104 T1JIELIID.1E. 



6. SPHENURA. „ 



Type. 



Sphenura, Licht Terz. Doiih/. p. 40 (182o) S. brachyptera. 



Dawornis, Viff. i^- Horsf. Trans. Linn. Soc. xvi. p. 231 



(182(3) ■ S. brachyptera. 



Bill and wing of Sphenura brachyptera, to show rictal bristles 

 and proportions of primaries. 



Range. Confined to Australia. 



Key to the Sjoecies. 



a. Head brown. 



a'. Larger; wing 3'1 inches: upper siuface uni- 

 form reddish brown hrachjptera, p. 104. 



v. Smaller ; wing 2'.5 inches : head and back 



mottled with ashy-grey spots lonf/i'ro4)-is, p. 105. 



b. Head rufous broadbenti, p. 106. 



1. Sphenura brachyptera. 



Short-winged Thrush, Lath. Gen. Syn. Siippl. ii. p. 187 (1801). 

 Turdus brachypterus, Lafh. Ind. Orn. Siippl. p. xliii (1801). 

 Sphenura brachyptera, Licht. Verz. Douhl. p. 40 ( 1823) ; Gray, Gen. 



B. i. p. 167 (1848) ; Bp. Consp. i. p. 219 (1850) ; Cab. Mas. Hein. 



Th. i. p. 42 (1850); Gould, Handb. B. Amtr. i. p. 342 (1865) ; 



Gray, Hand-l. B. i. p. 205, no. 2898 (1869) ; Bamsay, Proc. Linn. 



Soc.'N. S. TV. ii. p. 184 (1878). 

 Malurus pectoralis, Sfeph. Gen. ZooL xiii. pt. ii. p. 224 (1825). 

 Dasvornis australis, Viy. S/- Horsf. Linn. Trans, xv. p. 232 (1827) ; 



Jard. ^- Selby, III. Orn. pi. 1'i (c. 1839) ; Gould, B. Austr. iii. 



pi. 32 (1848). 



Adult. General colour above brown, a little more rufescent on 

 the rump and upper tail-coverts ; wing-coverts also a little more 

 rufous-brown than the back ; quills brown, externally rufous- 

 brown ; tail uniform reddish brown ; head slightly duller than the 

 back, but lighter at the base of the forehead ; lores and eyelid 

 whitish ; ear-coverts brown, with white shaft-streaks ; cheeks and 

 under surface of body dull white, the sides of the neck, sides of 

 breast, and flanks brown, with a few dull whiti.sh shaft-streaks on 

 the latter, which are also faintly washed with reddish brown ; fore 

 neck shaded with brown ; under tail-coverts and thighs reddish 

 brown ; axillaries and under wing-coverts reddish brown : quills 

 ashy brown below, pale rufous along the inner web ; " bill brown, 



