XANTHOTIS CHRYSOTIS. 
Golden-eared Honey-eater. 
PMledon chrysotis, Lesson, Voyage de la Coquille, Zool. i. p. 645, pi. 21 (1826). — Rosenb. Malay Arch p. 395 
(1879). 
Myzantha flaviventer, Lesson, Man. d’Orn. ii. p. 67 (1828). 
Myzantha chrysotis, Lesson, Traite d’Orn. p. 302 (1831).— Id. Conapl. Buff., Ois. p. 594 (1838). 
Tropidorhynchus chrysotis, Gray, Gen. B. ii. p. 126 (1846). — Bp. Consp. i. p. 390 (1850). Sclater, Proc. Linn. 
Soc. ii. p. 158 (1858). — Gray, Cat. Mamm. etc. New Guinea, pp. 25, 56 (1859). — Finsch, Neu-Guinea, 
p. 165 (1865). 
Xanthotis chrysotis, Bp. Comptes Rendus, xxxviii. p. 262 (1854). — Meyer, Sitz. lc. Akad. M ien, Ixx. pp. 113, 207 
(1874). — Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov, viii. p. 401 (1876), x. p. 147 (1877), xvi. p. 78 (1880). — Id. 
Orn. Papuasia e delle Molucche, ii. p. 347 (1881). 
Ptilotis Jlaviven tr is, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1858, p. 190. — Id. Cat. Mamm. etc. New Guinea, p. 55 (1859).— Id. Proc. 
Zool. Soc. 1861, p. 429. 
Ptilotis chrysotis, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1859, p. 155. — Gadow, Cat. Birds in Brit. Mus. i. p. 238 (1884).— 
Guillemard, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1885, p. 642. 
Xanthotis flaviventris, Reichenb. Handb. Meropinee, p. 139, fig. 3512 (1862). 
Anthochccra chrysotis, Gray, Hand-list Birds, i. p. 159, no. 2070 (1869). — Rosenb. Malay Arch. p. 553 (1879). 
Xanthotis rubiensis, Meyer in Madarasz, Zeitschr. ges. Orn. i. p. 289 (1884). 
Tue present species is the Papuan representative of the Australian X.Jiligera, and is found in many parts 
of North-western New Guinea and the neighbouring island of Mysol. It is not found in Waigiou, as stated 
by Dr. Gadow (/. c.), as in this island the allied species X. fusciventris of Salvadori takes its place. The 
specimen in the British Museum from Waigiou belongs to the latter species, which is easily recognizable, 
being, indeed, allowed by Dr. Gadow, though he refers the only specimen in the Museum to X. chrysotis. 
There is considerable variation in a series of specimens, some showing a more rufous coloration on the 
under surface than others, and in many specimens the grey car-spot is nearly obsolete. These differences 
seem to us to be due sometimes to age, and sometimes to the preparation of the skin, and we cannot 
perceive any specific characters sufficient to separate X. rubiensis of Dr. Meyer (/. c.). The latter 
gentleman has been so kind as to send us over the types of X. rubiensis, as well as the birds he considers 
to be true X. xanthotis, and after comparing them with the series in the British Museum, we believe the 
two species to be inseparable. 
Dr. Guillemard has lent us the specimen from which the following description is taken : — 
Adult male. General colour above dark brown mottled with yellowish olive ; wing-coverts like the back ; 
the outer greater coverts, bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and quills dusky brown edged with brighter olive- 
yellow, the secondaries margined with dull olive; upper tail-coverts and tail-feathers dusky brown, edged 
with yellowish olive ; crown of head greener than the back ; lores dusky ; below the eye a bare patch ; ear- 
coverts dark slaty grey, with a tuft of bright yellow below the hinder part ; cheeks and sides of face dark olive ; 
throat ashy grey ; fore neck and chest olive-greenish, becoming yellower towards the breast, which is dull 
fawn-brown washed with olive-yellow ; abdomen, sides of body, and flanks fawn-brown ; thighs and under 
tail-coverts light brown washed with buff; under wing-coverts and axillaries tawny buff, olive-yellow on the 
edge of the wing ; quills below dusky, tawny along the inner edge : “ bill and legs black ; iris brown ’ 
(H. Guillemard'). Total length 8 inches, euhnen 1 - 1 5, wing 4*1, tail 35, tarsus TO. 
The figures in the Plate represent an adult bird of the natural size and in two positions. They are drawn 
from the specimen above described in Dr. Guillemard’s collection. 
[R. B. S.] 
