3. nvroT-iiNiDjA. 41 



spots on the feathers of the mantle and back; lower back and rump 

 ochraeeous brown, with black centres to the feathers, but no white 

 spots ; winp-coverts like tlie bade, but more uniform, and with 

 scarcely any spots on the lessor and median series, the greater 

 series, liowever, having large white spots and intermediate bars of 

 black; bastard-wing feathers black, checiuered with white spots and 

 bars ; primary-coverts rufous, olive-brown at tij) and banded with 

 black; quills rufous, banded with black, and black at the tips, the 

 first two primaries checinered on the outer web and barred on the 

 inner wcl) with white ; secondaries blackish, externally and at the 

 tips ochraeeous brown, with numerous ovate spots or bars, the 

 innermost secondaries ochraeeous brown, with broad black centres 

 resembling the back ; tail-feathers ochraeeous brown centred with 

 black ; crown of head olive-brown, with black longitudinal spots to 

 the feathers; the hinder neck ferruginous, mottled with blackish 

 centres to the feathers, which are edged with olive-brown, obscuring 

 the rufous ; lores and a broad band through the eye dusky brown, 

 becoming rufous on the ear-coverts and extending to the sides of 

 the neck, where it is a little brighter rufous ; over the lores a white 

 band extending above the eye, and continued in a broad band of 

 light ashy grey above the ear-coverts and extending to the sides 

 of the nape ; cheeks light ashy grey, extending over the fore neck, 

 which is washed with brown ; fore part of the cheeks and throat 

 white ; remainder of under surface white, with black bars, very 

 distinct, but narrow on the sides of the fore neck, broader and more 

 regular ou the sides of the body, \\here the feathers have olive- 

 brown tips ; the fiank-feathcrs distinctly barred with blaek and 

 white, the black bands being the broader; feathers at tlie sides of 

 the vent tawny buif, black at the base, and barred with white ; the 

 long under tail-coverts black, with white bars, tawny buff at the 

 ends, the lower coverts tawny buff, with black bases ; thighs tawny 

 buff, dusky brown behind ; under wing-coverts black, broadlj- edged 

 with white ; axillaries black, barred across with white : " bill 

 warm-brown ; feet and claws light greyish brown ; iris Indian-red" 

 {A. If. Everett). Total length 11-5 inches, culmen 1-25, wing 5"7, 

 tail 2'65, tarsus l"5o, middle toe and claw 1*^*5. 



I am unable to separate //. anstralis, Pclz., from Australia, or 

 //. assimilis. Gray, from Xew Zealand, from true //. philiji^iineusis. 

 At the same time I must admit that there is a considerable amount 

 of variation in the plumage, wliich it is difficult to account for. 



The nestlings, according to Sir Walter Ihiller, are covered with 

 black down. The next stage is illustrated by a sjiccimen in 

 ^Ir. Rothschild's collection, which shows the brown plumage to be 

 much less sjjotted with white, and this is also borne out by full- 

 grown young birds : so that we may safely argue that profuse white 

 spotting is a sign of age, and that its extreme development is a sure 

 sign of a vcrj' old bird. The under surface of the nestling is fulves- 

 cent, with dusky blackish bars on the sides of the body, and a distinct 

 shade of orange-buff on the lower throat and fore neck. The full- 

 grown young bird is rather lighter below, the centre of the breast and 



