296 MUSCICAI'ID-E. 



of the inner web. Total length 5-4 inches, ciiluien 0"5, wing 2, tail 

 2-7, tarsus U-9. 



Hub. N.W. Australia. 



a,h. <S 2 ^^ sk. N.W. Auatrcalia. J. R. Elsey, Esq. [P.]. 



(Types of species.) 

 c. 2 ad. sk. Robinson's River, N.W. Aus- J. R'. Elsey, Esq. [P.]. 



tralia. 



13. Malurus melanocephalus. 



Malurus melanocephalus, Viy. Sf Hofsf. Tr. Linn. Soc. xv. p. 222 ; 



Gould, B. Austr. folio, iii. pi. 26 ; Graxj, Gen. B. i. p. 16-5 ; Bp. 



Consp. i. p. 219; Reichenb. Voij. Neuholl. pp. 101, 291; Gould, 



Hanclb. B. Austr. i. p. 333 ; Ramsay, Pr. Linn. Soc. iV. S. W. ii. 



p. 184. 

 jNlalurus browni, Jard. ^- Selhy, III. Orn. ii. pi. 72 (wee V. Sr H.). 

 Malurus dorsaUs, Gray, Hand-l. B. i. p. 204, no. 2887. 



Adult male. General colour above scarlet- vermilion ; wing-coverts 

 velvety black ; quills dark brown, edged with paler brown ; upper 

 tail-coverts black ; tail-feathers blackish, edged with lighter brown 

 near the base ; head and neck all round as well as the entire under 

 surface of body velvety black, the lower flanks mixed with fulvous- 

 brown, as also the lower abdomen and thighs ; under wing-coverts 

 and axillaries light fulvous ; quills dusky brown below, fulvescent 

 along the edge of the inner web ; " bill black ; feet fleshy brown ; 

 iris blackish brown" {Gould). Total length 4-8 inches, culmen 0-4, 

 wing 1*7, tail 1-9, tarsus 0-75. 



Adult female. General colour above brown, a little dingier on the 

 crown ; wings dark brown, more rufescent on the edges of the 

 secondaries, the primaries margined with whity brown ; tail-feathers 

 dark brown, the outermost feather edged and tipped with fulvous- 

 brown ; ear-coverts and sides of face dark brown, with shaft-lines 

 of whity brown ; feathers round the eye and lores whitish or ful- 

 vous ; under surface of body buffy white ; the flanks fulvous, the 

 thighs brown; under wing-coverts fulvous, quills dark brown 

 below ; " bill brown ; base of under mandible reddish brown ; feet 

 flesh-brown " (6rof(?(?). Total length 4 inches, culmen 0-45, wing 

 1-75, tail 1-9, tarsus 0-8. 



Hah. South Australia and Eastern Australia, as high as Rocking- 

 ham Bay. 



«, b. S 2. ad. St. Australia. 



c. S ad. ; d. S juv. st. Australia. J. Gould, Esq. 



e,f. cJ ad. St. Australia. J. Gould, Esq. 



14. Malurus dorsalis. 



Sylvia dorsalis, Leicin, B. New Hull. pi. 14. 



Malurus browniii, Vig. 8f Horsf. Tr. Linn. Soc. xv. p. 223 ; Goi/hl, B. 

 Austr. iii. pi. 27 ;' Gray, Gen. B. i. p. 165 ; Bp. Consp. i. p. 219 ; 



