Genus — R Y A N I A . 
Ryania Mathews, Austral Ay. Rec., 
Vol. I., pt. 5, p. 113, Dec. 24, 
1912. Type (by original desig- 
nation) ... ... ... Muscicapa melanocephala Latham. 
Although I only stated : “ Differs from Malurus in its shorter wing and 
tail, and in lacking the erectile ear-coverts ” there seems to be no very close 
relationship between this group and the ones just preceding. 
The bill is short and stout, culmen a little arched and keeled, the tip 
little decurved and the expansion of the base comparatively less than in the 
preceding ; there are three weak rictal and no nasal bristles ; the linear 
nostrils lie in a nasal groove which is more than one-third the length of the 
culmen ; the under mandible comparatively stout, the interramal space small 
and feathered. 
The wing has the third and’ fourth primaries subequal and longest, the 
fifth and sixth a little shorter successively, the second is equal to the eighth 
and is a little shorter than the secondaries ; the first primary is short and less 
than half the second primary in length. 
The tail is long, but comparatively shorter and less graduated than in 
the preceding forms. 
The legs are similar and are comparatively a little stouter, but the claws 
are noticeably longer and less curved, especially the hind claw ; the hind toe 
and claw are equal in length to the middle toe and claw, but not much stouter ; 
while the inner and outer toes are equal and with the claw equal to the middle 
toe alone. 
115 
