GRAUCALUS MAFORENSIS. 
Mafoor Island Cuckoo-Shrike. 
Campephaga maforensis, Meyer, Sitz. Akad. Wien, lxix. p. 386 (1874). 
Graucalus maforensis, Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov, vii. p. 927 (1875). — Sharpe, Mitth. zool. Mus. Dresden, 
i. p. 365, pi. xxx. (1878).— Id. Brit. Mus. Cat. B. iv. p. 41 (1879).— Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov, 
xv. p. 35 (1879). — Id. Orn. della Papuasia &c. p. 141 (1881 . 
This species was discovered by Dr. Meyer in the island of Mafoor in the Bay of Geelvink, and belongs 
to that section of the genus Graucalus which contains G. lineatus of Australia and G. axillaris from Mount 
Arfak. Mr. Sharpe states that the female is so like that of G. axillaris that it can scarcely be separated, but 
the male bird is very different, and is distinguished by having the breast and abdomen black, crossed by 
very narrow wavy lines of white, whereas in G. axillaris the male is perfectly uniform below. Comparing 
G. maforensis Avith G. lineatus of Australia, Count Salvadori says that the colour is of a more intense ashy blue, 
and the transverse striations on the abdomen are much less strongly defined. 
The following descriptions of the type specimens are given by Mr. Sharpe in his ‘ Catalogue of Birds — 
“ Adult male. Above light bluish grey, the wing-coverts like the back ; bastard-wing plumes black, narrowly 
edged with white ; primary-coverts black on the inner webs, externally grey, rather lighter on the extreme 
margin ; quills black, the primaries with a narrow edging of hoary grey, the secondaries like the back, blackish 
on the inner web ; tail-feathers entirely black (only three feathers remaining) ; sides of face a little darker 
bluish grey than the head ; a narrow frontal line, lores, feathers in front of the eyes and at base of cheeks 
black ; throat and chest bluish grey ; breast and remainder of under surface of body black, crossed with very 
fine narrow lines of greyish white ; thighs bluish grey; under wing-coverts and axillaries black, barred with 
white like the breast, but the bars much broader ; quills ashy grey below, narrowly edged with white along 
the inner web ; ‘ iris yellow ’ ( Meyer ). Total length 8‘8 inches, cuhnen 075, wing 4 - 7, tail 3'8, tarsus 08. 
“ Adult female. Differs from the male in having much broader white cross bars on the under surface, the 
black ones, however, being broader than the white ones ; above, the colour is darker bluish grey than in 
the male, the black at the base of the forehead being more dusky and not so velvety black ; the secondaries 
as well as the primaries have a narrow and nearly obsolete hoary grey edging, and are much more broadly 
margined with white on the inner web below ; tail black, the outer feathers with a narrow white tip, the 
centre feathers dark grey for the greater part of their extent, black at the tips. Total length 8-8 inches, 
culmen 0'75, wing 4 - 85, tail 4, tarsus 08.” 
The male and female birds depicted in the Plate have been drawn from the typical examples, which were 
kindly lent to me by Dr. Meyer for the purpose. 
[R. B. S.] 
