TODOPSIS WALLACII, Gray 
Wallace’s Todopsis. 
Todopsis wallacei, Gray, P. Z. S. 1861, pp. 429, 434, pi. xiiii. fig. 2. — Finsch, Neu-Guinea, p. 168. —Meyer, Sitz 
k. Akad. Wien, Ixix. p. 81. 
Tcldtrea wallacei, Gray, Handl, B. i. p. 334, no. 5033. 
Tuts pretty little species is rather different in structure of bill from the other members of the genus. The 
bill is longer, rather more curved ; and the bristles are longer and more numerous, reaching to the end of 
the bill. In colours also it is very distinct : but I do not feel disposed to found a new generic title at present 
on these characters. 
There is, however, another point in connexion with this bird to which I must call attention ; and this has 
reference to the small Todopsis which comes from the Aru Islands, and of which I have a single specimen in 
my collection. I have compared this with the typical examples from Mysol in the British Museum, and I 
notice that the Aru bird has a black streak under the eye and the spots on the head are in the form of 
rounded tips of blue to the feathers of the crown, quite different from the lanceolate tips which appear in 
the Mysol species. If the receipt of future specimens should confirm my impression that the Aru bird 
is distinct, I propose the name of Todopsis coronata for it. 
Wallace’s Todopsis differs from all the others in its small size, exceedingly delicate legs and toes, and 
the whitish colouring of the entire undersurface, and in having the tail tipped with white, which is only found 
in the females of the other members of the genus. Nothing has been recorded of the habits of this species, 
which is described as follows by th e late Mr. George Robert Gray : — 
“Top of the head black, with the tips of the feathers light blue, and the shaft bluish white; back rufous, 
wings and tail dark brown ; wing-coverts tipped with white ; round the eyes, lores, ear-coverts, and beneath 
the body white ; quills narrowly margined with white ; the tips of the outer tail-feathers also white. 
“ Total length 4 inches 7 lines, bill from gape 8 lines, wings 2 inches. 
“ The young bird is rufous-white on the throat; the bill is black tipped with yellowish white, differs from 
that of the typical Todopsis in being longer and somewhat curved and in having the bristles as long 
as the bill.” 
The three figures in the Plate are of the size of life, the one in the foreground representing the 7'. coro- 
nata from Aru, the centre bird being drawn from one of the typical specimens in the British Museum. 
