from Western Australia. 181 



Dr. Gadow was riglit in joining this species to the eastern 

 M. lunulatus. 



From personal observation and from my collection of skins 

 I conclude that there is a western representative of M. lunu- 

 latus, so we may now separate the two forms joined in the 

 British Museum Catalogue. Besides this a difficulty presents 

 itself if we wish to refer my skins to the species M. chloropsis, 

 because, I take it, Gould has insufficiently described the 

 eye-region of the bird, and that part is incorrectly coloured 

 in his plate. I do not care to regard my skins as giving 

 evidence of a new species, because I believe that Gould has 

 described two phases ; besides which there is a third, hitherto 

 unnoticed — and that the most adult, as the naked spaces 

 surrounding the eye are large. More extended research may 

 shew that (a) the pale green of the bare space above the eye 

 changes into [b) a pale wine-yellow, and at a later season 

 into (c) a sappy white. Furthermore, at this later season 

 it may be shown that a bare space becomes prominent below 

 the eye, and that there is a hidden bare region at the 

 posterior angle, the former being leaden blue and the latter 

 faint blue-green. No reference has been hitherto made to 

 the bare spaces below and behind the eye : (a) and (b) are 

 the parts as described by Gould, while (c) represents the 

 appearance in three skins collected by myself, and in at least 

 six others closely and carefully noted and found to possess 

 the same distinct marks. Since the eastern M. lunulatus 

 varies in the colour of its eye-region with age (this is how I 

 view the shades of red), the western form may for the present 

 be assumed to do likewise, but apparently to a greater extent. 

 Future research may show more points of interest in this 

 connexion. 



Description of these parts in the specimens secured by the 

 writer : — Bare space above the eye dull sappy- or fungus- 

 white. Bare space below the eye, which is quite as large, 

 dull lead-blue in colour. Hinder angle of both bare parts 

 that are hidden by the imbricate feathers faint blue-green. 

 Iris bright hazel, with a tendency to red. 



In comparing these three skins with five of M. lunulatus, 



