of A'IcnurafNpcrhit, a Bird oj New South Wales. 209 



taken from a fpccimeii fent from New South Wales as a prcfcnt to 

 Lady Mary Howe. I have aUb feen tw.o other fpecimens in the 

 pofleffion of the Right Hon. Sir Jofeph Bank.s, wliich I beHcve have 

 fjnce been depofited in the Britifli Mufa^um. 



SINCE I had the honour of communicating to the Linnean So- 

 ciety the foregoing defcription of the Menura, I have been favoured 

 with both male and female of that extraordinary bird from my 

 friend Governor King, by the Buffalo ftore-fliip ; and I am thereby 

 enabled to lay before the Society a defcription of the different fexes. 

 I find, indeed, that with a little deviation the fame charafters and co- 

 lours will fervc for both of them. The female, however, is fomewhat 

 fmaller, being in length, from the crown of the head to the end of 

 the tail, only 31 inches. The general plumage of the whole bird is 

 of a dull blackifli colour, a little rufous under the chin and throat, 

 and of a browniOi cafl: on the fcapulars,as in the male. The plumage 

 of the whole body, from the breafl: to the vent, and from the 

 {houlders to the rump, is compofed of long, (lender, thread-like, filky 

 feathers, refcmbling fringe, of a dull grayifh black; lighter on the 

 breaft, belly, and vent. The bill and legs, which are ftrong and 

 furnillied with large fcales, as in the cock, are black. From the 

 head to the rump 14 inches. The tail 18 inches, alfo of a dull 

 brown black colour above and gray beneath. The two upper 

 tail feathers are Iharp pointed at the ends; the refl: are rounded 

 and darker in colour, and ihorten by degrees, as they approach 

 the rump, fo as to appear cuneated. The two outer feathers 

 arc fhortcr than the reft, bent in form like thofe of the male, brown 

 black abovcj of a pearly gray beneath ; and the crefcents, which are 



Vol. VI. E e of 



