APPENDIX A 275 



as well as the lower back, rump, upper tail-coverts and 

 belly, are orange-yellow. In the adult there is no trace 

 of a black patch on the occiput, but the quite young 

 bird has the entire crown black and specimens which 

 have not assumed the fully adult plumage and still 

 retain some black feathers on the occiput might be 

 mistaken for M. orientalis. That they have been is 

 proved by the fact that Count Salv^adori and many others 

 have regarded M. rohertsoni, Sharpe, as a synonym of 

 M. orientalis, Schlegel, but they are really quite distinct. 

 A few very high trees left standing near the huts at 

 Wakatimi were the resort, morning and evening, of these 

 Starlings and various other species of birds. For a long 

 time during the hot mid-day hours Mr. Goodfellow had 

 observed that some bird, possessing a remarkably sweet 

 Thrush-like song, rested there, and, after many days of 

 watching, he found it to be Robertson's Golden Crackle. 

 He says that the notes of this Starling would not pass 

 unnoticed, even in countries where the birds, as a rule, 

 have sweeter voices than those inhabiting New Guinea. 



FAMILY DICRURIDA: — DRONGOS. 



The Drongos, small Crow-like Flycatchers with 

 pugnacious habits, are represented in the collection 

 b}^ two species. — Chihia carhonaria and Chcetorhynchits 

 papiiensis. 



FAMILY ORIOLID.'E — ORIOLES. 



The Orioles are represented by one species onl}-, 

 Mimeta striata, belonging to the dull coloured brown- 

 backed group with heavily streaked under-parts and the 

 sexes alike in plumage. It was commonest in the 

 mangrove swamps near the coast. 



