BLACK-HEADED MINAH. 
brown ; remainder of tho imdor-surfacc white. Eyes brown ; bill, feet and legs 
canary-yellow. Total length 208 imu. ; culraeir 18, wing 142, tail 124, tarsus 32. 
Figured. Collected at Kanawa, Kow South Walen, on the 3rd of Juno, 1909, 
The sexes are alike. 
Immature male. Base of fore-head, lores, fore-part of chocks, chin, and throat white , 
fore-part of the crown, feathers above and behind tho eye and oar-coverts dark 
brown; nape, hind-neck, and sides of neck grey Avith pale tips to the feathert:; 
back somewhat darker : rump and n])por tail-eoverts pale earth-brown; scapulars 
and upper wing-coverts similar to the back ; bastard-wing, primary-coverts and 
flight-quills blackish-brown, the primaries margined on both Avebs and tipj>ed 
with Avhite; outer Avebs of secondarie." fringed Avitli j'elloAvish-green on tho outer 
webs, Avhito on tlie inner ones, and grey at the tips; tail dark broAvn at the base 
and buffy-Avhite at the tip; fore-neck grey, barred with pale brown; breast, 
abdomen, sides of body, A^eut, and under tail-coA^erts Avhite; niargiiial under W'ing- 
coverls Avhitish ; under-surface of flight-quills ilark broAvn mai’gincd with AA'hite; 
loAver aspect of tail similar to its upper-siu’facc. Eyes dark broAvn, feet yellowish, 
becoming horny-brown; liill, tluoat and behind eye bright yellow. Collected 
near JIannum, South Australia, on the 27th of XoA^ember, 1913. 
Immature female. Top of head and sides of face blackish Avith pale tips to the feathers ; 
hind-neck, back, rump, upper tail-coverts and scapulars slate-grey, more or less 
tinged Avith faAvii-colour ; lesser upper Aving-coverts, bastai’d-Aviug, primarj -coverts, 
and flight-quills blacldsh-brown, the outer primaries fringed and tipped with white, 
the inner ones and the outer secondaries fringed Avith greenish-yellow on the outer 
webs and gi’e}' at the tips of the last; inner margins of the quills Avliite; tiiil dark 
at the base and pale at the tip, some of tho feathers slightly tinged with yellowish- 
green on the outer Aveb.s ; base of fore-head and lores whitish ; cliin and middle of 
tliroat grey, sides ot throat black; fore-nock and sides of neck pale grey with dark 
spots on the former ; breast, sides of bodj’, and axillaries also pale grey ; abdomen, 
lower flanks, and under tail-coverts Avhite; thiglis pale rust-broAvn; under Aving- 
coverts similar to the axillaries, paler and inclining to bufi on tho marginal series; 
imder-surfaco of flight-quills dark broAvn Avith paler margins; lower aspect of 
tail similar to its uppcr-siu*face but j^aler. Eyes hazel, skin round eye lemon; feet 
orange-red; bill 3 ^elk)w. Collected at SomerA’ille. Victoria, on the 29th of 
January, 1912, 
Eggs, Three to fom* eggs form the clutch, seldom live. A clutch of tliree eggs taken at 
Bolltrees, Upper Hunter River district, Kew' South Wales, on tho 20th of October, 
1906, is of a pale pinkish-white gi’oimd-colour, well spotted, chiefly about the larger 
end, with reddish-chestnut and purplish-groy, and are rather t^-pical specimens 
for this species. Ovals in shape. Surface of shell fine and smooth and rather 
gloss 3 \ 26-27 by 18 mm. 
Nest, An open cup-shaped structure, composed of roots, twigs, grasses, strips of bark, 
etc., and frequently bound together and ornamented outside with small silken 
cocoons, and often sheep^s wool is used for the piu’pose. Lined with fine grasses and 
hair, etc. Placed in a bush or tree in a variety of situations from a height of 6 feet 
up to 25 feet or more from the ground. Dimensions over all: G to 8 inches across 
by 4 to 5 inches in depth; tho egg-cavit^’’ measures to 3| inches across by 2J 
to 3 inches deep. The size of the nest depends upon the position and place wherein 
it is built. 
Breeding-months, July to end December. 
VOL. XTI. 
41 
