1879.] MR. W. A. FORBES ON THE GENUS MYZOMELA. 271 



rubratiae, sed major et percoccinea." But any such difference in 

 size IS not constant, and Dr. Hartlaub says {I. c.) that Pelew birds 

 are as large as Caroline ones. 



The young bird is nearly uniformly dark olive-brown, and gradually 

 attams its full plumage by the gradual appearance of the red on 

 various parts of its body. 



31. ruhratra is remarkable for its wide range over the archipelagos 

 of the North-eastern Pacific. Lesson found it on the island of Ualau 

 in the east of the Caroline group (his assertion that it was also found 

 in the Philippines by M. Dussumier being of course erroneous), as did 

 Kittlitz, who gives an interesting account of the habits of this species 

 as observed by him on this island and the Marianne Island of Guam 

 (Denkwiird. ein. Reise, i. pp. 364 and 381, 1858). Kubary found 

 it on Ponape in the east, and on Yap and the Mackenzie Islands in 

 the west, of the Carolines ; so that it is probably found all over that 

 archipelago. Specimens from these islands are in the Godeffroy 

 Museum ; likewise examples from the Pelews (or Palaos). Gray, in 

 his Catalogue of Pacific birds, gives "Island of Vanicoro" with a 

 query ; but in all probability this is a mistake, for as yet no Myzomela 

 has been found there. 



20. Myzomela nigriventris. 



Myzomela nigriventris, Peale, U.S. Expl. Exped. p. 150, pi, 41. 

 f. 2 (1848) ; Cassin, U.S. Expl. Exped. p. 175, pi. 12. f. i. (1858); 

 H. & F. Orn. Centralpolyn. p. 56, t. 7. f. 3 and 4 (ad. and jr.). 



Myzomela ruhratra Hartl. (nee Lesson), Wiegm. Arch. 1852, p. 

 130 (ex Samoa). 



Myzomela cardinalis Hartl. (nee Gmel.), Wiegm. Arch. 1852 

 p. 109. 



"Myzomela arnouxi, Verr.," Bonaparte, C. R. xxxviii. p. 263 

 (1854). ^ 



Ad. capite, dorso uropyyioque cum pectore fidgido-coccineis, 

 pliimis ad basin nigris ; corpore subtus, macula anteoculari, alis 

 caudaque nigris ; remigibus interne albidis ; rostro pedibusque 

 nigris. Long. al. 2-75, caud. 1-8, rostr. -65, tars. 7 [poll. 

 Angl.). 

 Jr. olivaceo-fusca, subtus dilutior et flavido lav at a ; uropygio 

 rubro tincto ; remigibus oiivaceo-limbatis ; subalaribus et margine 

 interna remigum albis. 

 Hab. in insulis Samoensibus. 



This species is very closely allied to M. cardinalis, which it replaces 

 in the Samoa group. The differences between the two I have pointed 

 out under the last-named species. 



From M. ruhratra, with which it was at first confounded, both 

 these species differ in the black flanks and belly, these in M. ru- 

 hratra being red, only the vent and under tail-coverts being black, 

 whilst the red on the chest in all three of these species easily sepa- 

 rates them from M. lifuensis. 



M. nigriventris is confined to the Samoan Islands, its reported oc- 

 currence in the Fijis being erroneous (cf. Layard, Ibis, 1876, p. 391) 



