PTILOTIS MARMORATA, Sharpe. 
Mottled-breastecl Honey-sucker. 
Ptilotis marmorata, Sharpe, Journ. Linn. Soc., Zool. vol. xvi. pp. 319, 438 ('1882). 
This large Honey-sucker was discovered by Mr. Goldie in the Astrolabe Mountains in South-eastern New 
Guinea. It is very closely allied to P. cinerea from North-western New Guinea, but is distinguished from it by 
the whitish edgings to the breast-feathers. 
Nothing has been recorded of the habits of these Honey-suckers ; but they doubtless do not differ from 
those of the ordinary species of Ptilotis . Mr. Goldie’s specimens were obtained in the Morocco district, at 
the back of the Astrolabe range. He says that the native name is Eaga. 
The following is a copy of the original description : — 
“ General colour above dusky brown, the feathers margined with olive, rather lighter on the head, which 
has a mottled appearance ; on the forehead and over the eye a slight shade of ashy ; wing-coverts like the back, 
but the outer median and greater coverts edged with paler olive, inclining to whity brown near the tips ; quills 
and tail dusky, externally edged with yellowish olive, the tail-feathers margined with light rufous on the inner 
web ; sides of face and ear-coverts dusky blackish, with a slight shade of silvery whitish on the ear-coverts, 
and a streak of dull white from behind the lores under the eye ; cheeks dusky blackish, with a slight indication 
of ashy tips to the feathers ; a narrow malar streak of dull yellowish white ; throat yellowish white, mottled 
with dusky bases to the feathers ; remainder of under surface of body ashy, the feathers tipped with a white 
bar and slightly washed with olive ; the whole appearance of the under surface mottled, excepting on the 
lower flanks, which are uniform olive; thighs dusky; under tail-coverts light rufous with dusky bases, the 
outer ones externally yellowish white, mottled with dusky bases to the feathers ; axillaries pale olive-yellowish ; 
under wing-coverts light rufous-buff ; quills dusky below, pale rufous along the inner web. Total length 
7 inches, culmen 1’05, wing 3’8, tail 3*7, tarsus 105.” 
The figure in the Plate is drawn from one of Mr. Goldie’s specimens kindly lent to me by Mr. Edward 
Gerrard, juu. [R.B.S.] 
