OCR Text |
Show 1879.] MR. *W. A. FORBES ON THE GENUS MYZOMELA. 263 darker," and further proposes to separate it and the Aru form as new species, Myzomela infuscata. But the bird from Mon, which Count Salvadori has most kindly lent me, differs from the Aru birds in its much lighter colours above, which are moderately dark greyish brown, not brownish black, and in the dark colour on the breast shading off more gradually into that of the flanks and abdomen, so that there is less appearance of a dark pectoral band. The anteocular spot is brown. The size is about the same as that of the bird described above (from a specimen in Mr. Godman's collection, collected by Cockerell, and agreeing with Wallace's Aru skin in the British Museum). Not having seen an authenticated adult Australian specimen, I cannot say whether the New-Guinea bird is or is not identical with that from Australia; but it certainly differs considerably from the Aru birds in colour. If on further investigation the Aru bird proves really distinct, it will have to stand as Myzomela infuscata, Salvad. in litt. On the other hand, if Mr. Gould's figure and description are correct, it would seem that the bird from Southern New Guinea is distinct. I have not seen the female of this species. Mr. Gould describes it as "uniform brown above, lighter beneath."1 Count Salvadori describes the female of M. infuscata thus :-"Brun-neo- grisea, subtus pallidior, fronte et gula late rubris; remigibus exterius subtiliter olivaceo-marginatis ;" and this description closely agrees with a young male from the Aru Islands in the British M u seum, in which, however, there are also some red feathers on the back. Gould gives theirides as "reddish brown," D'Albertis as "black." In Australia, Myzomela erythrocephala is confined to the northern districts, having occurred at Port Essington (Gould), Port Darwin (Masters), and Cape York (Ramsay's list of Australian birds). It was included in Marie's list of New Caledonian birds (Ibis, 1877, p. 362), but is omitted by Verreaux and Desmurs, and Mr. Layard has as yet not found it. M. Oustalet, too, tells me that he has not seen it from the mainland of N e w Caledonia. 7. MYZOMELA VULNERATA. Nectarinia (Myzomela) vulnerata, Miill. Verh., Land- en Volk. p. 172 (1839-44) ; id. Verh., Zool. pi. 10. figs. 3, 4. Fusco-nigricans, capitis supra macula magna, gula et uropygio san-guineis; abdomine, subcaudalibus, subalaribus, et margine remigum interna albis; rostro nigro, pedibus plumbeis. Long, al, 2*caud. 2, rostr. *5, tars. *53 (poll. Angl.). Hab. in insula Timor. This very distinct species is confined to the island of Timor. It is somewhat allied to M. boieei and ergthrocephala, but is at once distinguished from both by the red on the head being confined to the vertex and throat, and by the much darker tint of that colour. The female is similar to the male, but smaller, with the colours less distinct. The irides are reddish brown (Sal. Muller). 1 In the plate the forehead is shown as tinged with red. |