128 ME. E. P. EAMSAT ON SOME NEW BIEDS FEOM 



Descriptions of some new Birds from the Solomon Islands and 

 New Britain. By Edwaed P. Bamsat, F.L.S., C.M.Z.S., &c., 

 Curator of tlie Australian Museum, Sydney. 



[Eead November 3, 1881.] 



1. Cetx saceedotis, sp. nov. 



Total length about 6 inches ; bill from forehead 1*55, from 

 gape 1'8. 



Adult female. — A spot in front of the eye, the sides of the 

 lower part of the throat, the chest, breast, sides, flanks, the mar- 

 gins of the shoulders, the under wing- and under tail-coverts, and 

 the margins of the inner webs of the quills below, rich orange- 

 bufi"; the throat and a spot on the side of the neck white; the 

 centre of the abdomen whitish buff; the bases of all the feathers 

 of the body above black ; feathers of the interscapular region, 

 back, rump, and upper tail-coverts of a rich glossy ultramarine ; 

 the head deep blue, with the tips of the feathers ultramarine ; 

 the tail-feathers black ; quills black, their inner webs margined 

 with orange-bufF like the body ; the cheeks like the head, very 

 dark blue washed with cobalt, and separated from the white throat 

 by a narrow streak of rich orange-buff. Legs and feet orange ; 

 bill orange, dark, almost brown along the culmen. 



The young have the bill black with the tip wiiite, but otherwise 

 have the same coloration as the adult. The oblong spot behind the 

 ear-coverts is white in both, but slightly tinged at the tips of the 

 feathers with buff. 



Hah. " Kabahadai," New Britain. From the Eev. Greorge 

 Brown's collection. 



RemarTcs. — This fine species is allied to Ceyx pMlippensis ; but 

 has the centre of the abdomen white or nearly so, and a much 

 greater extent of white on the throat. Dr. Otto Finsch, who has 

 seen the specimens, is also of opinion that they are specifically 

 distinct. 



2. Pomaeea (Monaecfa) tigieksis, sp. nov. 



The whole of the plumage shining bluish black ; the under- 

 side of the tail brownish black ; the underside of the quills 

 brownish black, of a lighter tint towards the base of the inner 

 webs ; the outer series of the under wing-coverts of the primaries 

 brown tipped with black. Legs and feet black ; bill blue-black, 

 whitish on the tip and margins of the mandibles. 



Total length about 7 inches ; wing 3-5, tail 3'5, tarsus 0*8 ; 



