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SOME NEW AND OTHER RAEE BIRDS FROM FERGUSSON 



ISLAND. 



By ERNST HAETERT. 



MR. ALBERT MEEK, an industrious young collector, sent a number of bird- 

 skins from P'ergusson Island, D'Entrecasfeaux Group, the home of 

 Parcidisea decora. Most of them belong to known species, previously recorded 

 from the same group of islands or the neighbouring part of New (iuinea, but 

 some are not referable to previously descrilied forms, or of special interest on 

 account of their distribution. 



1. Pitta finscM Kams. (?). 



Two Plitae from Fergusson Island liave the head deep rufous chocolate-bi'own, 

 darker above, lighter on the sides of the head and on the chin, the rest of 

 the upperside uniform blue ; in other respects they are similar to Pitta inaGkloti. 

 I am not quite sure whether they are referable to P. finschi (Rams., Proc. Linn. 

 Soc. iV.iS'.TF'., ix., p. 804), but I should think they belong to it, as the description 

 quite agrees with my birds, except that the back is not of the same colour as 

 the breast, but much darker and duller ; if not tliey are an undescribed specie.s. 

 Pitta loriae >Salvad. (Ann. ^Jus. Civ. Genova, xxix., 1890, p. 579, and Elliot, 

 Monograph Piltidae, New Edition) seems to be quite similar, except that it 

 has the back and stripe along the flanks green, while my two specimens have 

 no nhade of green. Like Salvador!, I am puzzled by Ramsay's remark that some 

 green-backed specimens were females or young, though Finscli believed them to 

 belong to P. macMoti, which is quite differently coloured on the nape. From 

 tlie descriptions I should judge that the bird named Pitta loriae by Salvadori is 

 like the supposed green-backed specimens of P. Ji.nschi of Ramsay. Without 

 comparing both Ramsay's and Salvadori's tyjjes it. will be difficult to clear uj) 

 this case entirely. 



2. Cyclopsittacus virago sp. nov. 



M.\.s. — Cyclopsittac/' araeiisis niari similis, sed macula anteoculari viridi (uec 

 caerulea, ut in (J. arueimi) ; macula infra genas coccineas caerulea (genis totis 

 fascia perfecta hlacino-caeridea cinctis in C. aruensi). 



Femina. — (jenis caerulescentibns, sincipite caeruleo, bunti- macula rotundat-a 

 cocc-inea. 



]Magnitudine Cyclop.sittaci aruensis. 



Hub. Fergusson Island, D'Enti'ecasleanx Group, S.E. of New Guinea. Coll. 

 Albert S. Meek. 



Adult Male. — Alwve green, with a con.spiouous golden yellow wasli on the 

 liack. Below a little lighter and more grass-green. Sinciput, cheeks, and ear- 

 coverts red ; the red clieeks separated from the green of the neck by a blue spot, 

 which in none of tlie nine nudes before me is develoi)ed into such a complete band 

 as in C. (iritensis. A green siiot liefore the eye. Sinciput not separated from the 



