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ON SOME BIRDS FROM CAPE YORK, NORTH QUEENSLAND. 



By ERNST HARTERT. 



THE foUiiwing notes are made from specimens which formed part of a large 

 and fine collection bronght together at (Jape York by Mr. Albert S. Meek's 

 collectors during the months June and July, 1898. The excellent preservation and 

 notes which were made in accordance with our instructions and on labels provided 

 by us for the purpose, induced me to study some of the species, and these notes are 

 the result of my investigations. 



In addition to an unexjiected new species of Poephila, the collection contained 

 a number of forms which diifer subspecifically from those of other parts of Australia. 

 The fauna of the Cape York Peninsula is of special interest not only in comparison 

 with Australia, but also because so many Papuan forms extend there. There seems 

 to be a tendency in many of the birds from Cape York to become brighter and 

 smaller than those inhabiting the more southern parts of Australia. No doubt 

 several more subspecies will be separated iu future, when more material is available 

 for comparison from different parts of Australia. 



1. Pachycephala peninsulae Hart. 



In Bull. B. 0. Clu6,v. VIII. p. 33 this form is described as follows: "<S Top 

 of head ashy brown ; remainder of upper surface, including tail, olive-green. 

 Remiges blackish ; inner webs with whitish borders ; outer webs edged with greenish 

 olive. Lores ashy ; an indistinct pale buflf'y eyebrow. Sides of head ashy brown. 

 Throat white (with indistinct grey striations). Breast light yellowish grey, with 

 darker shaft-lines ; abdomen pale sulpliur-yellow, with dark shaft-stripes. Under 

 wing-coverts white, with a faint 3'ellow tinge, those towards the bend of the wing 

 brownish, with a yellow tinge. Iris brown, feet light bluish slate. Bill brown. 

 Wing 78-79, tail 63, culmen 16-^, tarsus 20 mm." 



Younger individuals have the crown uniform with the back and the quills rufous 

 on the outer webs. 



This interesting form is closely allied to P. yriseiceps from Dutch New Guinea, 

 which is considered to be the same as the Am bird, and I believe riglitly. It differs 

 from P. griseiceps in being slightly smaller, in having distinct striations, in the 

 form of shaft-lines, to the underside, especially to the breast, and in being more 

 greenish, much less brownish and olive on the upperside. The crown is also purer 

 grey, not so brownish. 



Pachycephala alherti (Nov. Zool. v. V. p. Wl',),) has also the distinct striations 

 on the underside, like F. peninsulae, but it has a longer beak, and is as olive-brown 

 above as P. griseiceps. 



A bird from Gagi, near Waigiu, is another form, a large subspecies of 

 P. griseiceps, without a name, but resembling /-". griseiceps jobiensis (Nov. Zool. 

 V. V. p. 523). 



