HO NOVELTIES. 



upper tail-coverts, throat and breast a very dark iron grey ; 

 abdomen and rest of lower parts ditto, rather paler, (but still 

 far darker than the same parts in ganeesa); the lower tail-coverts 

 margined with greyish white and a little fringing of this about vent 

 and middle of lower abdomen. Wings and tail blackish brown, 

 all the feathers very narrowly margined with dull, dark iron 

 grey. Axillaries slatey dusky. 



Leioptila Davisoni. 



Like L. annectans, Bly., but with the back and wing coverts black and the 

 rump and upper tail coverts mingled black and deep ferruginous 

 marooon. 



This beautiful and interesting representative species was 

 obtained by Mr. Davision, in January in the Hills north of 

 Moolyit at an elevation of 6,000 feet. 



It was rare and shy, and only five specimens were procured. 

 The four males measured in the flesh : — 



Length, 7-8 to 8-0; expanse, 9"6 to 9'9 ; tail, 355 to 3"7 ; 

 wing, 31 to 3*2 ; tarsus, 09 to 0'95 ; bill from gape, 0'8 to 

 0-85 ; weight, 1-1 2oz. 



The upper and half the lower mandible black ; rest of lower 

 mandible, legs, feet and claws fleshy yellow; irides greyish 

 brown. 



The female measured in the skin : — 



Length, 7-25; tail, 3*0 ; wing, 3 0; tarsus, 0'92; bill from 

 gape, 08. 



The plumage of the two sexes is similar. 



Forehead, lores, crown, occiput, cheeks, ear-coverts, sides and 

 back of neck, back and wing coverts, jet black. At the base 

 of the back of the neck a series of excessively fine minute 

 white striations forming an ill-defined patch, in some specimens 

 approximating to a half collar. 



Rump and upper tail-coverts mingled black and deep ferru- 

 ginous maroon (quite different from the bright rusty ferru- 

 ginous of these parts in annectans), the maroon greatly predo- 

 minating. 



Quills and tail, dull black ; quills, conspicuously margined 

 on the outer webs, and tertiaries, narrowly tipped with greyish 

 white ; all the tail feathers but the centre ones tipped white, 

 those next the centre very narrowly, the next pair more broad- 

 ly and so on, the exterior pair of all having the terminal 0*6 

 to 0-7 white. 



