181 
RUFOUS-CROWNED TODY. 
Lepturus ruficeps, Swains. 
PLATE XX. 
Above brown s middle of the crown with a rufous stripe ; chin 
and throat white ; breast and body pale yellow ; the sides 
ferruginous ; lores whitish. 
In artificial systems this little bird would be placed in 
the genus Malurus, which has been made a common 
receptacle for all insessorial birds which have length- 
ened slender tails, short wings, and large feet, no 
matter what their other characters mid affinities 
may be. 
The upper plumage is of a light drab-drown, in- 
clining to fulvous on the rump ; the tail and wings 
are rather darker, with the edges of the wing-covers 
and quills dirty white. Over the eye, and on the 
lores, is a dirty white stripe ; the middle of the 
crown is pale rufous, or ferrugineous ; the under plu- 
mage is white, but straw-coloured from the breast, 
having the sides ferrugineous ; the under mandible 
and the feet are pale ; the upper dark horn colour. 
The figure is of the size of life. 
Total length, 4 T 2 S inches ; bill, gape, , 6 3 ; front, 
4 5 ; wings, 1£; tail, beyond, 1 j 4 5 ; base, 2 ; tarsus, 
■ § ; middle toe and claw, i. 
The next sub-genus is 
