34^0 nnjscicAriD^. 



Khipidura luotacilloides, Tiff. ^- Horsf. Tr. Linn. Sue. xv. p. 248 ; 



Gould, B. Austr. fol. ii. ' pi. 86 ; Gray, Gen. B. i. p. 259 ; Bp. 



Cwisp. i. p. 323 ; Reichenb. Viig. Neuholl. pp. 224, 286 ; Horsf. 6f 



3Ioore, Cat. B. Mns. B.I. Co. i. p. 146; Finsch, Neu-Guinea, 



p. IGO ; Gray, Iland-l. B. i. p. 332, no. 4993. 

 Muscipeta melanoleuca, Qiioy et Gaim. Voy. de PAstrol., Zool. i. p. 180. 

 Leucoeerca laticaiida. Swains. Monogr. Flyc. p. 130, pi. 11. 

 Rhipidura picata, Gould, B. Austr. folio, Intr. p. .xxxix ; Bp. Consp. 



i. p. 323 ; Reichenb. Voy. NeuJwll. p. 286 ; Gray, Iland-l. B. i. 



p. 3.32, no. 4994. 

 Hhipidura melanoleuca, Gray, Gen. B. i. p. 259 ; id. Hand-l. B. i. 



p. .•!32, no. 4995. 

 Sauloprocta melanoleuca, Cab. Mus. Hein. Th. i. p. 57, note. 

 Sauloprocta motacilloides, Cab. 3fus. Hein. Th. i. p. 57 ; Gould, 



Handb. B. Austr. i. p. 244; Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W. 



ii. p. 182. 

 Sauloprocta picata. Cab. Mus. Hein. Th. i. p. 57, note ; Gould, Handb. 



B. Austr. I. p. 246; Rainsay, Proc. Linn. Soc.N. S. W. ii. p. 182. 

 Sauloprocta laticauda. Cab. Mus. Hein. Th. i. p. 57, note. 

 Rhipidura mimoides, Midler, MS., und'e Gray, P. Z. S. 1858, p. 175; 



Finsch, Neu-Guinea, p. 169 ; Gray, Hand-l. B. i. p. 332, no. 4997. 

 Rhipidura atripennis. Gray, P. Z. S. 1858, p. 175 ; id. Cat. B. Neto 



Guinea, p. 29; Finsch, Neu-Guinea, p. 169; Gray, Hand-l. B. i. 



p. 332, no. 4996. 

 Rhipidura tricolor. Gray, Cat. B. Trap. Isl. Pacific Ocean, p. 17 ; 



Wall. P. Z. S. 1863, p. 29 ; Gray, Hand-l. B. i. p. 332, no. 4998. 

 Rhipidui-a laticauda, Gray , Handr-l. B. i. p. 332, no. 4999. 

 Sauloprocta tricolor, Sahad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov. vii. p. 819, ix. 



p. 24. 



Adult male. General colour above black, the least wiug-coverts 

 and scapulars like the back ; remainder of wing-coverts brown, 

 tipped with pale fawn-bufF; quills brown, the inner secondaries 

 blacker, like the back ; tail black ; sides of face, throat, fore neck, 

 and sides of breast black ; over the eye a narrow black line ; some 

 of the throat-feathers with whitish edgings; remainder of under 

 surface white ; thighs black ; under wing-covorts black, edged with 

 white ; lower surface of quills ashy brown ; " biU and feet black ; 

 iris black " {Gould). Total length 7'8 inches, culmen 0-6, wing 3-65, 

 tail 4-25, tarsus 1. 



Ohs. The description is taken from a South-Australian specimen 

 of ^. motacilloides ; and between this and Ii. melanoleuca there seems 

 to be absolutely no difference except that of size. Mr. Gould has 

 described a third form, 11. picata, from North Australia, which forms 

 a smaller race. I propose to keep these birds under one specific 

 name, separating them in the list of specimens according to locality, 

 and I give the length of the wing in each case. It will be seen that 

 the specimens of R. motacilloides have the wing ranging from 3" 65 

 to 3'95 inches, Ii. picata 3-45 to 3"75, B. melanoleuca 3-9 to 4*25. In 

 face of these facts, how can three species be recognized ? The extent 

 of the black on the throat varies, and is apparently influenced by 

 the preparation of the skin ; and there is great difference in the di- 

 stinctness of the white eyebrow and of the white edgings to the 

 cheek-plumes, even in skins from the same locality. 



