THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
Nests and Eggs Austr. Birds, p. 818, 1901 ; Hall, Emu, Vol. II., p. 66, 1902 ; Berney, 
ih., p. 213, 1903 ; Carter, ih., Vol. III., p. 177, 1904 ; Hall, Key Birds Austr., p. 89, 
1906 ; Berney, Emu., Vol. VI., p. 114, 1907 ; Littler, Handb. Birds Tasm., p. 142, 
1910. 
Pisobia ruficollis Matbews, Handl. Birds Austral., p. 28, 1908 ; id., Emu, Vol. IX., p. 4, 
1909. 
Pisobia minuta ruficollis Mathews, Nov. Zool., Vol. XVIII., p. 222, 1912. 
Distribution. Siberia (breeding), migrating southward to Australia and Tasmania in 
winter. 
Adult male, in summer-plumage. Head and neck all round rufous, like the back and 
scapulars, with dark centres to the feathers ; the long innermost secondaries dark 
brown with chestnut margins ; bastard-wing, lesser, median, and greater wing- 
coverts dark brown, the latter tipped with white, which forms a wing-bar ; primary- 
coverts dark brown, the inner ones tipped with white, primary- and secondary- 
quills also dark brown with white shafts ; rump and upper tail-coverts dark brown, 
the feathers edged with white, the long central upper tail-coverts black ; middle 
tail-feathers dark brown, the outer feathers pale grey ; base of forehead and chin 
whitish ; sides of breast grey with blackish centres to the feathers ; remainder of 
the under-surface white, with a tinge of buff on the abdomen, sides of body, and 
under tail-coverts ; bill and feet black ; eyes brown. Total length 152 mm. ; 
culmen 17, wing 102, tail 43, tarsus 21. 
Adxilt female, in summer-plumage. Similar to the male, but rather more grey on the feathers 
of the upper-surface, throat, and sides of face ; it is also paler. 
Adult male, in winter- plumage. Upper-parts grey, with dark shaft-lines to the feathers of 
the head, back, scapulars, and wings ; the small marginal upper wing-coverts dark 
brown like the bastard -wing and primary-coverts, major-coverts tipped with white 
which forms a wing-bar ; primary-quills dark bro^vn with white shafts ; secondaries 
brown, with white on the inner webs ; rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail much 
the same as in the summer-plumage ; forehead, sides of face, and a faintly indicated 
supercihary streak white, hke the chin, throat, and the entire under-surface. 
Another bird, collected in May and still in winter-plumage, differs in being some- 
what paler grey, and in having the dark central spot to the feathers on the side 
of the breast larger. 
An adult female, collected in March, is just beginning to assume the breeding-dress, 
which is by the appearance of rufous on the throat and top of the head, and the 
chestnut on the margins of the scapulars. 
Adult female, in winter-plumage. Similar to the adult male. 
Nest and Eggs undescribed. 
Mr. J. P. Rogers found this bird near Derby, North-west Australia. They 
were in small flocks in December, but the flocks increased in size tiU they 
became very numerous in February, 1911. They were usually seen on the 
beach. Small flocks of ten to twelve were seen at Roebuck Bay in May, 
June, and July, some of these birds being partly in breeding-plumage. 
They were also collected on Melville Island, Northern Territory, up till 
February, 1912. 
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