EKOPSALTRIA LEUCURA, Gowia.
White-tailed Robin.

Eopsaltria leucura, Gould in Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., 4th ser., vol. iv. p. 108.

 

Tue late John Gilbert was probably the first person who shot this fine species of Hopsaltria, of which I have
had a mutilated skin, obtained by him at Port Essington, in my possession for the last twenty years. The
specimen alluded to is too imperfect for describing or figuring ; but I am enabled to supply these desiderata
g is known
respecting the Hopsaltria leucura, except that it inhabits the great beds of mangroves bordering the coasts

from two others now before me in the finest state of preservation. Unfortunately nothin

of the northern part of Australia (to which, according to Mr. Cockerell, it is confined), that it is very quiet in
all its actions, and rather rare in the neighbourhood of Somerset. There appears to be no difference what-
ever in the colouring of the sexes, in which respect this new species assimilates to the little group of
Yellow-breasted Robins (Lopsaltria australis, EL. griseogularis, &c.). Its nearest ally is the . deucogaster
of Western Australia; but it differs from that species in being of larger size, and in the basal portion of the
five outer tail-feathers on each side being white.

The following description of the colouring of this new species was published by me in the ‘ Annals and
Magazine of Natural History,’ above referred to :—

‘Forehead, lores, and a line nearly surrounding the eye and the ear-coverts black ; head and upper sur-
face dark leaden grey, fringed posteriorly with greyish white ; wings blackish brown, darkest on the shoulders ;
upper tail-coverts black ; two centre tail-feathers black, the next on each side black, with a stripe of white
on the basal part of the shaft and outer web ; the remaining four on each side white at the base, and black
for the remainder of their length ; all the under surface and the under tail-coverts white, with the exception
of a broad band of pale grey across the breast ; bill and feet black.

«Total length 63 inches, bill +3, wing 34, tail 3, tarsi 1.”

‘Habitat. The Cape-York district,” and other parts of the north coast as far as the Coburg Peninsula.

The figures are supposed to represent a male and a female, of the size of life.

1
SA
a
4

a

J