20 DIC^ID^. 



Myzantlie liinindinacea, Blyth, Cat. B. Mas. As. Soc. p. 227 (1849) ; 



Bp. Conq). i. p. 402 (1850). 

 Microchelidon hiruudinacea, Bcichenb. JTandb. Scmisories, p. 243, 



pi. dlvii. figs. 3792-95 (1853) ; Sundev. Av. 31eth. Tent. p. 27 



(1872). 



Adult nude. General colour above glossy purplish blue, the wing- 

 coverts, like the back ; bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and quills 

 black, externally purplish blue like the back ; tail-feathers blue- 

 black, edged with purplish blue ; head like the back ; lores, sides 

 of face, cbeeks, ear-coverts, and sides of neck black glossed with 

 purple ; throat and fore neck scarlet, ashy whitish at the base of 

 the chin, a narrow blackish line along the rami of the jaws ; re- 

 mainder of under surface yellowish white, with a broad central 

 streak of purplish blue down the middle of the chest and breast ; 

 sides of breast and flanks ashy, with a little black on the sides of 

 the upper breast ; thighs yellowish white, with blackish bases ; 

 under tail-coverts scarlet ; axiUaries and under wing-coverts white, 

 with blackish bases, the edge of the wing purplish blue ; quills 

 dusky brown below, ashy whitish along the edge of the inner web ; 

 " bill blackish brown ; feet dark brown ; iris dark brown " [Guidd). 

 Total length 3-7 inches, culmen 0-35, wing 2-5, tail 1-2, tarsus 0-5. 



Adult female. Different from the male, and wanting the scarlet 

 throat and purplish mark down the centre of the breast. General 

 colour above ashy brown, slightly glossed with purplish blue on the 

 scapulars and back ; wing-coverts steel-black, edged with ashy 

 brown : quiUs brown, edged with ashy, the secondaries glossed with 

 steel-black ; upper tail-coverts purplish blue, edged with reddish 

 brown ; tail-feathers blue-black ; head like the back, with obsolete 

 dusky centres to the feathers, washed with reddish on the forehead ; 

 over the eye a faint whitish streak ; sides of face, ear-coverts, cbeeks, 

 and sides of nock ashy brown ; throat white ; remainder of under 

 surface creamy white, the sides of the fore neck and breast ashy ; 

 thighs white ; under tail-coverts pale scarlet ; under wing-coverts 

 and axiUaries white ; quills dusky below, whitish along the edge of 

 the inner web. Total length 3-5 inches, culmen 0'4, wing 2-3, tail 

 1-05, tarsus 0*5. 



Younrj male. Like the old female, but with white spots at the 

 end of the tail-feathers. 



Hah. Tasmania, and nearly the whole of Australia. 



a. (S ad. sk. Reed Beds, Adelaide Gould Collection. 



(.S-. White). 



South Australia. Sir George Grey [P.]. 



South AustraUa. Gould Collection. 



New South Wales. Gould Collection. 



Iviehnioiid River R. B. Sharpe, Esq. [P.]. 



{Goodwin). 



Queensland (J. T. F. D. God man and 0. Salvin, 



Cockerel!). Esqrs. [P.]. 



More ton Bay. Goidd Collection. 



Cape York. Capt. Stanley {_P.\ 



Cape York. Gould Collection. 



