PTILOTIS ALBONOTATA, sewad.

W hite-marked Honey-eater.

Ptilotis albonotata, Salvad. Ann. Mus. Ciy. Genov. ix. p. 33 (1876)

—Id. op. cit. xvi. p. 76 (1880).—Id. Orn.
Papuasia e delle Molucche, ii. p. 333 (1881).—Gadow, C

at. Birdsin Brit. Mus. ix. p-. 229 (1884).

 

Tuts species is easily distinguished from its near ally, Peilotis analoga, by its white ear-spot, which is yellow
in the last-named bird. It was first discovered by D’Albertis in South-eastern New Guinea, where a
considerable series was forwarded from Naiabui. It has also been found in North-western New Guinea, at
Ramoi by Dr. Beccari, and at Dorei by Von Rosenberg and Mr. Bruijn’s hunters. The Marquis Doria has
very kindly sent us a pair of birds for examination, the male being from Naiabui, and the female from
Ramoi. We find that these two specimens are certainly of the same species; but the small size noticed in
the female bird may be either peculiar to that sex, or may indicate a smaller race existing in North-western
New Guinea. At present the series of specimens examined has been too small to decide this question.

Count Salvadori has separated a mountain form from the Arfak range as Péilotis montana; but Dr. Gadow
considers it to be the same as P. albonotata. As, however, he has never seen a specimen of either species,
we think that it would have been wiser to have kept the two distinct, until he bad had an opportunity of
examining the materials at Count Salvadori’s disposal, taking into account the experience and ability of the
latter ornithologist.

The following descriptions are taken from the pair of birds lent to us by the Marquis Doria :—

Adult male. General colour above dark olive-green; wing-coverts, quills, and tail-feathers ashy brown,
externally light olive-green like the back, especially on the primaries; head like the back; lores and
feathers below the eye dusky blackish ; ear-coverts dull ashy, with a white spot behind the lower parts; a
mark of yellowish white behind the angle of the mouth ; cheeks and under surface of body ashy, washed
with olive-yellow, the abdomen ashy whitish tinged with yellow ; the flanks, sides of body, and thighs browner ;
under tail-coverts light brown, with olive-yellow margins 5 under wing-coverts and axillaries pale fulvous,
washed with olive-yellow ; quills dusky below, yellowish white along the inner web: ‘ bill black ; feet ashy ;
iris ashy” (D’ dibertis). Total length 6°5 inches, culmen 0°85, wing 3-4, tail 2°75, tarsus 0:9. =

Adult female. Similar to the male in colour, but rather smaller. otal length 6 inches, culmen 0:70,
wing 3°0, tail 2°45, tarsus 0°8.

The Plate represents the two specimens above described, of the natural size.

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