7. HTPOSITTA. 365 



7. Sittella papuensis. 



Sitta papuensis, Schl. X. T. D. 8vo, iv. p. 47 (1871) ; Rosenb. Heist. 



n. Geelvinksh. p. 139; id. Malay. Arch. pp. 553, 585 (1879). 

 Sittella papueusis, Sharpe, Zool. Rec. viii. p. 63 (1873) ; Salvad. Arm. 



Mas. Civic. Genov. xvi. p. G3 ; id. Orn. Papuasia e delle Molucche, 



ii. p. 242. 



Above dusky brown, streaked with black and marked with some 

 obsolete white spots ; head aud throat white ; upper tail-coverts 

 white, the rump streaked with black ; breast and abdomen dusky, 

 marked with obsolete white spots ; middle of the abdomen streaked 

 with dusky ; under tail-coverts marked with triangular black spots, 

 terminated with white ; feathers of the neck, back, and scapulars 

 blackish in the middle, the lateral margins dusky brown ; rump and 

 upper tail-coverts white, the former longitudinally streaked with 

 black ; wings dusky, paler below ; anterior lesser wing-coverts of 

 the greater scries white ; third, fourth, and fifth tail-feathers white 

 on the middle portion of the inner web : tail black, the lateral 

 feathers marked with an apical white spot ; bill dusky, the tip black ; 

 feet yellow. Total length 4*75 inches, wing 3-2, tail 1-65, tarsus 

 0-65, bill 0-45. {Salvadori, I. c.) 



Female. Above dusky, varied with blackish ; head black ; upper 

 tail-coverts white ; under surface white, streaked with black, (hal- 

 vadori, I. c.) 



Hab. X.W. Xew Guinea. 



7. HYPOSITTA. ^ 



Type. 

 Hypherpes,^. Ae?p<aw, P. Z. S. 1863, p. 85 {nee C7>aud.) H. coralHrostris. 

 Hypositta, A. Neirfo)!, P. Z. S. 1881, p. 438 H. coraUirostris. 



Head, bill, aud foot of H. coraUirostris. 



Bill shorter than rest of head, broader than high across the 

 nostrils ; culmen sharp and curved downwards, with a small tooth 

 and a notch ; mancUbula curved upwards. jS'ostrils oval, half 

 exposed ; nasal and rictal bristles well developed. First primary 

 equal to half second primary ; tip of wing formed by 4th, 5th, 

 and 6th primaries ; secondaries five sixths of whole wing in length. 

 Tail square, shorter than wing. Tarsus covered with one long 

 scutum anteriorly; hallux and claw very long, surpassing the 

 tarsus and the middle toe. Plumage greenish blue. 



This peculiar bird seems to be somewhat intermediate between 

 the Sittince and the Muscimpince. 



Range. Madagascar. 



