OCR Text |
Show 1879.] MR. W. A. FORBES ON THE GENUS MYZOMELA. 277 has four species, none of which is peculiar, three occurring on the mainland of the v/est part, whilst two are Australian (31. obscura and M. erythrocephala). In the Admiralty Islands there is a single peculiar species, 31. pammeleena, replacing 31. nigrita of the further west. One species, also peculiar, is found in the Solomons (31. lafargii) ; but on which islands has yet to be ascertained. On New Ireland and in the Duke-of-York group only one species, which is probably 31. cruentata, occurs ; whilst M. sclateri alone represents the genus in New Britain, and is peculiar. In N. Australia all five Australian species occur; and 31. pectoralis is confined to that district. M. obscura and 31. erythrocephala are confined to this region in Australia, but range into the Papuan Islands. 31. nigra and 31. sanguinolenta have a wider range over Australia; and the former is the only representative of the genus in W . Australia : both are peculiar. No species occurs in Tasmania. Proceeding to the Polynesian subregion, we find the Fijis inhabited by a single peculiar species (M. jugularis); and the same is the case in the Samoas, where 31. nigriventris occurs, a representative form of 31. cardinalis. The New Hebrides have no less than three species, of which 31. cardinalis is peculiar and found on the more southerly islands of the group (Erromango, Aneiteum, Tanna, & c ) , where it is the sole species. Mallikollo is inhabited (if the localities given can be trusted) by two species-31. caledonica, which also occurs on Vate and Api, and 31. chermesina, which has managed to extend its range to the isolated islet of Rotumah. New Caledonia has but one species, 31. caledonica; whilst on Lifu occurs 31. lifuensis. The Pelews, Mariannes, and Carolines are all inhabited by one species peculiar to these groups, M. rubratra. It is rather remarkable that no species of the genus has yet been found on the Tonga Islands, although these are situated between the Fijis and Samoan Islands; but our present knowledge of the range of the Polynesian species is very imperfect. Many other of these islands have no species of 31yzomela recorded from them ; but I have little doubt that several new species remain to be discovered both here and further west in the islands east of N e w Guinea, as well as on the mainland of that great island itself. The appended Table will show the geographical distribution of the species in a concise form. |