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Show 1879.] MR. W. A. FORBES ON THE GENUS MYZOMELA. 271 rubratrse, sed major et percoccinea." But any such difference in size is not constant, and Dr. Hartlaub says (I. c.) that Pelew birds are as large as Caroline ones. The young bird is nearly uniformly dark olive-brown, and gradually attains its full plumage by the gradual appearance of the red on various parts of its body. M. rubratra is remarkable for its wide range over the archipelagos of the North-eastern Pacific. Lesson found it on the island of Ualan in the east of the Caroline group (his assertion that it was also found in the Philippines by M . Dussumier being of course erroneous), as did Kittlitz, who gives an interesting account of the habits of this species as observed by him on this island and the Marianne Island of Guam (Denkwiird. ein. Reise, i. pp. 364 and 381, 1858). Kubary found it on Ponape in the east, and on Yap and the Mackenzie Islands in the west, of the Carolines ; so that it is probably found all over that archipelago. Specimens from these islands are in the Godeffroy Museum ; likewise examples from the Pelews (or Palaos). Gray, in his Catalogue of Pacific birds, gives " Island of Vanicoro" with a query ; but in all probability this is a mistake, for as yet no Myzomela has been found there. 20. MYZOMELA NIGRIVENTRIS. Myzomela nigriventris, Peale, U.S. Expl. Exped. p. 150, pi. f. 2 (1848) ; Cassin, U.S. Expl. Exped. p. 175, pi. 12. f. i. (1858); H. & F. Orn. Centralpolyn. p. 56, t. 7. f. 3 and 4 (ad. and jr.). Myzomela rubratra Hartl. (nee Lesson), Wiegm. Arch. 1852, p. 130 (ex Samoa). Myzomela cardinalis Hartl. (nee Gmel.), Wiegm. Arch. 1852, p. 109. "Myzomela arnouxi, Verr.," Bonaparte, C. R. xxxviii. p. 263 (1854). Ad. capite, dorso uropygioque cum pectore fulgido-coccineis, plumis ad basin nigris ; corpore subtus, macula anteoculari, alis caudaque nigris ; remigibus interne albidis ; rostro pedibusque nigris. Long. al. 2*75, caud. 1'8, rostr. *65, tars. *7 (poll. Angl.). Jr. olivaceo-fusca, subtus dilutior et flavido lavata; uropygio rubro tincto ; remigibus olivaceo-limbatis ; subalaribus et margine interna remigum albis. Hab. in insulis Samoensibus. This species is very closely allied to M. cardinalis, which it replaces in the Samoa group. The differences between the two I have pointed out under the last-named species. From M. rubratra, with which it was at first confounded, both these species differ in the black flanks and belly, these in M. rubratra being red, only the vent and under tail-coverts being black, whilst the red on the chest in all three of these species easily separates them from M. lifuensis. M. nigriventris is confined to the Samoan Islands, its reported occurrence in the Fijis being erroneons (cf. Layard, Ibis, 1876, p. 391) |