CHA TORH YNCHUS PAPUENSIS Meyer

Arfak Drongo.

Chaetorhynchus papuensis, Meyer, Sitz. Akad. Wiss. Wien.

lxix. p. 493 (1874
p. 242, pl. xiii. (1877). Coe)

—Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. lil.

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fmerspecies of King Crow or Drongo Shrike wac dic. vere ; a3 fee
Tuis little spec 2 r Drongo Shrike was discovered by Dr. Meyer during his visit to New
at interest to the naturalist, who is ever on the watch
for forms which evince unexpected affinities to others of a distant habitat.

Guinea, and, although not a showy bird, is one of gre

In the present instance we find,
genus of Drongo which, in size, general form,
, reminds us forcibly of the small genus Chaptia of India
and Malayana. In one respect, however, Chetorhynchus differs not only from Chaptia, but from all other
genera of the Dicruride ; and that is, in the shoulder-spot of white which adorns the New-Guinea bird.
The general coloration of the Drongos is black.

in the Arfak Mountains of North-western New Guinea, a

and especially in the scaly nature of its plumage

relieved by a certain gloss or metallic spangles. An
intermixture of white is of rare occurrence in the family; it occurs, however, in some of the Indian
species of Buchanga (which have a little white on the lower parts), and is most conspicuous in Dierurus
mirabilis of the Philippines (which has a pure white breast and abdomen).

The Arfak Drongo has a white spot on the shoulders; but this is by no means a conspicuous feature, as
may be gathered from the fact that when Dr. Meyer described the species he did not notice it, nor did
Mr. Bowdler Sharpe, in his ‘ Catalogue of Birds,’ nor did Mr. Keulemans when he drew the figure for the
latter work. Indeed it was only when Dr. Meyer came to have one of the typical specimens mounted for
the Dresden Museum that the shoulder-spot became suddenly visible; and its first discovery is due to
him. I have therefore much pleasure in giving the first accurate figure of Chetorhynchus. 1 find that
the white spot varies much in size, and is almost absent in some specimens. I have examined the neal
examples obtained by Dr. Meyer, as well as others procured by M. Laglaize, one of which is in the collection
of the British Museum.

The following description is given by Mr. Sharpe in the work above alluded to, and is taken from
one of the original types :—

General colour black, with a steely gloss, the head more brightly glossed with steel-green, the feathers
rounded and somewhat scale-like in appearance ; least wing-coverts steel-black, the median, greater, a
primary-coverts black, narrowly edged with steel-green ; quills placls the secondaries ee ee os
green, the innermost glossed with the latter colour; tail black, slightly oe o ie
edges of the feathers ; sides of face and under surface of body black, the bret glossec ee i =
under wing-coverts greyish black; bill and feet black. Total length 7 inches, culmen 0-7, wing 4°2,

30, tarsus 0°7. : :
The figures in the Plate represent the species of the natural size; they are drawn from the type

specimens, lent to me by Dr. Meyer.

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