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NOTES ON PABADISEIDAE. 



By the HON. WALTER ROTHSCHILD. 



1. On the Genus Manucodia. 



IN the series of M. atra now in the Triug Musenrn 1 was always struck with the 

 great variation exhibited both in size and colour. The green, bine, and purple 

 reflections vary iu extent, and also in their respective positions ; in fact, of two 

 Wuigen sjiecimens, one i.s entirely washed with metallic green, the other entirely 

 with purple. These variations in size and colour do not, however, appear to be 

 local, and therefore have no subspecific value, and are not constant enough to be 

 of specitic value.- 



My material consists of the following specimens : 6 from the Arn Islands, fi 

 from Waigen, 2 from Yule Island, 1 from Mansinam, 1 from Batanta, 4 from 

 Dorey, 3 from Takar, 1 from Kapaur, 2 from British New Guinea, and 2 from 

 German New Guinea. 



M. chahjbata occurs all over New Guinea, except on the shores of Geelvink 

 Bay, where it is replaced by M. jobiensis rubiensis (A. B. Meyer), while typical 

 M. jobiensis occur on the islands in that bay. 



Dr. A. B. Meyer, of Dresden, first pointed out the sujiposed differences between 

 eastern and western forms of M. chahjbata, saying that eastern specimens were less 

 green and more bine in colour. Count Salvadori founded a new species on the 

 eastern forms, calling it Manucodia orientalis. While admitting that some of the 

 eastern specimens are more purple-blue, I have western specimens from Kapaur 

 which are more so than most eastern ones, and some eastern specimens are greener ur 

 quite as green as the western birds. As to the alleged differences in size and shape 

 of the beak, they are partly sexual and partly individual variation. I therefore am 

 obliged to sink Manucodia orientalis as a synonym of Manucodia chahjbata. 



M. jobiensis Salvad. is rare in collections, but I have received it from Jobi 

 Island I'rom Doherty. The differences said to distinguish it from M. chahjbata by 

 Salvadori are only partly to be found in Jobi specimens. The supposed " green 

 head,'' which is said to characterise it, is not to be seen in my skins. In fact there 

 are skins of M. chahjbata which have a more greenish head than M. jobiensis. The 

 margins of the feathers of the abdomen cannot be called green, but arc loss purple 

 than iu most M. chahjbata. What distinguish J/, jobiensis specifically from 

 M. chahjbata are the uniformity of the under parts and the less curly structure of 

 the feathers. While in M. chahjbata the foreneck is distinctly green, sharply 

 separated from the purplish blue breast and abdomen, the throat, breast, and 

 abdomen arc steel-blue with a greenish gloss and ])ractically of the same colour 

 iu M. jobiensis. The feathers of the neck, back, and abdomen are of a different 

 structure and less curly in M. jobiensis, so that this species stands iu this character 

 between M. chaljbala and M. atra. 



Still rarer in collections than M. jobiensis is M. rubiensis A. B. Meyer. It 

 has been founded on specimens i'rom Kubi, on the southernmost part of Geelvink 

 Bay, and its describer has also specimens from Kafu, on the north coast of New 



