PTILOTIS ALBONOTATA, Salvad. 
White-marked Honey-eater. 
Ptilotis albonotata, Salvad. Arm. Mus. Civ. Genov, ix. p. 33 (1876). — Id. op. cit. xvi. p. 76 (1880). — Id. Orn. 
Papuasia e delle Moluccbe, ii. p. 333 (1881). — Gadow, Cat, Birds in Brit. Mus. ix. p. 229 (1884). 
This species is easily distinguished from its near ally, Ptilotis analoga, by its white ear-spot, which is yellow 
in the last-named bird. It was first discovered by D’Albertis in South-eastern New Guinea, where a 
considerable series was forwarded from Naiabui. It has also been found in North-western New Guinea, at 
Ramoi by Dr. Beccari, and at Dorei by Von Rosenberg and Mr. Bruijn’s hunters. The Marquis Doria has 
very kindly sent us a pair of birds for examination, the male being from Naiabui, and the female from 
Ramoi. We find that these two specimens are certainly of the same species ; but the small size noticed in 
the female bird may be either peculiar to that sex, or may indicate a smaller race existing in North-western 
New Guinea. At present the series of specimens examined has been too small to decide this question. 
Count Salvadori has separated a mountain form from the Arfak range as Ptilotis montana ; but Dr. Gadow 
considers it to be the same as P. albonotata. As, however, he has never seen a specimen of either species, 
we think that it would have been wiser to have kept the two distinct, until he had had an opportunity of 
examining the materials at Count Salvador's disposal, taking into account the experience and ability of the 
latter ornithologist. 
The following descriptions are taken from the pair of birds lent to us by the Marquis Doria : — 
Adult male. General colour above dark olive-green ; wing-coverts, quills, and tail-feathers ashy brown, 
externally light olive-green like the back, especially on the primaries ; head like the back ; lores and 
feathers below the eye dusky blackish ; ear-coverts dull ashy, with a white spot behind the lower parts ; a 
mark of yellowish white behind the angle of the mouth ; cheeks and under surface of body ashy, washed 
with olive-yellow, the abdomen ashy whitish tinged with yellow ; the flanks, sides of body, and thighs browner; 
under tail-coverts light brown, with olive-yellow margins ; under wing-coverts and axillaries pale fulvous, 
washed with olive-yellow; quills dusky below, yellowish white along the inner web : “ bill black ; feet ashy ; 
iris ashy ” (D' Albertis). Total length 6*5 inches, culmen 085, wing 3 4, tail 2 '75, tarsus 09. 
Adult female. Similar to the male in colour, but rather smaller. Total length 6 inches, culmen 075, 
wing 3'0, tail 2‘45, tarsus 0‘8. 
The Plate represents the two specimens above described, of the natural size. 
[R. B. S.] 
