MUNIA FORBESI, Sclater'. 
Forbes’s Munia. 
Mania forbesi, Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1879, p. 449, pi. xxxvii. fig. 3. — Reichenow & Schalow, Journ. f. Orn. 
1880, p. 203. — Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genova, xvi. p. 192 (1880). — Id. Ornitologia della Papuasia 
&c. p. 438 (1881). 
This is a very fine and large species of Munia, recently discovered in New Ireland by the Rev. George 
Brown, who procured one specimen only, in the district of Topaio, in September 1878. In the style of 
coloration it differs greatly from the species of the genus which are found in Australia and the Papuan 
Islands, and belongs rather to the Indian group, of which Munia Malacca is the type. 
In addition to the large size of the present species, it may he told from any of the other Papuan Manioc 
by the following characters, which are here quoted from Count Salvadori’s new work on the Ornithology of 
New Guinea. It has the upper tail-coverts, as well as the rump, rufous, the sides of the body rufous, not 
streaked with black ; and the head and under tail-coverts arc black, while the breast and entire abdomen 
are rufous. The nearest ally to the present bird is Mania jagori of the Philippines ; but that species has 
the breast and abdomen black like the remainder of the undersurface. 
Dr. Sclater gave the following diagnosis of the species, which is named after Mr. W. A. Forbes, the well- 
known Prosector to the Zoological Society, who has made a special study of the Fringillidse : — 
Rufous, a little paler underneath ; head all round, as well as the throat, flanks, and lower part of the 
belly, including the thighs and under tail-coverts, black, the latter being elongated; hill and feet black; 
the bill very stout. 
Total length 4 inches, wing 2, tail 1*5. 
The Plate represents two birds, of the size of life. They are drawn from the unique specimen now in 
the British Museum, and lent to me by Dr. Sclater before its incorporation in the national collection. 
