224 THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY 



The specimens in our Museum, I selected from the large collec- 

 tion made by the .Rev. George Brown and Mr. Cockerell, in New 

 Ireland, and the adjacent Islands. 



Description of a new species of Pachycephala from the Gulf of 

 Carpentaria. 



By E. P. Ramsay, F.L.S., &c, &c. 



Pachycephala pallida, sp. nov. 



Adult male. — All the upper surface dull slate-grey, lighter on 

 the upper tail-coverts, and base of the outer webs of the tail 

 feathers ; the wings and tail feathers blackish brown, margined 

 with ashy white, a little broader on the secondaries and upper 

 wing-coverts, the feathers of the crown of the head and forehead 

 with a narrow line of a blackish brown down the centre ; throat 

 to the chest white ; lower portion of the ear-coverts a line down 

 the side of the neck, joining a narrow band of the same color 

 across the chest, black ; remainder of the under surface white, 

 faintly tinged with light cream color. 



The female is the same in plumage above, as the male, with a 

 faint tinge of olive ; under surface white, washed with a light creamy 

 tint on the breast and sides ; all the throat, sides of the face from 

 the angle of the mouth, the chest, breast and flanks, strongly 

 striated down the centre of the feathers with blackish brown, 

 under tail-coverts white with a narrow line of brown down the 

 centre of each feather. Both sexes are of the same dimensions. 

 Total length 5*5 inches; wing, 3*5 inches; tail, 2*8 inches; 

 tarsus, 0*8 inch ; bill, from forehead, 0'5 inch ; from nostrils, 

 0*35 inch ; from gape, 0*7 inch. 



This species is undoubtedly closely allied to P. falcala of 

 Gould ; it is, however, slightly smaller, and wants the rufous 

 under surface of that species, and may at once be. distinguished 

 from it by having the pectoral band extending upwards to the 

 base of, and joined to, the ear-coverts, which Mr. Gould distinctly 

 states is not the case in his P. falcata. 



Habitat. Gulf of Carpentaria and Southward to George Town. 



