192 Mr. J. Gonl'l on two neio Australian Birds. 



varied fonns of bill : compare the short bill ot" the Rampho- 

 microjij one-third of an inch, and the six-inch bill of the 

 Docimastes — the bill of the Eutoxeres^ bent down into a semi- 

 circle, and that of the Avocettula, turning upwards. To an 

 unefjualled splendour of plumage (resembling lamina of topaz 

 and emerald) Nature has not added the gift of song. Their 

 ordinary cry is a shrill chirik, uttered by the males in their 

 petty quarrels. The " warbles " ascribed to the Mellisuga 

 and Oreotrochilus need to be heard again to be credited. 



XXII. — Descriptions of two new Species pertaining to the 

 Avifauna of Australia. By JoHN GoULD, F.R.S. &c. 



Having lately received from my friend F. G.WaterhousejEsq., 

 by permission of the Directors of the South-Australian Insti- 

 tute at Adelaide, a small collection of birds for identification, 

 I find among them two previously unknown, descriptions of 

 which I hasten to commimicate to the scientific world. The 

 first is of especial interest, inasmuch as it is a second species 

 of the genus Xerophihi, of which only one was previously 

 known ; and the second is an additional member of that elegant 

 group of little Terns the Sternulce. 



XeropJiila pectoralis, Gould. 



Face and throat white, passing into greyish white on the ear- 

 coverts ,' crown and nape hair-brown mottled with blackish 

 brown, the darker tint occupying the centre of eacli feather; 

 back chestnut-brown, becoming much darker and richer on 

 the rump ; upper tail- coverts hair-brown ; two central tail- 

 feathers hair-brown, with lighter edges ; the five lateral 

 feathers on each side black tipped with white ; across the 

 chest a well-defined band of cinnamon-bro^vn ; under sur- 

 face white, with a nuirk of chestnut down the centre of 

 each of the flank-feathers ; wings dark brown, the seconda- 

 ries broadly margined Avith dull bufi'; imder tail-coverts 

 bufty white ; bill and feet black. 



Total length 3^ inches ; bill f , wing 2^, tail If, tarsi f . 



Ilab. Port Augusta, South Australia. 



RemarTc. This highly curious form reminds one of Ephthia- 

 nura, but is distinguished from it by the bill being almost as 

 thick as that of a finch. 



Stermda placens^ Gould. 



Adult male. Bill yellow, witli the apical third of both mandi- 

 bles black, as sharj)ly defined as if they had been di})pod in 



