MELIPtlAGID.E. 



on the 29th January, 1902, measures: — Length (A) 0-67 x 0-52 inches; (B) 0-64 x 0-49 inches; 

 (C) 0-64 X 0-5 inches; (D) o'Sy x o"52 inches. 



A mutilated skin of a fledgeling, with the tail feathers missing, presented by Mr. Charles 

 French, Junr., resembles the adult but has the upper wing-coverts margined with yellow, the 

 feathers on the forehead only are shaded with ashy-grey, and the rufous-brown collar on the 

 under surface, although well pronounced, is narrower, and does not extend lower down than the 

 fore neck; bill fleshy-brown; gape yellow. Wing i'6 inches. 



The breeding season of this species in the Northern Territory of South .-Vustralia is during 

 the early parts of the year, the nests described being taken in January and February, 1902. 



Certhionyx variegatus. 



PIED HOXEY-EiTER. 

 Certhionyx variegatus, Lesson, Traite d' Orn., p. 306 (lc?31). 

 Melicophila picata, Gould, Bds. Austr., foL, Vol. IV., pi. 49 (1848). 

 LicJinotentha picata, Gould, Handbk. Bds. Austr., Vol I., p. 529 (186.5). 

 Entomophila hucomehs, Gadow, Cat. Bds. Brit. .Mus., Vol. IX., p. 220 (1884). 



Adult male — General colour above black; rump and upper tail-coverts white, tlie inner webs of 

 some of the longer coverts black; scapulars, the inner and outer series of the upper wing-coverts black, the 

 central coverts pure white; quills dark brown, gradually passirig into black on the innermost secondaries 

 tvhich are margined on their outer webs and tips with white; central pair of tail feathers brownish- 

 black, the remainder white with a broad terminal band of brownish-black; head, all round sides of 

 neck and throat black; remainder of the under surface and under tail-coverts pure ivhite; '■bill bluish- 

 grey, blackish at the tip; legs and feet bluish-black; iris dark brown; fleshy appendage beneath the 

 eye bright sky-blue" (Bennett). Total length Pro inches, wing 3-4, tail 2-8, bill Ou, tarsus OS. 



Adult female — General colour above light brown, some of the feathers on the back witli darker 

 centres: irinqs brou'n, the central series of the median and greater wing-coverts margined ivith 

 dull white: some of the inner secondaries margined externally with whity-brown which passes 

 into almost a pure white around their tips : tail-feathers brown with narrow light brown margins; 

 head and sides of the neck like the back; under surface faint buffy-ivhite passing into a creamy-white on 

 the centre of the upper throat, the lower throat and fore neck of a pronounced buffy hue, the centres of 

 most of the feathers dark brown; under tail- coverts faint buffy-white, some of the longer ones with a 

 central streak of brown. 



Distribution — New South Wales, South Australia, Central .Australia, Western Australia, 

 North-western Australia. 



^T^HE present species was originally described by Lesson in his "Traite d' Ornithologie" 

 1 in 1 83 1, and upon the authority of Lesueur, its habitat is erroneously recorded as Timor. 



From the reference given by Lesson, Ccrthia leucomdas is apparently based only on a name given 

 by Cuvier in the Paris Museum. Under the name of Melicophila picata, Gould accurately 

 described and beautifully figured it in his folio edition of the "Birds of Australia."^'- In the 

 "Catalogue of Birds in the British Museum,"! where this species is described under the name of 

 Entomophila lencomelas, an evident lapsus calami occurs, in referring to the adult male as having the 

 "centre pair of tail feathers and terminal quarter of the others pure white," instead of brownish-black. 



* Gould, Bds. Austr. fol. ed., Vol. IV., pi. 49, (1848). 

 t Gadow, Cat. Bds. Brit. Mus., Vol. IX., p. 220 (1884 



