37. POEPHiLA. 375 



37. POEPHILA*. 



Type. 



Poephila, GvuM, P. Z. S. 1842, p. 18 P. acuticauda. 



Cliloebia, Beidienh. Sinyv. p. 31 (1861) P. g-ouldiae. 



Eange. Confined to Australia. 



Keu to the Species. 



a. Back reddish or asbj^ brown ; upper tail-coverts 



white ; sides of lower abdomen black. 

 «'. Head grey ; a black baud across the rump. 

 a". Bill red or yellow in skin ; breast and back 



pale vinous isabelline ueuticaudn, p. 375. 



b". Bill black ; breast and back tawny vinous . ciiicta, p. 376. 

 b'. Head like the back. 



c'. Ear-coverts like the breast personata, p. 377. 



d" . Ear-coverts white, contrastij:g with the 



breast leucotis, p. 377. 



b. Back green, with blue on the hinder crown, sides 



of neck, rump, and upper tail-coverts. 



c'. Head black, followed by a blue line gouldice, p. 378. 



d' . Forehead crimson, vertex black, followed by a 



blue line mir(d)ilis, p. 378. 



1. PoepMla acuticauda. 



Amadina acuticauda, Goidd, P. Z. S. 1839, p. 143 ; Gray, Gen. li. 



ii. p. 370 (1849) ; id. Hand-l. B. ii. p. 55, no. 6770 (1870). 

 Poephila acuticauda, Gould, P. Z. S. 1842, p. 18; id. B. Austr. fol. 



iii. pi. 90 (1848); Bp. Cunsp. i. p. 456 (1850); Eeichenb. Voy. 



Neuholl p. 116 (1850) ; id. Siiiffv. p. 29, Taf. ix. figs. 82, 83 (1862) ; 



Gould, JIandb. B. Austr. i. p. 422 (1865) ; Iia7nsai/, Proc. Linn. 



Soc. K. S. ir. ii. p. 187 (1878) ; id. op. cit. (2) i. p. 1091 (1887), 



ii. p. 1G9 (1888); North, t. c. p. 408; Ramsay, Tub. List Austr. 



B. p. 10 (^1888). 



Adult male. Pinkish brown on the mantle and back ; lower back 

 and wing-coverts more earthy brown, as also the inner secondaries ; 

 qiiills dusky blackish, the primaries ashy whitish along the outer 

 web ; upper tail-coverts white, with a black baud across the rump ; 

 tail black ; crown of head and nape, sides of face and ear-coverts, 

 and cheeks delicate pearly grey ; a loral spot, eyelid, and entire 

 throat black; remainder of under surface of body from the fore 

 neck downwards pinkish fawn-colour : the vent, thighs, and under 

 tail-coverts white ; a large patch of black ou the lower flanks, with 

 a line of black separating the white vent from the pinkish-brown 

 breast ; under wing-coverts and quill-lining deep fawn-colour : 

 " bill waxy orange ; feet coral-red ; iris black "' {spec. "u'.). Total 

 length 4-6 inches, culraen 0-45, wing 2-4, tail 1-9, tarsus 0-55. 



* Dr. E. P. Eanisav mentions (Tab. List Austr. B. p. 10) a species from the 

 Gulf of Carpentaria "as Poephila atropyyialis, Diggles (Queensl. Phil. Soc. 

 p. 876). I have not been able to find the quotation and cannot fix the species. 



