6 
the. trivial name to the species. Lastly, in the Seychelles species 
{1. corvina) the cock in full plumage not only dons an attire of 
the richest raven-black, but his median reetrices are developed 
neariy half as long again as those of the other species, and have 
their webs enormously broadened. 
Of the genus Foudia, Professor Newton was able to show us 
five species out of six which possibly once existed— for what seems 
to have been a sixth (the Moidore of old writers) is said to have 
formerly inhabited Bourbon, but has not been recognised of late 
}cais. The species extant are: — (1) F. madagascariensis of 
Madagascar, distinguished by the large extent of crimson or 
scarlet colouring possessed by the cock; (2) F. algcmdce from the 
Comorros, a species with a large bill and the head only red ; (3) 
F. secheUarum of the Seychelles which does not seem to assume 
any red colouring at all, but merely a yellowish or orange gleam 
upon the forehead (mucli as is seen in Ecdpolls that have moulted 
in captivity); ^f) F. evijthrocephcdus, the indigenous sjrecies of 
Mauritius, with a brilliant carmine head; and (5) F. flavicans 
of Eodriguez, in which there is no red at all but a bright canary- 
coloured yellow deepening into orange on tliQ face. The females 
of all these species were shown to be nearly alike, as Ave had seen 
Avas also the case in those of Terpsiphone. On the other hand, a 
very curious contrast was exhibited by the two species of the 
genus Oxynotas, which is peculiar to the islands of Mauritius 
and Eeunion. In them the cocks, which have a general look of 
an Ash-coloured Shrike {Lanius excithitor), are so much alike that 
It would be a bold man who would consider them specifically 
distinct, while the hens presented the greatest difference of colora- 
tion : that of the Mauritius species being of a bright rufous 
beneath, and that of the Eeunion species having the same parts 
dull white, closely barred Avith dusky broAvn. 
Professor Newton further remarked that though what was called 
“ species-mongering ” Avas held in great contempt' by a certain class 
of Naturalists, it Avas only by “ species-mongering ” that avo could 
attain a proper notion of the geographical distribution of animals, 
and of the wonderful deductions which follow from that interestiim 
O 
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