ON THE GENUS MYZOMELA. 79 



(Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. vii. p. 825, 1875), says that it in no way differs 



from one from Australia with which he has compared it, and further 



remarks that Gould's plate is inaccurate in representing the back &c. 



as almost black, instead of only slightly darker than the under surface. 



In a letter to me, however, he says that now he is " not quite satisfied 



as to this bird being the same as the Australian species ; this and the 



Aru bird seem to me much darker," and further proposes to separate it p. z. S. 1879, 



and the Aru form as a new species, Myzomela infuscata. But the bird P' 26 <^ 



from Mon, which Count Salvadori has most kindly lent me, differs from 



the Aru birds in its much lighter colours above, which are moderately 



dark greyish brown, not brownish black, and in the dark colour on the 



breast shading off more gradually into that of the flanks and abdomen, so 



that there is less appearance of a dark pectoral band. The anteocular 



spot is brown. The size is about the same as that of the bird described 



above (from a specimen in Mr. Godman's collection, collected by Cockerell, 



and agreeing with Wallace's Aru skin in the British Museum). Not 



having seen an authenticated adult Australian specimen, I cannot say 



whether the New-Guinea bird is or is not identical with that from 



Australia ; but it certainly differs considerably from the Aru birds in 



colour. If on further investigation the Aru bird proves really distinct, 



it will have to stand as Myzomela infuscata, Salvad. in litt. On the 



other hand, if Mr. Gould's figure and description are correct, it would 



seem that the bird from Southern New Guinea is distinct. I have not 



seen the female of this species. Mr. Gould describes it as "uniform 



brown above, lighter beneath." * Count Salvadori describes the female 



of M. infuscata thus : " Brunneo-grisea, subtus pallidior, fronte et gula 



late rubris ; remigibus exterius subtiliter olivaceo-maryinatis ; " and this 



description closely agrees with a young male from the Aru Islands in 



the British Museum, in which, however, there are also some red 



feathers on the back. 



Gould gives the irides as "reddish brown," D'Albertis as "black." 

 In Australia, Myzomela eryihrocephala is confined to the northern dis- 

 tricts, having occurred at Port Essington (Gould), Port Darwin (Masters), 

 and Cape York (Ramsay's list of Australian birds). It was included in 

 Marie's list of New- Caledonian birds (Ibis, 1877, p. 362), but is omitted 

 by Yerreaux and Desmurs, and Mr. Layard has as yet not found it. 

 M. Oustalet, too, tells me that he has not seen it from the mainland of 

 New Caledonia. 



7. MYZOMELA YTJLNEEATA. 



Nectarinia (Myzomela) vulnerata, Mull. Verh., Land- en Volk. p. 172 

 (1839-44) ; id. Verh., Zool. pi. 10. figs. 3, 4. 



* In the plate the forehead is shown as tinged with red. 



