70 



calling — they kept the end of the aviary where their 

 nest was situated free from other birds. The nest is a 

 very neat, delicate, yet very strongly woven, cup- 

 shaj^ed structure. The late Dr. Russ also succeeded 

 in breeding this species. 



Adult male : The upper surface is slatj^-gre}^ the 

 feathers at the back of the neck and upper back, 

 slightly mottled with dusky ; lesser coverts, slaty-gre)' ; 

 median, greater and primary coverts, and upper tail 

 coverts, blackish with ashy-grey margins ; the middle 

 primaries white at the base of the outer web forming 

 an oblong spot; tail-feathers, black narrovv^ly margined 

 with asln^-grey ; crown and sides of the head, dark 

 slaty-gre}', mottled with black ; the forehead and lores 

 are deep l)lack ; cheeks, throat, sides of neck, middle 

 breast, abdomen and under tail-coverts, white, with a 

 broad black band extending across the chest ; sides of 

 body and flanks, grey; beak, ochre-yellow ; legs and 

 feet, grey ; iris black. Total length 4! in., tail ifin. 



Adult female : A full description is not necessary 

 here for this well known species. It will suffice to say 

 she is mostly brownish - grey on the upper surface, 

 flights and tail feathers have blackish centres, and the 

 first primaries white at the base of the outer webs, 

 forming an oblong spot ; lower surface white, with a 

 brownish-gre}^ band across the breast ; beak, black ; 

 legs and feet, brownish-grey ; iris black. 

 To be continued. 



