PTILOTIS mffiMOKAIA, Sharpe,.
PTILOTIS MARMORATA, Sharpe.
Mottled-breasted Honey-sueker.
Ptilotis marmorata, Sharpe, Journ. Linn. Soc., Zool. vol. xvi. pp. 319, 438 (”1882).
T h is large Honey-sucker was discovered by Mr. Goldie in the Astrolabe Mountains in South-eastern New
Guinea. It is very closely allied to P . cinerea from North-western New Guinea, but is distinguished from it by
the whitish edgings to the breast-feathers.
Nothing has been recorded o f the habits o f these Honey-suckers; but they doubtless do not differ from
those o f the ordinary species o f Ptilotis. Mr. Goldie’s specimens were obtained in the Morocco district, at
the back o f the Astrolabe range. He says that the native name is Eaga.
The following is a copy o f the original description:—
“ General colour above dusky brown, the feathers margined with olive, rather lighter on the head, which
has a mottled appearance; on the forehead and over the eye a slight shade o f ashy; wing-coverts like the back,
but the outer median and greater coverts edged with paler olive, inclining to whity brown near the tip s; quills
and tail dusky, externally edged with yellowish olive, the tail-feathers margined with light rufous on the inner
web ; sides o f face and ear-coverts dusky blackish, with a slight shade of silvery whitish on the ear-coverts,
and a streak o f dull white from behind the lores under the e y e ; cheeks dusky blackish, with a slight indication
o f ashy tips to the feathers; a narrow malar streak o f dull yellowish white ; throat yellowish white, mottled
with dusky bases to the feathers; remainder o f under surface o f body ashy, the feathers tipped with a white
bar and slightly washed with o live; the whole appearance o f the under surface mottled, excepting on the
lower flanks, which are uniform olive ; thighs dusky; under tail-coverts light rufous with dusky bases, the
outer ones externally yellowish white, mottled with dusky bases to the feathers; axillaries pale olive-yellowish;
under wing-coverts light rufous-buff; quills dusky below, pale rufous along the inner web. Total length
7 inches, eulmen 1’05, wing 3 -8, tail 3 '7, tarsus l -05.”
The figure in the Plate is drawn from one of Mr. Goldie’s specimens kindly lent to me by Mr. Edward
Gerrard, jun. [R.B.S.]