2 NISUS RUFITORQUES AND N. POLIOCEPHALUS. 



number of dark heart-shaped spots , commonly somewhat 

 larger at the sides of the body, 



NISUS RUFITORQUES. 



It is known , that Nisus rufitorques was established by Cas- 

 sin and that he has published drawings of two specimens, 

 viz. an adult male and a young female '), both killed in the 

 Fidji islands. We possess four adult specimens of this locality. 

 There is some variation in the distribution of the vinous 

 color in the two sexes. This color is somewhat deeper 

 in the females and spreading over the under tail-coverts, 

 it becomes a little lighter on the under wing-coverts and 

 passes on the middle of the throat to a grayish white. 

 In the males , the vinous color is confined to the un- 

 der part of the body, the under coverts of the tail are 

 grayish white , the throat is still more inclining to white , 

 and the under coverts of the wings are of a pure white. 

 The thigh feathers have with both sexes a vinous tint. 



Two adult males of the Arfak mountains in New- 

 Guinea present a coloration exactly similar to that of 

 the old female of Fidji. 



In an adult female of Little Key island the vinous color 

 reaches only to the middle of the abdomen, the rest 

 of the belly , the thigh feathers , the under coverts of tail 

 and wings being of a pure white. Besides this , the slate 

 color of the upper parts is much lighter and inclining to 

 a whitish grey. 



The entire head, neck and throat up to the mantle 

 and the breast of a fine adidt male killed in the isle of 

 Bouro is of a pure grayish-white to rust color and occu- 

 pies the whole of the breast, the belly, the thigh feathers 

 and also the under coverts of tail and wings. 



The late Dr. Bernstein collected three adult specimens 



1) United States exjiloring expedition, Philadelphia, 1858, pi. 2. 

 Notes from the Leyden IMiiseura. 



