ion BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



must either be regarded as constituting but one or several 

 species — a point which must be left for future investigation, 

 and which can only be determined by persons resident in the 

 colony, or by a careful examination and comparison of a much 

 larger number of examples than are at present to be found in 

 this country. I have enumerated three species which appear 

 to possess tangible specific characters, and I now venture to 

 describe a bird commonly found in the neighbourhood of 

 Port Essington, as distinct from those of the southern 

 portions of the continent: it is one of the smallest members 

 of the genus, and distinguished by a more delicate and sandy 

 buff colouring. 



The eggs of this species, like those of the other members 

 of the genus, vary from ten to fourteen in number, and are 

 usually deposited in a depresssion of the ground lined with a 

 few grasses or other herbage. Some examples, received direct 

 from Port Essington, are cream-white, without markings of 

 any kind ; their average length is one inch and a sixteenth, 

 and their breadth seven-eighths of an inch. 



Lores, sides of the head, and throat buff; all the upper 

 surface marked with transverse bars of black, grey, and 

 chestnut-brown, with a fine stripe of buffy white down the 

 centre of each of the feathers of the back ; shoulders greyish 

 brown, remainder of the wing marked with obscure spots and 

 freckles of brown and black ; primaries brown, mottled 

 externally with greyish brown ; all the under surface buff; 

 washed with grey, each feather with several zigzag transverse 

 lines of black, and many with a fine line of white down the 

 centre ; bill blue, darkening into black at the tip ; irides 

 orange ; feet dull yellow. 



Total length of the male 6J inches ; bill yq ; wing 3 J ; 

 tail 1 \ ; tarsi f . 



