X ä K T H O T I S CMB.ÌTS O T I S 0
XANTHOTIS CHRYSOTIS.
Golden-eared Honey-eater.
Philedon chrysotis, Lesson, Voyage de la Coquille, Zool. i. p. 645, pl. 21 (1826).— Rosenb. Malay Arch. p. 395
(1879)7
Myzantha flaviventer, Lesson, Man. d ’Orn. ii. p. 67 (1828).
Myzantha chrysotis, Lesson, T ra ité d’Orn. p . 302 (1831).—Id . Compì. Buff., Ois. p. 594 (1838).
Tropidorhynchus chrysotis, Gray, Gen. B. ii. p. 126 (1846).— Bp. Consp. i. p. 390 (1850).— Sclater, Proc. Linn.
Soc. ii. p. 158 (1858).— Gray, Cat. Mamin, etc. New Guinea, pp. 25, 56 (1859).—Finsch, Neu-Guinea,
p. 165 (1865).
Xanthotis chrysotis, Bp. Comptes Rendus, xxxviii. p. 262 (1854).— Meyer, Sitz. k. Akad. Wien, lxx. pp. 113, 207
(1874).—Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov, viii. p. 401 (18 7 6 ), x. p. 147 (1877), xvi. p. 78 (1 8 8 0 ).—Id.
Orn. Papuasia e delle Molucche, ii. p. 347 (1881).
Ptilotis flaviventris, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1858, p. 190.—Id . Cat. Mamm. etc. N ew Guinea, p. 55 (1859).—Id . Proc.
Zool. Soc. 1861, p. 429»
Ptilotis chrysotis, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1859, p. 155.— Gadow, Cat. B irds in Brit. Mus. i. p. 238 (1884).—
Guillemard, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1885, p. 642.
Xanthotis flaviventris, Reichenb. Handb. Meropinæ, p. 139, fig. 3512 (1862),; 7
Anthochara chrysotis, Gray, Han d -list Birds, i. p. 159, no. 2070 (1869).— Rosenb. Malay Arch. p. 553 (1879).
Xanthotis ruliensis, Meyer in Madarâsz, Zeitschr. ges. Orn. i. p. 289 (18 8 4 ).
I h e present species is the Papuan representative o f the Australian X . Jiligera, and is found in many parts
o f North-western New Guinea and the neighbouring island o f Mysol. It is not found in Waigiou, as stated
by Dr. Gadow (/. <?.), as in this island the allied species X . fusciventris o f Salvadori takes its place. The
specimen in the British Museum from Waigiou belongs to the latter species, which is easily recognizable,
being, indeed, allowed by Dr. Gadow, though he refers the only specimen in the Museum to X . chrysotis.
There is considerable variation in a series of specimens, some showing a more rufous coloration on the
under surface than others, and in many specimens the grey ear-spot is nearly obsolete. These differences
seem to us to be due sometimes to age, and sometimes to the preparation of the skin, and we cannot
perceive any specific characters sufficient to separate X . rubiensis of Dr. Meyer (/. c.). The latter
gentleman has been so kind as to send us over the types of X . rubiensis, as well as the birds he considers
to be true X . ¿vanthotis, and after comparing them with the series in the British Museum, we believe the
two species to be inseparable.
Dr. Guillemard has lent us the specimen from which the following description is taken :—
Adult male. General colour above dark brown mottled with yellowish olive; wing-coverts like the back;
the outer greater coverts, bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and quills dusky brown edged with brighter olive-
yellow, the secondaries margined with dull olive; upper tail-coverts and tail-feathers dusky brown, edged
with yellowish olive; crown o f head greener than the back; lores dusky; below the eye a bare patch ; ear-
coverts (lark slaty grey, with a tuft o f bright yellow below the hinder part; cheeks and sides o f face dark olive;
throat asliy g rey; fore neck and chest olive-greenish, becoming yellower towards the breast, which is dull
fawn-brown washed with olive-yellow; abdomen, sides o f body, and flanks fawn-brown ; thighs and under
tail-coverts light brown washed with buff; under wing-coverts and axillaries tawny buff, olive-yellow on the
edge o f the wing; quills below dusky, tawny along the inner edge : “ bill and legs black; iris brown ”
( I I . Guillemard). Total length 8 inches, culmen 1*15, wing 4*1, tail 3'5, tarsus 1*0.
The figures in the Plate represent an adult bird o f the natural size and in two positions. They are drawn
from the specimen above described in Dr. Guillemard’s collection.
[R. B. S.]