonerodius heliosylvs 

 Lesson, and in the Cat. Birds British Museum, Vol. 

 XXVI., 1898, p. 193, a specimen ex Cockerell is Ksted 

 with the footnote : " This specimen was sold by Mr. 

 Cockerell as a ' new species ' from Thirsty Sound, near 

 Port Bowen, in Queensland. As all the other supposed 

 ' new ' species discovered by Mr. Cockerell proved to 

 have come from the Aru Islands, it is safe to suppose 

 that this Tiger Bittern is also from the latter locality." 



However, according to Berlepsch, it is otherwise un- 

 recorded from the Aru Islands — another testimony to 

 the confusion caused by the unconscionable Cockerell. 



The specimen in the British Museum can be considered 

 the type or substitute type of Diggles' species. 

 '^ The next species was called Alcyone hella, and described 



as follows : " Fore-head, ear coverts, and interrupted 

 band on the chest black ; head intense blackish blue, 

 the centre of each feather on which is glossy and shining^ 

 ultramarine blue ; shoulder and primaries brownish 

 black. The rest of the wing dark purplish blue, except 

 the greater and lesser coverts, which have ultramarine 

 glossings in the centre of each feather, like the feathers 

 of the crown ; lores and a tuft behind the ear coverts 

 whitish buff ; throat white ; chest, abdomen and 

 under tail-coverts rich orange ; centre of the back and 

 upper tail-coverts bright shining cobalt blue ; tail 

 nearly black ; irides and bill black ; feet flesh colour. 

 Length 5| inches ; wing 2 J ; tail | ; bill If ; tarsus f . 



