THE AUSTRAL AVIAN RECORD [Vol. II. 



wliitish whilst in the female it is black. Aphelocephala 

 leucopsis has always a black throat. 



The most important findings are seen in the Melipha- 

 gidce. This family may be divided into two groups, 

 those having orange or yellow pharynxes and those 

 having black. Three out of four species of Melithreptus 

 have the former, nine out of ten species of Ptilotis, 

 Anellobia chrysoptera, and Acanihogenys rufigularis. Three 

 species of Meliornis have black throats and also Ptilotis 

 melanops. I am incUned to think that the genus Meliornis 

 has been derived from Ptilotis through melanotic mutants, 

 and that this genus is more closely allied to Ptilotis 

 melanops than to the orange-throated species. A mela- 

 notic change in plumage, undoubtedly shown in Meliornis, 

 might quite Avell be related to a melanotic pigmentation 

 of the pharynx. In several other genera of the Meli- 

 phagidce, pigmentation was not noticeable. 



The following is the list of the birds examined for the 

 colour of their pharynx : — 



[M. stands for Mathews^ s "Handlist of the Birds of Australasia^^ [The 



Emu, Vol. VII., 1907-8). Unpigmented conditions are described in the 



field-notes as whitish, flesh-coloured, etc.~\ 



(M. 33) Geopelia liumeralis : throat and tongue, bluish 



state. 

 (M. 75) Pelagodroma marina : flesh-coloured (2). 



(M. 145) Hcematojnis fuliginosus : orange in front, more 



yellow behind. 

 (M. 181) Heteropygia aurita=^ acuminata : flesh-coloured. 



(M. 27) Hieracidea sp. : pale whitish-brown. 



(M. 371) Euphema discolor : flesh-coloured. 



(M. 386) Dacelo gigas : fleshy-white. 



(M. 407) Cacomantis flahelliformis : rich flesh-pink, red- 

 dish-orange, orange. 

 (M. 430) Gheramoeca leucosternum : whitish-flesh (2). 



(M. 438) Petroeca leggei : yellow. 



(M. 440) Petroeca phoenicea : yellow, yellowish. 



