OP NEW SOUTH WALES. 43 



Description of a new species of Blackbird (Merula) : — 



Merula ruficeps, nov. sp. 



Adult Male. — The whole of the head, neck, and chest ochraceous 

 buff or pale rufous ; the remainder of the body, upper and under 

 tail-coverts, and of the wings and tail above, black ; under surface 

 of wings and tail blackish brown ; legs brown, lower half to the 

 knees buff ; bill, tarsi, and feet gamboge yellow ; iris, pale brown ; 

 total length 6 J inches ; wing, 4-1 ; tail, 2-7 ; bill from forehead, 

 0*9 ; from angle of the mouth, 1*1 ; tarsus, 1*2. 



The female is similar in plumage, one specimen not quite adult 

 has the legs of a uniform brown colour, and is slightly larger than 

 the male ; total length 1\ inches ; wing 4'1 ; tail 2*9 ; tarsi 1'2 ; 

 bill from forehead 0-9 ; from angle of mouth l'l. 



Description of a new species of Flycatcher (Rhypidura) : — 



Rhypidura personata, nov. 



sp. 



All the upper surface brown, of a duller and darker tint on the 

 head and neck ; upper tail-coverts and tail blackish brown, the 

 outermost feathers on either side of the tail margined with white, 

 narrowly at the tip, and becoming only a very narrow line of white 

 margining the inner webs, the shafts of these feathers below white, 

 the next two on either side having only a very small white mark 

 at the apex ; wings above brown, the inner secondaries margined 

 on the outer webs with dull light buff, under wing-coverts brown 

 margined with silvery white, head and neck dark brown ; a line of 

 white extends from the forehead over the eye to the upper part of 

 the ear-coverts ; lores, ear-coverts, and a narrow line round the 

 eye blackish brown ; from the posterior angle of the eye over the 

 ear-coverts a short line of white ; throat and sides of the neck 

 below white ; from the centre of the throat, extending and 

 widening out on the chest, is a broad somewhat triangular patch of 

 black ; the lower part of the chest, the breast, and remainder of the 

 under surface of the body and under tail-coverts white ; the sides 

 and flanks tinged with olive-brown, more extensively in some than 



