106 THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE LINKEAN SOCIETY 



spots on the interspaces of the outer webs towards the end of 

 the feathers ; upper wing coverts barred like the quills, but less 

 distinctly, and show white spots on the interspaces of the outer 

 webs towards the tip ; tail rufous brown above, paler dull brown 

 below, crossed with nine or ten dark bars, the interspaces on all, 

 except the centre two quills, becoming whitish towards the base 

 of the inner webs, and spotted with dull white towards the end 

 on the outer webs ; * legs and tarsi, rufous brown, shaded 

 with darker ; bristles on the feet, yellowish ; bill, dusky at the 

 base, light horn colour at the tip ; claws, yellowish at the base, 

 blackish at the ends. 



Total length, 11 inches; wing, 8*2 inches; tail, 5 inches; 

 tarsus, 1'4 inches; middle toe, 1*15 inches; bill, from forehead, 

 1*15 inches ; from nostril, 07 inch ; from gape, 1*1 inches ; cul- 

 men, from cere to tip, 0'8 inch ; from the tip of the bill to the 

 back of the head, 2 '2 inches. 



Hab. New Britain. 



I was at first inclined to consider this species identical with 

 the Noctua variegata of Quoy and Gaimard, but after a closer 

 comparison of the skin with Dr. Kaup's description of that 

 species, and as I find he states f " the front, face, and chin, 

 whitish," which they certainly are not in the bird I have re- 

 ceived from New Britain. I have thought it necessary to dis- 

 tinguish this species, under the name of novce britannice, although 

 I do not altogether hold with the practice of creating new 

 species upon such trivial, and, which may hereafter prove to be, 

 only local differences. In other respects this species agrees very 

 well with Ninox (Ieraglaux, Kp.J variegata. 



Myzomela coccinea, sp. 710V- 



Adult female. The whole of the upper and under surface of 

 the body of a bright rich carmine, duller on the head from the 

 feathers being slightly centered with blackish brown ; wings and 

 tail, dull brown ; the outer webs of all the feathers, except the 

 first and second primaries, margined with dull carmine ; two 



* The outermost featherB of the tail are lost, t Trans. Zool. Soc, Lon., Vol. IV. p. 216. 



