ARTAMUS MAXIMUS, Met/er.
Meyer’s Wood-Swallow.
Artamus m,minus, Moyer, Sitz. k. Alcad. Wien, Iris, part 1, p. 203—Beccari, Ann. Ha s. Civic. Genov, vii.
p. 710 (1875).—Sclater, Ibis, 1876, p. 248.
T he genus Artamus is one of those peculiar forms o f bird life which do not seem to have any immediate
allies in the natural system; and for many years it has puzzled ornithologists where these Wood-Swal-
lows should be placed. I can hardly subscribe to the opinion of Mr. Wallace, who places them near the
Starlings from their wing-strncture; for a t the same time their habits are not those o f S turnine birds. But
I must reject the arrangement o f the late Mr. Gray, who places several Shrikes, such as Leptopterus and
Cyanolanius, .in the genus Artamus. Whether the curious African genus Pseudoclielidon is really allied to
Artamus I cannot determine; but I should think it more probably a Shrike-like form, in which case we should
have Artamus as a genus inhabiting only the Indian and Australian regions. As we proceed southwards
towards New Guinea we find the species increasing in number, until we meet with the metropolis of the
genus in Australia, whence it extends to New Caledonia, and even to the Fiji Islands.
When Dr. Meyer described tlie present species, and bestowed upon it the name o f maximus, he was
scarcely justified in doing so. T h a t it is one o f the largest Wood-Swallows discovered, is t ru e ; and it will be
seen by a comparison o f the measurements that it exceeds slightly the newly discovered Artamus insignis,
which is very nearly its equal in size; but A . monachus o f Celebes is quite as long as A. maximus, and has even
a stronger bill. In addition to the large dimensions, the black coloration of Meyer’s Wood-Swallow makes
it a very characteristic species.
We know very little about the habits o f the present bird. Dr. Beccari, in his interesting letter on the
ornithology of New Guinea, gives the following n o te :— “ Artamus maximus is very common from 3000 to
5000 feet, and has the same habits as A . papuensis. I t is enough to say that it flies like a Swallow, and sits
on the branches of dead trees, especially in the m iddle o f plantations. I have only got one or two specimens
because, through some fatality, I missed all the shots I fired.” The above seems to comprise all th at has
been published respecting this fine Wood-Swallow, which doubtless does not differ in its economy from the
other Artami.
In a specimen o f this bird from Atam, recently lent to me by Mr. A. Boucard, I notice that the bill is
almost white, whereas in the typical example it is blue. I fancy that this variation in colour is due to the
fading o f the bill after death. The following description is taken from the type specimen lent me by D r.
Meyer
General colour above black, including the wings and tail, the two latter with a slight slaty g lo ss ; all the
feathers slaty grey a t b a s e ; rump and upper tail-coverts w h ite ; sides o f face, sides of neck, throat, and fore
neck black, like the b a ck ; remainder o f under surface o f body pure wh ite; under wing-coverts and axillaries
white, the small coverts along the outer edge o f the wing black; quills greyish below. Total length 7 5
inches, culmen 0 ’8, wing 6 -3, tail 2'8 , tarsus 0 '75.
The principal figure in the Plate represents the species o f the size o f life, and is drawn from the type
specimen kindly lent me by Dr. Meyer.