120 



ORNITHOLOGY. 



austral is, Gmelin, in young plumage, both tlie specimens above de- 

 scribed being evidently immature. This point cannot, in our opinion, 

 be determined either from the specimens Ijefore us, or from the here- 

 tofore published statements of naturalists or voyagers, and must await 

 future more extended observation and information. 



In a short but important article on the Natural History of the Sand- 

 wich Islands, by Mr. A. Bloxham, in an Appendix to the Voyage of H. 

 M. S. Blonde, to the Sandwich Islands," p. 250 (London, 1826, quarto), 

 the only species of crow given in the catalogue of birds, is " Corvus 

 tropicus, Linnaeus." The description of that species, by Dr. Latham 

 (in his General Synopsis of Birds, p. 384), "from a bird in the posses- 

 sion of Sir Joseph Banks," is not applicable to the present, in several 

 particulars. Its total length is given as 'Hwelve inches and a half," 

 and we have doubts as to its having been a true Corvus at all. We 

 may say the same of another Pacific island species, Corvus pacificus, 

 Gmelin, which is also represented as a small species, " length, ten 

 inches and a half." 



In its present plumage, the color of this species is peculiar, and is 

 very remarkable. We regard it as a highly interesting addition to the 

 fauna of the Sandwich Islands, and as very probably a species hitherto 

 not described, though the adult plumage may prove to be essentially 

 difl'erent from that of the specimens now before us, from the Museum 

 of the Philadelphia Academy. It is the only crow that we have ever 

 seen with the plumage uniformly tinged with a cinereous shade of 

 color, like that of some species of Jays. 



According to Mr. Peale, the bird now before us is known to the 

 people of the Sandwich Islands by the name of Alula, and was ob- ^ 

 served in small societies, in the island of Hawaii. " Specimens," he 

 says, "were obtained a few miles inland from the village of Kaawaloa, 

 celebrated as being the spot where the renowned Captain Cook was 

 killed, a camera lucida sketch of which is introduced in our plate, as 

 a background to the bird. Our specimens, collected by the Expedi- 

 tion, of the Alula, with many important notes attached, were lost in 

 the wreck of the U. S. Ship Peacock, but we are happy to acknowledge 

 our obligations to Dr. J. K. Townsend, who has kindly loaned us others, 

 collected at the same place." 



This bird is represented in our plate about two-thirds of the size of 

 life. 



