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PETROICA?® CERVINIVENTRI S, Gould.
Buff-sided Robin.

Petrowca cerviniventris, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part xxv. p. 221.

 

So far as regards Ornithological science, it was fortunate that Mr. Elsey remained for a long time encamped
near the Victuria River, on the north-west coast of Australia, since it enabled him to pay some attention to
the natural objects which surrounded him; and the discovery of the present bird, which is quite new to
science, is one of the results of his long stay in that spot in charge of a portion of Mr. Gregory's Expedi-
tion. All who have read my work on the Birds of Australia, will have observed that a species of Petrovca
is figured in the third volume under the name of P. supercitiosa, which bird was collected by the late
Mr. Gilbert in the neighbourhood of the Burdekin Lakes, towards the Gulf of Carpentaria; with this
species the one here figured is very nearly allied ; and as both differ somewhat in form from the typical mem-
bers of the genus, or true Petroice, it may in all probability be found necessary to institute a distinct genus
for their reception : they are doubtless representatives of each other in the respective countries they inhabit,
the superciliosa dwelling on the eastern parts of the continent, and the cerviniventris in the western.

The following is a correct description of the species :-—

All the upper surface, wings, and tail chocolate-brown ; line over the eye, throat, tips of the greater wing-
coverts, base of the primaries, base and tips of the secondaries, and tips of the tail white; breast grey ;
abdomen deep fawn-colour, becoming almost white in the centre; bill black ; feet blackish brown ; irides
dark brown.

The figures are of the natural size.