collected in Dutch Neiv Guinea. " 57 



"In life this species was easily mistaken for Ptilotis 

 saturatior, though at close quarters the differences were 

 apparent/'— 6\i7. 5. G. 



Melilestes poliopterus. 



Melilestes poliopterus Sharpe, J. Linn. Soc, Zool. xvi. 

 pp. 318, 438 (1882) [Astrolabe Mts.] ; Roths. & Hartert, 

 N. Z. X. p. 437 (1903), xiv. p. 481 (1907). 

 ■ ArachuotherapoliopVera Gadow, Cat. ix. p. Ill, pi. i. fig. 1 

 (1884). 



a. (^ . White Water Camp, Kapare River, 600 £t., 25th 

 Oct. 1910. [No. 368, C. H. B. G.'] 



h. S' Iwaka River, 11th Feb. 1911. [No. 1026, 

 ,C. H. B. G.'] 



c,d. ^. Camp 6 A, Utakwa River, 2900 ft., 7th &. 15th 

 Jan. 1913. [C. B. K.] 



e. ? . Camp 6 A, Utakwa River, 4200 ft., 22nd Feb. 

 1913. [C.B.K.] 



f. ? . Camp 6 c, Utakwa River, 5500 ft., 23rd Feb. 1913. 

 [C.B.K.-] 



g. ? . Camp 9, Utakwa River, 5500 ft., 4th Feb. 1913. 

 iC.B.K.-] 



Iris . sienna-brown ^ , or umber-brown ? ; bill black ; 

 gape yellow ; feet ash-colour or dark slate-colour. 

 ' The males have wing-measurements of 67-71 mm. as 

 compared with 60-63 in the females. 



*]V[elilestes novseguineae flaviventris. 



Melilestes novceguinece flaviventris Roths. & Hartert, N. Z. 

 X. p. 437 (1903) [part.], xx. p. 513 (1913). 



Messrs. Rothschild and Hartert have recorded examples of 

 this yellow-breasted form of M. novceguinece collected by 

 A. S. Meek in the Utakwa Valley, 2000-3000 ft., and also 

 on the upper Island River. The type locality of M. n. 

 flaviventris is the Aru Islands and, in addition to those 

 collected there b}^ Wallace, the British Museum has recently 

 received three specimens from Silbattabatta. All these have 

 the underparts mostly sulphur-yellow, and are very distinct 



