MELILESTES POLIOPTERUS, Sharpe. 
Grey- winged Honey-eater. 
Melilestes polyopterm, Sharpe, Journ. Linn. Soc., Zook vol. xvi. pp. 318, 438 0382). 
The germs Melilestes was founded by Count Salvadori for the reception of a little group of Honey-eaters 
peculiar to the Papuan subregion. The four species comprised under the genus present considerable 
difference in coloration ; hut the affinities of the present bird are clearly with M. nonce gmnece, a little species 
which was for a long time thought by naturalists to be an Arachnothera. The latter genus is now considered 
to be exclusively Indian ; and although M. nonce gmnece and M. poliopterus have much the appearance of a 
Spider-hunter, they would be expected from their habitats to be more nearly allied to the Australian Meli- 
phagidce. 
The chief differences which M. poliopterus exhibits when compared with M. nonce guinea are the plumbeous 
wings and head, as well as the yellow spot on the throat. 
Mr. Goldie obtained a single specimen of this new species in the Choqueri district, at the back of the 
Astrolabe Mountains, in South-eastern New Guinea, where it was called by the natives “ bererita.” 
The following description has been taken from Mr. Sharpe’s paper on Mr. Goldie’s collections : — 
“ General colour above green, the whole of the crown and nape dark slaty grey ; wing-coverts slaty-grey , 
quills dusky, externally slaty grey, rather lighter along the edge of the primaries, the secondaries with a very 
aint olive tint on the outer webs ; tail-feathers dusky, externally edged with slaty grey and having a small 
white spot at the tip of the inner web ; lores, sides of face and ear-coverts dull slaty grey with a slight wash 
of green; under surface of body olive-yellow, the chin dusky grey washed with yellow, the lower throat 
bright yellow ; thighs ashy washed with yellow ; under tail-coverts yellow, ashy grey along the centre ; 
under wing-coverts and axillaries white, the latter washed with yellow ; quills dusky brown, edged with 
white along the inner web. Total length 4*4 inches, culmen 1-2, wing 2*85, tail 1*55, tarsus 0*7.” 
The figures in the Plate are drawn from the typical specimen in the British Museum, and represent an 
adult bird of the natural size in two positions. [R.B.S.] 
