TNSESSORES. Oil 



brownish black, the middle feathers slightly, and the outer 

 ones largely tipped with white ; upper tail-coverts white, the 

 lateral feathers with a patch of dark brown in the centre ; 

 under tail-coverts brown, tipped with white ; irides greenish 

 yellow ; base of the bill, nostrils, and eyelash orange-yellow. 

 Total length 4^ inches ; bill f ; wing 2| ; tail 1^ ; tarsi -|-. 



Sp. 375. SITTELLA LEUCOPTERA, Gould. 



White -WINGED Sittella. 

 Sittella leucoptera, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part vii. p. 144. 



Sittella leucoptera, Gould, Birds of Australia, foL, vol. iv. pi. 103. 



The present bird, which is a native of the northern parts of 

 Australia, is a perfect representative of the Sittella chrysoptera 

 of the south coast, to which species it is most nearly allied. 

 The contrasted style of its plumage, together with the white 

 spot in the wings, sufficiently distinguish it from every other 

 species of the genus yet discovered. It is found in the 

 Cobourg Peninsula, but is nowhere very abundant ; it moves 

 about in small families of from four to twelve in number. 

 Its note, actions, and general habits are precisely similar to 

 those of the other members of the genus. 



The sexes differ from each other in the markings of the 

 head ; the male has the summit only black, while the female 

 has the whole of the head and ear-coverts of that colour. 



The male has the forehead, crown of the head, and occiput 

 deep black ; wings black, with a broad band of white cross- 

 ing the primaries near the base ; tail black, the lateral feathers 

 tipped with white ; throat, under sm-face, and upper tail- 

 coverts white ; under tail-coverts white, with a spot of black 

 near the tip of each feather ; back greyish brown, the centre 

 of each feather streaked with blackish brown ; irides ochre- 

 yellow ; eyelash straw-yellow ; bill straw-yellow, tipped with 

 black ; legs and feet lemon-yellow. 



Total length 4 inches ; bill yg ; wing 3 ; tail 1^ ; tarsi y^. 



2 11 'Z 



