174 



narrowly edged with a deep metallic gloss, and with very narrow pale tips to the three outer ones on 

 each side ; underparts black, with a blue gloss ; chin, throat, and front of the chest metallic violet, 

 shading on the sides of the throat into deep metallic green ; pectoral tufts bright golden-yellow ; under 

 surface of the wdngs dark brown, with the inner margins of the quills white ; bill and legs black ; irides 

 dark brown. Total length 43 inches, culmen 0"75, wing 2 - l, tail l - 5, tarsus 06. 



Adult Female. Upper parts olive-yellow ; a broad buff eyebrow ; wings dark brown, with the least and 

 median series of coverts olive-yellow like the back, and the remainder of the feathers edged with that 

 colour ; tail black, tipped with white, most broadly so towards the outer feathers ; underparts yellow, 

 fading almost into white on the chin ; flanks slightly shaded with olive ; under surface of the wings 

 brown with the inner margins of the quills and the coverts white, the latter slightly shaded with 

 yellow; bill and legs black; irides dark brown. Length 375 inches, culmen - 7, wing 1-85, tail T2, 

 tarsus 055. 



Hab. Bourn, Amboyna, Ceram, and the Kei Islands. 



The present species belongs to the " Ct/rtostomus" group. It may be at once recognized from all 

 the other Sun-birds by the olive-yellow colouring of the upper parts, combined with a black breast 

 and bright yellow pectoral tufts. 



It has been collected by Mr. Wallace in Bouru, Amboyna, Ceram, and the Kei Islands. It 

 is recorded from Dorey, in New Guinea, and from Gilolo upon the same authority by Mr. G. R. 

 Gray (P. Z. S. 1859, p. 155, 1860, p. 348); but I much doubt these localities for C. zenobia, and 

 suspect that the specimens were females, and should be referred to C.frenatus. 



The Marquis of Tweeddale observes (Ibis, 1870, p. 30): — "A specimen in my possession, 

 obtained from a large collection of birds from Queensland, and consisting of authenticated 

 Queensland species, represents a form exactly similar to Ceram examples of A. zenobia (Less.), 

 excepting that it is smaller in its principal dimensions, and that it possesses a steel-blue frontal 

 patch. Thus this alleged Queensland bird bears to A. zenobia the same relation that A. pecto- 

 ralis (Horsf.) does to A.frenata (S. Mull.). Can it be the one mentioned by Mr. Ramsay as 

 Nectarinia australis (Ibis, 1865, p. 85, no. 32)'?" 



I have written to Mr. Ramsay upon this subject ; and he replies: — " With the exception of 

 C.frenatus, I know of no other Australian Sun-bird. C.frenatus is found as far south as Port 

 Denison, from whence I have received specimens, and also the nest mentioned (Ibis, 1865, p. 85). 

 It is found also in the Rockingham-Bay district, and on the Daintree and Johnstone rivers to the 

 north of Card well. I have before me specimens from Cape York, Port Moresby, New Guinea, 

 the Duke-of-York Island, and New Ireland, in none of which do I observe any material differ- 

 ence. I certainly would not admit either C. aspasix or C. zenobia into the Australian fauna, 

 unless from some undoubtedly good authority ; for, as a rule, I find collections of birds from 

 Queensland most untrustworthy." 



The specimen of C. zenobia, nominally from Queensland, is in full adult plumage, and is said 

 to have been collected by Mr. Thorpe. The forehead is slightly shaded with metallic violet, the 

 tips of some of the feathers being of that colour, thus differing from typical examples of C. zenobia 

 in exactly the same proportion as some Penang specimens of C. flammaxillaris do from Moulmein 

 birds of that species ; and varieties of a similar character are not uncommon with C.jugularis. 



