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



Myzomela PUSILLA. 



Le Kuyameta, Vieill. Ois. Dor. ii. p. 92, t. 58 (1802). {Oerthia 

 cardinalis, Gm. in text.) 



Myzomela pusilla, G. R. Gray, B. Trop. Tsl. p. 10 (18r)9). 



M. cardinalis, pt., F. & H. Orn. Centralpolyn. p. 57 (uota). 



This extremely doubtful species was founded by Gray on a 

 drawing (from a bird once in the Leveriau JMuseutn) in Vieillot's 

 " Oiseaux Dores." This plate, as well as the description, indicates 

 a black-and-red Myzomela, like M. cardinalis or M. rubratra, but 

 smnller (3J inches in length), and with the abdomen, vent, &c. en- 

 tirely red, only the wings, tail, and an anteocular spot being black. 

 In the letterpress the bird is named Certhia cardinalis of G-melin ; 

 and the habitat assigned is " New Holland and Isle of Tanna," 

 evidently copied from Latham's account of the last-named species. 



Geographical Distribution. 



The genus Myzomela has rather a wide range, from Celebes on 

 the west, to the Fiji and Samoan Islands on the east, and from 

 Guam, in the Marianne group (in 13° N.) to S. Australia and Vic- 

 toria (in 38^^ S.), but is strictly confined to the Australian region, 

 in three out of the 5 subregions of which it occurs, being absent in 

 New Zealand and in the Sandwich Islands. 



The Papuan subregion is, as might naturally be expected, the 

 richest in species, having 16, of which no less than 14 are peculiar. 

 Australia proper has 5 species, of which three are peculiar, two occur- 

 ing also in the Papuan subregion. In the Pacific subregion 7 species 

 occur, of which all are peculiar. 



Celebes has one species peculiar to itself (ikf. chlorojptera), as like- 

 wise have Banda and Timor (J/. boi<Ei and 31. vulnerata respectively). 



The Halmahera group (Gilolo, Batchian, !Moity, Ternate, &c.) 

 have one (M. simplex), which on Obi is replaced by 31. rubrotincta. 

 Curiously enough, the genus, as far as we yet know, is absent from 

 the Sula Islands, from the Ceram group, and from the islands be- 

 tween Timor and the Arns, though represented in all the islands 

 around this area, and even in the little island of Banda. 



In the western half of New Guinea six species occur, of which M. 

 adolphincB is peculiar to the Arfak country. 31. rosenberyi reoccurs 

 in tlie mountains of southern New Guinea ; and 31. cruentata appa- 

 rently extends to New Ireland. 31. nigrita occurs on the mainland, 

 as well as in Jobi and Miosnom (where it is the only species), and in 

 the Aru Islands. Mysol, Waigiou, and Salwatti have only 31. eques, 

 which also occurs on the mainland both in the N.W. peninsula and 

 on the south coast. 31. obscura occurs both in S.W. and S.E. New 

 Guinea, and also in N. Australia. Mysore is tenanted by a single 

 peculiar species (il/. rubi-ohrunnea) ; whilst the Aru Islands have 

 two species, neither peculiar, one {31. erythrocephala) occurring 

 in N. Australia and S. New Guinea, if specimens from all these 

 three localities are really identical. New Guinea east of 140° 



