424 BIRDS Of AUSTRALIA. 



appearance, both possessing the masked face ; the female is, 

 however, rather less in size, and her markings are not quite 

 so brilliant or decided as those of the male. 



Base of the bill surrounded by an irregular ring of deep 

 velvety black ; crown of the head, upper surface, and wings 

 light cinnamon-brown ; lower part of the abdomen banded 

 with deep velvety black ; lower part of the rump and under 

 tail-coverts white ; upper tail-coverts white, striped longitudi- 

 nally with black on the outer side ; tail deep blackish brown ; 

 irides of the old birds red, of the young birds dark brown ; 

 bill bright orange ; legs and feet fleshy red. 



Total length 3^ inches ; bill f ; wing 2 J ; tail 2 ; tarsi Ye. 



In some specimens the upper and lower ridges of the bill 

 are black, while in others the basal half only is orange, the 

 remaining portion being brown. 



Sp. 263. POEPHILA LEUCOTIS, Gould. 



White-eared Grass-Finch. 

 Pu'ephila leucotis, Gould in Pi'oc. of Zool. Soc, part xiv. p. 106. 



Poephila leucotis, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iii. pi. 92. 



The present beautiful species of Poephila is one of the 

 novelties discovered during Dr. Leichardt's expedition from 

 Moreton Bay to Port Essington ; it was killed in the neigh- 

 bom-hood of the river Lynd by Gilbert, in whose Journal, 

 under the date of June 3, 1845, I find the following remark : 

 — " The most interesting circumstance that occurred to me 

 to-day was the discovery of a new species of Poephila, which 

 is very nearly allied to the one from Port Essington {P. per- 

 aonatd), but which differs from that bird in having the bill 

 light yellowish horn-colour instead of orange, the irides dark 

 brown, and the legs red ; it is in every respect a true Poe- 

 phila, having the black face and throat, the black marks on 

 the flanks, the lengthened tail-feathers, and the general 



