42 THE PROCEEDINGS OP THE LINNEAN SOCIETY 



Tail, of ten feathers, long, graduated, somewhat rounded — the 

 lateral feathers only slightly (one-fifth) shorter than the central. 



Tarsus, long, about one-third shorter than the tibia, slender, 

 scales obsolete ; hind toe, long, strong ; the claw equal to the 

 length of the toe ; lateral toes uneven, the inner shorter than the 

 outer, with, its claw about equal to the length of the middle wiihoit 

 its claw ; outer toe joined to centre toe from about the middle of 

 first joint. 



In the formation of the wings and legs this genus resembles that 

 of Malurus and Sericornis. 



VlTIA RUFICAPILLA, Nov. Sp. 



Adult Male. — The whole of the head rufous, paler rufous on the 

 sides of the face ; the throat, chest and centre of the abdomen ashy 

 white ; the sides of the neck and of the body, light ashy brown, 

 becoming browner at the flanks and under tail-coverts ; tail under- 

 neath brown crossed by numerous indistinct narrow wavy bars of 

 darker tint, seen only in certain lights, above dark brown, with a 

 slight tinge of reddish brown or inner margins of the quills ; wings 

 below brown, the quills margined with whitish along the inner 

 webs towards the base ; under wing-coverts white, wings above dark 

 brown, slightly tinged with reddish brown on the outer margins 

 of the quills and upper wing-coverts ; lower hind neck, back and 

 remainder of the upper surface brown, with a slight reddish brown 

 tinge on the wings and upper tail-coverts. Bill dark horn-brown, 

 lower mandible whitish, legs and feet light brown, iris brown ; 

 total length, 4-8 inches ; wing, 2 - 4 ; tail, 2*5 ; tarsus, - 97 ; bill 

 from forehead, 0*7 ; from angle of the mouth, 072 ; from nostril, 

 •4 ; height at nostril, 0-2 ; width, 0-2. 



Adult Female. — In size and plumage same as the male. 



This species was found at Kandavau, in the Fiji group. It was 

 discovered in pairs traversing the more open parts on the sides of 

 the ranges, flitting from bush to bush, and emitting a weak mono- 

 syllabic note. When separated they use a rather loud call note. 



