DRYMACEDUS 
BECCARII, 
Salvad. 
Beccari’s Scrub-Robin. 
Drymacedus beccarii , Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov, vii. p. 965 (1875). — Id. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1878, p. 97. Shat pe, 
Proc. Linn. Soc. xiv. p. 633 (1879).— Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov, xvi. p. 188 (1880).— Id. Orn. 
etc. Papuasia, ii. p. 416 (1881).— Id. Report Voy. H.M.S. ‘ Challenger,' ii. p. 80 (.1881).— Sharpe, Cat. 
Birds Brit. Mus. vii. p. 345 (1883). 
The present species affords us another instance of the close relationship between the avifauna of 
Australia and that of the Papuan subregion ; for the genus Drymacedus is essentially an Australian form, 
being; found in all parts of that continent, and its presence in New Guinea and the Aru Islands is very 
interesting. 
Discovered by Dr. Beccari in the Arfak Mountains in North-western New Guinea, its existence in the 
Aru Islands was detected by the naturalists of the ‘Challenger’ Expedition at Wanumbai. Since that 
time we have seen numerous examples from South-eastern New Guinea collected by Mr. A. Goldie and 
Mr. Broadbent, and the species appears to be by no means uncommon in the interior ol that part of New 
Guinea. 
The following description is copied from the British Museum ‘ Catalogue ’ : — 
“ Adult. General colour above chestnut-brown, the head more dusky, and of a deep chocolate-brown ; lesser 
wing-coverts ashy brown, the remainder black, barred with white at the tip, the primary-coverts entirely 
black ; quills blackish, with a white spot at the base of the primaries, which have also a bar ot whitish across 
the middle of the outer web; the secondaries washed with rufous towards the ends of the outer webs; 
centre tail-feathers chestnut-brown, the remainder blackish, externally chestnut-brown, and tipped with 
white ; forehead blackish ; lores and eyelid white, with a black spot above the eye, as well as another broad 
patch of black below the eye at the base of the ear-coverts ; adjoining these black spots the eyelid is also 
black ; a slight ashy shade along the sides of the crown ; ear-coverts ashy brown, streaked with white near 
their bases ; cheeks and throat white ; remainder of under surface; whity brown or whitish washed with 
brown, the sides of the breast ashy brown, more rufescent on the flanks; under tail-coverts chestnut-brown ; 
axillaries ashy, tipped with white ; under wing-coverts blackish, tipped with white, forming broad bars ; 
quills blackish below, with a patch of white near the base of the primaries and outer secondaries ; feet pale 
in skin ; bill black. Total length 7 inches, culinen 0*75, wing 3*2, tail 3*5, tarsus 17.” 
The Plate represents an adult bird of the present species, in two positions, of the natural size. The figures 
have been drawn from a specimen procured by Mr. A. Goldie, and now in the Leiden Museum. 
[R. B. S.] 
