MELIRRHOPHETES LEUCOSTEPHES, Meyer.

White-faced Honey-eater.

Melirrhophetes leucostephes, A. B. Meyer, Sitzungsb. der k.-k. Akad. d. Wissenschaften zu Wien, Ixx. Juni 1874,
p- 111.—T. Salvadori, Ann. del Mus. Civ. di Genova, vol. vil. 1875, p. 776.

 

Tus large and attractive Honey-eater must form a conspicuous feature among the flowering trees of New
Guinea, much as do the large species of this family so numerously spread over Australia; at least we may
surmise this, as not even a few words have been placed on record by its discoverer Dr. Meyer, or by any
other person. These meagre descriptions, however, testify to the rarity of the subject, and point out to
future travellers over New Guinea how very desirable it would be for them to jot down any such particulars
before they leave the forests, or at least as soon after as an opportunity may occur. All I can now say
is that my artist, Mr. Hart, has made as faithful a portrait of this new bird as possible, to which I add
Dr. Meyer’s description very kindly forwarded to me in a letter.

«Feathers of forehead and those which encircle the naked skin surrounding the eye white; throat,
crown, and hinder part of head, nape, ears, and a patch which borders the front of the eye black ; naked
eye-skin and lengthened skin-fold of the mouth yellowish ; caruncles of the throat orange ; back brownish,
feathers of the upper part edged with white and brownish white; under surface black, with some white
markings on the breast and abdomen ; upper part of wings bright olivaceous ; under surface greyish, with
lig

mixed; upper part of tail brown, each feather having a lighter edge on the outer web ; bill bluish grey,

ht-brown edges on the bases of the inner webs; under wing-coverts blackish, with light brown inter-

lighter at the tip; feet and tarsi blackish grey, soles of feet lighter.”
Total length 11 inches, bill 1s, wings 5, tail 5, tarsi lee
According to Salvadori the sexes are alike in colour.
Hab. Arfak Mountains in New Guinea.
The figure in the Plate is of the natural size.

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