276 PYGMIES AND PAPUANS 



FAMILY PLOCEW.E— WEAVER-BIRDS. 



This widely distributed group of Weaver-Finches is 

 not very numerous in New Guinea and the only repre- 

 sentative met with was a small species, Mimia tristissima, 

 which was common in the clearing round the camp at 

 Wakatimi. 



FAMILY MOTA CJLLW.-E — WAGTAILS. 



The Grey Wagtail [Motacilla mclanope) and the Blue- 

 headed Wagtail (M. flava) were both met with on the 

 Mimika and other rivers. It is interesting to note that 

 both species are included in the British List, the former 

 being a regular breeding-species in our islands. The 

 birds wintering in far-off New Guinea, no doubt formed 

 part of the eastern colonies of these species which nest in 

 Siberia and visit the Indo-Malayan Islands in winter. 



FAM I LY MELIPHA GID.E—W O NEY-EATERS. 



The Honey-eaters are very numerously represented 

 in South-western New Guinea and no fewer than twenty- 

 seven species were met with by our Expedition. 



The family is divided in two sections, the first 

 including the comparatively brightly coloured genus 

 Myzomcla the members of which resemble true Sun-birds 

 (N ectariniidce) in general appearance. Seven species were 

 met with; the most brilliantly coloured being M. 

 cnientata which has the plumage of the body scarlet and 

 the wings washed with the same colour, another species 

 M. obscura has the entire plumage smoky-grey, and four 

 forms are intermediate between these two types of 

 colouration, being partly scarlet and partly grey. The 

 seventh is a very small and very rare species ((Edistoma 

 pyg7ncBum), which was described by Count Salvadori 

 from the Arfak Peninsula. 



