626 Messrs. H. C. Robiuson and W. S. Laverock on 



Southern species, is uiifortuuately untenable, being founded 

 on the Green Grackle of Latham (Gen. Syn. Suppl. ii. 

 p. 129, 1801), subsequently Latinized as Gracula viriclis (Ind. 

 Orn. Suppl. p. xxAiii, 1801). On reading the original 

 description, however, it is obvious that it really applies to 

 the Au.^tralian Cat-bird, yEluroedus vh'idis, to which, indeed, 

 it has been applied by Dr. Sharpe (Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. vi. 

 p. 385), evidently forgetting that he had previously referred 

 the same description to the bird we are now discussing. 

 The proper name, then, for the present species is Mimeta 

 sagittata, founded on the Striated Roller of Latham (Gen. 

 Syn. Suppl. ii. p. 12.2, 1801), Latinized as Coracias sagittata 

 (Ind. Orn. Suppl p. xxvi, 1801). 



The specimen on which this name was founded passed into 

 Lord Derby's Collection, and is fortunately still in existence 

 in the Liverpool Museum. 



27. Sphecotheres flaviventris Gould; Sharpe, t. c. 

 p. 225. 



Many specimens from both Cooktown and Cairns, where 

 it seems to be one of the commonest birds. 



" Adult males have the iris brown ; bill black ; feet pink ; 

 and the bare skin round the eyes red. Females and young 

 males : iris brown ; feet slate ; bill brownish ; orbital skin 

 slate'' (Olive). 



The series of immature males that is before us affords 

 very strong evidence that this species attains its adult 

 plumage, partially at least, by direct colour-change in the 

 feather, as many of the breast-feathers of the specimens 

 before us have a marked yellow edging, whilst still retaining 

 the brown shaft-stripe characteristic of the immature plumage. 

 We have also received a clutch of two eggs obtained on 

 December 30th in a high forest-tree 25 feet above the ground ; 

 they are of a very pale brownish olive with a tinge of green, 

 thickly spotted, more especially towards the smaller end, 

 with medium-sized reddish-brown spots ; in shape they are a 

 very pointed oval, almost pyriform. They measure : A, 30 x 

 22-5; B, 29x23 ram. 



