162 MR. GOULD ON A NEW CHLA.MYDERA. [May 27, 



belonged to a Kangaroo-rat, until Mr. Gould informed me that it is 

 the run or playing-ground of the bird he has named Chlamydera 

 nuchalis. These nests were formed of dead grass and parts of bushes, 

 sunk a slight depth into two parallel furrows in sandy soil, and then 

 nicely arched above. But the most remarkable fact connected with 

 them was, that they were always full of broken shells, large heaps 

 of which protruded from each extremity of the nest ; these were in- 

 variably sea-shells. In one instance, in the nest the most remote 

 from the sea that we discovered, one of the men of the party found, 

 and brought to me, the stone of some fruit which had evidently been 

 rolled in the sea. These stones he found lying in a heap in the nest ; 

 and they are now in my possession." 



The specimen sent to me by Mr. Gregory bears a very general 

 resemblance to the Chlamydera mucidata, being spotted all over like 

 that species ; but it differs in the guttations of the upper surface 

 being of a larger size and much more distinct, in the abdomen being 

 buff, and in the shafts of the primaries being straw-yellow. In all 

 probability, the specimen is a female, since there is no trace of the 

 beautiful lilaceous nuchal mark seen in the males only of Chlamy- 

 dera maculata and C. nuchalis. Of this well-defined group there 

 are now known three very distinct species, viz., the C maculata, 

 of the east coast ; the C. nuchalis, which frequents the northern parts ; 

 and the C. guttata, of the north-western provinces of Australia. 



Chlamydera guttata, Gould. 



General tint of the upper surface and wings deep-brownish black, 

 with a spot of rich buff at the tip of each feather, those of the head 

 and nape being very small, while those on the body and wings are of 

 large size, accordant, in fact, with the increased size of the feathers ; 

 the spots on the tips of the greater wing- coverts are not so round as 

 those on the back ; the primaries are very pale brown, fading into 

 white on the basal portion of their inner webs, which is yellow on the 

 under surface ; their shafts straw-yellow ; tail-feathers pale brown, 

 with buff shafts and white tips ; throat-feathers brown at the base, 

 with an arrow-head-shaped mark of pale buff at the tip of each, the 

 buff tips becoming much larger on the chest ; centre of the abdomen 

 pale buff; flanks, thighs, and under tail-coverts buff, barred with 

 light brown ; bill black ; gape rich yellow ; feet apparently very dark 

 olive. 



Total length 11^ inches; bill 1^; wing 6 ; tail 4| ; tarsi If. 



Hab. North-western Australia. 



B.em.ark. — The primaries of the specimen described are much worn ; 

 they are doubtless tipped with white in fresh-moulted specimens. 



