PRIONODURA. 65 



tail feathers black, ed.Ljed with brown ; the remainder brown, with narrow black shaft stripes; 

 lesser and median upper wing-coverts brown, the inner series passing into black; the greater 

 coverts black ; primaries and secondaries as in the adult male, but with brownish edges to the 

 outer webs of the primaries, and blackish edges to tlie secondaries; lores, feathers above the 

 eye, sides of the head and neck, throat, and chest black, and gradually passing into the adult 

 plumage of the female on the remainder of the under surface. 



In a large series of the Regent Bower-birds in tiie Australian MuseuTu collection, several 

 of the adult males have the lateral tail feathers narrowly edged with yellow near the tip of their 

 inner W3bs. The black feathers on tlie liinj neck and the centre of the throat of the adult 

 females, too, vary from a broad line to a conspicuous black patch. The bird figured represents 

 an adult male. 



In the brushes of the northern coastal ri\'ers of New South Wales, November and the 

 three following months constitute the usual breeding season of this species ; but near the 

 southern limit of its range, it commences a month earlier. 



Cren-as I^ISIOlNroiDTJIR^^, A- Vis. 

 Prionodura newtoniana. 



NEWTON'S BOWER-BIRD. 

 Priotiodnra newfoidaiia, De Vis, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., Vol. VII., p. 502 (1883), (fem.); 

 id, Pi-oc. Roy. Soc. Queensld., Vol. VI., p. 247 (181)0), (male); Sharpe, Mou. Paradis. and 

 Ptilono., Vol. II,, pi. 24 (1898). 



Adult m.\le — Ge-iwral colour aboi-e gohlpii-olive : abroad crest on tlie crown of the /lead, the 

 liiiid-iu'ck, and upper mantle, rich yokleii-i/elloii' : tipper wing coverts like tlie back: primaries and 

 secondaries broicii, washed with golden-olive, tvhich is more distinct on their outer webs: two central 

 tail j'e.itJters brown, slightly tras/ied with golden-olive : the next on either side golden-yellow, with the 

 apical lialf of tlie inner web and a broad tip brown, the next golden-yello/r, bron-n at the tip, the 

 remainder golden-yellow : lores, sides of the face, chin, cheeks, ear-coverts, and sides of the hind-neck, 

 golden-olive: throat, all the under surface, and under tail-coverts bright golden-yelloiv ; bill dark 

 brown, paler at the tip ; legs and feet dark slate colour: iris pale yellow. Total length 9'5 inches, 

 wing 5, central tail feathers SO, outer tail feathers .IS, the second feather from central pair 4 3, 

 hill O'oo, tarsus 1'2. 



Adult fem.\le — General colour above olive-brown: n-iugs brown, washed tvith olive, some of 

 the secondaries with a f tint golden-olive tvxsh on their outer webs ; tail brown; n spot in front of 

 the eye dusky-brown: cheek.-i and ear-coverts olive-brown; all the under surface ashy-grey, washed 

 with broivn on the lower throat, sides of the breast, and the abdomen; under tail-coverts brown; bill 

 dark brown, paler at the tip; legs slaty-black ; iris brown. Total length S inches, wing J). 6, (ail 3 6, 

 bill f>l!, tarsus 1'2. 



Distribution. — North-eastern Queensland. 

 ^1^0 record all the members of this e.xtraordinary family inhabiting Australia, I have here 

 J-. included Newton's Bower-bird and the Tooth-billed Bower-bird, although up to the 

 present time no properly authenticated nest and egg of either species have been described. 

 Newton's Bower-bird was for many years known only from a single example. This specimen, 

 a sombre-plumaged female or young male, was obtained by Mr. Kendal Broadbent in the scrubs 

 of the Tully River, in September, 18S2, and was described by Mr. C. W. De Vis, M.A., in 

 the Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales in the following year.'- After the 



* Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W.. Vol. vii., p. 562 (1883). 



