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Show 52 LETTER FROM MR. E. P. RAMSAY. [Jan. '-3, because these differences do not exist in all the specimens I have examined from those parts. Nevertheless I must acknowledge that in most of the Port-Phillip specimens these bars on the two tail-feathers are more defined and of a deeper tint than 1 have observed in the New-South-Wales specimens. But this I attribute in a great measure to the age of the birds, and also of the tail itself; for an old tad always appears to me to be darker in tint than one freshly grown. I noticed this fact last year, when I examined some fifty specimens, and found that the most perfect tails were lightest in colour, and, moreover, that the two outside tail-feathers were the last to obtain their full length. This may in some way account for Mr. Gould's remark respecting the ' diminished length ' of these feathers in his Port-Phillip specimens ; for when fully grown, in all m y specimens from the same locality, these feathers are of the same average length, and bear the same proportion to the rest of the tail-feathers as those of the New-South-Wales birds. "The South-Australian variety, then, differs upon the whole in being of a slightly darker tint, and in having the bars of the two outer tail-feathers more defined, especially at the base, and of a deeper colour than is usually found in New-South-Wales specimens. This darker tint of colour is also visible in the tails of the females. If such slight differences are considered by ornithologists to be specific, no more appropriate name could be found for the South-Australian bird than that chosen by Mr. Gould (Menura victoriee). "With respect to the Menura alberti, I am afraid that I can add but little to the very complete account of it already given by Mr. Gould in his 'Handbook to the Birds of Australia.' W e met with it on two occasions only during last year's visit to the Richmond River. So 6hy and distrustful was this species, that a passing glance and a random shot were all we could get in either instance, which, nevertheless, obtained us two fine specimens. One, a young female (?), shot on the 9th of November, and which I take to be about six months old, had still a large tuft of down on the chest; all the upper surface (except the back of the head and neck, which are dark brown) is of a deep rufous ; front of the head, throat, underside of neck, and the upper and under tail-coverts are of a deep bright rufous ; the chest is covered with dense, short, stiff, downy feathers of a dull-brown colour; all the under surface, except the centre of the breast and abdomen, which are light brown, is of a sandy buff; tail dark brown underneath, each feather tipped with rufous. Total length 23 inches, tail 14*12, bill 1*7, along the ridge 1*4, width at base *6, height *5, tarsi 4 inches; hind toe 1*4, its claw 1*5 ; second toe 1*9, its claw I 2 ; third toe 2* I, its claw 1*1 ; fourth toe 1*7, its claw 1 inch. Bill, legs, and claws black." Mr. Gould made some comments upon Mr. Ramsay's paper, in the course of which he remarked that any additional information respecting the birds forming the genus Menura must be of the highest interest to physiologists as well as to ornithologists. The ano- |