Sclater. 
ARTAMUS INSIGNIS, 
New-Irelancl Wood-Swallow. 
Artemius insignis, Sclater, P. Z. S. 1877, p. 101, pi. xv. 
I thoroughly indorse the term insignis (or “remarkable”), which lias been applied to this species by 
Dr. Sclater; for, in my opinion, it is the handsomest of all the Wood-Swallows, The number of Artami has 
not been greatly increased since I published my ‘ Birds of Australia;’ but at that time, certainly, the two 
finest species, A. maximus and A. insignis, were not known. I have therefore great pleasure in presenting 
my readers with figures of these beautiful birds. 
Of the subject of the present article we have very little to record. It is one of the discoveries of 
Mr. George Brown, who procured it in New Ireland in March 1876; and the two specimens obtained are 
in the collection of the Marquis of Tweeddale, along with the rest of Mr. Brown’s ornithological trophies. 
Dr. Sclater, who described it, observes that it is closely allied to A. monachus of Celebes, but differs in having 
tiie wings and tail black, as may be seen by a comparison of the Plates of these two birds given in this work. 
In his account of the collections sent by Mr. Brown, Dr. Sclater has pointed out in certain of the species a 
slight indication of Celebesian affinities, and he observes with regard to the Artemius : — “Here is a second 
instance of a repetition on the further side of New Guinea of a Celebesian type, A. monachus of Celebes 
being certainly the nearest known ally of this fine new species. I have examined a specimen of A. mela- 
leucus (Forst.), of New Caledonia, in the British Museum, but find it quite distinct, having the upper back 
black. A. maxhnus, Meyer, of New Guinea, is of the same large size as the present bird, but has the whole 
back black.” 
General colour above pure white; the head and neck all round, the wings, and tail black ; under surface 
of the body, from the black throat downwards, pure white; under wing-coverts white, the small ones along 
the edge of the wing black ; bill bluish. Total length 7 ‘ 3 inches, culmen TO, wing 5'65, tail 2*6, tarsus 0'8. 
The principal figures in the Plate are of the natural size, and are drawn from the type specimens in the 
collection of the Marquis of Tweeddale. 
