62 Mr. W. R. Ogilvie-Grant on Birds 



In none o£ the twelve specimens listed above has the 

 colours of the soft-parts been recorded, so I am unable to 

 state the colour o£ the bill in life, but in the dried skins it 

 appears in all cases to have been black, as in typical 

 M. belfordi 



As regards size, the wing-measurement in males varies 

 a good deal individually : eight males vary from 130- 

 137 mm., and one female measures 120 ram. 



In M. belfordi the wing seems to be rather longer, five 

 examples vary from 133-146 mm. ; in only two of these-, 

 however, has the sex been marked male by Mr. Goodfellow, 

 their measurements being respectively 135 and 142 mm. 

 Possibly the specimen measuring 133 mm. may be a 

 female. 



I cannot separate these birds from typical AI. belfordi. 



*Melirrhophetes belfordi griseirostris. 



Melirrhophetes befordi griseirostris Roths. & Hartert, N. Z. 

 XX. p. 514 (1913). 



A smaller race with pale slaty-blue bill, procured on 

 Mount Goliath by A. S. Meek. (See above remarks under 

 M. belfordi,) 



Among the numerous species of Honey-eaters found in 

 New Guinea and the adjacent islands there are several 

 very similar in outward appearance which have been the 

 cause of much confusion. These may be naturally divided 

 into four groups; — 



J. Ptilotis analoga (Reichenb.). New Guinea coastal 

 districts and adjacent islands. 

 P. a. longirostris O.-Grant. Wamma, Aru Islands. 

 P. a. vicina Roths. & Hartert. Sudest Is. 

 P. a. montana Salvad. Mountains of Arfak and appar- 

 ently North-east New Guinea. 

 2. Ptilotis gracilis Gould. North Queensland, Aru Is- 

 la,nds, and Southern Dutch New Guinea. 



