138 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



Having seen but a single example of this species, I am mi- 

 able to say if there be any outward difference in the sexes. I 

 suspect there is not, and I am led to this conclusion from an 

 examination of numerous examples of both sexes of its near 

 aX\y LophopJiaps plmniferat in which no variation occurs; in 

 all probability, both sexes of the species of this genus are 

 similarly coloured. If we may judge from analogy, we may 

 also infer that the young of these little ground Bronze-wings 

 do not remain callow and helpless for any length of time, but 

 that, like the young of the GaUinacecB generally, they are able 

 to trip over the ground soon after exclusion from the Qgg. 



The L. ferruginea differs from L.2Jlutmfera in the nearly 

 uniform rust-red colouring of its body and in the absence of 

 the broad white pectoral band so conspicuous in the latter. 



Bill olive-black ; irides yellow ; lores and bare skin round 

 the eye either crimson or orange-red, bounded above and 

 below by a narrow line of black ; forehead and a line above 

 the black one over the eye grey ; centre of the crown and the 

 lengthened crest-plumes cinnamon ; chin and lower part of 

 the neck black ; centre of the throat and upper part of the 

 ear-coverts white, lower part of the ear-coverts grey, all the 

 under surface deep rust-red ; on each side of the chest two 

 or three narrow crescentic bars of black, the longest of 

 which nearly meet in the centre ; under tail-coverts brown, 

 edged externally with white ; under smface of the wing deep 

 cinnamon ; basal portion of the primaries rust-red, their apices 

 brown ; a beautiful oblong bronzy-purple metal-like mark on 

 three of the secondaries ; back of the neck and mantle alter- 

 nately rayed with rust-red and dark brown ; the feathers of the 

 upper portion of the wings rayed with rusty red, blackish- 

 brown and grey, the tips being rust-red, the centre black and 

 the base grey ; rump and upper tail-coverts rusty brown ; 

 basal half of the tail-feathers rusty brown, the apical half black ; 

 legs greenish grey inclining to pm^ple. 



Total length 8 inches ; bill f ; wing 4 ; tail 2f ; tarsi f ■ 



