Characters.—Adult male: Resembles M. c. rubratra, but smaller and with red coloring darker, near "scarlet-red"; margins of wing feathers olivaceous. Differs from adult males of other subspecies of M. cardinalis by red coloring of feathers being darker.
Adult female: Resembles adult female of M. c. dichromata but red coloring darker, top of head only partly red; abdomen, under tail-coverts, and axillaries buff-gray; outer edges of wing and tail feathers light olive. Differs from adult females of other subspecies of M. cardinalis by having top of head only partly red.
Immature male: Resembles adult male, but red coloring lighter and thinly distributed; wings and tail brownish-olive; abdomen and under tail-coverts grayish.
Immature female: Resembles adult female, but red coloring paler and underparts more buffy and less grayish.
Measurements.—Measurements are listed in [table 48].
Specimens examined.—Total number, 42 (28 males, 11 females, 3 unsexed), as follows: Palau Islands, USNM—Koror, 4 (Nov.)—Peleliu, 11 (Aug. 29, 30, 31, Sept. 1, 5); AMNH—exact locality not given, 27 (Oct., Nov., Dec.).
Molt.—Many of the specimens taken from late August to December are in molt. Of the adult males obtained during this period almost a half had enlarged testes.
Food habits.—Stomachs of specimens obtained by the NAMRU2 party in August and September, 1945, contained vegetable matter, seeds and small insects.
Remarks.—Honey-eaters were found by the NAMRU2 party in open woodlands, in coconut groves and about human habitations. They were not seen in dense jungle areas, and appeared to prefer the plantation areas.