MYZOMELA SCLATERT, Forbes,

Sclater’s Honey-eater.

Myzomela sclateri, Forbes, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1879, p. 268, pl. 26, fig. 2.—Sclat. ibid. p. 448.—Reichenow et

Schal. Journ. f. Orn. 1880, p. 198.—Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civ. Genova, xvi. p. 72, no. 8 (1880).—Id.
Orn. della Papuasia &c. ii. p. 298 (1881). )

 

Tus elegant little bird is another of the interesting discoveries made by that well-known collector
the Rev. George Brown in New Britain and the neighbouring islands. It Was discovered by him on the
island of Palakuru, a small island in mid-channel between New Britain and Duke-of-York lend It was
first described by Mr. W. A. Forbes, in his excellent Synopsis of the Meliphagine genus J/yzomela
(published in the ‘ Proceedings of the Zoological Society’ for 1879), where he describes the single male
bird at that time known. ‘“ At first,’ writes Mr. Forbes, ‘““Ihad some doubts as to this individual being
adult ; but now, from the absence of red feathers on any other part, and from the singularly bright
and shining colour of those on the throat, I have little doubt that it has very nearly or quite attained
its full plumage. Jyzomela sclateri hardly admits of being compared with any other species of the group,
the entirely dark upperside and the red being confined to the throat rendering it quite unlike any species
yet known to us.”

In May of the same year Dr. Sclater received a further collection from Mr. Brown, which contained a
male and a female of this new A/yzomela, and amply demonstrated its distinctness from any other known
species of the genus. It belongs to the section of the genus where the species have the undersurface either
whitish or greyish-olive, and, further, to the division of black-fronted species comprising JZ. ewlnerata,
M. jugularis, and M. lafargii ; but from all of these it may be told by its blackish head.

The following description is translated from Mr. Forbes’s essay above mentioned :—

Adult male. Upper surface of the body, with the wings and tail, dusky blackish, the head darker; the
feathers of the lower back yellow at the tip; quills, wing-coverts, and tail-feathers externally edged with
olive-yellow ; throat bright crimson ; undersurface of body greyish yellow, the throat rather duller ; under
wing-coverts and imner margin of quills white 5 bill black ; feet dusky. :

Total length about 4:5 inches, wing 3°65, tail 1:7, bill 0-6, tarsus Oe |

The adult female is described by Mr. Sclater as follows mec surface dark One crown of head,
wings, and tail blackish, the latter externally edged with olive; underneath greyish yellow; the throat
slightly tinged with crimson.

I have been indebted to Dr. Sclater for the loan of male
nting two males and a female.

and female birds, from which the life-sized

figures in the Plate have been drawn, represe

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