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Show 268 MR. W. A. FORBES ON THE GENUS MYZOMELA. [Mar. 4, has lent me specimens from Salwatti, and says that in the Leyden Museum there is one said to be from Ceram (Moens), but that this locality, as well as Gilolo (Forsten), are in all probability errors. 14. MYZOMELA OBSCURA. Myzomela obscura, Gould, P. Z. S. 1842, p. 136 ; id. B.A. iv. pi. 67 ; id. Handb. i. p. 559. Ptilotisfumata, "Mull. Mus. Lugd., ex Nova Guinea," Bp. Consp. i. p. 392 (1850). Omnino griseo-brunnea, subtus pallidior, capite vinaceo tincto; remigibus externe subtilissime griseo limbatis; alis caudaque griseis, remigum margine interna albida.; rostro pedibusque nigro-corneis. Long. al. 2 7, caud. 2*2, rostr. *6, tars. '6 (poll. Angl.). Hab. in Australia septentrionali et Nova Guinea. This plainly-coloured Honey-eater was first described by Mr. Gould from specimens obtained at Port Essington by Gilbert. It seems to have rather a wide range over the northern parts of Australia, occurring at Port Darwin (Masters), Cape York (' Challenger'), and in the north of Queensland "as far south as the tMary river" (Ramsay). D'Albertis found it at Naiabui and on the Fly River; and there are specimens from the river Utanata in the Leyden M u s e u m- the originals of Bonaparte's " Ptilotis fumata" (cf. Salvadori, Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. xii. p. 334, 1878). The sexes are similar. I have not seen young birds. The iris has been variously recorded as " red " (Gould), " brown" (Murray), and "black" (D^Albertis). 15. MYZOMELA SIMPLEX. Myzomela simplex, G. R. Gray, P. Z.S. 1860, p. 349. Sordide griseo-brunnea, subtus dilutior; remigibus et rectricibus rubido limbatis; margine interna remigum albida; rostro pedibusque cornels, his pallidioribus. Long. tot. 5*2, al. 2*3. caud. 2, rostr. *5, tarsi *6 (poll. Angl.). Hab. in Halmahera et insulis adjacentibus. This plainly-coloured Myzomela was first discovered by Wallace in the island of Batchian, and it also occurs in most of the other islands of the Halmahera group of the Moluccas, but is replaced on Obi by the nearly allied Myzomela rubrotincta. Count Salvadori informs m e that he has seen " man)- specimens in the Leyden Museum from Gilolo (Bernstein), Tidore (Bernstein, Von Rosenberg), and Dammar (Bernstein). A specimen from Ternate (Bruijn) is in Turati's collection. A single specimen from Morty in the Museum of Leyden is much darker than the others." This species is allied to M. rubrobrunnea and M. rubrotincta, but differs from them in the less extent of the red colour, which is confined to the margins of the quills and tail-feathers. The sexes are probably similar in colour; I have not seen the young bird. |