1879.] MR. W. A. FORBES ON THE GENUS MYZOMELA. 263 



darker," and further proposes to separate it and the Aru form as a 

 new species, Myzomela infuscata. But the bird from Men, which 

 Count balyadori has most kindly lent me, differs from the Aru birds 

 m Its much hghter colours above, which are moderately dark ereyish 

 brown, not brownish black, and in the dark colour on the breast 

 shaduig off more gradually into that of the flanks and abdomen, so 

 that there is less appearance of a dark pectoral band. The anteocular 

 spot IS brown. The size is about the same as that of the bird described 

 above (trom a specimen in Mr. Godman's collection, collected by 

 Cockerel!, and agreeing with Wallace's Aru skin in the British 

 Museum), Not having seen an authenticated adult Australian spe- 

 «mei), I cannot say whether the New-Guinea bird is or is not 

 identical with that from Australia ; but it certainly differs consider- 

 ably from the Aru birds in colour. If on further investigation the 

 Aru bird proves really distinct, it will have to stand as Myzomela 

 infuscata, Salvad. in litt. On the other hand, if Mr. Gould's fio-ure 

 and description are correct, it would seem that the bird from Southern 

 New Guinea is distinct. I have not seen the female of this species. 

 Mr. Gould describes it as "uniform brown above, lighter beneath.'" 

 Count Salvadori describes the female of i¥. infuscata t\\x\% .—"Brun- 

 neo-grisea, subtus pallidior, fronte et gula late rubris; remigibus 

 extenus suhtiliter olivaceo-marginatis ;" and this description closely 

 agrees with a young male from the Aru Islands in the British Mu- 

 seum, m which, however, there are also some red feathers on the 

 back. 



Gould gives theirides as "reddish brown," D'Albertis as "black." 

 In A.ustralia, Myzomela erythrocephala is confined to the northern 

 districts, having occurred at Port Essington {Gould), Port Darwin 

 {Masters), and Cape York (Ramsay's list of Australian birds). It 

 was included in Marie's list of New Caledonian birds (Ibis, 1877, p. 

 362), but IS omitted by Verreaux and Desmurs,and Mr. Layard has 

 as yet not found it. M. Oustalet, too, tells me that he has not seen 

 It from the mainland of New Caledonia. 



7. Myzomela vulnerata. 



Nectarinia {Mijzomela) vulnerata, Miill. Verb., Land- en Volk. 

 p. 172 (1839-44) ; id. Verb., Zool. pi. 10. figs. 3, 4. 



Fusco -nigricans, capitis supra macida magna, gula et uropygio san- 

 guineis; abdomine, subcaudalibus, subalaribus, et margine remigum 

 interna albis ; rostro nigra, pedibus plumbeis. Long. al. 2-2, 

 caud. 2, rostr. -5, tars. -bZ {poll. Aiigl.). 

 Hub. in insula Timor. 



This very distinct species is confined to the island of Timor, It 

 is somewhat allied to M. boicei and erythrocephala, but is at once 

 distinguished from both by the red on the head being confined to 

 the vertex and throat, and by the much darker tint of that colour. 

 The female is similar to the male, but smaller, with the colours less 

 distinct. The irides are reddish brown {Sal. Milller). 



1 In the plate the forehead is shown as tinged with red. 



