THE BIRDS OE AUSTRALIA. 
inner edges ; lower aspect of tail similar to its upper-surface. Collected on Melville 
Island, Northern Territory, on the 6th of January, 1912. 
Immature male. Crown of head and sides of face dusky-brown ; back, wings and tail 
pale earth-brown ; bases to the feathers on the back lead-grey ; greater upper 
wing-coverts, in moult, blackish-brown tipped with white ; some of the primary- 
quills which are also moulting are uniform blackish-brown ; upper tail-coverts and 
tail dark hair-brown, the outer feather on each side is for the most part white with 
the dark pattern confined to the basal portion of the inner web, the next pair broadly 
tipped with white, but chiefly on the inner webs, the following pair have only a 
slight indication of white at the tips ; rictal bristles black and profusely developed ; 
chin and throat dull white ; breast greyish-brown with white shaft-lines to the 
feathers ; abdomen and lower flanks buff y- white becoming pure white on the 
under tail-coverts ; thighs dusky ; axillaries and under wing-coverts white with 
dark bases to the feathers ; under-surface of flight-quills pale hair-brown ; lower 
aspect of tail similar to that above, but rather paler. Collected on Melville Island 
on the 22nd of November, 1911. 
Immature. Crown of head, sides of face, and back rust-brown, but much paler on the 
lower back and rump, some of the feathers on the upper back grey on the apical 
portions ; lesser and median upper wing-coverts greyish-brown, the latter tipped 
with white which forms a wing-bar ; outer edge of wing white ; bastard -wing, 
primary-coverts and greater upper wing-coverts hair-brown tipped with white 
which forms a second wing-bar ; flight-quills also hair-brown margined with 
white on the inner webs and fringed on the outer webs and tips of the second- 
aries ; upper tail-coverts and tail smoke-brown, the outer feather on each side 
white on the terminal third and the greater part of the outer web ; the next 
pair broadly tipped, and the following pair only slightly tipped with white on 
the outer webs ; rictal bristles black, numerous, and directed forward ; the 
feathers in front and above the eye tipped with white ; chin and throat white ; 
breast lead-grey with white shaft-lines ; abdomen isabelline-buff becoming white 
on the lower flanks and under tail-coverts ; thighs dusky-brown with white tips to 
the feathers ; axillaries and under wing-coverts grey tipped with white ; under- 
surface of flight-quills hair-brown paler on the inner edges ; lower aspect of tail 
similar to the upper side but slightly paler. Collected on Parry’s Creek, North- 
west Australia, on the 26th of January, 1904. 
Immature. Crown of head, nape, and sides of face soot-black, with a small white patch 
above and in front of the eye ; back and wings dark smoke-brown with rust colour 
tips and margins to the feathers; primary-quills uniform hair-brown, secondaries 
similar but margined with rust colour ; tail blackish-brown, the outer feather on 
each side for the greater part white the dark pattern confined to the basal half 
of the inner web, the next pair tipped with white ; rictal bristles black and 
directed forwards but only slightly developed ; chin and throat white ; breast 
also white with dark bases to the feathers becoming darker on the sides of the 
breast ; abdomen and under tail-coverts buffy-white ; thighs buff ; marginal under 
wing-coverts pale buff ; under-surface of flight-quills hair-brown ; lower aspect 
of tail similar to its upper side. Collected on Melville Island on the 27th of 
October, 1911. 
Nest. Cup-shaped, constructed of strips of melaleuca bark, entirely covered on the outside 
with spiders’ web. The tail projects about 2 inches below the bottom of the nest. 
Inside measurements If inches by f. Outside 2\ inches by If. 
Eggs. Clutch, two. Creamy-white, with a zone of a darker shade on the larger end_ 
17-18 mm. by 13-14. 
Breeding-season. October to January. 
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