INSESSORES. 



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Both of the genera Aplonis and Lamprotornis, may be considered as 

 uniting their characters in tliis remarliable type, and as though these 

 were not sufficient, its lengthened and robust bill shows a strong 

 analogy to the crows. 



Numerous specimens are in the collection of the Expedition, all of 

 which are from the Samoan or Navigator Islands. 



Of this bird, Mr. Peale remarks : 



" It inhabits the Samoan Islands, is very active and noisy, its notes 

 being scarcely entitled to the name of song. The female is somewhat 

 less than the male, and has less metallic lustre on the head and neck, 

 but in other respects is precisely similar." 



Dr. Pickering also notices this bird as having been observed in the 

 forests of the islands of Tutuilla and Upolu, " keeping amongst the 

 lower branches of the trees, not shy, and uttering a very harsh note, 

 at the same time constantly moving its tail in the gyrating manner of 

 some species of tiy-catchers." 



It appears to us quite probable, that this curious bird is the true 

 Lanius pacificns, Gmelin, as above cited. 



8. Genus APLONIS, Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1836, p. 73. 



1. Aplonis marginata {Qould). 



Aplonis marcjinata, Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1836, p. 73. 



Lamprotornis fusca, Peale, Zool. U. S. Exp. Exp. Birds, p. 110 (1st ed. 1848).'*' 



Atlas, Ornithology, Plate VII, fig. 1. 



Upper mandible curved, and with a sharp point; wings moderate; 



* " Crown, auriculars, back, and tail, sepia-brown, darkest on the head, where the 

 feathers are pointed, and have a purple metallic lustre; primary quills umber; secon- 

 daries paler, and margined with white ; throat, under tail and under wing-coverts pale 

 tawny; breast and abdomen 'drab,' the feathers having white shafts, and a pale line 

 down the centre; irides orange; bill and feet dusky red. 



"Total length, seven and a half inches; wing, from the carpal joint, four and three- 

 tenths inches; tail two and a half inches ; tarsi, one and one-twentieth inches; middle 

 toe, including the claw, one inch; claw three-tenths of an inch ; hind toe, eight-tenths 

 of an inch; claw, three-tenths of an inch; bill, seven-tenths of an inch; to the angle of 

 the mouth, one inch." 



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