MYZOMELA ANNABELLA, Setater.

Mrs. Forbes’s Honey-sucker.,

Myzomela annabelle, Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1883, p. 56.

Turs little Myzomela belongs to a small section of the genus which contains AZ. doiei from Banda and
M. adolphine from the Arfak Mountains in North-western New Guinea. The former, however, differs in
having the whole of the back scarlet, while according to Count Salvadori’s description of the Arfak species,
which we have never seen, the back is dusky greyish with a slight olive tint and the rump and upper
tail-coverts scarlet, whereas in M/. annabelle the mantle is blue-black
the rump and upper tail-coverts.

The single specimen yet known was procured by Mr. Forbes in Loetoe while it was frequenting the
cocoa-nut trees from which the natives had been collecting their ‘ Tuak,” or palm-wine.

This pretty little species has been named by Mr. Sclater after Mrs. Forbes ; and we have great pleasure in
figuring a bird bearing the name of this brave lady, who shared the perils of Mr. Forbes’s travels in the
Moluccas and even accompanied him to Timor Laut, where, in addition to the risks from the climate, their
collecting had to be done in a circumscribed area, with the constant dread of an attack from the neighbouring
villages.

and the lower back is scarlet as well as

Adult male. General colour above blue-black, the centre of the back, rump, and upper tail-coverts bright
scarlet ; wing-coverts blue-black, greater coverts and quills black, with a narrow margin of yellowish olive ; tail-
; 5 5 A a ; a
feathers blue-black, narrowly fringed with white along the edge of the inner web ; crown of head and hind neck
scarlet ; lores black ; sides of face, ear-coverts, cheeks, and throat bright scarlet, succeeded by a black patch
’ 9 & z ; : bs ae ‘
across the fore neck ; remainder of under surface of the body pale yellowish olive, the flanks mixed with
2 2 . . .

i i : thighs ps sllowish olive ; under tail-coverts white, washed with pale
ashy, the bases being of this colour; thighs pale yellowish olive ; aa , ieee. :
yellowish olive and having faint dusky centres ; under wing-coverts. and axillaries white, washed with yellow

5 . . 7
ce o. Ales ; ade sr web; ‘bill black; legs and feet
on the edge of the wing ; quills blackish, white along the edge of the inner web ; as eg ue
dirty green; iris dark brown” (7. O. Forbes). ‘Total length 3°66 inches, culmen 0°55, wing 2:0, tail 1-3,
Ay Seen § ¢ See

~ tarsus 0°6.

. : naCe » typicé ‘imen, of the natural size, in three positions.
The figures in the Plate represent the typical specimen, ‘ é

[R. B. S.J