18 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. 



The frontal mask is silky white ; across base of forehead a 

 narrow black line ; flush of dull red above frontal mark and on 

 to crown, which is dull slaty-grey, like the rest of the dorsal 

 region ; lores slaty-black, sides of face and ear coverts grey ; 

 tail slaty-black, except outer quills, which are mostly white, an 

 oblique brown mai'k being upon inner web and a second brown 

 mark towards tip of outer web ; penultimate quills partly white ; 

 chin and sides of throat slaty-black ; throat, chest and breast 

 rich scarlet ; lower part of abdomen and under tail coverts white ; 

 flanks slate-grey, with white tips to feathers ; primaries black at 

 base, sooty-brown at distal half, a band of white across the inner 

 series near base ; secondaries brownish-black, external webs edged 

 white ; inner primaries and secondaries tipped white ; lesser 

 wing coverts blackish -grey, other coverts white, or black tipped 

 white ; under wing coverts and axillaries brownish-grey, with 

 whitish tips ; thighs brownish-grey ; irides, bill, legs and feet, 

 black. Total length 5-1 inches; culmen, 0"45 inches ; wing, 3'05 

 inches; tail, 2*4 inches; tarsus, 0"8 inches. 



P/iase J. 



Adult (?, sk., 27-1-00. Plenty Ranges, Victoria. 



The valufe of this skin is shown in the method of its change in 

 the colour of its plumage, while strong "reds and blacks" have 

 appeared and are still appearing, the old weak reds and wing 

 quills have not all yet been pushed away. It is exhibiting a 

 thorough renewal of the complete plumage. On the breast are 

 some very bright new "reds," judged to be new by the quill 

 barrels and faded old reds. The primaries are veiy unequal. 

 Counting inwards, the fifth is just leaving its sheath, and the 

 sixth averages half-an-inch shorter than those adjacent. The tail 

 quills are considerably off" their normal length in the centre, and 

 much shorter laterally ; the white of the external quills being 

 clear white, as in full age ; under tail coverts pure white and 

 new ; thighs newly feathered, though not yet concluded. The 

 head has new dull red feathers in addition to new " greys," and 

 the back has new as well as old " greys ;" bill and feet black. In 

 other respects it appears to agree with the last phase. 



