PRISTORHAMPHUS VERSTERLI, Finseh.

Verster’s Flower-pecker.

Pristorhamphus versteri, Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1875, p. 642.—Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov. vii. p. 940
(1875).—Id. op. cit. xvi. p. 69 (1880).—Id. Orn. Papuasia e delle Molucche, ii. p. 286 (1881).—Sharpe,
Cat. Birds in Brit. Mus. x. p. 82 (1885).

 

Tuts elegant little bird was first described by Dr. Otto Finsch from two female specimens in the Leiden
Museum, to which institution it was sent from the Arfak Mountains. Dr. Beccari has likewise procured it
in this locality, and M. Laglaise at Karons, but it has not been found up to the present time in any other
part of New Guinea.

One of the chief characters of the genus Pristorhamphus is its abnormally long tail coupled with a peculiar
elongation of the upper and under tail-coverts, while the conspicuous white marking on the tail-feathers
renders the male bird easily recognizable ; the female is more like the same sex in the genus Melanocharis.

The following descriptions are copied from the British Museum ‘ Catalogue of Birds ’ :—

« Adult male. General colour above velvety black with a slight steel-green lustre, which is more distinct on
the scapulars; lesser and median wing-coverts glossy steel-green with velvety-black bases ; bastard-wing,
primary-coverts, and quills ashy blackish, externally glossy steel-green ; upper tail-coverts very long, glossy
steel-blue ; tail-feathers black, waved with dusky under certain lights, glossed externally with steel-blue ; the
basal half of all the feathers white, only seen when the tail is spread ; head glossy steel-green ; lores,
feathers round the eye, cheeks, ear-coverts, and sides of face velvety black; a little spot of silky white on
the upper edge of the eyelid; under surface of body pale slaty blue ; thighs and under tail-coverts black,
the latter washed with steel-blue ; a large tuft of silky white plumes on the side of the body; axillaries and
under wing-coverts white ; quills blackish, white along the inner web; bill and feet black. Total length
5-8 inches, culmen 0°55, wing 2°45, tail 3, tarsus 0°95.

«Adult female. General colour above dull olive-green, slightly yellower on the rump and upper tail-coverts ;
wing-coverts like the back ; bastard-wing uniform dusky brown ; primary-coverts and quills dusky brown,
narrowly margined with yellowish olive, the secondaries more broadly edged with olive-green like the greater
coverts ; two centre tail-feathers olive-green, blackish towards the base ; remainder of tail-feathers blue-black,
browner at the ends, edged with olive-green, the three outer ones with a white spot about the middle of
the feather ; head like the back ; lores, feathers round the eye, cheeks, and ear-coverts dingy olive, with
pale shaft-lines on the ear-coverts ; under surface of body ashy olive washed with pale yellow, with narrow
edges of the latter colour to most of the feathers ; thighs dull asby ; under tail-coverts dingy olive; on the
flanks a tuft of silky white ; axillaries pale yellow ; under wing-coverts white, washed with pale yellow ;
quills dusky below, greyish white along the edge of the inner web. Total length 5°6 inches, culmen 0°50,
wing 2°65, tail 2:6, tarsus 0°80.”

The figures in the Plate are drawn from a pair of birds lent to us by the Marquis Doria, and represent
a male and female of the natural size.

(R. B. S.J