﻿The 
  Editor 
  on 
  two 
  Papuan 
  Birds. 
  243 
  

  

  hand 
  on 
  the 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  crown 
  is 
  rather 
  broader 
  in 
  A. 
  tri- 
  

   virgata 
  than 
  in 
  A. 
  rosea. 
  But 
  these 
  differences 
  are 
  at 
  best 
  

   very 
  trifling. 
  

  

  XXIV. 
  — 
  Notes 
  on 
  Paramythia 
  niontinm 
  and 
  Amalocichla 
  

   sclateriaua. 
  By 
  The 
  Editor. 
  

  

  (Plate 
  VII.) 
  

  

  Mr. 
  C. 
  W. 
  de 
  Vis, 
  the 
  Curator 
  of 
  the 
  Queensland 
  Museum, 
  

   Brisbane, 
  has, 
  with 
  the 
  consent 
  of 
  the 
  Trustees 
  of 
  that 
  

   Institution, 
  most 
  kindly 
  forwarded 
  to 
  me 
  for 
  examination 
  

   examples 
  of 
  the 
  two 
  remarkable 
  types 
  of 
  the 
  Papuan 
  Avi- 
  

   fauna 
  which 
  he 
  has 
  lately 
  described 
  as 
  Pararnytlda 
  montium 
  

   and 
  Amalocichla 
  sclateriana. 
  Of 
  the 
  former 
  of 
  these, 
  which 
  

   is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  remarkable 
  Passerine 
  forms 
  that 
  I 
  have 
  

   ever 
  seen, 
  I 
  am 
  able 
  to 
  give 
  a 
  figure, 
  and 
  I 
  venture 
  to 
  add 
  

   a 
  few 
  notes 
  on 
  both 
  of 
  them, 
  which 
  may 
  be 
  acceptable 
  to 
  

   ornithologists 
  who 
  have 
  not 
  had 
  an 
  opportunity 
  of 
  examining 
  

   these 
  rare 
  birds. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  de 
  Vis 
  has 
  referred 
  Paramythia 
  montium* 
  to 
  the 
  

   Sturnidie, 
  but 
  I 
  do 
  not 
  think 
  that 
  can 
  be 
  its 
  proper 
  place. 
  

   So 
  far 
  as 
  I 
  can 
  tell 
  from 
  the 
  examination 
  of 
  the 
  single 
  speci- 
  

   men 
  (iu 
  which 
  the 
  wings 
  are 
  not 
  perfect) 
  it 
  has 
  only 
  nine 
  

   primaries, 
  and 
  the 
  tarsi 
  are 
  long, 
  slender, 
  and 
  smooth, 
  quite 
  

   different 
  from 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  Starling-group. 
  But 
  when 
  I 
  ask 
  

   voy^eli 
  where 
  is 
  its 
  natural 
  position 
  I 
  am 
  not 
  able 
  to 
  give 
  a 
  

   satisfactory 
  answer, 
  nor 
  can 
  Dr. 
  Bowdler 
  Sharpe, 
  Avho 
  at 
  my 
  

   request 
  has 
  carefully 
  studied 
  the 
  question, 
  assist 
  me 
  much 
  

   in 
  the 
  matter. 
  There 
  can 
  be 
  no 
  doubt, 
  however, 
  that 
  

   Paramythia 
  is 
  a 
  typical 
  Oscinine 
  bird, 
  with 
  nearly 
  smooth 
  

   tarsi 
  and 
  very 
  feeble 
  rictal 
  bristles. 
  If, 
  as 
  I 
  believe, 
  it 
  

   has 
  only 
  nine 
  primaries, 
  it 
  must 
  come 
  into 
  the 
  Fringilliforra 
  

   Osciiies 
  of 
  the 
  British 
  Museum 
  Catalogue 
  (vol. 
  x. 
  p. 
  1). 
  Of 
  

   this 
  section 
  the 
  Palseogean 
  families 
  there 
  recognized 
  are 
  the 
  

   Dicseidag, 
  Ampelidse, 
  Hirundinidse, 
  Motacillidaj, 
  and 
  Fringil- 
  

  

  * 
  First 
  described 
  iu 
  ' 
  Annual 
  Report 
  on 
  British 
  New 
  Guinea 
  ' 
  for 
  

   1890-1 
  (Brisbane, 
  1892), 
  y). 
  95. 
  See 
  also 
  Ann. 
  Queensland 
  Mus. 
  no. 
  2, 
  

   1). 
  0; 
  and 
  Ibis, 
  1892, 
  p. 
  ^348. 
  

  

  