INSESSORES. 878 



The sexes can only be distinguished by dissection, for no 

 perceptible difference whatever is observable cither in their 

 size or the colouring of their plumage. 



This species, the least of the genus to which it belongs, may 

 be thus described : — 



Crown of the head brownish olive, with a fine line of white 

 down the centre of each feather ; back and wings greenish 

 olive ; tail the same, crossed by a broad band of brownish 

 black near the tip, beyond which the extremities are brownish 

 grey; throat and chest grey, tinged with olive, the margins 

 of the feathers spotted with dark brown, giving these parts 

 an irregular spotted appearance; bill and feet black; irides 

 brown. 



Total length 3f inches ; bill f ; wing 2 ; tail If ; tarsi f . 



Sp. 228. ACANTHIZA MAGNA, Gould. 



Great Acanthiza. 



Acanthiza magna, Gould, Birds of Australia, Supplement, pi. 



For the knowledge of this new and very distinct species of 

 Acanthiza I am indebted to Ronald C. Gunn, Esq., a gentle- 

 man who has long resided in Tasmania, and whose name will 

 be for ever perpetuated in the annals of science for the nume- 

 rous botanical discoveries made by him in the island he has 

 adopted as his home. I have carefully compared the specimen 

 sent to me by Mr. Gunn, and which had been collected in the 

 northern part of Tasmania, with other members of the genus, 

 and have no hesitation in pronouncing it to be previously 

 unknown. In size it approaches the smaller species of Seri- 

 cornis ; but in its structure and the character of its plumage, 

 it is closely allied to the members of the genus in which I 

 have placed it. 



Head, all the upper surface, sides of the neck, and flanks 

 olive-brown, becoming of a more rufous hue on the rump and 

 upper tail-coverts ; wings blackish brown, washed with olive 



