( 07 ) 



ON A SUPPOSED NEW SPECIES AND SOME VARIETIES 



OF GOUBA. 



By KRNST HARTERT. 



A CURIOUSLY coloured and somewhat small Guurn was found among a lot of 

 Arfak trade-skins. Both Mr. Kothschild and I were inclined to think that 

 it was merely an extraordinary variety of Goura cormvda Linn. Some of our friends, 

 however, were of opinion tliat we liad got a good new species, and JMessrs. R. Bowdler 

 Sharpe and Ogilvie Grant of the British Museum, when asked for their opinion, said 

 that they could not regard the specimen as an abnormal variety, but rather believed 

 it to be an undescribed species. I, therefore, think it best to describe the bird in 

 question as follows : — 



1. Goura cinerea sp. nov. 



General colour above and below cinereous, darker and almost slate-grev on the 

 rump and upper tail-co\erts, lighter and more like " pearl-grey " (Ridgw., Nomencl. 

 Vvl., PI. ii., fig. 20) on the crest, which has the same form as that of G. coronata. 

 Lores and a broad ring round the eye of short soft black feathers. A band across the 

 back, formed of the tips of the feathers, which have slate-grev bases, and tips of the 

 up})er wing-coverts of a tint lietween tawny ochraceous and ochraceous rufous of 

 Kidgway {Nomencl. C'oL, VI. x., figs. 4 and 5), and entirely different from the deep 

 chestnut of the same parts in G. coronata, which, e^-en when bleached, could hardh' 

 become anytliing like this colour. Greater upper wing-coverts and secondarv quills 

 whitish grey, darker at base. Primaries slate-colour, paler along the shaft. Rectrices 

 slaty grey, lighter cinereous close to tlie shaft, and with a broad cinereous liand at the 

 tip. Lender wing- and tail-coverts slaty grey. Bill and feet in skin of a light 

 yellowish or brownish colour. Bill, 4'5 cm.; wing, 34 cm. (= 13'4 inches); taih 

 25 cm. ; tarsus, 9 cm. ; middle toe with claw, 7 cm. 



Hab. Dutch New Giunea, Arfak Region. 



The reason why we were at first so very doubtful as to the specific value of tliis 

 bird, and which makes us still hesitate, tliough it was desirable to descrilie it in any 

 case, is the existence of some obvious varieties in the Tring JMuseura, wliich show that 

 variation not seldom occurs in G. coroniitK. 



One of them is entirely like typical specimens, but the primaries, the series of 

 the greater wing-coverts, some of the smaller wing-coverts, most of tlie under wing- 

 coverts, and a few featliers on tlie belly are snoiv-ivhitc. 



The other, most interesting specimen, is above and below bluish cinereous, mucii 

 like G. cinerea, but somewhat more bluish, and the longest upper tail-coverts have 

 ke) it their usual colour. The wings and the tail are of a curious delicate lavender- 

 buff colour; the cre.st is very ])ale, .say cinereous buff; the ring of short feathers roinid 



