Although it is by no means rare in the localities I have mentioned, but few specimens yet adorn our Museums, and it certainly had not received any scientific appellation until I proposed the one given above, in a letter addressed to the Zoological Society of London during my residence in New South Wales.
Of its nidification and the number and colour of its eggs nothing is at present known.
It has a cheerful inwardly uttered song, the strain of which is very like that of the other Robins, but is much more feeble.
The male has the forehead crossed by a very narrow band of white; crown of the head, throat and all the upper surface dark slate-grey; chest rich rose-red, inclining to scarlet; lower part of the abdomen and under tail-coverts white; wings and the six central tail-feathers blackish brown; the three outer ones on each side tipped with white, the white predominating over the inner webs, particularly on the two lateral feathers; bill and feet blackish brown; gape and soles of the feet yellow.
The female differs considerably from her mate, having the forehead crossed by a narrow band of buff; all the upper surface greyish brown; wings brown; secondaries crossed by two obscure bands of greyish buff; tail of a browner tint, but otherwise marked like that of the male.
The figures are those of a male and a female of the natural size.
PETROICA MULTICOLOR: Swains.
J. Gould and H. C. Richter delt. C. Hullmandel Imp.
PETROICA MULTICOLOR, Swains.
Scarlet-breasted Robin.
Muscicapa multicolor, Vig. & Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 243.