6. NisAETUS. 29 



cere lead-blue ; bill bluish lead at base, black at the tip ; iris 

 reddish-brown ; feet lead blue. Total length 22 inches, wing 15i, 

 tail 9*, tarsus 2|, bill 1-4. 



Avery remarkable variety, apparently fully adult, has the sides 

 of the head and hind neck tawny rufous with a blackish stripe 

 down the centre of each feather; the under wing-coverts and 

 basal portions of the inner webs of the primaries below pure 

 white, with a linear or lanceolate mark of brown or pale rufous, 

 on the shaft or near the tips of the feathers ; the axillaries and 

 some of the under wing-coverts have two or three such marks, 

 the terminal one being usually broadest ; sides of the chest and 

 flanks bufl: washed with light rufous, with a blackish-brown stripe 

 down the centre of each feather ; thigh and legs to the toes buff 

 shaded with light rufous, under tail-coverts buff, abdomen white; 

 the inner primaries above the secondaries and feathers of the 

 longitudinal band across the wing are largely margined with 

 whitish ash. 



AchcU male. In plumage similar to the females, but in size 

 much smaller, they are usually darker in colour, and the abdomen, 

 flanks, and thighs of a more uniform tint of rufous, the shaft 

 lines always darker. 



Nestling, Keg. No. B. 6429. " Taken from the nest, December 

 24th, 1883, just hatched." Total length S'S inches, bill from 

 forehead 06, from the gape 06'5 ; covered with creamy-white 

 down, erect and hairy upon the upper surface ; " iris pale brown, 

 cere yellowish, bill light horn colour, feet flesh colour." 



Nestling, 'Reg. '^o.Q. 10147. " Taken from the nest, November 

 5th, 1884,"Mossgiel, New South Wales." Total length 4.5 inches ; 

 bill from forehead 85, from gape 0"9 ; slightly larger than 

 the precedinc: ; colouring the same. "Iris dark-brown, cere 

 yellowish ; bill dark horn colour ; feet yellowish-white, claws 

 light horn colour." 



Nestling.'Reg.^o.^. 6427. " Taken from the nest, December 

 7th, 1883. Mossgiel, Interior, N.S.W." Tctal length 97 inches, 

 wing 45, bill 1"2, from gape 1"3 ; covered with short white down 

 below the head and the neck ; interscapular region, scapulars, 

 and the primaries blackish-brown ; upper wing-coverts brown, 

 tinged here and there with rufous-brown, the tips of a few rufous 

 pin-feathers showing upon the sides of the chest. " Iris light 

 brown, bill black, cere greenish ; feet yellowish-white, claws 

 black, bare space round the eyes dark lead colour." 



Nestling, B. 10146. " Taken from the nest, December 4th, 

 Mossgiel, New South Wales ; iris clear light brown, cere 

 yellowish, bill bluish horn colour at base, remainder black, bare 

 space around the eyes lead colour, feel yellowish-white." Total 

 length 12'5 inches, w^ing 62, bill from forehead 1"2, from gape 

 1"4, from nostril 0"7 ; similar to the preceding, the down very 

 much shorter and the hairy portions worn off, a few rusty feathers 



