MALURUS BROWN II. 



after passing through their third moulting, or that immediately preceding 

 their arrival at maturity. If they should prove the same, the specific name 

 in honour of Mr Brown may still be retained, as there appears some er- 

 ror in the synonyms quoted by Messrs. Vigors and Horsfield, as be- 

 longing to its ally. Muscicapa melanocephala, Orange-rumped Warbler, 

 Latham, is there quoted, and that latter gentleman refers to Lewin's 

 " Orange-rump Fly-catcher," which is not a Malurus at all, but the Rhi- 

 pidura rubifrons of Mr Vigors. We shall now endeavour to describe the 

 specimen in question as correctly as possible. 



The length is four inches and one-eighth, of which the tail makes up 

 an inch and three quarters. The head, back of the neck, shoulders, tail, 

 and all the under parts are deep glossy black ; the feathers on the head, 

 cheeks and throat, thick and velvety, and slightly tinged with steel-blue : 

 the lower part of the back of the neck, back, and rump, bright scarlet-red 

 tinged with orange-red ; on these parts the feathers are of a fine and silky 

 texture : the wings are umber-brown, with the edges of the quills paler : 

 the bill deep black, furnished at base with strong bristles ; legs and feet 

 umber-brown. Mr Lewin has figured the female, which we have had no 

 opportunity of examining. From his representation, the upper parts ap- 

 pear to be umber-brown, paler on the cheeks and sides of the neck ; the 

 under parts nearly pure white. The bill also is represented as yellowish- 

 brown, one of the distinguishing marks of M. melanocephalus, Vigors and 

 Horsfield, and which tends to confirm our opinion of its being a younger 

 specimen of our species, the young males being similar to the females, and 

 the colours of the bill and legs, when different, being mostly discernible 

 for a year afterwards. 



