~gsC 



CINNYRIS MOROTENSIS. 



(MORTY ISLAND BLACK SUN-BIRD.) 



IHermoftmia auriceps (pt.), Salvad. Att. R. Ac. Tor. x. p. 229 (1874). 



c? ad. similis C. auricipiti, sed pileo aurato-viridi ut in C. aspasim colorato : ptilosi chalybeo-viridi nee violacea 

 nitente distinguendus. 



Hab. in insula Moluccensi " Morty " vel " Morotai " dicta. 



Adult Male. Differs from C. auriceps only in the much greener shade of the crown, which is of the same 

 colour as in Dorey specimens of C. aspasice ; the least and median series of wing-coverts, the scapulars, 

 lower back, upper tail-coverts, and the edges of the tail-feathers are greenish-shaded steel-blue, with no 

 lilac shade, excepting on some of the median series of wing-coverts, which are edged with lilac, and the 

 edges of the tail-feathers, which are glossed with violet; the metallic throat is of a uniform deep 

 greenish- shaded steel-blue like the lower back ; bill and legs black ; irides dark brown. Total length 

 4*5 inches, culmen 07, wing 2"4, tail l - 8, tarsus 0*6. 



Hab. Morty Island. 



The type of this species, a fully adult male, was collected by Mr. Wallace in Morty Island, and 

 is now in the British Museum. The specimen bears Mr. Wallace's own label ; so that there is 

 no doubt of its having come from the island of Morty, although in the numerous published 

 records of his collections I have failed in finding any mention of a Sun-bird of this group having 

 been obtained by him in that locality. 



Like C. auriceps the present bird may be distinguished from all the other members of the 

 "Uermotimia " group by its having the throat and lower back of the same shade of steel-blue. 

 The characters which separate this bird from C. auriceps are the greener crown and the deep 

 green instead of a violet shade to the steel-blue portions of the plume. These characters, if 

 constant, as I suspect they will prove to be, are sufficiently well marked. 



It appears to me. probable that the specimens mentioned by Count Salvadori (I. c), viz. one 

 in Count Turati's collection and the adult male in the Turin Museum, may belong to this 

 species. 



