256 MR. W. A. FORBES ON THE GENUS MYZOMELA. [Mar. 4, 



4. A Synopsis of tlie Meliphagine Genus Mijzomela, with 

 Descriptions of two new Species. By W. A. Forbes, 

 F.Z.S. 



[Received February 26, 1879.] 



(Plates XXIV. & XXV.) 



The genus Myzomela'^ was instituted by Messrs. Vigors and 

 Horsfield in their paper on Australian birds in the Linnean Society's 

 'Transactions' for 1826 (vol. xv. p. 316, note), Myzomela sangui- 

 nolenta, Lath, (for M. cardinalis, Gtm. apud Vig. & Horsf. I. c, 

 is clearly not that species, but the smaUer Australian one), being the 



type. 



Lesson (Traite d'Orn. p. 298) in 1S31 established a "sous-genre 

 Phylidonyris, in which were included Certhia sanguinolenta, Cin- 

 nyris rubrater, and Oinnyris eques ; but this name must be, as he 

 himself observes, regarded as merely a synonym of Myzomela. 



Reichenbach in 1851 (Haudb. d. spec.Orn. p. 283) made Cinmjris 

 eques the type of a new genus Cosmeteira, which he included amongst 

 the Nectariniidse, its duU colours, with no metallic gloss, being 

 apparently the chief reason for the separation. This species, how- 

 ever, in tongue, bill, feet, and, in fact, in all points is a true Myzo- 

 mela, though it has been included amongst the Nectariniidse till 

 within the last few years by most writers. 



On similar grounds of divergent coloration, Bonaparte separated 

 M. pectoralis- under the name Cissomela (C. R. xxxviii. p. 264, 

 1854) ; but as no generic characters whatever are given, this name 

 falls to the ground, even if any structural differences in the bird 

 exist, which as yet I have been unable to discover. 



Myzomela is characterized by its Meliphagine tongue, rather 

 short, narrow, and • slender curved bill, which is depressed and 

 broadened at the base, rounded and compressed anteriorly, and there 

 finely serrulated on its cutting margins. The nostrils are linear and 

 curved, extending for almost one third of the length of the bill, and 

 covered in by a conspicuous opercular membrane. The wings are 

 moderately long, the " first "^ primary short, the 3rd to 5th longest 



^ (i!jZ,(a, I suck in, fieXt, honey; hence Myzomela. 



2 Although Bonaparte expressly states " Myzomela nigra, Gould, est pour 

 moi le type du nouveau genre Cissomela," yet it is evident from his description, 

 " Subfus cum uropygio alba, torque pectorali nigro,'' tliat M. pectoralis was in- 

 tended ! 



^ I have here adopted the system of notation for the remiges generally in use 

 amongst ornithologists. But would it not be better, as is usually done in other 

 cases of serially-repeated homologous organs, to begin counting from the 

 proximal rather than from the distal end of the series ? At present, if a bird, 

 for instance a Passerine, be said to have a " long first primary," two things 

 may be meant: — either that the bird has only nine primaries, the true " first" 

 (or tenth) being absent, and the (morphologically) " second " (or ninth) being 

 of the ordinary length (as, e. g., a Finch, or Drepanis) ; or that there are ten pri- 

 maries, with the " first " (tenth) fully developed, as is the case in the " Formi- 

 carioid " Passeres of Wallace. This ambiguity would be avoided by comiting the 

 feathers from the end nearest the humerus; for any Passerine with a long 

 ''tenth" primary could then only be a " Formicarioid." 



