hj the B.O.U. EwpecUtion to Dutch New Guinea. 89 



both species are included in the British List, the former 

 being a- regular breeding-species in our islands. The birds 

 wintering in far-off New Guinea no doubt formed part of 

 the eastern colonies of these species which nest in Siberia 

 and visit the Indo-Malayan Islands in winter. 



Family Meliphagid.e — Honey-eaters. 



The Honey-eaters are very numerously represented in 

 South-Avestern New Guinea, and no fewer than twenty-seven 

 species were met with by our Expedition. 



The family is divided into two sections, the first including 

 the comparatively brightly coloured genus Myzomela, the 

 members of which resemble true Sun-birds (Nectariniidce^ 

 in general appearance. Seven species were met with, the 

 most brilliantly coloured being M. cruentuta, which has the 

 plumage of the body scarlet and the wings washed with 

 tiie same colour; another species, M. obscura, has the entire 

 plumage smoky-grey; and four forms are intermediate 

 between these two types of coloration, being partly scarlet 

 and partly grey. The seventh is a very small and very rare 

 species ((Edistoma pygmamm), which was described by Count 

 Salvadori from the Arfak Peninsula. 



The other section contains a number of larger species_, 

 mostly with dull greenish or brownish plumage, and nearly 

 all with a yellow tuft or patch on the ear-coverts. Though 

 rather uninteresting-looking birds several are really of great 

 scientific value, being new to the National Collection, and 

 one, Ptilotis mimihce [O. -Grant, Bull. B. O. C. xxix. p. 27 

 (1911) ], has proved to be new to Science. The largest form is 

 the curious Friar-bird [Philemon nov(B- guinea:) ,vi'\l\i the bare 

 sides of the face and neck black and a swollen knob on the 

 base of the bill. It was generally met with in pairs, and 

 inhabited the tops of the tallest forest-trees, whence its 

 peculiar cry might constantly be heard. 



Family Nectariniid^ — Sun-birds. 



The Sun-birds are represented by two species, Cinnyris 

 aspasia and C. frenata. The male of the former is deep 



