C 85 ) 



4 ad., Dobbo, Am, May— June 1890. Cayley Webster coll. (Nos. 150, 106, 180, 

 one withoat uc). 



{Males, wing 193, 197, 195, 200, 205 \ females, 180, 185, 180.) 



Specimens from the sontli-easteni jiarts of New Guinea — namely, British New 

 Guinea and tlie Lonisiade Islands (Sndest)— are so mucli larger (wing in mulea 

 193— 206 mm., bill about 40—44, against wing (<?) 168 — 188, bill 35—40 in typical 

 ater) that we are obliged to separate them under a new subspecific name. The liill 

 is altogether stronger (less slender) and higher, and generally longer, tail and wings 

 longer. In adult birds the liead is generally less greenish than in typical ater. 



The Am specimens are, as far as we can see, perfectly similar to those from 

 Sndest Island and British New Guinea, while tliose we have been able to examine 

 from German New Guinea belong decidedly to the smaller form. This is 

 extraordinary, and not at all what we would have expected. In Mniuicodia 

 i'h(di/ljatij-, for example, we find that the specimens from German New (Jniin'a go 

 better with the race inhabiting British New Guinea (which in this case is the smaller 

 one), and in the genus Phonygammus we find the form occupying the Aru Islands 

 to be the same as that from Dutch New Guinea, while in British New (iuinea 

 occurs a rather different one. 



Young birds of both races of M. arer are duller and much more greenish. 



Type of ManucoiUa ater altera : S ad., Sudest Island, Lonisiade Islands, 

 16. iv.' 1898. '-Iris dark red, bill and feet black." No. 1735. A. S. Meek coll. 



76. Manucodia chalybata chalybata (Penn.) 



Larger race, with larger bills. 



4 (?c?, Kapanr, December 1896, February 1897. W. Doherty coll. "Iris 

 orange ; trachea forming a single loop under the skin of the breast and abdomen." 

 Wings : 171, 175, 170, 182 mm. 



1 ¥ ad., 2 ? juv., Kapanr, December 1896. "Iris deep chestnut, bill and feet 

 black (? jnv.) ;" ? ad. : wing, 173 mm. 



While we cannot recognise any constant differences in colour between Af. e. 

 cliiibjhata and M. c. orientalix, we find that the bills of the latter are invariably 

 smaller, being as a rule shorter and always much slenderer, and that the wings and 

 tails are generally a little shorter, though the length of the wings is not a character 

 to rely upon. The difi'ereut structure of the feathers above the eye supposed to 

 exist by Count Salvadori, and the colour differences do not hold good. 



Young birds have the head dull blackish, with little metallic gloss, the feathers 

 being smooth or little curly. The under surface, on which the purplish blue 

 abdomen stands ont in striking contrast to the green foreneck, is more uniform 

 greenish, so that such birds somewhat resemble M. jobicnsis. 



77. Manucodia chalybata orientalis Salvad. 



Miinnrniliu orkntalis Salvadori, .!/;». Mim. C'ir. Geiiova (2) xvi. p. 10:^ (ISOli : Owen Stanley 

 Mountains). 



Smaller race, with considerably smaller bills. 



2 (fere adult), Mt. Cameron, Owen Stanley Mountains, August li<96. A. S. 

 Anthony coll. Wing of one 177 mm. 



1 tJ, 1 ? (?), Oriori district, British New Guinea, January 1896. A. S. 

 Anthony coll. Both with wings 17it mm., evidently both of the same sex. 



