394 THE BIEDS OF THE FIJI ISLANDS. 



smaller than my M. macrorhynchus, paler, and with a well-developed red- 

 brown tip to its tail. But I have a still more interesting bird from Fortuna 

 Island, outside this group, 350 miles to the N.E. It is smaller than the 

 Bua bird, and more like M. vitiensis; but the throat, chin, and breast are 

 grey ; the tails, though damaged, are evidently broadly tipped with white. 

 I propose to separate the varieties, or species, as follows : — M. vitiensis, 

 Hartl. (the type species) ; M. huensis^ sp. nov. ; M, macrorhynchiis and 

 M.fortuncje, sp. nov. Unfortunately I have not a specimen of M, vitiensis at 

 hand ; but I add the measurements as given in the ' Ornithologie der Viti- 

 Samoa- und Tonga-Inseln ' of Drs. Finsch and Hartlaub, wherein it is badly 

 figured, the white of the tail- tip and the red of the vent being too prononce. 

 The measurements of the four species are as follows : — 





Long. 



Al. 



Caud. 



Tars. 



Eost. 





in. lin. 



in. lin. 



in. lin. 



Hn. 



lin.' 



"M. vitiensis . . . . 



6 6 



3 1 



2 8 



8% 



7i 



M. huensis . . . . 



6 6 



3 3 



3 4 



11 



13 



M. fortunes . . . . 



6 6 



3 1 



3 3 



11 



9 



M. macrorliynchus . 



7 6 



3 4 



3 9 



13 



14 



^' As will be seen, the bills of M. hiensis and M. macrorhynchus much 

 exceed the others in length, and are nearly twice as thick/' 



The Plate is taken from a male in my possession, dated July 29th, 1875, 

 by Mr. Layard, from Ngila, Taviuni. The food was insects. Beak bluish 

 horn ; legs blue ; iris brown. Total length 6| inches. 



The female bird, from the same source, resembles the male. 



