RECTES CERVINIVENTRIS, 
Pawn-breasted Wood-Shrike. 
Rectes cerviniventris, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1861, p, 430. — Finsch, Neu-Guinea, p, 176 fl865). — Meyer, Sitz. k. 
Akad. Wissensch. Wien, Isix. p. 208 (1874). — Sharpe, Cat. Birds in Brit. Mus. iii. p. 286 (1877). — 
Rosenb. Malay. Arch. p. 395 (1879). 
Rhectes cerviniventris, Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov, xv. p. 44 (1879). — Id. Orn. Papuasia e delle Molucche, ii. 
p. 200 (1881). 
As with R. leucorhynchus, so with the present bird, we cannot find Mr. Gray’s authority for stating that it is 
found in the island of Gagie, as no specimen from this island exists in the British Museum, where the type 
specimens are deposited. The original specimen came from Waigiou, where Mr. Wallace discovered the 
species, and where it has since been met with by Mr. Bruijti, who has also found it in Batanta. The late 
Dr. Bernstein likewise procured it in the island of Ghemien. The habitat Gagie must therefore be 
entirely erroneous, though how the mistake arose we are unable to conjecture. 
The following description is copied from the British Museum ‘ Catalogue of Birds — 
Adult male. General colour above ashy olive, inclining to olive on the rump and uj)per tail-coverts ; the 
head crested, ashy grey, this colour pervading the mantle and hack ; sides of face and sides of neck rather 
darker ashy ; wings olive-brown, the inner webs of the feathers darker brown, the outer webs washed with 
reddish olive ; tail-feathers brown, washed with olive on the edges of the feathers, the outer ones reddish 
brown, edged with deep fawn-colour on the outer w'eb ; throat and fore neck ashy, washed with ochre ; rest 
of under surface of body chestnut fawn-colour, including the thighs, under wing- and tail-coverts ; under 
surface of body dark ashy brow'ii, the inner webs rufous fawm-coloiir. Total length 8'6 inches, culmen 1‘05, 
wing 3’75, tail 3‘5, tarsus T25.” 
The Plate represents an adult bird in two positions, of the size of life, the figures being drawn from a 
specimen in the British Museum. 
[B. B. S.] 
