34. AIDEMOSYNE. 369 



Estrilda modesta, Gray, Iland-l. B. ii. p. 52, no. G274 (1870) ; 



Dim/les, Orn. Austr. pi. 48. fig. 5 (1870). 

 Estrilda (Aidemosyne) modesta, Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. TV. 



ii. p. 286 (1878) ; id. Tab. List Austr. B. p. 10 (1888). 



Adult male. General colour above brown, the rump with broad 

 white bars at the ends of the feathers ; upper tail-coverts more dusky, 

 and with broad white spots at the ends ; wing-coverts brown like the 

 back, but minutely spotted with white at the ends ; bastard-wing 

 and primary-coverts brown ; quills dusky brown, externally light 

 brown like the back, the inner secondaries spotted with white at 

 the ends ; tail-feathers blackish, the outer ones with a white spot at 

 the end ; crown of head dark brown, the forehead and sinciput dull 

 vinous crimson ; a black loral spot ; feathers above and behind the 

 eye silvery white ; sides of face and ear-coverts silvery white, the 

 latter with brown bars, producing a scaled appearance ; chin and 

 upper throat black ; sides of neck and under surface of body barred 

 with white and pale brown in regular alternate bands ; breast, 

 abdomen, and under tail-coverts uniform white ; thighs brown ; 

 under wing-coverts buffy white, with pale brown cross-bars ; quills 

 dusky below, isabclline buff along the inner web : " bill black ; 

 feet fleshy white ; iris reddish brown ; eyes surrounded by a very 

 narrow lash of blackish brown " (J. Gould). Total length 4-3 inches, 

 culmen 0*4, wing 2-2, tail 1-8, tarsus 0-6. 



Adidt female. Similar to the male, but less strongly barred with 

 pale brown underneath, less crimson on the forehead ; lores dusky ; 

 throat ashy whitish without any black spot. Total length 4'2 inches, 

 culmen 0-4, wing 2-2, tail 1*7, tarsus 0'55. 



Hah. From the Wide Bay District to New South Wales, Victoria 

 and South Australia. 



a, b. Ad. st. Australia. J. Gould, Esq. [P.]. 



c, ^. d $ ad.sk. Australia (J! T. Cockerell). Salvin-Godman Coll. 



^- d>f)ff- 2 ^^' Australia. Forbes Coll. 



sk. 



h, i. $ ad. sk. New South Wales. Gould Coll. 



k. 2 ad. sk. New South Wales. Hume Coll. 



;. S ad. sk. Banks of the NaiTa. Sir T. Mitchell [P.]. 



2. Aidemos3nie inalabarica. 



Loxia malabarica, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 305 (1766). 

 Malabar Grosbeak, Lath. Gen. Syn. ii. pt. i. p. 154 (1783). 

 Coccothraustes malabarica, Vieill. N. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. xiii. p. 533 



(1817). 

 Loncbura cheat, Sykes, P. Z. S. 1832, p. 95 ; id. P. Z. S. 1834, p. 148 ; 



iW Clell. P. Z. S. 1839, p. 163. 

 Eoxia bicolor {nee Lath.), Tichell, J. A. S. B. ii. p. 578 (1833). 

 Erythura cheet, Jard. ^- Selby, III. Orn. pi. 34 (1839). 

 Spermestes cheet, Jerd. Madr. Journ. xi. p. 27(1840); Burgess, 



P. Z. 8. 1854, p. 100. 

 Amadina malabarica, Blyth, J. A. S. Bcng. xiii. p. 949 (1844), xv. 



p. 37 (1846) ; Gray, Gen. B. ii. p. 370 (1849) ; Kelaart, Prodr. 



Cat. p. 125 (1852); Layard, Ann. (^ Mag. Nat. Hist. (2) xiii. 



VOL. XIII. 2 B 



