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 169. Urocharis longicauda (Salvad, . 



Melanocharis longicauda Salvadori, Ann. Mas. Cir. Htn. xvi. p. U'.l (1880 — Arfak). 



In this species the second primary is somewhat narrower, largely emarginated 

 or notched on the end of the inner web, and the tip conspicuously curved inwards. 

 (S ad. : above glossy greenish black, tail black with greenish edges, outermost 

 rectrix with the basal two-thirds of the outer web and a more or less sharply 

 defined spot within the distal fourth of the inner web white. Under-surface olive- 

 yellowish, clearer in the middle of the abdomen, more washed with grey on the 

 throat and chest ; nnder wing-coverts white, mostly washed with yellow, axillaries 

 sulphur-yellow, or whitish yellow, inner margins of quills white. Wing in two 

 Arfak specimens (c?) 62—64, in the examples from British New Guinea 

 64'5 — 67 mm. A female from the Aroa River is exactly like the male, except 

 that the upper surface is olive-green. Wing 67 mm. Another female from 

 Arfak has the wing only about 63, and the second primary less curved and 

 less emarginated than in the male. 



We know this species from Arfak and British New Guinea. In 1903 we 

 mistook it for Melanocharis niger. Whether it is desirable to create a new 

 genus for this species, which only differs by having a more emarginate second 

 primary and the tail some millimetres longer, is more than doubtful. Probably we 

 should not have confounded it with Melanocharis niger if it had not been separated 

 generic-ally, but we never thought of another " genus." Subtile splitting of 

 genera advances our knowledge in no way, but makes progress more difficult ! 



Possibly the Arfak form is smaller, but more material is required to prove this. 



We have the following specimens : 



2 c? cT, 1 ? , Arfak, July. Native coll. 



1 <?, Kotoi district, 4000 ft., 13. viii. 98. A. 8. Anthony coll. 



1 <?, Eafa district, 1000—3000 ft. (Purchased from Mcllwraith, Eacharn& Co.) 



1 c?. Said to be from Mt. Gayata, Richardson Range (?), 2000—4000 ft. 

 E. Weiske coll. 



1 S without exact locality. E. Weiske coll. 



2 <?<?, 1 ?, Avera, Aroa River, January and March 1903. A. S. Meek coll. 

 (Nos Al, 411, 413.) "Iris, S, brown (light brown), feet, bill black. ?, iris 

 burnt umber." 



Melanocharis niger niger (Less.). 



Second primary only very slightly emarginated near the tip, and not so 

 curved. Colour almost the same as that of "Urocharis" longicauda, bat upperside 

 of male more blue-black, underside not yellowish, but more olive, only the middle 

 of the abdomen being pale yellowish. Outer web of outer rectrix not white 

 towards base, though sometimes with narrow white edge, inner web not with 

 a white spot, but only with an irregular grey ante-apical shade. 



Waigiu, Arfak Peninsula, Kapaur, north coast of Dutch New Guinea to 

 Humboldt Bay. 



We have the following specimens : 



1 6, 1 ?, Waigiu, November, December 1902. J. Waterstradt coll. 



1 i ad., Sroong, 24. iv. 75. Bruijn coll. (No. j of Salvadori's list in 

 Orn. Pap. ii. p. 284.) 



1 S, 2 ? ?, Arfak, from native hunters. 



