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Show 270 MR. W. A. FORBES ON THE GENUS MYZOMEZA. [Mar. 4, griseis; rostro pedibusque nigris. Long. tot. circa 4, al. 2*2, caud. 15, rostr. *55, tars. *5 (poll. Angl.) Hab. in montibus Arfak Novae Guinese. This very beautiful Myzomela, at once distinguished from all others of this group yet described by its uniformly red colour, was first obtained by Dr. Meyer, in the Arfak Mountains in 1873. Only one specimen, an adult male, was procured ; and this and another specimen, likewise a male and nearly or quite adult, procured by Bruijn's collectors in the same locality, and now in the Genoa Museum, are, I believe, the only examples yet brought to Europe of this splendid little bird. A short time ago Mr. E. P. Ramsay, of the Sydney Museum, described two new species of Myzomela, both remarkable for their nearly uniform red coloration. One is indicated as a female and from the Duke-of-York Islands (M. coccinea) ; the other, a young male, (M. erythrina) is from New Ireland. Of it Mr. Ramsay says :- " This species is smaller than the preceding, and the bill is comparatively stronger and stouter; otherwise I should be inclined to consider it the young of the former." From his description it is evidently a young bird; and after having carefully compared both it and that of the other species with Dr. Meyer's and Count Salvadori's specimens, I have come to the conclusion that both M. coccinea and erythrina are probably referable to M. cruentata. If this is so, it would seem, provided Ramsay's specimens are correctly sexed, that the adults of this species are nearly or quite similar in coloration. The species probably has a wide range through N e w Guinea eastward of the Arfak Mountains. 19. MYZOMELA RUBRATRA. Cinnyris rubrater, Less. Voy. Coquille, Zool. p. 678 (1826) ; id. Man. ii. p. 55 (1828) ; Kittlitz, Kupf. Vog. t. 8. fig. 1 (1832). Myzomela rubratra, Bp. C. R. xxxviii. p. 263, 1854 ; Hartl. P. Z. S. 1868, p. 5 ; Hartl. & Finsch, P. Z. S. 1872, p. 94 ; Finsch, Journ. God. Mus. xii. p. 26 (1876). Myzomela major, Bp. C. 11. xxxviii. p. 263 (1854). (Ins. Carol.) Myzomela sanguinolenta, pt., Grav (uec Lath.), Gen. B. i. p. 118 ; Bp. Consp. i. p. 394 (1850). Ad. coccinea, alis, cauda, crisso et subcaudalibus nigricantibus; alis caudacpie subtus griseis, remigum margine interna albida; rostro nigricante, pedibus cornels. Long. al. 2*95, caud. 2*3, rostr. *65, tars. '75, (poll. Angl.). Jr. olivaceo-brunnea, remigibus externe olivaceis; subalaribus obscuris. Hab. in insulis Pelewensibus, Marianis, el Carolinis. This species belongs to the group of M. cardinalis, nigriventris, and chermesina, but is at once distinguished from all of these by the greater extent of the red colour in the adult, only the vent and under tail-coverts being black. _ Myzomela major was founded by Bonaparte on specimens of this bird from the Caroline Islands, and characterized as " Similis M. |