( -^ ) 



2 ? ad. without Jocnlitv. but perfectly similar to tlie type, aud jirobably 

 from Jobi. 



1 (S ad.. Ansus, Jobi, bought at Ansus by Dohorty. (A very typical 

 corcinfifro/ts.) 



Ti (J ad., Takar, north coast, October — Xovember l.'^9f). "Iris dull grey- 

 brown, feet bright bine with grey claws, bill yellow (leunon, rosy in the middle)." 

 V>\ Doherty coll. 



These specimens must certainly be placed with G. /: coccineifrons. 



We have other instances of Jobi forms extending across the (shallow) sea of the 

 north-eastern part of Geelvink Bay to the north coast of New Guinea, and we 

 hope to discuss this fact later on. 



S juv., Ansus, Jobi, May isOT. W. Doherty coll. 



(? juv.. Marai, Jobi, May 1S97. W. Doherty coll. 



? Slarai, Jobi, Ajiril 1897. W. Doherty coll. 



These specimens seem to be a little darker above than typical re(i)n are on an 

 average. 



58. Diphyllodes magnifica (Peun.). 



Ornithologists are very uncertain aliont the various forms of Diphyllodes. Meyer, 

 Salvadori and Sharpe went farthest in separating tliem. Sharpe, in his "Monograjih 

 oi' the Pdi-iii/t'.^i'u/fie," ventures to recognise five different sjiecies. These he arranges 

 in two groups, one with the head dull brownish and a deep claret-coloured upper 

 back, the other with a reddish brown head and a deep crimson upper back. In the 

 first section (with a dull brownish head) he places : — 



1. D. magnijicn with clay-coloured secondaries, inhabiting the Berau Peninsula. 



2. 1>. seh'iicides with ochreous-orange secondaries, .actual habitat unknown, but 

 evidently from some parts of Dutch New Guinea. 



:l D. elmjisoptera with golden-orange secondaries, from .Jobi. 

 In the second section Cwith reddish brown head) he places .- — 



4. D. .i-aiithaptcm with golden-yellow secondaries, from the Moroka district in 

 the Owen Stanley Mountains. 



5. D. Innisteivi with golden-orange secoud.aries, Britisli and German New 

 (ininea. 



Meyer separates the German New Guinea form as scptenirionalis. 



We both agree, not ouly that hunsteini and spptentrionalis are quite the same, 

 but that it is quite impossible to separate five species ! Rothschild is inclined to 

 unite all the forms under one name, provisionally, but is firmly convinced that, if 

 it is ever convenient to sejiarate various forms, they can only be looked upon as 

 subspecies— and in this latter view we, of course, also agree. Hartert, while 

 admitting the variability in a series of trade-skins,* all coming on the market at 

 once, all of the same preparation and jiresumably from one place, is much imjiressed 

 by the great similarity in series from German and British New (liuinea, as well a.s 

 from Jobi, and is inclined to — ])rovisionally — recognise three distinct forms : 



* UotbschiUI, moreover, is iudined to .nttribute the various sli.ades of secondaries anil the dull red hack 

 in tbc Dutch New Guinea skins to the effect of the smoke-drjing process of the n,ativc collectors, and in 

 consequence aligolntely denies the validity of Sharpe's D. gih'itcidvx^ but acknowledges the possibility 

 that future material might prove the existence of two subspecies, one with a rufous head and one 

 with a more earthv-browu head. 



