Oedee PASSEllES.] 



[Fam. CERTHIID^ 



OETHONYX OCHEOCEPHALA. 



(THE YELLOAV-HEAD.) 



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Yellow-headed Flycatcher^ Lath. Gen. Syn. ii. p. 342 (1783). 

 Muscicapa ochrocephala^ Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 944 (1788, ex Lath.). 

 Certhia heteroclites^ Quoy & Gaim. Voy. Astrol. i. pi. 17. fig. 1 (1830). 

 Mohoua hua^ Less. Compl. Buff. ix. p. 139 (1837). 

 Orthonyx icterocephalus^ Lafr. Eev. Zool. 1839, p. 257. 



Ma 



Mohoua ochrocephala^ Gray, List of Gen. of B. p. 25 (1841). 



Muscicapa chloris^ Forst. Descr. Anim. p. 87 (1844). 



Orthonyx ochrocephala^ Gray & Mitch. Gen. of B. i. p. 151, pi. 46 (1847). 



Native names. 

 The same as those applied to the preceding species: " Canary" of the colonists 



V 





Ad. pileo undique et corpore subtus Isete citrinis^ nucha vix olivascente, abdomine imo cum cruribus crissoque 



cineraceis : dorso toto oUvascenti-brunneo, flavido lavato, uropygio conspicue Isetiore flavo : tectricibus 

 alarum et supracaudalibus olivaceo-flavis^ illarum majoribus saturatioribus^ potius olivaceo-viridibus : 

 remigibus brimneis^ extiis dorsi colore lavatis^ primariis cano hmbatis^ pogonii interni margine Isete 

 flavicante : cauda olivaceo-flav^^ subcaudalibus et subalaribus olivaceo-flavis, his albido lavatis : rostro 

 nigro : pedibus nigris^ unguibus saturate brunneis : iride nigra. 



2 mari similis, sed coloribus obscurioribus. 



Juv, similis adulto^ sed pileo et nucha olivascente lavatis. * 



Adult male. Head and breast^ sides of the body, and upper part of the abdomen bright canary-yellow ; 

 shoulderS; back, and upper surface of -wings yellowish brown^ with an olivaceous tinge ; upper surface 

 of tail and the outer margins of the secondary quills dark olivaceous yellow; the colours are blended 

 Avhere they meet, the nape being more or less mottled with yellowish brown ; lower part of abdomen 

 greyish white; thighs and flanks pale brown; upper and lower tail-coverts yellow; the whole of the 

 plumage is dark plumbeous at the base. Irides black; bill and feet black; claws dark broAvn. Total 

 length 6 inches; wing, from flexure, 3'25; tail 2'75; bill, along the ridge *5, along the edge of lower 

 mandible '7; tarsus 1; middle toe and claw '87; hind toe and claw '75. 



Female. Similar to the male, but with the tints of the plumage generally duller. 



Young, The young bird difl'ers from the adult in having the yellow plumage tinged with olivaceous^ espe- 

 cially on the crown and nape, where the latter colour predominates ; rictal membrane yellow. 



Obs, The shafts of the tail-feathers are often found denuded at the tips. 



This bright coloured bird is the southern representative of Orthonyx albicilla. Its range is con- 



