THE BIEDS OF THE FIJI ISLANDS. 29 



the wing, C. victor agrees very exactly with C luteovirens ; so that of their 

 generic relationship there can be no doubt. But C. victor does not possess 

 the peculiar feather-structure of C luteovirens. Instead of the cylindrical 

 structure of C. luteovirens, the feathers of C victor are remarkable for the 

 length and laxity of their rhaches, which resemble those of the Parrot-genus 

 Coryllis (^Loriciilus^ , so that the upper tail-coverts project a little over the 

 tail-feathers. Now if C luteovirens were only a phase of plumage of C. victor, 

 this could be only in relation to age, and consequently (7. luteovirens would 

 have to be regarded as the younger bird. But the structure of its feathers 

 shows a peculiarity which can only be attained in the fully adult bird ; and 

 there cannot be the slightest doubt that C luteovirens would never lose this 

 extraordinary character of feathers and again assume a structure of feathers 

 which comes nearer to that of the young state. I need hardly remark that 

 the coloration in the two species is totally different, being in C, luteovirens, in 

 mature state, dark yellow, and in C victor deep orange-red, nearly the same 

 as in Rupicola crocea ; but I may remark that C. victor gets this splendid garb 

 immediately after its first green dress, without going into an intermediate 

 yellow dress, such as that of (7. luteovirens. One of the specimens of C. victor 

 which I have had the pleasure of examining showed the change of plumage 

 very clearly, having on the sides of the belly and flanks still some grass-green 

 feathers, the remnants of the first plumage. Another point of importance is 

 also the range of both species. C. luteovirens has been found only on the 

 islands of Viti-Levu and Ovalau, whereas (7. victor, so far as our knowledge 

 extends, is confined to the small islands of Taviuni and Lanthala, on the east 

 coast of the large island Vanua-Levu. I believe the above-given remarks 

 and comparisons between (7. luteovirens and (7. victor are sufficient to prove 

 that they form excellent species, which ought not to be confounded in 

 any way." 



Mr. Edgar L. Layard says (Ibis, April 1876, 3rd ser. vol. vi. p. 138) : — 

 '^ The forest about here [Ngila, Taviuni] rises in a gradual slope to an 



VOL. II. F 



