162 



BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



November, and lays three or four fleshy-white eggs, which 

 are nine Hnes long by seven lines broad. 



The sexes so closely assimilate in colour and markings that 

 they are only to be distinguished with certainty by dissection. 



The young assume the adult colouring from the nest, but 

 have the tips of the spurious wing orange instead of red. 



The validity of this latter passage has been questioned by 

 Mr. Ramsay, no mean authority respecting Australian birds. 

 I believe it is his opinion that the bird which I regarded as 

 the young of P. striatus may prove to be a distinct species, 

 intermediate between P. striatus and P. affinis. I have not, 

 however, as yet seen any examples which would lead to con- 

 firm his view, and, without undervaluing his opinion, I leave 

 the subject undetermined. Mr. Ramsay has, I think, found 

 birds with this character of plumage breeding ; but that is no 

 proof, for I have positive evidence that some of the Australian 

 species reproduce their kind before they have attained their 

 adult livery. 



Forehead and crown of the head black, the feathers of the 

 latter having a stripe of white down the centre ; a stripe of 

 deep orange-yellow commences at the base of the upper man- 

 dible and runs above the eye, where it is joined by a stripe of 

 white which leads to the occiput ; back of the neck and back 

 brownish olive-grey ; rump and upper tail-coverts yellowish 

 brown ; wings black, the external edges of the third, fourth, 

 fifth, sixth, and seventh primaries white at their base and 

 tipped with white ; secondaries margined with white and red- 

 dish brown ; tail black, each feather tipped with white ; sides 

 of the face and neck grey ; throat and upper part of the chest 

 yellow ; centre of the abdomen white ; flanks and under tail- 

 coverts brownish buff", the former tinged with yellow ; irides 

 brownish red ; bill at the tip and along the culmen dark 

 brown tinged with blue, the remainder yellowish white ; legs 

 and feet greenish grey. 



