1896.] Birth of New Guinea. 287 



Pachycephala fort is has its habitat in the Astrolabe Mountains, 

 though found probably elsewhere in New Guinea. Its total 

 length is nearly 7 inches, colored almost entirely above dark 

 olive, below ashy gray. The head and mantle are dark gray, 

 the tail dusky, the back and wings greenish olive. On the 

 face are gray shadings. White prevails on the abdomen, 

 passing into yellow. The under wings do not differ from the 

 uniform cloudiness but are, if anything, even duller than the 

 body. 



Pachycare flavogrisea, set apart from Pachycephala, is colored 

 a bluegray above, somewhat varied on the tail and wings by 

 black or white edgings, while the under parts are a " deep, 

 shining yellow, the yellow on the forehead and the sides of 

 the head and neck being separated from the bluegray of the 

 head by a broad dark stripe." Total length 4.5 inches. 



If we look for those attractive little birds— the Titmice— in 

 New Guinea, we shall find very few, if any, specimens. One 

 is mentioned in the books, viz., XerophUa leueopsis, an Aus- 

 tralian species, abundant in Queensland but not so numerous 

 in Southern Papua. The little bird in question has a length 

 of 4 inches. Its general color is brown, ashy above, whitish 

 and yellowish beneath. Along the tail, neck and head the 

 brown is positive ; this is true also of the under wings ; else- 

 where, however, the colors are pale and indistinct, shading off 

 gradually, as on the sides and breast, into a clouded white. 



Several species and subspecies of the genus Cracticus range 

 between Australia and New Guinea. These are Lanidine 

 birds of good size, strong of beak, black, white or gray of color. 



Cracticus quoyi, a typical representative, is one of these dis- 

 tributed pretty generally over North Australia and Southern 

 Papua. It is almost entirely black and blueblack, the only 

 variation being in the shading and lustre. The length is 

 about 14 inches. Sexes alike. 



Cracticus cassicus or personatus is more peculiarly insular, 

 being confined chiefly to New Guinea and its islands. 



The bird is strikingly conspicuous in its contrasted black 

 and white. The former color covers the head and neck, 

 throat and chest, upper wings and tail, excepting the two 



