140 Zoological Societij, 



Remark. — Tliis new species must be placed in the first rank of the 

 man}^ beautiful birds inhabiting Australia ; indeed there are few from 

 any part of the world that can vie with it in the richness of its colour- 

 ing ; and I cannot possibly have a better opportunity than now pre- 

 sents itself of paying a just tribute of respect to our most gracious 

 Queen, by bestowing upon this lovely denizen of the Australian forests 

 the specific appellation of Fictorice ; — I say of the Australian forests, 

 for although the specimen from which my description is taken is from 

 the Barnard Isles, within the Barrier Reef and only a few miles from 

 the north-eastern shore of Australia, I have evidence, in the notes of 

 the late Mr. Gilbert, that it inhabits the mainland, since he states 

 therein that the Ilifle-bird inhabits the northern as well as the south- 

 ern part of Australia ; in which he was in error ; the bird he saw in 

 the northern part of the country being doubtless the one here de- 

 scribed. 



It is very nearly allied to the Ptiloris paradiseus, but is a smaller 

 bird, with a still more gorgeous colouring. It may be distinguished 

 from that species by the purple of the breast presenting the ap- 

 pearance of a broad pectoral band, bounded above by the scale-like 

 feathers of the throat, and below by the abdominal band of deep oil- 

 green, and also by the broad and lengthened flank-feathers, wtrfeff 

 show very conspicuouslv. ' vl'iBm 



^ ^PHECOTHERES FLAYIVENTRIS, Gould.^.j^ g^^j^ft ; TOifiBal rioB9 io 



Sp. C/?.— Male : crown of the head and cheeks glossy black ; orbife,' 

 and a narrow space leading to the nostrils naked, and of a light buify 

 yellow, or flesh-colour ; all the upper surface, wdng-coverts, outer webs 

 of the secondaries, and a patch on either side of the chest, olive-green ; 

 chin, chest, abdomen and flanks beautiful yellow; vent and under 

 tail-coverts white ; primaries and inner webs of secondaries black?,"^ 

 edged with grey ; tail black, the external web and the apical half of 

 the internal web of the outer feather on each side white ; the apical 

 half of the second feather on each side white ; the next, or third, on 

 each side with a large spot of white at the tip ; bill black ; feetflegh- 

 colour. .0 ... ATTicT,,, 



Female: striated on the head with brown and whitish ; ^'atl ^ the 

 upper surface olive-brown ; all the wing-feathers narrowly edged with 

 greenish grey ; under surface wdiite, with a conspicuous stripe of 

 brown down the centre of each feather ; vent and under tail-coverts 

 white, without striae. his 



Total length, 10| inches; bill, 1^ ; wing, 5| ; tail, 4;i ; tarsi, |ult 

 j^«5. Cape York. iinir 



Remark. — Of the same size as Sphecotheres Australis, but may =tH^l 

 distinguished from that and every other species of the genus by ^q 

 beautiful jonquil-yelloAv of its under surface. 



^.V^R^^f^^^lPTIONS OF THREE NEW SPE<;^S>^FrJjf^<VJ^,.;^^jg<|ifi.8M 



T xloid // uoi?e!in^^ ^' GtOuld, F.R.S. ET<^„S|feefi le/awod i/rodiiw 



I. RUTICILLA GRANDTS, Gould. ^^qri? (it blTrrlrfOr won 9'/srf 



Sp. Ch. — Crown of the head and the basal portion of the primaries 



