MICRODYNAMIS PARVA.
Dwarf Koel.

Eudynamis parva, Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic, Genov. vii. p. 986 (

Microdynamis parva, Salvad. Ann. Mus,
ie peo“ (1880).

Rhamphomantis rollesi, Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W

1875).

Civic. Genoy. xiii. p- 461 (1878).—Id. Orn. Papuasia e delle Molucche,

ales, viii. p. 24 (1884),—Salvad. Ibis, 1884, p. 354,
a

We regret gr eatly that we have not been able to obtain a specimen of the adult male of this very interesting
. S ~ whe 2 ae . 2 7 . ° = .
apecles of Cuckoo, but PecUSNUZIDe the Importance of figuring in the present work as many peculiar

Papuan genera as possible, we hay “med i Sen: a . .
apuan g a | , ave deemed it better to figure the immature birds than to omit. the

species altogether.

The male has oe head glossy black, and the general aspect of the bird, as well as the colour of
its plumage, proclaims its relationship with the Koels or Black Cuckoos of the genus Eudynamis. — Its
short curved bill, however, distinguishes it from the typical _Koels, while its small size is a striking
peculiarity. :

The history of Afcrodynamis is somewhat involved, for the original specimen was sent by Dr. Beceari,
along with a number of others, from the island of Tidore in the Moluccas ; but with the consignment
were one or two New Guinea species, which led Count Salvadori to suspect that the type of Micro-
dynams parva might also have come from New Guinea rather than from Tidore. In this surmise we
expect him to be correct, as there can be little doubt that the specimens figured in our Plate are of
the same species as the bird described by Count Salvadori. There is no question also that they are
the same as the Phamphomantis rollesi described by Mr. Ramsay from Mount Astrolabe. Although closely
allied to, and in appearance much resembling, Rhamphomantis megarhynchus, the latter has a differently
formed bill, and belongs to another section of the family Cuculide.

Mr. H. O. Forbes has procured two specimens in the Sogeri district of the Astrolabe Mountains,
viz. a female (which we presume to be adult) and a young bird, of which the following are descriptions :—

Adult female. General colour above brown, glossed with greenish bronze, with indistinct traces of
rufous margins to the feathers; wing-coverts like the back, but a little more rufous, with the rufous
Margins more pronounced ; bastard-wing dusky brown, edged with rufous; primary-coverts and quills
brown, edged with rufous and glossed with greenish bronze, especially on the secondaries; upper tail-
coverts and tail-feathers brown, glossed with greenish bronze and edged with rufous, the outer feathers
shghtly freckled with rufous on the inner web; crown of head like the back, and spotted with
rufous, with a band of glossy black across the nape; lores dusky ; below the eye a streak of
white from the base of the bill across the ear-coverts, which are otherwise like the crown; cheeks
black, forming a broad band bordering the throat, which is tawny rufous; remainder of under surface
of body ashy brown, washed with rufous, with faint indications of dusky cross bars; thighs dusky
brown; under tail-coverts pale ashy, washed with rufous and faintly barred with dusky; under wing-
coverts and axillaries pale rufous, the latter with indistinct dusky bars ; quills belo eS moe
on the inner edge: “bill blue-black; legs and feet lavender-blue ; iris with a red ring” (Zl. O. F.).
Total length 7:2 inches, culmen 0°65, wing 3°85, tail 3:4, tarsus 0°7.
i scarcely any black on the nape or cheeks; the upper surface is
especiallly an the head, which is also plainly barred with dusky ;
inner webs of the tail-feathers are more marked ;

The young bird differs in having
more distinctly washed with rufous,
the wings are more rufous, and the mottlings on the
the throat is ashy, with faint dusky cross bars. . fe eee

: : ; Salvadori, is probs adult male, and he

The type specimen, described by Count Salvadori, is probably an < eee ee

i amsav’s description also agrees with this; but in his account
of the head and hind neck black. Mr. Ramsay's descr] g

i ; as misprints, as we cannot
of the female, which appears to be immature, there seem to be some | :

understand the description as it stands.

The figures in the Plate represent the female
d by Mr. Forbes, and described above.

and young bird of the natural size; they are

drawn from the specimens obtaine

[R. B. 8]