KKYT}IKOI)RYAS. 



159 



The type of this species, collected at Cape York by Mr. Jardine, formed part of a small 

 collection of birds received by Gould from his brother-in-law, the late Mr. Charles Coxen, of 

 Brisbane. Mr. George Masters states that it is common at Cape York and on the islands 

 of Torres Strait. During the voyage of the "Chevert," (undertaken by the late Sir William 

 Macleay), three males, three females, and live young birds in different stages of plumage, 

 were obtained at Cape York; and other specimens were procured at Cape Grenville, Darnley 

 Island, and Sue or Warrior Island, and one specimen was obtained as far south as the 

 Endeavour River. 



The eggs of this northern species are two in number for a sitting, and are indistinguishable 

 from those of its close ally M. i^ouldi, except for their slightly smaller size. Two sets, taken at 

 Cape York in December, 1899, are of a dull white ground colour, one set being uniformly 

 marked all over with dots and spots of bright reddish -brown, the other having a zone of rich 

 red spots on the larger end, and minutely freckled with the same colour over the remainder of 

 the shell. The former set measures as follows:— Length (A) o-8 x 0-57 inches; (B) 078 x 0-57 

 inches. The latter set measures:— (A) o-8i x 0-56 inches; (B) 0-82 x 0-58 inches. 



Young birds resemble the adults, but have the head uniform in colour with the back, the 

 forehead washed with rufous, and the throat grey. 



G-en-O-S EIS"5rTI^ISOX:)IS"5r.A.S, Gould. 

 Erythrodryas rosea. 



EOSE-BREASTED ROBIN. 



Petroica rosea, Gould, Proo. Zool. Soc, 18.39, p. 142. 



Erythrodryas rosea, Gould, Bds. Aiistr., fob. Vol. HI., pi. 2 (1848); id., Handbk. Bds. Austr., 



Vol. I., p. 277 (1865); North, Vict. Nat, Vol. XII., p. 137 (1896). 

 PelrcKca rosea, Sharpe, Gat. Bds. Brit. Mus., Vol. IV., p. 170 (1879). 



Adult nxLK—General colour above dark slaty-grey ; lesser wing-coverts like the back : median 

 and greater coverts and the quills dark brown, the inner secondaries ivashed with slaty-grey on their 

 outer tvebs; tail blackish-brown, the three feathers largely tipped tvith while on their inner webs, 

 which increases in extent towards the outermost; on the forehead a small white spot; sides 0/ the head 

 dark slaty-grey, the throat paler; fore-neck and breast rose-red; abdomen and under (ail-coverts 

 white; bill dark broivn, base of the lon-er mandible yelloivish-horn colour; legs dark jleshy-broiun; 

 iris dark brown. Total length in the /esh 4- JO inches, wing 2-7, tail J- 4, bill 0-S2, tarsus 0-6. 



Adult fem.\le — Above dark ashy-broum ; quills brown, crossed with a whitish band, and 

 externally edged nnth dull ivhite on the apical portion of their outer webs: tail dark brown, 

 and similarly marked with white as in the male ; spot on the forehead buff ; all the under surface 

 didl greyish-while, lighter on the throat and abdomen; the fore-neck and breast washed wilh rose- 

 pink, and (he flanks wit/i brown; under tail-coverts dull ivliile. 



Distribution. — Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria. 

 AT3SHE Rose-breasted Robin, although by no means common, is distributed in favourable 

 X situations throughout the greater portion of South-eastern Queensland, the whole of 

 the coastal brushes and contiguous mountain ranges of Eastern New South Wales, and the 

 humid scrubs of Eastern and Southern Victoria. During the winter months it chiefly frequents 

 the open forest lands, and retires again in the spring to its thickly-wooded retreats for the 

 purposes of breeding. Near Sydney it is usually met with singly or in pairs, and is so 

 familiar that I have often observed it in the suburban gardens on the outskirts of Ashfield 



