Tawny-breasted Honeyeater (Xanthotis flaviventer) - HBW 13, p. 689

Taxonomy: Myzantha flaviventer Lesson, 1828, Dorey = Manokwari, Vogelkop Peninsula, New Guinea.
Genus formerly subsumed in Meliphaga by some authors. Species sometimes referred to by name of X. chrysotis; was originally described under name Philedon chrysotis, but this invalid, as preoccupied, and species subsequently renamed. Taxonomy not fully understood, and number of races recognized varies from fewer than ten to 14; validity of those listed below requires confirmation. Races intergrade where they meet, and several proposed races appear to be from zones of intergradation: rubiensis (described from Rubi, at head of Geelvink Bay) is probably an intergrade between nominate and saturatior; giulianettii (Avera, on Aroa R, in SE New Guinea) is between saturatior and visi; and kumusii (Kumusi R, on N coast of SE New Guinea) is considered an intergrade between visi and madaraszi. Further, described race tararae (Tarara, Wassi Kussa R, c. 140km W of Daru, in S Trans-Fly) is synonymized with saturatior, and austera (Tamulol, on Misool I) with nominate. On basis of plumage characters, races fall into five groups: greenish nominate and fusciventris; plain dusky grey meyeri, philemon and madaraszi; rufescent visi; white-faced and ventrally spotted spilogaster; and bare-faced and fawn-breasted filiger and saturatior. Nine subspecies tentatively recognized.