THE BIRDS OE AUSTRALIA. 
Neochmia personata harterti Mathews, ih., 
North-west Australia. 
Neochmia personata belcheri Mathews, ib. 
Neochmia personata leucotis Mathews, ib. 
p. 434, Jan. 31st, 1912 : Napier Broome 
Bay, 
Neo'poe'phila personata personata Mathews, List Birds Austr., p. 304, 1913 . 
NeopocpMh, personata harterti Mathews, ih. 
Neopoephila personata leucotis Mathews, ih. 
Neopoephila personata watsoni Mathews, Austral Av. Reo., Vol. III., pt. 4 
21 st, 1917 : Watson River, North Queensland. 
71, July 
Neopoephila personata hilli Mathews, Austral Av. Rec., Vol. V., pts. 2 - 3 , p. 41 Peb ‘’ 1 st 
1923 : Borroloola, Gulf of Carpentaria, Northern Territory. 
Distribution. Northern Australia from Parry’s Creek, North-west AustraUa, to 
Watson River, North Queensland. 
Adult male. Feathers bordering the base of the culmen, lores, cliin and upper throat 
glossy black; head, neck, mantle and wing-coverts light chestnut: rumu white • 
upper tail-coverts white, bordered on the outer margin with black; tail black’ 
the ceutral pair long and tapering to a point; secondaries ash-brown; nrimaries 
browmsh-ash, margmed on the outer web with light chestnut, and ou the inn^ 
webs with pmMi-chestnut; sides of the face, lower throat, chest, belly and sides 
^ patch of black covering the flanks; abdomen thighs 
and under tail-coverts white; under-sui-face of wings blackish-brown widelv 
margined on the ^er web with light chestnut. Eyes deep orange, bill vellow 
1 61. tail 58, tarsus 18 
Figmed. Collated at Napier Broome Bay, North-west Australia, on the I6th 
of December, 1909, and is the type of harterti (personata). 
Adult female. Shnilar to the adult male. 
Adult male. A naiTow line of feathers bordering the upper mandible, lores, chin and 
upper throat black ; cheel^ white, suffused with pink; head, neck, mantle, rump 
wing-coverts and secondaries reddish-chestnut; upper tail-coverts white, bordered 
on the outer web with black; tail-feathers deep black, the middle pair long and 
pointed ; wnngs ash-brown, bordered on the outer web with reddish-chestnut and 
on the inner web with pi^ish-chestnut; lower tliroat, sides of the neck, c’hest, 
breasL belly and sides of the body chestnut-pink; a large patch of black feathers 011 
eadi flank; mid^e of the belly, thighs and under tad-coverts white; under- 
s^ace of wings brownish-black, widely margined on the inner web with vhious- 
chestnut. Eyes red, lull yehow, legs coral red. Total length 120 mm.; culmen 
10 , wing 59, tail 47. tarsus 19. Figured. Collected on the Watson River, North 
Queensland, on the 22nd of July, 1914, and is the type of uatsoni (leucotis). 
Adult female. Similar to the adult male. 
Eggs. Five to sLx eggs form the clutch. A clutch of six eggs taken at Port Stewart, north 
ot Cooktown Queensland, on the 4th of May, 1922, is of a white colour, being 
greatly discoloured and blackened owing to the small piec^es of charcoal wliich 
tins species places 111 with its eggs. Clutches taken also at Boiroloola, Macarthur 
fluring May, 1913, are blackened the same wav, and 
tnose trom Napier Broome Bay in North-western Australia, during Jmio“ 1910. 
MO en or roundish ovals in shape. Surface of shell fine and smooth, but without 
gloss. 15 by 11 mm. 
252 
