I'TILOTIS 43;$ 



Ptilotis filigera. 



STKEAKEI) HUNKV-EATEK. 



I>lil,,/is fi/lf/rrn, Goulcl, Proc. Zool. Soc, ISaO, p. liT.S : i'L, Haiidbk. Bds. Austr,, Vol. I , p. 522 

 (l.SOri) ; if/., lids. Aiistr., fol. Vol., Suppl. pi. 42 (|S69) ; Gadow, Cat. lids. Brit. Mus., Vol. 

 IX., p. 237 (1SS4). 



Xinithidis Jiliyrd, Sliarpp, llaiidd Bds., Vol. V., p. S,"i (1909). 



Adult :malk. — dfuniil coJotir n/ion', inchidunj iJif iriiKjs and fnU, lira/ru slii/ht/i/ ivn.'.-hi'i/ iri/h 

 yelloivish olive, tlif, lesser npiier iviitg cocerts ivith a •narrow iiidislinct, inliilixh streak near llie lip, the 

 median anil greater eorerts iiidislinr/li/ nmri/ined nroii.ad tlteir lips tvil/i golden-hulf : quills brown, 

 external 1 1/ ediji'd. on t/ieir onter icehs iritji ilnll ohre-i/elloii', their inner ntebs, except the tnni onferinust 

 primaries on either side, broaiUy muri/in' d with cinnnmoii-hnjf : lores, foreliead, erown, of the Itead, 

 nape and npjier portion of liiml-neek ashy-brown, the fentlo'rs of the lattm- and the nape nnth an 

 indistinct spot of dnJl grei/ishti'hite on, the apical portion; on tlie npper sidi's of the hiiid-neck a 

 broad streak of blackisfi-bron'n ; belon' the eye a bare space, followed by a narroiv line of short silky- 

 H^hile featliers, extendiiig fhnn tlie yape over and behind tlie black isli-grey ear-coverts : a shorter, 

 7tarro7V line of bright yello'v feathers e.eten.ding belon^ and behind the ear-coverts : sides of the neclx dnll 

 grey ; cilin and centre of tin' iipper ttiroat greyis/t-x'hite : remainder of the nnder surface sanilybnjf 

 slightly tinged ivith golden-olive ; the niuler tail-coverts similar but paler. Total le-ngtfi T'O indies, 

 iviny -J/", tad ■>, bill 1, titrsns 1. 



AnUL'l' FKMALK. — Similar in pinnmge to the male. 



Distrilin.tiini. — Cixpe York Peninsula. 



/'(3\ Ol^Lr> described the type of this species in the " Proceeding's of the Zoolo<.;ical Society 

 V^_JC of London," in 1850, and in liis " Supplement to the P)irds of Austraha " thus refers to 

 it .• — " The Ptilotis jiligcra is one of the novelties which rewarded the researches of Mr. James 

 Wilcox, who obtained two examples among some man;4roves at Cape York, where he observed 

 it in company with another species of the same i^enus. These specimens are now in the possession 

 of the Zoolo<:;ical Society of London, to whom they were presented by the late Captain Owen 

 Stanley, R.N. Although on the whole a dull-coloured species, it is rendered interestiiiLjly 

 different from all its congeners by the thread-like streak beneath the ear-coverts, and by the 

 small striii' which decorate the back of the neck and tiie upper p.'u t of the mantle." 



All of the examples in the Australian Museum were obtained at Cape York. The late 

 Mr. J. .\. Thorpe procured specimens in 1868, and the late Mr. Kendal Broadbent in 1874; a 

 young one was procured by Mr. L~)amiel in 1866. The late Mr. Alexander Morton also obtained 

 five adult specimens in 1878. Mr. H. G. Barnard found this species breeding in igio-ii, and 

 Mr. \V. McLennan also procured its nest and eg,t;s about the same time. Jn eight adult 

 specimens now before me, only one has the indistinct whitish spots on the apical portion of some 

 of the feathers of the breast, as is shown in the upper figure in Gould's " Supplement to the 

 Birds of Australia," and in none of them are the markings on the hind-neclc so clearly defined 

 as there represented in the lower figure. 



Young birds resemble the adults, but ha\ e the tips or margins of the upper wing-co\'erts 

 broadly margined with rich golden-olive, and the external webs and the quills edged with 

 golden-yellow, the inner webs and tips of the tail-feathers margined with fulvous; feathers of 

 the chin, throat and fore-neck dull greyish-white, and only a faint indication of the white line 

 above and the bright yellow line below the ear-coverts ; the centre of the breast and the 

 abdomen is a richer sandy-buff. Total length 7 inches, wing y^, tail 2-7. 



K.9 



