INSESSORES. 



147 



Color. — Adult male ? Head and breast black, terminal half of the 

 quills dark-brown ; all other parts, including the back, coverts of the 

 wings, ventral region, and tail, white. Secondaries edged with white ; 

 bill and tarsi light horn-color. Younger male ? Entire plumage glossy 

 black. Female. Rump, terminal third of the quills and their inner 

 webs and terminal half of the tail, dark-brown, tinged with reddish on 

 the latter ; all other parts, including the head, back, basal portion of 

 the tail, and entire under parts rufous, darker on the head above and 

 back, and palest on the under parts and tail. Coverts of the wing 

 and secondaries edged with rufous; inner webs of primaries edged 

 with white, readily seen by examining the inferior surface of the wing. 



Hab. — Society Islands. Specimen in Nat. Mus. Washington City, 

 and Mus. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia. 



We have introduced these descriptions of the supposed stages of 

 plumage of this bird, for the purpose of expressing doubts as to the 

 identity of the first described with the others. All three of them are 

 well represented in the plate in the Zoological Atlas of the Voyage of 

 the Coquille, above cited, and there and elsewhere, this species is de- 

 scribed as assuming the plumages given above. Were it not that these 

 statements are made by naturalists who have enjoyed opportunities for 

 observation, though perhaps not very ample, in the islands inhabited 

 by these birds, we should not hesitate to pronounce them quite distinct. 



Of numerous specimens that we have examined in the collection of 

 the Expedition and in the Museum of the Philadelphia Academy, the 

 bird first described above is constantly larger, though the bill is rather 

 narrower and scarcely so long and strongly developed as in that, the 

 plumage of which is entirely black. Having, however, the testimony 

 of the naturalists above alluded to, against us, we have not proposed a 

 specific name at present, especially in consideration of the fact that it 

 is rather well supplied already, and of the possibility, of course, of our 

 being mistaken. 



Mr. Peale observes of this bird : 



"This is a very common species in the Island of Tahiti." He states 

 also : " Excepting those specimens which are entirely black, we have 

 not seen two out of twenty or thirty which were entirely alike. Deep 

 black, with a metallic blue gloss, is probably the perfect dress of adult 

 birds, but it is common to find them variously spotted, black, brown, 



