from Western Australia. 131 
The white frontal mark has enlarged to the size normally 
found in the adult, but the texture of each feather is soft, 
and there is no superimposed layer of cells to give a glint. 
The wings still retain some light rufous marks in place of 
the white shown by the adult, while white is present in the 
primaries and secondaries. Black feathers are mixed with 
the brown on the head, throat, interscapuliam, rump, and 
lesser wing-coverts ; the red of the chest is pronounced in 
one spot, but sparse below and on the left of it. Bill black 
above, pale yellow at base of lower mandible ; feet blackish ; 
soft skin round eye yellow. Total length 4*9 inches, 
wing 2"75. 
Specimen N. — Similar to M, but has a broader and deeper 
patch of red, which is lighter than in the adult ; more black 
feathers on the throat and back ; a darker bill ; and more 
white shewing on the small brown edges of the wing-coverts, 
that form so fine an appearance of clear white in the mature 
bird. 
Specimens and P. — These are skins of females further 
advanced towards the adult stage than are M and N in the 
male. There is no sign of immaturity on the backs, and the 
red of the breasts is broadly though feebly distributed. The 
throat-plumage varies, being brown in O, whitish in P, but 
in neither grey as in the adult. The lower mandible and 
frontal marks serve to prove the specimens nearly mature. 
The white band on the wing-coverts is stronger in O than 
in the adult. Total length 5 inches, wing 2"7. 
Just as the green on the wings and tail of certain Meli- 
phagidse is pronounced in the fledgling and weak iu the 
adult, so it is with this Robin as regards the rufous upon the 
upper surface of the wings and upon the under tail-coverts. 
Rufous is clearly shown in the nestling, but disappears 
gradually through the various stages, until the white of the 
adult appears (within ten weel^s). 
The tail-feathers are practically'' pointed in the nestling — 
the spinose appearance vanishing gradually in all the stages 
above noted until the rounded form of the rectrices of the 
adult is reached. 
k2 
