372 THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY 



below the ear-coverts, and the breast and upper part of abdomen 

 snow white ; the lower chest feathers spotted with white ; a 

 narrow line of black feathers surrounds the superciliary stripes ; 

 under wing-coverts white ; shoulders and upper wing-coverts 

 black, with a roundish white spot at the tip of each of the 

 feathers, wings dark olivaceous brown, becoming blackish on 

 the secondaries ; tail black ; the ends of all the feathers largely 

 tipped with white ; under tail-coverts black, with a faint trace 

 of white on the tip of the greater series ; sides of the breast 

 flanks and lower part of the abdomen dark brown ; under 

 surface of wing quills brown ; bill black above, white below ; legs 

 black ; bristles black, strong and long, reaching nearly to end of 

 the bill. 



Total length, 6*5 inches ; wing, 31 inches ; tail, 3*9 inches ; 

 tarsus, 0*85 inch; bill from forehead, 0*7 inch; from gape, 

 0*8 inch ; breadth, 0"35 inch ; bristles, 06 inch. 



This beautiful species was obtained, I believe, on the south 

 coast of New Guinea, or on some of the islands in Torres Straits ; 

 it is closely allied to Muscylva {Rhipidura) pectoralis of Homb. 

 et Jacq. and R. maculipennis of G. R. Gray ; but it differs from 

 both in having a large white patch on the sides of the neck ; 

 and from R. pectoralis in being of a much darker hue on the 

 upper parts; the sides, abdomen, and under tail-coverts are not ashy 

 grey as in R. pectoralis, nor is there any white stripe on the throat 

 from the angle of the mouth, as is figured in that species ; while 

 no mention is made of the white spots on the wing-coverts 

 and shoulders which are conspicuous in the present species 

 R. episcopalis. It is quite possible, however, that this may be 

 the fully adult male, and Muscylva pectoralis (Homb. et Jacq.) 

 the young or female of the same species ; but I know of no 

 instance, where the sexes of birds of this genus so differ in their 

 plumage. 



2. — EOPSALTRIA NANA, sp. nOV. 



Eopsaltria capito, Ramsay. List of Australian Birds ; P.L.S., 

 N.S.W.,11, j?. 183, sp. 192. 



