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



Mysomela meyeri, Salvador!, Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. vii. p. 94/ 

 (1875). 



S nitenti-niger, subalarihus et remigum margine interna albis ; 

 rosii'o nigra, pedibus corneis. 



2 griseo-brunnea, suhtus dilutior ; front e gulaque rubra lavatis ; 

 remigibus externe oUvaceis. 



Hab. in Nova Guinea occidentali et insulis vicinis. 



This Myzamela, conspicuous for the abiiost entirely black plumage 

 of the adult male, was first described by the late Mr. Gray from 

 specimens collected in the Aru Islands by Wallace, where it was ob- 

 tained again during the recent voyage of the ' Challenger.' It also 

 occurs ou the mainland of the north-western peninsula of New 

 Guinea, at Dorey ( Wallace) and Rubi {Meyer), and in the islands of 

 Jobi and Miosnom {Meyer and Beccari), the birds from the mainland 

 and these islands being considerably bigger than those from Aru. 

 This is particularly the case with those from Jobi and Miosnom, so 

 that Count Salvadori is inclined to separate them as a new species. 

 But, as the following table will show, considerable differences in the 

 measurements of this species occur in various localities ; so that at 

 present I consider it better to retain all forms under one name. 



Beak 

 (from fore- 

 Wing. Tail. head). Tarsi. 



1. 6 . Aru? 2-2 1-65 -55 "5 



2. 6' Wokan 2-4 165 -55 -5 



3. 6. Aru 2-35 17 — -5 



4. d. Rubi 2-5 2-0 -65 -5 



5. 6. Dorey 2-4 1-8 -65 — 



6. S- Miosnom 2-? 2-0 -(iS "5 ] " M. j^luto," 



7. 6 • Jobi 2-5 2-0 -67 '5 I Salvadori, 



8. c? jr. Miosnom 2-6 17 '67 '53] in htt. 



9. d jr. Rubi 2-3 1-8 -6 -53 



10. c? jr. Rubi 2-3 I'S '58 5 



11. 2 . Rubi 2-1 1-65 -55 -45 



12. 2- Aru? 2-1 1-4 -55 -45 



The male of this species resembles that n^Myzaynelajxtmmelfena from 

 the Admiralty Islands, but differs as below specified. The female 

 retains more of the normal colouring of the group, and approaches 

 those of M. baicei and M. adolphince. The young birds resemble 

 the female, the red on the head in the young males being obtained 

 before any indication of the black plumage. Dr. Meyer obtained 

 only females and young of this bird, and referred these with con- 

 siderable hesitation to M. erythrocephala of Gould, a very different 

 species. Count Salvadori saw that this was a mistake, and proposed 

 the name weyeri for the specimens collected by Dr. Meyer. But 

 on subsequently examining the birds at Dresden, he found that in 

 reality they were the young and females of the present species, the 

 female having been only briefly indicated in Gray's original de- 

 scription. 



