248 PHASIANTD^. 



Synoecus cervinus, Sharjx, J. Linn. Soc. xiii. p. 504 (1877) [S.E. 

 New Guinea] ; Furbes, P. Z. 8. 1878, pp. 121, 127 [Cape York & 

 Booby Is.] ; id. Voy. ChalL, Birds, pp. 84, 92 (IfcSO) ; Salvad. 

 Orn. Pap. iii. p. 254 (1882) [Pole Is.]. 



Adult male. In very old examples — that is, in birds of three yfars 

 old or more (S. sordidus, Gould)- — most of the markings on the upper 

 and underparts disappear, and there is a general tendency to 

 uniformity of colour in the plumage. The feathers of the upper 

 parts are reddish brown on the sides, and dull grey down the middle, 

 with only a few fine mottlings of black ; while the white shafts so 

 conspicuous in younger examj^les are scarcely apparent; on the 

 iinderparts the buff feathers are grey down the middle, and the 

 V-shaped black bars are nearly obsolete ; the superciliary stripes 

 and sides of the head and throat are dull grey ; the outer webs of 

 the quills indistinctly mottled with rufous, and the tail-feathers 

 uniform grey. 



In birds of the second year (typical S. australis) the upper parts 

 are mottled with black and barred with rufous, and the narrow 

 white shafts of the feathers are clearly marked ; the outer webs of 

 the quills thickly mottled with rufous ; the superciliary stripes, 

 sides of the head, and throat pale vinaceous white ; the feathers of 

 the underparts buff, each with a series of V-shaped cross-bars ; and 

 the tail-feathers black, barred with butf. Total length about lo 

 inches, wing 3-5-4-2, tail 1 •7-2-0, tarsus 0-9. 



A quite young male has most of the plumage of the upper parts 

 like that of the adult female, but on the sides of the mantle 

 numerous feathers of the second year (or S. australis stage of 

 plumage) are moulting in. 



Adult female differs from the male in having the black markings 

 and patches on the upper and underparts much coarser ; the centres 

 of the feathers are not grey, and the shaft-stripes, which are much 

 wider than in the male, are pale buff. 



Hah. South-eastern Kew Guinea, Australia, Tasmania. 



«. c? ad. sk. Port Moresby, S.E. New A. Goldie, Esq. [C.]. 



Guinea. 



b. S ad. sk. Astrolabe Mts, H. H. Romilly, Esq. 



[P.]. 



c. tS ad. sk. Australia. Tweeddale CoU. 



d. (^ ad. sk. Australia. J. B. Jidies, Esq. 



[P.]. 

 f ; /"• 6 2 ad. sk. N.W. Australia. Capt. Bowyer Bower 



[P.]. 

 (/. c? ad. sk. Port Essington. Gould Coll. 



h. (S ad. sk. Cape York Is. ' Challenger ' Exped. 



i, k. c? 5 ad. sk. Cape Y'ork Is. {Cockerell ^ Tweeddale & Gould 



Thorpe). Colls. 



l-n. c7 5 ad.sk. Somerset, Cape Y^ork(CocAere// Sahin-Godman Coll. 



Sf Thorpe). 

 o,p. S imm. et Boar Pocket, N. Queensland, Lord Leigh [P.]; 



$ ad. sk. April. 



2-«- 6 ? ad. sk. Mcreton Bay. Gould Coll. 



