ORNITHOLOGY. 



tribes of the feathered race : we have even few birds in England more 

 diminutive, for in point of magnitude it does not exceed that of our 

 common willow-wren, its length being only about four inches. The 

 elegance of its plumage, is, however, in a peculiar degree attractive, 

 and more than amply compensates for this inferiority in size. The 

 general colour above is cinereous brown, varying to a cinereous 

 purple ; the throat and breast a delicate fulvous yellow ; the crown 

 of the head black spotted with white ; the wings, except the coverts, 

 which are the same colour as the back, are black, and the tip of each 

 of these black feathers are marked with a spot of white. The rump 

 coverts are testaceous, becoming gradually redder towards the end : 

 the tail itself is black, having the base of a fine crimson with some 

 intermixture of yellow ; and in general, though not invariably, there 

 is a white dot at the tip of each of the tail feathers ; sometimes it is 

 only the outer feather on each side the tail that is marked with a 

 white dot. Beneath, the throat and breast is of a delicate yellow 

 colour ; the bill black, and legs brown. 



In the plate that accompanies this description, this elegant 

 little bird appears perched upon a sprig of the ovate leaved Goodenia, 

 GooDENiA OvATA, a vegetable production of the Australasian 

 regions, that flowered in the month of July, during the present year, 

 in the Royal Gardens, Kew. 



