INSESSORES. 149 



Sp. 76. ARTAMUS ALBIVENTRIS, Gould. 



White-vented Wood Swallow, 

 Artamus albiventris, Gould inProc. of Zool. Soc, part xv. 1847, p. 31. 



Artamus albiventris, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pi. 30. 



Two examples of this species are all that have come under 

 my notice ; one of these was killed on the Darling Downs in 

 New South Wales, and the other some distance to the north- 

 ward of that locality, it being one of the birds procured during 

 Dr. Leichardt's expedition to Port Essington. Its nearest 

 ally is the Artamus cinereus, a species inhabiting the opposite 

 side of the continent ; but it is somewhat smaller, and may 

 moreover be distin2;uished from that bird bv the white under 

 tail-coverts, and the lighter colour of the lower part of the 

 abdomen. 



Lores, space beneath the eye, and the chin deep black ; 

 head, neck, and upper part of the back brownish grey ; lower 

 part of the back and the wings dark grey, becoming gradually 

 deeper towards the tips of the feathers ; primaries and se- 

 condaries narrowly edged with white at the tip ; under sur- 

 face of the wing white ; ear-coverts, chest, and abdomen pale 

 grey, passing into white on the under tail -coverts ; upper tail- 

 coverts and tail black ; the apical third of all but the two 

 middle ones white ; irides dark brown ; bill yellowish horn- 

 colour, becoming black at the tip ; feet blackish brown. -^f ^ 



Sp. 77. ARTAMUS MELANOPS, Gould. 



Black-faced Wood Swallow. 

 Artamus melanops, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc. 1865, p. 198. 



This fine species is unlike every other known member of 

 the genus. It is most nearly allied to A. albiventris, but 

 differs from that bird in the jet-black colouring of its under 

 tail-coverts, and from A. cinereus in its smaller size and the 



