1879.] MR. W. A. FORBES ON THE GENUS MYZOMELA. 267 



Mr. Murray notes of a male from Wokan, Aru Islands, that the 

 eves are "hazel," the " bill and feet black." 



12. Myzomela pammel^na. 

 Myzumela pmnmelctna, Sclat. P. Z. S. 18/7, p. 553. 

 d ad. nigerrimus, remigum mm-ginibus interiiis cineraceo-albidis, 

 rostro pedibttsque nigris. Long. tot. circa 5, al. 2-7, caud "> 

 rostr. -65, tars. -65 {poU. Anc/l.) 

 Jun. prcEcedenti sim'dis, scd omnino sordidior, abdomine et sub- 



caudalibus rufo-tinctis, et subalaribus albis distincta. 

 Hab. in insulis Admiralitatis. 



Two specimens, an adult male and a young bird, of this Myzomela 

 were obtauied during the stay of the ' Challenger ' at Nares Harbour, 

 Admiralty Islands. It is closely allied to My~o>neIa nigrita of the 

 Aru Islands and New Guinea ; but the adult male of the new species 

 differs from the more western one by its black under wino--coverts 

 (although these are ivJiite in the young bird), dirty white niargins to 

 the remiges, and longer and stouter feet and tarsi. In size it exceeds 

 any specimens I have seen of 3/. nigrita from the Aru Islands, but is 

 equalled in length of wing and tail by the larger birds from the 

 islands and shoies of Geelvink Bay. 



Mr. Murray marks the irides of the adult bird as " hazel-brown." 



13. Myzomela EauEs. 



Cinmjris eques, Less. Voy. Coq. p. Q>79, t. 31. fig. 1 (1826). 



Nectarinia eques, Miill. & Schleg. Verhand. p. 62 (1839-1844). 



Cosmeteira eques, Meyer, Sitzungsber. Wien. Akad. Ixx. np. 215- 

 217 (1874), * 



Cosmeteira m'MZJHa, Wald. Ibis, 1870, p. 50 ($). 



Omm7io cinerascenti-brunnea, siibtus ddutior ; stria gulari nitide 

 coccinea ; rostro p)edibitsque nigro-corneis. Long. al. 3, caud 

 2-5, tarsi -Q {poll. Angl.). ( ^ ex Nova Guinea.) 



Hab. in Nova Guinea et insulis vicinis. 

 _ Although generally placed amongst the Nectariniidte, this species 

 m structure and coloration is a true Myzomela, allied to the Aus- 

 tralian M. ohscura, from which it is at once distinguished bv its 

 bright red gular streak. The sexes are similar; but the females are 

 considerably smaller than the males ; and on one of these from Mysol 

 the late Lord Tweeddale founded his species C. minima. 



Dr. Meyer describes (/. s. c.) the young as having the forehead and 

 top of the head tinged with reddish~aii interesting fact, as showing 

 in the young bird a style of coloration not retained in the adult, but 

 occurring in other members of the genus, and therefore probably 

 a more primitive character. 



This species is widely distributed over New Guinea, occurrino- at 

 Dorey (Wallace and Meyer), Rubi, Passim {Meyer), Sorong {Mus. 

 Liiyd., Me Salvadori), and \Va Samson {Beccari); and D'Albertis 

 found it on the Fly River. It also occurs in Waigiou (Lessor, Wallace 

 and Bernstein) and Myso \Wallace and Jloedt). Count Salvador! 



