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Show 1879.] MR. W . A. FORBES ON THE GENUS MYZOMELA. 267 Mr. Murray notes of a male from Wokan, Aru Islands, that the eves are "hazel," the " bill and feet black." 12. MYZOMELA PAMMEL^ENA. Myzomelapammeleena, Sclat. P. Z.S. 1877, p. 553. cf ad. nigerrimus, remigum marginibus internis cineraceo-albidis, rostro pedibusque nigris. Long. tot. circa 5, al. 2*7, caud. 2,. rostr. *65, tars. *65 (poll. Angl.) Jun. preecedenti similis, sed omnino sordidior, abdomine et sub-caudalibus rufo-tinctis, et subalaribus albis distincta. Hab. in insulis Admiralitatis. Two specimens, an adult male and a young bird, of this Myzomela were obtained during the stay of the ' Challenger ' at Nares Harbour, Admiralty Islands. It is closely allied to Myzomela nigrita of the Aru Islands and New Guinea ; but the adult male of the new species differs from the more western one bv its black under wing-coverts (although these are white in the young bird), dirty white margins to the remiges, and longer and stouter feet and tarsi. In size it exceeds any specimens I have seen of M. nigrita from the Aru Islands, but is equalled in length of wing and tail by the larger birds from the islands and shores of Geelvink Bay. Mr. Murray marks the hides of the adult bird as " hazel-brown." 13. MYZOMELA EQUES. Cinnyris eques, Less. Voy. Coq. p. 679, t. 31. fig. 1 (1826). Nectarinia eques, Mull. & Schleg. Verhand. p. 62 (1839-1844). Cosmeteira eques, Meyer, Sitzungsber. Wien. Akad. lxx. pp. 215- 217(1874). Cosmeteira minima, VI'aid. Ibis, 1870, p. 50 ( $ )• Omnino cinerascenti-brunnea, subtus dilutior ; stria gulari nitide coccinea ; rostro pedibusque nigro-corneis. Long. al. 3, caud. 2*5, tarsi '6 (poll. Angl.). ( S ex Nova Guinea.) Hab. in Nova Guinea et insulis vicinis. Although generally placed amongst the Nectariniidee, this species in structure and coloration is a true Myzomela, allied to the Australian M. obscura, from which it is at once distinguished by its bright red gular streak. The sexes are similar; but the females are considerably smaller than the males ; and on one of these from Mysol the late Lord Tweeddale founded his species C. minima. Dr. Meyer describes (I. s. c.) the young as having the forehead and top of the head tinged with reddish-an interesting fact, as showing in the young bird a style of coloration not retained in the adult, but occurring in other members of the genus, and therefore probably a more primitive character. This species is widely distributed over N e w Guinea, occurring at Dorey (Wallace and Meyer), Rubi, Passim (Meyer), Sorong (Mus. Lugd., fide Salvadori), and W a Samson (Beccari); and D'Albertis found it on the Fly River. It also occurs in Waigiou (Lesson, Wallace, and Bernstein) and M.j%o\Wallace and Hoedt). Count Salvadori |