560 Notices and Descriptions of various new [No. 164. 



male ; a whitish streak from the base of the lower mandible, separated 

 by an olive-green streak from the slightly yellowish white hue of the 

 middle of the throat; and the under-parts yellow, brightest along the 

 centre, and streaked laterally with olive-green; lores whitish, and the 

 axillaries and under surface of the wing white, as in the male. A 

 presumed young male is olive-green above, the crown ashy, with a 

 central spot of olive-green ; middle of throat white, its sides ashy, with 

 no decided white streak from the base of the lower mandible : the 

 lower parts are yellow, mixed with olive-green, and having an indication 

 of the red pectoral spot of the adult male. Also from Malacca. The 

 mature male here described is in the collection of Lord Arthur Hay. 



The curious species described as Pachyglossa melanozantha, H., 

 in J. A. S. XII, 1010, is thus characterized by Mr. Hodgson: 



Pachyglossa, H. "General structure of Myzanthe* («/. A. S. XII, 

 983), but much less delicate. Bill conspicuously short, thick, conic 

 and blunt, with the gonys ascending strongly ; yet typically denticulate 

 on the tomial margins. Tongue as long as the bill, thick, fleshy, with 

 cartilaginous bifid tip. Wings with the first quill very minute and 

 spurious : the three next subequal and longest. Legs and feet as in 

 Zosterops, strong: tarse to sole just plus the middle toe and nail. 

 Toes short, depressed, unequal ; the fores much basally connected ; the 

 hind smallest, with or without the nails : nails very falcate, stout, equal. 



"P. melanozantha, mihi. Length five inches; bill seven-sixteenths ; 

 tail one and three quarters ; wing under three inches; tarse nine- 

 sixteenths; central toe and nail the same; hind three-eighths of an 

 inch. Blue-black, paler below, and a broad white stripe passing from 

 chin to breast, whence to the vent inclusive is rich yellow. Alars and 

 caudals dusky. The extreme caudals with a large white spot near the 

 tips inside. Bill dusky-blue, with fleshy base. Legs plumbeous. 

 Female duller-hued, and more or less shaded with olive. 



" These birds are peculiar to the hills. They are shy, and make 

 ingenious pendulous nests, like the Myzanthe. Their food consists 

 of small insects and viscid berries, which latter they swallow entire. 

 The upper mandible is (typically) denticulated." 



As many as six generic forms certainly require to be distinguished 

 in this Dicoeum group, which are as follow: — 1, Myzomela, exempli- 

 fied by M. sanguinolenta and other Australian species ; 2, Dicceum, as D. 



* Unfortunately, this name too closely resembles Myzantha, of the Meliphagidce. 



