84 ON THE GENUS MYZOMELA. 



rostro pedibusque nigro-corneis. Long. al. 3, caud. 2'5, tarsi '6 (poll. 

 Angl.). ( <5 ex Nova Guinea.) 



Hob. in Nova Guinea et insulis vicinis. 



Although generally placed amongst the Nectariniidae, this species in 

 structure and coloration is a true Myzomela, allied to the Australian 

 M. obscura, from which it is at once distinguished by its bright red gular 

 streak. The sexes are similar ; but the females are considerably smaller 

 than the males ; and on one of these from Mysol the late Lord Tweed- 

 dale founded his species C. minima. 



Dr. Meyer describes (I. s. c.) the young as having the forehead and 

 top of the head tinged with reddish an interesting fact, as showing in 

 the young bird a style of coloration not retained in the adult, but occur- 

 ring in other members of the genus, and therefore probably a more primi- 

 tive character. 



This species is widely distributed over New Guinea, occurring at 



Dorey (Wallace and Meyer), Eubi, Passim (Meyer), Sorong (Mus. Lugd., 



fide Salvadori), and Wa Samson (Beccari) ; and D'Albertis found it on 



the Fly River. It also occurs in Waigiou (Lesson, Wallace, and Bern- 



P Z S 1879 ste ^ n } an d ^7 S 1 (Wallace and Hoedt). Count Salvadori has lent me 



p. 268. specimens from Salwatti, and says that in the Leyden Museum there is 



one said to be from Ceram (Moens), but that this locality, as well as 



Gilolo (Forsteri), are in all probability errors. 



14. MYZOMELA OBSCTJEA. 



Myzomela obscura, Gould, P. Z. S. 1842, p. 136 ; id. B. A. iv. pi. 67 ; 

 id. Handb. i. p. 559. 



Ptilotis fumata, " Miill. Mus. Lugd., ex Nova Guinea," Bp. Consp. i. 

 p. 392 (1853). 



Omnino griseo-brunnea, subtus pallidior, capite vinaceo tincto ; remigi- 

 bus externe subtilissime griseo limbatis ; alis caudaque subtus griseis, 

 remigum margine interna albida ; rostro pedibusque nigro-corneis. 

 Long. al. 2'7, caud. 2'2, rostr. -6, tars. '6 (poll. Angl.). 



Hob. in Australia septentrionali et Nova Guinea. 



This plainly-coloured Honey-eater was first described by Mr. Gould 

 from specimens obtained at Port Essington by Gilbert. It seems to 

 have rather a wide range over the northern parts of Australia, occurring 

 at Port Darwin (Masters), Cape York (' Challenger '), and in the north of 

 Queensland "as far south as the Mary river" (Ramsay). D'Albertis 

 found it at Naiabui and on the Fly Biver ; and there are specimens from 

 the river Utanata in the Leyden Museum the originals of Bonaparte's 

 " Ptilotis fumata" (cf. Salvadori, Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. xii. p. 334, 1878). 



The sexes are similar. I have not seen young birds. 



The iris has been variously recorded as " red " (Gould), " brown " 

 (Murray), and "black" (VAlbertis). 



