( 64 ) 



often a distinct, thongii narrow, blue line between the ebestnnt colour of the 

 hind-ne.'k and tlje green back ; otherwise this form is like mar/i/o/i, and those with 

 wider reddish tips to the feathers of the hind-neck difter very little from the latter. 



7. Pitta mackloti finschi Ramsay. 



This interesting Pitta is common on the D'Entrecasteanx Islands, Fergnsson 

 and Goodenough. We have ten skins collected by Meek. It was originally 

 described from New Guinea, but we doubt the correctness of that statement. 

 P.f7ischi agrees perfectly with P. loriae in the colouration of the head and neck, 

 but differs from the latter form in the uniform blue upper surface from the neck 

 backwards. Specimens said to have come from the same locality, and being 

 perfectly similar, except in having an oil-green back, were identified by Ramsay 

 &i females of his P. finschi, while Dr. Finsch declared them to be mackloti. From 

 Dr. Ramsay's words it is evident that these individuals were P. loriae. Females 

 of P. finschi have the back just as blue as the males. Mr. Elliott (Monograph 

 Pittidae, 1S95) unites P. finschi with P. ci/anonota, which is a Moluccan" form. 

 This statement is quite erroneous, as P. cijanonota is much smaller, has the 

 fore-ueck, head and nape lighter and more red, and a much narrower black line 

 separating the blue chest from the red abdomen. 



II.— PSITTACI. 



1. Chalcopsittacus ater ater (Scop.). 



The typical ater is api)arently confined to the islands of Salwatty and Batanta, 

 and to the opposite coast of New Guinea— Dorei Hum, Has, Sorong. We have 

 never seen an authentic specimen from the northern coast of the Beran Peninsula, 

 from Dorei, Andai, Mansinam, nor from Kapaur and Etna Bay. Our nine 

 specimens are partly from Salwatty, partly without exact locality. The statement 

 that it occurs on Waigiu is probably erroneous. 



2. Chalcopsittacus ater bernsteini Rosenb. 



Differs from typical ater generally in the following three characters : The 

 feathers of the tibiae are more regularly and brighter red, especially on the inside. 

 The forehead is more or less tinged with red on its foremost edge. The i)rimaries 

 have often a large bright red patch, from total absence or a mere indication to 

 three centimetres in length. This last peculiarity is conspicuous in six out of nine 

 examples from Mysol, while we cannot find it in one of our Salwatty series. 



Ch. ater bernsteini is only known from Mysol, whence we have a series of nine. 



3. Chalcopsittacus scintillatus scintillatus (Temm.). 



Doherty bought a yonng bird with black head at Waropen, on the east coast 

 of Geelvink Bay. 



We have a very tine series from Dobbo, Trangan, and Kobroor (Aru Islands), 

 but our scries from New Guinea is very poor. 



We cannot, therefore, at present decide whether the Arn form {rif/jri/ron.s of 

 Gray) can be separated from true scintillatus. We may, however, remark that 

 young individuals have little or no red on the forehead, and that the colour of 



