174 



ORNITHOLOGY. 



long ; first quill rudimentary ; fourth longest ; tail rather long ; legs 

 strong; tarsus long; toes moderate; claws large. 



Dimensions. — Total length (of skin), about seven and three-fourths 

 inches ; wing, four and one-fourth inches ; tail, three and a half inches ; 

 tarsus, one and one-fourth inches. " Total length, eight and three- 

 fourths inches; extent of wings, twelve inches." (Mr. Peale.) 



Colors. — Bare space and caruncle orange ; a narrow edging on the 

 first feathers above, forming a line to the corner of the mouth, and a 

 large spot immediately posterior to which is pale yellow. Anterior to 

 and below the bare space greenish-black. 



Entire upper plumage dark olive, tinged with yellow ; below, green- 

 ish-yellow, tinged with ashy ; quills and tail-feathers brown, edged 

 with greenish-yellow. Bill dark ; " irides brown ; legs dusky green ; 

 tongue terminating in a corneous brush. Male." (Mr. Peale.) 



Hab. — Feejee, Samoan, and Tonga Islands. Specimen in Nat. 

 Mus. Washington. 



Specimens of this bird from various islands are in the collection, 

 and differ from each other only in minute and scarcely observable 

 points. Though a rare species in collections, and little known to orni- 

 thologists, it appears to be abundant in the islands that it inhabits. 



This bird belongs to the genus Plilotis, and in general appearance 

 very considerably resembles Pt'dotis maculata, Temm. PI. Col. IV, PI. 

 XXIX, fig. 1, but is much larger, and also Plilotis chrysotis (Lath.), 

 Gould, B. of Aust. IV, PI. XXXII. 



The naturalists of the Expedition, according to Mr. Peale, "found 

 this bird to be quite common at Tongatabu, the Samoan, and Feejee 

 Islands. They are very active, and thrush-like in their actions, fre- 

 quent the brush along the woody shores of the islands, and sing very 

 sweetly. 



" The females are a trifle less in size than the males, have the wattle 

 less developed, and the yellow line above it less conspicuous ; but in 

 other respects they resemble each other, even in garrulity." 



Mr. Peale states that this species is called E-ijow by the Samoans, 

 and Foulehaio by the Tonga Islanders. 



