TRIG 0 L OXJRE D CHAT. 
with white ; crown of head, upper tail-coverts, breast, and abdomen scarlet-red ; 
throat, middle of abdomen and long under tail-coverts white ; under wing-coverts 
cinnamon like the inner margins of the quills below, remainder of quill-lining pale 
brown ; lower aspect of tail dark brown with white tips to the feathers. Bill and 
feet black, eyes white. Total length 122 mm. ; culmen 10, wing 67, tail 42, tarsus 
19. Figured. Collected at Alexander, Eastern Northern Territory, on the 17th 
of December, 1905, and is the type of Epthianura tricolor distincta. 
Adult female. Crown of head, sides of face, sides of neck, breast and sides of body fawn- 
colour ; back pale smoke-brown ; wings hair-brown with white or greyish-white 
margins to the feathers ; the feathers of the rump tipped with white ; upper tail- 
coverts scarlet-red ; tail blackish-brown and tipped with white on the inner webs ; 
throat, middle of abdomen and under tail-coverts white ; under wing-coverts 
and inner edges of quills below pale cinnamon-buff, remainder of quill-lining hair- 
brown ; lower aspect of tail dark brown with white tips to the feathers. Bill dark 
horn with lower base lighter ; feet nearly black, eyes buff. Total length 115 mm. ; 
culmen 11, wing 69, tail 39, tarsus 19. Figured. Collected at Bore Well, Mid- 
west Australia, on the 10th of August, 1909. 
Nest. Cup-shaped, composed of grass and rootlets and lined with finer ones. Measure- 
ments outside 4 inches wide by 2} deep. Inside 2 inches by 1J. 
Eggs. Clutch, three or four. White, spotted sparingly with reddish-purple. 17 mm. 
by 12-13. 
Breeding- season. October to December. (July to March, West). 
Although Gould described this species from South Australia he wrote : 
“ While traversing, soon after sunrise on the 11th of December, 1839, the 
forest lands near Peel’s River to the eastward of Liverpool Plains, a fine male 
specimen of this bird attracted my notice by the beauty of its colouring, the 
sprightliness and activity of its actions, and the busy manner in which it was 
engaged in capturing small insects. As may be supposed, the sight of a bird 
of such beauty, which, moreover, was entirely new to me, exeited so strong 
a desire to possess it that scarcely a moment elapsed before it was dead and 
in my hand. In a small collection procured in South Australia by the late 
F. Strange, two other specimens occurred which I supposed to be male and 
female ; unfortunately they were unaccompanied by any information respect- 
ing the habits or economy of this rare bird ; more recently, however, both 
G. French Angus (recte Angas) Esq., and Mr. Wliite have favoured me with 
brief notes on the subject. ‘ A nest and eggs of the Tricoloured Ephthianura,’ 
says Mr. Angus, ‘ were taken on the 27th of October, 1862, in a low bush at 
Evandale, about three miles from Collingrove, Angaston, South Australia. 
It had never been seen in that locality before, the farthest south being the 
head of Spencer’s Gulf, where I obtained it in the scrub in September I860.’ 
4 This,’ says Mr. White, ‘ is a very rare species ; and from all I can learn, I 
imagine its true haunt to be in the far north and west of South Australia, and 
that it occasionally comes southward to breed. On a journey made in October 
333 
