382 ' BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



The male has the crown of the head, upper tail-coverts, 

 breast, and abdomen bright scarlet; lores, line above and 

 beneath the eye, ear-coverts, occiput, and back dark brown ; 

 wings brown, each feather margined with brownish white ; 

 tail dark brown, each feather having a large spot of white on 

 the inner web at the tip ; chin, throat, and under tail-coverts 

 white ; ii'ides straw- white ; bill and feet blackish brown. 



The female is similar in colour, but has only a slight wash 

 of the scarlet colouring, except on the upper tail-coverts, where 

 it is as brilliant as in the male. 



Total length 3 J inches ; bill yq ; wing 2f ; tail 1 J ; tarsi J. 



Genus XEROPHILA, Gould. 



A curious form, of which only one species is known, and 

 the situation of which in the natural system is quite unde- 

 termined. The single species known has many of the actions 

 and manners of the Acanthizce, but its robust and gibbose bill 

 precludes its being placed with that genus. It is mainly 

 terrestrial in its habits and builds a domed nest. 



Sp. 234. XEROPHILA LEUCOPSIS, Gould. 



White-faced Xerophila. 

 Xerophila leucopsis, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part viii. p. 175. 



Xerophila leucopsis, Gould, Birds of Australia, foL, vol. ill. pi. 67. 



I found this species tolerably abundant in all parts of the 

 colony of South Australia that I visited, both in the interior 

 and in the neighbourhood of the coast. It was generally met 

 with in small flocks of from six to sixteen in number, and 

 more frequently on the ground than among the trees. It 

 hops over the surface very quickly and appears a busy little 

 bird, prying among the herbage for its food, which principally 

 consists of the seeds of the grasses and small annuals which 

 abound on the plains and low hills of South Australia. In 



