THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
The three following descriptions are from birds kept in captivity (pi. 566) 
AdvU female. Head and back of the neck light ash-grey ; mantle deep chestnut, slightly 
shaded with lilac ; wing-coverts and secondaries dull chestnut ; primaries ash-brown, 
margined on the outer web with dull chestnut and on the iimer web with pinkish- 
buff ; rump light chestnut with indistinct bars of w'hitish; upper tail-coverts 
golden straw-colour ; tail dull brown, the central pairs margined on both webs with 
straw-colour ; lores, sides of the face and ear-coverts light ash-grey tinged on the 
latter with fawn ; upper tliroat wliitish ; lower tliroat, chest, sides of the body and 
under wing-coverts pinkish-buff; middle of the abdomen wliite ; thighs and under 
tail-coverts black; under-surface of wings greyish-ash, broadly margined on the 
inner web with buff. Died in aviary on the 3rd of May, 1905, and is very similar 
to the typical bird. See Avic. hlag. for April, 1905. 
Adxdt male. Top of the head and neck ash-grey, lightest on the fore-head; mantle and 
lower back dull chestnut, shaded with lavender, lighter on the rump; long upper 
tail-coverts golden straw'-colomr; central tail-feathers pointed, light brownish- 
chestnut in colour and margined on both webs with straw-colour, remainder of tail 
duU browm ; cheeks and ear-coverts reddish-browm with white shaft-streaks; feathers 
of the throat wiiitish at the base and brownish-black at the extremity; a patch of 
blackish-browTi on each side of the chest; remainder of the under-surface rich bufi, 
lightest on the sides of the body ; middle of the abdomen wliite ; tliighs and under 
tail-coveiis black; under-surface of wings greyish-ash, margined broadly on the 
inner w'eb mth rich buff. Died in aviary on the 10th of November, 1906, received 
aiarch 1905, and is beginning to show the plumage of castamothorax. 
Adxdt male. Head and back of the neck light grey with brownish centres to each feather; 
mantle and lower back light chestnut washed with lilac-colour; rump golden- 
chestnut ; upper tail-coverts golden straw-colour; tail-feathers brownish-ash, the 
central pair margined on both webs and tipped with straw-colour; wing-coverts 
and secondaries dark chestnut; primaries dull chestnut margined on the inner 
w'eb with lighter chestnut; lores and throat black, shading into blackish-brown 
on the cheeks and ear-coverts, the latter with wliitish shaft-streaks ; chest rich buff, 
some of the feathers with chestnut bars ; feathers of the sides of the breast chestnut, 
tipped with isabelliire and with a subtenninal bar of black; chest, sides of the 
body and abdomen rich buff, under tail-coverts and tliighs black; under-surface 
of tail ash-grey, margined on the inner web with reddish-chestnut. Died in aviary 
on the 18th of February, 1907, and shows the plumage of castaneothorax to a 
greater degree. 
Eggs. Four to six eggs form the clutch. A clutch of four eggs taken at the Daly River, 
Northern Territory, on the 17th of January, 1902, is of a pure white. Long ovals 
in shape, surface of shell fine and smooth, and devoid of gloss. 16 by 11 mm. 
Nest. Very similar to that of D. castaneothorax. 
Breeding-seasom. Probably July to January. 
In coiuiection with tliis species it is interesting to note that Gould wTote: 
“ A shigle specimen, and the only one I have ever seen of tliis pretty Fincli, 
was presented to me by the late Mr. Bynoe, who procured it on the banks of 
the Victoria River during the late surveying voyage of H.M.S. Ship ‘ Beagle. 
It is very nearly alhed to the Donacola castaneothorax, but is specifically distinct 
from that as w^ell as from every other known species of tliis now numerous 
tribe of birds. I regret to add that nothuig whatever is known of its habits 
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