297 
Review of Dr. Finsch’s ‘ Die Papageien .' 
with a red maxilla, brought to Calcutta by Captain Lewis from 
the Nicobars. Mr. Blyth in this instance also never saw the 
bird “ in the flesh,” much less dissected it. Indeed the type 
specimen was so much mutilated that Blyth introduces his 
description with these words, “ This is a very strongly marked 
species ; but I can now merely indicate rather than describe 
it,” etc. (J. A. S. B. 1846, p. 23, note). As in the case of P. 
erythrogenys, Blyth adopted the foregone conclusion, a mere 
theory unsupported by a single then existing established fact, 
that while the adult male had a red maxilla that of the female 
would be black. Shortly afterwards Mr. Blyth (t. c. p. 51, 
note) described, as belonging to the female of P. caniceps , a 
single skin from Province Wellesley, with a black maxilla, in 
Dr. Cantor's possession. These were the only examples of 
the species Blyth had seen previous to 1868. One, the type, 
remained in the Calcutta Museum; the other was given by 
Dr. Cantor to the E. I. C. Museum, and subsequently passed 
to the British Museum, where Dr. Einsch examined it. Be¬ 
sides these at least two examples were obtained in the Nico¬ 
bars by the f Novara' expedition, one of which, with a red max¬ 
illa, was proved by dissection to be a female (Reise Novara, 
Zool. i. p. 98). Herr v. Pelzeln (/. c.) distinctly states this, and 
adds, which is significant, for there was no controversy at the 
time, “ therefore the colouring of the bill is the same in old 
individuals of both sexes.” Dr. Cantor's single specimen and 
the specimens obtained by the f Novara' were the only known 
examples existing in Europe when Dr. Einsch wrote; and all 
that was known about the species was restricted to the sources 
I have indicated. The question therefore again arises, By 
what was Dr. Einsch to be guided ? The affirmative evidence 
of the s Novara' zoologists, derived from actual examination of 
the corpus ? or Mr. Blyth's opinion formed from a couple of 
dried skins ? Regardless of possible dangers they had gone 
ashore, seen the bird alive, breathed with it the same air, 
shot and dissected it! Blyth only knew it, not even from 
te half a dozen wrongly sexed specimens in a museum,” but 
from one, a much mutilated skin in a museum and a second 
good skin in private hands, but both with sexes undetermined 
