( 



414 Dr. A. B. Meyer on Birds 



The other dimensions, too, are rathers mailer. I cannot but 

 suppose that Merops philippinus breeds on New Britain. The 

 remark of Finsch therefore (Vogel der Siidsee, 1884, p. 10) 

 that M. ornatus is the only Bee eater on that island does 

 not hold good. 



7. Sauromarptis kubaryi, n. sp. 

 Fern. S. gaudichaudi similis, sed alarum tectricibus omnino 

 cyanescenti-ceeruleis, uropygio clariore et intense cyan- 

 escente, dorso albo et corpore subtus caudaque cinna- 

 momeis, diversa. Long. al. 0*130 m., caud. 0091, 

 rostri (culm.) 0'059 (ab naribus 0-046), tarsi 0'016. 



Constantine Harbour, New Guinea ; a female, collected 

 the 12th October, 1888, by Mrs. Kubary. 



" Bill light yellowish green, feet dark grey, claws black, 

 eyes dark brown." 



The differences between this bird and the female of S. gau- 

 dichaudi are obvious ; the male of S. kubaryi is unknown. 

 The upper wing-coverts are all over intensely blue, whereas 

 they are more or less mixed with black in S. gaudichaudi, 

 and the blue is more extended in the former species. More- 

 over the brown on the underparts and tail is lighter, cinna- 

 momeous, not chestnut; the rump is of a remarkably lighter 

 blue, and the white on the middle of the back is much more 

 extended. S. gaudichaudi only shows here and there some 

 white feathers on the back, mostly none at all, but never, so 

 far as I can ascertain from a series of specimens, an unin- 

 terrupted white patch, as in S. kubaryi, except in specimens 

 from the Aru Islands, to which I shall recur immediately. 

 All these differences together induce me to look on S. kubaryi 

 as the representative species of S. gaudichaudi in the north- 

 east of New Guinea. I may also remark, that in the speci- 

 men under discussion, the white band on the neck is promi- 

 minently developed, much more so than is usually the case 

 in specimens of S. gaudichaudi. 



As to the sexual difference in the colour of the tail of 

 S. gaudichaudi (and probably also of S. kubaryi), the speci- 

 mens collected by myself in the year 1873 confirm Salvadori's 

 views (Orn. Pap. i. p. 493, and Suppl. i. p. 60) . Nevertheless 



