498 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



outer web ; centre tail-feathers strongly, and the lateral ones 

 slightly crimped ; orbits naked, fleshy, protuberant, and of a 

 yellowish olive, mottled over with brown specks ; next to the 

 pupil of the eye is a narrow ring of dull orange-bufF; to this 

 succeeds another ring of marbled buff and brown, and to this 

 an outer circle of orange-bufF ; naked skin at the base of the 

 lower mandible wrinkled and yellow ; upper mandible olive, 

 under mandible dull yellow, both becoming brighter towards 

 the base ; feet yelloAvish flesh-colour, becoming brown on the 

 upper part of the outer toes. 



Total length 36 inches; bill 4; wing 13^; tail 9; tarsi 2. 



The female has the crown of the head, back of the neck, 

 and upper part of the black blackish brown, each feather 

 margined with greyish white ; throat and all the under sur- 

 face buffy white ; the remainder of the plumage like the male, 

 but with the white marks on the wing-coverts larger and 

 more conspicuous ; irides ornamented with a beautiful lace- 

 work of brown, the interstices being buff"; orbits, naked skin 

 at the base of the bill, and throat orange-yellow ; feet pale 

 vellow. 



Genus TACHYPETES, Vieillot. 



Two species of this aerial form inhabit Australia, both of 

 which are common in Torres' Straits at one or other season of 

 the year, 



INIo birds diff'er more than the members of this genus, for 

 some examples have white and others brown heads, and 

 moreover exhibit many other conflicting differences, both in 

 colour and size. 



Until the question is settled as to whether there be more 

 than two species of this genus, which at present I have no 

 means of determining, I shall refer both the Australian birds 

 to the old T. aquila and T. minor. ^ 



