668 TIJIKLlIUiE. 



crimson or scarlet ; the breast, sides of the body, aud iluuks slightly 

 mottled with white bases to the feathers ; thighs duU white, mottled 

 with brown bases ; abdomen and under tail-coverts white ; under 

 wing-coverts and asilUiries white with dusky brown bases ; quills 

 dusky below, inner edges whitish; " bill and feet blackish brown ; 

 iris straw-white" (Gould). Total length 4 2 inches, culmen 0-55, 

 wing 2-75, tail 1-55, tarsus 0'75. 



Specimens are very difierent in the colour of the back, which is 

 often nearly uniform ashy, only slightly mottled with blackish brown. 

 This is perhaps the winter plumage ; the tints on the head and 

 breast are also of different shades of crimson or scarlet. 



Adult female. Browner than the male, and having the head 

 ochreous brown ; rump and upper tail-coverts less brilliant scarlet 

 than in the male ; wings and tail as in the male ; throat white, as 

 also breast, abdomen, and under tail-coverts ; fore neck, chest, and 

 sides of body pale ochreous brown. 



Young male. Resembling the old female, but generally to be dis- 

 tinguished by a slight tinge of rose-colour on the breast and on the 

 head. Toung females are only distinguished from the old hens by 

 the more general ochreous colour of the upper parts, and also of 

 the shade of the same colour which overspreads the lower surface of 

 the body. 



With increasing age the crimson colour of the head and breast 

 extends, but is never so vivid as in old males, nor does it spread so 

 far over the breast ; the rump-feathers in young birds often incline 

 to safirou-yellow. 



Hah. Australia. 



G. F. Angas, Esq. [P.]. 

 J. Gould, Esq. 

 Gould Collection. 



Captain Stm-t [P.]. 



F. D. Godman and O. 



Salvin, Esqrs. [P.]. 

 Mr. Gregory's Expedition. 

 Sir George Grey [P.]. 



3. EphtMamira aurifrons. 



Ephthianura aurifrons, Gould, P. Z. S. 1837, p. 148 ; Gray, Gen. B. i. 

 p. 20o (1847); Gould, B. Austr. fob iii. pi. 65 (1848); Sturt, 

 Exped. Cent): Austr. iii. Ajrp. p. 26 (1849) ; Reichenh. Vog. 

 Neuholl. p. 88 (1850) ; Bp. Consp. i. p. 299 (1850) ; Gould, Handb. 

 B. Austr. i. p. 380 (1865) ; Gray, Hand-l. B. i. p. 249, no. 3608 

 (1869) ; Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Sac. N. S. W. ii. p. 186 (1878). 



Adult mcde. General colour above light brown washed with yellow, 

 the margins of the feathers being of the latter colour ; lesser wing- 

 coverts darker brown with yellowish margins ; median and greater 

 wing-coverts dark brown edged with white, on which is a yellow 



