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Show 386 MR. E. P. RAMSAY ON BIRDS FROM QUEENSLAND. [June 11, of the neck above the shoulders; flanks and under coverts of wings tinged with brown, under surface of the wing dark brown, the inner margins of the feathers whitish brown; bill and legs reddish horn-brown. An egg taken from the oviduct is white, thinly dotted with black, 0*75 in length by 0*5 inch in breadth. 25. PTTLOTrS VERSICOLOR? Young in half plumage; beautifully mottled, on both under and upper surface, with triangular markings of black and yellow. 26. ORTHONYX SPALDINGI, sp. nov. Male. The whole of the head, cheeks, and ear-coverts, the sides of the head, sides and back of the neck, the sides of the chest, and the shoulders jet-black. Wings above brownish black, the feathers broadly margined with dark brown ; primaries and outer webs of the secondaries brown, lighter on the outer webs of the primaries. Chin, throat, chest, and centre of breast, as far as the abdomen, white; sides of the breast, flanks, upper and under tail-coverts, rump, and back olive-brown; base of the feathers and abdomen dull slaty brown ; the tail, lower part of hind neck, and between the shoulders blackish brown ; bill black; eyelid flesh-white; irides blackish brown ; legs and feet brownish black. The tail is long and pointed, two outer feathers one-fourth less than the centre ones, the shafts of which are black, and much curved downwards, but not so much worn into spines as in the remainder of the feathers. Total length (of skin) 11 inches; wing, from flexure 5*2; tail 5 inches; tarsi 1*9 ; bill, from angle of mouth 1 in., from forehead 0*9, its width at base 0*4, height 0*4. The female differs from the male in having the olive-brown tinge on the upper and under parts of a reddish-brown tint, and in having the centre of the chin, throat, and chest rich deep rust-red, from which a triangular patch of white descends, lessening in width, over the breast to the abdomen; the rest of the plumage as in the male ; bill black, irides blackish brown, eyelid flesh-white. Total length (of skin) 5*5 inches; tail 4*1; wing, from flexure 4*5 ; bill, from angle of mouth 0*9, from forehead 0*85, height 0*3, width 0*3 ; tarsi 1*8. Legs and feet blackish brown. Remarks.-This fine species was obtained in a dense brush about thirty-five miles inland, and is a valuable addition to our avifauna, being the second species of this anomalous genus (Orthonyx). Its much greater size and jet-black plumage at once distinguish it from Orthonyx spinicaudus of the New-South-Wales brushes, to which, however, it closely assimilates in habits and actions, frequenting the thickest parts of the scrubs, and obtaining its food by scratching among the fallen leaves and debris. I beg to propose the specific name of spaldingi for this new species, after its discoverer, who has worked hard in the ornithological line for many years, and added to m y collection many valuable and rare birds. |