TNSESSORES. 489 



at what degree of longitude the two species inosculate. 

 Several points of difference are found to exist in the two 

 species, the most material of which are in the shape and 

 length of the bill, and in the size of the white mark on the 

 fore-part of the cheeks ; the M. lonprostris, as its name im- 

 plies, has the bill much more lengthened and comparatively- 

 stouter than that of its near ally, and it moreover has the 

 white patch on the face much less defined, and blended to a 

 greater extent with the neighbouring black colouring ; in the 

 size of the body the two species are very much alike. 



The M. hngirostris, like the other species of the group, is 

 very pugnacious, and when fighting utters a rapidly repeated 

 chirrup, very much resembling that of the European Sparrow. 



It is a very early breeder, commencing in the first days of 

 July and continuing as late as the last week in November. 

 The nest consists of small sticks and fibrous roots, lined with 

 Zamia w^ool or the buds of flowers, and is built in a variety of 

 situations, sometimes in small thinly-branched trees, at about 

 twelve feet from the ground, at others in small clumps of 

 grass, only a few inches above it ; the eggs are ordinarily two 

 in number, but towards the latter end of the breeding-season 

 three are often found ; their ground-colour is a delicate buff, 

 with the larger end clouded with reddish buff, and thickly 

 spotted and blotched with chestnut-brown and chestnut-red 

 arranged in the form of a zone ; their medium length is nine 

 lines, and breadth seven lines. 



The sexes are alike in colouring, but the female is about 

 one-fifth smaller than her mate in all her admeasurements. 



Crown of the head and cheeks black, with minute white 

 feathers on the forehead round the base of the upper man- 

 dible ; a superciliary stripe, a moustache at the base of the 

 lower mandible, and a small tuft of feathers immediately 

 behind the ear-coverts white; feathers on the throat white 

 and bristle-hke; upper surface brownish black, becoming 

 browner on the rump ; wings brownish black, the outer edges 



