ON THE GENUS MYZOMELA. 91 



Eosenberg, Eeist. G-eelv. Baai, p. 138, t. xvi. fig. 2 (1875) ; Meyer, 

 Sitzungsber. Wien. Akad. Ixix. i. pp. 211, 212 (1874). 



rf ad. niger nitore nonnullo metallic*) ; collo, dorso, uropygioque, cum 

 pectore splendide coccineis ; rostro nigro, pedibus cornels. Long. al. 

 2*5, caud. 1-7, rostr. a culm. -65, tars. *55 (poll. Angl.). 



$ rufescenti-brunnea, plumis ad basin nigris, ad rhachin pallidioribus ; 

 fronte, pectore uropygioque coccineis, mento gulaque nigricantibus ; 

 alls caudaque fuscis, remigibus externe olivaceo-limbatis, tectricum 

 alarum apicibus brunneis ; pogoniis internis remigum albis. 



d jr. femince similis, sed fronte, pectore, uropygio, mento gulaque corpore 

 concoloribus. 



Hab. in Nova Guinea. 



This beautiful and very distinct Myzomela was first described by Prof. 

 Schlegel from two specimens, both males, collected by Von Eosenberg 

 in the north-western peninsula of New Guinea. Dr. A. B. Meyer 

 obtained five specimens from the Arfak Mountains near Hattam, at an 

 elevation of about 3500 feet above the sea, during his expedition to New 

 Guinea in 1873. Since then numerous specimens have been obtained 

 by various travellers in the same district. That the species is not con- 

 fined, however, to the Arfak Mountains is shown by the fact* that 

 Signer D'Albertis obtained two skins of this same bird, identical with 

 Arfak specimens, from the natives of the neighbourhood of Epa, near 

 Hall Bay, S.E. New Guinea. 



According to Dr. Meyer the adults of both sexes are similar, and the 

 bird above described as the female (from two nearly identical specimens 

 so sexed by Beccari) is really the young assuming adult plumage. Count 

 Salvadori, however, writes me that he has about 40 specimens of this 

 species, and maintains the view he has already expressed (Ann. Mus. 

 Civ. Gen. vii. p. 947, 1875), that Meyer's *' young " are in reality females. 

 A very young bird ( <$ ) in the Genoa Museum, described above, has only P. Z. S. 1879, 

 a trace of red on the throat, and is probably a bird of the year. The P* ^* 

 varied colouring of each feather gives a somewhat flammulated appear- 

 ance to the head, back, and chest of the young and females. 



25. MYZOMELA NIGBA. 



Myzomela nigra, Gould, B. A. iv. pi. 66 ; id. Handb. B. A. i. p. 558 

 [nee Cissomela nigra, Bon. C. E. xxxviii. p. 261 (1854)]. 



cJ capite, dorso, uropygioque cum pectore superiore et linea media abdomi- 

 nali nigris ; lateribus abdominis, venire et subcaudalibus albis ; alis, 

 subalaribus caudaque brunneis ; rostro pedibusque nigris. Long, alee 

 2-7, caudce 1'7, rostri -65, tarsi '5 (poll. Angl.). 



* Cf. Ann. Mus. Civ. Geneva, vii. p. 799 (1875). 



