5. DICTUM. 21 



n. S ad. sk. Cape York. Voy. of H.M.S. ' Challenger.' 



0, p. cJ ad. sk. Thursday Island, Torres Voy. of H.M.S. ' Alert.' 



Straits (Di: Coppin- 



f/er). 

 q. S ad. sk. Port Darwin (Dr. Co;> Toy. of H.M.S. 'Alert.' 



jiitu/ej-). 

 r. <S ad. sk. Port Essington. Gould Collection. 



«. $ ad. sk. Port Essington ( Cff/j^. Mrs. luce [P.]. 



Lice). 

 t. $ ad. sk. Quail Island. Dr. J. R. Ekey [P.], 



u. cJ ad. sk. York, Western Austra- Gould Collection. 



lia,Aug.l843(j;G.). 



6. Dicaeum ignicoUe. 



DicKum ignicoUe, Gray, P. Z. -S'. 1858, p. 173 ; id. Cat. Mamm. ^ 

 Birds New Gmnea,^}^. 22, 55 (1859;; id. P. Z. S. 1861, p. 434; 

 Pose/lb. Xat. Tijdschr. Xed. Lid. xxv. p. 237 (18G3) ; Finsch, Neu- 

 Guinea, p. 163 (1865) ; Gray, Hand-l. B. i. p. 114, no. 1420 (1869) ; 

 Mosenh. Malay. Arch. p. 364 (1879); Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. 

 Genov. xvi. p. 68 (1880) ; id. Orn. Papuasia etc. ii. p. 278 (1881). 



Adult male (type of species). General colour above dark purplish 

 blue, the wing-coverts like the back ; quills black, externally pur- 

 plish blue like the back ; tail-feathers blue-black ; lores, sides of 

 face, ear-coverts, aud cheeks purplish blue ; throat, fore neck, and 

 chest scarlet, whitish at extreme base of chin, with a black line 

 skirting the edge of the rami of the jaws ; remainder of under- 

 parts light yellow ; the sides of the body and flanks yellowish olive, 

 separated from the scarlet chest by an indistinct shade of purplish 

 blue, which extends on the sides of the upper breast ; in the centre 

 of the breast a broad longitudinal streak of purplish blue ; thighs 

 blackish ; \:nder tail-coverts scarlet ; under wing-coverts aud axil- 

 laries white, with a slight tinge of yellow ; quills blackish below, 

 ashy whitish along the edge of the inner web. Total length 3-5 

 inches, culmen 0;35, wing 2*15, tail 1-1, tarsus 0-45. 



Adult female. Differs from the male in wanting the scarlet throat 

 and purplish breast-patch. Upper surface dingy olive, with a 

 purplish gloss on the back and mantle ; the rump and upper tail- 

 coverts purple, with reddish edges to the feathers ; wing-coverts and 

 quills purplish black, with narrow olive margins to the former ; 

 tail-feathers purplish black ; sides of face and car-coverts dingy 

 olive glossed with purple ; under surface of body dull olive-yellowish, 

 whiter on the throat ; sides of breast and flanks darker olive ; under 

 tail-coverts pale scarlet ; under wing-coverts and axillaries white 

 with a slight yellowish tinge ; quills below blackish, white along the 

 edge of the inner web. Total length 3-5 inches, culmen 0-4, wing 

 1-95, tail 0-95, tarsus 0-45. 



A male bird in fuU plumage is apparently younger than the 

 bird described, as it has the throat lighter scarlet, the breast much 

 more uniform dingy olive, with the pectoral patch of pui-plish blue 

 smaller aud less defined. 



Hab. Aru Islands. 



