418 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



of a gum- or apple-tree. It is of a large size, and is con- 

 structed of grasses of various kinds ; in form it is nearly 

 spherical, with a short pendant spout on one side, through 

 which the bird obtains access to the interior ; the eggs are 

 white, rather long in shape, and five or six in number. 



The sexes offer little or no difference in the markings of 

 their plumage. 



Crown of the head and back of the neck brownish grey ; 

 back and wings brown, becoming deeper on the tips of the 

 primaries ; lores, a broad band across the breast, flanks, and 

 tail deep black ; each feather of the flanks with a large spot 

 of white near the tip; rump and upper tail-coverts shining 

 scarlet ; throat, abdomen, and under tail-coverts white ; irides 

 red, surrounded by a narrow, naked, lilac-red lash ; bill blood- 

 red, passing into lilac at the base and on the culmen ; feet 

 purplish brown. 



The young for the first year has the bill black, except at 

 the base, where it is flesh-colour ; the band across the breast 

 and the flanks greyish brown, the latter being barred indi- 

 stinctly with black and greyish white; in other respects the 

 plumage nearly resembles the adult. 



Genus TiENIOPYGIA, Reichenhach. 



The BerHn Professor, Cabanis, established the genus Staga- 

 nopleura for the Loxia guttata of Shaw, and associated there- 

 with the bird described by me as Amadina castanotis; the 

 Dresden Professor, Reichenbach, has, however, gone further 

 still, for he has separated the latter bird from the former 

 under the generic name of TcBnioptera. To this form must 

 be added the Loxia guttata of Vieillot, not of Shaw. Pro- 

 bably the Timor bird recently described by Mr. Wallace as 

 Amadina insularis is Vieillot's bird ; there are, therefore, two, 

 if not three, distinct species of this form. 



