Genus— RAMS AY ORNIS. 
Ramsayornis Mathews, Austral Avian 
Record, Vol. I., pt. 5, p. 115, Dec. 24th, 
1912. Type (by original designation).. Gliciphila subfasciata Ramsay. 
Ryanornis Campbell, Emu, Vol. XVIII., 
pt. m., p. 186, Jan. 1st, 1919. Type 
(by monotypy) .. .. .. .. Glyciphila fasciata Gould. 
I diagnosed this genus thus : “ Differs from Gliciphila in its shorter but 
comparatively stouter bill, with weaker legs and feet; the wing is shorter and 
the tail comparatively much shorter, while the first and second primaries 
are proportionately shorter.” 
These are smaller birds than the two preceding with which they have 
been commonly associated and build domed nests, being the only “ Honey- 
eaters ” that do so. 
The bill is short and stout, shorter than the head, the culmen arched, 
the tip somewhat attenuate and base expanded ; the nasal groove short, 
less than one-third the length of the culmen ; the interramal space rather 
large, nearly half the length of the mandible and feathered, the lower mandible 
nearly straight; the upper mandible is broader at base than depth of both 
mandibles at that point; nasal and rictal bristles obsolete. 
The wing has the first primary small, less than one-third the length of 
the second, which is less than the sixth but longer than the seventh; the 
third, fourth and fifth primaries sub-equal and longest; secondaries long. 
The tail is square and long but comparatively short in this group. 
The feet are small; the tarsus obscurely scutellate as usual, the toes 
short and slender, the outer longer than the inner, the hind-toe and claw 
stoutest and longest. 
Ryanornis could be used if fascialus were separated sub-generically as 
it is a larger bird with a stouter bill and has the first primary proportionately 
longer, more than one-third the length of the second which is only equal to 
the eighth, while the third, fourth, fifth and sixth are about equal and longest. 
The change in the breast markings from longitudinal oval spots to trans¬ 
verse bars is very curious as such a change is seen in the Australian Goshawks, 
364 
a 
