184 Campbell, Birds from Gonldian-Gilhert Type-locality. [j^f'T,,, 



usual rufous liead. This littk- species is puzzling in its dis- 

 tribution. Between the strongly-marked extreme northern and 

 southern races there appears to be a pale form, extending from 

 the lower Gulf of Carpentaria country to North-West Australia, 

 agreeing with either one of Mathews's three sub-species — 

 alexandrcB, normani, and parryi. 



Malurus cruentatus, Gould. Red-backed Wren-Warbler. 

 Ryania melanocephala cntentata. 



One o, wing 42 mm. ; 3 Q(J, immature, wing 40 mm. The 

 colour of the mature male's back is a beautiful red, between 

 spectrum and carmine. Gould's plate (No. 27, " Birds of Aus- 

 tralia") is cleverly coloured to tone. North Queensland skins 

 show a more scarlet colour [pyrrhonota, Mathews), while South 

 Queensland and Northern New South Wales are still lighter — 

 a distinct grenadine red {melanocephalus, Gould). There is little 

 difference in the plain colour of the respective females. Mathews 

 states that Port Essington is the type-locality of cruentatus. 

 Gould's own evidence is " North-West Coast of Australia," and 

 his reference (P. Z. S., 1839, p. 143) is two years earlier than when 

 Gilbert reached Port Essington. However, there is no appreci- 

 able difference between birds from the two localities, and in that 

 case Ramsay's howeri would become a synonym, especially if the 

 North-West be the actual type-locality. 



Colluricincla brunnea, Gould. Brown Shrike-Thrush. 



Two rjo, I $, showing reddish brow. Colour, a tone of wood- 

 brown or drab above. North-Western birds {parryi, Mathews) 

 which are like those from the Macarthur River (Gulf country) 

 are paler and are not so dark about the throat and chest, but have 

 the same wing (130 mm.) 



Colluricincla parvula, Gould. Least Shrike-Thrush. 

 Conigravea p. parvula. 



Two (J(J (wing 100 mm.), i ?. Uniform olive-brown above, 

 and the smallest of its kind. 



Neositta leucoptera, Gould. White-winged Tree-runner. 

 Neositta pileata leucoptera. 



One (J, I ?, I not sexed. Port Essington birds are darker in 

 general coloration than those from North-West Australia, Gould's 

 type-locality (P. Z. S., 1839, p. 144), and which latter birds 

 Mathews has named napieri {broomei) {A. A. R., i., p. 95); but 

 females are usually darker in this species than the males. In the 

 specimen " not sexed " the black on the head extends below the 

 sides of the face to the chin. Macarthur River and Brunette 

 Downs examples are typical. Wing, 77-81 mm. 



The R.A.O.U. " Check-list " probably correctly separates, speci- 

 fically, this white-winged bird from the black-capped, brown- 

 winged A^. pileata. 



