76 ON THE GENUS MTZOMELA. 



2. MTZOMELA CALEDOFICA, n. sp. 



Myzomela sanguinolenta (ex Nova Caledonia) auct. 



c? jprcecedenti simillima, sed tectricibus alarum marginibus albidis carens. 



Hob. in Nova Caledonia. 



Mus. H. B. Tristram. 



The Myzomela from New Caledonia, although no doubt very closely 

 allied to the preceding Australian species, is, I think, fairly entitled to 

 rank as a distinct species ; and I have therefore separated it under the 

 above name. My attention was first directed to this form by a speci- 

 men kindly lent me by Canon Tristram, and shot by Mr. Layard near 

 Noumea. This bird, a fully-plum aged male, differs from a considerable 

 number of Australian specimens with which I have compared it, in the 

 almost entire absence of the conspicuous greyish- white margins to the 

 feathers of the wing-coverts, so that they are nearly entirely black, with 

 only a trace of olive-colour at the margins. Besides this, the red colour 

 of the body is hardly so bright, and extends a little further down on the 

 abdomen, and the margins to the quills are more of an olive-yellow. 

 The size is about the same (wing 2-25), Australian specimens varying a 

 little in this respect. Canon Tristram writes me that he has six 

 specimens of the New- Caledonian bird, and that the differences which I 

 pointed out to him are constant in the series. Mr. Layard gives the 

 following notes as to the soft parts on the label of his specimen : 

 " Beak black, legs brown-black, iris brown." 



Mr. Layard also met with a Myzomela, which he referred to M. san- 

 guinolenta (Ibis, 1878, p. 280), in the New Hebrides, on the islands of 

 Vate, Api, and Mallikollo, and remarks that a specimen procured is 

 identical with the New-Caledonian bird ; so that it seems probable 

 that M. caledonica may extend its range as far as these islands ; but 

 specimens to show this are as yet wanting. 



3. MTZOMELA CHLOEOPTEEA. (Plate II. fig. 1.) 



Myzomela chloroptera, Wald. Ann. N. H. 4th ser. ix. p. 399 (1872) ; 

 Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. vii. p. 662 (1875). 



cJ ad. capite, dorso uropygioque, cum pectore, coccineis ; corpore subtus 

 griseo-flavido ; alis caudaque fuscis, remigibus et tectricibus alarum 

 olivaceo limbatis, subalaribus et margine interna remigum albis, alee 

 flexura flavo-albida ; macula anteoculari nigra ; rostro nigricante 

 pedibus obscure cornels. Long. al. 2'2, caud. 1'5, rostr. *55, tars. '50 

 (poll. Angl.~). 

 Hab. in insula Celebes. 



This Myzomela, the westernmost of the whole genus, was described by 



the late Lord Tweeddale from imperfect specimens collected by Dr. 



^Z. S. 1879, Meyer at Menado, where it has also been obtained by Bruijn's col- 



p. 261. lectors ; and from one of these specimens, kindly lent me by Count 



