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4. ON A NEW SPECIES OF DENDROCHELIDON, OR TREE SWIFT. BY JOHN GOULD, ESQ., F.R.S., ETC.

The highly interesting group of Tree Swifts forming the genus Dendrochelidon has recently been augmented by the discovery of a new species in Celebes by Mr. Wallace—the fifth of the form with which we are now acquainted—the four previously known being the splendid D. mystaceus of New Guinea and the Aru Islands, the D. comatus of Manilla and Malasia, the old D. klecho of Java, and the D. coronatus of India. The new species (which is the second in size, being only exceeded in this respect by the D. mystaceus) is, as already stated, from Macassar, Celebes; it is most nearly allied to the D. comatus and D. klecho, but differs from both those birds in its much larger size, and in the deep-blue colouring of its shoulders and wings. This bird, which I have named wallacii in honour of its discoverer, may be thus described:—

DENDROCHELIDON WALLACII.

Crown of the head deep green, with steel-blue reflexions; lores black; over each eye an indistinct stripe of greyish-white; sides and back of the neck and the upper part of the back green, passing into grey on the lower part of the back and rump, which colour again passes into the bluish-green of the upper tail-coverts; shoulders blue, with reflexions of green; primaries bluish-black, with green reflexions; tertiaries greyish-white; tail bluish-black; throat and under surface grey, passing into greyish-white on the vent and under tail-coverts; bill and feet olive.

Total length 10 inches; bill, from gape to tip, ½ wing 7 ⅜, tail 5 ⅛.

Remark.—The usual chestnut-coloured mark immediately below the ear, indicative of the male, occurs in this as in the other members of the genus.

Mr. Gould exhibited a specimen of Crithragra brasiliensis, a native of Brazil, forwarded to him by Mr. Stone of Brighthampton, which was shot in October last at Bampton in Oxfordshire, whilst in company with a flock of Sparrows. It had in all probability been brought to this country caged, but had evidently moulted since obtaining its freedom.