In its general appearance and the style of its markings it much resembles the _Hemipodius varius_, but on comparison will be found to be but little more than half the size of that species; independently of which, the colouring is much lighter, more varied and sparkling, the white margins of the back-feathers more numerous and conspicuous, and the markings of the throat and breast of a crescentic instead of an elongated form. Nothing whatever is known of its habits and economy, but they doubtless closely resemble those of the other species of the genus. The whole of the upper surface is light chestnut-red, each feather crossed by broad bars of brownish black and margined with grey, within which are two narrow lines of black and white; wing-coverts and tertiaries light chestnut-red, crossed by irregular zigzag bars of black, the interspaces of the outer margins greyish white; chin and sides of the face white, with a narrow crescent-shaped mark of brown at the tip of each feather; sides of the chest chestnut, each feather tipped with white, within which is an indistinct mark of deep black; chest and under surface pale buffy white, the feathers of the chest with a row of dark grey spots on each margin, giving that part a speckled appearance; primaries brown, narrowly edged with white; irides reddish yellow; bill greenish grey, darkest on the culmen and becoming ashy grey beneath; legs and feet orange-yellow. The figures are of the natural size. [Illustration: HEMIPODIUS MELANOTUS: _Gould_. _J. Gould and H.C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._ ] HEMIPODIUS MELANOTUS, _Gould_. Black-backed Hemipode. _Hemipodius melanotus_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part V. p. 8 and in Syn. Birds of Australia, Part II. _Turnix melanotus_, Gould in Gray’s Trav. App., vol. ii. p. 419, note. Several years have now elapsed since I described this species from a specimen received from Moreton Bay; since then I have obtained other examples from the eastern and northern parts of Australia. It was procured in the latter locality by Mr. Bynoe, and to that gentleman I am indebted for the two fine specimens figured in the accompanying Plate. In structure, and particularly in the feeble form of its bill, the _Hemipodius melanotus_ bears a close alliance to the _Hemipodius varius_; and these slender-billed species form a small section which might with propriety be separated from the stout-billed birds, such as _H. velox_ and _H. castaneothorax_. The female of this species is a larger bird than the male, in which respect only do the sexes differ in outward appearance. The total want of information respecting the habits and economy of this bird compels me to conclude my account of it with the following description of its colouring only:—