66 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. 



Specimen 2. — Male (aVjout 27 months old), 24/3/97. Browns 

 are coming as well as have matured on the head, nape, cheeks 

 and mantle. One large " blue " left in region of nape : no new 

 " blues " on head or cheeks, but with some old ones remaining. 

 Outer webs of secondary quills without any trace of greenish- 

 blue ; merely brown. Bill and feet jet black. 



Specimen 3. — Male (approx. 2 — 3 years of age), 24/3/97. This 

 skin is uniformly cloaked with the winter brown and with one 

 "blue" on each cheek remaining. The brown feathers are well 

 developed, new, or still coming, and in the lumbar region very 

 long, as if prepared to resist the elements in a wet forest. Wing 

 quills in process of moulting, and about midway in development. 

 The spurious wings are maturing. Outer webs of wings have no 

 trace of blue on them. Tail feathers in two stages ; one set a 

 quarter way on to maturity. Bill, black. 



Specimen 4. — Adult male, nearly adult (approx. 3 years), 

 23/3/99. In accordance with the intensity of the purplish blue- 

 black of the thi-oat and chest feathers, the dense black of the line 

 beneath the throat and around the neck, as well as the fairly 

 deep-blue of the tail, this is the skin of a bird not in youth. 

 As it has not the secondary quills edged with greenish-blue it is 

 not a thoroughly aged bird, and I venture, by comparison, to put 

 it down as one three years' old. 



The brown feathers have mostly come upon the crown, but 

 some are '75 and "50 towards maturity, while no young blues 

 show. 



Forehead : Few blues appear to be seen among the greys. 



Cheeks : Browns new and developing, and about equal to the 

 old blues remaining. 



Neck : Black collar distinct, young " browns " showing 

 beneath. 



Mantle : Approx. 50% of browns and blues. The " browns " 

 look new, while more are maturing below. 



Throat : Browns are and have lately matured here. 



"Wings : The sixth primary on each is half its normal length. 



Abdominal region has the feathers creamy white, between 

 youth and old age. 



Tail : There is a new set lireaking from its sheaths, and now 

 peep beyond the upper coverts. 



