RESULTS OF THE 1958-1959 GILLIARD * ~~IEXPEDITION 4. ANNOTATED LIST OF OF THE WHITEMAN MOUNTAINS, NEW BRITAIN

E. THOMAS GILLIARD AND MARY LECROY

BULLETIN OF THE : AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

VOLUME 13 5 :ARTICLE 4 NEWv v YORK:.M. '%.W JL. 116 J6ah. 0.0.1967.T w I

RESULTS OF THE 1958-1959 GILLIARD NEW BRITAIN EXPEDITION

4. ANNOTATED LIST OF BIRDS OF THE WHITEMAN MOUNTAINS, NEW BRITAIN

E. THOMAS GILLIARD Late Curator, Department of Ornithology The American Museum of Natural History MARY LECROY Research Assistant Department of Ornithology The American Museum of Natural History

BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOLUME 135: ARTICLE 4 NEW YORK: 1967 BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY Volume 135, article 4, pages 173-216, figure 1, tables 1, 2 Issued March 27, 1967 Price: $1.50 a copy INTRODUCTION

THE PRESENT REPORT is based on a collec- these crossings penetrated into the Whiteman tion of 526 specimens of birds obtained by the Mountains (see fig. 1). senior author and his wife, Margaret Tifft In 1926 an Australian anthropologist Gilliard, during the period from November opened new country behind Moewe Harbor, 16, 1958, to February 15, 1959, in the White- and since then Australian Government offi- man Mountains region, New Britain. The cers have made a number of trips to this re- expedition was a continuation of the explora- gion and other neighboring ones far inland tion of the Melanesian subregion in which the but probably not to heights much above 3000 American Museum has been engaged for feet. Therefore, the high parts of the White- more than three decades. mans had remained virgin territory. Al- though the island of New Britain had been HISTORY OF COLLECTING IN well surveyed ornithologically in the tropical NEW BRITAIN areas, collections had never been made at The Whiteman Mountains are situated in high altitudes in any of the mountain re- the heart of the main body of the island of gions. New Britain. This range was virtually un- A history of the early ornithological ex- known prior to the present expedition and ploration of New Britain can be found in was, in fact, named as recently as 1922. Mr. Reichenow (1899) and Dahl (1899). The E. R. Stanley, geologist of the Common- first collection in the present century was made wealth Scientific Expedition of that year, by 0. Heinroth, on the Deutschen Suidsee named the range for Mr. S. Whiteman, a Expedition of Bruno Mencke, in the Blanche merchant of , who had in 1914 given Bay area of the Gazelle Penninsula in Feb- information to Australian authorities which ruary, 1901 (Heinroth, 1902, 1903). These led to the capture of the German ship birds are deposited in the Zoologisches Mu- "Komet" which had been hiding in a small seum, Berlin. Then about 1906 Father Otto bay on the north coast of New Britain. It Meyer observed and collected on Watom was in this same bay that Mr. Stanley made a (Uatom), a small inland just north of the triangulation of many coastal islands and of Gazelle Peninsula. He observed at least 87 points on this high mountain range inland species. Most of his specimens were mounted from the bay (H. W. West, personal com- and were sent to the convent of the fathers of munication; Stanley, 1922; Mackenzie, 1939). the Heart of Jesus in Hiltrup, Germany, The Whitemans had, so far as we can ascer- where E. Hartert saw them. Notes were pub- tain, been climbed only once previously, in lished by 0. Meyer (1906, 1933, 1934, 1936, 1955 by William M. Kaula who was engaged 1937). in a topographic survey for the United States The next comprehensive collection was Army Map Service. Kaula and two natives made by Albert F. Eichhorn, who collected climbed the main peak from the north, set- in the region of the Talasea Peninsula in Jan- ting out from Linga Linga Plantation, and uary, February, and March of 1925. The spent most of a week on the crest. Eichhorn party reached an altitude of some In 1909 the Hamburg-South Seas Expedi- 3300 feet on a high spot of the Talasea Pen- tion crossed New Britain within a few miles insula, but failed to penetrate into the White- of the western flank of the Whiteman Range. man Mountains as had been originally The crossing was from the mouth of the planned. Lord Walter Rothschild, the spon- Pulie River on the south coast to the north sor of the expedition and the person for whom coast at Rein Bay. This expedition then the birds were being collected, was primarily crossed back again from Borgen Bay to the interested in obtaining a sampling of the south coast near Cape Bushing. In 1920 a mountain fauna, since he considered it highly District Officer at Gasmata crossed from the likely that a distinct mountain fauna existed Pulie River to Iboki, following pretty closely on New Britain, and that it might very well the route of the 1909 expedition. Neither of include unknown species of such families as 175 176 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 135

Willaumez Peninsula,

0 Rook Island<

p. \ Cape Bushing < - ~~Ka MoeweI *Finschhaven ENI

Passisman ?PassageMaczC Cape Bali -Amge0 OAIage DAweleng 2 Islands Solormwon Sea, Bungi FIG. 1. Top: Map of New Britain, adapted from a map in the "National Geographic," for February, 1961. Bottom: Enlargement, showing routes and camps of the expedition; from the "National Geographic," for February, 1961. Both reproduced by special permission. 1967 GILLIARD AND LECROY: BIRDS OF NEW BRITAIN 177 the birds of paradise and bower birds, both from December 17, 1932, until June 1, 1933. widespread in just to the south Collections were made at Tol and along of Vitiaz Strait but both unknown in New the nearby Mavola River, in the Baining Britain. The Eichhorn expedition did obtain Mountains (Balayang, Andamang, and Kar- many new and interesting birds, including lip) to a maximum altitude of 2500 feet, and the new species luteoschistaceus and then in the southern part of the Gazelle Pen- Turdus talasea, but no true mountain birds insula and in theTimiope Mountains (situated and no birds of paradise or bower birds. in the northeastern tip of the main body of In 1932 and 1933 the Whitney South Sea New Britain adjacent to Wide Bay) to an Expedition sent William F. Coultas, accom- altitude of 3500 feet. This area was explored panied by Harold and John James, to New from April 19 to May 12 with rather poor Britain. Although this group worked for 19 results. No mountain species were collected. months on New Britain, no trace of a moun- The fourth area surveyed was the low- tain avifauna was discovered. It had been the lands of the Usiwit River region of the north- hope of the expedition directors at home that northwestern tip of the Baining Peninsula the high mountains of the main body of the (July 13 to August 2) where only a few island would be surveyed and that this sur- species were collected. vey would conclude the ornithological survey The fifth area visited was the Talele Is- of the island. To everyone's disappointment, lands just off the northwest tip of the Gazelle the mountain survey was unsuccessful. In the Peninsula, visited for two days (July 27-28). Gazelle Peninsula the expedition failed to In all, 127 species were collected. reach altitudes sufficiently high for the sam- After the Whitney South Sea Expedition, pling of such an avifauna. In the Timiope no one ventured to New Britain to collect Mountains, Coultas encountered difficulties, birds. Then in 1953, while sailing between the which made it impossible for him to conduct Huon Peninsula of New Guinea and New a high-altitude survey. Later, in the Nakanai Britain, the senior author was struck by the Mountains, which Coultas visited alone, closeness of the two land masses, which lie conditions were too dangerous for collecting. barely 50 miles apart and are visible one The details of this expedition, which dis- from the other. He was aware of the fact that covered several new species, are as follows: birds of paradise, so numerous on the Huon the party first surveyed the lowlands and low Peninsula, and also many other groups of mountains of the Gazelle Peninsula south of birds, including the bower birds, had appar- Rabaul (Rabaul, Toma, Taulil, Malabunga, ently never succeeded in crossing the strait, Katowi, Latromat, Lamassa, and Wunga) although many of the groups, including the from February through August, 1932. In the birds of paradise, had crossed wider water second survey (October 1 to December 6) the barriers to , the Moluccas, and to collectors visited the north coast in the such satellite islands of New Guinea as the Nakanai Mountains region, spending most of Trobriands, the Louisiades, and the Aru the time in the lowlands near Bangula Bay Islands. (Tarobi, Possusu, Kaiama, Walo, Segi, It was after this trip that the senior author Gaigeki, Lobi, and Sida) and also explored learned that the Whitney South Sea Expedi- mountains to Malutu (2500 feet), Bangella, tion had not succeeded in adequately survey- Kaiko, and Ti. The latter survey conducted ing the high mountains of New Britain, and by Coultas from the lowlands to Ti and return that Lord Rothschild, among others, had took the expedition to its highest point, 6200 believed that some day representatives of feet. The round trip, plus collecting time these families would be found in the high in the highlands, covered only the period mountains of New Britain. In effect, despite from October 10 to 17; and there was not all the colle'-ting that had gone before, the sufficient time to survey the mountain avi- main mountains of New Britain were still fauna. almost a virgin collecting territory.' The third general area of survey was the 1 Subsequent to the expedition herein reported, the lowlands and hills on each side of Wide Bay. Danish-sponsored Noona Dan Expedition, led by Finn Headquarters were at the Tol Plantation Salomonsen, collected at Valom village in the mountains 178 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 135 A list of the land and fresh-water birds particular, thanks are due to Mrs. Gilliard for from New Britain, including species col- reading the Introduction and adding remarks lected for the first time in 1958-1959, are from her own notes, and to Dr. Dean Ama- given in the Appendix. don, who has spent many hours reading the ,riginal manuscript and has given much ad- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS vice and many helpful suggestions. She is also The Gilliards received many courtesies grateful to Mr. H. W. West, now District during their stay in New Britain. In partic- Commissioner of the New Britain District, ular, thanks are due to the then District and the Project Section of the Department Commissioner, Mr. J. R. Foldi, and to the of District Administration for the extensive Australian Government for its cooperation research they did in ordeg to find the origin of and especially to Patrol Officer David Moor- the name of the Whiteman Mountains, and house for his invaluable assistance and warm to Mr. Hobart M. Van Deusen of the Depart- friendship in the field and for reading the ment of Mammalogy of the American Mus- first draft of this manuscript and checking eum for information given in this paper on various details. Financial assistance was pro- the mammals collected by Margaret Gilliard. vided by the National Geographic Society, the Explorers Club, and the American Mu- THE EXPEDITION seum of Natural History; their generous sup- The expedition in the field consisted of the port is gratefully acknowledged. The National senior author and his wife. Patrol Officer Geographic Society also very kindly per- David Moorhouse accompanied the expedi- mitted use of the map of routes and collecting tion to the summit. The following notes on localities first published in the "National routes and collecting localities were taken Geographic" for February, 1961. with only slight alteration from the senior The junior author wishes to express her author's field notes, and references are to the appreciation for all of the assistance she has field party.

ITINERARY November 16, 1958-February 1i? 1959 K.andrian, Base Camp Sea level November 19-20 Mlaklongmarang, Camp No. 1 400 feet November 20-25 Hualil, Camp No. 2 600 feet November 25-26 Mlikloklok, Camp No. 3 900 feet November 26-27 Alkalel, Camp No. 4 1100 feet November 27-29 Urmbi, Camp No. 5 1400 feet November 29-30 Iaimbon, Camp No. 6 1500 feet November 30-December 1 MIt. Megalok, Camp No. 7 2000 feet December 1-2 Scopone River, Camp No. 8 1800 feet December 2-January 4 MIt. Uali, Camp No. 9 3000 feet December 11-12 jTild Dog Mountain, Camp No. 10 2500 feet December 12-13 V rild Dog Mt., Camp No. 11 3700 feet December 13-23 V Tild Dog Mt., Camp No. 12 5200 feet January 4-5 Vi'injan River, Camp No. 13 800 feet January 5-19 IaLmbon, Camp No. 6 1500 feet January 19-28 Mloia, Camp No. 14 1000 feet January 28-29 P(oihning, Camp No. 15 600 feet January 29-February 15 K6andrian, Base Camp Sea level received in preparing this manuscript for ROUTES AND COLLECTING LOCALITIES publication after the death of Dr. Gilliard. In The village of Kandrian is situated on spectacular Moewe Bay. Upon first entering of the northern part of the Gazelle Peninsula from May the bay, one is amazed by the curious con- 6 to 26, 1962; on Urara Island, northwest of Cape Liguan, Gazelle Peninsula, on May 21; and near Lake formation of the land, which appears as Hargy, inland from Apapulu, north of the Nakanai though it had been pulled from a waffle iron. Mountains, in July. The walls of the bay are formed of half-mile- 1967 GILLIARD AND LECROY: BIRDS OF NEW BRITAIN 179 long, coffin-shaped hills rising uniformly 300 heard underground quite a distance from the feet above the sea. These are sharply cleft opening through which the river emerges. with narrow water channels or mere valleys, From this feature our trail went up a steep separating the long ridges. Between two of hill and along a ridge in dripping forest to an these, near the center of the bay enclosed area of second growth. Here we made camp in within, lies the main entrance (to westward) the abandoned garden called Mikloklok. of the harbor; to northward lies another wide The following morning we left Mikloklok entrance. This curious fortress-like formation and followed a very difficult and wet trail is probably in reality an elevated atoll, and through dripping forest where everything was the bay itself is large enough to enclose a covered with a sheathing of green moss and fleet of ships. Kandrian had a non-native lichen, such as one might expect on a moun- population of 14 in 1959. taintop but not so close to sea level. We Government officers in Kandrian felt that crossed many streams, most of which had it would be impossible for the expedition to milky water, and were surprised to find so obtain carriers for the trip into the White- much water along a limestone track. Here we mans at any place other than Hualil (see were on territory never before visited by a fig. 1). Therefore we made a long detour white man, but it had been known to the na- northward. Accompanying us on the expedi- tives of the interior for so long that the trails tion was Patrol Officer David Moorhouse, connecting their villages are traced by lime- who had previously been inland as far as stone rocks actually worn smooth by their Hualil. bare feet. However, the trail was not every- The trail from Kandrian to Maklongmerang where rock; in fact, it was mostly deep mud led through native gardens at sea level and with spiny palms along the edge. A few through cool forest rich in lowland birds. pandanus palms were seen, and tree ferns Maklongmerang is a village of about eight were fairly common. We reached Akalel, native houses approximately 200 feet above where we camped, early in the afternoon. It is the rushing Alimbit River. It has a "house a small garden area of coconut and betelnut kiap" (native house for visiting Australian trees, sugarcane, and bananas, surrounded by officers) and a "house sick" (hospital under virgin forest. the direction of a trained native assistant). From Akalel we went south and then east- On leaving Maklongmerang, we crossed the ward over a trail composed of red clay and Alimbit River on a rope bridge and moved water-worn limestone. After about three into tall open forest, which in places appears hours of walking, we reached an east-west to be second growth. Farther on, the trail be- ridge top in a notch of limestone through came very wet as we moved upward into tall which a constant draft was blowing, and original forest. Collecting at Hualil proved about 10 minutes farther on we reached a very difficult owing to heavy daily rains. rushing spring (Kumbu Spring), from which The trail up from Hualil was a rough one, issued eight to 10 gallons of water per minute. and in places machetes were needed to open The area around this spring is ideal for camp- the trail. After about three hours of alternate ing and collecting. The land is flat and well climbing and descending into gorges, we drained, and the vegetation is lush and tall. reached a good trail at the site of an aban- From here we passed through Angus village doned garden and followed it to Lais, a single and northeast through a forest of rattan, native house on a spur of high land between climbing bamboo, and tree ferns, in which an unnamed river and the Alimbit. From leeches abounded, to Umbi where we camped. Lais we descended into a gorge, crossed the From Umbi we set out in the direction of unnamed river, and headed northward. Soon Iambon, and after much hard walking and we came upon an unusual terrain feature crossing many rivers we reached a very well- which our guides said was the head of the kept road which we found led from Iambon to Alimbit River. We were 40 feet above a pool, Kandrian, three days distant. It was on this below which were rapids and a good-sized road that we would return to Kandrian on river. All of the water issued from a large our trip out. square hole in a rock face. A dull roar could be From Iambon we were led upward by an 180 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 135 old man, Selselio, who was said to have amounting to some 300 inches per year, but, climbed Mt. Uali when he was young. After even so, there is very little water available in three days of climbing over dangerous trails, permanent streams. Owing to the porous na- we reached Mt. Uali and set up our base ture of the limestone, the water sinks im- camp for the high-mountain phase of the ex- mediately into the ground and flows in deep pedition. This camp was above a thousand- underground channels, inaccessible from the foot cliff in a splendid hardwood forest of tall, surface. Therefore we had to rely on the slender trees and a papery floor of heather- water that we caught during the downpours. like plants. Looking to the southwest, we Several days without rain, however, again were able to see the ocean on clear days. For put water in short supply. Then we dis- the first few days after setting up camp at covered that the older bamboo plants, which Mt. Uali, we experienced such torrential are moss-covered, contain water, whereas the rains that we were only able to carry on our younger plants do not. Thus one may survive photography and skinning by covering vir- indefinitely in the summit forests by ob- tually the entire encampment with great taining water from these older plants. But sheets of clear polyethylene. At strategic this amount of water is never sufficient for spots we set up copra bags with polyethylene boiling pots of rice for the native helpers-a linings and caught gallons of rain water, real problem, as rice is their staple on such a which we kept in reserve. This system worked trip away from native garden supplies. fine for a while, but gradually the rain ceased. We found many birds in these high forests The days were still foggy and damp, but no that are, on New Guinea, restricted to the rain fell. Then we were hard-pressed to find lowlands-for example, the Hornbill. This drinking water from any source. After ob- rather surprising fact indicates the presence taining water for a while from the nodes of of unfilled niches on New Britain into which bamboo plants, we found a small water seep the lowland birds may move. It may be that and were able to catch enough water for these vacant niches are seasonal and perhaps drinking purposes. not very large owing to the lack of continuous From Mt. Uali to our summit camp on high mountains in New Britain. Wild Dog Mountain the trail had to be Our descent was in vivid contrast to the en- pioneered and cut. We had to swing westward trance trip, when we were exploring for a to avoid a large waterfall and the deep gorge route and cutting a tunnel through thick in which it was situated. In order to enable us vegetation. In two hours we had descended to to reach the summit more rapidly, Margaret the highest spot at which we had found remained in Camp 9 and took charge of food standing water on Wild Dog Mountain and supplies to be sent up to us on the sum- (about 4500 feet). Here I had planned to set mit. In all, 10 days were spent in the summit up Camp 13, but the water was reduced to a camp. On three of these days Patrol Officer stagnant pool in a partial stream bed, and we Moorhouse was present, and Margaret spent pressed on, stopping only briefly at Camp 11 four days there. and in seven hours we reached Camp 10, We named the ridge on which we placed where we spent one night. This is an ideal our summit camp "Wild Dog Ridge" after a campsite and would be a first-class field site pack of wild dogs, which we heard howl on for some future expedition. It is in tall forest several occasions. The local natives are (100 feet), with everything from water to afraid of these dogs and say that they belong game and large areas of workable terrain in to wild men who supposedly inhabit these the vicinity. mountains. They are, however, probably the On our return from the summit we spent progeny of that escaped into the another 11 days collecting, making photo- mountains following the murder of their na- graphs, and surveying the general area of tive owners several years before our arrival. Camp 9. The highest ridge, perhaps 200 feet higher, we From Mt. Uali we retraced our way named North Ridge. This is probably the through Megalok (Camp 7) and camped for true summit of the Whiteman Range. one night at the Vinjan River. This had been The rainfall on these ridges is tremendous, a large river when we ascended the range 35 1967 GILLIARD AND LECROY: BIRDS OF NEW BRITAIN 181 days before but was sandy and dry upon our photographs, together with an account of the return. We found one waterhole, apparently expedition, have been published (see Gilliard, permanent, about i mile upstream. The fol- 1961). lowing day we returned to Iambon to spend an additional two weeks collecting at our NATIVE ASSISTANTS Camp 6. Natives of the Sepik River region in New From Iambon we took the road, mentioned Guinea, who had been with the senior author above, that leads directly to Kandrian. We on two previous expeditions, also accom- next stopped at Moia, a small village not far panied the expedition to New Britain. Their from the River Oum, where we stayed nine names are: Rambur, Mapa, Bowie, Pono, and days. Here we had a marvelous opportunity Tesaku of Kanganaman village. They proved to make photographs and films of a pig again to be of exceptional assistance under festival and native battle dress, and were also difficult circumstances. Local natives were of able to increase our scientific collections. some help to us as far as native lore concern- On January 29, 72 days after we left it, we ing the birds was concerned. Although they returned to Kandrian. There we spent two were familiar with the animals near their own weeks waiting for a chartered boat to take us villages, their knowledge was surprisingly back across Vitiaz Strait to Madang, New circumscribed as compared with that of the Guinea. This boat developed trouble and was New Guinea natives we have encountered. In unable to come for us; so we arranged to fact, the amazing thing about the people of travel on the M.V. "Maimuna" along the the interior is the extreme localness of their south coast of New Britain, east to Rabaul. interests and the very limited knowledge that It was a five-day trip and gave us an op- they have of anything beyond the boundaries portunity to comprehend New Britain and its of their own "country." They were quite un- problems more fully. From Rabaul we flew aware, for example, of the existence of places west the full length of the island, passing such as Hualil, through which we had passed directly over the Whiteman Mountains, and on our way to the Whitemans. arriving in New Guinea in a few hours. Selselio of Iambon was our guide to Mt. Uali. He was said to have climbed the moun- METHODS AND PROCEDURES tain as a young man and was the only native All specimens made into study skins were who had. In fact, our Mt. Uali camp became sexed by dissection by the senior author. something of a tourist attraction after our Labels were prepared by Margaret Gilliard, carriers had returned to Iambon and told of who recorded date, locality, altitude, native the extensive view to be had from atop the name, perishable colors (bill, feet, naked parts 1000-foot cliff on which our camp was situ- of face, wattles, iris, and other such parts), ated. They had been looking up at this cliff all molt analysis, weight, and measurements be- their lives but had never before dared to fore skinning. Margaret also dealt with the climb to its top. The natives had no knowl- natives, treating them with medicines and edge whatever of the area beyond Mt. Uali. trading with them for the various specimens It was called "Yakin," the place of fire. that they brought in. In addition, she was in There have been no active volcanoes here in charge of mammal traps and made a col- thousands of years, so the origin of the name lection of nearly 200 mammal skins. She also remains a mystery. But, according to Pam- managed the camp so that the senior author only of Iambon, we were the first ever to was free to explore, collect, and record his climb this range, and the carriers who came notes. At the base camp on Mt. Uali, Mar- up with food returned home with greatly garet was in sole charge for eight days and heightened prestige. sent provisions to the Wild Dog Mountain With Patrol Officer Moorhouse were two camp, so that all of the time available might native members of the New Guinea con- be spent surveying the high-mountain avi- stabulary: Lance Corporal Mandina from fauna. the Sepik River area and Police Boy (later Photographs, films, and tape recordings Constable) Mawei. These men were of in- were made whenever possible. Some of these estimable value for their diligence, reliability, 182 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 135 and genuine friendship. Mandina in particu- Gilliard have been assigned to the Archbold lar proved to be one of the most outstanding Collections in the Department of Mammal- men we had met in the course of many ex- ogy at the American Museum. According to peditions. information supplied by Mr. Hobart M. Van Deusen, this is an important collection con- RESULTS OF THE EXPEDITION taining several rare and little-known species, A total of 526 skins were prepared (see with 358 items catalogued. Of this number 133 theAnnotated List). Eighty-three birds,of the are "trophy skulls" (mandibles only). The following species, were preserved in formalin: remaining 225 specimens are skins or skulls, or both, and alcohol specimens of 27 species. Casuarius bennetti bennetti A group of drawings was made of many of the Anas superciliosa pelewensis mammals, especially the Chiroptera, showing Megapodius freycinet eremita details of the heads of even the smallest Ptilinopus rivoli rivoli specimens. These were made with the aid of a Ptilinopus sp. Ducula pistrinaria vanwycki magnifying glass before the specimen was Gymnophaps albertisii albertisii skinned. Chalcophaps stephani stephani In all, there are 15 species of Chiroptera. Charmosyna rubrigularis rubrigularis Nine of these are Megachiroptera, including Micropsitta sp. Melonycteris, which is new to the Archbold Cuculus saturatus horsfieldi Collections, and possibly a new species of Centropus violaceus Pteropus. There are six species of Micro- Centropus ateralbus chiroptera, including a large series of Keri- Hemiprocne mystacea mystacea voula. Tanysiptera sylvia nigriceps Rhyticeros plicatus dampieri Of marsupials there are four species: Pha- Lalage leucomela falsa langer, a cuscus; Petaurus, a flying squirrel; Coracina sp. Echymipera, a bandicoot; and Thylogale, a Dicrurus hottentottus laemostictus wallaby. Phylloscopus trivirgatus moorhousei There are eight species of rodents repre- Rhipidura dahli dahli sented, including two rarities: two specimens Rhipidura rufiventris finschii of Uromys neobritannicus, and one specimen Monarcha verticalis of Hydromys neobritannicus. Pachycephala pectoralis citreogaster Small collections of reptiles, amphibians, Artamus insignis and invertebrates were turned over to the Aplonis metallicus nitidus Mino dumontii kreifti appropriate departments at the American Nectarinia sericea corinna Museum. An account of the frogs collected Myzomela erythromelas was published by Zweifel (1960). Myzomela cruentata coccinea Vosea whitemanensis PHYSIOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE Philemon novaeguineae cockerelli OF NEW BRITAIN Dicaeum eximium layardorum New Britain is the largest island in the Zosterops minor hypoxantha , with a length of some 300 miles and a maximum width of 90 miles DISPOSITION OF SPECIMENS (average width, 60 miles). It has an area of All bird specimens are in the American 14,600 square miles, around which extends a Museum of Natural History except one ex- coastline of about 1000 miles. The eastern ample of each species, which has been de- end, or Gazelle Peninsula, which is of recent posited with the Department of Agriculture, volcanic origin, is attached to the geologically Stock and Fisheries, , Papua, in much older mainland by a neck of land only accordance with the terms of the permits 20 miles in width. There are many active issued to the expedition by the Department volcanoes, particularly on and at this neck of of Customs of Papua and the Territory of land. Southwest of the Gazelle Peninsula be- New Guinea. gins the 250-mile-long main body of New Mammal specimens collected by Margaret Britain which is but little known and is 1967 GILLIARD AND LECROY: BIRDS OF NEW BRITAIN 183 sparsely settled along its narrow coastal movements and dissolved and eroded by the fringes. Inland no white man lives. heavy rainfall. These younger strata com- The south coast of New Britain is made up prise the bulk of the mountains although, of raised coral terraces and offshore reefs, and according to Carey (1938), the metamorphic there is evidence that this part of the island is rocks outcrop on some of the highest peaks in undergoing uplift. In some places several the Whiteman Range. Where limestone is on raised beaches can be seen, and rivers flow- the surface, as it is in the area covered by this ing southward maintain a steep gradient expedition, the topography is highly dis- almost to the coast. In at least one instance a sected, and surface travel is difficult and fairly large river pours from its underground unpleasant, particularly since solution holes channel over a cliff directly into the ocean and knife-edged fragments of limestone are (Noakes, 1942). Offshore, there is an area covered by thickly matted vegetation which undergoing subsidence at present (the Planet often gives way under a man's weight. Deep). The mountains are covered with heavy The north coast shows evidence of sub- timber, most of which is virgin forest. The sidence at the present time. It is in general an expedition discovered, on the summit of the area of lowlands and slowly meandering Whiteman Range, an area of true moss rivers. Scattered areas of volcanic activity forest, hitherto unreported on New Britain. have relatively recently increased the area of Moss forest in New Guinea does not extend New Britain by repeated eruptions. For so low, so that it is surprising to find it at example, the entire Willaumez Peninsula has 5000 feet on New Britain. In this forest there been built up from such eruptions. Most of is much rhododendron, and large stands of this area is forested, except near Mt. Talawe bamboo are common. When young, the bam- where there is some open grassland. boo grows free of moss and lichen and is The central mountains are structurally almost invariably devoid of water. There are related to the mountains of the Huon Penin- large mosquitoes on the floor of this bamboo sula of New Guinea and to the other ranges forest. There is also a tall pandanus palm north of the Ramu-Sepik-Mamberamo gulch growing in the moss forest. Natives said it which reaches from McCluer Gulf in the West was of the edible variety, but no composite to the Huon Gulf in the east. The outermost seeds were seen. islands in the New Guinea area (the Ninigo The climate of New Britain is one of ex- Group, the Admiralties, the Solomons, and tremes, corresponding to the prevailing the New Hebrides) are, like New Britain, winds. The northwest monsoon blows from analogous in morphology to the northern November to April and causes heavy winds New Guinea ranges. All these islands are, in and rains along the north coast and in the fact, of continental origin, and New Britain northern watershed. From April to Novem- was in former times more closely connected to ber, when the southeast trades blow, the the mainland, although it does not at present situation is reversed, with the south coast lie on the continental shelf of Australia. having even heavier rainfall in its rainy On New Britain the central mountains are season than the north coast, since there are no lower than the central ranges of New Guinea, land areas to the southeast to deflect any of averaging about 5000 feet, with a few peaks the rainfall. The average rainfall on the south as high as 7000 feet. They are composed of a coast is about 225 inches and falls mainly be- series of separate ranges, some of which cross tween April and December. July, August, and the island in a north-south direction, with September are the wettest months. Most of broad valleys intervening. Exact information the rainfall records are from coastal regions, concerning large sections of the main ranges and it may be that in mountain areas farther is lacking, since little exploration has been inland rainfall averages higher than the high- carried out in these areas. The Whiteman and est recorded average (276 inches at Ring Nakanai ranges have a core of pre-Tertiary Ring). metamorphic rocks covered by younger sedi- The arrival of the expedition in the White- mentary layers (probably Miocene and mans corresponded to the onset of the dry later) which have been much broken by earth season in the southern watershed, the change- 184 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 135 over being about a month late in 1958. In this tion, all are breeding species except one sea period of changeover the weather is very un- bird and seven migrants (list 1). Of the re- certain and treacherous. The most striking maining species, 45 are wide-ranging (list 2), feature of the weather on the lower slopes was and 23 are species that are endemic in the Bis- the wind. Dry, hurricane-force winds blew marck Archipelago (list 3), leaving only 22 over expedition camps for days without species that have close relatives in either the diminution, broke limbs from trees, damaged Solomon Islands or in New Guinea. It is to native houses, and parched the ground and these species that we can look for information vegetation. On many of the trees evidence of concerning the origin of the New Britain forest fires could be seen, and it is credible avifauna. We found that 18 of the 22 (ap- that a forest fire started at the height of the proximately 82%; list 4) have the eastern dry season could burn almost the entire limits of their range in the Bismarck Archi- southern watershed unabated. Water is very pelago and thus their closest affinities with scarce, even early in the season, with large New Guinea; whereas only four species rivers completely dried up and the beds (approximately 18%; list 5) have their sandy. In fact, according to native lore, some western limits in the Bismarck Archipelago. of the mountain natives lick the dew from the It is evident, therefore, that the abundant leaves of plants in order to obtain moisture bird life of New Guinea is the primary source during the dry season. of the birds of New Britain, but that there Rainfall on the summit of the Whitemans has also been some colonization from the was still an almost daily occurrence but this direction of the more distant Solomons. was probably, in part, spill-over from the northern side of the range. Even with rain, DEGREE OF ENDEMISM OF NEW water was a problem, owing to the very BRITAIN BIRDS porous nature of the limestone that com- Of the 90 breeding species collected, 30 prises the summit. (about 33%; list 6) represent species that One earthquake occurred during the time have the same subspecies in the Bismarck the expedition was in the Whitemans. It Archipelago as that present in New Guinea occurred on December 25 at 5: 55 P.M. at 3000 or the Solomons, or both. Thirty-seven (about feet on Mt. Uali. During a driving rain the 41%; list 7) represent species, with one or whole mountain shook for about three sec- more subspecies, that occur only in the Bis- onds, so violently that water splashed from marck Archipelago, and 23 (approximately water buckets. In about five places nearby, 26%; list 3) represent endemic species and parts of the cliff have tumbled down within, one endemic genus. If the endemic genus, at most, the last century; and doubtless each species, and subspecies are added together, 60 slide was triggered by an earthquake. of the 90 species (about 67%) represent birds that have been geographically isolated in ORIGIN OF NEW BRITAIN BIRDS New Britain sufficiently long for differentia- New Britain lies close to the northeastern tion to have occurred. From an examination shore of New Guinea, being chiefly separated of these birds, it is apparent that the duration from it by Vitiaz Strait, a notoriously rough of speciation affecting the various species has waterway 29 miles wide. New Guinea, with been very different. Side by side with very old some 570 species of breeding land and fresh- endemics are poorly marked races as well as water birds, has perhaps a richer avifauna populations in which speciation has not yet than any other area of similar size in the occurred to a point worthy of taxonomic world. New Britain, on the other hand, has an recognition. impoverished avifauna of about 130 species of This variability indicates that overseas breeding land and fresh-water birds (see dispersal is the process by which the New Appendix). This is surprising because heavily Britain avifauna has been acquired, that this forested New Britain would seem to offer process has been in operation for a very long many ecological opportunities for coloniza- time, and that it is still functioning, with the tion. species arriving one by one in a sequence that Of the 98 species collected by this expedi- is purely fortuitous but affected by such 1967- GILLIARD AND LECROY: BIRDS OF NEW BRITAIN 185 factors as social behavior and prevailing Cacomantis variolosus winds. The strength of the water barriers that Eudynamis scolopacea colonizing species must cross is to a large ex- Scythrops novaehollandiae tent dependent on two reciprocating winds, Collocalia spodiopygia Collocalia esculenta the southeast trades which blow over the Collocalia vanikorensis Solomon Island chain to New Britain in a Hemiprocne mystacea northwesterly direction from April to Nov- Alcedo atthis ember, and the northwest monsoon which Ceyx lepidus blows in the opposite direction from Novem- Halcyon saurophaga ber to April. These winds are strong and they Halcyon chloris undoubtedly impede the dispersal of birds be- Eurystomus orientalis tween islands lying at right angles to their Rhyticeros plicatus paths (as, for example, between New Guinea Coracina papuensis and New Britain), whereas at the same time Coracina tenuirostris Coracina lineata they must favor dispersal between islands in Dicrurus hottentottus their path. The fact that the New Britain Phylloscopus trivirgatus species that have their closest relatives in the Rhipidura leucophrys Solomons are social seems to reinforce the Pachycephala pectoralis conclusion that dispersal from the Solomons Aplonis metallica to New Britain is passive. Mino dumontii Nectarinia jugularis LIST 1: SEA BIRDS AND MIGRANTS' Pluvialis dominica* LIST 3: ENDEMIC BISMARCE ARCHIPELAGO Numenius phaeopus* GENUS2 AND SPECIES Actitis hypoleucos* Accipiter luteoschistaceus Heteroscelus incanus* Rallus (Habropteryx) insignis Sterna hirundo* Ptilinopus insolitus Sterna bergii Ducula finschi Cuculus saturatus* Ducula melanochroa Myiagra cyanoleuca* Reinwardtoena browni Charmosyna rubrigularis (also Dampier Island) LIST 2: WIDE-RANGING BREEDING SPECIES Loriculus tener Podiceps ruficollis Centropus violaceus Demigretta sacra Centropus ateralbus Nycticorax caledonicus Tyto aurantia Dupetor flavicollis Ninox odiosa Anas superciliosa Ceyx websteri Aviceda subcristata Halcyon albonotata Haliastur indus Ortygochicla rubiginosa Accipiter novaehollandiae Cichlornis grosvenori Pandion haliaetus Rhipidura dahli Falco severus Monarcha verticalis Megapodius freycinet Monarcha hebetior Amaurornis olivaceus Artamus insignis Ptilinopus superbus Myzomela erythromelas Ducula spilorrhoa Vosea* whitemanensis Macropygia amboinensis Dicaeum eximium Chalcophaps stephani Gallicolumba beccarii LIST 4: SPECIES WITH EASTERN LIMITS IN Gallicolumba jobiensis THE BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO Caloenas nicobarica Casuarius bennetti Trichoglossus haematodus Ptilinopus rivoli Micropsitta bruijnii Gymnophaps albertisii Larius roratus Macropygia nigrirostris

I The migrants are indicated by an asterisk. 11 Marked with an asterisk. 186 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 135 Lorius hypoinochrous Hemiprocne mystacea Charmosyna placentis (extends to Bougainville) Alcedo atthis Cacatua galerita Halcyon saurophaga Micropsitta pusio Rhipidura leucophrys Tanysiptera sylvia Monarcha alecto Lalage leucomela Aplonis metallica Corvus orru Mino dumontii Rhipidura rufiventris Nectarinia jugularis Monarcha alecto Nectarinia sericea LIST 7: SPECIES RACIALLY DIFFERENTIATED Myzomela cruentata IN THE BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO Myzomela eques Casuarius bennetti Philemon novaeguineae Nycticorax caledonicus Zosterops minor Aviceda subcristata Accipiter novaehollandiae LIST 5: SPECIES WITH WESTERN LIMITS IN Ptilinopus rivoli THE BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO Ducula pistrinaria Ducula rubricera Ducula pistrinaria (found on outlying islands in the Ducula spilorrhoa New Guinea area but not on the mainland) Macropygia amboinensis Ducula rubricera Macropygia nigrirostris Columba pallidiceps Cacatua galerita Geoffroyus heteroclitus Micropsitta bruijnii Larius roratus LIST 6: SPECIES UNDIFFERENTIATED IN THE Cacomantis variolosus BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO Eudynamis scolopacea Podiceps ruficollis Collocalia spodiopygia Demigretta sacra Collocalia esculenta Dupetor flavicollis Collocalia vanikorensis Anas superciliosa Ceyx lepidus Haliastur indus Halcyon chloris Pandion haliaetus Tanysiptera sylvia Falco severus Eurystomus orientalis Megapodius freycinet Rhyticeros plicatus Amaurornis olivacea Lalage leucomela Ptilinopus superbus Coracina papuensis Gymnophaps albertisii Coracina tenuirostris Columba pallidiceps Coracina lineata Chalcophaps stephani Dicrurus hottentottus Gallicolumba beccarii Corvus orru Gallicolumba jobiensis Phylloscopus trivirgatus Caloenas nicobarica Rhipidura rufiventris Lorius hypoinochrous Pachycephala pectoralis Trichoglossus haematodus Nectarinia sericea Charmosyna placentis Myzomela cruentata Micropsitta pusio Myzomela eques Geoffroyus heteroclitus Philemon novaeguineae Scythrops novaehollandiae Zosterops minor ANNOTATED LIST OF THE BIRDS OF THE WHITEMAN MOUNTAINS

VERNACULAR ENGLISH NAMES given for the primaries and secondaries in sheath and were species follow Rand and Gilliard (in press) in completely flightless. Mayr (1945, p. 2) noted cases in which the same species also occurs on that two specimens collected on Bougainville New Guinea. In others, the names come from in early March were in a similar state. the literature; a few are original. Native Four specimens, January 20-23, con- names follow the English vernacular names stitute the first record of this species from after a semicolon; some are in the native New Britain. Previously the species had been language, and some are in pidgin. These are, known in the Bismarck Archipelago only for the most part, valid, but in some cases from the island of (Mayr, 1945, there may be a confusion of species, e.g., p. 1). The New Britain specimens were taken Halcyon chloris, H. albonotata, and Ceyx in a forest pond known locally as Palugia, websteri. Weights are given in grams, and which is on the upper Oum River about 10 air measurements are in millimeters. miles from Kandrian. Large numbers of small shrimps were found in the stomachs. CASUARIIDAE CASSOWARIES FREGATIDAE Casuarius bennetti bennetti Gould FRIGATE BIRDS BENNETT'S CASSOWARY; MURUK [Fregata ariel ariel (Gray)] Cassowaries are apparently quite common LEAST MAN-O'-WAR in the forests of the Whiteman Range, but Three frigate birds were observed flying they are so stealthy that they are rarely seen. very high over the Kandrian Patrol Post at Cassowary "beds" and droppings were com- 10 A.M., February 11. After passing rapidly mon on all of the ridges. A cassowary "bed" over Moewe Harbor, they went southwest observed on the summit of Mt. Uali, Decem- over the sea. According to local residents, not ber 11, was beneath a thick forest 60 feet in uncommon. height. The floor was covered with slender trees and plants resembling small rhododen- ARDEIDAE drons. The "bed" itself was composed of HERONS AND BITTERNS dead leaves. It was 18 inches wide by 2 feet 6 Demigretta sacra sacra (Gmelin) inches long. Nearby were two piles of drop- pings containing large numbers of peanut- REEF HERON; GNAY-WUS sized seeds. Weights: Male, 341; female, 370. PODICIPEDIDAE Four specimens in the gray plumage. GREBES Nycticorax caledonicus mandibularis Podiceps ruficollis collaris Mayr Ogilvie-Grant RED-THROATED LITTLE GREBE; RUFOUS NIGHT HERON; KOR-KA-IA YE-GO-HAM, YEK-WA-HAN Iris gold in subadult female, yellow ringed Wing: Male, 104; female, 104. Weights: with gold-brown in adult female; maxilla Males, 208 (subadult), 301; females, 190, 214. black, with long stripe of greenish yellow; Adult female: Iris blood red; bill black; mandible greenish, with black cutting edge; feet olive, mottled with black; soft skin at skin on face greenish yellow; eye-ring black; dorsal base of maxilla and eye-ring black; feet bright yellow-green. soft skin at gape and base of mandible pale Two Kandrian specimens were taken in the yellow. Adult male: Like adult female, but tops of mangroves bordering Moewe Harbor. with the pale nude areas of the gape and One from Mt. Uali was first seen on a log be- basal sides of mandible cream-colored. Two side a small forest stream (altitude about specimens (one male, one female) had the 2000 feet). 187 188 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 135 Dupetor flavicollis gouldi (Bonaparte) Accipiter novaehollandiae dampieri Gurney BLACK BITTERN RUFOUS-BREASTED HAWK; KA-WIWI Weights: 280, 309, 322, 336. Weights: Males, 175, 178, 197; females, Iris gold washed with brown or tan ringed 304, 365. with yellow at pupil; maxilla dark brown; Iris dark brown to dark maroon; bill black; mandible dark brown, cutting edges shading feet, gape, cere, and skin at base of mandible to tan at base; skin on face brown to dark bright yellow-orange; skin around eye dull brown; feet dark brown to greenish brown. yellow to olive; eye-ring black. Stomach contents: A small, colorful fish; Common along the borders of streams, over grasshopper. Taken at Kandrian. native gardens and villages, and in open lowland forests and coconut plantations. ANATIDAE Stomach contents: A snake 9 inches long, a GEESE AND DUCKS lizard skull 4 inch long, remains of a small Anas superciliosa pelewensis bird, claws of Megapodius, insects. Hartlaub and Finsch BLACK DUCK; VEE-YOU Accipiter luteoschistaceus Rothschild and Hartert Two females: Wing: 220, 220. Weight: 465. These specimens fit the measurements BLUE-AND-GRAY SPARROW HAWK; SI-AL-LI given by Amadon (1943, p. 4) for pelewensis. lambon: One subadult male. Moia: One The Black Duck was fairly common in pairs subadult male. or small flocks on the Oum River in the vicin- Wing: 185, 186; tail: 143, 146. Weights: ity of Moia. 215, 222. Iris pale lemon yellow; bill black; feet dull egg yellow to yellow-orange; cere, eye-ring, HAWKS gape, and skin on face yellow-orange. Aviceda subcristata bismarckii Sharpe Both examples were shot in tall, open CRESTED HAWK; GEK-SON, TAA-WOO forest, one as it stood on the ground and the Kandrian: One female(?). lambon: One other while it cried intermittently from a male, two females. Moia: One male. perch 25 feet up in the forest. One stomach Weights: Males, 306, 310; females, 273, contained a 6-inch lizard. 320. Iris lemon yellow; bill black, with base Pandion haliaetus melvillensis Matthews gray; skin around bill gray, one greenish yellow; eye-ring black in three, yellow in two; OSPREY cere gray, one washed with yellow; feet dirty Ospreys are thinly distributed along the white to pale gray washed with yellow. coast near Kandrian. The Crested Hawk is a common, solitary species of the forest canopy, where it is us- ually encountered on an exposed perch over a FALCONIDAE forest glade. Four specimens had eaten large FALCONS green, amber, and blue insects; one had what Falco severus papuanus Meyer appeared to be small tree fruits in its stom- and ach. Wiglesworth ORIENTAL HOBBY; EVI-EVI Haliastur indus girrenera (Vieillot) Female: Wing, 233; weight, 192. WHITE AND RED EAGLE-KITE; PWLA OR POLA One was observed flying over Poihning Common alone or in pairs over the forests village January 28. The specimen collected and beaches fringing the coast near Kand- had perched for 10 minutes on a dead limb 60 rian. feet over a coastal mangrove edge. 1967 GILLIARD AND LECROY: BIRDS OF NEW BRITAIN 189 MEGAPODIIDAE Gilliard wrote in his field notes: "December MEGAPODES 30, 1958: Two large rails were shot yesterday Megapodius freycinet eremita Hartlaub at about noon near Camp 11 (3700 feet). Three of my hunters were in the camp when MEGAPODE OR WILD FOWL; DISIN, they heard a series of calls about 100 yards NEE-OCK, MULONG off, which seemed to be coming from three or Iris dark red-brown to brown; bill dull more birds. The three men immediately gold, two with olive base; feet dull greenish stalked the sounds and soon shot a Habrop- brown to blackish; naked skin on head bright teryx on the floor of deep forest. Almost im- brick red. mediately after the shotgun report, a series of This species is encountered fairly com- short, loud calls and some deep notes were monly throughout the forests of the White- heard. These came from the ground. The man Range, usually solitary on the floor of calling bird walked within range of one of the the forest. When flushed it sometimes flies to hunters who shot it. The other bird van- a limb about 10 feet up and perches quietly. ished." Several were shot near the summit, and one Although this species is uncommon in was flushed from the forested bottom of a collections, New Britain boys, who saw the limestone crater. It flew up with a whining two examples of Habropteryx being prepared, noise and sailed through the substage of the seemed to know this species very well. They forest to a point some 50 yards away. While say that it is not uncommon in the vicinity of in flight it struck several saplings with its Iambon village (1500 feet). Coultas (in Mayr, wings. 1949, p. 12) informed Mayr that it is prob- Although the expedition searched with ably common throughout New Britain. great care, no nesting areas, old or new, were Somewhat reluctantly we follow Mayr found. This subspecies, in contrast to the (1949) in placing this large rail in the genus mound builders of New Guinea, incubates its Rallus. In combining Habropteryx with Ral- eggs in holes in the ground in regions of lus, Mayr wrote (1949, pp. 11-12): "In spite volcanic activity (Reichenow, 1899). No of the apparent flightlessness of the species, I signs of hot springs or other evidence of sur- doubt whether it is wise to camouflage its face thermal activity were encountered in the obvious Rallus-nature by segregating it in a Whitemans. separate genus." One bird shot November 28 near Umbi had Stomach contents: Insects and pink seeds. four black, leechlike parasites in its lungs. One stomach was crammed with the remains of eight to 10 iridescent green beetles. RALLIDAE RAILS AND COOTS Amaurornis olivaceus nigrifrons Hartert BUSH RAIL; KI-YUM-BEL, MOL-DAN-UH Rallus (Habropteryx) insignis Sclater Weights: Male, 179; female, 177. PINK-LEGGED FOREST RAIL; TINGI Iris brown to brownish gray; feet dull gold Wild Dog Mountain: Two females. to dull mustard yellow. A specimen in the Wing: 139, 147. American Museum collected in early Septem- In both specimens (dead for several hours ber by William F. Coultas in the Baining before seen) the iris was blood red, the bill Mountains carried eggs that were almost black, and the feet were rose-pink. ready for laying. Other specimens collected Stresemann (1932, p. 122), when he erected by him in New Britain had the gonads moder- the genus Habropteryx, noted that insignis ately enlarged during the months of April, has the characteristics of a flightless bird July, August, and September. (wing reduced, tail absent). Coultas wrote Apparently fairly common; very noisy, Mayr (Mayr, 1949, p. 12): "Habropteryx in- calling "ka-ka-ka." One of our specimens was signis is not flightless. I suspect that it can one of a noisy pair found calling back and and does cover considerable distances on the forth at dawn in grass along the muddy edge wing." Gilliard never saw it fly. of a village clearing. The clearing was at an 190 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 135 altitude of 1500 feet, and it was surrounded LARIDAE by many miles of forest. Our second specimen GULLS AND TERNS was also reported to be one of a pair. It was Sterna hirundo longipennis Nordmann taken in the edge of a native garden at an altitude of 1000 feet. COMMON TERN Weight: Male, 128. CHARADRIIDAE Fairly common in loose flocks on the coast PLOVERS facing the open sea. Pluvialis dominica fulva (Gmelin) Sterna bergii cristatus Stephens PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER; RA-BI CRESTED TERN A small flock was observed in a stony field Weight: Female, 244. bordering mangroves fringing the bay at One was shot from a flock of seven ob- Kandrian. served sitting together on an exposed reef just SCOLOPACIDAE outside Moewe Harbor, facing the open sea. SANDPIPERS, CURLEW, AND SNIPE COLUMBIDAE Numenius phaeopus variegatus (Scopoli) PIGEONS AND DOVES WHIMBREL Ptilinopus superbus superbus (Temminck) Weights: Males, 356, 360. SUPERB FRUIT PIGEON; NEE Both specimens were shot on the rocky Weights: Males, 102, 111, 126; female, 105. beach bordering Moewe Harbor. Iris yellow or greenish yellow (one ringed with yellow); bill olive (males), blue-green Actitis hypoleucos (Linnaeus) (female); eye-ring yellow to yellow-green; COMMON SANDPIPER; AY-NARIM, YA-RI skin on face yellow-gray; feet bright to dark Fairly common along the edges of small in- rose. land streams and rivers. Fairly common in the lowland forests. Stomach contents: Pea-sized berries, seeds of Heteroscelus incanus incanus (Gmelin) a tree fruit, and large fruits of a Ficus vine. WANDERING TATTLER Ptilinopus insolitus insolitus (Schlegel) Kandrian: Three females. Weights: 104, 112, 116. ORANGE-BELLIED FRUIT PIGEON; SA-KUL We find that incanus is rather easily sepa- Weights: Male, 162; female, 115. rated from brevipes in the winter plumage by Iris cream; bill olive, with tip and cutting differences in the tail tips. In incanus the tail edge yellow to greenish yellow; eye-ring gray is completely or nearly clear gray, whereas, in to yellow-gray; cere bright rose-red to ruby- brevipes, the distal third of the tail is indis- red; feet dull red-violet. tinctly marked with narrow white spots and Ptilinopus rivoli rivoli (Prevost and Knip) bars. Mayr (1949, p. 34) noted that the Asiatic WHITE-CHESTED FRUIT PIGEON Tattler and the Wandering Tattler winter to- Weights: Males, 138, 147; females, 132, gether regularly in northern . He 134. stated that the American form (incanus) is Iris yellow (one with a red rim), yellow- outnumbered by the Asiatic form (brevipes) orange, orange with a yellow inner ring, red- by about 10 to one. It is interesting, there- orange; bill olive to yellow; cere and skin on fore, that the three specimens encountered by face yellow; eye-ring black to gray; feet dark this expedition (which worked for only a very rose. Stomach contents: Orange tree fig. brief time in coastal areas) should all have A common species of the mountain forest. been the New World form. All were taken The deep purple cap and white chest band are along the coral beaches of the protected prominent field marks; nevertheless, the Moewe Harbor. All were very fat and in species is almost always difficult to see in the medium-heavy molt. canopy of the mountain forest. 1967 GILLIARD AND LECROY: BIRDS OF NEW BRITAIN 191 On December 15, a nest containing a single on exposed limbs overhanging rocky cliffs, white egg was collected in a limestone gully where in sunlight the coral-red eye showed up covered with low forest on the summit of vividly in contrast to the generally blackish Wild Dog Mountain. Another nest, also with body coloration. Once while descending to one white egg, was observed on December 13 Camp 11 through an area some 5 miles long 7 feet up in the lower tier of a fairly open hill covered with tall forest containing trees more forest at about 3000 feet. A third nest, again than 100 feet high, Gilliard several times with a single white egg, was reported on noticed large trees near the trail in which six December 17. to 10 of these duculas were perched quietly on the highest limbs. Ducula pistrinaria vanwyckii (Cassin) The deep "coo's" of this species were heard GRAY IMPERIAL PIGEON throughout the day. They form one of the Wing: 246. most characteristic sounds of the forests. Iris dark maroon; bill gray; skin on face gray; cere and eye-ring maroon; feet dull red- Ducula spilorrhoa subflavescens (Finsch) violet. TORRES OR NUTMEG PIGEON; LANG-A-MA These birds are apparently confined to Iris very dark brown to black; bill pale forest near the coast. The specimen taken was blue-gray, with greenish yellow tip; eye-ring one of a pair in a tall tree bordering the pale blue-gray; feet blue-gray to slate gray. mangrove forest. This species was very common throughout the low and mid-mountain forests. A pair, the Ducula rubricera rubricera (Bonaparte) female with the ovary very much enlarged, RED-KNOBBED DUCULA PIGEON; WUL-UUS appeared to be involved in nest building. Weights: Males, 693, 705; female, 628. Gymnophaps alberlisii albertisii Salvadori Iris dark red to dark red-violet; bill dark brown to black; eye-ring gray; cere bright CARMINE-FACED MOUNTAIN PIGEON rose to ruby-red; feet dark rose. Mayr (1934, p. 5), comparing large series of Very common in the lowland forest where this pigeon from New Britain and New many specimens were taken for food at Hualil Guinea, found that the New Britain popula- and at Iambon. The species was very uncom- tion differs by having the breast averaging mon at 3000 feet on Mt. Uali; above that slightly paler, more whitish, with less pinkish altitude it appeared to be missing. buff, and the throat and upper abdomen more grayish; also by having the wing averaging Ducula finschi (Ramsay) slightly longer. He concluded that there was BAR-TAILED DUCULA PIGEON; too much overlap in these characters to war- WUL-UUS, SANG-SISA rant recognizing the New Britain population. Weights: Male(?), 384; female, 308. With fresh material at hand from both New Iris ruby-red to rust-brown (female); bill Britain and New Guinea, plus specimens black; eye-ring bright carmine to dark red; from New Ireland that Mayr did not men- feet bright carmine to bright vermilion-rose. tion, it seemed advisable to re-examine these Our only records of this species are from birds. the canopy of the tropical forests, where it ap- We found the slight differences mentioned pears to be rare and usually solitary. by Mayr for New Britain birds to hold also for the New Ireland specimens. However, the Ducula melanochroa (Sclater) tail is quite long in the two New Ireland BLUE-BLACK DUCULA PIGEON specimens (see measurements). Future col- Iris red-orange to blood red; bill dark gray; lections on New Ireland may show that this eye-ring wine; feet deep wine. population should be recognized. This large, robust, blackish pigeon was Hartert (1925, p. 120) thought the New fairly common throughout the mountain Ireland population small-billed. We find that, forests of the Whiteman Range and was often although the bill averages slightly smaller observed in sizable close-knit flocks flying than that of New Guinea birds, there is much above the highest forest. It was fond of sitting overlap. 192 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 135 Measurements of the wing and tail, re- The few birds observed by the senior au- spectively, of females of Gymnophaps alber- thor were either solitary or in pairs on high tisii are: branches bordering native clearings or nat- New Guinea: (15) 195-206 (average 199.3); (17) ural gullies which form semi-open areas in the 123-142 (average 132). original forest. New Britain: (13) 195-214 (average 202.8); (11) A number of the specimens had eaten small 134-147 (average 139.4). tree fruits with hard pits. New Ireland: (2) 206, 210; (2) 148, 153. Macropygia nigrirostris major van Oort The Carmine-faced Mountain Pigeon was YON-GAL encountered fairly commonly in the middle BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO-DOVE; and upper tier of the mountain forest between Weights: Male, 75; female, 88. Iambon and the summit of the Whiteman Iris color appears to be quite variable in Mountains. In addition to the specimens col- this species. The males may have the iris lected (which were shot from the canopies of red through orange to dull yellow, but one large fruiting trees) the senior author ob- had brown, one had red with a thin white served it frequently while traveling in the inner circle, and one had three bands of color: mountain forests. As in New Guinea, this inner, white; middle black; outer orange- species appeared always to keep together in yellow. The females showed exactly the same flocks of from about three to 10 birds. When a range of colors, even in possessing the three bird was shot from such a group, the flock rarer iris variations listed for the males. Sub- usually shifted only a short distance before adult specimens had the iris brown to settling down again. brownish red, and Gyldenstolpe (1955a, p. It was a surprise to find this species at 1500 44) listed a nestling as having the iris feet on New Britain, because in New Guinea blackish. it is apparently very rare below 5000 feet. Van Oort (1907, p. 174) described birds Coultas wrote on the label of a female col- from New Britain and lected in the Nakanai Mountains that the as a subspecies, major, on the basis of their iris of this pigeon has three color rings: the larger size and more slender bill. Mayr and outer scarlet, the center pale brown, and the Rand (1937, p. 39) examined specimens from inner yellowish brown. southeastern New Guinea and eastern New Britain (Baining Mountains) and concluded Columba pallidiceps (Ramsay) that major is a valid, though slightly differen- GRAY-HEADED PINK AND BLACK PIGEON; tiated, race on the basis of its more slender WULUS-SAVIUN bill and, on the average, paler under parts. Weight: Male, 459. Measurements showed much overlap, al- Iris yellow ringed with orange; bill (in- though the tail of Baining specimens aver- cluding soft basal portions) red-violet, with aged longer. The coloration and barring on outer one-third pale blue-gray; eye-ring car- the inner secondaries mentioned by van Oort mine; feet yellow-orange. Stomach was filled were found by Mayr and Rand to show much with pale green tree fruits and some brown individual variation and not to be diagnostic. seeds. Since our New Britain specimens are from Apparently uncommon. Only one specimen the western part of New Britain, in an area was encountered by the expedition. It was between the localities considered by Mayr shot by Corporal Mandina in the crown of a and Rand, it seemed advisable to re-examine tall thick tree at the edge of a native garden skins from the entire range of the species in near Iambon. order to determine the subspecies occurring in our area. Macropygia amboinensis carteretia Bonaparte We found, as did Mayr and Rand, that AMBOINA CUCKOO-DOVE; YON-GAL there is much individual variation in color. Weights: Males, 147, 150, 178; four fe- Although birds from the Bismarck Archi- males, 131-160. pelago may average very slightly paler, there Iris gray ringed with rose; feet bright rose are birds from the Vogelkop as pale as the to grayish rose. palest bird from the eastern end of the range. 1967 GILLIARD AND LECROY: BIRDS OF NEW BRITAIN 193 Nor did we find any consistent difference in from New Guinea. Our male from the White- the amount of barring on the inner secon- mans also has a long tail (see table 1), but, as daries, as suggested by van Oort in his orig- Mayr and Rand pointed out, this difference inal description. Gyldenstolpe (1955a, p. is not decisive, since there is so much overlap 44) suggested that Vogelkop males tended with measurements of New Guinea birds. to be of a "darker chestnut-purple on the Measurements of wing and culmen (see table occiput and nape" than birds in the Western 1) did not show any consistent differences. Highlands. However, with the large series at Thus the Bismarck Archipelago birds cannot our disposal, this proved also to be individual be separated on the basis of size. There does, variation. however, seem to be a slight increase in tail Mayr and Rand called attention to the length from west to east. fact that a male from the Baining Mountains Rand (1942, p. 444) mentioned that ma- in New Britain has a longer tail than any terial from the Snow Mountains indicated an TABLE 1 MEASUREMENTS OF Macropygia nigrirostris Wing Tail Culmen from Base Japen Three males 139-143 140-155 18-20.5 Three females 140-142 147 18-19.5 Vogelkop Five males 145-157 148-159 19-20 Four females 141-144 149.5-156 18-19.5 Weyland Mountains Two males 147.5, 150 149, 162 19, 19.5 One female 141 154 20 Snow Mountains Two males 148, 155.5 158, 175 19 Five females 141-148 153-160 19-20 Mt. Goliath One male 150 163 20.5 Mt. Wilhelm One male 147 161 19 Astrolabe Bay Eight males 142-153 151-171 18.5-21 Five females 136-144.5 141-151 18.5-20 Southeastern New Guinea Eleven males 144-152 148.5-163 19-21 Six females 141-148 143-162 18.5-21 One male 150 170 20 Whiteman Mountains, New Britain Two males 147, 153 180 19, 20 One female 141 158 20 Baining Mountains, New Britain Four males 145-151 166-181 18.5-20 Two females 138, 147 154.5, 165 19, 19 New Ireland Three males 145-147 157-169 17.5-19 Two females 138.5, 145 166, 169 19, 19 New Hanover One female 144.5 174 18 One female 145 163.5 18.5 194 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 135 increase in size with increase in altitude. Our than rufous, but such is not invariably the data from other areas are not sufficiently de- case. tailed regarding altitude for us to comment on This species was encountered in the higher this point except that, in the light of the forests of the Whiteman Range where it was large individual variation and west-east cline apparently rather uncommon. in tail length, birds from 4000 and 5000 feet Reinwardtoena browni (Sclater) in the Astrolabe Bay area did not differ sig- nificantly in size from specimens from LONG-TAILED BLACK-AND-WHITE PIGEON; WIL-I-PUNG Madang at sea level. The female from an altitude of 50 meters listed by Rand as having Weights: Males, 306, 306; female(?), 279. a wing length of 139 is a subadult specimen Iris yellow to orange; bill red-violet, with that possesses all the characters listed below outer one-third black to brown; naked skin as indicating the subadult condition. Indi- on face, eye-ring, and cere red-violet; feet vidual variation would account for the other red-violet to pink. differences in wing length that were noted by This species was observed only in the tall him. forests in the foothills of the Whiteman We did find one consistent character by Mountains where is was rather uncommon which birds from the Bismarck Archipelago and usually solitary. Coultas took it up to may be separated from those of New Guinea 3000 feet. and the D'Entrecasteaux Islands. The more Chalcophaps stephani stephani Pucheran slender bill which Mayr and Rand mentioned for New Britain birds holds true for birds GREEN GROUND PIGEON from New Ireland, Duke of York, New Han- Weights: Males: 108, 113, 114, 114. over, and Tabar islands as well as for birds Iris dark brown, bill red-orange to rusty from the Whiteman Mountains. brown tipped with black; cere and eye-ring When we studied our large series of speci- maroon; skin on face gray; feet pale mauve mens, it became evident that there is a dis- speckled with maroon and rose. tinct and easily recognizable subadult plum- Apparently this species was common on age, similar in males and females. Subadult the floor of the higher coastal forests, but birds are superficially similar to adult fe- it was not encountered elsewhere. males; the most striking feature of the sub- Gallicolumba beccarii johannae (Sclater) adult plumage is the irregular barring on the tail and tail coverts. Instead of the pro- GRAY-CHESTED GROUND DOVE; nounced horizontal barring present on the SA-VIP-IM, WIL-PAR-UNG adult, the pattern is broken down. The bar- Weights: Males, 84, 92, 94, 104. ring on the central tail feathers runs parallel Iris dark brown; bill dark brown to black- to the edge of the feathers for at least the ish; eye-ring tan to gold; skin on face palest distal third, and the barring of the proximal blue to pale blue-gray; feet rose-pink. two-thirds is very broken and irregular. All Food: One of the specimens had 52 seeds the rectrices show this pattern to some ex- of the "garo-garo" palm and three larger tent-in some cases only on the outer vane, seeds in its crop, and its stomach contained a the inner vane lacking bars. The tail coverts mass of gritty vegetable matter. Another have a scalloped appearance, since the bars had the stomach "filled with gritty black and follow the edge of the feather instead of cross- buff insect parts, beetles(?)." J. Delacour in- ing the feather horizontally. forms us that it is not at all uncommon for Subadult birds also show a rufous band ground doves to eat large quantities of in- around the outside of the secondaries, and sects. there may be a second rufous bar inside of Apparently thinly distributed in the sub- this and parallel to the edge, giving the sec- stage of the lower and mid-mountain forests ondaries a longitudinal striped pattern. In of the Whiteman Range. Very secretive and addition, some of the feathers on the sides apparently solitary much of the time. and top of the head and on the upper back A nest with one fresh egg was found near may be tipped with very light tan rather Iambon village January 11. The hunter who 1967 GILLIARD AND LECROY: BIRDS OF NEW BRITAIN 195 brought it in reported that the nest was on rose to rose-red; eye-ring dark gray to black- the ground. The egg, which was longish, oval, ish; cere dull orange to dull brick red; feet and white, measured 33 by 22 mm. pale rust to pale wine red. This species was abundant in the crown of Gallicolumba jobiensis jobiensis (Meyer) the lowland tropical forest from sea level to WHITE-BREASTED GROUND DOVE about 1000 feet. Almost all our specimens Weight: Male, 173. were shot while feeding from the blossoms of Iris dark brown; bill black; eye-ring gray; an extremely tall tree growing in the forest feet dull rose-brick. edge near a native garden. There was much Apparently scarce. Found under vegetation interflock fighting among the blue-cheeks as of the coastal strip bordering Moewe Har- they fed on nectar; attacks on intruding bor. The one specimen was alone. It flushed myzomelas were noted frequently. from the cleared surface of a little-used trail Charmosyna rubrigularis rubrigularis (Sclater) in semi-open, stunted forest and flew to a fallen trunk lying nearby where it perched 2 ROSE-CHINNED LONG-TAILED PARAKEET; KLAIS feet up. Weights: Males, 33-37; females, 32.5-34. Iris gold to red (males); yellow-orange to Caloenas nicobarica nicobarica (Linnaeus) orange (females); bill dull red-orange; cere NICOBAR PIGEON; Ku-sI-YUNG dull red to dull red-orange; eye-ring gray to A pair flushed from the forest floor at Moia; black; feet red-orange to orange. another was taken at Kandrian. Abundant in flocks of as many as 10 in flowering trees in the canopy of the moun- PSITTACIDAE tain forest from about 1500 feet to the sum- LORIES, PARROTS, AND COCKATOOS mits of the highest peaks. Often found in Lorius hypoinochrous devittatus Hartert company with flocks of honeyeaters. Appar- ently Charmosyna placentis and C. rubrigu- EASTERN BLACK-CAPPED LORY laris replace each other altitudinally in the Weights: Males, 198, 219; females, 205, forests of the Whiteman Range. 225. Iris pink to bright brown; bill dark orange Cacatua galerita ophthalmica (Sclater) to red-orange; eye-ring black; cere ivory. WHITE COCKATOO This was an abundant species of the upper Iris, cere, and feet black; bill black to story of the rain forest. blackish gray; eye-ring cerulean blue. Trichoglossus haematodus aberrans Reichenow Abundant in the tropical rain forests; usually observed in pairs flying above the COCONUT LORY forest, and screaming all the while. Rare Weights: Males, 96, 105; female, 90. above an altitude of 3000 feet. On December Iris red-orange to orange; bill orange to 8 from a lookout at 3000 feet, the senior au- dark red; cere and eye-ring black; feet olive thor watched a white cockatoo as it de- gray to dark gray. scended a steep mountain slope nearly a The Coconut Lory was common in small, thousand feet. In his notes he recorded the noisy flocks in the tropical forest crown where flight as a long fluttering glide, with the it was often observed feeding among the wings moving but slightly. Toward the end blossoms of flowering trees. It was also ob- of this flight the bird began turning and served on the summit of Wild Dog Moun- twisting as though to reduce speed. It then tain but was apparently uncommon above doubled back and disappeared into a forested about 3000 feet. canyon. Charmosyna placentis pallidior Micropsitta pusio pusio (Sclater) (Rothschild and Hartert) GREEN PYGMY PARROT; KAL-LANG BLUE-CHEEKED PARAKEET; SU-LU-HOO Wing: Males, 64.5, 65.6. Tail: males, 27, Weights: Males, 27-33; females, 26.5-37. 29. Weights: Males, 12, 13.5. Iris pale yellow to pale orange; bill bright Iris dark brown; bill mottled yellow to 196 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 135 mottled gray; cere and eye-ring pale gray; birds for about five to seven minutes before feet flesh-colored to gray. David and I synchronized our shots to bring Fairly common in the lowland forests, down two birds. whereas the orange-bellied species is found "The flock kept to the upper limbs and only in the mid and high mountain forests. A trunk of the slender forest tree. Rarely did Kandrian specimen was shot in the middle they move on purely vertical surfaces. The portions of the forest on a hillside immediately birds moved industriously, shuffling here and behind the government station. It was one of there usually on the tops of horizontal or three. Mava, a hunter, reported that the sloping limbs, frequently bobbing the head birds scanned the smaller limbs and trunk over the side and completely around the for food, and that sometimes they moved perching limb. Often the birds leaped several about with the head downward. He observed feet like jumping jacks, as they shifted limbs. at least one bird as it stripped away thin The group kept together very closely and strands of bark, then fed on something worked for long periods in the same small beneath. The specimen that he shot had area. The birds I watched remained within a small brown objects and whitish matter in radius of 30 feet during the 5-7 minutes we its stomach. Another specimen, from Moia, watched. had black and white insect remains (ter- "I looked particularly at the bill move- mites?) in its stomach. ments, trying to see what the birds were eat- Micropsitta bruijnii necopinata Hartert ing. The bill was usually directed downward and was used to bite or pull at something on ORANGE-BELLIED PYGMY PARROT the surface-usually the sides or bottom of Mt. Uali: Three males, two females. medium-sized limbs (limbs equal or twice the Weights: Males, 13.5, 15.5, 15.5; females, diameter of the bird's body). This kept up 11.5, 13. For measurements, see table 2. continuously, but I could not see what was being eaten. TABLE 2 "This is the first time I have seen Microp- MEASUREMENTS (IN MILLIMETERS) OF sitta in New Britain, despite long periods of Micropsitta bruijnii necopinata observation in the immediate area where the birds were taken. They seem to be very local Wing Tail and to live in scattered, nomadic flocks. Aside from the two specimens collected from New Britain a flock of three on Three males 66, 69, 70 27, 29, 31 December 4, apparently Two females 63, 63.5 26, 27 only one other has been seen, that one a bird New Ireland shot at by Mava about December 6." Five males 66.5, 67, 67,a 28.5, 29,a This species was never encountered below 68, 70 29.5, 30, 32 an altitude of 2500 feet. One specimen had soft yellowish orange matter in its stomach, Measurements of the type. also small black objects resembling insect remains. This stomach was saved in formalin. Iris dark brown; bill pearl gray; cere flesh Two other specimens had golden brown mat- to rose (males); cere and eye-ring gray (fe- ter in the stomach. males); feet bluish gray to gray. : The range of the Orange-bel- Gilliard wrote in his journal: "December lied Pygmy Parrot (Micropsitta bruijnii) ex- 10: Camp 9 (3000 feet): At about 8:30 A.M. tends from Ceram through New Guinea to with David Moorhouse I watched six to pos- the Solomon Islands (Guadalcanal and sibly eight Pygmy Parrots feeding and mov- Kulambangra) and the Bismarck Archipel- ing about in the high limbs of trees growing ago (New Ireland and New Britain). The along the top of the narrow volcano lip near discovery of the last-mentioned population Lookout Point. I watched them first with the in December, 1958, extended the range of the naked eye and then with binoculars which species from New Ireland and added a new had been rushed to me. In all I observed the species to the known avifauna of New Britain. 1967 GILLIARD AND LECROY: BIRDS OF NEW BRITAIN 197 It should be noted that Mayr and others Geoffroyus heteroclitus heteroclitus strongly suspected that M. bruijnii would (Hombron and Jacquinot) eventually be found in the mountain forests YELLOW-HEADED PARROT; GEL-LENG of New Britain (see Mayr, MS, p. 115). Pos- Iambon: Two males, one female. Wild Dog sibly when adequate mountain surveys are Mountain: One male. conducted on New Hanover, the species will Weights: Males, 154, 169, 177; female, 180. be found there also. Iris pale yellow; bill dull yellow-green; GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION: Although the eye-ring dull gold; feet gray-green to olive. species has been divided into five subspecies Apparently very uncommon. Our speci- [Ceram, pileata; New Guinea, nominate mens were collected by Papuan gunboys at- bruijnii; Guadalcanal and Kulambangra, tached to the expedition. rosea; Bougainville, brevis; New Ireland (and New Britain), necopinata], the geographical Loriculus tener Sclater variation is slight except for one sharp PYGMY LORICULUS break between the Ceram-New Guinea- Wing: 66; tail: 29; weight: 12. Solomon Island complex of populations and Iris ivory; bill black; cere and eye-ring those of the Bismarck Archipelago. Through- black; feet mustard. out the broad range of the former complex the Never observed in the wild. Our only speci- differences consist chiefly of degrees of pig- men flew into a mist net situated on a sharp ment saturation (abdomen rose-red to red; ridge on Mt. Uali between two steep valleys. crown dull orange-brown to orange-rose) and It was probably traveling from the lowlands of minor differences in size. No clines are evi- on one side of the ridge to those on the other. dent, but the populations of small islands See Mayr (1934, p. 6) for further commentson tend to be more reddish. Much individual this rare parakeet. variation in crown coloration is present. The chief differences distinguishing the CUCULIDAE Bismarck complex from the other are: under CUCKOOS tail coverts yellow, not rose-red (males); Cuculus saturatus horsfieldi under parts and cheeks nearly clear orange, Horsfield and Moore not orange strongly tinted with rose-red PARASITIC CUCKOO (males); crown pale purplish blue, not violet- Weights: Male, 106; female, 100. blue (females). The two specimens of this migrant that The birds of New Ireland and New Britain the expedition encountered were taken in are fairly uniform in coloration and size, quite different ecological niches. A male was although there is a tendency toward deeper shot in the steep-walled mountain forest. A saturation of the orange ventral color in the subadult female was shot from the middle New Britain males. However, this difference limbs of a garden tree at sea level behind the is slight. Kandrian Government Post. The distinctness of the Bismarck Archi- pelago populations serves to emphasize the Cacomantis variolosus macrocercus Stresemann strength of the narrow Vitiaz Strait as a zoo- BRUSH CUCKOO; UL-LU-LU, SA-NOO-HIN geographical barrier. (GRAY), HO-KA-LAS (BARRED) Larius roratus goodsoni Hartert Weight: Males, 35.5, 43; females(?), 35, 39. Stomach contents, four specimens: Many DIMORPHIC PARROT; GA-LANG-AT dark gray, black or green caterpillars, many Weights: Males, 382, 442; females, 361, 374. yellow and black insect wings. Fairly common in the lowlands. About A fledgling begging food from a much January 14 an individual in female plumage smaller bird was shot January 20 from a was seen in the entrance to a hole 70 feet up perch in the middle tier of lowland rain forest. in lowland rain forest. It peeked out in re- Apparently abundant in the lower and mid- sponse to "squeaking" and then disappeared dle tier of the open forest; also in bushes and back into the hole. trees of native gardens. 198 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY V+OL. 135 Eudynamis scolopacea salvadormi Hartert ently alone, violet-backs are usually heard in KOEL; WOO-LU-LU pairs (at this season). Their ventriloquistic calls carry more than a mile across gorges Weights: Males, 254, 300, 327. and are antiphonal. The birds suddenly begin Iris bright red; bill bone-gray, with black cooing very deeply (more deeply than any at base. Stomach contents: Large blue berries Duculk) and keep up the dual din for perhaps with cherry-sized pits (one); many pea-sized half a minute. Invariably the sound comes fruits with pinkish purple flesh (one). from the lower part of the forest and is heard Apparently not uncommon. Our specimens most frequently in the tropics, although I were taken among thick vines in the middle have heard the calls as high as 3000 feet. The story of tropical forest near sea level and in specimen here noted was shot at about the the lower tier at the edge of the forest. top range of this tropical species. At Akalel One was discovered while being mobbed by a on November 26 a young bird, perhaps one small flock of Mynah Birds (Mino dumon- week out of the nest, was brought to us. It tii). had the quills of the wings and tail, on their Scythrops novaehoLlandiae Latham basal thirds, still sheathed in wax. CHANNEL-BILLED CUCKOO "On November 22 near Haulil a pair of this long-tailed cuckoo was observed in the Iris ruby red; bill bone, streaked with gray middle portions of the tropical rain forest. on basal two-thirds; skin on face dark rose- One perched with its neck pulled down and its red; feet dark gray. Stomach contents: a large tail hanging nearly vertically. The birds mass of gold and orange fruit. emitted deep notes which sounded like those Apparently abundant. The expedition en- from a bottle with air blowing across its neck. countered scattered parties of from three to The cuckoos disappeared from my sight even a dozen birds in the forests fringing the coasts though I watched most intently. Soon a near Kandrian, but the species was not found passing native caused them to reappear. Ap- elsewhere. The only specimen taken was shot parently they had been hiding. As the native from a group found in a tall tree immediately walked by they moved around the large behind a thick band of mangroves. The speci- trunk and back into my view. With the de- men fell into the bay and was seized by a parture of the native the birds suddenly small crocodile (Crocodilus porosus). After the became very active; apparently they had crocodile had swum in carrying the bird it forgotten me. One hopped vigorously over was driven off by a shotgun charge, and the limbs and vines to a height of about 50 feet bird was retrieved. and there tugged at something on the bark. After this brief encounter it planed down- Centropus violaceus Quoy and Gaimard ward, across my view, 150 feet(a flight which VIOLET-BACKED GIANT CUCKOO; I followed with binoculars), its bill held open UMBIE, SU-HOOP (NESTLING) around a large object. The cuckoo then landed Weight: Female, 500. on the side of a vertical vine half an inch Iris bright red, smoky gray (subadult); thick. The large, blackish bird with a vivid bill black; feet and skin on face milky; eye- pale mark around its eyes clung there, its ring black. Stomach contents: Many large bill still open and holding a bulky stick-like insects, including three large armored stick insect. The cuckoo had one foot higher than insects of enormous proportions (one with a its head on the vertical vine. Next it began body at least 7 inches in length!); about 25 jumping up the naked vine, ascending some pinhead-sized snail shells; a number of small 30 feet to a large limb upon which it walked. shells twice as large; and the legs of a green It placed one foot well in front of the other and gray tree frog (one leg was 2 3/4 inches as it moved with deliberation. It carried the long). stick insect a full five minutes before I lost According to Gilliard's field notes, a sub- sight of it. adult male taken December 26 on Mt. Uali "At 8:59 A.M. about 100 yards away, as I "was shot from a perch in a small tree of the was sitting hidden in the forest, I noted forest substage at 3000 feet. Although appar- another C. violaceus on a thin limb, slightly 1967 GILLIARD AND LECROY: BIRDS OF NEW BRITAIN 199 sloping, in the crown of the forest. Its tail A specimen shot near Iambon was one of a was much worn, and, as I watched, it wiped group of four which were excitedly moving the bill on the perch and then preened the about on and near the floor of a native garden. under side of the wings, at the same time ex- The subadult specimen bears only a few panding the tail many inches so that I could traces of the immature feathering, yet it had see daylight through the broken vanes. As it the grayish rather than the red iris. The im- preened with the tail expanded it held the mature bears striking resemblances to the wings outward and slightly upward. This adults of brownish coucals of the genus performance, which I think was a courtship Centropus in that it has the anterior half of display, was carried out in solitude and in the body striped with rufous. Its identity, complete silence. however, is confirmed by a few pure white "Two nestling cuckoos were brought in feathers which have emerged on the left this afternoon (November 24) which looked side of the breast and the right side of the like the young of Archaeopteryx! Both were throat, together with the shining purplish calling raucously, both had disproportion- blue coloration of the flight quills. ately large legs, and both were very cold to the touch. In hand they felt like reptiles. TYTONIDAE Both were covered with long rows and tracts BARN OWLS of sheathed feathers giving them the spiny Tyto aurantia (Salvadori) look of young kingfishers, only more so!" NEW BRITAIN BARN OWL; MON, MON-WAH Three nestlings were collected by a native on January 7 near Iambon (3000 feet). The One male. smaller specimens, which weighed 37 and 42 The expedition maintained a number of grams, had the upper parts, including the small mammal traps in the same sink-hole in crown, covered with long, hairlike filaments which this owl was shot, but never succeeded and the egg tooth still showing prominently in trapping any mammals. Nevertheless the near the tip of the maxilla; below they were owl was successful. Its stomach contained a naked. The larger specimen, which weighed small rodent with dark grayish hair. 151 grams, had the hairlike filaments largely Apparently not uncommon in the original replaced by needle-like wax feather casings. lowland and upper mountain forests. Our The feathers of its wings were well advanced, only record is of a specimen discovered perch- with many of the flight quills emerging from ing about 15 feet up near the trunk of a fairly the wax sheathings. open tree which stood in a crater-like lime- Mr. Charles O'Brien called to our attention stone pothole near the summit of Mt. Uali. the fact that Coultas, in November, 1932, col- Attention was drawn to the owl in mid- lected three eggs of this species which were morning by a drongo which was attempting just hatching. They were said to be found in a to mob it. The natives of Iambon village loosely constructed nest of twigs, similar to apparently know only two species of owls. that made by the American Crow (Corvus An owl was heard calling at 8:45 P.M., Dec- brachyrhynchos), in the top of a tall tree. ember 17, at an altitude of about 6000 feet. The call, "ka-ka," was repeated about six Centropus ateralbus Lesson times per second and ascending slightly was WHITE-NECKED COUCAL; SOO-HOO answered several times. On December 21 at Weights: Male, 330; subadult female, 342. this same altitude a long ascending whistle, Iris dark red (adults). probably that of an owl, was also heard at This is a common species of the lowland night. forests, forest edges, and native gardens. It STRIGIDAE also occurs sparingly in the hill forests to an OWLS altitude of about 4000 feet, but throughout the uplands it is apparently uncommon. It is Ninox odiosa Sclater usually found near the floor of the forest and EARLESS OWL; MAR-AH-HONG in bushes, including vegetation close to the Weight: Female(?), 209. seacoast. Iris gold to orange. 200 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 135

Apparently common in the lowland forests. ticularly in clearings and along stream edges Two specimens were shot in the upper mid- in the forest, also over the crown of the pure dle tier of the original forest. One was solitary forest. All our specimens were trapped by and one was with another owl. In each case native boys in a cave near the village of small birds, including flycatchers, drew at- Pomalal. This cave was said to be the habitual tention to the owls by their mobbing activ- breeding place of this species and, at the time ities. In the stomach of one were the remains the native boys visited it, to have contained of long-legged insects. According to native about 30 nests. It was said to be in a rock lore, this species preys upon small bats. outcropping forming an island in the Oum River near Pomalal. APODIDAE One of the nestlings, although nearly the SWIFTS weight of an average adult, had its plumage Collocalia spodiopygia eichhorni Hartert still completely encased in waxy sheathing. Two nests (averaging about 85 mm. in dia- WHITE-RUMPED SWIFTLET; GUS-MARAN meter by 45 mm. in depth) were collected Weights: Males, 7, 7.5; female, 6. with the nestlings. Both were constructed of Abundant in moderately large nomadic fine rootlets and a few mossy vines which had flocks. On December 18 at 6:15 P.M. a flock been formed into a shelflike saucer. The nest swept the summit of the Whiteman Range; is flattened on one side, and the presence of this was found to be of regular occurrence. some glossy, gluelike substance, together On December 19 the birds returned to fly with nest material and particles of white very close over the forest crown along the limestone, indicates that the nests were glued sides of the sharp ridge, riding buoyantly in with a small amount of saliva to the wall of a the brisk breeze fluming up from the low- limestone cave. lands and apparently finding a rich store of insects. On the twentieth, for several hours Collocalia vanikorensis subspecies? beginning about noon, the white-rumped SOOTY SWIFTLET; GUS-MARAN swiftlets were back. This time a small series Wing: Ten males, 113-121.5; female, 116; was collected from a tree platform. tail: eight males, 44.5-52; female, 49; weights: In flight this species is easily distinguished 9-14. from C. esculenta by its pale gray to whitish Apparently an abundant species of the low- rump, its dull rather than metallic upper parts, lands from the beaches to the heart of the and its slightly larger size. At Kandrian the dense rain forest. Usually in open flocks, it was White-rumped Swiftlet occasionally flew in once seen flying with "white-rumped swifts." company with C. vanikorensis. At Iambon Numbers were observed near Kandrian and village, at dusk January 8, a flock of about 20 along the southern coast of New Britain of these swiftlets hunted over the little clear- where a few specimens were collected; the ing, situated in tall forest within about 200 specimen from Lindenhafen was shot over the yards of a breeding cave of C. vanikorensis, beach. All but one of the forest specimens yet no other species of swifts were to be seen. were taken by native boys as they entered a At Tol Plantation, Wide Bay, where the Gil- nesting crevice. liards paused briefly, one specimen was shot This crevice was a chimney-like vent in the near the beach as it flew with about 40 others floor of open forest near a native trail. The in a coconut plantation. The flock moved hole, which was about 5 feet long and 2 to 3 slowly over the landscape as the birds swirled feet wide, provided an entranceway to a sub- about 10 to 100 feet up, remaining in sight terranean cavern of considerable size. The for about half an hour. low roar of a sizable stream could be heard Collocalia esculenta stresemanni somewhere below. Over the hole were trees Rothschild and Hartert reaching 70 feet in height and a semi-closed leafy canopy formed by the closely knit ; GUS-MARAN crowns of old second-growth trees. The native Weights: Male, 7; females, 7, 7.2. boys who pointed out the hole stated that An abundant species in the lowlands, par- there were no other similar ones in the vicini- 1967 GILLIARD AND LECROY: BIRDS OF NEW BRITAIN 201 ty. They had caught the swifts at dusk as mens and to examine them for any consistent they fluttered into the opening. To do this, color differences between populations. they stood partway down in the hole on a The three races, confirmata, mystacea, and ledge and used their cloth laplaps and their aeroplanes, were originally differentiated on hands to clasp the fluttering birds as they the basis of wing length. Mees has showed passed downward within a foot of their bod- that there is overlap in the measurements, ies. The cave is "haunted," and no one has and our measurements confirm this (see ever gone into it. There is some doubt that below). In fact, wing length shows a clinal they could. This tiny terrain feature is about distribution, with the smallest birds occurring 200 yards from the village clearing at Iambon. both on the eastern and western ends of the Sooty swifts probably leave this hole in the species range, Solomon Island birds averaging early morning and then remain aloft all day, smaller than any others. There is some size covering untold miles, and at night descend variation within the Solomon Islands, where through the roof of the forest, probably on a mean wing length from islands represented by special route through the trees and other a fair series varies from 198 to 205. All of the vegetation, down into the darkness of the Solomon Island birds are, however, small. ground. The specimens that the hunters Wing measurements of Hemiprocne mys- caught were of both sexes and all were gorged tacea are: with flying ants. One had 22 large orange to Moluccas and Aru Islands 210-230 amber ants in its stomach; others seemed to Vogelkop and western islands 218-234 have a preference for ants of similar size but Central New Guinea 226-245 glossy blue-black with white head markings. Madang area 223-240 A few had eaten small beetles. Southeastern New Guinea 220-243 After careful studies we find that there is Western Bismarck Archipelago 209-228 much overlap between the measurements of Eastern Bismarck Archipelago 198-217 our series and those of birds found on a num- Solomon Islands 190-215 ber of the Solomon Islands. It is obvious that Moluccan and Aru Island birds (mean wing wing measurements cannot be used to dis- length of 17 specimens, 220) and Bismarck tinguish New Britain birds from those of the Archipelago birds are next in size after the Solomons when the wing length of our series Solomon Island populations. The Bismarck is compared with that of vanikorensis from Archipelago populations are quite variable, the Solomon Islands, in which Mayr (1937, birds from New Britain, the Admiralty Is- p. 6) reported that in the specimnens he exam- lands, St. Matthias, Storm, and New Han- ined the wing never went over 117.5 (average over having mean wing lengths between 217 114.4), and with that of a large series from and 222, and birds from Tabar, Mahur, Lihir, Wide Bay, New Britain, in which the wing and Boang averaging 210. Birds from Feni varied between 117 and 126, with an average average 205. We could find no record of the of 120. Therefore, following Mayr, we are species' having been collected on New Ireland. postponing racial allocation of the New Our birds from the Vogelkop and Japen Britain population. (mean of six specimens, 222) appear small Hemiprocne mystacea mystacea (Lesson) when compared with Waigeu and Misol birds (mean of six specimens, 230) but Mees's WHISKERED TREE SWIFT (1964) and Gyldenstolpe's (1955b, p. 258) Mees (1964, pp. 11-12; 1965, pp. 173-174) measurements show that much larger birds has synonymized both the races Hemiprocne do occur both on the Vogelkop and on nearby mystacea confirmata (Moluccas and Aru Is- Biak. Birds from central and southeastern lands) and H. m. aeroplanes (Bismarck Ar- New Guinea are the largest (means vary chipelago) with the nominate form from New from 229 to 233). Guinea and satellite islands. He has retained As is evident from the literature, there is the race from the Solomon Islands, H. m. much individual color variation. The race woodfordiana. Since the American Museum woodfordiana, however, is well marked in has large series of all the races of H. mystacea, having the abdomen uniformly gray like it seemed advisable to measure these speci- the rest of the under parts. Our six Bauro Is- 202 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 135 land specimens are darker gray, both on the The Whiskered Tree Swift was thinly dis- back and the abdomen, than typical woodfor- tributed throughout the high rain forests of diana. the Whiteman Mountains. A flock of approx- Throughout the remainder of the range, imately 35 was observed on November 28 at the amount of white on the abdomen is vari- about 6 P.M. feeding on the wing over the able and is further affected by the way in forests at Hualil. On January 16 one was ob- which the skin is made. It is evident, however, served on a high slender limb over open trail that birds from the central part of New in the Iambon forests. Rambur, who col- Guinea (Snow Mountains) have more exten- lected this bird, reported that it perched for sive white than any others. Toward the west a considerable period of time, frequently call- the average amount of white decreases, with ing to another Whiskered Tree Swift which the island forms averaging least. This applies came and perched on the same spot after the also to Moluccan birds, but does not apply to first specimen observed had been shot. Per- birds from the Aru Islands which have as haps a nest, known to be of minute size, was much white as birds from the Vogelkop. there. To the east of the Snow Mountains the amount of white again averages less, with ALCEDINIDAE southeastern New Guinea birds quite varia- KINGFISHERS able but with western Bismarck Archipelago Alcedo atthis hispidoides Lesson birds averaging considerably less white, often having no pure white but some light gray in RIVER KINGFISHER; SEM-MIN the middle of the abdomen. Admiralty Is- Weights: Males, 24.5, 26, 28. land birds are exceptional in having as much Iris dark brown; bill black; feet dull orange white as southeastern New Guinea birds. washed with brown or black; nails dark Birds from the eastern Bismarck Archipelago brown to black. are intermediate between mystacea and wood- Fairly common in its restricted niche, fordiana. Specimens from Mahur, Lihir, which is apparently always confined to Boang, and Feni agree with woodfordiana in streams and beach edges. The four specimens color; those from Tabar have white on the collected by the expedition were found alone. abdomen. One was caught in a net set a few feet above a Under tail coverts are extremely variable small forest stream, and one was shot from a in color and are even more likely to be af- dead branch at the beach edge. The stomach fected by skinning, so that they seem com- of one contained green insect remains. pletely unreliable as a taxonomic character. Woodfordiana was described as having under Ceyx websteri (Hartert) tail coverts uniformly gray. While generally true, one specimen reported by Mees (1965, WEBSTER'S KINGFISHER; SI-NON-GAY-KLEK, p. 174) from Bougainville and a few of our POP-SUAL specimens from various localities in the Solo- Wing: Males, 89, 90; female, 92. Weights: mons show traces of white in the under tail males, 54, 57; female, 67. Stomach contents: coverts. Large green insect remains; large shrimp. The above results confirm Mees's conclu- In our opinion Webster's Kingfisher has sions-that H. m. confirmata and H. m. aero- reached the level of a good species. It is much planes should be considered synonymous larger and more greenish than azureus from with the nominate form and that woodfordiana New Guinea but nevertheless belongs with it should be recognized on the basis of its solid as a superspecies. gray abdomen and average smaller size. Not uncommon in the lowland forests. Not Tabar birds have white on the abdomen and encountered elsewhere. Two specimens were are included with H. m. mystacea. Mahur, caught in nets stretched across small rivers in Lihir, Boang, and Feni birds are provision- the lowland forest. The other specimen was ally included with woodfordiana since they chased by Mandina for an hour during which lack white on the abdomen and average it kept close to a stream, perching on dead rather small in size. limbs, always close to the water. 1967 GILLIARD AND LECROY: BIRDS OF NEW BRITAIN 203 Ceyx lepidus sacerdotis Ramsay On December 11 Tusako observed a bird ORANGE-BELLIED PYGMY KINGFISHER; drilling a nest hole about 16 feet up in a dead SEM-YIN forest tree at an altitude of about 3000 feet. Weights: 18-23. As the bird worked in the rotten wood, only Fairly common along the edges of small its tail could be seen protruding from the streams in the lowland forest where it perches entrance. Periodically the bird raked out on limbs close to the water. wood chips. Tusako succeeded in climbing an adjacent tree and capturing the kingfisher Halcyon saurophaga saurophaga Gould as it worked. WHITE-HEADED KINGFISHER In hunting, this species perches close to the ground in deep forest, then swoops down to Weight: Male, 114. Stomach contents: A capture its prey among the debris of the for- claw and other remains of a small crab. est floor. Our only record is of a specimen shot along the shores of Moewe Harbor. This species CORACIIDAE appears to be restricted to the immediate ROLLERS seacoast. Eurystomus orientalis crassirostris Sclater Halcyon chloris tristrami Layard DOLLAR BIRD; TAK-KLANG BLACK-MASKED KINGFISHER; POP-SUAL, Weights: 190, 195, 198. Stomach contents: PILE, SI-LANK-KEK-LEK, KEG-LET Glossy green and gold beetles, some up to Weights: Males, 71, 72, 77; females, 70, 88. 30 mm. in length. Stomach contents: Black bettles; grasshopper; Fairly common. Usually encountered perch- small lizard, approximately 32 inches in ing quietly on exposed limbs in the crown length; a small mammal, probably a mouse. of the tropical forest. Iris dark brown; bill black, with white tip BUCEROTIDAE and white at base of mandible; feet blackish. HORNBILLS One female had three ova very much enlarged. Very common throughout the lowlands in Rhyticeros plicatus dampieri Mayr the forest edge bordering native gardens. HORNBILL Halcyon albonotata Ramsay Iris bright rust; bill creamy ivory, with dark red-brown on basal third and at base of BLUE-AND-WHITE KINGFISHER; POP-SUAL casque; naked skin around eye pale violet- Weight: Male, 145. blue; naked skin on throat milky white; feet This species appears to be uncommon. Our blackish. Food: Orange figs. only records are of two taken from perches Hornbills are seen and heard daily in the fairly high up in trees bordering village clear- foothills and high mountain forests of the ings. An Iambon specimen was one of a pair. Whiteman Range. At the time of the Gilliards' It had medium-sized grasshoppers in its visit, most of the birds appeared in pairs; no stomach. large flocks were seen except at Sag Sag (see below). Once a male with a tan head flew 60 Tanysiptera sylvia nigriceps Sclater feet above a pair flying 3 feet apart. The birds SPIKE-TAILED KINGFISHER; KUR-KIK, honked continuously in flight, "ka-ka-ka-ka," GUD-KEK, GUR-KEY and all flew straight and evenly, with steady Weights: Females, 64, 74. Stomach con- wing flapping. At the end of a half mile of tents: Insect remains. level flight the pair suddenly spread their Iris dark brown; bill bright red-orange, white tails and cupped their wings and then orange washed with dark brown (subadult), swooped in an instant to land simultaneously dark brown but lighter at tip (nestling); feet on the same limb, where they perched 3 feet greenish gold, greenish gray (nestling); naked apart. skin on face mustard to bright orange. Sitting on a point of rock, Gilliard was This species is fairly common in the interior sometimes able to watch these birds as they forests, up to an altitude of about 5000 feet. flew by only a few feet away. Once a pair 204 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 135 passed just below, and he noticed that the Coracina tenuirostris heinrothi (Stresemann) male was leading an all black bird by about CICADA BIRD; HOM-MON-GIN 20 feet. Another time a male led another Weights: Males, 60 (subadult), 61, 62; which flew about 10 feet above and slightly females, 54-67. behind. Iris dark brown; bill and feet black. Once, while he was sitting under a tree in Fairly common in the lowland and moun- thick forest on Mt. Uali, a hornbill came tain rain forest. Usually solitary and oc- flying noisily through the forest. It happened casionally encountered high up in tall trees to land in the limbs just above him, and in bordering small forest clearings. One was doing so it immediately became silent and observed very closely as it quietly moved motionless and remained so for more than a about feeding on insects in the upper limbs of minute. a heavily leafed tree growing in the tall rain At Sag Sag on November 14 he observed forest. The bird occasionally flew from its hundreds of hornbills at dusk as the birds slender perches to the under sides of the moved in sizable flocks over the forest and the leaves and there hovered as it pulled at clearing to roosts which the Anglican mission- something it was eating. The stomach con- ary, Mr. Kenneth Law, said were in a small tents of this bird proved to be small green area of forest on Lagoon Point, the western- berries and some green insect remains, in- most point of land on New Britain. The cluding a caterpillar. Stomach contents of sound made by this species in flight is very other specimens collected were small ivory- much like the hissing of escaping steam. colored berries, hundreds of small yellow CAMPEPHAGIDAE seeds, some olive-colored fruit matter, green CUCKOO-SHRIKES berries, and green insects. Lalage leucomela falsa Hartert Coracina lineata sublineata Sclater BLACK-AND-WHITE TRILLER; BAR-WINGED GRAYBIRD; HOM-MUNG-IN Pow, EL-WAS-SIAN Weights: Males, 66, 68. Stomach contents: Weights: Males, 31.5-35.5; females, 26- Small green tree berries, caterpillars, and 36. The food of the Black-and-White Triller small seeds. consists largely of caterpillars and small Quite uncommon. Both of our specimens fruits. The stomachs of the specimens taken came from the uppermost limbs of high trees contained caterpillars, usually green, other growing in the foothills and steep sides of the insect remains, and greenish or bluish berries, Whiteman Range. One male was shot in the also hard seeds. top of a huge "rain tree" growing at the This is an abundant, usually solitary spec- edge of the Iambon village clearing. It was ies of lowland garden areas where it is found approached by way of a ladder leading more perched in the upper limbs of garden trees than halfway up the tree. The species is ap- and large bushes; also found less commonly in parently not at all wary. the upper branches of open second-growth DICRURIDAE forest. DRONGOS Coracina papuensis sclateni Salvadori Dicrurus hottentottus laemostictus Sclater BLACK-FRONTED GRAYBIRD; WAM-YA DRONGO; TAS Weights: Males, 92, 96, 110; females, Weights: Females, 64, 72; female(?), 70; 95-115. Stomach contents: Insect remains, fledglings, 39, 45. some with iridescent green skeletal fragments, Iris red in adults, brown in fledglings. green caterpillars, and an assortment of oval Very common in the lowland forests and seeds resembling cucumber seeds. forest edges. Also found in diminished num- This bird is common in the lowland forests, bers in the mid-mountain forest and even oc- where it appears to keep mostly to the canopy. casionally in the forest crowning the summit The call is a whistled "whee-ah" delivered of the Whiteman Mountains at 5200 feet. from high perches in the forest. Most frequently observed alone, but occa- 1967 GILLIARD AND LECROY: BIRDS OF NEW BRITAIN 205 sionally pairs were found. On November 21, a Insect remains, including long insect legs pair was observed near two young which had and small black beetles, were found in the just left the nest. The young and the adult stomachs of five specimens; a few small snail female were collected. The latter had the con- shells were found in two of these specimens. tour feathers of the lower and middle breast Iris gray to brown, one gray, with inner much worn and fragmented, apparently owing rim of brown; maxilla black; mandible gray to abrasion connected with the nesting duties. to gold; gape yellow in subadults, gray in On December 6 at 6:30 in the morning, one adults; feet pinkish tan to smoky brown. ascended to a dead limb tip 30 feet up at the Common but rather elusive in the forests of top of a mountain slope and perched facing the lowlands and lower mountainsides. Not the rising sun. It then called and sang about found above 2500 feet. Usually encountered 20 times, each phrase being emitted every on or very close to the ground in vegetation four to five seconds. In song, it stretched the which is rather bushy and usually inter- head forward, opened the bill widely, and spersed with bamboo; also found in the sec- then forced out its scratchy, ascending notes ond growth of abandoned forest gardens and which,were immediately followed by a rather stream edges. Almost always in pairs or per- sweet whistle. As the whistle ended, the bird haps small parties. Two collected January 13 flared the tail widely. On December 8 at were closely accompanying two young. about the same position two Drongos were observed. One flew over the singing perch Cichlornis grosvenori Gilliard with its tail abnormally flared. GROSVENOR's THICKET WARBLER CORVIDAE Wing: Male (?), 71; female (type), 72; tail: CROWS Male (?), 65; female (type), 59. Corvus orru insularis Heinroth Iris dark smoky gray, with lighter outer CROW; KONG rim (male?), dark brown with a dull green rim (female, type); bill brownish black to Weights: Males, 428, 444; female, 428. black; feet and legs dark smoky brown. Iris sky blue to gray. Iris color in this race See Gilliard (1960b) for the description and is generally blue, but two apparently adult ecology of this rare species and Gilliard (1961, birds from the Whitemans had the iris gray. p. 273) for a painting from life by Margaret Coultas collected two adults with the iris Gilliard. The genus is known from endemic brown in the Rabaul area; other specimens forms on Guadalcanal, the Solomons, and from the same area had the iris blue. Since Espirito Santo, New Hebrides. This elusive this difference is not sexual, we assume that these individuals have retained the juvenile bird of mountain forests may eventually be coloration. found on other large islands in Melanesia. Widely but thinly distributed throughout the lowland and mid-mountain forests of the Phylloscopus trivirgatus Strickland Whiteman Range. Apparently more common ISLAND LEAF WARBLER in the coastal regions which were hardly sur- Mayr (1955, p. 19), in a discussion of the veyed by this expedition. Crows were not Island Leaf Warbler, stated: "In the Bis- heard or seen above about 5000 feet. Usually marck Archipelago it has so far been found solitary. A specimen from Moia was shot on a only on St. Matthias (matthiae) ... The rock close to the edge of a broad stream flow- mountains of New Britain and New Ireland ing through second-growth forest. are high enough for this species, and it is SYLVIIDAE therefore surprising that it has never been en- WARBLERS countered there by collectors." Phylloscopus Sclater trivirgatus proved to be common in the for- Ortygocichla rubiginosa ests of the summit of the Whiteman Range RUFOUS-FACED THICKET WARBLER; EN-SU-LU (but nowhere else). The New Britain popula- Wing: Male, 77; female, 75; tail, male, 77; tion was found to be new and we name it as female, 78; weights: male, 43; female, 39.5. follows. 206 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 135 Phylloscopus trivirgatus moorhousei, Wing: Males, 55, 56, 56, 56, 56, 58; fe- new subspecies males, 53.5-58.5; tail: males, 39, 39, 39.5, TYPE: A.M.N.H. No. 708134; adult male; 39.5, 41, 42; females, 39.5-42; weights: males, Wild Dog Range, Whiteman Mountains, cen- 9.5-11; females, 9-10.5. tral New Britain; December 17, 1958; 5200+ Iris dark brown; bill blackish, with base of feet; E. Thomas and Margaret Gilliard. mandible light; feet gray. MEASUREMENTS OF TYPE: Wing, 58; tail, To try to determine the systematic posi- 42; culmen, 13; tarsus, 22; weight, 10. tion of the newly discovered New Britain DIAGNOSIS: Nearest to P. t. makirensis of population, we made the following short re- San Cristobal in coloration of crown and back view of the variation of all populations of but with the latter generally deeper, more this species known to occur in the Papuan brownish olive, less yellowish olive; under region, the Bismarck Archipelago, and the parts with yellow areas (chiefly flanks) duller, Solomon Islands.2 Populations from many more tinged with olive brown, less olive; sides localities in New Guinea were examined, in- of head more brownish, less grayish, partic- cluding series of four races (poliocephala; ularly superciliaries, lores, and malar region. albigularis, including the type; cyclopum; Differing from P. t. becki of Guadalcanal by and giulianettii), as well as populations from having under parts richer, more brownish Numfor Island (maforensis), Goodenough yellow, and upper parts more amber brown- Island, New Britain, St. Matthias Island, ish, less yellowish brown. Differing from P. t. (bougainvellei, including matthiae of St. Matthias by having crown the type), Kulumbangra Island (the type of generally dark brown, not dark grayish tinged pallescens), Ysabel, Malaita, and Guadal- with olive; otherwise differing as described canal islands (becki, including the type), and for makirensis. Differing from hamlini of San Cristobal Island. The geographical vari- Goodenough by lacking black on crown; ation was found to be irregular with morpho- otherwise, as described for makirensis. Differ- logically rather similar populations sometimes ing from the New Guinea races (giulianettii occurring in "checkerboard" fashion. Indi- and albigularis, including examples from vidual variation within populations living on Huon Peninsula) by having crown dark small and medium-sized islands was found to brown, not dark grayish olive or dull blackish be rather narrow. For example, a long series tinged with olive, also by having upper parts of bougainvillei is quite uniform in its gener- generally more brownish, less yellowish olive ally dark coloration, and a series of hamlini is or olive.' rather uniformly yellowish. On the much RANGE: Known only from the summit of larger land mass of New Guinea, however, the Whiteman Mountains; probably occurs geographical variation occurs, and the popu- on all the high mountains of New Britain. lations themselves are more variable. An We name this new form in honor of David example is albigularis of the Weyland Moun- B. Moorhouse, whose help was so essential to tains, in which the central stripe of the crown the success of the expedition. may be rather vivid, or completely missing. SPECIMENS COLLECTED: Wild Dog Moun- Yellow in the under parts is of spotty distri- tain, Camp 12: Six males, nine females, one bution: Populations with bright under parts (sex ?), December 13-22, 1958. occur on San Cristobal (makirensis) in the eastern Solomon Islands, on St. Matthias 1 Salomonsen has compared specimens of moorhousei Island (matthiae) in the northwestern Bis- with his recently described race leletensis from New marck Archipelago, on Ireland (1965, pp. 77-83) and wrote, "Differs from the newly described leletensis from New Ireland in having in the D'Entrecasteaux Archipelago (hamlini), throat suffused with yellow (not white), flanks suffused on New Britain (moorhousei), and on New with olive-brown (not greyish green), upper parts in- Guinea (five races). Reduction of yellow in cluding crown and nape olive-brown (as opposed to the under parts seems to be a convergent greenish upper parts contrasting with dark grey crown and nape in kleetensis), superciliary streak light buffish 2 Inadvertently, Mayr (1955, p. 19) reported that P. (not white), mandible lighter (but not so light as in trivirgatus had not been discovered on Guadalcanal. See matthiae), bill slightly finer but other proportions similar Hartert (1929, p. 13) for a description of P. t. becki from to those in leletensis." Guadalcanal; see also Cain and Galbraith (1956, p. 269). 1967 GILLIARD AND LECROY: BIRDS OF NEW BRITAIN 207 characteristic of populations of smaller found in company with Leaf Warblers (Phyl- oceanic islands; for example, the Numfor loscopus trivirgatus) in the crown of the mossy Island race, maforensis, is solid grayish white, forest; also observed on occasion within a and a population from Kulumbangra Island few feet of the ground in this same forest; (pallescens) in the west-central Solomons is becoming very uncommon at the elevation of also virtually without yellow. Pallescens Camp 9 (3000 feet) and apparently not occurs near the center of a northwest-south- found below 2500 feet. This species, which east cline (dull to bright) in the yellow of the was usually found in pairs, has a bubbling, under parts. It is noteworthy that this cline whistle-like note. In moving about in search is confined to the Solomon Island chain, of food, it frequently flares the tail. with the Bougainville form on the west being the darkest, most olive, least yellow, Rhipidura rufiventris finschii Salvadori and the San Cristobal form on the east WHITE-THROATED, BUFF-BREASTED FLYCATCHER the most yellowish. A pronounced shift in Weights: Males, 15.5-18; females, 14.5,15, coloration occurs between the Bougainville 17.5. population in the western Solomons and our Fairly common throughout the lowland race from New Britain. Bougainvillei is dark forests, becoming rare on the summit of the olive, whereas, in reversal of the above-men- Whiteman Range. This wagtail is usually tioned cline, the New Britain population is as encountered in the highest stratification of yellow as the brightest birds known from the trees. New Guinea or from San Cristobal. How- ever, as diagnosed above, they differ from all Rhipidura leucophrys melaleuca by their generally browner appearance. From (Quoy and Gaimard) this brief study we suspect that the New WILLIE WAGTAIL; PO-DAY Britain birds were derived from New Guinea Weights: 31, 31. rather than from the direction of the Solomon Common along the beach and in the vicin- Islands. ity of native habitations at Kandrian and at Common in the stunted forests crowning Sag Sag; also observed on the rocks fringing the summit of the Whiteman Range; not Luther Anchorage on the northern tip of found elsewhere. These leaf warblers are . very hard to see in their favorite habitat, which is among the topmost leaves of the Myiagra cyanoleuca (Vieillot) mossy forests of the ridges. They have the SATIN FLYCATCHER highly protective habit of moving a few inches, then pausing under or over leaves to Weight: 16.5. scan them for insect food, then repeating this Our only record is of a specimen shot in movement. In such manner they scurry company with a mixed flock of small birds through the forest crown, hardly attracting feeding in the canopy of second-growth gar- any more attention to themselves than at- den forest just above sea level. tends the thousands of leaves that flutter in This is an Australian visitor which has the inevitable breezes of such mountain sum- been recorded several times in the New mits. Fortunately, the species responds to the Britain region (see Mayr, 1955, p. 32). hunter's "squeak" and can thus be made to Monarcha verticalis Sclater reveal itself. BLACK-AND-WHITE FLYCATCHER; MUSCICAPIDAE KOOG-E-YENG, WAM-YO OLD WORLD INSECT EATERS Weights: Adult males, 21.5, 22.5, 29; fe- Rhipidura dahli dahli Reichenow males, 20.5, 21. Abundant in the upper story of the tropical RUFOUS FANTAIL FLYCATCHER; BAU rain forests; also found fairly commonly along Weights: Males, 9-10.5; females, 9-11. the edges of this forest near native gardens Common on the summit of the Whiteman and streams. Rare above 4200 feet. A fledg- Range, where this species was frequently ling begging food was shot on January 9. A 208 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 135 fledgling about two weeks out of the nest rim for a moment, then flew off a short dis- was taken December 30. tance, then returned in about 15 seconds to At Umbi, the "blowgun people" call this feed the vigorously gaping nestling; soon species "mul-mul-i." she picked up another fecal sac, flew off, and was not seen again. The male was not seen Monarcha alecto chalybeocephalus (Garnot) near the nest, but a male collected about 500 GLOSSY MONARCHA yards distant might have been the mate. Weight: Female, 21.5. ARTAMIDAE Our only records are of birds found near the beach at Moewe Harbor. WOOD-SWALLOWS Artamus insignis Sclater Monarcha hebetior eichhorni Hartert WHITE-BACKED WOOD-SWALLOW; LU-MAN LITTLE GLOSSY MONARCHA; TA-HAS Weights: Males, 49-54; female, 53. Weights: Males, 18.5-21.5; females, 20, 21. Common in and about native gardens, Fairly common in the lowland and hill particularly in the vicinity of Iambon, where forests, where it is frequently encountered in this species was always found in pairs or the base of the forest. small groups of up to 10 individuals. The White-backed Wood-swallow feeds entirely Pachycephala pectoralis upon flying insects which it captures in citreogaster Ramsay sorties from high exposed perches. It often GOLDEN WHISTLER; EL-VAS-I-AL perches in closely knit groups, the birds sit- Weights: Males, 25-30.5; females, 24-29. ting with their shoulders nearly touching for Galbraith (1956) made an exhaustive study long periods of time. Fruit pigeons, rollers, of the variation, relationships, and evolution and occasionally whiskered tree swifts are of this remarkably pliable species. very apt to be found perching nearby in the Apparently widely distributed in the for- same tree. ests of New Britain. Usually found alone or in Two specimens in subadult plumage were pairs in the middle and lower parts of the collected. These may be recognized by the rain forest. On the summit of Mt. Uali a male more brownish, less solid black, head, the was found singing from a perch about 40 feet gray instead of bluish bill, the white-edged up in the upper limbs of a tree growing on a rather than solid black flight quills, and the sharp ridge. The song was a series of shrill, slightly longer tail. whistled phrases. A nest with one young three-quarters STURNIDAE grown was found on Wild Dog Mountain STARLINGS (5200 feet) December 13. The nest was an Aplonis metallicus nitidus (Gray) open cup placed 3 feet up in a thin sapling in SOCIAL STARLING: the substage of a patch of forest composed of YOK-MAYAN spindly trees averaging 25 feet in height. Iris bright vermilion. It was a thin structure of ferns, leaves, red- Fairly common in flocks in the lowland dish mosses, and arboreal rootlets. On De- forests and forest clearings. cember 15 the senior author watched this nest from 4:45 to 5:18 P.M. At 4:55 the female ar- Mino dumontii kreffti (Sclater) rived, quickly fed the young, waited quietly ORANGE-FACED, BLACK-AND-WHITE for a few seconds, then took a fecal sac and MYNAH; MO-GOLE flew off. At 4:57 the female returned, flew Weights: 200, 216, 218, 233. over the nest, landed 8 feet distant on a low Iris, bill, naked skin on face, and feet yel- branch and, in about 20 seconds, flew to the low-orange. nest rim with a small caterpillar which it Very common throughout the lowlands poked into the mouth of the widely gaping where it is usually found in noisy pairs in the nestling; after some 40 seconds the female upper half of the forest, the forest edges, and then departed. At 5:09 she flew to the nest in isolated trees in native villages and gardens. 1967 GILLIARD AND LECROY: BIRDS OF NEW BRITAIN 209 NECTARINIIDAE Myzomela cruentata coccinea Ramsay SUNBIRDS RED MYZOMELA Nectarinia jugularis flavigaster Gould Weights: Males, 6.5-8; females, 6-9.5. YELLOW-BELLIED SUNBIRD Mayr (1955, p. 42) commented on the Weights: 9.5, 10. variability of this species in the Bismarck Our only records are from along the coast Archipelago. Three names are available: of Moewe Harbor and just off the beach at coccinea for birds from the Duke of York Lindenhafen. This species is probably quite Islands; erythrina for New Ireland; and klein- common throughout the coastal areas of New schmidti for New Britain birds. Mayr (1955) Britain. Our specimens were taken in the stated, however, that Sharpe failed to give tops of mangroves and in small trees and really diagnostic differences for his klein- coconut trees of the coastal strip. schmidti and that birds from the Duke of York Islands " . . . are almost invariably Nectarinia sericea corinna Salvadori identical with New Britain birds." Therefore BLUE-BLACK SUNBIRD he concluded that " . . . the name klein- Weights: 7-11. schmidti must be considered a synonym of Common along the edges of Moewe Har- coccinea unless new material from the Duke bor, chiefly in coconut plantings and about of York Islands reveals a difference." Since native gardens; also found in the forest edge no new material from this locality has become of trails, streams, and woodland gardens, available, we follow Mayr in using coccinea far in the interior; apparently absent from all for our extensive series from the Whiteman the higher slopes of the main Whiteman Mountains, New Britain. When Mayr stud- Range. This species was often observed alone ied this species, the American Museum had or in pairs in flowering trees, often coconuts. only three specimens of coccinea, all from A common name for the male is "sut- New Britain; he considered this series inade- poi-ha," and the female is known by several quate for a proper description. With our new names, including "sep-sep" and "kang- material from the Whiteman Mountains, it is kang." now possible to present the diagnostic char- acters best distinguishing coccinea from cru- MELIPHAGIDAE entata of New Guinea on the one hand, and HONEYEATERS from erythrina of New Ireland on the other, Salvadori and to provide the missing description of the Myzomela erythromelas adult male of coccinea. BLACK-BELLIED MYZOMELA In a comparison of females, coccinea differs Wing: Seven males, 52-55; four females, but slightly from cruentata by having the bill 49-50; tail: seven males, 32-35; four females, slightly heavier and longer, and by having 30-31; weights: seven males, 7-9; four fe- the rose-red of the forehead, throat, and males, 6.5-7.5. upper tail coverts slightly more extensive Iris dark brown; bill black (males), black- and slightly deeper in coloration; coccinea ish with lower third of mandible lighter (fe- differs distinctly from erythrina by having the males); feet gray, with yellow pads. nape, neck, and back generally solid olive, Abundant in the crown of the lowland and faintly tinged on the lower back with rose, high tropical rain forest where large num- not strongly washed with rose-red; it also bers of these black-bellied myzomelas were differs by having the rose of the forehead and found feeding among flowering trees in com- throat much more restricted and the under pany with small parrots, white-eyes, and parts lighter, more yellowish gray, less gray- other species of myzomelas. ish brown tinted with rose. Apparently the female of this species had DESCRIPTION OF ADULT MALE: Generally not been collected before. It is very similar bright crimson, with a somewhat glossy tex- to the females and young males of M. cru- ture, becoming brighter on the rump and entata, but has the upper parts and tail solid upper tail coverts, and duller on the back and olive, not olive suffused with red. on the exposed surfaces of the folded wing. 210 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 135 The young male is irregularly washed with mon to very uncommon species. Vose's red on nape and back, and often irregularly Honeyeater is an inhabitant of the pure forest tinged with red below. crown. It was usually encountered darting This species was observed feeding in flower- rapidly across narrow open areas caused by ing trees on the summit ridge of the White- gullies and slides scarring the steep sides of man Range. Usually the birds were solitary the summit ridge. It moved quickly from one or in small groups which worked quietly wall of vegetation to the other, its mustard- through clusters of red thistle-like flowers olive wings flashing unmistakably, then dis- growing abundantly in the canopy of the appeared into the tops of the stunted vegeta- forest. They worked methodically among the tion. Most of the specimens, including the flowers, dipping the bill from all angles into one from Mt. Uali, were shot as they fed in the bases of the flowers, and sometimes even the crown of the forest 25 to 40 feet up among hanging far down or under the perch to do so. reddish thistle-like tree flowers which were a One that the senior author watched remained feature of the forests in December. feeding in one small area for perhaps five minutes. In other areas where he observed the Philemon novaeguineae cockereHli Sclater species feeding in trees containing no flowers, NEW BRITAIN LEATHERHEAD; KA-HOK the birds seemed to scan the leaves very Weights: Males, 139, 147, 147; females, rapidly for insect food. 153, 177. The New Britain Leatherhead is a very Myzomela eques cineracea Sclater common inhabitant of the lowlands from the GRAY MYZOMELA; GANG-GANG; PADIMGUN immediate beach areas to the mid-mountain Weights: Males, 15-18; females, 12.5-14.5. forests of the Whiteman Range at about 3000 This is an abundant species of the tropical feet. At higher elevations its unmistakable forest crown where it is often to be seen feed- calls can be heard as high as 5200 feet, but it ing in company with small parrots, white- is very uncommon in or absent from the eyes, and other myzomelas and honeyeaters. forests crowning the range. Often found in At Mt. Uali (3000 feet) the Gray Myzomela pairs, but sometimes in flocks of up to seven. was found feeding in company with M. cru- The calls of this species range from rasping entata and M. erythromelas. sounds to bugle-like notes which remind one of a novice practicing on a saxophone inter- Vosea whitemanensis Gilliard mixed with hilarious bursts of laughter. This VosE's HONEYEATER is one of the noisiest birds of the New Britain forests, rivaling even the Cockatoo and Horn- Mt. Uali: One female; Wild Dog Moun- bill. tain, Camp 12: two males, five females. In February at Apugi Island facing Moewe Wing: Males, 113, 116; females, 100, 103, Harbor, an adult female was collected from a 104, 105, 105, 105; tail: males, 89, 91; fe- nest about 35 feet up in a breadfruit tree males, 80, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84; weights: females, near sea level. 47, 49. Iris dark brown; bill black; feet dark gray; DICAEIDAE naked skin around eye pale gray washed FLOWER-PECKERS with pale yellow; gape yellow (one). See Gil- Dicaeum eximium Salvadori liard (1960a) for description of this genus and layardorum species and Gilliard (1961, p. 272) for a paint- RED-SPOTTED FLOWER-PECKER; PEP-TSAY, ing from life by Margaret Gilliard. SUT-PAY-AK Vose's Honeyeater is confined to the upper Weights: Males, 7-9.5; females, 7-8. One elevations of the Whiteman Mountains. The specimen from Iambon had insect remains in only record of the species occurring below its stomach, some 5 mm. long, but no seeds. the summit forests is of a solitary female Abundant at the edges of native gardens shot at about 3700 feet near the summit of where it frequents tall bushes and isolated Mt. Uali. In the forests of Wild Dog Moun- trees; also found on the forest edge and in the tain some 2000 feet higher, it was an uncom- crown of the tropical forest, at least to an 1967 GILLIARD AND LECROY: BIRDS OF NEW BRITAIN 211 altitude of some 3000 feet. One was taken in Weights: Males, 11.5-13; females, 12.5-13. a net in a notch of the rim forest crowning Stomach contents: Small tree fruits with Mt. Uali. large stones. Fairly common in the forested foothills, ZOSTEROPIDAE becoming uncommon above about 4700 feet. Usually solitary, feeding in the higher parts WHITE-EYES of the forest. At Moia, frequently observed in Zosterops minor hypoxantha Salvadori the upper crown limbs of flowering trees, BLACK-HEADED ZOSTEROPS; KUN-YAN, where it fed in company with several species LAY-LOK, SUT-POI-HAK of Myzomela. APPENDIX LIST OF LAND AND FRESH-WATER BIRDS KNOWN FROM NEW BRITAIN Casuarius bennetti bennetti Caloenas nicobarica nicobarica Podiceps ruficollis collaris Lorius hypoinochrous devittatus Demigretta sacra sacra Lorius amabilis Nycticorax caledonicus mandibularis Trichoglossus haematodus aberrans Dupetor flavicollis gouldi Charmosyna placentis pallidior Ixobrychus sinensis Charmosyna rubrigularis rubrigularis Dendrocygna guttata Cacatua galerita ophthalmica Dendrocygna arcuata pygmaea Micropsitta pusio pusio Anas superciliosa pelewensis Micropsitta bruijnii necopinata Aviceda subcristata bismarckii Larius roratus goodsoni Henicopernis longicauda infuscata Geoffroyus heteroclitus heteroclitus Milvus migrans affinis Loriculus tener Haliastur indus girrenera Cuculus saturatus horsfieldi Accipiter meyerianus Cacomantis variolosus macrocercus Accipiter novaehollandiae dampieri Chalcites lucidus lucidus Accipiter luteoschistaceus Chalcites lucidus plagosus Accipiter princeps Eudynamis scolopacea salvadorii Accipiter brachyurus Scythrops novaehollandiae Haliaetus leucogaster Centropus violaceus Pandion haliaetus melvillensis Centropus ateralbus Falco peregrinus ernesti Tyto aurantia Falco severus papuanus Ninox solomonis solomonis Megapodius freycinet eremita Ninox odiosa Excalfactoria chinensis lepida Caprimulgus macrurus yorki Turnix sylvatica saturata Collocalia vanikorensis subspecies? Rallus (Habropteryx) insignis Collocalia spodiopygia eichhorni Rallus philippensis meyeri Collocalia esculenta stresemanni Poliolimnas cinerea minima Hemiprocne mystacea mystacea Amaurornis olivaceus nigrifrons Akedo atthis hispidoides Porphyrio albus neobritannicus Ceyx websteri Porphyrio porphyrio samoensis Ceyx pusilla masauji Esacus magnirostris Ceyx lepidus sacerdotis Ptilinopus superbus superbus Halcyon saurophaga saurophaga Ptilinopus insolitus insolitus Halcyon macleayii macleayii Ptilinopus rivoli rivoli Halcyon chloris tristrami Ptilinopus solomonensis meyeri Hakyon sancta sancta Ducula pistrinaria vanwycki Hakyon albonotata Ducula rubricera rubricera Tanysiptera sylvia nigriceps Ducula finschi Merops ornatus Ducula melanochroa Merops philippinus salvadorii Ducula spilorrhoa subflavescens Eurystomus orientalis crassirostris Gymnophaps albertisii albertisii Rhyticeros plicatus dampieri Columba pallidiceps Pitta erythrogaster gazellae Macropygia amboinensis carteretia Hirundo tahitica ambiens Macropygia mackinlayi arossi Petrochelidon nigricans nigricans Macropygia nigrirostris major Lalage leucomela falsa Reinwardtoena browni Coracina papuensis sclateri Streptopelia chinensis tigrina Coracina tenuirostris heinrothi Chalcophaps stephani stephani Coracina lineata sublineata Henicophaps foersteri Coracina novaehollandia melanops Gallicolumba beccarii johannae Dicrurus hottentottus laemostictus Gallicolumba jobiensis jobiensis Corvus orru insularis 212 1967 GILLIARD AND LECROY: BIRDS OF NEW BRITAIN 213 Ortygocichla rubiginosa Pachycephala pectoralis citreogaster Cichlornis grosvenori Artamus insignis Zoothera dauma talasea Aplonis metallicus nitidus Phyioscopus trivirgatus moorhousei Aplonis cantoroides Saxicola caprata aethiops Mino dumontii kreffti Acrocephalus arundinaceus meyeri Nectarinia jugularis flavigaster Cisticola exilis polionota Nectarinia sericea corinna Megalurus timoriensis interscapularis Myzomela erythromelas Rhipidura dahli dahli Myzomela cruentata coccinea Rhipidura rufiventris finschii Myzomela eques cineracea Rhipidura leucophrys melaleuca Vosea whitemanensis Myiagra cyanoleuca Philemon novaeguineae cockerelli Monarcha verticalis Dicaeum eximium layardorum Monarcha alecto chalybeocephalus Zosterops minor hypoxantha Monarcha hebetior eichhorni Erythrura trichroa sigillifera Monachella muelleriana coultasi Lonchura spectabilis spectabilis Pachycephala pectoralis dahli Lonchura melaena BIBLIOGRAPHY AMADON, DEAN Guinea, 1951. Arkiv f6r Zool., ser. 2, 1941. Notes on some Australian birds of prey. vol. 8, no. 1. Emu, vol. 40, pp. 365-384. 1955b. Birds collected by Dr. Sten Bergman 1942. Birds collected during the Whitney during his expedition to Dutch New South Sea Expedition. 49. Notes on Guinea 1948-1949. Ibid., ser. 2, vol. 8, some non-passerine genera. 1. Amer. no. 2. Mus. Novitates, no. 1175. HARTERT, E. 1943. Birds collected during the Whitney 1901. List of a collection of birds from Kulam- South Sea Expedition. 52. Notes on bangra and Florida islands, in the Solo- some non-passerine genea. 3. Ibid., no. mons Group. Novitates Zool., vol. 8, pp. 1237. 179-189. ANDREWS, J. 1914. On the birds of Rook Island, in the 1957. Landforms of New Britain. Australian Bismarck Archipelago. Ibid., vol. 21, Geogr., vol. 7, pp. 15-26. pp. 207-218. BEAUFORT, L. F. DE 1924a. The birds of New Hanover. Ibid., vol. 1951. Zoogeography of the land and inland 31, pp. 194-213. waters. Textbooks of biology. 1924b. The birds of St. Matthias Island. Ibid., London, Sidgwick and Jackson, Ltd. vol. 31, pp. 261-275. CAIN, A. J., AND I. C. J. GALBRAITH 1924c. The birds of Squally or Storm Island. 1956. Field notes on birds of the eastern Ibid., vol. 31, pp. 276-278. Solomon Islands. Ibis, vol. 98, pp. 100- 1925. A collection of birds from New Ireland 134, 262-295. (Neu Mecklenburg). Ibid., vol. 32, pp. CAREY, S. W. 115-136. 1938. The morphology of New Guinea. Aus- 1926a. On the birds of the district of Talasea in tralian Geogr., vol. 3, pp. 3-31. New Britain. Ibid., vol. 33, pp. 122-145. DAHL, F. 1926b. On the birds of the French Islands, 1899. Das Leben der V6gel auf den Bismarck- north of New Britain. Ibid., vol. 33, pp. inseln. Mitt. Zool. Mus. Berlin, vol. 1, 171-178. pp. 107-222. GALBRAITH, I. C. J. 1929. Birds collected during the Whitney 1956. Variation, relationships and evolution South Sea Expedition VIII. Notes on in the Pachycephala pectoralis superspe- birds from the Solomon Islands. Amer. cies (Aves, Muscicapidae). Bull. Brit. Mus. Novitates, no. 364. Mus. (Nat. Hist.), Zool., vol. 4, no. 4. HEINROTH, 0. GILLIARD, E. THOMAS 1902. Ornithologische Ergebnisse der "I. 1960a. Results of the 1958-1959 Gilliard New Deutschen Siidsee Expedition von Br. Britain Expedition. 1. A new genus of Mencke." Jour. f. Ornith., vol. 50, pp. honeyeater (Aves). Amer. Mus. Novi- 390-457. tates, no. 2001. 1903. Ornithologische Ergebnisse der "I. 1960b. Results of the 1958-1959 Gilliard New Deutschen Sudsee Expedition von Br. Britain Expedition. 2. A new species of Mencke." Ibid., vol. 51, pp. 65-126. thicket warbler (Aves, Cichlornis) from KOOPMAN, KARL F. New Britain. Ibid., no. 2008. 1957. Evolution in the genus Mysomela (Aves: 1961. Exploring New Britain's land of fire. Meliphagidae). Auk, vol. 74, pp. 49-72. Natl. Geogr., Feb., pp. 260-292. MACKENZIE, S. S. GILLIARD, E. T., AND M. LECROY 1939. The Australians at Rabaul: The capture 1961. Birds of the Victor Emanuel and Hin- and administration of the German pos- denburg mountains, New Guinea. Re- sessions in the southern Pacific. Seventh sults of the American Museum of edition. Sydney, Angus and Robertson. Natural History expedition to New (Not seen.) Guinea in 1954. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. MARTENS, G. H. (ED. G. DUNCKER) Hist., vol. 123, pp. 1-86. 1922. Die V6gel der Sudsee-Expedition der GYLDENSTOLPE, N. Hamburger Wissenschaftlichen Stiftung 1955a. Notes on a collection of birds made in 1908-1909. Arch. f. Naturgesch., vol. the Western Highlands, central New 88, sect. A, no. 7, pp. 44-54. 214 1967 GILLIARD AND LECROY: BIRDS OF NEW BRITAIN 215 MAYR, ERNST 1936. Die V6gel des Bismarckarchipel. Vuna- 1933. On a collection of birds, supposedly pope P. 0. Kokopo, Katholische Mis- from the Solomon Islands. Ibis, ser. 13, sion, 55 pp. vol. 3, pp. 549-552. 1937. Australische Zugvogel im Bismarckarch- 1934. Birds collected during the Whitney ipel. Ornith. Monatsber., vol. 45, pp. South Sea Expedition. XXVIII. Notes 48-51. on some birds from New Britain, Bis- MEYER, W. marck Archipelago. Amer. Mus. Novi- 1909. Zur Vogelfauna des Bismarck-Archipels. tates, no. 709. Ornith. Monatsber., vol. 17, pp. 33-38. 1937. Birds collected during the Whitney NOAKES, L. C. South Sea Expedition. XXXIII. Notes 1942. Geological report on the island of New on New Guinea birds. I. Ibid., no. 915. Britain. Terr. New Guinea Geol. Bull., 1941. List of New Guinea birds. New York, no. 3, pp. 3-39. the American Museum of Natural OORT, E. D. VAN History. 1907. On New Guinea birds. Notes Leyden 1945. Birds collected during the Whitney Mus., vol. 29, pp. 170-180. South Sea Expedition. 55. Notes on the RAMSAY, E. P. birds of northern Melanesia. 1. Amer. 1878. Description of some new species of birds Mus. Novitates, no. 1294. from New Britain, New Ireland, Duke 1949. Notes on the birds of northern Mela- of York Island, and the south-east coast nesia. 2. Ibid., no. 1417. of New Guinea. Proc. Linnean Soc. 1955. Notes on the birds of northern Mela- New South Wales, vol. 2, pp. 104-107. nesia. 3. Passeres. Ibid., no. 1707. RAND, A. L. 1957. Notes on the birds of northern Mela- 1942. Results of the Archbold Expeditions. nesia. 4. Ibid., no. 1823. No. 43. Birds of the 1938-1939 New [MS.] Letter of May 3, 1932, to Coultas. In Guinea expedition. Bull. Amer. Mus. Letters and journals of the Whitney Nat. Hist., vol. 79, pp. 425-516. South Sea Expedition, vol. X. New RAND, A. L., AND E. T. GILLIARD York, the American Museum of Natural [In press.] Handbook of New Guinea birds. History, Department of Ornithology, New York, the Natural History Press. Coultas letters and journal, vol. 3, REICHENOW, A. February, 1932, to October, 1933, New 1899. Die Vogel der Bismarckinseln. Mitt. Britain. Zool. Mus. Berlin, vol. 1, pp. 1-106. MAYR, ERNST, AND DEAN AMADON SALOMONSEN, FINN 1941. Birds collected during the Whitney 1965. Notes on the Mountain Leaf-Warbler South Sea Expedition. XLVI. Geo- (Phylloscopus trivirgatus Strickland) in graphical variation in Demigretta sacra the Bismarck Archipelago. Vidensk. (Gmelin). Amer. Mus. Novitates, no. Medd. fra Dansk Naturhist. For., vol. 1144. 128, pp. 78-83. MAYR, ERNST, AND A. L. RAND SCLATER, P. L. 1937. Results of the Archbold Expeditions. 1869. On a collection of birds from the Solo- No. 14. The birds of the 1933-34 Papuan mon Islands. Proc. Zool. Soc. London, Expedition. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. pp. 118-126. Hist., vol. 73, pp. 1-248. 1877. On the birds collected by Mr. George MEES, G. F. Brown, C.M.Z.S., on Duke-of-York 1964. Notes on two small collections of birds Island, and on the adjoining parts of from New Guinea. Zool. Verhandel., no. New Ireland and New Britain. Ibid., 66, pp. 1-37. pp. 96-114. 1965. The avifauna of Misool. Nova Guinea, 1878. On a collection of birds made by the Zool., vol. 31, pp. 139-203. Rev. G. Brown, C.M.Z.S., in the MEYER, 0. Duke-of-York group of islands and its 1906. Die Vogel der Insel Vuatom. Natur und vicinity., Ibid., pp. 670-673. Offenbarung, vol. 52. (Not seen.) SHARPE, R. B. 1933. Vogeleier und Nester aus Neubritannien, 1890. Notes on specimens in the Hume collec- Sudsee. Beitr. Fortpfl.-biol. V6gel, vol. tion of birds-No. 6. On the Coraciidae 9, pp. 122-136. of the Indian region, with descriptions 1934. Seltene Vogel auf Neubritannien. Jour. of some new species. Proc. Zool. Soc. f. Ornith., vol. 82, pp. 568-578. London, pp. 546-552. 216 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 135 STANLEY, E. R. Britain.] Anz. Ornith. Gesell. Bayern, 1922. Report on the salient geographical fea- vol. 1, no. 5, pp. 33-38. tures and natural resources of the New 1929. Zur Kenntnis von Accipiter leuteoschis- Guinea Territory, including notes on taceus. Ornith. Monatsber., vol. 37, pp. dialectics and ethnology. App. B, Re- 12-14. port to the League of Nations on the 1932. Habropteryx novum genus Rallidarum. Administration of the Territory of New Ibid., vol. 40, pp. 122-123. Guinea from 1st July, 1921, to 30th VAURIE, C. June, 1922. (Not seen.) 1949. A revision of the bird family Dicruri- STICKNEY, ELEANOR H. dae. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. 1943. Birds collected during the Whitney 93, pp. 199-342. South Sea Expedition. 53. Northern ZWEIFEL, R. G. shore birds in the Pacific. Amer. Mus. 1960. Results of the 1958-1959 Gilliard New Novitates, no. 1248. Britain Expedition. 3. Notes on the STRESEMANN, ERWIN frogs of New Britain. Amer. Mus. Novi- 1921. [Twelve new forms from the Sepik tates, no. 2023. River, New Guinea, and from New