200 MR. ■W. R. OGILVIE-GRANT ON THE [Mat. 6, 



55. Macropygia rufocastanea. 



Macropygia rufocastanea, Ramsay ; Salvad. t. c. iii. p. 149. 



a. 2 ad. Aola, Guadalcanar ; 5.6.87. Bill black ; legs red; 

 iris orange. 



b. $imm. Aola, Guadalcanar; 10. 6. 87. Bill black; legs 

 red ; iris brown. 



c. $ ad. Aola, Guadalcanar; 24. 6. 87. Bill black ; legs dull 

 pink ; iris reddish brown. 



These specimens agree well with Ramsay's description of the 

 species, the adults exhibiting the curious bifid feathers of the 

 upper breast and sides of the neck and reminding one of certain 

 species of Ptilopus. The young birds do not exhibit this peculiarity, 

 and as the black bases of the feathers are hidden, the breast is a 

 uniform deep cinnamon-rufous, instead of having the appearance 

 of being spotted with black. The male which came in Mr. Wood- 

 ford's first collection (see P. Z. S. 1887, p. 332) is not an adult but 

 a young bird. 



56. Phlogcenas solomonensis, sp. n. 



a. S ad. Aola, Guadalcanar; 17. 8. 87. Bill black; legs car- 

 mine ; iris brown. 



Forehead dark ashy grey ; back and sides of the neck ashy black ; 

 occiput, middle of the neck (paler), back, rump, greater wing- and 

 tail-coverts, and outer secondary quills dark chocolate washed with 

 purple. Lesser and median wing-coverts dark glossy purple. Rest 

 of the quills dark brown and tail-feathers dark brown washed with 

 chocolate-maroon, except the outer three on each side, which are 

 darker and terminated by a light reddish band. Cheeks, throat, 

 and breast dull ashy grey, becoming lighter towards the belly and 

 succeeded by a zone of iridescent dark brown feathers. Rest of 

 the belly and under tail-coverts chalky reddish brown. Axillaries 

 and under wing-coverts dark brown, the latter with a few light red 

 feathers. Quills and tail-feathers below dark brown ; the upper 

 edge of the inner web of the primaries and the ends of the tail- 

 feathers reddish. 



This species, though nearly allied to P. johannce, Sclater (P. Z. S. 

 1877, p. 112, pi. xvi.), is altogether a darker bird, the latter having 

 the breast whitish grey, and the occiput, back, &c. washed with olive 

 instead of purple. 



No doubt Mr. Ramsay is correct in his supposition that P. johannce, 

 the types of which are before me, comes neither from the Solomon 

 Islands nor New Hebrides, but was obtained by the Rev. G. Brown 

 in New Britain, whence specimens have since been brought. 



P. solomonensis 



' 3 



P. johannce, types \ 



