Genus— LOPHOPTIL OTIS. 
Lophoptilotis Mathews, Nov. Zool., Vol. 
XVIII., p. 414, Jan. 31st, 1912. Type 
(by monotypy) .. .. .. .. Ptilotis leadbeteri McCoy 
= P. cassidix Gould. 
This is one of the most distinct generic groups in the family, and when McCoy 
described the type species he wrote : “ The subcristate head and the female 
diff ering in colour from the male suggest a new subgeneric section for this 
fine bird.” 
The species are large “ Ptilotis ” with peculiar subcrested heads, elongate 
ear-coverts, short stout bills, long wings, long wedge-shaped tail and short 
strong legs and feet. 
The bill is short and stout, shorter than the length of the head, laterally 
compressed with slight basal expansion, so that breadth at base is less than 
depth ; culmen arched, no projecting tip; under mandible strong; interramal 
space feathered, less than half the length of the mandible ; gonys notably 
straight; nasal groove long, less than half the length of the bill; frontal 
feathers approaching on to the groove for half its length; linear nostrils 
strongly operculate. 
The wing is long, the first primary short, half the length of the second, 
which exceeds the long secondaries but is shorter than the seventh primary; 
the third, fourth, fifth and sixth primaries subequal and longest. 
The tail is long, and notably fan-shaped, the feathers fairly broad but 
tips pointed. 
The legs are short and stout; the front is strongly scutellate, seven scutes 
being counted, the hinder aspect bilaminate ; the toes are strong, the hind- 
toe stoutest and longest, the outer and inner toes subequal, the inner toe with 
claw longer than the middle toe alone. 
The species, known as Ptilotis auricomis, recte melanops , seems congeneric, 
differing oyly in slightly smaller size and subcrest not pronounced. 
Key to the Species. 
Upper-surface dark olive, feathers on fore-head full, larger L. cassidix. 
Upper-surface dull olive, feathers on fore-liead normal, 
smaller .. .. .. .. .. .. .. L. melanops. 
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