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17. Myzomela pallidior Hart. 

 Descr. origiu. in Ball. B. 0. Cluh, Xo. LVIIl. p. 21, December meetiug, 1898. 



This interesting species resembles tbe female of M. alhignla Hart. (ef. antea, 

 p. 79) from Hossel Island, but it is slightly more brownish above, lighter and more 

 brownish below, the breast is not so dark and hardly in contrast witli the abdomen. 

 There are indistinct red tips to the feathers of the forehead and crown. The red 

 streak along the middle of the throat is very distinct in the adult male, but 

 apparently indistinct in the female. The female does not differ from the male in 

 coloration, but is very much smaller. The males measure : — Wing 72 — 74, tail 

 57—61), tarsus about 20, exposed portion of culmen about 18 — 19 mm. Ihefemak 

 measures : — Wing about 67 (rather worn), tail 51 or 52, tarsus 19, culmen 18-5 mm. 

 " Iris brown, bill black, feet bluish slate-colour." 



This bird seems not to be rare on St. Aignan, a good series of Tnales and a 

 female having been sent. 



18. Myzomela nigrita louisiadensis Hart. 



Cf Nov. ZooL. V. p. 527, where this form is described from Sudest Island. 

 Four males and one female from St. Aignan do not differ from the typical birds 

 from Sudest Island. 



19. Zosterops aignani sp. aut subsp. nov. 



Similar to Z. pallidijics Vis {(lutci, p. 80), but differs in being smaller, in 

 being lighter above, lighter and more yellow below, and in having the feet and legs 

 of a dark, brownish black colour, and the bill not blackish brown, but ])alc olive 

 brown (in skin). " The iris is light brown, the feet smoky brown, blackish, or slate 

 colour, the bill flesh-colour, tinted with brown, or very light brown " (Meek). In 

 Z. palUdipes the iris is said to be "brown, the feet dark dirty yellow, the bill above 

 dark brown." Z. aignani is evidently closely allied to Z. palUdipes, and perhaps 

 only a subspecies of the latter, though very distinct. The coloration of the feet 

 and the smaller size are very evident even in skins. Z. aiynani lias the following 

 measurements : — $ : Wing 62'5 — 64, tail 46, exposed portion of culmen 13 — 14, 

 tarsus about 18 mm. ? : Wing 01-5 — 62, tail about 46, culmen 13—14, tarsus 

 about 18 mm. 



A number of nests and eggs are sent. The nests hang in the fork of a twig, 

 and are loosely woven together of rootlets, fibres and fine grasses, not specially 

 lined, but sparsely covered outside with small pieces of wool, bark or parts of insects' 

 cocoons. The eggs are very pale blue, without gloss and without markings. They 

 measure 19 by 13, 17-3 by 13-3, 190 by 131, 18 by 14 or 19 by 13-1 mm. 



This Zosterops seems to represent Z. palUdipes, from which it is quite distinct, 

 on St. Aignan. 



Z. griseilincta (Gray in I'roc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 1858, p. 175, Cat. B. Brit. Mas. 

 IX. p. 189), from an unknown island in the Louisiadc grouii, differs very much 

 from Z. aignani, being much more coloured like Z. pallidijies. It diflers from Z. 

 palUdipes in being paler on the flanks and abdomen, the tarsus is about I or 2 mm. 

 shorter, and the feet are probably blackish in life, although this is not to be seen 

 with certainty in the skin. I believe, therefore, that Z. griseilincta is a third form, 

 probably from Teste or one of the other small islands. As Macgillivray, its 



