( 77 ) 



webs of the central pair olive-green. Chin and throat white, with some diisky tips 

 to the feathers. Breast and abdomen yellow, separated from the white throat by 

 an ill-defined brownish band. 



This interesting form stands somewhat between Pachycephala melanura and 

 P. collaris in the colour of the tail. It resembles somewhat P. littayei from the 

 Loyalty Islands ; but the male is brighter orange below, and tlie tail differs. This 

 Thickhead has only been met with on Rossel Island and St. Aignan. On the 

 former island it is evidently very common. It is difficult at present to decide 

 whether it should be regarded as a " good species," or cast into the limbo of 

 subspecitic forms pertaining to the melanura group. 



3. Pachycephala meeki Hart. 



Descr. origin, in BaU. B. 0. C. Nov. Meet. 1898. No. LVII. p. 15. 



S ad. Similar to P. lei/coyaster, but diflfers in having the black less sharply 

 defined, and almost passing into the slaty grey-colonr of the back, which is much 

 darker and somewhat more blackish than in P. lencoyaster. Tail almost black, 

 tipped and narrowly edged with grey. Ujiper tail-coverts black in the type- 

 specimen, which is probably the oldest male in the collection, greyish slate, or even 

 grey, with hardly a slaty tinge in some of the others. The colour of the back is 

 also not equally dark in all specimens, lieing not much darker than in P. leucogaster 

 in some of the specimens. The sides of the l)reast and abdomen are grey, not 

 white, as in P. leucogaster and P. arctitorques. Guttural collar black, about 1 mm. 

 wide. Throat, breast, and abdomen white. Thighs slaty grey, tips whitish. Iris 

 browny, bill and feet black. Wing 81 — 82 mm., tail 64, culmen from base 17 mm. 

 ? ad. Differs from the adult male in having the crown uniform with the back, the 

 guttural collar slaty grey instead of black, the abdomen tinged with buff, tail and 

 upper tail-coverts grey, not blackish. Less mature females were by a mistake 

 described as the adult /«;w«fe in the Bull. B. 0. C. {I.e.). They are above mouse- 

 brown, more greyish on the njiper tail-coverts ; an indistinct line over the eyes and 

 ear-coverts rufous brown. Throat bnfty white, remainder of nndersurface rusty 

 buff', chest with a few small and narrow blackish lines. Middle of abdomen whitish, 

 sides of chest and flanks washed with brownish grey. Under wing- and under tail- 

 coverts pale buff', almost white. In a still younger age they are above, especially on 

 the edges of the.rectrices, slightly tinged with greenish olive, the secondaries and 

 upper wing-coverts are broadly edged with rusty rufous, the nndersurface heavily 

 marked with blackish brown shaft-stripes. Bill pale brown. 



This most interesting Thickhead is evidently common on Kossel Island. 



4. Edoliosoma rostratum Hart. 



Descr. origin, in Bull. B. O. C. Dec. Meet. 1>>98. No. LVIII. p. 2U. 



S ad. Bluish slate-colour, ear-coverts darker, almost black, lores, chin, and line 

 at gape black. Remiges black, inner webs broadly margined with white, this white 

 extending over the basal half of the inner web in the primaries, but gradually increas- 

 ii:ig, and in the secondaries almost reaching to the tip. Outer webs of the remiges 

 bordered with slaty grey, lighter than the back. Central rectrices slaty grey like the 

 back, black along the shaft, and broadly tipped with black. The other rectrices 



