78 ON THE GENUS MYZOMELA. 



$ minor, capite jpectoreque sordide griseis olivaceo lavatis ; dorso, tec- 

 P. Z. S. 1879, tricibus alarum et uropygio brunneis ; f route anguste gulaque rubris ; 



alis caudaque fuscis, pennis anguste flavido limbatis ; abdomine et sub- 

 caudalibus flavo-albidis ; rostro pedibusque cornels. 

 Hob. in insula Banda. 



This species is confined to the island of Banda, where it is not un- 

 common, according to Miiller, in the nutmeg-plantations. The male 

 resembles M. eryihrocephala (ex insulis Aru), but differs from it in the 

 black and white colours being purer and more contrasted. The female 

 is extremely like that of M. adolpliince, but is smaller, has the breast 

 greyer, the forehead redder, and the yellowish-olive margins to the 

 quills more conspicuous. 



The iris is " brown " (S. Mutter ; Murray). 



6. MYZOMELA EETTHEOCEPHALA. 



Myzomela eryihrocephala, Gould, P. Z. S. 1839, p. 144 ; id. B. A. iv. 

 pi. 64 ; id. Handb. B. A. i. p. 556 (nee Meyer, Sitzungsber. Wien. Akad. 

 Ixx. pp. 204-206). 



cJ capite, dorso inferiore et uropygio intense coccineis ; pallio, dorso 

 superiore, alis caudaque cum torque pectorali fuliginosis, remigibus 

 subtilissime olivaceo limbatis ; abdomine et subcaudalibus sordide oli- 

 vaceo-griseis ; subalaribus et margine interna remigum albis ; macula 

 anteoculari nigra ; rostro nigricante ; pedibus nigro-corneis. Long, 

 tota circa 4*0, al. 2'4, caud. 1*75, rostr. '55, tars. '55 (poll. Angl.). 



Hab. in Australia septentrionali, insulis Aru, et Nova Guinea meri- 

 dionali. 



There is some doubt as to the exact range of this species, and as to 

 whether one or more species have not been included by various writers 

 under the same name. Unfortunately I have not been able to see a 

 sufficient number of specimens to clear up the question, the solution 

 of which must wait till a larger series from different parts becomes 

 available for comparison. 



Myzomela eryihrocepliala was first described by Mr. Gould from speci- 

 mens from Port Essington, and was characterized as " intense fusca, 

 capite et uropygio coccineis" This description agrees well enough with 

 the figures in his folio work, and with the skins in the British Museum 

 from Aru collected by Wallace. In the text, however, as also in the 

 ' Handbook,' the general colour of the plumage is described as " deep 

 chocolate-brown," a term which can hardly be said to agree either with 

 " intense fusca " or with the figures. 



In one of his expeditions to Southern New Guinea, Signer D'Albertis 

 obtained a single male (nearly or quite adult) of a Myzomela at Mon, 

 Hall Bay, of which Count Salvadori, in the account of the collection 



