STELLATED GEKINGOItE. 
155 
it as a separate species, and it ought to be retained 
as such, unless extended observation and well authen- 
ticated facts prove it a mere variety, or some parti- 
cular state of plumage, of another species, arising 
from age or sex. In it the typical form of the bill 
is prominently marked, the outline or perspective 
contour forming nearly a semicircle, the depth at the 
base, as may be seen in the figure, is very' great, and 
considerably exceeding the length, measured from 
the rictus or gape to the tip. The under mandible 
is wider than the upper, and toothed, with the front 
deeply emarginate. The upper is thick at the base, 
compressed or cestiform towards the culmen, the tip 
bending inwards, and not projecting far beyond the 
under mandible. Its colour is greyish-white. The 
forehead is scarcely crested, but the feathers upon 
the vertex are a little elongated. The mass of the 
plumage is of a greenish-black, deepest upon the 
back and wings, where it assumes a purplish tinge. 
The cheeks are yellow, with some markings of the 
same colour on the sides of the head, and the lesser 
wing-coverts are speckled with paler yellow. The 
tail is of mean length, the two middle feathers en- 
tirely black, the lateral with their bases and tips 
black, the intermediate space being vermilion, with 
from five to seven narrow bars of black, the interior 
webs are margined with yellow. The shafts of the 
tail feathers project in the form of a bristle beyond the 
barbules, which appear worn down by attrition. It 
is a native of Australia, but unfortunately little at- 
