INSESSOHES. 1()5 



Sp. 86. PARDALOTUS MELANOCEPIIALUS, Gould. 



Black-headed Diamond-bird. 

 Pardalotus melanocephalus, Gould hi Proc. of Zool. Soc, part v. p. 149. 



Pardalotus melanocephalus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. 

 pi. 40. 



I have received numerous examples of this beautiful and 

 well-defined species from Moreton Bay, where it probably 

 takes the place of the P. striatiis, from which it is distin- 

 guished by the black colouring of its head and by its thicker 

 bill, but to which it is very nearly allied, as well as to the 

 P. uropygialis; it is, in fact, directly intermediate between 

 the two, having the black head of the latter without the 

 yellow colouring of the rump. There appears to be no external 

 difiference in the sexes. 



Crown of the head, lores, and ear-coverts black ; over each 

 eye a stripe commencing at the nostrils, the anterior half of 

 which is orange, and the posterior white ; sides of the face 

 and neck white ; back of the neck and back olive-grey ; upper 

 tail-coverts brownish buflP; tail black, each feather tipped with 

 white; wings blackish brown, the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, 

 and seventh primaries white ; secondaries edged and tipped 

 with white ; one of the wing-coverts broadly margined on 

 the inner web with white, forming an oblique line across the 

 shoulder ; spurious wing tipped with crimson ; line down the 

 centre of the throat, the breast, and middle of the abdomen 

 bright yellow; vent and under tail-coverts buff; bill black; 

 feet brown. 



At present we are unaware whether this bird nidifies in the 

 holes of trees like the other Pardaloti or not ; the colour and 

 number of the eggs are also unknown ; they are probably 

 pinky white ; but these particulars must be left for the in- 

 vestigation of those who may be favourably situated for ascer- 

 taining them. 



