166 Order Passer i formes, Family MeZiphagid&e, Genua Meliornis. 



Mr. J. W. Mellor exhibited the skins of the Lesser Bush 

 Lark (Mirafra javanica secunda). The want of knowledge 

 respecting these birds shown at the late Forestry Conference 

 in Adelaide was discussed. 



Order Passeriformcs, Tamily Neliphao'idae, 

 Genus Meliornis. 



Meliornis novae-holandiae subassimilis. 



Upper .surface— Forehead, crown and occiput black, 

 feathers at the base of the bill tipped with white, hind neck 

 black, each feather with a margin of light brown, line over ear 

 coverts white, ear coverts black, with a tuft of white feathers 

 extending backwards from their lower posterior border, 

 mantle black each feather broadly margined with white, on 

 some of the feathers on one web only, feathers of the back 

 and upper tail coverts black broadly margined with dull 

 brown. 



Lower surface — Chin black, bordered on each side at the 

 angles of the mouth by a patch of white, throat black, with the 

 hair-like terminations of the feathers white, feathers of the 

 breast black, broadly margined with white, the border becom- 

 ing broader and the central streak narrower towards the abdo- 

 men which is white, under tail coverts white, with a broad 

 lanceolate streak of black in their centres, thighs brown. 



Wing — Primaries and secondaries black, all except the first 

 two primaries and the last secondary, with the outer webs 

 margined with bright yellow forming a yellow patch on the 

 wing, the last two secondaries margined with white at their 

 tips, wing coverts black. 



Tail — Two central tail feathers dull black, the outer 

 webs washed with yellow, the rest of the tail 

 feathers black, the outer webs margined with yellow, and 

 largely tipped with white on the inner webs, the two outer 

 ones with a small patch of white on the outer webs as well. 



