XMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES Published by Number 1166 the AMERICAN MUSEUM of NATURAL HISTORY April 10, 1942 New York City

XMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES Published by Number 1166 THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY April 10, 1942 New York City

BIRDS COLLECTED DURING THE WHITNEY SOUTH SEA EXPEDITION. XLVIII1 NOTES ON THE POLYNESIAN SPECIES OF APLONIS2 BY ERNST MAYR

A revision of the widespread and highly of Aplonis tabuensis, that it might better variable genus Aplonis is still wanting. be regarded a full species. The general Recent years have brought several interest- coloration is approached by A. t. manuae ing discoveries, such as the primitive species from the Manua Islands, but cinerascens santovestris Harrison and Marshall (1937, has a long, curved, not a short and high- Bull. Brit. Orn. Club, 57, p. 148) on Es- arched bill. Gloss is almost entirely absent piritu Santo, New Hebrides, and the reali- except for a little of it on the crown. The zation that "Macruropsar" magnus is noth- iris seems to be dark brown (according to ing but a specialized Aplonis mysolensis Scott Wilson's statements on labels of the (Mayr and de Schauensee, 1939, Proc. specimens in the Rothschild Collection) or Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 91, p. 33). dark slate color (according to Garrett, the No complete revision of the genus Aplonis collector of the type series), while most will be attempted in the present paper, races of A. tabuensis have a yellow iris. which is limited in its scope to a description Aplonis tabuensis manuae, new of the Polynesian and Melanesian forms. subspecies The method of treatment follows the prece- TYPE.-No. 202277, Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist.; dent set in the earlier papers of this series. e ad.; Tau, Manua Islands, American Samoa; December 21, 1923; R. H. Beck. Very different from tabuensis; in coloration Aplonis cinerascens Hartlaub and Finsch somewhat similar to cinerascens but much darker; Aplonis cinerascens HARTLAUB AND FINSCH, head and back black; feathers of crown and 1871, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 29.-Raro- nape lanceolate with a strong bluish or greenish tonga Island. gloss; feathers of upper back with glossy edges, Bill long and curved; general coloration gray- those of lower back, rump and upper tail-coverts brown; under parts lighter and much more gray- with grayish brown edges; feathers of under ish, every feather edged with pale gray, but with- parts fuscous with broad gray edges; chin out whitish shaft streaks; crissum and under blackish; throat gray; breast, upper belly and tail-coverts whitish; head brownish gray with flanks scaly fuscous and gray; lower belly and a slight purplish gloss; feathers of back and under tail-coverts dirty gray; no light shaft particularly of rump margined with gray; wing streaks on under or upper parts; tail and wings fuscous brown, inner secondaries with very nar- black; wing-feathers and wing-coverts more or row pale edges; tail-feathers dark brown. less with a purplish or greenish blue gloss; lesser Bill and feet horny black; iris dark brown. upper wing-coverts with narrow grayish purplish Wing,3 5 "ce " 122-126 (124.1), 4 " 9" 118- edges as upper back; a few of the inner second- 125 (121.2); tail, 5 " " 70-77 (73.5), 4"'9" 69- aries with very narrow grayish edges; axillaries 74 (71.6). Culmen, 26; bill from nostril, 15-16; light gray; under wing-coverts dark gray; bill tarsus, 30-31. Wing formula: 4 > 3 > 5 > 6 > 2. very small. RANGE.-Rarotonga, Cook Islands. "Iris yellow, bill yellowish brown, feet brown." This bird differs in so many respects WING TAIL from the other geographical representatives Tau 9 e ad. 105-112 (108.4) 57-62 (59.5) 1 The preceding ten papers in this series are 12 9 ad. 102-107 (104.2) 51-59 (56.9) American Museum Novitates, Nos. 986, 1006, 1007, Ofu 1056, 1057, 1091, 1116, 1133, 1144 and 1152. 2 Submitted to the editor July 16, 1941. 9 e ad. 105-111 (108.1) 58-62 (59.7) a Material of the Rothschild Collection. 5 9 ad. 103-104 (103.6) 53-57 (55.8) f l AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITA TES [No. 1166

Culmen, 19; bill from nostril, 11; tarsus, 26- WING TAIL 28 mm.; wing formula: 3>4>5>2>6 or Upolu 4 >3 >5 >6 >2. 8 e ad. 105-112 (107.5) 53-61 (57.6) RANGE.-Manua Islands Olosinga, 3 9 ad. 101-103 (101.8) 51-53 (52.0) (Ofu, Savaii Tau), Samoa. 10 e ad' 103-108 (105.9) 53-59 (55.9) I consider this bird a subspecies of 11 9 ad. 96-104 (101.6) 51-56 (53.1) tabuensis since it agrees with that species Culmen, 18.5-20.0; bill from nostril, 10-11; in all of its structural characters. In its tarsus, 26-27. coloration, however, manuae is quite aber- rant. Though lacking their prominent RANGE.-Upolu and Savaii, Samoa Is- streaking, manuae is probably more closely lands. related to the other Samoan forms than to Aplonis tabuensis brunnescens Sharpe typical tabuensis. Aplonis brunnescens SHARPE, 1890, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., 13, p. 132, PI. 6.-Niue (Savage Aplonis tabuensis tutuilae, new Island). subspecies Similar to A. t. brevirostri.s but much browner, particularly on upper parts; crown brownish TYPE.-No. 206364, Amer. Mus. Nat Hist.; with hardly any metallic gloss; wings and tail ad.; Tutuila Island, Samoa; April 16, 1924; also rather brownish; under parts ashy brown, J. G. Correia. every feather with narrow white shaft streak; SUBSPECIFIC CHARACTERS.-Very similar to crissum and under tail-coverts more whitish. Aplonis tabuensis brevirostris (Peale) but larger; Wing,1 102, 104; tail, 60, 61. Culmen, 20, under parts darker, light edges of feathers less 21.5; bill (from nostril), 11.5, 12; tarsus, 29, 30. conspicuous, light shaft streaks more pronounced; edges of feathers on lower back, rump RANGE.-Niue (Savage Island), central and upper tail-coverts more brownish, less gray; Polynesia. gloss on crown variable as in brevirostris, some- The Whitney Expedition did not land on times more greenish, sometimes more purplish; Niue Island and thus failed to obtain this bill large. Iris yellow. Wing, 10 cI ad. 110-115 (112.2), 8 9 ad. 100- species of which I have seen only the two 106 (101.2); tail, 10 eP ad. 58-66 (61.2), 8 9 ad. above measured spirit specimens and the 52-58 (54.8). Culmen, 18-22; bill from nostril, plate in the Cat. Birds Brit. Museum. It 10-13; tarsus, 26-29. seems as if brunnescens was closer to viti- RANGE.-Tutuila Island, American Sa- ensis than to brevirostris, but this cannot moa. be determined unless better material is examined. Aplonis tabuensis brevirostris (Peale) Lamprotornis brevirostris PEALE, 1848, U. S. Aplonis tabuensis tabuensis (Gmelin) Explor. Exped., 7 (Birds), p. 111.-Upolu, Lanius tabuensis GMELIN, 1788, Syst. Nat., 1, Samoa. pt. 1, p. 306.-Tongatabu, Tonga Islands. Crown blackish, very much darker than back, Aplonis marginata GOULD, 1836, Proc. Zool. feathers lanceolate with a greenish or bronze Soc. London, p. 73.-Tonga Islands. gloss; back fuscous brown, each feather with a Lamprotornis ? fusca PEALE, 1848, U. S. margin that is narrow and dull gray on the upper Explor. Exped., 7 (Birds), p. 110.-Tonga and back but broad and light gray on lower back, Fiji Islands, hereby restricted to Tonga. rump and upper tail-coverts; scapulars and Aplonis marginalis HARTLAUB, 1852, Arch. upper wing-coverts colored as feathers of the Naturg., pp. 103, 132, and back; upper throat whitish or light gray; lower Aplonis cassini G. R. Gray, 1859, Proc. Zool. throat, breast and belly brownish, every feather Soc. London, p. 163.-New names for fusca with a white shaft streak and a broad gray edge; Peale, preoccupied by fuscus Gould 1836. crissum and under tail-coverts buffy white; Large, with a long bill; upper parts dark, axillaries and under wing-coverts whitish; wings under parts pale and with the white shaft streaks black, with a slight greenish gloss, particularly inconspicuous. Head, nape, sides of neck, sides on the primary-coverts; second to fifth second- of face and ear-coverts with an oil-green or ary with broad white margins; tail blackish violet-purple gloss; back, scapulars, upper wing- brown; bill small, yellowish brown; feet horn- coverts and tertials dark brown; upper tail- brown; iris yellow. Differs from tabuensis by its much smaller 1 Measurements of two unsexed spirit specimens darker above and from the Rothschild Collection (W. H. Traversecoll.). size, by being below, by being Wetmore (1919, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zo01., 63, p.218) more distinctly streaked underneath and by hav- records the measurements of three males and three ing a yellow iris and a yellowish-brown bill. females. 1942 ] BIRDS OF THE WHITNEY EXPEDITION. XLVIII 3 coverts and feathers of back and rump with Somewhat similar to tabuensis but smaller, and gray or ochraceous gray edges; throat, breast, entire plumage very much darker. Head black upper belly and flanks pale ash-gray with a more with a greenish gloss; back, scapulars, upper or less developed buffy wash and inconspicuous wing-coverts, rump and upper tail-coverts sooty white shaft-lines; crissum and under tail-coverts black; edges of feathers on upper back glossy grayish or whitish buff; axillaries and under green, on lower back and rump mriore bronzy, wing-coverts dirty white; tail dark brown; under parts blackish fuscous-gray, with incon- wing-feathers blackish brown, primary-coverts spicuous light shaft streaks; lower abdomen and with a greenish gloss; secondaries more brown- crissum buffy ash-gray; breast blackish, throat ish, outer secondaries edged with pale buffy lighter; wings black with a strong bluish-green gray. gloss; buffy-gray margins of inner secondaries Iris brown or yellowish, bill blackish, feet narrow and inconspicuous; tail blackish. Iris brown. yellow. Wing, e ad. 108-118 (112.5), 9 ad. 105-112 Differs from manutae by the greenish, not (108.8); tail, e ad. 60-71 (65.4), 9 ad. 59-67 purplish gloss, by the sooty, not deep black upper (63.0). Culmen, 23-26.5; bill from nostril, parts, and by the entirely different coloration of 13.5-16, tarsus, 28-30. the under parts (shaft streaks, lack of the gray feather margins, etc.); differs from the Niuafou There is no consistent difference between form by the blacker coloration of back and under birds from the southernmost (Ata) and parts. northernmost (Vavau) island of the group, Wing, 12 e 107-115 (111.2), 13 9 101-111 but there is considerable individual varia- (107.2); tail, ce 60-69.5 (64.3), 9 57-65 (60.8). tion. The crown is sometimes more green- Culmen, 22-23; bill from nostril, 13-13.5; tar- ish, sometimes more purplish; the back sus, 29-30.5. varies between a dark (blackish) and a pale RANGE.-Keppel and Boscawen Islands, (cinnamon) shade of brown; the white central Polynesia. shaft streaks of the feathers of the under parts are generally well visible but some- Aplonis tabuensis nesiotes, new times much reduced; the general colora- subspecies tion of the under parts may be paler or TYPE.-No. 250751, Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist.; e ad.; Niuafou Island, central Polynesia; darker. August 17, 1925; Whitney South Sea Expedi- The populations from Turtle Island and tion. Ono Ilau are best referred to tabuensis al- Similar to tabuensis but averaging larger and average darker; the much darker, particularly below. Head and though they slightly hind neck black with a strong oil-green gloss; white shaft streaks on the feathers of the back blackish brown, lighter toward rump and under parts are more pronounced. Most upper tail-coverts; feathers of upper back with important is that the iris in all these speci- glossy greenish margins; on lower back, rump mens is yellow. In all Tonga birds the iris and upper tail-coverts these margins are brownish with just a faint purplish gloss. Throat is indicated as brown, except in two Tonga- dark ash-gray; breast, upper abdomen and tabu birds in which it is recorded as yellow- flanks dark brown, every feather with an in- ish. The measurements of birds from the conspicuous light shaft and an ash-gray edge, two islands are: 6 ci 109-115 lower abdomen paler; wings and tail as in wing, (111.7), tabuensis but darker. Iris yellow. 1 9 103; tail, 6 3' 65-69 (67.8), 1 9 63.5X. Wing, 10 c 112-119 (116.0), 3 9 112, 113, RANGFE.-Tonga Islands (Ata, Tonga- 115; tail, e 67-72 (69.8), 9 67, 67, 68. Cul- tabu, Eua, Honga Hapai, Honga Tonga, men, 23-24.5; bill from nostril, 13.5-14.5; tar- Kelefesia, Tonumeia, Telekitonga, Lalona, sus, 29-30. Mango, -Namukaiki, Fonoifua, Namuka, RANGE.-Niuafou Island, central Poly- Oua, Tongua, Teauba, Haafeva, Uiha, Ava, nesia. Uoleva, Fotuhaa, Lifuka, Tofua, Foa, Kao, Haano, Moungaone, Ofolanga, Late, Eu- Aplonis tabuensis fortunae Layard akafa and Vavau). Aplonis fortunae LAYARD, 1876, Ibis, p. 147.- Fortuna Island. Almost exactly half-way in its characters be- Aplonis tabuensis tenebrosus, new tween vitiensis and tabuensis: subspecies Differs from vitiensis by being darker through- TYPE.-No. 250787, Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist.; out; crown cap more glossy and better defined; e ad.; Boseawen Island, central Polynesia, upper throat darker gray; whitish area on lower August 25, 1925; Whitney South Sea Expedi- abdomen less extensive; white shaft streaks on tion. under parts narrower and less conspicuous. 4 AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES [NO. 1166

Differs from tabuensis by smaller size, a more RANGE.-Rotuma Island, central Poly- brownish back, lighter under parts, but pri- marily by the presence of narrow but distinct nesia. - .1Lwhto-4ftIUWV 0 V._trokIL_,C1,1%.0U1J.ankt.ho-.%A-1lIn"lo 1"-nQrtR V..Trio -pl_ low. Aplonis tabuensis vitiensis Layard WING TAIL Aploni8 vitienmis LAYARD, 1876, Proc. Zool. Futuna Soc. London, p. 502.-Fiji Islands, restricted to e ad. 104-110 (107.3) 61-69 (64.8) Viti Levu Island. 9 ad. 100-106 (102.9) 57-63 (60.1) Medium sized; upper parts brownish, feathers Uea (Wallis) with glossy greenish edges; head not much e ad. 106-111 (109.1) 65-71 (67.8) darker than back, with a greenish gloss; throat 9 ad. 101-107 (105.1) 61-68 (64.2) grayish white, breast and flanks dark brownish gray, feathers with prominent white shaft Culmen, 22-24; bill from nostril, 13-14.5; tar- streaks; lower abdomen and under tail-coverts sus, 26-28. whitish; wing and tail as in tabuensis. RANGE.-Futuna, Alofa and'Uea Islands, Differs from tabuensis by smaller size, central Polynesia. lighter color above and below, by the Uea birds average larger Eand slightly broader and more conspicuous streaking darker than the Futuna serines, but the below and apparently by the prevalence of difference is not sufficient for subspecific a yellow iris. separation. This race is remairkably simi- There is some geographical variation lar to the Ongea Levu popula,tion of viti- within the Fijian Archipelago which is, ensis which is also somewhat ilntermediate however, more or less obscured by individ- with tabuensis but slightly lighter and ual variation. Birds from Ongea Levu, larger thanfortunae. Lau group, average darker and have, in particular, a very dark crown which con- Aplonis tabuensis rotumite, new trasts with the back. The gloss of the subspecies crown is purple, not greenish; the shaft TYPE.-No. 253880, Amer. Mu, N Hist.; e ad.; Rotuma Island, central Po lynesia; May streaks on the under parts are less well 20, 1925; Whitney South Sea Expedition (J. G. defined; the entire under parts are darker; Correia). the size is larger. This population is some- Similar to vitiensis, but under piarts paler and what intermediate between vitiensis and less contrasting; white shaft stre, on throat and breast less conspicuous, moreaks tabuensis. Birds from the other islands of Feathers of back and rump with'broad grayish the Lau group are more and more similar margins, not more or less brownish as in vitiensis to typical vitiensis as one goes northward or fortunae; crown also more gray:ish, not much from Ongea Levu. darker than back; bill more slender, less curved. There is considerable individual varia- Very similar to fortunae in the colobr of the under parts, but shaft streaks on abdomer broader, and tion and much modification due to wear. whitish area on lower abdomen mlOre extensive; Worn birds look quite different from fresh culmen less abruptly curved. Iris yellow. specimens by being paler above and below, Wing, e 107-112 (109.1), 9 10( )-108 (103.8); tail, e 62-67 (64.0), 9 58-63 (60. more brownish, less glossy above and by 21-22.5; bill from nostril, 12-13.5 tarsus, 26- having broader and more conspicuous 28. shaft streaks. WING TAIL Ongea Levu 17 e 107-115 (111.1) 62-69 (66.3) 8 9 102-110 (106.9) 60-65 (63.4) Mothe, Komo 8 e 105-112 (109.4) 61-68 (64.1) Olorua | 10 9 102-108 (105.1) 58-64 (61.5) Lakemba 12 cP 107-114 (110.6) 61-69 (64.5) 3 9 102, 105, 106 58-62 (60.8) Totoya 5 ci 103-108 (105.5) 61-65 (63.4) Moala 6 e 98-104 (101.2) 57-64 (60.2) Vanua 13 e 101-111 (106.2) 56-67 (62.4) Mbalavu J 7 9 97-105 (102.0) 54-62 (59.5) Viti Levu 77: 100-109 (104.6) 59-66 (62.7) Ovalau J 9 9 98-103 (101.1) 57-64 (59.9) Kandavu group 11 ce 98-106 (102.7) 56-64 (59.7) 5 9 96-102 (99.3) 55-61 (57.8) 1942 ] BIRDS OF THE WHITNEY EXPEDITION. XLVIII 5

Culmen, 21-23; bill from nostril, 12-13; tar- mens crown paler and back more grayish; color sus, 26-27. of dark upper parts gradually merging with lighter cqlored lower parts along sides of head and breast, not sharply contrasting as in for- RANGE.-Fiji Islands: Ongea Levu (y), tunae. Size larger, iris brown, not yellow. Fulanga (y), Yangasa Cluster (y), Mar- Wing, o1 ad. 108-115 (112.6), 9 ad. 104-108 ambo (y), Kambara (y), Wangava (y), (106.3); tail, e 62-68 (65.2), 9 60-63 (61.2). Tavunasithi (y), Namuka ilau (y), Komo Culmen, 23-24: bill from nostril, 12-14.5; tar- (y), Mothe (y), Olorua (y), Oneata (y), sus, 26-27. Aiwa (y, b), Lakemba (y, b), Vanua masi RANGE.-Reef Islands (Lomlom), Swal- (y), Matuku (b), Totoya (b), Moala (b), low Islands (Nepani, Matema) and Tina- Vanua vatu (y), Naiau (b), Thithia (b), kula Island, Santa Cruz Islands. Tuvutha (y), Katavanga (y), Mango (y, b), A series of four birds collected by the Munia (b, y), Thikombia ilau (b), Sovu Templeton Crocker Expedition on Matema Rocks (y), Avea (b), Vanua Mbalavu Island, Swallow group, which I was per- (b, y), Kimbombo (b), Naitamba (b, y), mitted to examine through the kindness of Wailangilala (y, b), Vatu vara (y), Yathala the authorities of the California Academy (y, b), Vatanua (y, b), Thikombia (-), of Sciences, is in rather fresh plumage Ngele Levu (y), Nukumbasanga (y), (collected July 7, 1933). They are partic- Nanuku Levu (y), Taviuni (b), Rambi (b), ularly valuable for a comparison with a Kio (b), Yendua (b), Namena (b), Makon- series in fresh plumage from Tinakula, gai (b), Wakaya (b), Ngau (-), Ovalau Santa Cruz Islands. The latter has the (b), Viti Levu (b), Vatu Leile (b), Naviti crown lighter, less contrasting with the (b), Yasawa (b), Kandavu (b), Ono (b), back, gloss more purplish, less green; under Yankuve (b), Ndravuni (b), Vanua Kula parts lighter; bill shorter. The difference (b). is, however, too slight for subspecific The letters in parentheses after the names recognition. of the islands indicate whether the birds of these islands have the iris yellow (y) or brown (b), or whether both kinds of colora- Aplonis tabuensis tucopiae, new tion occur. It is remarkable that all the subspecies birds from the western and northern Fijis TYPE.-No. 216382, Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist.; ce ad.; Tucopia Island, February 11, 1927; (Kandavu, Viti Levu, Taviuni, etc.) have Whitney South Sea Expedition (R. H. Beck). a brown iris, while all the birds in the south- A uniformly brownish bird without streaking ern part of the Lau Archipelago have the on the under parts and with very little gloss; iris yellow. In a rather narrow contact upper parts paler and browner than in fortunae, with the purplish-brown crown hardly darker zone both types of iris coloration occur. than the back; sides of head and ear-coverts This is the same region in which we have brown, merging into the brownish gray of the evidence of hybridization in many other throat; feathers of back brown with paler edges species of Fijian birds. but without gloss; wing-feathers brown, not black, with no, or very little, gloss on the primary-coverts; margins of outer secondaries Aplonis tabuensis pachyrhamphus, new dirty white; tail brown. Under parts a uniform subspecies pale brownish gray, darker on breast, paler in TYPE.-NO. 216328, Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist.; middle of belly and on under tail-coverts; a few ad.; Lomlom Island, Reef Islands, October of the breast-feathers have light colored shafts. 12, 1926; Whitney South Sea Expedition (R. H. Iris yellowish or brown. Beck). Wing, e 106-109 (107.0), 9 105; tail, e 64, Similar to fortunae but bill shorter and heavier, 65, 67, 9 60, 61, 61. Culmen, 20.5-21; bill about 7.6-7.9 mm. high as against 6.8-7.0 in from nostril, 11.5-12; tarsus, 26-27. fortunae; under parts duller, darker and more brown, particularly on throat and upper breast; RANGE.-Tucopia Island, east of Santa no white shaft streaks on throat and upper Cruz Islands. breast; shaft streaks on lower breast and flanks The entire series, collected February 11, less well defined and more drop shaped; upper 1927, is moulting, and it is probable that parts very variable, according to plumage condi- tion; in very fresh specimens crown very dark, the measurements of wing and tail are sharply contrasting with back; in worn speci- actually somewhat larger. 6 AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES [No. 1166

Aplonis zelandicus zelandicus (Quoy and brighter and buffier; upper parts very similar, Gaimard) but crown more washed with rufous; tail more Lamprotornis zelandicus QUOY AND GAIMARD, blackish brown; chestnut of wing paler. 1830, Voy. Astrolab., 1, p. 190, P1. 9, fig. 1.- Wing, e 106-114 (110.2), 9 103-111 (105.7); "New Zealand," in error for Vanikoro Island. tail, e 62-68 (64.7), 9 59-68 (63.8). Culmen, Upper parts a dull brownish fuscous; crown 24-25; tarsus, 28. and nape with an indistinct dark streaking; RANGE.-Central and northern New feathers of back, if fresh, with a faint indication Hebrides and Banks Islands. of a greenish gloss; feathers of lower back more rufous, rump and upper tail-coverts tawny; The Whitney Expedition obtained this lores blackish; under parts buffy gray, darkest subspecies on Paama, Lopevi, Pentecost, on breast, palest on upper throat and crissum; Aoba, Malekula, Malo, Santo, Bligh and flanks and under tail-coverts tawny chestnut; Gaua Islands. The type locality is sup- wings brown, part of the outer webs of the eight inner primaries and six outer secondaries rufous posedly Efate Island, but L. L. Layard chestnut; basal part of the inner webs of most states distinctly that he had never come wing feathers pale rufous; primary coverts across the species on his several visits to blackish; wing-coverts and scapulars more or Efate, but that the type was "forwarded less as back. Females as males, but smaller and slightly in alcohol." The Whitney Expedition did paler. Iris brown. not encounter the species on Efate, and it Wing, e ad. 103-106 (104.5), e imm. 98.5, is quite possible that the type specimen 99, 9 99.5, 101; tail, e ad. 59-61 (59.5), e came from one of the other islands. imm. 56.5, 57.5, 9 55. Culmen, 23-24; bill are from nostril, 13.0-13.5; tarsus, 24.5-25. Birds from the Banks Islands slightly RANGE.-Vanikoro Island, Santa Cruz smaller than New Hebrides specimens, but Islands. the difference is not sufficient for sub- This species was, by mistake, described specific recognition. from New Zealand, but there is no doubt Aplonis atrifuscus (Peale) that Vanikoro is the true type locality, Lamprotornis atrifusca PEALE, 1848, U. S. Ex- since this is the only island in the range of plor. Exped., 7 (Birds), p. 109.-Upolu, Samoa. the Rufous-winged Starling that was For a description, see SHARPE, 1890, Cat. visited by the Voyage de l'Astrolabe. Birds Brit. Mus., 13, p. 135. Aplonis zelandicus maxwellii Forbes WING TAIL Upolu Aplonis maxwellii FORBES, 1900, Bull. Liver- 7 e 148-156 (152.1) 100-110 (104.9) pool Mus., 2, p. 116.-Santa Cruz Island. 4 9 142-148 (144.2) 97-105 (102.5) Similar to zelandicus but slightly darker and Savaii much larger. 8 e 152-159 (156.0) 105-113 (109.8) Wing, 4 e 115-120 (116.8), 1 9 109; tail, 7 9 143-150 (146.2) 97-104 (100.5) e 65, 65, 67, 9 60. Culmen, 25-26.5; bill from Olnin-a nostril, 14-14.5; tarsus, 28-29. 21 e 149-162 (156.2) 100-115 (107.6) RANGE.-Santa Cruz Island, Santa Cruz 8 9 146-149(147.1) 97-105 (99.8) Islands. Culmen, 34-36; bill from nostril, 21-22; tar- This form was compared in its original sus, 35-36 Iris brown. description only with the New Hebrides RANGE.-Upo1u, Savaii, Tutuila, Tau, form rufipennis. The type locality is, Ofu and Olosinga, Samoa. however, given as Santa Cruz Island, and Birds from the Manua Islands (Tau, Ofu, there can be no doubt that the name max- Olosinga) have a slightly heavier and bigger welUii refers to this race. bill than birds from western Samoa. The zelandicus nearest relatives of this species seem to be Aplonis rufipennis Layard A. and Aploni8 rufipennis LAYARD, 1881, Ibis, p. Aplonis zelandicus, grandis, pos- 542.-Vate (Efate) Island, New Hebrides. sibly "Kittlitzia" corvina, a species un- Similar to zelandicus but larger; under parts known to me.