EUPETES CASTANONOTUS, Saivad.

Chestnut-backed Eupetes.

Eupetes castanonotus, Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov. vii. p. 966 (1875), xvi. p .187 (1880).—Id. Orn. Papuasia,
ete. li. p. 411 (1881).
Eupetes pulcher, Sharpe, Journ. Linn. Soc., Zool. vol. xvi. pp. 319, 440 (1882).

 

Turs beautiful species was discovered by Dr. Beccari in North-western New Guinea, and has recently been
sent in some numbers by Mr. A. Goldie from the Astrolabe range of mountains in the south-eastern portion
of the island. Owing to a discrepancy in the colouring of the head and in the extent of the black collar
with the account of the species as given by Count Salvadori, Mr. Sharpe described the specimens from the
last-named locality as new; but having received from the Genoa Museum the types of £. castanonotus, he has
become convinced that the two species are identical.

The following is a full description of the two sexes :—

“© Adult male. General colour above rich chestnut, including the hinder head and neck, mantle, and back ;
lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts blue ; scapulars blue washed with light reddish, with paler shaft-
lines, indications of which are also seen on the feathers of the mantle; wing-coverts bright blue; bastard-
wing feathers black ; primary-coverts black edged with blue ; quills black, the primaries slightly, the secondaries
more plainly washed with blue externally, the innermost with olive-brown ; tail dull blue, brighter blue on
the edges of the feathers; base of forehead and lores black, succeeded by a band of dull blue across the
forehead and forming a distinct eyebrow, which extends to behind the ear-coverts, which are black ; cheeks,
lower portion of ear-coverts, and entire throat pure white, surrounded by a very narrow line of black feathers,
increasing in extent on the fore neck ; remainder of under surface bright blue, the under tail-coverts blue
with a broad spot of black at the ends ; under wing-coverts and axillaries blackish, the outer ones washed
with blue; quills ashy blackish below. Total length 9 inches, culmen 1:05, wing 3°7, tail 4°3, tarsus 1°35.

‘Adult female. Differs from the male in having the entire upper surface chestnut without any blue; the
chestnut colour, however, is much duller than in the male, except on the lower back and rump; wings as
in the male; cheeks and throat white; remainder of under surface blue as in the male. Total length 8°5
inches, culmen 1-0, wing 3°65, tail 3°9, tarsus 1:3.”

The figures in the Plate represent an adult male and a young bird of this species: they are drawn from
the typical specimens now in the collection of the British Museum. [R. B. 8.]

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