from Western Australia. 131 



The white frontal mark has enlarged to the size normally 

 found in the adult, but the texture of each feather is soft, 

 and there is no superimposed layer of cells to give a glint. 

 The wings still retain some light rufous marks in place of 

 the white shown by the adult, while white is present in the 

 primaries and secondaries. Black feathers are mixed with 

 the brown on the head, throat, interscapulium, rump, and 

 lesser wing-coverts ; the red of the chest is pronounced in 

 one spot, but sparse below and on the left of it. Bill black 

 above, pale yellow at base of lower mandible ; feet blackish ; 

 soft skin round eye yellow. Total length 4-9 inches, 

 wing 2*75. 



Specimen N. — Similar to M, but has a broader and deeper 

 patch of red, which is lighter than in the adult ; more black 

 feathers on the throat and back ; a darker bill ; and more 

 white shewing on the small brown edges of the wing-coverts, 

 that form so fine an appearance of clear white in the mature 

 bird. 



Specimens and P. — These are skins of females further 

 advanced towards the adult stage than are M and N in the 

 male. There is no sign of immaturity on the backs, and the 

 red of the breasts is broadly though feebly distributed. The 

 throat-plumage varies, being brown in O, whitish in P, but 

 in neither grey as in the aduit. The lower mandible and 

 frontal marks serve to prove the specimens nearly mature. 

 The white band on the wing-coverts is stronger in O than 

 in the adult. Total length 5 inches, wing 27. 



Just as the green on the wings and tail of certain Meli- 

 phagidae is pronounced in the fledgling and weak in the 

 adult, so it is with this Robin as regards the rufous upon the 

 upper surface of the wings and upon the under tail-coverts. 

 Rufous is clearly shown in the nestling, but disappears 

 gradually through the various stages, until the white of the 

 adult appears (within ten weeks). 



The tail-feathers are practically pointed in the nestling — 

 the spinose appearance vanishing gradually in all the stages 

 above noted until the rounded form of the rectrices of the 

 adult is reached. 



k2 



