PHONYGAMA PURPUREOVIOLACEA, M^jer. 
PurpIe-and“Yiolet Manucode. 
Phonygama purpureoviohcea, Meyer, in Madarasz, Zeitsch. ges. Orn, ii. p. 375, taf. xv. (1885). 
The species of Phonygama from South-eastern New Guinea are difficult to determine, as the changes 
to which the metallic colours are subject under the influences of abrasion or wearing of the feathers 
are at present indistinctly understood. The species from North-western New Guinea is Phonygama 
keraitdrem, and we have ourselves described from Southern New Guinea two species of the genus, 
P. hunsteini and P. jamesii. With these we have compared a series of P. purpureoviolacea procured 
by Mr. H. O. Forbes in the Astrolabe Mountains, as well as an exafuple obtained by Mr. Hunstein 
himself in the Horseshoe range. 
P. hunsteini is much larger than any of the Asti'olabe specimens; its colour is a dull purjde with 
scarcely any gloss, and the colour of the head and crest-feathers is metallic oily green, of diminished 
lustre. It will probably be found that P. hunsteini is an inhabitant of one of the islands off the coast, 
and not of New Guinea itself. No information, beyond that it had come, like other birds in the 
collection, from East Cape in South-eastern New Guinea, was given with the type specimen of P. hunsteini ; 
but it is quite possible that the real habitat is Norrnanby Island, where Mr. Hunstein also collected. 
At any rate the species appears distinct from P. jamesii and P. purpureomolacea, of which it could 
only be a worn and bleached individual, and even then the larger size is not accounted for. 
The series before us at the present moment leaves very little doubt that the Phonygama recently 
described by Dr. Meyer, and figured by us in the accompanying Plate, is distinct from P, keraudreni 
and P. hunsteini ; but it is apparently the same as Phonygama jamesii, a sj)ecies described by us in 
1877 from Aleya, in South-eastern New Guinea. The chief difference between these two species 
is, that P. purpureoviolacea is more purple above and steel-blue below, and P. jamesii is metallic 
green above and steel-green below. But between these extremes of colour every transition is found in the 
series now before us; and it should be noted that the type specimen of P. jamesii is moulting, and that 
the old feathers of the wing are very dull purple, while the new ones are bright purplish blue externally. 
In fine, without asserting dogmatically that P. jamesii and P. pupureoviolacea are the same, we have very 
little doubt in our own minds that they are, and that the steel-blue and green shades become gradually 
faded into purple or purplish blue. 
The figures in the Plate represent an adult bird in two positions, drawn from a specimen procured by 
Mr. Hunstein in the Horseshoe range, and now in the British Museum. 
[R. B. 8.] 
