264 mr. w. a. forbes on the genus myzomela. [mar. 4, 



8. Myzomela jugularis. 



Mysoinela jugularis, Peale, U.S. Expl. Exped. p. 151, t. 41. f. 2 

 (1848); Cassin, U.S. Expl. Exped. p. 176, t. 12. f. 2 (jr.) (1858); 

 H. & F. Orn. Centr.-Pol. p. 54, t. 7. figs. 1, 2 (ad. et jr.). 



Myzomela soUtaria, Hombr. & Jacq. Voy. Pole Sud, Zool. iii. p. 

 99, Atlas, t. 22. f. 6 (1853). 



A-A. fusco-nigricans, subtus jlavescenti-albida, mento, gula, macula- 

 que magna occlpitali cum uropygio coccineis; gutture croceo-Jlavo ; 

 remigibus, primis duobus exceptis, et teclricibus alarum majoribus 

 flavido marginatis ; rectricibus, duabus mediis exceptis, tectrici- 

 busque alee minoribus nonnulUs ad apicem albis ; rostro nigra, pedi- 

 bus cornels. Long. al. 2'45, caud. 1*6, rostr. "6, tarsi '55 {j^oll. 

 Angl.). 



Jr. macula occipitali nulla, gutture sordide Jlavo, et uropygio 

 brunneo-olivaceo distinguenda. 



Hah. in insulis Vitiensibus. 



This Myzomela hardl}' admits of being mistaken for any other 

 species. It is perhaps most nearly related to M. lafargii of the 

 Solomon Islands, but is at once distinguishable from that species by 

 the red throat and orange-yellow chest, besides other differences. 

 The red of the throat is separated from the yellow of the chest by 

 a distinct though narrow black line. The red on the back appears 

 last, that on the chin first. In not fully plumaged birds the rump 

 and lower back are olivaceous. The sexes when adult are nearly 

 alike, the female being only distinguishable by the colours being 

 less bright. A^ery often, too, though not always, the red occipital 

 spot is absent in the female. 



Mr. Murray records the iris as " black," Mr. Layard as " brown," 

 the legs being "verditer " and "dark livid " in the living bird, with 

 the soles of the feet yellow. 



This bird is entirely confined to the Fijis, where, according to 

 Mr. Layard's list (Ibis, 1876, p. 391), it is found in all the larger 

 islands of that group'; and in addition to the islands enumerated by 

 him, specimens from Matuku are in the British Museum (Rayner). 

 Its occurrence in the San.oan group has not yet been confirmed 

 (cf. Whifmee, Ibis, 1875. p. 447). Hombron & Jacquinot indi- 

 cated their "Myzomele solitaire" as being from the "lies Salomon" 

 ■with some doubt; and, relying on them, jVlr. Sclater included 

 " M. solitaria" in his list of Solomon-Island Birds (P. Z. S. 1869, 

 p. 124), where, however, only 31. lafargii, so far as is yet known, 

 occurs. 



9. Myzomela lafargii. 



Myzomela lafargei, Hombr. & Jacq. Voy. Pole Sud, Zool. iii. p. 

 98, t. 22. f. 5 (1853). 



Corpore supra cvm capite, gutture et pectore superiore nigris; oc- 

 cipite coccineo ; abdomine favido-olivaceo ; alis caudaque nigris. 



See also P. Z. S. 1875, p. 431, for an interesting account of its habits. 



