THE BIRDS OF THE FIJI ISLANDS. 



By Mr. G. D. ROWLEY. 



[Continued from p. 39.] 



MYIOLESTES* MACRORHYNCHUS (Layard), sp. nov. 



(Plate LXXITI.) 



Mr. E. L. Layard says (Ibis, 1876, 3rd ser. vol. vi. p. 145) : — 



" This species, originally named by me from a specimen brought in a 

 miserable condition by Mr. Liardet from Taviuni, replaces M. vitiensis, 

 Hartl., in that island. It is not uncommon in the forest, roaming about in 

 search of the insects on which it feeds. I never saw it on the ground ; but 

 I once shot it climbing up the trunk of a tree, and clinging to the bark, 

 pecking like a Woodpecker at a decaying rotten limb. It is a thorough 

 mocking-bird. The sexes do not differ. The edges of the basal portion of 

 the upper, and on the major part of the lower mandible, are yellow, as is 

 the inside of the bill and throat. This species affords another instance 

 of variation as in Platycercus. 



'^The Ovalau bird, Myiolestes vitiensis, HartL, is much smaller and 

 lighter-coloured, and has always the tip of the tail almost white ; but I have 

 a specimen from Bua, in Vanua Levu, which seems intermediate. It is 



^ Th. fivlaj a fly^ and '\r)(7Trj<;, a robber. 



3g 2 



