= bene Soni ee a jm Sorte ars cs = cy Naeayanthie —" NE AiN e ers pares Sed Hb Capea EPR Ra ey, feo tty HOR SAK i Pathe a i EATS PD oot At ohm mi = ale a a epee ae a Ta eas eta nine ieee Lely Woe a s Peed Sees eek tera arta im ow etn wie A eat sieeces 38 aD he : 4 h = Soe == ee ee a oe SO arr 5 in re Mea SEE St ee an Ete a e 5 < oe ae on Sar <= Es Soe ery tear cee eines = ye ire eee manere 2 ey - ra vee ANE RECT ASRS Boe ras "* at Pa y 4, : m lo oS | 2 a 4 ? Sone gfe ad te ¥ ve - 5 pa . : < a ¥; Ie Ps Seettee tee! a . e ’ | : este Ane 1) i | fs : oe he y = 2 ~ . oe \ re ‘ >» * : A S . 2 ‘ OO \ \ ete ae Or. beet: Ee : 4 7 f ~ ZZ } : a . : ‘ ste “ Xx a ine ; Dd ‘ \ ys ce aes “ans — mie SS vee Vo eee : oe . ze at 4 jf Y Te yae is | yt vines of a , o Dh faved, j Spy, / rie \ 3 » spe y : \ eee LS \ Y/ “e = : f) S y 38 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. coast; but so little has at present been ascertained respecting its economy, range, and habits, that its history is nearly a blank; even whether it is migratory or not is unknown. That it breeds in the brushes of the district above-mentioned is certain ; for I recollect seeing a brood of young ones in the possession of Alexander Walker Scott, Esq., of Newcastle on the Hunter, a gentleman much attached to the study of the natural productions of Australia. These young birds differed but little in colour from the fully adult specimens in my collection, except that the transverse markings of the breast were darker and of a more arrow-shaped form, which markings become fainter and more linear as the bird advances in age. The sexes present the usual difference in size, but in colour and markings they closely assimilate. All the upper surface grey; throat and all the under sur- face white, crossed with numerous irregular grey bars; cere yellowish orange ; feet yellow; bill and claws black. The irides of the young are brown. Sp. 15. LEUCOSPIZA NOV AI-HOLLANDI A}. Wuitst GosHawk. Lacteous Eagle, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. i. p. 216. Astur Nove-Hollandie, Vig. & Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 179. Astur albus, Sard. & Selb. Il. Orn., vol. i. pl. 1. Faico Nove- Hollandia, Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. i. p. 16. Falco albus, Shaw, in White’s Voy., pl. at p. 260. Sparvius niveus, Vieill. Nouv. Dict. d’Hist. Nat., tom. x. p- 338. Dedahon candidum, Less. Traité d’Orn., p. 66. Astur (Leucospiza) Nov. Holl., Kaup, Class. der Saug. und Vog., p.119. New Holland White Eagle, Lath. Gen. Syn., vol. i. p. 40. Goo-loo-bee, Aborigines of New South Wales (Latham). White Hawk of the Colonists. Astur Nove-Hollandia, albino, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. i. pl. 15. ‘This species has perplexed ornithologists more, perhaps, than RAPTORES. 39 any other member of the Raptorial Order—the point at issue being whether it be distinct or merely an albino variety of the Astur Rati. Thave seen both birds in a state of nature, and critically examined numerous examples after death with re- gard to size, admeasurement, &c.; and, except in colouring, I found no difference whatever between the beautiful snow- white bird and the grey-backed individuals so frequently shot in the brushes of the eastern parts of Australia. Mr. Ronald C. Gunn and the Rey. T. J. Ewing, of Tasmania, however, incline to believe them distinct, and, in support of this opinion, call attention to the fact that none but white birds have been found in that island; but while I admit this to be true, I do not fail to recollect that the most lovely individual I ever shot in Tasmania had fiery-red irides; still it is only fair to state they were not pink as in albinoes, and that most frequently the irides are bright yellow; the colouring of those organs therefore is evidently inconstant, and not to be depended upon as a characteristic. We know little or nothing of the ~ nidification of either of the birds: could it be ascertained that ithe grey-backed and the white individuals mate with each other, they should be considered as identical ; but until then it will be better, perhaps, to keep them distinct. Cuvier has — hazarded the opinion that the white bird is an albino variety which has become permanent, and that they have the power of perpetuating their white vesture. I think Professor Kaup is right in proposing a new generic title for this form, differing as it does both in structure and habits from the true Asturs, of which the 4. palumbarius 1s the type. The sexes differ very considerably in size, the male being scarcely more than two-thirds the size of the female. The whole of the plumage pure white ; cere and legs yellow ; bill and claws black. BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Genus ASTUR, Lacépede. Sp. 16. ASTUR RADIATUS. RADIATED GOSHAWK. Falco radiatus, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. xii. Hatiaétus Caleii, Vig. & Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 186. Sparvius radiatus, Vieill. Nouv. Dict. d’Hist. Nat., tom. x. p. 340. Accipiter radiatus, Gould, Ann. Nat. Hist., vol. xi. p. 835. Astur testaceus, Kaup, Isis, 1847, p. 367. Astur radiatus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. i. pl. 16. This bird, which at the period of my visit to Australia was only contained in the Linnean Society’s collection, is still very rare in the museums of Europe. It inhabits the dense brushes bordering the rivers Manning and Clarence on the eastern coast of New South Wales, and that it enjoys a much ereater range is more than probable. It is the largest of the Goshawks inhabiting Australia, the female nearly equalling in size that sex of the Astur palumbarius of Europe. In some parts of its structure the Radiated Goshawk differs considerably from the typical Asturs, particularly in the lengthened form of the middle toe, in which respect it resembles the true Accipiters ; in its plumage it somewhat differs from both those forms, the markings of the feathers taking a longitudinal instead of a transverse direction. These and other slight differences may hereafter be considered of sufficient importance to warrant its separation into a distinct genus; but for the present I have retained it in that of Astwur. Of its habits and economy nothing whatever is known. The male, which is considerably smaller than the female, has the whole of the upper surface blackish brown, each feather broadly margined with rust-red ; wings brown, crossed by narrow bands of darker brown; tail greyish brown, crossed by irregular bands of dark brown; shafts of the quills and RAPTORES. Al tail buffy brown; throat buff, deepening into the rich rust- red of the under surface of the shoulder and the whole of the under surface; all the feathers of the under surface with a narrow stripe of black down the centre; thighs and under tail-coverts rust-red without stripes. The female has the strize of the under surface broader and more conspicuous. | Sp. 17. ASTUR APPROXIMANS, Vigors and LHorsfeld. AUSTRALIAN GOSHAWK. Falco radiatus, Temm. Pl. Col. 123, young. Astur radiatus, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 181, young male. Astur fasciatus, Id. ib., adult male and female. Astur approwimans, Id. ib., young female.—Gould in Syn. Birds of Australia, part i. Bilbil, Aborigines of New South Wales. Nisus (Urospiza) radiatus, Kaup, Mus. Senckenb., 1845, p. 259. ( ) approximans, Kaup, Isis, 1847, p. 182. Accipitur approximans, List of Birds in Brit. Mus. Coll., parti. 2nd edit. p. 74, Astur approximans, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. i pl. 17. Among the whole of the Australian Falconide there is no species the scientific appellation of which is involved in so much confusion as that of the present bird. This has arisen from two causes,—first, from its having been erroneously considered to be identical with the Falco radiatus of Latham, from which it is entirely distinct; and secondly, from the difference which exists between the plumage of the adult and young being so great as to have led to a multiplication of specific names. Seven specimens of this Hawk formed part of the collection of the Linnean Society, now dispersed, and were those from which Messrs. Vigors and Horsfield took their descriptions of Astur radiatus, A. fasciatus, and A. approcimans: from the careful examination I made of these 42 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. specimens, I was satisfied that they were all referable to the present bird,— A. radiatus being the young male, _A. fasciatus the adult, and A. approximans the young female. I have retained the term approximans in preference to either of the others, because radiatus actually belongs to another species, and the employment of fasciatus might hereafter lead to’its being confounded with the “ Fasciated Falcon,” an Indian species described under that name by Dr. Latham. This bird is one of the most abundant and generally dispersed of the Hawks inhabiting New South Wales and Tasmania. It is a species which ranges pretty far north; but on the western coast its place appears to be supplied by the Astur cruentus. The country between South Australia and Moreton Bay may be considered its true habitat; and there it is a stationary resident. The Australian Goshawk is a bold, powerful, and most sanguinary species, feeding upon birds, reptiles, and small quadrupeds. It may often be seen lurking about the poultry- yard of the settler, and dealing destruction among the young stock of every kind. Its nest is usually built on a large swamp-oak ( Casuarina) growing on the side of a brook, but I have occasionally met with it on the gum-trees (Eucalypti) in the forest at a con- siderable distance from water; it is of a large size, and is composed of sticks and lined with gum-leaves. The eges are generally three in number, of a bluish white, smeared over with blotches of brownish buff; they are one inch and ten lines long by one inch and five lines broad. The nesting- season commences in August, and continues till November. _ The male, which is considerably less than the female in size, has the crown of the head and nape of the neck leaden grey; on the back of the neck an obscure collar of rufous brown; the remainder of the upper surface, wings, and tail deep greyish brown; the latter numerously barred with brown of a deeper tint; inner webs of the primaries and RAPTORES. A3 secondaries greyish white, barred with dark brown ; throat greyish brown; breast and all the under surface rufous brown, crossed with numerous white fasciz, which are bounded on each side with an obscure line of dark brown; thighs rufous, crossed by numerous irregular white lines; irides bright yellowish orange, surrounded by a yellowish lash; gape and base of the bill olive green; tip and the cere greenish yellow ; legs and feet yellow; claws black. The young differ considerably from the adult, having the feathers of the head and back of the neck dark brown, margined with rufous brown; the remainder of the upper surface deep brown, each feather with a crescent-shaped mark of rufous at the extremity ; tail brown, crossed with obscure bars of a darker tint, and tipped with whitish brown; immer webs of the primaries fawn-colour, barred with dark brown ; throat buffy white, with a stripe of dark brown down the centre of each feather; breast buffy white, each feather crossed by two bands of dark brown, the last of which assumes a triangular form; abdomen and flanks buffy white, crossed by irregular bands of dark brown, which are blotched with rufous brown in the centre; thighs and under tail- coverts pale rufous, crossed by similar bands ; irides beautiful yellow; cere, base of the bill, and gape bluish lead-colour ; point of the bill blackish brown ; legs gamboge-yellow. Sp. 18. ASTUR CRUENTUS, Gould. West-AvusTRALIAN GOSHAWK. - Astur cruentus; Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part x. 1842, p. 118. Kil-lin-gil-lee and Mat-wel-itch, Aborigines of the mountain districts of Western Australia (Gilbert). Good-jee-lum, Aborigines around Perth, Western Australia (Gilbert). Astur cruentus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. i. pl. 18. This Hawk is intermediate im size between the Astur ap- 44, BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. proaimans and Accipitur torquatus, has a more grey or blue coloured back, and has the transverse lines on the breast narrower and of amore rufous tint. It precisely resembles the first-mentioned bird in the rounded form of the tail, in the short powerful tarsus, and in the more abbreviated middle toe. I have been surprised by observing that the late Mr. Strickland considered this bird and the 4. approwimans to be identical : no two birds of the same genus can be more distinct, The Astur cruentus is a very common species in Western Australia, particularly in the York district. Since the publi- cation of the folio edition of the ‘ Birds of Australia,’ I have seen a specimen of this bird from Port Essington ; I believe it also occurs at Lombok, Batchian, and Timor, which proves that the species is found far beyond the limits of the colony of Western Australia. Like its congener, it is a remarkably bold and sanguinary species, often visiting the farmyard and carrying off fowls and pigeons with much apparent ease. It breeds in October and the two following months, making a nest of dried sticks on the horizontal fork of a gum or mahogany tree. The male has the crown of the head and occiput dark slate- colour ; sides of the face grey; at the back of the neck a collar of chestnut-red ; back, wings, and tail slaty brown, the brown hue predominating on the back, and the slate-colour upon the other parts ; inner webs of the primaries fading into white at the base, and crossed by bars of slate-colour, the interspaces freckled with buff; the inner webs of the tail- feathers are marked in a precisely similar manner ; chin buffy white; the whole of the under surface rust-red, crossed by numerous narrow semicircular bands of white ; irides bright yellow; cere dull yellow; bill black at the tip, blue at the » base; legs and feet pale yellow; claws black. The female differs in having all the npper surface brown ; the chestnut band at the back of the neck wider, but not so rich in colour; in all other respects she resembles her mate. RAPTORES. 45 Genus ACCIPITER, Brisson. Sp.19. ACCIPITER TORQUATUS, Vig. and Horsf. CoLLARED SpARROW-HawkK. Falco torquatus, Cuv.—Temm. Pl. Col., 43 (adult), 93 (young). Accipiter torquatus, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 182. Nisus australis, Less. Traité d’Orn., p. 61. Sparvius cirrhocephalus, Vieill. Nouv. Dict. d’ Hist. Nat., tom. x. p. 328. tricolor, Vieill., ibid. p. 329. Falco melanops, Finéle Ind. Orn. Supp., p. 12? Sparvius melanops, Vieill. Nouv. Dict. d’Hist. Nat., tom. x. p. 239% Astur (Micronisus) torquatus, Kaup, Mus. Senckenb., 1845, p. 259. Nisus (Urospiza) torquatus, Kaup, Isis, 1847, p. 181. Accipiter cirrhocephalus, List of Birds in Brit. Mus. Coll., part 1, 2nd edit., p. 73. Bilbil, Aborigines of New South Wales. Jil-lee-jil-lee, Aborigines of the lowland, and Min-min of the Aborigines of the mountain districts of Western Australia. Little Hawk, Colonists of Swan River. Accipiter torquatus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. i. pl. 19. This species is especially abundant in Tasmania and New South Wales, and would appear to enjoy a wide extent of range, since I have either seen or received specimens of it from every part of Australia, with the single exception of the north coast. Gilbert’s notes inform me that he saw it there, but he did not obtain a specimen. In its habits and disposition it has all the characteristics of its European ally the Accipiter nisus, whose boldness and daring spirit while in pursuit of its quarry have been so often described that they are familiar to every one; the sexes also exhibit the same disparity of size, the female. hei nearly as large and powerful again as her mate; hence the Quails and the numerous species of Honey-eaters find in her a most AG BIRDS .OF AUSTRALIA, powerful enemy. For rapidity of flight and unerring aim, however, she is even surpassed by her more feeble mate, who may frequently be observed at one moment skimming quietly over the surface of the ground, and the next impetuously dashing through the branches of the trees in fearless pursuit of his prey, which, from the quickness of his abrupt turns, rarely eludes the attack. Mr. Caley mentions as an instance of its boldness, that he once witnessed it in the act of darting at a Blue Mountain-Parrot, which was suspended in a cage from the bough of a mulberry-tree, within a couple of yards of his door. The breeding-season lasts from August to November, and the nest, which is rather a large structure, composed of sticks, and lined with fibrous roots and a few leaves of the gum-tree, is usually placed in the fork of a swamp-oak (Casuarina) or other trees growing on the banks of creeks and rivers, but is occasionally to be met with in the depths of the forests. The eggs are generally three in number, of a bluish white, in some instances stained and smeared over with blotches of buff; in others I have observed square-formed spots, and a few hair-. like streaks of deep brown: their medium length is one inch and six lines by one inch and two lines in breadth. Head, all the upper surface, wings, and tail deep brownish grey, the tail indistinctly barred with deep brown ; on the back of the neck an obscure collar of reddish brown ; throat, the under surface, and thighs rufous, crossed by numerous narrow bars of white, the red predominating on the thighs; under surface of the wings and tail grey, distinctly barred with dark brown, which is deepest on the former; irides and eyelashes yellow ; cere and gape yellowish green; base of the bill lead- colour, tip black ; legs yellow, slightly tinged with green. The young have the usually striated plumage of the imma- ture European Sparrow-Hawk, and, as is the case with the young of all the other members of the genus, have the irides darker than those of the adults. RAPTORES. . 4.7 Genus BUTEO, Cuvier. Sp. 20. GYPOICTINIA MELANOSTERNON, Gowld. BLACK-BREASTED BUZZARD. Buteo melanosternon, Gould in Proe. of Zool. Soe., part viii. p. 162. Gypoictinia melanosternon, Kaup, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. tom. i. p. 19. Goo-dap, Aborigines of the mountain districts of Western Australia. Buteo melanosternon, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. i. pl. 20. If we examine the Australian members of the family Falco- mide, we cannot fail to observe that they comprise representa- tives of most of the forms inhabiting similar latitudes in the northern hemisphere ; and the bird now under consideration, if not a true Buteo, is more nearly allied to the members of that form than to those of any other genus; still it does differ somewhat from the typical Buzzards, and I have therefore considered it advisable to adopt Professor Kaup’s generic title of Gypoictinia. This fine species does not appear to be ~ common in any of the Australian colonies. I have, however, received it from Swan River, and procured it myself during my journey into the interior of New South Wales, about two hundred miles northwards of Sydney; I have also a specimen which was killed on the Liverpool Plains by one of the natives of New South Wales. The Black-breasted Buzzard generally flies high in the air, through which it soars in large circles, much after the manner of the Wedge-tailed Eagle, its black breast and the large white mark at the base of the primaries being very conspicuous when seen from beneath. In these soaring actions it differs slightly from the typical species of the genus Buteo—an additional rea- son for its separation from those birds, and for the adoption of the distinctive generic appellation assigned to it by Dr. Kaup. A most singular story respecting this bird has been trans- mitted to me, and is here given as I received it; without 48 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. vouching for its truth, I may remark that the testimony of the natives from whom it was derived may generally be relied upon. « The natives, Mr. Drummond, and his son Mr. Johnson Drummond tell me,” says Mr. Gilbert, “that this bird is s6 bold, that upon discovering an Emu sitting on her eggs it will attack her with great ferocity until it succeeds in driving her from the nest, when, the eggs being the attraction, it takes up a stone with its feet, and while hovering over the nest lets it fall upon and crush them, and then descends and devours their contents. I have had numerous opportunities of observing the bird myself, and can bear testimony to its great powers of scent or vision; for upon several occasions, when the natives had placed a small kangaroo or kangaroo rat in the fork of a tree or on the top of a Xanthorrhea with the intention of taking it again on our return, we have found that the Black-breasted Buzzard had discovered, and during our short absence had devoured every part of it except the skin, which was left so perfect, that at first I could not believe it had not been done by the hand of man.” The sexes are alike in colouring, but present the usual differ- ence in size, the male being the smallest. Crown of the head, face, chin, chest, and centre of the ab- domen deep black, passing into chestnut-red on the flanks, thighs, and under tail-coverts ; back of the head chestnut-red, becoming black in the centre of each feather; shoulders whitish buff; all the upper surface deep brownish black, mar- gined with chestnut-red; primaries white at the base, deep black for the remainder of their length; cere and base of the bill purplish flesh-colour, passing into black at the tip ; irides wood-brown ; feet white, tinged with lilac. I may remark that specimens of this bird are much re- quired by the museums of Hurope; it is to be wished also that persons favourably situated would ascertain if the story of the birds breaking the eggs of the Emu be correct, or if it be one of the numerous myths of the Aborigines. RAPTORES. 49 Genus MILVUS, Cuv. Asia, Europe, and North Africa are the great strongholds of the Kites or the members of the restricted genus Milvus ; _ but at least two are natives of Australia. One of these, the Milvus afinis, is so like the MM. ater of Europe, that some ornithologists consider them identical; but they are really quite distinct. I do not affirm this without having first consulted my friend, J. H. Gurney, Hsq., than whom there is no more competent authority with regard to Raptorial birds. Sp. 21. MILVUS AFFINIS, Gould. ALuLIeD Kitt. Milvus affinis, Gould, in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part v. p. 140. (Hydroictinia) affinis, Kaup, Isis, 1847, p. 118. E-le-md-jul, Aborigines of Port Essington. Milvus affinis, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. i. pl. 21. The Allied Kite appears to enjoy a very wide distribution, since it not only inhabits Australia, but appears to extend its range through the Indian Islands to the peninsula of India. Mr. Gurney informs me that it occurs in Macassar, and certainly in India as far north as Nepaul, though it is generally confounded in the latter country with its larger relative 12. Govinda. With the single exception of Tasmania, it is universally dispersed over all the Australian colonies ; it is quite as common on the Cobourg Peninsula as it is in the southern portions of the country; and that it is as abundant in the centre of Australia as it is near the coasts is shown by Captain Sturt having observed it flying in great numbers over the far interior ; but Mr. W. Allan informs me, in a letter dated August 8, 1859, “that there is an uncertainty, or rather an irregularity, in its appearance in different parts of the country. During a resi- dence of nine years on the River Manning I never saw a K 50 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. single example of the bird until a few months ago, when it appeared on the flats bordering the river in flocks of forty or fifty in number. As far as I can learn, they previously appeared on the banks of the Hunter; they have now left, but are plentiful at Port Macquarie; they seem, therefore, to be journeying northward. I am told that they appeared in a similar manner about twenty years ago.” The confident and intrepid disposition of this bird renders it familiar to every one, and not unfrequently leads to its destruc- tion, as it fearlessly enters the farm-yard of the settler, and, if unopposed, impudently plays havoc among the young poultry, pigeons, &c. It is also a constant attendant at the camps of the aborigines and the hunting-parties of the settlers, perching on the small trees immediately surrounding them, and patiently waiting for the refuse or offal. The temerity of one individual was such, that it even disputed my right to a Bronze-winged Pigeon that had fallen before my gun, for which act it paid the penalty of its life. The flight of this bird, which is closely allied in character to that of the A/clvus ater of Europe, is much less protracted and soaring than that of the typical Kites; the bird is also much more arboreal in its habits, skulking about the forest aiter the manner of the true Buzzards. Great numbers have been observed hovering over the smoke of the extensive bush- fires so common in Australia, closely watching for lizards and any of the smaller mammalia that may have fallen victims to the flames, or have been driven by the heat from their lurking- places. The sexes are nearly alike in size and colouring. Feathers of the head and the back and sides of the neck reddish fawn-colour, with a central stripe of dark blackish brown ; all the upper surface glossy brown inclining to choco- late, and passing into reddish brown on the wing-coverts, the shaft of each feather being black, and the extreme tip pale brown; primaries black; secondaries blackish brown ; tail, RAPTORES. 51 which is slightly forked, brown, crossed by several indistinct bars of a darker tint, and each feather tipped with greyish white; throat brownish fawn-colour, with the stem of each feather black; the remainder of the under surface rufous brown, with a central line of dark brown on each feather, which is broadest and most conspicuous on the chest; cere, gape, and base of the lower mandible yellow ; upper mandible and point of the lower black; tarsi and toes yellow; claws black ; irides very dark brown. Sp. 22. MILVUS ISURUS, Gould. SQUARE-TAILED Kits. Milvus isurus, Gould, in Proce. of Zool. Soc., part v. (1837) p. 140. Ge-durn-mul-uk and Mar-arl, Aborigimes of the mountain districts of Western Australia (Gilbert). Kite of the Colonists. Milvus isurus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. i. pl. 22. This species, although possessing the short feet, long wings, and other characters of the true Kites, particularly of the Milvus regalis of the British Islands, may at once be distin- guished from that bird by the square form of its tail. I met with it in various parts of New South Wales, both in the wooded districts near the coast and on the plains bordering the interior ; still it is by no means abundant, and persons who had been long resident in the colony knew but little about it. I had, however, the good fortune, in one instance, to find its nest, from which I shot the female. I have received two specimens from Swan River, and Mr. Gurney states that it also inhabits New Zealand. It is a true Kite in all its manners, at one time soaring high above the trees of the forest, and at others hunting over the open wastes in search of caterpillars, reptiles, and young birds. The nest, which I found near Scone on the Upper Hunter, 52 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. in the month of November, was of a large size, built exteriorly of sticks, and lined with leaves and the inner bark of the gum- trees : it contained two eggs, the ground-colour of which was buffy white ; one was faintly freckled with rufous, becoming much deeper at the smaller end, while the other was very largely blotched with reddish brown; they were somewhat round in form, one inch and eleven lines long by one inch and seven lines broad. In his notes from Western Australia, Gilbert remarks that it is there “always found in thickly wooded places. Its flight at times is rapid, and it soars high for a great length of time. I found a nest on the 10th of November, 1839; it contained two young ones scarcely feathered, and was formed of sticks on a lofty horizontal branch of a white gum-tree, in a dense forest about four miles to the eastward of the Avon. I have not observed it in the lowlands, but it appears to be tolerably abundant in the interior. The stomach is membranous and very capacious: the food mostly birds.” Forehead and space over the eye buffy white, each feather tipped and marked down the shaft with black; crown of the head, back and sides of the neck, throat, shoulders, both above and beneath, and the under surface generally reddish orange ; the feathers on the crown and the back of the head, like those of the forehead, marked longitudinally and tipped with black ; but in no part are these markings so widely spread as on the chest, whence they suddenly diminish, and are altogether lost on the abdomen, the uniformity of which, particularly on the flanks, is broken by obscure transverse bands of a lighter colour ; upper part of the back and scapularies deep blackish brown ; tips of the primaries on the upper surface dark brown, obscurely banded with black ; internal web of the basal portion of the primaries, together with the stem and under surface ge- nerally, greyish white ; secondaries dark brown banded with black, the remainder of the wing light brown, the edges of the _ feathers being still lighter ; rump and upper tail-coverts white, RAPTORES. 53 with transverse bands of brown and buff; tail brownish grey, and nearly square in form, all the feathers, except the two i} | outer on each side, marked with about four obscure narrow | bands of black, the whole tipped with black ; irides very pale yellow, freckled with light rufous; cere, base of the bill and feet greyish white; culmen and tip of the bill, and claws | black. Wil The female has the same character of markings as the male, | but is readily distinguished by her greater size. The avifaunas of Europe, Asia, Africa, and the northern i} portion of America are enriched by one, two, or more species iI of this interesting form; another and a truly elegant species ii inhabits the Celebes and Java; and Australia is tenanted by | two others (E. avillaris and E. scriptus), which appear to perform very important offices in the parts of the country they frequent: both are denizens of the warmer parts of Australia, and consequently do not proceed so far south as Tasmania. They hawk for insects in the air, and are truly beautiful when seen from beneath, their silvery-white under surface offering a pleasing contrast to the conspicuous mark- ings of jet-black. | | Genus ELANUS, Savigny. i | | | BuLACK-SHOULDERED Kurs. i Sp. 23. ELANUS AXILLARIS. | Falco axillaris, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 42. Circus axillaris, Vieill. Encyce. Méth. Orn., part iii. p. 1212. Elanus melanopterus, Vig. & Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 185. notatus, Gould, in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part v. p. 141. Elanus axillaris, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. i. pl. 28. The Hanus axillaris is a summer visitant to the southern portions of the Australian content, over which it is very widely but thinly dispersed, bemg found at Swan River on 54 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. the west coast, at Moreton Bay on the east, and over all the intervening country. . In its disposition it is much less courageous than the other members of the Australian Falconide, and, as its feeble bill and legs would indicate, lives more on insects and reptiles than on birds or quadrupeds. I very often observed it flying above the tops of the highest trees, and where it appeared to be hawking about for insects ; it was also seen perched upon the dead and leafless branches of the Hucalypti, particularly such as were isolated from the other trees of the forest, whence it could survey all around. While under the Liverpool range I shot a young bird of this species which had not long left the nest; it is probable, therefore, that it had been bred within the colony of New South Wales; but I could never obtain any information re- specting the nest and eggs. The sexes closely assimilate to each other in colouring. The young differ in having the feathers of the upper surface tipped with buffy brown. The adults have the eye encircled by a narrow ring of black ; forehead, sides of the face, and under surface of the body pure white; back of the neck, back, scapularies, and upper tail-coverts delicate grey ; a jet-black mark commences at. the shoulders and extends over the greater portion of the wing; under surface of the shoulders pure white, below which is an oval spot of jet-black ; primaries dark grey above, brownish black beneath; tail greyish white; bill black; cere and legs pale yellow ; irides reddish orange. On reference to the synonymy given above, it will be seen that neither Mr. Vigors nor myself had sufficiently studied the Australian Raptorial Birds described by the venerable Latham to be aware that he had assigned the specific desig- nation of avilluris to this Kite; the terms melanopterus of Vigors, and notatus of myself, must therefore be reduced to synonyms. RAPTORES. bd Sp. 24. ELANUS SCRIPTUS, Gould. Lerrer-wineeD Kire. Elanus scriptus, Gould, in Proe. of Zool. Soc., June 28, 1842. Elanus scriptus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. i, pl. 24. The principal character by which the Elanus scriptus is distinguished from the 7. awillaris 1s the great extent of the black mark on the under surface of the wing, which, following the line of the bones from the body to the pinion, assumes when the wing is spread the form of the letter V, or, if both wings are seen from beneath at the same time, that of a W, divided in the centre by the body,—which circumstance has suggested the specific name I have applied to it. It will be admitted by every one that this new species is an interesting addition to the Australian Palconde. Little or nothing was known respecting it when I published my figure in the folio edition of the ‘ Birds of Australia’; but we now know that it is a denizen of the interior of the country, Captain Sturt having obtained it at the Dépdt, and Mr. White, of the Reed-beds, South Australia, informing me that he found this species “in great numbers on Cooper's Creek, between lat. 27° and 28°, always in companies of from ten to twenty or thirty in number. It flies when near the ground with a heavy flapping motion, but occasionally soars very high, when its movements are very graceful. It is rather inquisitive, but not so bold as Milvus afinis. It nests in companies, as near each other as possible. The nest is composed of sticks, lined with the pellets ejected from their stomachs, which are principally composed of the fur of the rats upon which they chiefly subsist. The eggs, which are four or five in number, have a white ground, blotched and marked with reddish brown, darkest at the smaller end; they are one inch and three-quarters long, by one inch and three- eighths broad. The markings are easily removed by wetting.” a | | / | ; . 56 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Forehead and line over the eye white; head and all the upper surface dark grey, washed with reddish brown ; wing- coverts deep glossy black ; primaries greyish brown, becoming nearly white on their webs, all but the first two or three margined with white at the tip; secondaries brownish grey on the outer web, white on the inner and at the extremity ; tertiaries brownish grey; two centre tail-feathers grey; the remaining tail-feathers pale brown on their outer webs, and white on the inner; lores black; all the under surface and edge of the shoulder white; on the under surface of the wing, following the line of the bones, a broad mark of black, assuming the form of the letter V; bill black; cere and legs yellow ; claws black; irides reddish orange, and not yellow as represented in my figure. Genus BAZA, Hodgson. Of this genus four species are known; three of which in- habit India and the Indian islands, and the fourth Australia. ep. 20. BAZA SUBCRISTATA, Gould. Crestep Hawk. Lepidogenys subcristatus, Gould, in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part v. p. 140. Avicida subcristata, Lafresn. Rev. Zool. 1846, p. 127, ; Baza subcristata, G. R. Gray, List of Birds in Brit. Mus. Coll., part i. p. 19, 2nd edit. p. 41. Pernis (Hyptiopus) subcristatus, Kaup, Isis, 1847, p. 343. Lepidogenys subcristatus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. i. pl. 25. Iam not sufficiently acquainted with this singular species to give any account of its habits and economy ; but, judging from the feebleness of its bill and talons and the shortness of its tarsi, I conceive that it principally preys upon insects and their larvee; and it is not improbable that honey and the larves of bees and ants, which abound in Australia, may form a por- RAPTORES. 57 tion of its food. Any information on this head that may have been ascertained by residents in Australia would, if made known, be of the highest interest to ornithologists, as an ad- dition to the history of this smgular form among the Falco- nide. Its extreme rarity, however, will, I fear, tend much to prevent the acquirement of this desirable information. I saw it soaring high in the air over the plains in the neigh- bourhood of the Namoi, but never sufficiently near to admit of a successful shot. All the specimens I have seen were col- lected either at Moreton Bay or on the banks of the Clarence. As little or no difference exists in the plumage of the speci- mens I have examined, I presume the sexes are very similar. The only remark I have to make in addition to the above meagre account is, that I have lately received an egg pro- cured in the brushes of the Clarence, and kindly sent to me by Mr. Allan, which is said to be of this bird. It is of a pure white, about an inch and five-eighths in length and an inch and a quarter in breadth. Without doubting Mr. Allan’s in- tention to send me the egg of this species, I think it only right to say that I give the size and colouring on his autho- rity ; unfortunately the letter which accompanied it contained no remark on the subject. Crown of the head, sides of the face, ear-coverts, and upper part of the back brownish grey; occiput and lengthened occipital plumes blackish brown ; back and scapulars brown ; wings uniform dark brownish grey above, beneath silvery grey; primaries and secondaries crossed by several bands, and largely terminated with black; rump and upper tail- coverts chocolate-brown; tail brownish grey above, lighter beneath, crossed by three narrow bands of black near the base, and deeply terminated with the same colour; throat, chest, part of the shoulder, and under tail-coverts greyish white tinged with rufous; abdomen, flanks, and thighs bufly white, crossed with conspicuous narrow bands of reddish chestnut; bill bluish horn-colour ; tarsi yellowish. BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Genus CIRCUS, Lacépede. Two, if not three, Harriers: inhabit Australia ; consequently the number of species is nearly equal in Europe, Asia, Africa, America, and Australia. ‘Those inhabiting the latter country are precisely of the same form, and perform the same offices as their near allies do in the other parts of the world. Sp. 26. CIRCUS ASSIMILIS, Jardine and Selby. ALLIED HARRIER. Circus assimilis, Jard. & Selb. Til. Orn., vol. ii. pl. 51. Gouldi, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., tom. i. p. 34 (young ?). Swamp Hawk of the Colonists. Circus assimilis, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. 1. pl. 26. The Circus assimilis may be regarded as the commonest of the Harriers inhabiting New South Wales and South Australia ; it also occurs, but in smaller numbers, in Tasmania. A Harrier is also rather abundantly dispersed over all the localities suitable to its existence in Western Australia, and it is just possible that it may prove to be the same species; if such should be the case, the whole of the southern portion of that vast country, from east to west, must be included within the range of its habitat. In size the Circus assimilis is but little imferior to the Marsh Harrier (C. eruginosus) of Europe, to which it offers a great resemblance in its habits and economy—being generally seen flying slowly and some- what heavily near the surface of the ground, evincing a partiality to lagoons and marshy places, situations which offer it an abundance of food consisting of reptiles, small mammalia, and birds. I believe this bird also inhabits New Zealand, and that it is the C. Gouldi of Bonaparte. That the Allied Harrier breeds in the localities in which I observed it I have little doubt, from the circumstance of the RAPTORES. 59 adults paying regular and hourly visits to the marshes in search of food, which was doubtless borne away to their young. When in a state of quiescence, this species, like the other Harriers, perches on some elevation in the open plain rather than among the trees of the forest—the trunk of a fallen tree, a large stone, or small hillock being among its favourite resting-places. The sexes offer the usual differences in the larger size of the female; her markings are also rather less well-defined, and have not so much of the grey colouring as the male. The young resemble the young of the Marsh Harrier of Europe. Head and all the upper surface rich dark brown; the feathers at the back of the neck margined with reddish buff ; face light reddish brown ; facial disk buffy white, with a dark stripe down the centre of each feather ; all the under surface buffy white, which is deepest on the lower part of the abdomen and thighs, each feather with a streak of brown down the centre; upper tail-coverts and base of the tail- feathers white; remaining length of the tail-feathers brownish grey; irides yellow; eyelash and cere pale greenish yellow ; bill dark brown, becoming light blue at the base; tarsi greenish white ; feet yellowish buff; claws dark brown. Mr. White, of Adelaide, forms me that “ this bird is very numerous in South Australia during the summer months, and is generally found in swampy situations. I have seen it on the Murray, and in many other places. It feeds on eggs, birds, reptiles, and indeed on almost everything. I have often observed it flying close over the tops of the reeds, when quite dark. Its cry is a kind of loud shrill whistle of one note. At times it will fly very high. It varies much in colour; the two sexes are much alike, but the female is the larger bird of the two.” I possess eggs which I have no doubt belong to this species ; they are of a pure white, about one inch and seven-eighths long by one inch and a half in breadth. 60 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Sp. 27. CIRCUS JARDINII, Gould. JARDINE’S Harrinr. Circus Jardinii, Gould, m Proce. of Zool. Sol., part v. p. 141; and in Syn. Birds of Australia, part ii. —— (Spilocircus) Jardinii, Kaup, Isis, 1847, p. 102. Circus Jardinii, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. i. pl. 27. This very beautiful Harrier, which is distinguished from every other species of the genus at present known by the spotted character of its plumage, 1s plentifully dispersed over every portion of New South Wales, wherever localities favour- able to the existence of the Harrier tribe occur, such as ex- tensive plains, wastes, and luxuriant grassy flats between the hills in mountaimous districts. The extent of its range over the Australian continent has not yet been ascertamed, and | have never observed it from any other portion of the country than that mentioned above; it is probable, however, that it extends all along the east coast. Mr. Wallace has obtained examples in Macassar. To describe the economy of the Jardine’s Harrier would be merely to repeat what has been said respecting that of the former species. Like the other members of the genus, it flies lazily over the surface of the plains, intently seeking for lizards, snakes, small quadrupeds, and birds; and when not pressed by hunger, reposes on some dried. stick, elevated knoll, or stone, from which it can survey all around. Although I ob- served this species in all parts of the Hunter in summer, when others of the Falconide were breeding, I did not succeed in procuring its eggs, or obtain any satisfactory information respecting its nidification ; in all probability its nest is con- structed on or near the ground, on the scrubby crowns of the low, open, sterile hills that border the plains. An egg sent to me by Mr. White of Adelaide, and taken by him at Lake RAPTORES. 61 Hope in the interior of South Australia, is white, one inch and seven-eighths long by one inch and a half broad. The sexes present considerable difference in size, but are very similar in their markings; both are spotted; but the female is by far the larger and finer bird in every respect. Crown of the head, cheeks, and ear-coverts dark chestnut, each feather having a mark of brown down the centre ; facial disk, back of the neck, upper part of the back, and chest uniform dark grey ; lower part of the back and scapulars dark grey, most of the feathers being blotched and marked at the tips with two faint spots of white, one on each side of the — stem; shoulders, under surface of the wing, abdomen, thighs, — and under tail-coverts rich chestnut, the whole of the feathers beautifully spotted with white, the spots, which are regularly disposed down each web, being largest and most distinct on the abdomen; greater and lesser wing-coverts brownish grey, irregularly barred and tipped with a lighter colour ; seconda- ries dark grey, crossed with three narrow lines of dark brown, and tipped with a broad band of the same colour, the extreme tips being paler; primaries black for two-thirds of their length, their bases brownish buff; upper tail-coverts brown, barred and tipped with. greyish white ; tail alternately barred with conspicuous bands of dark brown and grey, the brown band nearest the extremity being the broadest, the extreme tips greyish white; irides bright orange-yellow; cere olive- yellow ; bill blue at the base, black at the culmen and tips ; legs yellow. Those ornithologists who are in favour of a more minute division of the Fulconide than myself may be inclined to adopt Professor Kaup’s generic term of Spilocircus for this bird; but the propriety of separating it from the other Harriers appears to me very questionable, since it does not differ from them in structure in any respect. BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Family STRIGIDA. Genus STRIX, Linn. In my remarks on the Raptores generally, I have mentioned that the birds of that order are but feebly represented in Australia as compared with their numbers in other parts of the globe; and I may now state, with regard to the Owls, that they are even less numerous than the Falconide ; for, according to the present state of our knowledge, there appear to be but two, or at the most three forms in the country — Strix, Hieracoglaux, and Spiloglaue. The first of these genera comprises the true nocturnal Owls; the second the huge birds I have characterized under the specific appellations of strenua, rufa, and connivens; and the third the smaller species, maculata, marmorata, and boobook. While as a general rule other great countries are only inhabited by a single species of the restricted genus Strix, the fauna of Australia comprises no less than four, all of which appear to be necessary to prevent an inordinate increase of the smaller quadrupeds which there abound. Sp. 28. STRIX CASTANOPS, Gould. CHESTNUT-FACED Ow1t. Strix castanops, Gould, in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part iv. p. 140. Dactylostriz castanops, Kaup, Monog. Strig. in Jard. Cont. to Orn. 1852, p. 119. Strix castanops, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol, vol. i. pl. 28. Tasmania and probably the brushes of the opposite coasts of Victoria and New South Wales are the native countries of this Owl, a species distinguished from all the other members RAPTORES. 63 of its genus by its great size and powerful form. Probably few of the Raptorial birds, with the exception of the Eagles, are more formidable or more sanguinary in disposition. Forests of large but thinly scattered trees, skirting plains and open districts, constitute its natural habitat. Strictly nocturnal in its habits, as night approaches it sallies forth from the hollows of the large gum-trees, and flaps slowly and noiselessly over the plains and swamps in search of its prey, which consists of rats and small quadrupeds generally. I regret that the brevity of my stay in Tasmania did not admit of sufficient opportunities for observing this bird in its native haunts, and of my making myself acquainted with the various changes which take place in the colouring of its plu- mage. Considerable variety in this respect occurred among the specimens I collected—not so much in the form of the markings, as in the hue which pervades the face, neck, under surface, and thighs. In some these were deep rusty yellow; in others the same parts were slightly washed with buff, while others, again, had the face of a dark reddish buff approaching to chestnut, and the under surface much lighter; I have also seen others with the facial feathers lighter than those of the body, and, lastly, some with the face and all the under surface pure white, with the exception of the black spots which are to be found in all. Whether the white or the tawny plumage is the characteristic of the adult, or whether these changes are influenced by* season, are points that might be easily cleared up by persons resident in Tasmania; and I would invite those who may be favourably situated for observation to fully investigate the subject, and make known the results. The sexes differ very considerably in size, the female being by far the larger, and in every way more powerful than the male. Facial disk deep chestnut, becoming deeper at the margin, and encircled with black; upper surface, wings, and tail fine rufous brown, each feather irregularly and broadly barred 64 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. with dark brown, with a few minute white spots on the head and shoulders; under surface uniform deep sandy brown; sides of the neck and flanks sparingly marked with round blackish spots; thighs and legs the same, but destitute of spots; bill yellowish brown; feet light yellow. Total length of the female 18 inches; bill 24; wing 15; tail 7; tarsi 34. Sp. 29. STRIX NOVA-HOLLANDIA®, Step/. Maskep Owt. Strix 2 Nove Hollandia, Steph., Cont. of Shaw’s Gen. Zool., vol. xiii. peri. peor. personata, Vig. in Proc. of Com. of Sci. and Corr. of Zool. Soc., part i. p. 60. — Cyclops, Gould, in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part iv. p. 140. Strix personata, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. i. pl. 29. This bird, although nearly allied to the preceding, differs in so many essential characters as to leave little doubt in my mind of its being specifically distinct. It is confined to the continent of Australia, over which it enjoys a wide range. With the exception of the north coast, I have received speci- mens from every part of the country. During my visit to the interior of South Australia, numerous individuals fell to my gun, which upon comparison presented no material variation from others killed in New South Wales and Western Australia. If I were puzzled with respect to the changes to which the Strix castanops 1s apparently subject, 1 am not less so with those of the present bird ; for although I find the tawny and ‘buff colouring of the face and under surface is generally lighter, I also find a diversity in the colouring of the different parts of the under surface: in some specimens the face, all the under surface, and the ground-colour of the upper are pure white. Prior to my visit to Australia I characterized speci- RAPTORES. 65 mens thus coloured as a distinct species under the name of Strie Cyclops, but I now believe them to be one of the states of plumage of the present bird, which ornithologists are in- clined to consider was first described by Stephens under the name of 8. Vove-Hollandie. 1 may remark that, out of the numerous examples I killed in South Australia in the month of June, I did not meet with one in the white plumage. Those who are desirous of making themselves acquainted with — the differences in these nearly allied species of Owls will do well to consult the plates of the different species in the folio edition, which will render them more readily perceptible than the most lucid description. The Striz Nove Hollandie is almost a third smaller than the S. castanops, and as the sexes of both species bear a relative proportion in size, the male of the one is about equal to the female of the other. The white spottings of the upper surface of the former are larger than those of the latter, and the surrounding patches of dark brown and buff are not so deep, giving the whole of that part of the bird a more marbled or speckled appearance. General colour pale buff; the upper part of the head, the back, and the wings variegated with dark brown, and sparingly dotted with white; under surface paler, with a few brown spots ; tail buff, undulated with a brown facia; facial disk purplish, but margined with deep brown spots ; bill pale horn- colour ; toes yellow. Sp. 30. STRIX TENEBRICOSUS, Gould. Sooty Owu. Strix tenebricosus, Gould, in Proe. of Zool. Soc., part xiii. p. 80. Megastrix tenebricosa, Kaup, Monog. Strig. in Jard. Cont. to Orn., 1852, p. 120. Strix tenebricosus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol. vol. i. pl. 30. Although I cannot possibly affirm that such is the case, I F 66 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. believe this fine Owl to be an inhabitant of the great brushes of New South Wales, those of the Clarence, Richmond, &c. ; for since the publication of my figure in the folio edition of the ‘ Birds of Australia,’ I have received an example said to have been procured in one of those districts. A fine specimen is comprised in the collection of the British Museum, and a second example in that of the Academy of Sciences at Philadelphia. It is a very powerful bird, and the rarest in our collections of the Australian members of the genus to which it belongs, from all of which it is conspicuously distinguished by the dark sooty hue of its plumage, and by the primaries bemg of a uniform colour, or destitute of the bars common to all the other species. Facial disk sooty grey, becoming much deeper round the _ eyes; upper surface brownish black, with purplish reflexions, and with a spot of white near the tip of each feather; wings and tail of the same hue but paler, the primaries of a uni- form tint, without bars, those of the tail faintly freckled with narrow irregular limes of white; under surface brownish black, washed with buff, and with the white marks much less decided ; legs mottled brown and white; irides dark brown ; bill horn-colour ; feet yellowish. Total length, 16 inches; bill, 12; wing, 12; tail, 54; tarsi, 3. Sp, 31. STRIX DELICATULUS, Gould. Drnicate Owu. Strix delicatulus, Gould, in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part iv., 1836, p. 140. Yon-ja, Aborigines of the Lowlands of Western Australia. Strix delicatulus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol. vol. i. pl. 31. This is the least of the Australian Owls belonging to that section of the group to which the generic term of Strix has been retained ; it is also the one most generally distributed. RAPTORES. 67 I observed it in almost every part of New South Wales that I visited ; it is a common bird in South Australia, and I have also seen specimens from Port Essington. It has not yet been found in the colony of Swan River, nor can it be included in the fauna of Tasmania. Although good specific differences are found to exist, it is very nearly allied to the Barn Owl (Strix flammea) of our own island, and the S. javanica of India, and, as might be naturally expected, the habits, actions, and general economy of the three species are as similar as is their outward appearance: mice and other small mammals, which are very numerous in Australia, are preyed upon as its natural food. To attempt a description of its noiseless flight, its mode of capturing its prey, or of its general habits, would be merely to repeat what has been so often and so ably written relative to the Barn Owl of Europe. Although the plumage of youth and that of maturity do not differ so widely in this species as in the other Austra- lian members of the genus, the fully adult bird may always be distinguished by the spotless and snowy whiteness of the breast, and by the lighter colouring of the upper surface. Facial disk white, margined with buff; upper surface light greyish brown tinged with yellow, very thickly and delicately pencilled with spots of brownish black and white; wings pale buff lightly barred with pale brown, marked along the outer edge and extremities with zigzag pencillings of the same, each primary having a terminal spot of white; tail resembles the primaries, except that the terminal white spot is indistinct, and the outer feathers are almost white; under surface white, sparingly marked about the chest and flanks with small brownish dots; legs and thighs white ; bill horn-colour ; feet yellowish. Total length, 14 inches ; bill, 12; wing, 11; tail, 4; tarsi, 22. ‘Mr. Gurney informs me that this species is also found in New Caledonia, and in Aniteum, one of the New Hebrides. FQ BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Genus HIERACOGLAUX, Kaup. All the species of this and the following genus are partially diurnal. They all have very large eyes; which in some are pale yellow, while in others they are light brown. I shall commence with the largest member of the present form, Z. strenuus, thus reversing the order of the species as arranged in the folio edition of the Birds of Australia. Sp. 32. HIERACOGLAUX STRENUUS. GREAT Owt oF THE BRUSHES. Athene? strenua, Gould, in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part v. p. 142. Teraglaux strenua, Kaup, Monog. Strig. in Jard. Cont. to Orn., 1852, p. 109. Athene strenua, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol. vol. i. pl. 35. With the exception of the Eagles, Aguila audax and Poloaétus leucogaster, this is the most powerful Raptorial bird yet discovered in Australia, Its strength is prodi- gious, and woe to him who ventures to approach it when wounded. So far as I have been able to ascertain, it is an inhabitant of the brushes, particularly those of Victoria and New South Wales which extend along the coast from Port Philip to Moreton Bay. I did, however, obtain it on the precipitous sides of the cedar brushes of the Liverpool range; in all such situations the silence of night is frequently broken by its hoarse loud mournful note, which more resem- bles the bleating of an ox than any other sound I can compare it to. Durmg the day it reposes under the canopy of the thickest trees, from which however it is readily roused, when it glides down the gulleys with remarkable swiftness ; the manner in which so large a bird threads the trees while flying with such velocity is indeed truly astonishing. Its food consists of birds and quadrupeds, of which the RAPTORES. . ' 169 brushes furnish a plentiful supply. In the stomach of one I dissected in the Liverpool range were the remains of a bird and numerous green seed-like berries, resembling small peas ; whether the latter had formed the contents of the stomach of a bird or quadruped which the Owl had devoured, or had beer. eaten by the Owl itself, I could not satisfactorily ascertain. The bill of this species stands out from the face very pro- minently; it has also a smaller head and more diminutive eyes than the Lieracoglaux connivens, although it is a much larger bird. The sexes differ but little in size or in the colouring of the plumage, which may be thus described :— Crown of the head, all the upper surface, wings, and tail dark clove-brown, crossed by numerous bars of broccoli-brown, which become much larger, lighter, and more conspicuous on the lower part of the back, the inner edges of the secondaries and of the tail; face, throat, and upper part of the chest buff, with a large patch of dark brown down the centre of each feather ; the remainder of the under surface white, slightly tinged with buff, and crossed with irregular bars of brown ; bill light blue at the base, passing into black at the tip; feet pale gamboge-yellow ; irides yellow; cere greenish olive. Total length, 24 inches; bill, 2; wing, 15; tail, 104; tarsi, 24. Sp. 33. HIERACOGLAUX RUFUS. — Rvurovus Ow. Athene rufa, Gould, in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part xiv. p. 18. Leraglaux rufa, Kaup, Monog. Strig. in Jard. Cont. to Orn., 1852, p- 109. Ngor-gork, Aborigines of Port Essington. Athene rufa, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol. vol. i. pl. 36, What the Mieracoglaux strenuus is to the brushes of New South Wales, the H. rufus is to the primitive forests of the 70 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. _ Cobourg Peninsula. That this powerful Owl has a very ex- tensive range over that part of the country is probable, as it also is that the numerous Vampires (Pteropus funereus) which suspend themselves from the trees along the north coast are not free from its attacks. A single specimen was obtained at Port Essington by Gilbert, who shot it in a thicket amidst the swamps in the neighbourhood of the settlement. It is a large species, nearly equalling in size the Hieracoglaux strenuus, from which how- ever it is at once distinguished by the more rufous tint of its plumage and by the more numerous and narrower barring of the breast. No other specimen was procured during Gilbert’s residence in the colony, neither have the collections transmitted from that locality since his untimely death furnished us with additional examples. Facial disk dark brown ; all the upper surface dark brown, crossed by numerous narrow bars of reddish brown ; the tints becoming paler and the barrings larger and more distinct on the lower part of the body, wings, and tail; all the under sur- face sandy red, crossed by numerous bars of reddish brown ; the feathers of the throat with a line of brown down the centre; vent, legs, and thighs of a paler tint, with the bars more numerous but not so decided; bill horn-colour; cere, eyelash, and feet yellow, the latter slightly clothed with feathers; irides light yellow. Total length, 20 inches; bill, 1$; wing, 184; tail, 81, tarsi, 24. It is not to be expected that Gilbert, almost unaided by any one, either settler or native, could make himself acquainted with all the birds of a primitive country like the Cobourg Peninsula; when that portion of Australia becomes better known, much additional information respecting species already characterized as well as many novelties will doubtless be acquired. RAPTORES. 71 Sp. 34. HIERACOGLAUX CONNIVENS. Winkine OWL. Falco connivens, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. 12. Buteo connivens, Vieill. Nouv. Dict. d’Hist. Nat., tom. iv. p. 481. Noctua frontata, Less. Traité d’Orn. p. 106. Athene frontata, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 35, Athene, sp. 34. . . Teraglaux connivens, Kaup, Mon. Strig. in Jard. Cont. to Orn., 1852, Py 109: Athene? fortis, Gould, in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part v. p. 141. Goora-a-gang, Aborigines of New South Wales. ; Wool-boo-gle, Aborigines of the mountain district of Western Australia. Athene connivens, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol. vol. i. pl. 34. This is a far more common species than either of the two last described ; it is also much less in size and very different in colour ; its range appears to extend over the whole of the southern coast of Australia. I have received examples from Western Australia, Victoria, and nearly every part of New South Wales ; specimens from these distant localities differ a little in their plumage, those obtained in the West being rather lighter in colour, and having the markings less clear and defined, than those from the eastern portion of the country. There is no difference in the plumage of the sexes; but the female is somewhat the larger in size. | _ Brushes, wooded gullies, and the sides of creeks are its favourite places of resort ; it is consequently not so restricted in the localities it chooses as the Hieracoglaua strenuus, which I have never known to leave the brushes. It sallies forth early in the evening, and even flies with perfect use of vision during the mid-day sun, when roused and driven from the trees upon which it has been sleeping. I have frequently observed it in the daytime among the thick branches of the Casuarine which border the creeks. Gilbert procured an egg of this species in Western Australia ; it was pure white, some- i | i | iat ; H | | / | | 72 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. what round in form, and large for the size of the bird ; measur- ing two inches in length by one and five-eighths in breadth. It will be seen, on reference to the synonyms, that I described this bird, in the « Proceedings of the Zoological Society,’? under the specific name of fortis; but I have since ascertained, through the kindness of the late Earl of Derby in affording me the use and inspection of the three volumes of drawings of Australian Birds, formerly in the possession of the late A. B. Lambert, Esq., that it is identical with the Winking Falcon of Latham ; any seeming inattention on my part in describing an apparently new Owl without consulting that author will I hope be readily excused, as few ornitholo- gists would think of looking for the description of this bird under the genus Falco. | It is due to the acumen of the late Mr. Strickland that, by means of the drawings above alluded to, the present and other species described by Latham have been identified, a circum- stance which has caused Aguila Jucosa to become A. audax ; Falco frontatus, F. lunulatus; Strix personata, S. Nove-Hol- landie, &e. ; unfortunately I did not obtain the loan of these drawings until my work was far advanced, otherwise the errors I now correct would not have occurred, Wace and throat greyish white ; crown of the head and all the upper surface dark brown, tinged with purple; scapularies, secondaries, and greater wing-coverts spotted with white; primaries alternately barred with dark and greyish brown, the light marks on the outer edges approaching to white; tail dark brown, transversely barred with six or seven lines of greyish white, the extreme tips of all the feathers terminating with the same ; the whole of the under surface mottled brown and white, the latter occupying the outer edges of the feathers ; tarsi clothed to the toes, and mottled brown and fawn-colour ; irides bright yellow; cere yellowish olive ; bill light yellowish horn-colour; toes long, yellow, and covered with fine hairs. RAPTORES. 73 Genus SPILOGLAUX, Kaup. The members of this form are very diminutive when compared with those forming the genus Mieracoglaux ; they are all clothed in a thick fluffy kind of plumage, in which respect they differ from their allies, the true Athenes. They are both diurnal and nocturnal in their habits, but fly less by day than they do by night. I commence with the largest species of the genus, S. marmoratus, which has not yet been figured either in the folio edition of the ‘ Birds of Australia’ or in the ‘ Supplement.’ Sp. 35. SPILOGLAUX MARMORATUS., | Athene marmorata, Gould, in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part xiv. p. 18. Spiloglaux marmoratus, Kaup, Monog. Strig. in Jard. Cont. to Orn., 1852, p. 108. All the upper surface, wings, and tail dark brown, obscurely spotted with white round the back of the neck, on the wing-coverts and scapularies ; inner webs of the primaries at their base, and the inner webs of the lateral tail-feathers, crossed by bands, which are buff next the shaft, and white towards the extremity of the webs; face and chin whitish; under surface dark brown, blotched with white and sandy brown; legs and thighs fawn-colour; bill horn-colour; feet yellow. Total length, 14 inches ; bill, 1; wing, 91; tail, 6 ; tarsi, 2. This bird so far exceeds in size the S. maculatus that, not- withstanding the resemblance in its markings, I have no doubt of its being a distinct species. Besides those in my own, there are specimens of the S. marmoratus in the national collection ; all of which have been sent from South Australia, 74 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Sp. 36. SPILOGLAUX BOOBOOK. Boosooxk Owt. Striz Boobook, Lath. Ind. Orn. Suppl., p. xv. no. 9. Noctua Boobook, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 188. Spiloglaux bubuk, Kaup, Monog. Strig. in Jard. Cont. to Orn., 1852, p- 108. Buck-buck, Aborigines of New South Wales. Goor-goor-da, Aborigines of Western Australia. Mel-in-de-ye, Aborigines of Port Essington. Koor-koo, Aborigines of South Australia. Brown or Cuckoo-Owl of the Colonists. Athene Boobook, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol. vol. i. pl. 32. I have seen individuals of this Owl from every one of the Australian colonies, all presenting similar characters, with the exception of those from Port Essington, which differ from the others in being a trifle smaller in size and paler in colour. In Tasmania this species is seldom seen, while it is very common throughout the whole of the southern portion of the continent. It appears to inhabit alike the brushes and those plains which are studded with belts of trees. It is no unusual occurrence to observe it on the wing in the daytime in search of insects and small birds, upon which it mainly subsists. It may be readily distinguished from Spiloglaue maculatus by its smaller size, and by the spotted markings of its plumage. The flight of this bird is tolerably rapid; and as it passed through the shrubby trees that cover the vast area of the belts of the Murray, it strongly reminded me of a woodcock. In such places travellers frequently flush it from off the ground, to which, after a flight of one or two hundred yards, it either descends again or takes shelter in any thickly foliaged trees that may be at hand. It breeds in the holes of the large gum-trees, during the RAPTORES. 75 months of November and December, and lays its eggs on the rotten surface of the wood, without any kind of nest. Three eggs procured on the 8th of November, by my useful native companion Natty, were in a forward state of incubation ; their contour was unusually round, the medium length of the three being one inch and seven lines, and the breadth one_ inch and four lines. They were perfectly white, as 1s ever the case with the eggs of owls. «The native name of this bird,” says Mr. Caley, “is Buck-buck, and it may be heard nearly every night during winter uttering a cry corresponding with the sound of that word. Although this cry is known to every one, yet the bird itself is known but to few; and it cost me considerable time and trouble before I could satisfy myself of its identity. The note of the bird is somewhat similar to that of the European Cuckoo, and the colonists have hence given it that name. ‘The settlers in New South Wales are led away by the idea that everything is the reverse in that country to what it is in England; and the Cuckoo, as they call this bird, singing by night is one of the instances they point out.” I believe that its note is never uttered during the daytime. The sexes offer but little difference in the colouring of their plumage, but the female is the largest im size. A great diversity is found to exist in the colouring of the irides, some being yellowish white, others greenish yellow, and others brown. Its food is very varied, but consists principally of small birds and insects of various orders, particularly locusts and other europtera. Fore part of the facial disk greyish white, each feather tipped with black; hinder part dark brown; head, all the upper surface, wings, and tail reddish brown; the wing- coverts, scapularies, and inner webs of the secondaries spotted with white; primaries and tail-feathers irregularly 76 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. barred with light reddish brown, the spaces between the bars becoming buffy white on the under surface; breast and all the under surface rufous, irregularly blotched with white, which predominates on the abdomen; thighs deep tawny buif; irides light brown in some, greenish brown inclining to yellow in others; cere bluish grey; feet lead-colour. Sp. 37. SPILOGLAUX MACULATUS. Sporrep Ow1. Noctua maculata, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xy. p- 189. Spiloglaux maculatus, Kaup, Monog. Strig. in Jard. Cont. to Rll Eley 1852, p. 108. Athene maculata, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol. vol. i. pl. 33, ~ This species is very generally distributed over Tasmania ; it also inhabits South Australia and New South Wales, but in far less numbers. It generally takes up its abode in the thickly-foliaged trees of the woods and gullies, usually selecting those that are most shielded from the heat and light of the sun, spending, like the diurnal species, the entire day in a state of drowsiness, from which, however, it can be easily aroused. Its visual powers are sufficiently strong to enable it to face the light, and even to hunt for its food in the daytime. Like other members of the genus, it preys chiefly upon small birds and insects, which, from the more than ordinary rapidity of its movements, are captured with great facility. The sexes are precisely alike in colour, and differ but little in size; the female is, however, the largest. The drawing in the folio edition was made from a pair of living examples which I kept for some time during my stay at Hobart Town, and which bore confinement so contentedly, that had an opportunity presented itself I might easily have sent them alive to England. Facial disk white, each of the feathers immediately above RAPTORES. ae a the bill with the shafts and tips black; head and all the upper surface brown, the scapularies and secondaries nume- rously spotted with white; tail brown, crossed by irregular bands of a lighter tint, which become nearly white on the outer feathers; chest and all the under surface brown, blotched and spotted with tawny and white; primaries brown, crossed with bands of a lighter tint; thighs tawny buff; bill dark horn-colour ; irides yellow ; feet yellowish. I have now enumerated all the Raptorial Birds of Australia at present known ; but I have no doubt that when the northern portions of that great country have been duly explored their number will be greatly increased ; indeed such a result may be looked for with a degree of certainty ; especially with regard to the family we have just left—the Strigidee—for there is no knowing what Owls exist in the brushes of the Cape York district, or those of the north coast lying immediately oppo- site that ferra incognita, New Guinea and its numerous islands. Where insect life is abundant, small quadrupeds and birds are sure to occur in sufficient numbers to keep them in check or within the necessary bounds. The next Order—the Insessores __which commences with the Caprimulgide, will afford ample evidence of this being always the case, for in no other country is there a greater proportion of insectivorous birds, and cer- tainly none in which nocturnal species, such as the Podary?, are more numerous. 7 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Order INSESSORES. If the Raptores inhabiting Australia are few in number, such is not the case with those next in succession—the Insessores ; for the birds of this Order are not only numerous in species, but comprise many forms peculiar to that country. These will all be ranked, in the following pages, as near to each other as an arrangement of the birds of one portion of the globe will admit. I commence with the Caprimulyide, to which succeed the Cypselide or Swifts, the Hirundinide or Swallows, the dMJeropide or Bee-eaters, the Halcyonide or Kingfishers, the members of that singular genus Artamus or Wood Swallows, the Pardaloti, the Gymnorhine, Graucali, Pachycephale, Colluricincde, Rhyndure, Gerygones, Petroice, Menure, Psophodes, Maluri, Acanthize, Cinclorhamphi, Estrelde, Cinclosome, Ptilinorhynchi, Sericulus, Orioli, Corco- vax, Pomatorhint, Struthidea, the great family of Meliphagide or Honey-eaters, the Cucult, Climacteres, Ptilores, and Sittelle ; followed by the cream of the Australian avifauna, the Psittacide or Parrots,—the whole comprising many genera which it would be out of place to particularize here, but which will be com- mented upon as they may require in due succession. Family CAPRIMULGIDA. ‘The members of this group of birds inhabit nearly every portion of the known world; but none occur in New Zealand nor, I believe, in the Polynesian Islands. Genus AGOTHELES, Vigors and Horsfield. Two species of this singular form inhabit Australia; one its southern, the other its northern portions. They are both very Owl-like in their habits, actions, and dispositions ; INSESSORES. 79 remaining by day within the hollow branches of trees, in which situations, without any nest, their four or five round white eggs are deposited. The sexes are alike in colouring. 38. AGOTHELES NOVA-HOLLANDLA, Vig. and Horsf. Owxet NIGHTJAR. Crested Goat-sucker, Phill. Bot. Bay, pl. in p. 270. Caprimulgus Nove-Hollandia, Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. 1. p. 588. cristatus, Shaw in White’s Voy., pl. in p. 241. New-Holland Goat-sucker, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. 1. p. 261. Bristled Goat-sucker, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. vil. p. 342. Caprimulgus vitiatus, Ib. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. lviii. Banded Goat-sucker, Ib. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 262, pl. 136. AEgotheles Nove-Hollandie, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p,.197, lunulatus, Jard. and Selby, Ill. Orn., vol. ii. pl. 149. Australis, Swains. Class. of Birds, vol. i. p. 338. cristatus, G. R. Gray, List of Gen. of Birds, p. 7. Little More-pork, Colonists of Tasmania. Teringing, Aborigines of the coast of New South Wales. Mgotheles Nove-Hollandie, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 1. ; This very interesting little Nightjar possesses a great range of habitat, being found in every part of Tasmania, and throughout the southern portion of Australia, from Swan River on the western coast to Queensland on the eastern ; time, and the continued exploration of that vast country, can alone de- termine how far it may be found to the northward: it is a stationary species, inhabiting alike the densest brushes near the coast, and the more thinly-wooded districts of the interior. While rambling in the Australian forests I had the good fortune to meet with more than an ordinary number of speci- mens of this curious bird. I also procured its eggs, and con- siderable information respecting its habits and actions, which differ most remarkably from those of the other members of 80 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. the family, and, on the other hand, assimilate so closely to those of the smaller Owls, that the English name of Owlet Nightjar has been assigned to it. During the day the bird resorts to the hollow branches or spouts as they are called, and the boles of the gum-trees, sally- ing forth as night approaches in quest of insects, particularly small Coleoptera. Its flight is straight, and not characterized by the sudden turns and descents of the Caprimulgi. On driving it from its haunts I have sometimes observed it to fly direct to a similar hole in another tree, but more frequently to alight on a neighbouring branch, perching across and never parallel to it. When assailed in its retreat it emits a loud hissing noise, and has the same stooping motion of the head observable in the Owls; it also resembles that tribe of birds in its erect carriage, the manner in which it sets out the feathers round the ears and neck, and in the power it possesses of turning the head in every direction, even over the back, a habit it is constantly practising. A pair I had for some time in captivity frequently leapt towards the top of the cage, and had a singular mode of running or shuffling backwards to one corner of it. While traversing the woods, the usual mode of ascertaining its presence is by tapping with a stone or a tomahawk at the base of the hollow trees, when the little inmate will almost invariably ascend to the outlet and peep over to ascertain the cause of disturbance. If the tree be lofty or its hole inac- cessible, it will frequently retire again to its hiding-place, and there remain until the annoyance be repeated, when it flies off to a place of greater security. In these holes, without forming any nest, it deposits its eggs, which are four or five in number, perfectly white, nearly round, and about one inch and a line in length and eleven lines in breadth. At least two broods are reared by each pair of birds during the year. I have known the young to be taken in Tasmania in October, and in New South Wales I have procured eggs in January. INSESSORES. $1 Specimens from Tasmania, Swan River, South Australia, and New South Wales present considerable difference in the colour and markings of the plumage, but none, so far as I have yet seen, of sufficient importance to justify their separa- tion into distinct species: in some the nuchal band and the circular mark on the head are very conspicuous, while in others scarcely a trace of these markings is observable; these varia- tions do not appear to occur in certain localities only, but are generally found in all. Little or no difference is apparent in the size or plumage of the sexes. In all the irides are blackish brown. Sp. 39. AUGOTHELES LEUCOGASTER, Gould. WHITE-BELLIED Owxet-NIGHTJAR. Atigotheles leucogaster, Gould in Proc. Zool. Soc., part xii. p. 106. Higotheles leucogaster, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 2. This is altogether a larger and more powerful bird than the AMyotheles Nove-Hollandie; besides which, the white colouring of the lower part of the belly will at all times serve to distinguish it from that species. Gilbert states that it is abundant in most parts of the settle- ment at Port Essington, “where it is frequentlyseen flying about at twilight, and occasionally during the day. On the approach of an intruder it flies very heavily from tree to tree, and on - alighting invariably turns round on the branch to watch his approach, moving the head all the time after the manner of the Hawk tribe.” The White-bellied Owlet-Nightjar feeds on insects; and as the bird is strictly a nocturne, they are, as a matter of course, procured at night. The sexes when fully adult will not, I expect, be found to differ in plumage; but whether the red or the grey varieties G §2 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. are the most mature birds, or if the difference in colour be sexual, I have not had sufficient opportunities of ascertaining. Head black; the crown, a lunar-shaped mark at the back of the head, and a collar surrounding the back of the neck freckled with grey; back freckled black and white; wings brown, crossed by numerous bands of lighter brown freckled with dark brown ; primaries margined. externally with buff, interrupted with blotchings of dark brown ; tail dark brown, crossed by numerous broad irregular bands of reddish buff freckled with dark brown; ear-coverts straw-white; chin, abdomen, and under tail-coverts white; breast and sides of the neck white, crossed by numerous freckled bars of black ; irides dark brown; upper mandible dark olive-brown, lower mandible white with a black tip; legs very pale yellow ; claws black. | Total length, 94 inches ; bill, 1; wing, 58; tail,5; tarsi, 1. . Genus PODARGUS, Cuvier. With no one group of the Australian birds have I had so much difficulty in discriminating the species as with those of the genus Podargus. It is almost impossible to determine with certainty those described by Latham; could this have been done satisfactorily, it would have greatly facilitated their investigation. The species are much more numerous than those of the - genus Aigotheles, and unlike them are not so exclusively con- fined to Australia; for although that country constitutes their head-quarters, some are found in New Guinea and the adjacent islands, where they unite with the Batrachostoms. Six species of this form were described in the folio edition ; during the twenty years which have elapsed since its com- pletion, two others have been discovered; and thus we now know that Australia is inhabited by eight species of these large nocturnal birds to keep in check the great families of a INSESSORES. 83 Cicade and Phasmide, upon which they mainly subsist: but they do not refuse other insects, and even berries have been found in their stomachs. They are an inanimate and sluggish group of birds, and depend for their supplies less upon their power of flight than upon the habit they are said to have of traversing the branches of the various trees upon which their favourite insects reside; at intervals during the night they sit about im open places, on rails, stumps of trees, on the roofs of houses. In their nidification the Podargi differ in a most remarkable manner from all the other Caprimulgide, inasmuch as while the eggs of the Ayothele are deposited in the holes of trees, and those of the members of the other genera of this family on the ground, these birds construct a flat nest of small sticks on the horizontal branches of trees for the reception of theirs, which are moreover of the purest white. | Although I have no satisfactory evidence that the Podargs resort to a kind of hybernation for short periods during some portions of the year, I must not omit to mention that I have been assured that they do occasionally retire to and remain secluded in the hollow parts of the trees; and if such should prove to be the case, it may account for the extreme obesity of many of the individuals I procured, which was often so great as to prevent me from preserving their skins. 1 trust that these remarks will cause the subject to be investigated by those who are favourably situated for so doing; for my own part, I see no reason why a bird should not pass a portion of its existence in a state of hybernation; at the same time the notion of its so doing is very like a repetition of the old assertion respecting the Swallows, for which there is no foundation. I would also ask the Australians to ascertain if the differ- ence in colour which occurs in these birds be distinctive of their sex, and if so, to which the respective tints of red and grey pertain. 2G , : G2 84 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Sp. 40. PODARGUS STRIGOIDES. TAWNY-SHOULDERED PoDARGUSs. Caprimulgus strigoides, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. 58. gracilis? Ib., p. 58. podargus? Dumont, Dict. Sci. Nat., tom. xiv. p. 504. Gracile Goatsucker? Ib. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 263. Podargus? gracilis? Steph. Cont. of Shaw’s Zool., vol. xiii. p. 93. Australis ? Ib., vol. xiii. p. 92. cinereus? Vieill. Nouv. Dict. d’Hist. Nat., tom. xxvii. p. 151, pl. G. 37. fig. 3. Cold-River Goatsucker, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. vii. p. 369. Podargus humeralis, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 198. Podargus humeralis, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol. vol. ii. pl. 3. The ‘Tawny-shouldered Podargus is plentifully dispersed over New South Wales, where it is not restricted to any peculiar character of country, but inhabits alike the thick brushes near the coast, the hilly districts, and the thinly wooded plains of the interior. I found it breeding on the low swampy islands studding the mouth of the Hunter, and on the Apple-tree (Angophora) flats of Yarrundi, near the Liverpool Range. Like the rest of the genus, this species is strictly noc- turnal, sleeping throughout the day on the dead branch of a tree, in an upright position across, and never parallel to, the branch, and which it so nearly resembles as_ scarcely to be distinguishable from it. I have occasionally seen it beneath the thick foliage of the Caswarine, and I have been informed that it sometimes shelters itself in the hollow trunks of the Lucalypti, but I could never detect one in such a situa- tion; I mostly found them in pairs, perched near each other on the branches of the gums, in situations not at all sheltered from the beams of the midday sun. So lethargic are its slumbers, that it is almost impossible to arouse it, and I have frequently shot one without disturbing its mate sitting close by; it may also be knocked off with sticks or stones, INSESSORES. 85 and sometimes is even taken with the hand: when aroused, it flies lazily off with heavy flapping wings to a neighbour- ing tree, and again resumes its slumbers until the approach of evening, when it becomes as animated and active as it had been previously dull and stupid. The stomach of one I dis- sected induced me to believe that it does not usually capture its prey while on the wing, or subsist upon nocturnal insects alone, but that it is in the habit of creeping among the branches in search of such as are in a state of repose. The power it pos- sesses of shifting the position of the outer toe backwards, as circumstances may require, is a very singular feature, and may also tend to assist them in their progress among the branches. A bird I shot at Yarrundi, in the middle of the night, had the stomach filled with fresh-captured mantis and locusts (Phas- mide and Cicade), which seldom move at night, and the latter of which are generally resting against the upright boles of the trees. In other specimens I found the remains of small coleoptera, intermingled with the fibres of the roots of what appeared to be a parasitic plant, such as would be found in decayed and hollow trees. The whole contour of the bird shows that it is not formed for extensive flight or for per- forming those rapid evolutions that are necessary for the cap- ture of its prey in the air, the wing beimg short and concave ~ in comparison with those of the true aérial Nightjars, and par- ticularly with the Australian form to which I have given the name of Lurostopodus. Of its mode of nidification I can speak with confidence, having seen many pairs breeding during my rambles in the woods. It makes a slightly-constructed flat nest of sticks carelessly interwoven together, and placed at the fork of a horizontal branch of sufficient size to ensure its safety ; the trees most frequently chosen are the Hucalypti, but I have oc- casionally seen the nest on an Apple-tree (Angophora) or a Swamp-Oak (Casuarina). In every instance one of the birds was sitting on the eggs and the other perched on a neighbour- 86 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. ing bough, both invariably asleep: that the male participates in the duty of incubation I ascertained by having shot a bird on the nest, which on dissection proved to be a male. The eges are generally two in number, of a beautiful immaculate white, and of a long oval form, one inch and ten lines in length by one inch and three lines in diameter. Like the other species of the genus, it is subject to consi- derable variation in its colouring; the young, which assume the adult livery at an early age, being somewhat darker in all their markings. In some a rich tawny colour predominates, while others are more grey. The night-call of this species is a loud hoarse noise, consist- ing of two distinct sounds, which cannot be correctly described. The stomach is thick and muscular, and is lined with a thick hair-like substance like that of the Common Cuckoo. All the upper surface brown, speckled with greyish white and darker brown, the feathers of the crown having a blackish- brown stripe on the centre terminating in a minute spot of white ; wings similar to the upper surface, but lighter and with bolder black and buff spots, the coverts having an irre- gular spot of white and tawny on the outer web near the tip, which, as they lie over each other, form indistinct bands across the wing; primaries brownish black, with light-coloured shafts, and with a series of whitish spots on the outer webs, between which they are margined with tawny; their inner webs irregularly barred with the same; tail tawny brown, sprinkled with lighter brown, and crossed with a series of irregular bands of blackish brown, sprinkled with dusky white, each feather having a spot of brownish black near the extremity, and tipped with white; face and all the under surface greyish white, crossed by numerous narrow and irregular bars of tawny, and with a stripe of brown down the centre of each feather, the latter colour being most conspicuous and forming a kind of semilunar mark down each side of the chest; bill light brown, tinged with INSESSORES. SF purple ; inside of the mouth pale yellow ; tongue long, trans- parent, and of the same colour with the inside of the mouth ; irides brownish orange; feet light brownish olive. Sp. 41. PODARGUS CUVIERI, Vig. and Horsf. Couvier’s Poparcts. Podargus Cumert, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. Pp. 200. More-pork of the residents in Tasmania. Podargus Cuvieri, Gould, Birds of ‘Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 4. This species is readily distinguished from the Podargus humeralis by the bill being much less robust and of a more adpressed form, while the culmen is sharp and elevated; the bird itself is also of a smaller size and altogether more slender than its near ally. Tasmania, if not its exclusive habitat, is certainly its great stronghold, it being there very numerous, as evidenced by the frequency with which I encountered it during my rambles over the country. I observed it both among the thick branches of the Casuarine and on the dead limbs of the Eucalypti; it appeared however to evince a greater partiality for the latter, which it closely resembles in colour, and, from the position in which it rests, looks so like a part of the branch itself as frequently to elude detection ; it is generally seen in pairs sitting near each other, and fre- quently on the same branch. Like the other members of the genus, this bird is strictly nocturnal, and feeds almost exclu- sively on insects, of which coleoptera form a great part. It is frequently captured and kept in captivity im Tasmania, where it excites attention more from the sluggishness of its nature and the singular position it assumes than from any other cause. It will pass the entire day in sleep on the back of a chair or any other piece of furniture on which it can perch. Like the owl, it is considered by superstitious people a bird of ill omen, principally from the extraordinary sound of 88 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. its hoarse, unearthly cry, which resembles the words more- pork ; it approaches the immediate vicinity of the houses, and frequently emits this sound while perched in their verandahs. The Podargus Cuviert builds a neatly formed flat nest, about seven inches in diameter, in the fork of an horizontal branch ; the exterior formed of small sticks, and the interior of the fibrous portions of various plants; the eggs are white, and nearly of a true oval in form, being one inch and nine lines long by one inch and three lines broad. Considerable variation occurs in the colouring of individuals, the prevailing tint being a dull ashy grey, while others are of a rich chestnut hue; but whether this be indicative of imma- turity, or characteristic of the fully adult plumage of the two sexes, I have not been able to satisfy myself. Lores brown, each feather tipped with mealy white, forming a line before and above the eye; feathers of the forehead mealy white, blending into the dull ashy grey of the head and back, all the feathers of which have a stripe of blackish brown down the centre, terminating in a small spot of white, and are moreover minutely freckled with greyish white and dark brown ; wing-coverts chestnut, each tipped with an oval spot of white bounded posteriorly with black, forming a line across the wing; remainder of the wing brown, mottled with greyish white, arranged, particularly on the primaries, in the form of uregular bars; scapularies washed with buff and with a broad stripe of blackish brown down the centre; under surface brownish grey, minutely freckled with white, and with a nar- row line of blackish brown down the centre; sides of the neck washed with chestnut ; tail grey, minutely freckled with greyish white and black, assuming the form of broad irregular bands, each feather with a small spot of white at the tip; irides varying from yellow to reddish yellow and hazel; feet olive-brown. Other examples have the general tint rich chestnut-brown, with all the markings larger and more decided. _ INSESSORES. &9 Sp. 42. PODARGUS MEGACEPHALUS. Caprimulgus megacephalus, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. lviii. Great-headed Goatsucker, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. 11. p. 265. Wedge-tailed Goatsucker, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. vil. p. 368 ? Podargus Stanleyanus, Lath. MSS., Vig. & Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 197? Podargus megacephalus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol, i. Introd., p. XXVill. I believe I have good grounds for regarding the Podargus megacephalus as distinct from P. humerals. For many years two birds of this form have lived in the Gardens of the Zoological Society, one of which is doubtless the P. humeralis ; the other, which is much larger and possesses greatly developed mandibles, is to all appearance distinct, and is so considered by the keeper who has charge of these Nocturnes—an opinion in which the learned Secretary also, I believe, coincides but I must admit that the question is an open one, and one to which I would call the attention of those persons resident in Australia who pay attention to ornithology, that they may aid us in its solution. The habitat of this species is the brushes of the eastern coast, whence I have received specimens. Sp. 43. PODARGUS BRACHYPTERUS, Gould. ~ SHort-wINGED PoDARGUS. Podargus brachypterus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part vill. p. 163. Podargus brachypterus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., Introd., Seat, In its general appearance this bird closely resembles the P. humeralis, but is even smaller in size than P. Cuviert ; at the same time the bill is larger than that of the former species, and projects much further from the face than in any other of its congeners; it also differs im the shortness of its wings, 90 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. which circumstance suggested the specific appellation I have assigned to it. It is a native of Western Australia. Sp. 44. PODARGUS PHALAINOIDES, Gould. Mora-PLuMAGED PoDpARGUS. Podargus Phalenoides, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part vii. p. 142. Ny-ane? and In-ner-jin-ert, pee cca of the neighbourhood of Port Essington. Podargus phalenoides, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 5. The present bird, which is from Port Essington, may be readily distinguished from every other Australian species of Podargus by its small size, by the beautiful, delicate, and moth-like painting of its plumage, and by the colourmg of the thighs, which are light brown instead of black; its tail also is rather more lengthened than that of the common spe- cies, P. humeralis and P. Cuvierit. Like the other members of the genus, it exhibits considerable variation in size and colouring; in some a rusty-red tint pervades the whole plumage, while in others no trace of this hue occurs. The difference in the colouring of the Podargi may be sexual, as we find to be the case in many of the Owls. . I have several specimens of the Moth-plumaged Pogarocts from the north-west coast of Australia, and Gilbert states that it is abundant in every part of the Coburg Peninsula. Like the rest of the genus, it is strictly nocturnal; its whole economy in fact, as far as known, so closely resembles that of the Podargus humeralis that one description would serve for both. © Forehead, sides of the face, and all the under surface brownish grey, minutely freckled with black; the feathers of the under surface with a stripe of blackish brown down the centre, these stripes being broadest and most conspicuous on the sides of the chest; all the upper surface brown, minutely INSESSORES. ~~ 91 freckled with grey, each feather with a broad stripe of black down the centre; shoulders dark brown; coverts freckled with greyish white and with a spot of white, the centre of which is fawn-colour at the tip; primaries dark brown, crossed on their outer webs with an irregular bar of white, the interspaces on the outer primaries rufous; inner webs of the primaries crossed by irregular bands of freckled brown and fawn-colour; tail brown, crossed by numerous broad bands of freckled grey, bounded on either side by irregular blotchings of black ; irides orange or reddish hazel; bill horn-colour. In the other state, to which I have alluded, the whole of the upper surface is of a dark rust-red, freckled on the forehead, wing-coverts, and scapularies with white; the bands on the tail less apparent; a rufous tint pervades the grey of the under surface, and the striz are much narrower than in the specimen above described. Sp. 45, PODARGUS PAPUENSIS, Quoy et Gaim. Papuan PoDARGUS. Podargus papuensis, Quoy et Gaim. Voy. de ’Astrol., Ois. t. 13. Podargus papuensis, Gould, Birds of Australia, Supplement, pl. Of this fine bird several specimens were procured during the voyage of Her Majesty's Ship Rattlesnake, under the command of Captain Owen Stanley, with Mr. Macgillivray as Naturalist, whose names will ever hold a prominent place in the annals of Australian zoology. All the specimens were obtained at Cape York, the contiguity of which to New Guinea snduced me to believe the bird to be identical with the one described and figured by MM. Quoy and Gaimard in the Voyage of the Astrolabe under the name of Podargus Pa- puensis ; and this belief proved to be correct on a comparison 92 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. of Australian examples with the New Guinea birds in the Museums of Paris and Leyden. The P. Papuensis is the largest species of the genus ot discovered; the beauty of its markings and the extreme length of ite cuneate tail render it also one of the most graceful. The only specimen that came into my possession from Mr. Macgillivray, for the purpose of figuring, before being deposited in the National Collection, was a male. This is of a light brown colour, beautifully marbled on the under surface with large blotches of white. I have another spe- cimen from Cape York, which is said to be the female; and such, judging from its redder colouring and smaller size, I believe to be the case, for a similar Hoek os exists between the sexes of P. marmoratus. ‘The male has the whole of the upper surface mottled with greyish white, brown, and black, presenting a very close resemblance to some of the larger kinds of moths, the lighter tints prevailing in some parts and the darker in others; on the primaries the marks assume the form of bars, and are of a redder hue; tips of the coverts white, forming irregular bars across the wing; tail very similar, but here also the markings assume the form of alternate darker and lighter bands with a rufous tint on the edges of the feathers; the under surface is much lighter than the upper; the greyish white assumes a larger and more blotch-like form, and the darker marks that of an irregular gorget across the breast ; bill and feet olive. The female is altogether of a more sandy hue; the dark marks proceed down the centre of the feathers, and terminate in a round spot of buff; the wing-coverts are tipped with white, and the lighter blotches on the wing are very con- spicuous; the under surface, like the upper, is also of a redder hue than in the male, and the markings are of a smaller and more freckled character. INSESSORES. 93 Sp. 46. PODARGUS PLUMIFERUS, Gould. PLUMED PoDARGUS. Podargus plumiferus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part xii, p. 104. Podargus plumiferus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 6. The only information I have to communicate respecting this beautiful Podargus is, that it is a native of the brushes of the Clarence and neighbouring rivers in New South Wales, and that several examples have come under my notice, of which one is deposited in the Museum at Dublin, another in the Museum at Manchester, and a third was sent to me by the late Mr. Strange of Sydney. The Podargus plumiferus is readily distinguished from all the other Australian members of the genus by the more lengthened form of tail, and by the remarkable and conspicuous tufts of feathers which spring from immediately above the nostrils: considerable variation is found to exist in the colouring of the various specimens, some being much redder than the others, and having the markings on the under surface much less distinct and of a more chestnut tint. Tuft of feathers covering the nostrils alternately banded with blackish brown and white; all the upper surface mottled brown, black, and brownish white, the latter predomimating over each eye, where it forms a conspicuous patch; the markings are of a larger but similar kind on the wings, and on the primaries and secondaries assume the form of bars ; tail similar, but paler, and with the barred form of the markings still more distinct; centre of the throat and chest brownish white, minutely freckled with brown ; sides of the neck and breast and all the under surface similar, but with a dark line of brown down the centre, and two large nearly square-shaped. spots of brownish white near the tip of each feather; bill and feet horn-colour. 9A. BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Sp. 47. PODARGUS MARMORATUS, Gould. MarBLED PoDARGUS. . Podargus marmoratus, Gould in App. to Macgillivray’s Voy. of Rattle- snake, vol. u. p. 356. Hotorgns marmoratus, Gould, Birds of Australia, Supplement, BL: On carefully comparing examples of this species with the original example of MM. Quoy and Gaimard’s Podargus ocel- latus in the Museum:of the Jardin des Plantes, I found them to differ so greatly that I could come to no other conclusion than they were distinct. The P. ocellatus is a smaller bird, has a redder tail, and very conspicuous large round white spots on the wing, arranged in the form of three distinct semicircular bars—characters which do not exist in the Aus- tralian bird; I had, therefore, no alternative but to give the latter a distinctive appellation. | The present species is particularly elegant in form, and is, in fact, a miniature representative of the P. Papuensis, and, like that bird, has a lengthened cuneate tail—a feature which adds much to its gracefulness. Much difference exists in the colouring of the sexes, the female being of a deep rusty hue, while the male is beautifully marbled with pearl-white, interspersed with freckles of brown and black, particularly on the under surface. Both the specimens from which my descriptions were taken were shot by Mr. Macgillivray on the Cape York Peninsula, one on the 14th, the other on the 19th of November 1849. These examples now grace the National Collection, where they will be available for comparison should any nearly allied species be discovered. _ The male has the whole of the upper surface and wings minutely mottled with brown, grey, and buff, the buffy tint prevailing over the eyes, on the scapularies, and on the tips INSESSORES. 95 of the wing-coverts; on the outer webs of the primaries the markings assume the form of bars of mingled buffy, bufly white, and rufous; tail light brown, crossed with numerous defined bands of grey, freckled with black, and with a rufous hue on the lateral feathers; under surface pearly white, minutely freckled with brown, and with a line of brown down the stem; a series of these darker marks, forming an irre- gular line, down each side of the neck ; bill and feet brownish olive. | badd - The markings of the female are similar, but her general tint is very much darker, and of a more rufous hue; the under surface, too, is dark brown, with here and there large blotches of buffy white; a series of nearly quadrangular blotches, bordered with dark brown, descends down each side of the neck. Genus EUROSTOPODUS. This genus, so far as is yet known, comprises but two species, both of which are probably confined to Australia. They differ considerably in their habits from the other Capri- mulgi. Their wing-powers being enormous, they pass through the air with great rapidity, and while hawking for insects during the twilight of the early dawn and evening, they make the most abrupt and sudden turns in order to secure their prey. Like the typical Nightjars, they rest on the ground. during the day. In every instance in which the site employed for incubation by the Hwrostopodus guttatus has been discovered, a single egg, deposited on the bare ground, has alone been found. The members of this genus are very nearly allied to the Lyncorni, a genus of Nightjars inhabiting the Indian Islands, of which L..cerviniceps and L. macrotis are typical examples. 96 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Sp. 48. EUROSTOPODUS ALBOGULARIS. WHiITE-THROATED NIGHTJAR. Caprimulgus albogularis, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 194, note. —— mystacalis, Temm. Pl. Col. 410. Eomeipodne albogularis, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 7. During my visit to Australia I had frequent opportunities of observing this species. How far it may range over the Australian continent is not known: the south-eastern are the only portions in which it has yet been discovered. I have seen specimens in collections formed at Moreton Bay, and I have killed three or four individuals of an evening on the cleared lands in the neighbourhood of the Upper Hunter, which shows that it is far from being a scarce bird in that part of New South Wales. In all probability it is only a summer visitant in the colony, for it was at this season only that I observed it. In the daytime it sleeps on the ground on some dry knoll or open part of the forest, and as twilight approaches sallies forth to the open glades and small plains or cleared lands in search of insects; its flight, which is much more powerful than that of any other species of the family I have seen, enabling it to pass through the air with great rapidity, and to mount up and dart down almost at mght angles whenever an insect comes within the range of its eye, which is so large and full that its powers of vision must be very great. Most of those I shot were gorged with insects, principally coleoptera and locusts, some of which were entire, and so large as to excite surprise how they could be swallowed ; in several instances they were so perfect that I preserved them as specimens for the cabinet. Of its nidification I have no reliable information to furnish ; but that it deposits a single egg on the bare ground is very probable. INSESSORES. 97 Contrary to what might have been expected, I found that although the sexes are nearly alike in colour, the females always exceed the males in size and in the brilliance of the tints; the males, on the other hand, have the two white spots on the third and fourth primaries more conspicuous than in the female. This species has very large and lustrous black eyes, which clearly indicate that it is a night-flier; its wings are very long; its tarsi short, and partially feathered; and the stiff rictal bristles of the typical Caprimulg: are absent. All the upper surface very minutely freckled grey and brown; the feathers on the crown of the head and at the occiput with a large patch of black down the centre; behind the ear-coverts a patch of dark brown sprinkled with brownish buff; from the angle of the mouth passing round the back of the neck an indistinct collar of intermingled buff, chestnut, and black; scapularies variegated with dark brown on their outer webs and margined with bright fulvous; wing dark brown, variegated with fulvous and grey; secondaries dark brown, with a regular series of bright fulvous spots along each web; primaries blackish brown, the two first without any spot, the remainder spotted like the secondaries, the third having a spot of white on its inner and outer web about the centre of the feather, the fourth with a large white spot on its outer web; two centre and outer webs of the remaining tail-feathers dark brown, marbled with irregular bars of grey ; the inner webs of the lateral feathers dark brown, crossed with irregular bands of light buff; throat blackish brown, spotted with bright buff; on each side of the throat a large oval spot of white; breast dark brown, spotted above with dull buff, and broadly freckled with dull buff and grey ; abdomen and under tail-coverts bright fulvous, crossed with bars of dark brown; irides dark brown; feet mealy reddish brown. H 98 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Sp. 49. EUROSTOPODUS GUTTATUS. Sporrep NIGHTJAR. Caprimulgus guttatus, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 192. Fichtel’s Goatsucker, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. vii. p. 345. Kal-ga, Aborigines of the lowland districts of Western Australia. Goatsucker of the Colonists. Eurostopodus euttatus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 8. As the similitude of its form would lead us to suspect, this species closely resembles the preceding, both in its habits and in the whole of its economy; unlike that species, however, whose range of habitat would appear to be very limited, the present bird is universally, but thinly, distributed over the whole of the southern portion of Australia. I killed it in South Australia and in New South Wales; the collection formed by Gilbert at Swan River contained specimens which presented no difference whatever, either in size or markings, and I have since seen examples from the north-west coast. During my rambles in New South Wales I more than once flushed this bird in open day, when, after mounting rapidly in the air, it performed a few zigzag evolutions and pitched again to the earth at a distant spot. That it breeds on the ground there can be no doubt, as I found a newly hatched young one on the precise spot from which I had flushed. the adult ; the little helpless creature, which much resembled a small mass of down or wool, was of a reddish-brown colour, not very dissimilar from the surface of the ground where it had been hatched: my utmost endeavours to find the broken shell were entirely unavailing; but I have since obtained undoubted eggs of this species from two or three sources. They differ both im form and colour from those of any of the typical Caprimulgi, and also from those of the Podarg: and Aigotheles. They may be described in afew words. In size they are about an inch and three-eighths in length by nearly INSESSORES. 99 an inch in breadth; in colour nearly uniform olive stone- colour, with here and there a roundish purple blotch or spot. In confirmation of the opinion I have expressed that the birds of this form lay but one egg, I may cite the following note re- ceived from Mr. White, of the Reed-Beds, near Adelaide :— “JT have several times found the female sitting on the ground or rock with only a single egg under her; the one sent to you was placed on a bare piece of stony ground, and the bird was sitting so close that she allowed me to approach within a few feet of her without moving. The egg is dusky green, spotted with black, and is of equal size at both ends.” The sexes are so nearly alike in colour and size that they are not to be distinguished except by dissection ; the young, on | the contrary, is clothed in a more buffy-brown dress until it has attained the size of the adult. Forehead and centre of the head brownish black, each fea- ther spotted and margined with bright buff; over each eye the feathers are pearly white, very finely pencilled with brown- ish black ; lores and sides of the face brown, spotted with buff; collar at the back of the head reddish chestnut ; back grey, freckled with black ; scapularies light grey freckled with brownish black, largely tipped with bright buff, with an irre- gular diagonal patch of black ; wing-coverts grey, spotted and freckled with brown, each feather largely tipped with bright buff; primaries and secondaries brownish black, marked on both webs with buff, the buff on the outer webs being in the form of round spots, on the inner webs irregular bars; on the inner web of the first primary is a large spot of pure white, on the second primaries a similar but larger spot, and a small one on the outer web; the third and fourth crossed by a large irregular patch of white; middle tail-feathers light grey, mar- bled and finely freckled with dark brown; lateral feathers light grey, barred with blackish brown and bright buff, and freckled with dark brown, the buff on the outer web of the outside feather forming a regular row of spots; on each side H 2 100 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. of the throat an oblique line of white; chest dark brown, each feather broadly barred and spotted with hght buff; ab- domen bright buff, finely and irregularly barred with black; under tail-coverts sandy ; bill black ; irides very dark brown ; feet mealy reddish brown. Genus CAPRIMULGUS, Linneus. Europe, Asia, and Africa are the great strongholds of the members of this genus as at present restricted. A single species only has yet been discovered in Australia, where it frequents the northern or intertropical parts of the country. Sp. 50. CAPRIMULGUS MACRURUS, Horgfeld. TLARGE-TAILED NIGHTJAR. Caprimulgus macrurus, Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xii. p. 142. Caprimulgus macrurus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 9 This, the only true Caprimulgus known to inhabit Australia, is I believe identical with the C. macrurus of Horsfield, whose specimens were procured in Java, while those I possess were obtained at Port Essington, where the bird is moderately plentiful ; it is also found in Southern India, hence it has an unusually wide range of habitat. It frequents the open parts of the forest, and is strictly nocturnal; it mostly rests on the ground on the shady side of a large tree close to the roots, and if disturbed several times in succession takes to the branch of one of the largest trees. I have never seen the eggs of this species, but I possess a young bird apparently only a few days old, which Gilbert found lying under a shrubby tree, without any nest or even a blade of grass near it; the little creature was so similar in colour to that of the ground upon which it was lying, that it was with difficulty detected, and he was only induced to search for it from INSESSORES. 101 the very peculiar manner in which the old bird rose, the re- luctance it evinced to leave the spot, and its hovering over the place it had risen from, instead of flying off to the distance of nearly a hundred yards, as it usually does. The male is distinguished by the greater extent of the white mark on the primaries and outer tail-feathers ; in the other parts of their plumage and in size the sexes do not differ. Head brownish grey, very minutely freckled with black ; the feathers down the middle of the head and occiput with a large broad stripe of black down the centre ; lores, space surrounding the eyes and ear-coverts reddish brown ; on each side of the neck a broad stripe of rich buff barred with black ; a narrow line of white passes below the angle of the mouth ; chin brown ; across the throat a band of white bounded below by black, the extremities of the white feathers being of that hue; centre of the back dark brown, freckled with black and buff; shoulders blackish brown ; wing-coverts freckled grey, buff, and black, each with a large spot of buff at the tip; primaries and secondaries blackish brown, the former crossed at their base, and the latter throughout their entire length, with reddish buff; the second and third primaries crossed near their base with a broad band of white, stained with buff on the outer margin; the first primary with a spot of white only on the margin of the inner web ; the first three primaries freckled at their tips, and the remainder for the entire length of their inner webs, with brownish grey; scapularies freckled grey and brown, with a large patch of deep dull black on their outer webs, margined externally with buff; rump freckled with dark brown and grey, and with an interrupted line of darker brown down the centre of each feather; two centre tail-feathers minutely and coarsely freckled with very dark brown; the next on each side very dark brown, crossed by irregular bands of freckled brownish grey and black ; the next on each side similar, but the bands narrower and less con- spicuous ; the two outer ones on each side very dark brown for 102 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. three parts of the length, the apical portion being white, stained with’ freckled buff and black on the outer webs ; the basal or dark portion crossed by narrow idistinct and irre- gular bars of deep buff; breast freckled buff, grey, and brown, some of the feathers in the centre of the breast largely tipped with buff; abdomen and under tail-coverts deep buff, crossed by narrow regular bands of dark brown; irides blackish brown ; bill black ; feet and claws reddish brown. Specimens of this species were brought from the Aru Islands by Mr. Wallace. Family CYPSELIDZ. Whether the Swifts and the Swallows are naturally sepa- rated by the interposition of numerous other genera of birds is a point respecting which it is not necessary for me to enter into in a handbook on the ‘ Birds of Australia.’ I place them next each other here, because they were so in the folio edition. Of the Cypselines two very distinct forms or genera are found in Australia — Chetura and Cypselus; both are migrants, and at present it is uncertain whether either of them breed in that part of the world. The power of flight enjoyed by both is enormous, and it is probable that their migratory movements extend from India and China to the extreme southern limits of the maimland of Australia; one of them, the Spine-tailed Swift, even crosses Bass’s Straits to Tasmania, and occasionally appears there in great numbers, Other Spine-tailed Swifts are found in America; but these differ somewhat in form ; it was, however, to a species inhabit- ing that country that the generic term Chetura was first applied. INSESSORES. 103 Genus CHA:TURA, Stephens. The type of this genus is an American bird, the Hirundo spinicauda of authors. Mr. Hodgson considered the Indian H.. caudacuta to differ sufficiently to warrant its separation, and proposed for it the generic appellation of Hirundapus ; but such a division does not appear to me advisable, and I have not therefore adopted it. The Spine-tailed Swifts are inhabitants both of the Old and New Worlds. Sp. 51. CHATURA CAUDACUTA. SpINnE-TAILED SWIFT. Hirundo caudacuta, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. 57. fusca, Steph. Cont. of Shaw’s Gen. Zool., vol. xii. p. 76. pacifica, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p- 58? Needle-tailed Swallow, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. i. p. 307. Pin-tailed Swallow, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. vii. p. 808. Chatura Australis, Steph. Cont. Shaw’s Gen. Zool., vol, xii. p. 76. macroptera, Swains. Zool. Il., 2nd ser. pl. 42. nudipes, Hodgs. Journ. Asiat. Soc. Beng. 1836, p. 779. Acanthylis caudacuta, G. R. Gray, Ann. Nat. Hist. 1843, p. 194. nudipes, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 55, Acan- thylis, sp. 4. . | Pallene macroptera, caudacuta, et leuconota, Boie, Isis, 1844, p. 168. Cypselus leuconotus, Deless. Mag. de Zool. 1840, Ois. t. 20. Hirundapus nudipes, Hodgson. Acanthylis caudacuta, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 10. This noble species, one of the largest of the Cypselines yet discovered, is a summer visitant of the eastern portions of Australia, proceeding as far south as Tasmania ; but its visits to this island are not so regular as to New South Wales. During the months of January and February it appears in large flocks, which, after spending a few days, disappear as suddenly as they arrived. I am not aware of its having been observed in Western Australia, neither has it occurred in any 104 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. of the collections formed at Port Essington, although it doubt- less pays that colony passing visits during its migrations. I believe it will be found that Indian and Australian examples do not differ. It is supposed to have been known to Pallas, and if so, it is the bird described by that author as Hirundo ciris, Von Schrenck found it in Amoorland, and it is also said to have once occurred in England. Mr. Jerdon states that it breeds among the huge wall-like crags of the Himalayas, and under the snow- level. The keel or breast-bone of this species is more than ordi- narily deep, and the pectoral muscles more developed than im any bird of its weight with which I am acquainted. Its whole form is especially and beautifully adapted for extended flights ; hence it readily passes from one part of the world to another, and, if so disposed, may be engaged in hawking for flies on the continent of Australia at one hour, and in the ~ next be similarly employed in Tasmania. So exclusively is this bird a tenant of the air, that I never, in any instance, saw it perch, and but rarely sufficiently near the earth to admit of a successful shot; it is only late in the evening and during lowery weather that such an object can be accomplished. With the exception of the Crane, it is certainly the most lofty as well as the most vigorous flier of the Australian birds. I have frequently observed in the middle of the hottest days, while lymg prostrate on the ground with my eyes directed upwards, the cloudless blue sky peopled at an immense elevation by hundreds of these birds, performing extensive curves and sweeping flights, doubtless attracted thither by the insects that soar aloft during serene weather; on the contrary, the flocks that visit the more humid climate of Tasmania, necessarily seek their food near the earth. | The sexes offer no perceptible difference in their outward appearance; but the female, as is the case with the other members of the family, is a trifle smaller than her mate. INSESSORES. 104 Crown of the head, back of the neck, and ear-coverts deep shining green, strongly tinged with brown; a small space immediately before the eye deep velvety black ; band across the forehead, throat, inner webs of the secondaries nearest the back, a patch on the lower part of the flanks and the under tail-coverts white; wings and tail deep shining green, with purple reflexions; centre of the back greyish brown, becoming darker towards the rump ; chest and abdomen dark clove-brown; bill black; feet brown. Genus CYPSELUS, Ilhger. Of this genus, as now restricted, many species inhabit Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Indian Islands; and one is found in Australia. Sp. 52. CYPSELUS PACIFICUS. AUSTRALIAN SWIFT. Hirundo pacifica, Lath. Ind. Orn. Suppl., p. 58. Cypselus pacificus, Steph. Cont. of Shaw’s Gen. Zool., vol. x. p. 132. australis, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part vii. 1839, p. 141. vittatus, Jard. Ill. Orn., ser. 2, pl. 39. Micropus australis et vittata, Boie, Isis, 1844, p. 165. Hirundo apus, var. 8, Pall. Zoog. Ross.-Asiat., tom. 1. p. 540. Cypselus Australis, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 11. As I had never seen or heard of a true Swift in Australia, I was no less surprised than gratified when I discovered this species to be tolerably numerous on the Upper Hunter, durmg my first visit to that district in 1888. Those I then observed were flying high in the air, and performing immense sweeps and circles, while engaged in the capture of insects. I succeeded in killing six or eight individuals, among which were adult examples of both sexes; but I was unable to obtain any particulars as to their habits and economy. It would be highly interesting to know whether this bird, like 106 . BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. the Swallow, returns annually to spend the months of summer in Australia. I think it likely that this may be the case, and that it may have been frequently confounded with the Acan- thylis caudacuta, as | have more than once seen the two species united in flocks, hawking together in the cloudless skies, like the Martins and Swallows of England. Throat and rump white; upper and under surface of the body brown; the back tinged with a bronzy metallic lustre ; each feather of the under surface margined with white; wings and tail dark brown; irides, bill, and feet black. It is considered by some ornithologists that this bird and the Swift with crescentic markings of white on the breast, which inhabits China and Amoorland, are the same. If this supposition be correct, this species ranges very widely over the surface of the globe. Family HIRUNDINID. I wish it to be understood that, although I unite the Swifts and the Swallows, I am not unaware of the difference which exists in the structure of these two groups; but, as I have stated in the ‘Birds of Great Britain,’ I consider it desir- able that they should follow each other in an arrangement of the birds of a single country. The Swifts bemg disposed of in their two genera, Chetura and Cypselus, I proceed with the true Hirundines, three or four forms of which, with many others not Australian, compose the extensive family of the Hirundinide. It may not be out of place if I say a few words on the almost general distribution of these aérial birds over the face of the globe. In America, Africa, China, India, the islands of the Eastern Archipelago, and Australia, Swallows and Martins of varied forms are numerous, and species abound; yet, strange to say, neither Swifts nor Swallows are found in New Zealand, or in any of the islands adjacent to that country. INSESSORES. 107 At least two members of the genus Hiruwndo, or true Swallows, are found in Australia; of these one is very common there; the other, in all probability, is merely a transient visitor to its northern portions. Independently of these, Australia has two other species, one allied to the Swal- lows, the other to the Martins, to each of which I have been constrained to give new generic names : one of these lays its eggs on the bare wood in the holes of trees; while the other constructs a singular nest under the eaves of the house and verandahs of the settlers. This last beautifully represents the Chelidon urbica of Britain, from which it mainly differs m being destitute of feathers on the tarsi. There is no true Cotyle, or Sand-Martin, in Australia; but there is a bird whose habits and economy are very similar, for it occasionally - drills a hole in a bank-side in which to nidify, like to our C. riparia. This is the only species known of M. Cabanis’s genus Cherameca. Genus HIRUNDO, Linnaeus. The members of the genus LZrundo, or true Swallows, inhabit Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, the Indian Islands, and Australia. Sp. 58. HIRUNDO FRONTALIS, Quay et Gaimard. WELCOME SWALLOW. Hirundo frontalis, Quoy & Gaim. Voy. de P Astrol., Ois. tab. 12. fig. 1. neowena, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part x. 1842, p. 151. (Herse) frontalis, Less. Compl. Buff., tom. viii. p. 497. Cecropis frontalis, Boie, Isis, 1844, p. 174. Kun-na-meet, Aborigines of the lowland districts of Western Australia. Ber-rin-nin, Aborigines of New South Wales. Hirundo neoxena, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 13. The arrival of this bird in the southern portions of Australia 108 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. is hailed as a welcome indication of the approach of spring, and is associated with precisely the same ideas as_ those popularly entertained respecting our own pretty Swallow in England. The two species are in fact beautiful representatives of each other, and assimilate not only im their migratory movements, but also most closely in their whole habits, actions, and economy. It arrives in Tasmania about the middle or end of September, and, after rearing at least two broods, departs again northwards in March ; but it is evident that the migratory movement of the Swallow, and doubtless that of all other birds, is regulated entirely by the temperature, and the more or less abundant supply of food necessary for its existence; for I found that in New South Wales, and every country in Australia within the same latitude, it arrived much earlier and departed considerably later than in Tasmania ; and Mr. Caley, who resided in New South Wales for several years, and whose valuable notes on the birds of that part of the country have been so often quoted, states that “the earliest period of the year that I noticed the appearance of Swallows was on the 12th of July 1808, when I saw two; but I remarked several towards the end of the same month in the following year (1804). The latest period I observed them was on the 30th of May 1806, when a number of them were twittering and flying high in the air. When I missed them at Paramatta, I have sometimes met with them among the north rocks, a romantic spot about two miles to the northward of the former place.” A few stragglers remain in New South Wales during the winter, but their numbers cannot for a moment be compared with those observed in the summer, which have passed the colder months in a warmer climate. This Swallow having been found by the naturalists of the ‘Astrolabe’ in the Eastern Islands, and more recently by Mr. Wallace in New Guinea, it is evident that its range extends beyond the northern limits of Australia. The natural breeding-places of this bird are the deep clefts INSESSORES. 109 of rocks and dark caverns, but since the colonization of Australia it has in a remarkable degree imitated its Huropean prototype, by selecting for the site of its nest the smoky chimneys, the chambers of mills and out-houses, or the corner of a shady verandah; the nest is also similarly constructed, being open at the top, formed of mud or clay, intermingled with grass or straw to bind it firmly together, and lined first with a layer of fine grasses, and then with feathers. The shape of the nest depends upon the situation in which it is built, but it generally assumes @ rounded contour in front. The eggs are usually four in number, of a lengthened form; their eround colour pinky white, with numerous fine spots of purplish brown, the interspaces with specks of light greyish brown, assuming in some instances the form of a zone at the larger end; they are from eight to nine lines long by six lines broad. At Swan River the breeding-season is in September and October. In the spring of 1862 two nests of this species were sent to me by George French Angas, Esq. ‘These very closely resembled those of our own bird, both in form and materials; they were, how- ever, somewhat more square and more stoutly built. The interior was composed of the usual plastered mud strengthened with a little hair, and thickly lined with the downy feathers of various domestic birds. These nests are now in the British Museum. ‘The following note by Mr. Angas was attached. to one of them :—“ Built on a rafter of my stable at Collingrove, South Australia: taken Oct. 3, 1861.” Forehead, chin, throat, and chest rust-red; head, back of the neck, back, scapularies, wing-coverts, rump, and upper tail-coverts deep steel-blue ; wings and tail blackish brown, all but the two centre feathers of the latter with an oblique mark of white on the inner web; under surface very pale brown; under tail-coverts pale brown, passing into an irre- gular crescent-shaped mark near the extremity, and tipped with white; irides dark brown ; bill and legs black. 110 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Sp. 54. HIRUNDO FRETENSIS, Gozld. Torres STRAIT’s SWALLOW. The only specimen I possess of the bird now to be noticed was shot by Mr. Rayner, Surgeon of H.M.S. Herald, on the northern shore of Australia. As it is somewhat immature, I am unable to institute a rigid comparison between it and other known species, as I could wish. In size and general appearance it is very like an English Swallow at the end of its first autumn; but its bill is larger and longer than that of any adult specimen, either of our own island or from India, that I have seen. I have a fully adult Swallow from the Island of Java, which I believe to be a mature individual of the present species. It is very like our Z. rustica, but is somewhat smaller in the body, has a very large bill, and but a faint indication of the black pectoral band. Throat rusty red, bounded below by an indistinct band of dull bluish black; under surface white; tail forked, but the outer feathers, which I consider to be imperfectly developed, do not exceed the central one by more than three-quarters of an inch; all the tail-feathers, except the two middle ones, with an oval spot of white on the inner web, about half an inch from the tip; crown of the head brownish black, with steel reflexions ; back and upper tail-coverts glossy steel-bluish black ; wings black, glossed with green ; bill and feet black. Total length, from tip of bill to end of tail, 5 inches; bill, gape to lip, 74; breadth at base 5; wing 43; outer tail- feathers 21; middle tail-feathers 13; tarsi >. Genus HYLOCHELIDON, Gould. I have not instituted a new generic appellation for the following bird without maturely considering the propriety of so doing, after carefully comparing it with the various forms already characterized of this extensive family ; which, when- ever it may be monographed by a scientific ornithologist, INSESSORES. ae Se | will be found to comprise ample materials for the formation of more genera than has yet been proposed, as well as numerous species with which we are at present unacquainted ; and I have no doubt that Mr. Blyth’s notion of dividing them into sections in accordance with the forms of their nests will be found a very happy suggestion—saucer-builders, retort- builders, bank-burrowers, builders in the holes of trees, &c. The species of this form are part of a small section of the Swallows which nidify in the holes of trees, without any nest for the deposition of their delicate eggs. Their bare tarsi at once separate them from the Chelidons, and they also differ from the American Petrochelidons. Of these birds, which appear to be an offshoot from the typical or true Hirundines, my collection contains at least two species, one from Australia, the other from Timor ; I say at least, because it is a question whether the birds from Australia do not constitute two m themselves,—specimens from Tasmania being very much larger than those from the main land. Sp. 55. HYLOCHELIDON NIGRICANS. Trex SwALLOow. Chelidon arborea, Gould, Birds of Australia, vol. i. Introd. p. xxix. Cecropis pyrrhonota, Boie, Isis, 1844, p. 175. Hirundo (Herse) nigricans et pyrrhonota, Less. Compl. Buff., tom. viii. p- 497. Dun-rumped Swallow, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. vil. p. 309. Hirundo pyrrhonota, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 190. Hirundo nigricans, Vieill. Ency. Méth., part ii. p. 525. Cecropis nigricans, Boie, Isis, 1844, p. 175. Petrochelidon nigricans, Cab. Mus. Hein. Theil i. p. 47. Gab-by-kal-lan-goo-rong, Aborigines of the lowlands of Western Aus- tralia. Martin of the Colonists. Collocalia arborea, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 14. The Tree Swallow is a very common summer visitant to ily BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. the southern portions of Australia and Tasmania, arriving in August and retirmg northwards as autumn approaches. It is a very familiar species, and frequents the towns in com- pany with the Swallow. I observed it to be particularly numerous in the streets of Hobart Town, where it arrives early in September; the more southern and colder situation of the island rendering all migratory birds later in their arrival there. | It breeds during the month of October in the holes of trees, making no nest, but laying its eggs on the soft dust generally found in such places: the eggs are from three to five in num- ber, of a pinky white faintly freckled at the larger end with fine spots of light reddish brown ; they are eight lines long by six lines broad. Considerable difference exists both in size and in the depth of colouring of specimens killed in New South Wales, Swan River, and Tasmania; but as there exists no distinctive cha- racter of marking, I regard them as local varieties rather than as distinct species. ‘Tasmanian specimens are larger in all their admeasurements, and have the fulvous tint of the under surface and the band across the forehead much deeper than in those killed in New South Wales; individuals from the latter locality again exceed in size those from Western Australia. Specimens of this bird, identical with others from New South Wales, were brought from the Aru Islands by Mr. Wallace. Genus LAGENOPLASTES, Gould. The little Fairy Martin of Australia, the constructor of a singular retort-shaped nest, is the type of the present genus; in which I think must also be placed another species in my collection, which I received from India, and which pre- cisely resembles it in form and greatly in colour. What INSESSORES. 113 the members of the genus Hylochelidon are to the Swallows, those of the present are to the Martins, from which they differ in their diminutive and bare tarsi, and from the American Hylochelidons in their more feeble structure and colouring. | Sp. 56. LAGENOPLASTES ARIEL, Gould. Farry Martin. Collocalia Ariel, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part x. 1842, p. 182. Chelidon Ariel, Gould, Birds of Australia, vol. 1. Introd. p. xxix. Hirundo Ariel, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 58, Hirundo, sp. 17. Collocalia ariel, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol, vol. ii. pl. 15. ‘he Fairy Martin is dispersed over all the southern portions of Australia, and, like every other member of the genus, it 1s strictly migratory. It usually arrives in the month of August, and departs again in February or March; during this interval it rears two or three broods. The Fairy Martin, unlike the favourite Swallow of the Australians, although enjoying a most extensive range, appears to have an antipathy to the country near the sea, for neither in New South Wales nor at Swan River have I ever heard of its approaching the coast- line nearer than twenty miles; hence, while I never observed it at Sydney, the town of Maitland on the Hunter is annually visited by it in great numbers. In Western Australia it is common between Northam and York, while the towns of Perth and Fremantle on the coast are, like Sydney, unfavoured with its presence. I observed it throughout the district of the Upper Hunter, as well as in every part of the interior, breed- ing in various localities, wherever suitable situations presented themselves ; sometimes their nests are constructed in the cavi- ties of decayed trees ; while not unfrequently clusters of them are attached to the perpendicular banks of rivers, the sides of rocks, &., generally in the vicinity of water. The long I 114 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. bottle-shaped nest is composed of mud or clay, and, like that of our Common Martin, is only worked at in the morning and evening, unless the day be wet or lowery. In the con- struction of the nests these birds appear to work in small com- panies, six or seven assisting in the formation of each nest, one remaining within and receiving the mud brought by the others in their mouths: in shape these nests are nearly round, but vary in size from four to six or seven inches in diameter ; the spouts of some being eight or nine inches in length. When built on the sides of rocks or in the hollows of trees, they are placed without any regular order, in clusters of thirty or forty together, some with their spouts inclining downwards, others at right angles, &c.; they are lined with feathers and fine grasses. The eggs, which are four or five in number, are sometimes white, at others spotted and blotched with red ; eleven-sixteenths of an inch long by half an inch broad. The sexes are alike in colour. | Crown of the head rust-red; back, scapularies, and wing- coverts deep steel-blue; wings and tail dark brown; rump buffy white ; upper tail-coverts brown; under surface white, tinged with rust-red, particularly on the sides of the neck and flanks; the feathers of the throat with a fine line of dark brown down the centre; irides blackish brown; bill blackish grey; legs and feet olive-grey. Genus CHERAMCCA, Cabanis. In the “Introduction”? to the folio edition, I remarked that I was not fully satisfied of the propriety of placing the White-breasted Swallow in the genus A/ticora; and that I erred in so doing has since been shown by M. Cabanis having deemed it necessary to make it the type of a new one, which I here adopt. INSESSORES. Vko Sp. 57. CHERAMGCA LEUCOSTERNA, Gould. WHITE-BREASTED SWALLOW. Hirundo leucosternus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part vil. p. 172. Cherameca leucosterna, Cab. Mus. Hein., Theil i. p. 49. Boo-de-boo-de of the Aborigines of the mountain districts of Western Australia. Black and White Swallow of the Colonists. Atticora leucosternon, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 12. The White-breasted Swallow is a very wandering species, never very numerous, and is generally seen in small flocks of from ten to twenty in number, sometimes i company with the other Swallows. It usually flies very high, a circumstance which renders it difficult to procure specimens. In Western Australia this bird chooses for its nest the deserted hole of either the Dalgyte (Peragalea lagotis) or the Boodee (a species of Bettongia), but more generally drills holes in the sides of banks, like the Sand-Martin of Europe. These holes are perfectly round, about two inches in diameter, run horizontally for three feet from the entrance, and then expanding into a chamber or receptacle for the nest, which is constructed of the broad portions of dried grasses and the dry dead leaves of trees. Mr. Johnson Drummond informed Gilbert that he had frequently found seven, eight, or nine eggs in a single nest, from which he inferred that more than one female lays in the same nest: the eggs are white, somewhat lengthened, and pointed m form. It would seem that the holes are not constructed exclusively for the purpose of nidification, for upon Gilbert’s inserting a long grass stalk into one of them, five birds made their way out, all of which he succeeded in catching; upon his digging to the extremity, in the hope of procuring their eggs, no nest was found, and hence he concludes that their holes are also used as places of resort for the night. 12 116 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Since this mformation was transmitted, I have received notices of this bird from many other sources, which enable me to state with tolerable certainty that it is spread during summer at least over the whole of the southern portion of the interior, from Queensland to Swan River. Strange to say, however, I have never seen examples of this species in any collection formed out of Australia ; yet the occurrence of a bird whose wing-powers are so great might naturally be expected in New Guinea or some of the adjacent islands. Crown of the head light brown, surrounded by a ring of white ; lores black; a broad band commencing at the eye, and passing round the back of the neck, brown ; centre of the back, throat, chest, and under surface of the shoulder white ; wings and tail brownish black; rump, upper tail-coverts, abdomen, and under tail-coverts black; irides dark reddish brown ; bill blackish brown ; legs and feet greenish grey. Family MEROPIDZ. Like all other extensive families of birds, the varied mem- bers of the Meropidee or Bee-eaters are divisible ito many genera. In India, we find the beautiful Vyctiornis amictus and its two allies; and in Africa, several other genera, com- prising birds of considerable size and gaiety of colouring. These aérial birds live almost exclusively on insects, and it is while engaged in the capture of these that the very beautiful colours with which they are adorned are shown to the greatest advantage. In their mode of nidification and in the colour- ing of their eggs they are allied to the Kingfishers. Generally speaking, the sexes are alike in plumage, and differ but little im size. Genus MEROPS, Linneus. India and Africa may be said to be the great nursery of this lovely group of birds; of which one, common in the southern parts of Europe, is beautifully represented in Australia by the Merops ornatus, the only species inhabiting that country. INSESSORES. 117 Sp. 58. MEROPS ORNATUS, Latham. — AUSTRALIAN BEE-EATER. Merops ornatus, Lath. Ind. Orn., Supp. p. Xxxv. Mountain Bee-eater, Lewin, Birds of New Holl., pl. 18. Variegated Bee-eater, Lath. Gen. Syn., Supp. vol. ii. p. 155, pl. 128. Merops melanurus, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 208. Philemon ornatus, Vieill. Nouv. Dict. d’Hist. Nat., tom. Kvli. p. 428. Merops Thouini, sp. tenutpennis, Dumont, Id., et Levrault, p. 52. Melittophagus ornatus, Reich. Handb. tom. 1. p. 82. Cosmaérops ornatus, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein., Theil un. p. 138. Dee-weed-gang, Aborigines of New South Wales. Bee-roo-bee-roo-lony, Aborigines of the lowland, and Bél-rin-ber-rin, Aborigines of the mountain districts of Western Australia. Bee-eater of the Colonists. Merops ornatus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 16. This bird has so many attractions that it will doubtless be always regarded as a general favourite with the Australians ; the extreme beauty of its plumage, the elegance of its form, and the graceful manner of its flight all combining to render it especially worthy of their notice; besides which, many pleasing associations are connected with it, for, like the Swallow and the Cuckoo of Europe, it arrives in New South Wales and in all the colonies lying within the same de- gree of latitude in August, and departs in March, the inter- vening period being employed in the duties of incubation and of rearing its progeny. During the summer months it is universally spread over the whole southern portion of the continent from east to west ; and in winter the northern. In South Australia and at Swan River it is equally nu- merous as in New South Wales, generally giving preference to the inland districts rather than to those near the coast ; hence it is rarely to be met with in the neighbourhood of Perth, while in the York district it is very common. In New South Wales I found it especially abundant on the 118 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Upper Hunter, and all other parts towards the interior, as far as I had an opportunity of exploring. Its favourite resorts during the day are the open, arid, and thinly-timbered forests; and in the evening the banks and sides of rivers, where numbers may frequently be seen in company. It almost invariably selects a dead or leafless branch whereon to perch, and from which it darts forth to capture the passing insects. Its flight somewhat resembles that of the drtamz, and although it is capable of being sustained for some time, the bird more frequently performs short excursions, and returns to the branch it had left. The eggs are deposited and the young reared in holes made in the sandy banks of rivers or any similar situation in the forest favourable for the purpose. The entrance is scarcely larger than a mouse-hole, and is continued for a yard in depth, at the end of which is an excavation of sufficient size for the reception of the four or five beautiful pmky-white eggs, which are ten lines long by eight or nine lines broad. The stomach is tolerably muscular, and the food consists of various insects, principally Coleoptera and Neuroptera. The sexes are alike in plumage, and may be thus described:— Forehead, line over the eye, back, and wing-coverts brown- ish green ; crown of the head and nape orange-brown ; wings orange-brown, passing into green on the extremities of the primaries, and broadly tipped with black ; two or three of the scapularies, lower part of the back, rump, and upper tail- coverts cerulean blue; tail black, most of the feathers, par- ticularly the two centre ones, slightly margined with blue; lores, line beneath and behind the eye and ear-coverts velvety- black; beneath which is a stripe of cerulean blue; throat rich yellow, passing into orange on the sides of the neck ; beneath this a broad band of deep black ; under surface like the back, becoming green on the lower part of the abdomen ; under tail-coverts light blue; irides light brownish red; bill black ; legs and feet mealy greenish grey. INSESSORES. 119 ‘The young, until after their first autumn, are destitute of the black on the throat, and of the blue line beneath the eye, and their two central tail-feathers very short. The range of this species appears to extend to some of the islands in the Eastern Archipelago, since specimens brought by Mr. Wallace from the Island of Lombock are identical with the birds found in Australia. Family CORACIDA. Genus EURYSTOMUS, Vieillot. One species of this genus is found in Australia, and others inhabit India, the Indian islands, and Africa. ‘They are closely allied to the Rollers, and not very distantly related to the Kingfishers. Sp. 59. EURYSTOMUS PACIFICUS. AvustRALIAN ROLLER. Coracias pacifica, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p- Xxvil. (Galgulus) pacifica, Vieill. Nouv. Dict. d’Hist. Nat., tom. XXIX. Eurystomus orientalis, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 202. Australis, Swains. Anim. in Menag., p. 326. pacificus, G. R. Gray, Ann. Nat. Hist. 1843, p. 190. Galgulus pacificus, Vieill. Ency. Méth., part ii. p. 870. Colaris pacificus, Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis., p. 7. Pacific Roller, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. u. p. 871? Naty-kin, Aborigines of New South Wales. Dollar Bird of the Colonists. _ j Eurystomus Australis, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 17. In Australia the Roller would appear to be a very local species, for 1 have never seen it from any other part of the country than New South Wales; but the late Mr. Elsey in- formed me that he found it very common in the Victoria 120 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. basin, and that it became very numerous about the head of the Lynd. It arrives early in spring, and, after having brought forth its progeny, retires northwards on the approach of winter. It appeared to be most active about sunrise and sunset; in sultry weather it was generally perched upon some dead branch in a state of quietude. It is a very bold bird at all times, but particularly so during the breeding season, when it attacks with the utmost fury any mtruder that may venture to approach the hole in the tree in which its eggs are deposited. When intent upon the capture of msects it usually perches upon the dead upright branch of a tree growing beside and overhanging water, where it sits very erect, until a passing insect attracts its notice, when it suddenly darts off, secures its victim, and returns to the same branch; at other times it may constantly be seen on the wing, mostly in pairs, flying just above the tops of the trees, diving and rising again with many rapid turns. During flight the silvery-white spot in the centre of each wing shows very distinctly, and hence the name of Dollar Bird bestowed upon it by the colonists. It is a very noisy bird, particularly in dull weather, when it often emits its peculiar chattering note during flight. It is said to take the young Parrots from their holes and kill them, but this I never witnessed ; the stomachs of the many I dissected contained the remains of Coleoptera only. The breeding-season lasts from September to December ; and the eggs, which are three and sometimes four in number, are deposited in the hole of a tree without any nest ; they are of a beautiful pearly white, considerably pointed at the smaller end; their medium length is one inch and five lines, and breadth one inch and two lines. The sexes are alike in plumage. Head and neck dark brown, passing into the sea-green of the upper surface, and deepening into black on the lores; spurious wing, outer webs of the basal half of the quills, outer INSESSORES. 121 webs of the secondaries, and the basal half of the outer webs of the tail-feathers vivid blue; six of the primaries with a greenish-white basal band ; extremities of the primaries black ; tail green at the base, black at the tip; throat vivid blue, with a stripe of lighter blue down the centre of each feather ; under surface of the shoulder and abdomen light green ; under surface of the inner webs of the primaries and of all but the two centre tail-feathers deep blue, the former interrupted by the greenish-white band; irides dark brown; eyelash, bill, and feet red; mside of the mouth yellow. Mr. Wallace found this species in the Aru Islands. Family ALCEDINIDZ. But few of the various families, into which birds have been divided, are more clearly or more distinctly defined than those composing the Alcedinide. The bony structure of the whole is very much alike; and they are all clothed in a similar kind of plumage, differing only in colour. In some genera, as in Dacelo, it is of a sombre character ; while in others, as in Alcedo and Alcyone, the plumage is very beautiful. Some, as the members of the first-mentioned genus, are of large size; while others are equally diminutive. The various members of the family are dispersed over all parts of the globe, but are most numerous in its tropical and temperate regions. ‘l'hose inhabiting Australia pertain to four or five very distinct genera, namely, Dacelo, Todi- rhamphus, Syma, Tanysiptera, and Alcyone. Genus DACELO, Leach. The members of the genus Dacelo are among the largest species of the great family Alcedinide, and form a con- spicuous feature in the ornithology of Australia, but, remark- ably enough, are confined to the south-eastern and northern 122 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. portions of the country, the south-western parts bemg unin- habited by any species of this group. I believe that water is not essential to their existence, and that they seldom or ever drink. They feed almost exclusively upon animal sub- stances, small quadrupeds, birds, snakes, lizards, and insects being equally acceptable. At least three species inhabit Australia. Sp. 60. DACELO GIGAS. Great Brown KINGFISHER. Alcedo gigas, Bodd. Tabl. des Pl. Enl. d’Aubent., p. 40, pl. 663. gigantea, Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. i. p. 245. fusca, Gel. edit. of Linn. Syst. Nat., vol. 1. p. 454. Grand Martin-pécheur de la Nouvelle Guinée, Son. Voy., p. 171, pl. 106. Martin Chasseur, Temm. Man. d’Orn., 2nd edit. p. Ixxxvill. Giant Kingfisher, Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. viii. p. 53. Great Brown Kingfisher, Lath. Gen. Syn., vol. 11. p. 609. Dacelo gigantea, Leach, Zool. Misc., vol. ii. p. 126, pl. evi. Choucalcyon australe, Less. Traité d’Orn., p. 248. Paralcyon gigas, Gloger. Dacelo gigas, G. R. Gray, List of Gen. of Birds, 2nd edit. p. 14. Gogo-bera, Aborigines of New South Wales. Laughing Jackass of the Colonists. Dacelo gigantea, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol, ii. pl. 18. The Dacelo gigas is a bird with which every resident and traveller in New South Wales is more or less familiar, for, independently of its large size, its voice is so extraordinary as to be unlike that of any other bird. In its disposition it is by no means shy, and when any new objects are presented to its notice, such as a party traversing the bush or pitching their tent in the vicinity of its retreat, it becomes very prying and inquisitive, often perching on the dead branch of some neighbouring tree, and watching with curiosity the kindling of the fire and the preparation of the meal; its presence, however, is seldom detected until it emits its extraordi- INSESSORES. . 133 nary gurgling, laughing note, which generally calls forth some exclamation according with the temper of the hearer, such as “There is our old friend the Laughing Jackass,” or an epithet of a less friendly character. So remarkable are the sounds emitted by the bird that they have been noted by nearly every writer on New South Wales and its productions. Mr. Caley states that its “loud noise, somewhat like laughing, may be heard at a considerable distance, from which circum- stance, and its uncouth appearance, it probably received the extraordinary appellation given to it by the settlers on their first arrival in the colony.” Captain Sturt says, “Its ery, which resembles a chorus of wild spirits, is apt to startle the traveller who may be in jeopardy, as if laughing and mocking at his misfortune”; and Mr. Bennett, in his ‘ Wanderings,’ says, “Its peculiar gurgling laugh, commencing in a low, and gradually rising to a high and loud tone, is often heard in all parts of the colony, the deafening noise being poured forth while the bird remains perched upon a neighbouring tree ; it rises with the dawn, when the woods re-echo with its gurgling laugh; at sunset it is again heard ; and. as that glorious orb sinks in the west, a last ‘good night’ is given in its peculiar tones to all within hearing.” | It frequents every variety of situation; the luxuriant brushes stretching along the coast, the more thinly-timbered forest, the belts of trees studding the parched plains, and the brushes of the higher ranges being alike favoured with its presence; over all these localities it is rather thinly dis- persed, being nowhere very numerous. Its food, which is of a mixed character, consists exclusively of animal substances; reptiles, imsects, and crabs, however, appear to be its favourite diet: it devours lizards with avidity, and it is not an unfrequent sight to see it bearing off a snake n its bill to be eaten at leisure; it also preys on small mam- malia. I recollect shooting a Great Brown Kingfisher in South Australia in order to secure a fine rat I saw hanging from its 124 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. bill, and which proved to be a rare species. The Dacelo gigas breeds during the months of August and September, generally selects a hole m a large gum-tree for the purpose, and deposits its beautiful pearl-white eggs, which are one inch and nine lines long by one inch and five lines broad, on the decomposed wood at the bottom. When the young are hatched, it defends its breeding-place with great courage and daring, darting down upon any intruder who may attempt to ascend the tree. The sexes present so little difference in the colouring of their plumage, that they are scarcely distinguishable from each other; neither do the young at a month old exhibit any great variation from the adult, the only difference being that the markings are somewhat darker and the brown more gene- rally diffused. It bears confinement remarkably well, and is one of the most amusing birds for the aviary with which I am acquainted: many examples have been brought alive to England; and several are now living in the Gardens of the Zoological Society of London. Sp. 61. DACELO LEACHII, Vigors and Horsfield. Lxeacu’s KINGFISHER. Dacelo Leachit, Lath. MSS. Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p- 205. Dacelo Leachii, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 19. Since the completion of the folio edition, in which I was only enabled to mention the existence of a few specimens of this Kingfisher, so many examples have been sent to England that it has now become common, and may be found in every collection. Its habitat may be stated to be the Cape York Peninsula and the northern part of Queensland. The habits, actions, food, and indeed the whole of the economy of the Dacelo Leachii are so like those of the D. gigas that a separate description of them is unnecessary. INSESSORES. 125 The male has the head and back of the neck striated with brown and white; sides of the neck and under surface white, crossed with very narrow irregular markings of brown, these markings becoming much broader and conspicuous on the under surface of the shoulder ; back brownish black ; wing-co- verts and rump shining azure-blue ; wings deep blue ; primaries white at the base, black on their inner webs, and blue on the outer ; tail rich deep blue, all but the two centre feathers irre- gularly barred near the extremity and largely tipped with white ; upper mandible brownish black, under mandible pale buff ; irides dark brown; feet olive. The female differs but little from the male in the colouring | of the plumage, except that the tail-feathers, instead of being | of a rich blue barred and tipped with white, are of a light / chestnut-brown conspicuously barred with bluish black. : Sp. 62. DACELO CERVINA, Gould. FAWN-BREASTED KINGFISHER. Dacelo cervina, Gould, Birds of Australia, part ii. cancelled. cervicalis, Kaup, Fam. Hisv., p. 8. Salussii, Homb. et Jacq. Voy. au Péle Sud, pl. 23. fig. 1. Paralcyon cervina, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein., Theil 11. p. 164. La-rool, Aborigines of Port Essington. Dacelo cervina, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 20. The north-western portions of Australia constitute the true habitat of this species ; it was observed in tolerable abundance by Sir George Grey during his expedition to that part of the country, and specimens of it have also formed a part of every collection of any extent made at Port Essington. In dispo- sition it appears to be more shy and wary than the Dacelo gigas of New South Wales, of which it is a representative. Gilbert, who observed it on the Coburg Peninsula, states that it “inhabits well-wooded forests, generally in pairs, is 126 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. extremely shy and very difficult to procure; is very fond of perching on the topmost dead branch of a tree, whence -it can have an uninterrupted view of everything passing around, and where it pours out its loud discordant tones. Sometimes three or four pairs may be heard at one time, when the noise is so great that no other sound can be beard. The natives assert that it breeds in the honey-season, which is during the months of May, June, and July. In his ‘Journal of an Overland Expedition from Moreton Bay to Port Essington,’ Dr. Leichardt states that ‘“ The Laughing Jackass (Dacelo cervina, Gould) observed near the Gulf of Carpentaria is of a different species from that of the eastern coast, is of a smaller size, and speaks a different language; but the noise is by no means so ridiculous as that of Dacelo gigas; he is heard before sunrise and imme- diately after sunset, like his representative of the eastern coast ; the latter was observed as far as the upper Lynd, where the new one made his appearance.” The food of this Kingfisher is doubtless similar to that of the Dacelo gigas. The stomachs of those examined by Gilbert were tolerably muscular, and contained the remains of coleopterous and other kinds of insects. As is the case with the preceding species, the male, when fully adult, differs from his mate in having the tail-feathers of a deep and splendid blue instead of brown. The male has the feathers of the head buffy white, with a central stripe of dark brown, the latter colour becoming most conspicuous on the occiput ; throat white ; cheeks, ear-coverts, back of the neck, chest, and all the under surface sienna- yellow, crossed on the flanks with very minute irregular zig- zag bands of brown; primaries black at the tip, white at the base; the base of their external webs, the secondaries, and spurious wing rich china blue ; greater and lesser wing-coverts, lower part of the back, and upper tail-coverts shining light blue; tail and the longest of the upper tail-coverts rich deep blue, INSESSORES. Re the former broadly tipped with white ; irides greenish white ; upper mandible blackish brown, the cutting edges greenish white; lower mandible greenish white, the base dark brown on the sides, and blue on the under surface; tarsi and feet emerald green; claws black. : | The female has the feathers of the head, cheeks, and ear- coverts buffy white, with a central stripe of dark brown ; throat white ; back of the neck, chest, and all the under sur- face sienna-yellow ; the chest, flanks, and abdomen crossed by fine zigzag lines of brown; upper part of the back and scapu- laries umber-brown ; primaries blackish brown at the tip and white at the base; the basal portion of their external webs, the secondaries, and the spurious wing rich china blue ; greater and lesser wing-coverts and upper tail-coverts light shining blue; tail and the longest of the upper coverts rich chestnut- brown, which passes into buff at the tip, the whole trans- versely marked with eight or nine bands of rich blue-black. Genus TODIRHAMPHUS, Lesson. The members of this genus are more numerous and more widely dispersed than the Dacele. The range of the various species extends from Asia, through the Indian Islands, to Australia; but I believe no one of them has yet been found in Africa. In making this statement, I wish it to be under- stood I do not intend to say that there are no Kingfishers in that country ; on the contrary, they are very numerous there, but not of this particular form. Some of them bear a very general resemblance to it, and one of these is the type of the genus “Halcyon, in which the Australian Zodirhamphi have hitherto been placed. In their habits and mode of life the Todirhamphi resemble the Dacele, and must have the power, like those birds, of sustainmg themselves for a long time without water, sice they are frequently found in the driest parts of the country. 128 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Sp. 63. TODIRHAMPHUS SANCTUS. SacrRED KINGFISHER. Sacred Kingsfisher, Phill. Bot. Bay, pl. in p. 156. Halcyon Sanctus, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 206. — sacra, Steph. Cont. Shaw’s Gen. Zool. vol. xiii. p. 98. sancta, G. R. Gray, List of Spec. of Birds in Coll. Brit. Mus., part ii. sec. 1. p. 56. Dacelo chlorocephala, var. 8, Less. Traité d’Orn., p. 246. Todirhamphus sanctus, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., tom. i. p. 156, Todi- rhamphus, sp. 3. Australasie, Cass. Cat. Hale.in Coll. Acad, Nat. Sci. Mus. Philad., p. 1s. Sauropatis sancta, Cab. et Heim. Mus. Hein., Theil u. p. 158. Kingsfisher of the Colonists. ene, a : Kun-yee-nuk of the Aborigines, Western Australia. Halcyon sanctus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 21. The Sacred Kingfisher is very generally dispersed over the Australian continent. I have specimens from nearly every locality : those from Port Essington on the north are precisely identical with those of the south coast ; on the other hand, those inhabiting Western Australia are a trifle larger in all their measurements, but otherwise present no differences of sufficient importance to warrant their being considered as distinct. It does not inhabit Tasmania. It is a summer resident in New South Wales and through- out the southern portion of the continent, retiring northwards after the breeding-season. It begins to disappear in Decem- ber, and by the end of January few are to be seen: solitary individuals may, however, be met with even in the depth of winter. They return again in spring, commencing in August, and by the middle of September are plentifully dispersed over all parts of the country, inhabiting alike the most thickly wooded brushes, the mangrove-forests which border, in many parts, the armlets of the sea, and the more open and thinly ‘i : a. INSESSORES. 129 timbered plains of the interior, often in the most dry and arid situations far distant from water; and it would appear that, as is the case with many of the insectivorous birds of Aus- tralia, a supply of that element is not essential to its exist- ence, since, from the localities it is often found breeding im, it must necessarily pass long periods without being able to obtain it. The gaiety of its plumage renders it a conspicuous object in the bush : its loud piercing call, also, often betrays its presence, particularly during the season of incubation, when the bird becomes more and more clamorous as the tree in which its eggs are deposited is approached by the intruder. The note most frequently uttered is a loud pee-pee, continued at times to a great length, resembling a cry of distress. It sits very upright, generally perching on a small dead branch for hours together, merely flying down to capture its prey, and in most instances returning again to the site it has just left. Its food is of a very mixed character, and varies with the nature of the localities it inhabits. It greedily devours mantes, grasshoppers, caterpillars, lizards, and very small snakes, all of which are swallowed whole, the latter being killed by beating their heads against a stone or other hard substance, after the manner of the Common Kingfisher. Specimens killed in the neighbourhood of salt-marshes had their stomachs literally crammed with crabs and other crus- taceous animals; while intent on the capture of which it may be observed sitting silently on the low mangrove-bushes skirting the pools which every receding tide leaves either dry or with a surface of wet mud, upon which crabs are to be found in abundance. I have never seen it plunge into the water after fish like the true Kingfishers, and I believe it never resorts to that mode of obtaining its prey. On the banks of the Hunter its most favourite food is the larve of a species of ant, which it procures by excavating holes in the nests of this insect which are constructed around the boles K 130 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. and dead branches of the Hucalypti, and which resemble ex- crescences of the tree itself. | The season of nidification commences in October and lasts till December, the hollow spouts of the gum- and boles of the apple-trees (Angophore) being generally selected as a recept- acle for the eggs, which are four or five in number, of a pimky- white, one inch and a line in length, and ten lines in diameter. The sexes differ but little either in their size or colouring, | andthe young are only distinguished by being of a less bril- | liant hue, and by the wing-coverts and feathers of the breast _ being edged with brown. Crown of the head, back, and scapularies dull green ; wings and tail green, slightly tinged with blue ; ear-coverts, and an obscure circle bounding the green of the head, greenish black ; rump verditer green ; throat white; line from the nostrils over the eye, nuchal band, and all the under surface buff, be- coming deeper on the flanks ; bill black, the basal portion of the under mandible flesh-white; feet flesh-red, tinged with brown ; irides dark brown. Sp. 64. TODIRHAMPHUS PYRRHOPYGIUS, Gould. RED-BACKED KINGFISHER. Halcyon pyrrhopygia, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part viii. 1840, p.118. Todirhamphus pyrrhopygius, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., tom. i. p. 157, Todirhamphus, sp. 1. Cyanalcyon pyrrhopygia, Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis., p. 9, gen. 119. Sauropatis pyrrhopygia, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein., Theil ii. p. 161. Halcyon pyrrhopygia, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. 1. pl. 22. This Kingfisher is an inhabitant of the interior, but over what extent of country it may range is not yet known. The only parts where I myself observed it were the myall-brushes (Acacia pendula) of the Lower Namoi, particularly those growing on the edge of the large plain skirting the Nundawar range. It was usually seen sitting very upright on the dead INSESSORES. Ted branches of the myall- and gum-trees, sometimes on those growing out on the hot plains, at others on those close by the river-side. I succeeded in obtaining both old and young birds, which, judging from the plumage of the latter, I should suppose had left their breeding-place about a month before I arrived in the neighbourhood of the Namoi, in December. I also saw in this district the common or Sacred Kingfisher, but in far less abundance than between the ranges and the coast. This latter species may be hereafter found to be an inhabitant of the country bordering the sea, while the Red- backed Kingfisher may be exclusively a denizen of the interior. The unusual colouring of the back at once distin- guishes it from all the other members of the genus inhabiting Australia, but im its general economy and mode of living it presents no observable difference. Gilbert procured examples of this species during Dr. Leichardt’s overland expedition; Captain Sturt found it at the depdt in South Australia, and I have received speci- mens from the interior of Swan River; consequently it has a very wide range. | Crown of the head dull green, intermingled with white, giving it a striated appearance; a broad black stripe com-. mences at the base of the bill, passes through the eye, and encircles the back of the head; upper part of the back and scapularies green; remainder of the wings bluish green; lower part of the back, rump, and upper tail-coverts red; tail green, tinged with blue; throat, a broad collar encircling the back of the neck, and all the under surface white; bill black, the base of the lower mandible flesh-white; irides blackish brown; feet dark olive-brown. Since the above account of this species was published in the folio edition, I have been informed by the late Mr. Elsey that he saw the Red-backed Kingfisher on the Macarthur River, about one hundred miles from the coast, in lat. 26°15! S. Two eggs in my collection are very round in form, and of £2 132 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. the usual white colour; but they were doubtless pinky white before they were blown. They are one inch long, by seven- eighths broad. Sp. 65. TODIRHAMPHUS SORDIDUS, Gould. Sorpip KINGFISHER. Halcyon sordidus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part x. Pp. 72. Todirhamphus sordidus, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., tom. i. p- 157, Todi- rhamphus, sp. 8. ' Sauropatis sordida, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein., Theil ii. p. 159 (note). Halcyon sordidus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 23. This fine Kingfisher, the largest species of the genus Zodi- rhamphus inhabiting Australia, is rather plentifully dispersed over the north-eastern portion of Queensland, or from Moreton Bay to Cape York. Its discovery is due to the late Mr. Bynoe, R.N., who obtained two examples on the north coast, but the exact locality is unknown to me. Head, back, scapularies, and wing-coverts brownish oil- green; wings greenish blue, gradually changing into green on the tips of the tertiaries ; collar round the back of the neck and all the under surface buffy white ; tail greenish blue ; upper mandible and tip of the lower one black; base of the latter flesh-white. Genus CYANALCYON, Verreauz. The species of this form at present known are C. Macleayi, QC. diops, C. lazuli, and. perhaps C. lazulinus. They are all highly coloured, and differ but little from the Zodirhampha, with which they have been hitherto associated Australia, New Guinea, and the adjacent islands are the countries fre- quented by the members of this section of the Alcedinide. INSESSORES. 183 Sp. 66. CYANALCYON MACLEAYI. MacLeay’s Kinerisurr. Halcyon MacLeayi, Jard. and Selb. Ill. Orn., vol. ii. pl. 101. incinctus, Gould in Proe. of Zool. Soc., part v. p. 142, female. Todirhamphus Macleayi, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., tom. i. p. 157, Todi- ramphus, sp.13. Cyanalcyon Macleayi, Cab. et Hein. Mus. Hein., Theil ii. p. 158. Bush Kingfisher, Residents at Port Essington. Halcyon Macleayi, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. fi 24, There has not yet been discovered in Australia a more beautiful Kingfisher than the one dedicated to the late Alex- ander MacLeay by the authors of the ‘Illustrations of Or- nithology’ as a tribute of respect for his scientific labours, in the propriety of which I entirely concur. | The extreme brilliancy of the plumage of this bird would indicate that it is a native of the hotter portions of the country, and the correctness of this inference is borne out by the fact that it inhabits all the eastern provinces from More- ton Bay to the extreme northern portions of the continent ; it is tolerably abundant at Port Essington, and it is also spread over nearly every part of the Cobourg Peninsula suited to its habits; like the other members of the genus to which it belongs, it is rarely, if ever, seen near water, and evinces so decided a preference for the forests of the interior that it has obtained the name of “ Bush Kingfisher”’ from the residents at Port Essington; it is generally dispersed about in pairs, and feeds on small reptiles, insects, and their larve ; its general note is a loud pee-pee uttered with considerable rapidity. It incubates in November and December, some- times forming its nest in the hollow trunks of trees, and at others excavating a hole for itself in the nest of the tree-ants, which presents so prominent and singular a feature in the scenery of the country: the nest of the C. Macleayi is easily discovered, for on the approach of an intruder the birds 4 4 184 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. immediately commence flying about in a very wild manner, uttering at the same time a loud piercing cry of alarm ; the eggs are three or four in number, of a pearly white, and nearly round in form, being eleven lines long by ten broad. - So much difference exists in the plumage of the sexes that Gilbert states he was for some time induced to regard them as specifically distinct—an error into which I had myself previously fallen when describing the female as a new spe- ‘cies in the ‘Proceedings of the Zoological Society’ quoted above; “ but upon closer observation,” adds Gilbert, “1 soon satisfied myself that the difference of plumage was merely sexual, the dissection of a large number of specimens fully proving that those with a rmg round the neck are males and those without: it females,” The male has a line under the eye and ear-coverts deep glossy black ; head, occiput, wings, and tail rich deep prus- sian blue ; primaries and secondaries white at the base, form- ing a conspicuous spot when the wings are spread ; for the remainder of their length these feathers are black, margined externally with light prussian blue ; immediately before the eye an oval spot of white ; collar surrounding the back.of the neck and all the under surface white, tinged with buff on the lower part of the flanks; back and upper tail-coverts verditer blue; scapularies verditer green, both these colours bounded near the white collar with prussian blue; under surface of the wing white, the tips of the coverts black; under surface © of the tail black ; bill black, the basal portion of the under mandible yellowish white ; tarsi black ; inner side of the feet and back of the tarsi ash-grey ; irides very dark brown. The general colours of the female are similar to those of the male, but she differs from her mate in being entirely - destitute of the white collar at the back of the neck, which part is deep prussian blue, thus uniting the blue of the occiput and of the back; in the tints being much less brilliant in the back, being of a dull brownish verditer green, and in the INSESSORES, 135 upper tail-coverts pale verditer green instead of blue; upper mandible black; lower mandible halfway from the tip and along the whole of the cutting edges black, the remainder being fleshy white tinged with blue where it joins the black ; legs and feet greenish grey. The young male resembles the female in colour, but is still — less brilliant ; has the back of a purer green; the under sur- face tinged with buff; the spot on the lores deep buff; and the collar at the back of a deep buff, interrupted by some of | the feathers of the occiput. Genus SYMA, Lesson. The S. Torotoro of New Guinea and the S. flavirostris of Northern Australia are the only species of this form that have yet been discovered. The serrated edges of the mandibles indicate that they feed on some peculiar kind of food, and it would be interesting to know what special service the serra- tions are intended to perform. ? Sp.67. SYMA FLAVIROSTRIS, Gould. — YELLOW-BILLED KINGFISHER. Halcyon (Syma?) flavirostris, Gould in Proce. of Zool. Soc., part xvi. 1850, p. 200. Halcyon flavirostris, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., Supplement, pl. This species might easily be mistaken for the Syma Toro- foro; but there can be little doubt of its being distinct and new to science: its lesser size, less brilliant colouring, the yellow instead of orange hue of the bill, and the smaller size of the serrations of the mandibles, are some of the characters by which it may be distinguished from the New Guinea species. It was in that rich district the peninsula of Cape York, which appears to have a fauna peculiar to itself, that the pre-. 136 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. sent bird was first procured; the followmg notes by Mr. Mac- gillivray comprise all the information I have been able to ob- tain respecting it :— «The Poditti, as it is called by the aborigines, appears to be a rare bird; for although it was much sought for, not more than four or five examples were obtained during our stay. Like the Zanysiptera Silvia, it is an inhabitant of the brushes, while the S. Zorotoro of New Guinea is a mangrove bird. I myself saw it alive only once, in a belt of tall trees, thick underwood, and clumps of the Seaforthia palm fringing a small stream about three miles from the sea. Attracted by the call of the bird, which was recognized by the accompanying natives as that of the much-prized Poditt:, three or four of us remained for about ten minutes almost under the very tree in which it was perched, intently looking out for the chance of a shot, before I discovered it on a bare transverse branch, so high up as scarcely to be within range of small shot ; however, it fell, but our work was only half over, as the wounded bird eluded our search for a long time; at length, one of our sable allies—his eyes brightened, I dare say, by visions of a pro- mised axe—found it lying dead in a corner to which it had retreated. The more intelligent natives whom I questioned separately agreed in stating that its mode of nidification is similar to that of the Zunysiptera Sylvia, and that, like that species, it lays several white eggs.” The male has the crown of the head, back of the neck, ear- coverts, and flanks cinnamon-red ; at the back of the neck a narrow broken collar of black ; throat and lower part of the abdomen tawny white ; back and wings sordid green ; rump and tail greenish blue ; bill pale orange, the apical two-thirds of the ridge of the upper mandible dark brown. The female differs in being less brightly coloured, and in having an oblong patch of black on the centre of the head extending a little way down the occiput. INSESSORES. 137 Genus TANYSIPTERA, Vigors. The species of this genus are some of the most beautiful of the Alcedinide ; for, independently of the pleasing contrasts of their colourings of red, blue, and white, their lengthened tail-plumes not only impart a.peculiar elegance to their appearance, but render them very conspicuous objects. The well-known Zanysiptera Dea, the type of this form, is a native of New Guinea and the neighbouring islands, where several others are also found; and we now know that one species is a native of Australia. Sp. 68. TANYSIPTERA SYLVIA, Gould. WHITE-TAILED KINGFISHER. Tanysiptera Sylvia, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soe. , part xviii. 1850, p- 200. Quatawur, of the Aborigines at Cape York. Tanysiptera Sylvia, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., Supplement, pl. 4 Hitherto this species has only been found on the northern coast, Cape York being the sole locality it is at present known to inhabit; and where, judging from the numerous speci- mens lately sent to this country, it appears to be by no means scarce. As is the case with the Alcedinide generally, the sexes appear to present but little difference in size and colouring, | but the female may be distinguished from the male by being | somewhat less brilliant in colour and in the lesser development of the central tail-feathers. Mr. Macgillivray informed me that “ this pretty Zanysiptera is rather plentiful in the neighbourhood of Cape York, where it frequents the dense brushes, and is especially fond of resorting to the small sunny openings in the woods, attracted probably by the greater abundance of insect food found in such places than elsewhere: I never saw it on the ground, 138 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. and usually was first made aware of its presence by the glancing of its bright colours as it darted past with a rapid, arrow-like flight, and disappeared in an instant among the dense foliage. Its cry, which may be represented by ‘whee- whee-whee’ and ‘ wheet-wheet-wheet, is usually uttered while the bird is perched on a bare transverse branch or woody rope-like climber, which it uses as a look-out station, and whence it makes short dashes at any passing insect or small lizard, generally returning to the same spot. It is a shy suspicious bird, and one well calculated to try the patience of the shooter, who may follow it in a small brush for an hour without getting a shot, unless he has as keen an eye as the native to whom I was indebted for first poimting it out to me. According to the natives, who know it by the name of ‘ Quatiwur,’ it lays three white eggs in a hole dug by itself in one of the large ant-hills of red clay which form so remarkable a feature in the neighbourhood, some of them being as much as ten feet in height, with numerous buttresses and pinnacles. I believe that the bird also inhabits New ° Guinea; for at Redscar Bay, on the south-east side of that great island, in long. 146° 50° H., a head strung upon a necklace was procured from the natives.” Crown of the head, wings, and five lateral tail-feathers on each side blue; ear-coverts, back of the neck, and mantle black; in the centre of the latter a triangular mark of white ; rump and two middle tail-feathers pure white; under surface cinnamon-red; bill and feet sealing-wax red. Genus ALCYONE, Swainson. Of this genus several species are known, all of which are inhabitants of the Old World, principally Oceania, and Aus- tralia. These singular-footed birds very closely resemble the typical Kingfishers in their habits and manners ; for, like them, they frequent rivers, brooks, and ponds, and plunge INSESSORES. 139 beneath the surface for the fish, crustaceans, and insects upon which they principally subsist. fo Tlig So much difference exists in the species of this form in- habiting Australia, that I have been obliged to characterize two of them as distinct from 4. azurea. Sp. 69. ALCYONE AZUREA. Azure KINGFISHER. Alcedo azurea, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. xxxil. tribrachys, Shaw, Nat. Misc., pl. 681. Tri-digitated Kingsfisher, Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. viii. p. 105. Azure Kingsfisher, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. 1. Add., p. 372. Ceyx azurea, Jard. and Selb. Til. Orn., vol. ii, pl. 55. fig. 1. Aleyone Australis, Swains. Class. of Birds, vol. 11. p. 336. Ceyzx cyanea, Less. Traité d’Orn., p. 244. Aleyone azurea, G. R. Gray, List of Gen. of Birds, 2nd edit. p. 14. | Alcyone azurea, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii, pl. 25. With the exception of Swan River, every colony of Australia, from Port Essington on the north-west to Tasmania in the ex- treme south, is inhabited by Azure Kingfishers; but as they, although closely allied, constitute at least three species, the present page must necessarily treat exclusively of the one that inhabits New South Wales and South Australia, over the whole of which countries it is dispersed, wherever brooks, ponds and other waters occur suitable to its habits and mode of life. In size and in brilliancy of its plumage, the Azure Kingfisher is intermediate between the species inhabitmg the north coast and that found in Tasmania; although generically distinct from the Kingfisher of Europe (Alcedo Tspida), it has many characters in common with that bird. It subsists almost exclusively on small fish and aquatic insects, which it captures in the water by darting down from some bare branch overhanging the stream, and to which it gene- rally returns to kill and devour its prey, which is swallowed 140 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. entire and head foremost, after the manner of the little favourite of our own island. It is a solitary bird, a pair, and frequently only one, being found at the same spot. During the breeding-season it becomes querulous and active, and even pugnacious if any intruder of the same species should venture within the precincts of its abode. The males at this season chase each other up and down the stream with arrow-like quickness, when, the rich azure-blue of the back glittering in the sun, they appear more like meteors, as they dart by the spectator, than birds. The task of incubation commences in August and terminates in January, during which period two broods are frequently brought forth. The eggs, which are of a beautiful pearly or pmkish white and rather round in form, are deposited at the extremity of a hole, in a perpendicular or shelving bank bordering the stream, without any nest being made for their reception ; they are from five to seven in number, three quarters _ of an inch broad by seven-eighths of an inch long. The | young at the first moult assume the plumage of the adult, which is never afterwards changed. The hole occupied by the bird is frequently almost filled up with the bones of small fish, which are discharged from the throat and piled up round the young in the form of a nest. Immediately on leaving their holes the young follow the parents from one part of the brook to another, and are fed by them while resting on some stone or branch near the water’s edge; they soon, however, become able to obtain their own food, and may be observed at a very early age plunging into the water to a considerable , depth to capture small fish and insects. / he sexes are precisely similar in the colouring of their | plumage, neither do they differ in size. ‘The young are very clamorous, frequently uttering their twittering cry as their parents pass and repass the branch on which they are sitting. All the upper surface and a patch on each side of the chest fine ultramarine blue, becoming more vivid on the rump and INSESSORES. 141 upper tail-coverts; on each side of the neck behind the ear- coverts a tuft of yellowish-white feathers ; wings black ; throat white, slightly washed with buff; all the under surface, in- cluding the under side of the wing, ferruginous orange, the flanks tinged with bluish lilac, giving them a rich purple hue ; line from the bill to the eye reddish orange; irides and bill black ; feet orange. Sp. 70. ALCYONE DIEMENENSIS, Gould. Aleyone Diemenensis, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part xiv. p. 19. Alcyone Diemenensis, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. i., Introd. p. XXxi. This, the most southern member of the genus, differs from the 4. agurea both in colour and size. It is a native of Tasmania. All the upper surface deep blue, becoming more vivid on the rump and upper tail-coverts; wings black, washed with blue; throat buff; under surface of the body and wings ferruginous orange; on each side of the chest a patch of bluish black ; lores and a small patch behind the ears buff ; crown of the head indistinctly barred with black ; irides and bill black ; feet orange. Sp. 71]. ALCYONE PULCHRA, Gould. Alcyone pulchra, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part xiv. p. 19. Alcyone pulchra, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol. vol. i, Introd. 290. SRL, . As its name implies, this is a very beautiful species, and exceeds in richness of colouring both the 4. azwrea and A. Diemenensis. The portion of the country it inhabits is the neighbourhood of Port Essington and perhaps the north coast of Australia generally. All the upper surface shining purplish blue; wings 142 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. brownish black ; lores, tuft behind the ear, and throat buff; under surface deep ferruginous orange; sides of the chest fine purplish blue, passing into a rich vinous tint on the flanks ; irides and bill black; feet orange. Inhabits the north coast of Australia. Sp. 72. ALCYONE PUSILLA. Larrun KInGFIsHEr. Ceyx pusilla, Temm. Pl. Col., 595. fig. 3. Nu-rea-bin-mo, Aborigines of the Cobourg Peninsula. Alcyone pusilla, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii., pl. 26. This lovely little Kingfisher is a native of the northern portions of Australia; the specimens in my collection were all procured at Port Essington, where it is a rare bird; and from its always inhabiting the densest mangroves, is not only seldom seen, but is extremely difficult to procure ; in general habits and manners it very much resembles the Alcyone azurea, but its note is somewhat more shrill and piping, and its flight more unsteady. Specimens of this species from New Guinea, which I have had opportunities of examining in the noble collection at Leyden, present no difference whatever from those found in Australia. The food of the Alcyone pusilla consists of small fish, which are taken precisely after the manner of the Common King- fisher of our own island. The sexes are alike in size and colour. Lores, a tuft behind the ear-coverts and under surface silky white; forehead, sides of the neck, wing-coverts and the margins of the secondaries green; primaries brownish black ; all the upper surface and a large patch on each side on the chest brilliant intense blue ; tail dull deep blue; irides dark blackish brown ; bill black ; legs and feet greenish grey. INSESSORES. — 148 Family ARTAMIDA. The proper position of the members of this isolated form has been a stumbling-block to every ornithologist. Those who have had opportunities of observing them in a state of nature cannot have failed to notice how closely they resemble the Swallows in their actions and general mode of life; toa certain extent, they offer an alliance to some of the Laniade, as Gymnorhina, and Mr. Jerdon has applied to the Indian members the trivial name of Swallow-Shrikes ; I shall, how- ever, retain that of Wood Swallow, which is equally descrip- tive, and had been applied long before. Australia is undoubtedly the head-quarters of these pretty birds; but other species are found throughout the Indian Islands to the continent of India. They are all imsectivorous, and must perform a most important part in checking an undue increase of those creatures. Sp. 73. ARTAMUS SORDIDUS. Woop Swatlow. Turdus sordidus, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p- xlii. Sordid Thrush, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. i. p. 186. Ocypterus albovittatus, Cuv. Régn. Anim., tom. ry .1.10a1. Oe Artamus lineatus, Vieill. 2nde Edit. du Nouv. Dict. d’Hist. Nat., tom. xvil. p. 297. albovittatus, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 210. Leptopteryx albovittata, Wagl. Syst. Av., sp. 5. Be-wo-wen, Aborigines of Western Australia. Worle, Aborigines of King George’s Sound. Wood Swallow of the Colonists. Artamus sordidus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 27. No species of the Australian drtami with which I am acquainted possesses so wide a range as the present; the whole of the southern portion of the continent, as well as the island of Tasmania, being alike favoured with its presence. 144 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. The extent of its range northward has not yet been satisfac- torily ascertained, beyond the certainty that it has not hitherto been received in any collection from the north coast. It may be regarded as strictly migratory in Tasmania, where it arrives in October, and after rearmg at least two broods departs again in a northern direction. On the continent of Australia it arrives rather earlier, and departs later; but a scattered few remain throughout the year in all the localities favourable to their habits, the number being regulated by the supply of msect food necessary for their subsistence. I may here observe, that specimens from Swan River, South Australia, and New South Wales present no difference either in size or colouring, while those from Tasmania are invariably larger in all their admeasurements, and are also of a deeper colour. This Wood Swallow must, [ thmk, ever be a general favourite with the Australians, not only from its singular and pleasing actions, but from its often taking up its abode and incubating near the houses, particularly such as are surrounded by pad- docks and open pasture-lands skirted by large trees. It was in such situations in 'l'asmania that, at the commencement of spring, I first had an opportunity of observing this species ; it was then very numerous on all the cleared estates on the north side of the Derwent, about eight or ten being seen on a single tree, and half as many crowding one against another on the same dead branch, but never in such numbers as to deserve the appellation of flocks: each bird appeared to act in- dependently of the other; each, as the desire for food prompted it, sallying forth from the branch to capture a passing insect, or to soar round the tree and return again to the same: spot ; on alighting it repeatedly throws up one of its wings, and obliquely spreads its tail. At other times a few were seen perched on the fence surrounding the paddocks, on which they frequently descended, like Starlings, in search of coleo- ptera and other insects. The form of the wing of the Artamus sordidus at once indicates that the air is its peculiar province : INSESSORES. . Pee hence it is, that when engaged in pursuit of the insects which the serenity and warmth of the weather have enticed from their lurking-places among the foliage, to sport in higher regions, this species displays itself to the greatest advantage. But the greatest peculiarity in the habits of this bird is its manner of hanging together in clusters from the branch of a tree, like a swarm of bees. The season of incubation is from September to December. The situation of the nest is much varied; I have seen one placed in a thickly-foliaged bough near the ground, while others were in a naked fork, on the side of the bole of a tree, in a niche formed by a portion of the bark having been separated from the trunk, &c. The nest is rather shallow, of a rounded form, about five inches in diameter, and composed | of fine twigs neatly lined with fibrous roots. I observed that | the nests found in Tasmania were larger, more compact, and | more neatly formed than those on the continent of Australia. The eggs are generally four in number; they differ much in the disposition of their markings; their ground-colour is dull white, spotted and dashed with dark umber-brown: in some a second series of greyish spots appear as if beneath the surface of the shell; their medium length is eleven lines, and breadth eight lines. Head, neck, and the whole of the body fuliginous grey ; wings dark bluish black, the external edges of the second, third, and fourth primaries white; tail bluish black, all the feathers, except the two middle ones, largely tipped with white; irides dark brown; bill blue, with a black tip; feet mealy lead-colour. The sexes are alike in the colouring of their plumage, and are only to be distinguished by the female being somewhat smaller in size. The young have an irregular stripe of dirty white down the centre of each feather of the upper surface, and are mottled with the same on the under part of the body. L segura a 146 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Sp. 74. ARTAMUS MINOR, /ieillot. Lirrtz Woop SwaLLow. Artamus minor, Vieill. Nouv. Dict. d’ Hist. Nat., tom. xvu. p. 298. Ocypterus fuscatus, Valenc. Mém. du Mus. d’Hist. Nat., tom. vi. p. 24, a 1 Ae Leptopteryx minor, Wagl. Syst. Av., sp. 6. Ocypterus minor, Gould, Syn. Birds of Australia. Artamus minor, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 28. In its structure and in the disposition of the markings of its plumage, this species offers a greater resemblance to the Artamus sordidus than to any other member of the group ; the habits of the two species are also very similar; if any difference exists, it is that the present bird is still more aérial, a circumstance indicated by the more feeble form of the foot, and the equal, if not greater, development of the wing. During fine weather, and even in the hottest part of the day, it floats about in the air in the most easy and graceful manner, performing in the course of its evolutions many beautiful curves and circles, without the least apparent motion of the wings, the silvery whiteness of which, as seen from beneath, and the snowy tips of its wide-spread tail strongly contrast with the dark colouring of the other parts of its plumage. I found the Artamus minor abundant on the Lower Namoi, particularly on the plains thinly studded with the Acacia pendula and other low trees in the neighbourhood of Gummel- Gummel, where it had evidently been breeding, as I observed numerous young ones, whose primaries were not sufficiently developed to admit of their performing a migration of any distance ; besides which, they were constantly being fed by the parents, who were hawking about in the air over and around the trees, while-the young were quietly perched close to each other on a dead twig. I have received two specimens from Port Essington, and INSESSORES. . [47 there are examples in the Paris Museum from, I believe, Timor ; it is evident, therefore, that this bird has a wide range. The sexes are alike in plumage, but the young differ considerably. The whole of the head, back, and abdomen chocolate- brown; wings, rump, and under tail-coverts bluish black ; tail deep bluish black, all the feathers except the two outer and two middle ones tipped with white; bill beautiful violet- blue at the base, darker at the tip; irides and feet nearly black. Sp. 75. ~ARTAMUS CINEREUS, Viedlot. Grey-BREASTED Woop SwALLow. Artamus cinereus, Vieill. Nouv. Dict. d’Hist. Nat., tom. xvil. p. 297. Ocypterus cinereus, Valenc. Mém. du Mus. d’ Hist. Nat., tom. vi. p. 22, i. Oe He Be-wh-wen, Aborigines of the lowland and mountain districts of West- ~ ern Australia. ) Wood Swallow of the Colonists of ditto. Artamus cinereus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 29. This bird exceeds in size all the other Australian Wood Swallows. Its large tail, most of the feathers of which are broadly tipped with white, as well as the colouring of its plumage, at once point out its close affinity to the Artamus sordidus and A. minor. In Western Australia it is a very local but by no means an uncommon species, particularly at Swan River, where it inhabits the limestone hills near the coast, and the “Clear Hills” of the interior, assembling in small families, and feeding upon the seeds of the Xanthorrhea, which proves that insects do not form the sole diet of this species ; with such avidity in fact does it devour the ripe seeds of this grass. tree, that several birds may frequently be seen crowded toge- ther on the perpendicular seed-stalks of this plant busily en- L 2 148 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. gaged in extracting them ; at other times, particularly among the limestone hills, where there are but few trees, it descends to the broken rocky ground in search of insects and their larvee. It breeds in October and November, making a round com- pact nest, in some instances of fibrous roots, lined with fine hair-like grasses, in others of the stems of grasses and small plants ; it is built cither in a scrubby bush or among the grass-like leaves of the Xanthorrhea, and is deeper and more cup-shaped than those of the other members of the group. The eggs are subject to considerable variation in colour and in the character of their markings; they are usually bluish white, spotted and blotched with lively reddish brown, inter- mingled with obscure spots and dashes of purplish grey, all the markings being most numerous towards the larger end ; they are about eleven lines long by eight lines broad. The sexes are alike in colour, and can only be distinguished from each other with certainty by dissection. I have re- marked that specimens from Timor rather exceed in size those collected on the Australian continent, and are some- what lighter in colour; but these variations are too slight to be regarded as specific. Crown of the head, neck, throat, and chest grey, passing into sooty grey on the abdomen; space between the bill and the eye, the fore part of the cheek, the chin, the upper and under tail-coverts jet-black ; two middle tail-feathers black ; the remainder black, largely tipped with white, with the ex- ception of the outer feather on each side, in which the black co- louring extends on the outer web nearly to the tip ; wings. deep grey ; primaries bluish grey ; under surface of the shoulder white, passing into grey on the under side of the primaries ; irides dark blackish brown ; bill light greyish blue at the base, black at the tip; legs and feet greenish grey. INSESSORES. 149 Sp. 76. ARTAMUS ALBIVENTRIS, Gould. WHITE-VENTED Woop SwALLow. Artamus albiventris, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part xv. 1847, p. 31. Artamus albiventris, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 30. Two examples of this species are all that have come under my notice; one of these was killed on the Darling Downs in New South Wales, and the other some distance to the north- ward of that locality, it being one of the birds procured during Dr. Leichardt’s expedition to Port Essington. Its nearest ally is the Artamus cinereus, a species inhabiting the opposite side of the continent; but it is somewhat smaller, and may moreover be distinguished from that bird by the white under tail-coverts, and the lighter colour of the lower part of the abdomen. Lores, space beneath the eye, and the chin deep black ; head, neck, and upper part of the back brownish grey ; lower part of the back and the wings dark grey, becoming gradually deeper towards the tips of the feathers; primaries and se- condaries narrowly edged with white at the tip; under sur- face of the wing white ; ear-coverts, chest, and abdomen pale grey, passing into white on the under tail-coverts ; upper tail- coverts and tail black; the apical third of all but the two middle ones white; irides dark brown; bill yellowish horn- colour, becoming black at the tip; feet blackish brown. Sp.77. | ARTAMUS MELANOPS, Gould. BriAcK-FACED Woop SwaLLow. Artamus melanops, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc. 1865, p. 198. This fine species is unlike every other known member of the genus. It is most nearly allied to A. albiventris, but differs from that bird in the jet-black colouring of its under tail-coverts, and from A. cinereus in its smaller size and the 150 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. greater extent of the black on the face. The specimen from which the above description was taken has been kindly sent to me by Mr.S. White, of the Reed Beds, near Adelaide, South Australia, who informs me that it was shot by him at St. a Becket’s Pool, lat. 28° 30’, on the 23rd of August 1863, and who, in the notes accompanying it, says, “I have never seen this bird south. It collects at night like 4. sordidus, and utters the same kind of call. It seems to be plentiful all over the north country, and particularly about Chamber’s Creek and Mount Margaret. It feeds on the ground, soars high in the air, and chngs in bunches like the others. The two sexes appeared to be very similar in outward appearance ; but the young are much speckled with dusky brown, par- ticularly on the back.” Lores, face, rump, and under tail-coverts black; stripe over the eye, ear-coverts, sides of the face, and throat greyish buff, increasing in depth on the chest so as to form a well- marked band ; under surface delicate vinous grey ; two middle tail-feathers black, the remainder black, largely tipped with white ; upper surface of the wings grey, their under surface white; bill leaden grey, darkest at the tip; feet blackish brown. Total length 62 inches; bill?; wing 44; tail 8; tarsi 3. Sp. 78. ARTAMUS PERSONATUS, Gould. Masxep Woop Swatiow. Ocypterus personatus, Gould in Proce. of Zool. Soc., part viii. p. 149. i es : ee Jil-bung, Aborigines of the mountain districts of Western Australia, Artamus personatus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 31. My knowledge of the range of this species is very limited ; a single specimen was sent me from South Australia, while fine examples were killed by Gilbert in the colony of Swan River. Its richly coloured black face and throat, separated from the delicate grey of the breast by a narrow line of snowy INSESSORES. 15] white, at once distinguishes it from every other species, while the strong contrast of these colours renders it a conspicuous object among the trees. In size and structure it more nearly resembles the Artamus superciliosus than any other, and the two species form beauti- ful analogues of each other, one being in all probability con- fined to the eastern portion of the country, and the other to the western. «T have only met,” says Gilbert, “ with this species in the York and Toodyay districts. It is very like Artamus sordidus in its habits, but is more shy and retired, never being seen ‘but in the most secluded parts of the bush. It is merely a summer visitant here, generally making its appearance in the latter part of October, and immediately commencing the task of incubation. Its voice very much resembles the chirping of the English Sparrow. “Tts nest is placed in the upright fork of a dead tree, or in the hollow part of the stump of a grass-tree ; it is neither so well nor so neatly formed as those of the other species of the group, being a frail structure externally composed of a very few extremely small twigs, above which is a layer of fine dried grasses. The eggs also differ as remarkably as the nest, their eround-colour being light greenish grey, dashed and speckled with hair-brown principally at the larger end, and slightly spotted with grey, appearing as if beneath the surface of the shell; they are ten and a half lines long by eight and a half lines broad. 1 found two nests in a York Gum Forest, about five miles to the east of the Avon River ; each of these con- tained two eggs, which I believe is the usual number. Mr. Angas informs me that in South Australia this bird makes no nest, but places the eggs on a few bent stalks of grass in the bend of a small branch. “Tts food consists of insects generally and their larvae.” The male has the face, ear-coverts, and throat jet-black, bounded below with a narrow line of white; crown of the 152 BiRDS OF AUSTRALIA. © head sooty black, gradually passing into the deep grey which covers the whole of the upper surface, wings, and tail; the latter tripped with white ; all the under surface very delicate grey; thighs dark grey; irides blackish brown; bill blue at the base, becoming black at the tip; legs and feet mealy bluish grey. . The female differs in having the colouring of the bill and the black mask on the face much paler. Sp 79. ARTAMUS SUPERCILIOSUS, Gould. WHITE-EYEBROWED Woop SwALLow. Ocypterus superciliosus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part iv. 1886, p- 142. Artamus superciliosus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 32. There is no species of Artamus yet discovered to which the present yields the palm, either for elegance of form or for the beauty and variety of its plumage; the only one known with which it could be confounded is the Artamus rufiventer, an Indian bird with the breast similarly coloured, but which is entirely destitute of the superciliary stripe of white, which suggested the specific name; in this character and in the rich chestnut colouring of the breast, it differs from every member of its genus. I am unable to say what is the extent of its range, but I am induced to believe that it is confined to. Australia, and that in all probability it seldom leaves the interior of the country ; the extreme limits of the colony of New South Wales, particularly those which border the exten- sive plains, being the only parts where it has yet been observed. I first met with it at Yarrundi on the Dartbrook, a tributary of the Hunter, where it was thinly dispersed among the trees growing on the stony ridges bordering the flats. ) From this locality to as far as I penetrated northwards on the Namoi, as well as in the direction of the River Peel, it INSESSORES. 163 was distributed in similar numbers, intermingled with the Artamus sordidus, at about the ratio of one hundred pairs to the square mile, the two species appearing to live and perform the task of incubation in perfect harmony, both being fre- quently observed on the same tree. In their dispositions, however, and in many of their actions, they are somewhat dissimilar, the 4. superciliosus being much more shy and difficult of approach than the 4. sordidus, which is at all times very tame; it also gives a preference to the topmost branches of the highest trees, from which it sallies forth for the capture of insects, and to which it again returns, in the | nsual manner of the tribe. In every part where I have observed it, it is strictly migratory, arriving in summer, and departing northwards after the breeding-season. The nest is most difficult of detection, being generally placed either in a fork of the branches or in a niche near the bole of the tree, whence the bark has been partially stripped. It is a round, very shallow, and frail structure, composed of small twigs and lined with fibrous roots ; those I discovered contained two eggs, but I had not sufficient opportunities for ascertaining if this number was constant. Their ground- colour is dull buffy white, spotted with umber-brown, forming a zone near the larger end; in some these spots are sparingly sprinkled over the whole surface; they have also the obscure grey spotting like those of A. sordidus ; the eggs are rather more than eleven lines long by cight and a half lines broad. The male has the lores, space surrounding the eye, and the ear-coverts deep black; chin greyish black, passing into blackish grey on the chest ; ‘crown of the head greyish black ; over each eye a pure white stripe commencing in a point, and gradually becoming wider or spatulate in form as it proceeds towards the occiput; all the upper surface, wings, and tail fuliginous grey, which is lightest on the rump and tail; all the tail-feathers tipped with white, except the outer web of the lateral feather, which is grey; under surface of the wing 154 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. pure white; all the under surface rich deep chestnut ; irides nearly black; bill light blue at the base, black at the tip; feet dark lead-colour. The female has a similar distribution of colouring, but differs from her mate in the following particulars :—lores and a ring surrounding the eye jet-black; only an indication of the superciliary stripe; throat grey; tail not so distinctly tipped with white; under surface light chestnut-red. Sp. 80. ARTAMUS LEUCOPYGIALIS, Gould. WHITE-RUMPED Woop SwALtiow. Artamus leucopygialis, Gould in Proe. of Zool. Soc., part x. 1842, p. 17. Artamus leucopygialis, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 33. On a careful comparison of specimens of the White-rumped Artami from India and the Indian Archipelago with those killed in Australia, I cannot but consider that at least two, if not three, species have been confounded under one name, and that the Australian bird had remained undescribed until characterized by me in the ‘Proceedings of the Zoological Society’ above quoted. The present species is most nearly allied to the Artamus leucorhynchus, but is readily distin- guished from it by the blue colour of the bill; and I may here remark, that the Australian birds are also considerably smaller in all their admeasurements than those of the islands to the northwards. . Tasmania and Western Australia are the only colonies in which this bird has not been observed; its range, therefore, over the continent may be considered as very general: in South Australia and New South Wales it would appear to be migratory, visiting these parts in summer for the purpose of breeding. Among other places where I observed it in con- siderable abundance was Mosquito, and the other small islands near the mouth of the Hunter, and on the borders of INSESSORES. 155 the rivers Mokai and Namoi, situated to the northward of Liverpool Plains; in these Jast-mentioned localities it was breeding among the large flooded gum-trees bordering the rivers. The breeding-season commences in September and con- tinues until January, during which period at least two broods are reared. In the Christmas week of 1839, at which time I was on the plains of the interior, in the direction of the Namoi, the young progeny of the second brood were perched in pairs or threes together, on a dead twig near their nest. They were constantly visited and fed by the adults, who were hawking about for imsects in great numbers, some performing their evolutions above the tops and among the branches of the trees, while others were sweeping over the open plain with great rapidity of flight, making in their progress through the air the most rapid and abrupt turns; at one ‘moment rising to a considerable altitude, and the next descending to within a few feet of the ground, as the insects of which they were in pursuit arrested their attention. In the brushes, on the contrary, the flight of this bird is more soaring and of a much shorter duration, particularly when hawking in the open glades, which frequently teem with insect life. When flying near the ground, the white mark on the rump shows very conspicuously, and strikingly reminds one of the House Martin of our own country. » Two nests, taken by Gilbert on a small island in Coral Bay, near the entrance of the harbour at Port Essington, were compactly formed of dried wiry grass and the fine plants growing on the beach; they were placed in a fork of a slender mangrove-tree, within fifteen fect of the water, in which they were growing; but, like several other Australian birds, the Artamus leucopygialis often avails itself of the deserted nests of other species instead of building one of its own. Most of those I found breeding on the Mokai had possessed themselves of the forsaken nest of the Grallina melanoleuca, which they Se ee ——_ 156 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. had rendered warm and of the proper size by slightly lining it with grasses, fibrous roots, and the narrow leaves of the Eucalypti. The eggs are generally three in number, and much lighter in colour and more minutely spotted than those of any other species of the genus I have seen; their ground- colour is flesh-white, finely freckled and spotted with faint markings of reddish brown and grey, in some instances forming a zone at the larger end; their medium length is ten lines, and breadth seven lines and a half. The sexes are only to be distinguished by dissection, and may be described thus: head, throat, and back sooty grey ; primaries and tail brownish black, washed with grey; chest, all the under surface, and rump pure white; irides brown; — bill light bluish grey at the base, black at the tip; legs and feet mealy greenish grey. Family AMPELIDA ? Genus PARDALOTUS, Vieillot. This form is peculiar to Australia, in every portion of which great country, including ‘Tasmania, one or other of the species are to be found; some of them associated in the same district, and even inhabiting the same trees, while in other parts only a single species exists: for instance, the P. punctatus, P. qua- dragintus, and P. afinis inhabit ‘Tasmania ; on the whole of the southern coast of the continent from east to west P. punctatus and P. striatus are associated; the north coast is the cradle of the species I have called wropygialis, and the east coast that of melanocephalus, from both of which countries the others appear to be excluded; the true habitat of the beautiful species I have described as P. rubricatus is the basin of the interior. INSESSORES. 157 Sp. 81. PARDALOTUS PUNCTATUS, Zemm. SpotreD DIAMOND-BIRD. Pardalotus punctatus, Temm. Man., tom. i. p. Ixv. Pipra punctata, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. lvi. no. 1. Speckled Manikin, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 2538. W e-dup-wé-dup, Aborigines of the lowland districts of Western Aus- tralia. Diamond Bird, Colonists ot New South Wales. Pardalotus punctatus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 35. No species of the genus Pardalotus is more widely and generally distributed than the Spotted Diamond-bird ; for it inhabits the whole of the southern parts of the Australian continent from the western to the eastern extremities of the country, and is very common in Tasmania. It is incessantly engaged in searching for insects among the foliage, both of trees of the highest growth and of the lowest shrubs ; it fre- quents gardens and enclosures as well as the open forest ; and is exceedingly active in its actions, clinging and moving about in every variety of position both above and beneath the leaves with equal facility. With regard to the nidification of this species, it is a sin- gular circumstance that, in the choice of situation for the reception of its nest, it differs from every other known member of the genus; for while they always midify in the holes of trees, this species descends to the ground, and availing itself of any little shelvmg bank, excavates a hole just large enough to admit of the passage of its body, in a nearly horizontal direction to the depth of two or three feet, at the end of which a chamber is formed in which the nest is depo- sited. The nest itself is a neat and beautifully built structure, formed of strips of the inner bark of the Bucalypti, and lined with finer strips of the same or similar ‘materials; it 1s of a spherical contour, about four inches in diameter, with a small hole in the side for an entrance. The chamber is generally ——— 158 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. somewhat higher than the mouth of the hole, by which means the risk of its being inundated upon the occurrence of rain is obviated. I have been fortunate enough to discover many of the nests of this species, but they are most difficult to detect, and are only to be found by watching for the egress or ingress of the parent birds from or into its hole or entrance, which is frequently formed in a part of the bank overhung with herbage, or beneath the overhanging roots of a tree. How so neat a structure as is the nest of the Spotted Diamond-bird should be constructed at the end of a hole where no light can possibly enter is beyond our compre- hension. The eggs are four or five in number, rather round in form, of a beautiful polished fleshy white, seven and a half lines long by six and a half lines broad. The song of the Spotted Diamond-bird is a rather harsh piping note of two syllables often repeated. The male has the crown of the head, wings, and tail black, each feather having a round spot of white near the tip; a stripe of white commences at the nostrils and passes over the eye ; ear-coverts and sides of the neck grey; feathers of the back grey at the base, succeeded by a triangular-shaped spot of fawn-colour, and edged with black; rump rufous brown ; upper tail-coverts crimson; throat, chest, and under tail- coverts yellow; abdomen and flanks tawny; irides dark brown ; bill brownish black ; feet brown. The female may be distinguished by the less strongly con- trasted tints of her colouring, and by the absence of the bright yellow on the throat. Sp. 82. PARDALOTUS RUBRICATUS, Gould. Rep-LoRED DIAMOND-BIRD. Pardalotus rubricatus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part v. p. 149. Pardalotus rubricatus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 36, The Red-lored Diamond-bird belongs to the same section of INSESSORES. — 159 the Pardaloti asthe P. punctatus and P. quadragintus, and like them is distinguished from the other members of the group by the absence of the sealing-wax-like tips of the spurious wing-feathers. It is the largest species of the genus yet dis- covered, and is readily distinguished from its near allies, the P. punctatus and P. quadragintus, by the great size of the spots on the crown. — | When I published my plate and description in the folio edition, only a single specimen of this bird had been dis- covered, and I was unaware in what part of Australia it had been obtained. I have, however, lately seen other specimens collected by Mr. Waterhouse during the overland expedition to the Victoria River under Mr. Stuart. Mr. White of Adelaide also informs me in a letter that he “saw this bird in considerable numbers about the lat. 27° or 28°.” The more I study the birds of Australia and witness the gradual discovery of new species of various forms, the more I am convinced that many still remain to be discovered, and that years must elapse before our knowledge of the entire avifauna of Australia can be considered complete. Forehead crossed by a narrow band of dirty white ; crown and back of the head deep black, each feather having a spot of white near its extremity ; back of the neck, back, wing- coverts, and rump brownish grey; wings dark brown, mar- gined with pale brown, the spurious wing, a small portion of the base of the primaries, and the outer margins of the secondaries fine golden orange ; immediately before the eye a spot of bright, fiery orange ; above and behind the eye a stripe of buff; upper tail-coverts bright olive-green ; tail deep blackish brown, the extreme tips of the feathers being white ; throat and abdomen greyish white ; chest bright yellow ; upper mandible and legs brown, under mandible greyish white. 160 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Sp. 88. PARDALOTUS | QUADRAGINTUS, Gould. Forty-seorreD DIAMOND-BIRD. Pardalotus quadragintus, Gould in Proce. of Zool. Soe., part v. p. 148. Forty-spot of the Tasmanian Colonists. Pardalotus quadragintus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 37. This species is, I believe, peculiar to Tasmania, where it inhabits the almost impenetrable forests which cover that island, particularly those of its southern portion. It is I - think less numerous than either of its congeners, the Parda- lotus afinis and P. punctatus, aid appears to confine itself more exclusively to the highest gum-trees than those species. I found it very abundant in the gulleys under Mount Wellington, and observed it breeding in a hole in one of the loftiest trees, at about forty feet from the ground ; I after- wards took a perfectly developed white egg from the body of a female killed on the 5th of October. The weight of this little bird was rather more than a quarter of an ounce; the stomach was muscular, and contained the remains of the larve of lepidoptera, which with coleoptera and other insects con- stitute its food. It has a simple piping kind of note of two syllables. In its actions it much resembles the Tits, creeping and clinging among the branches im every direction. The eggs are white and nearly round in form, being seven lines and a half long and six broad. The sexes are so much alike in colour, that a separate description is unnecessary. Crown of the head and allthe upper surface bright olive-green, each feather obscurely margined with brown; wings brownish black, all the feathers, except the first and second primaries, having a conspicuous spot of pure white near their extremities ; tail blackish grey, the extreme tips of the feathers being white ; cheeks and under tail-coverts yellowish olive ; throat and under INSESSORES, . Qe. surface greyish white, passing into olive on the flanks; irides dark brown; bill brownish black ; feet brown. | Sp. 84. PARDALOTUS STRIATUS, Zemm. Striated DIAMOND-BIRD. Pardalotus striatus, Temm. Man., part i. p. Ixv. Pipra striata, Lath. Ind. Orn., p. 558, No. 13. Striped-headed Manakin, Lat. Gen. Syn., vol. iv, p. 525, pl. 54. Pardalotus ornatus, Temm. Pl. Col. 394. fig. 1. W e-dup-wee-dup, Aborigines of the lowland, and W e-dee-we'-due, Aborigines of the mountain districts of Western Australia. Pardalotus striatus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 38. This beautiful species, like the P. punctatus, enjoys an extensive range of habitat, being found in all parts of the southern portion of the Australian continent; it has not as yet been discovered in Tasmania, its place in that island being apparently occupied by the P. afinis. 1 have carefully examined specimens killed at Swan River with others from New South Wales, and I cannot find any difference either in their size or markings. It will be interesting to know how fay this species and the P. punctatus extend their range northwards, a point which can only be ascertained when the country has been fully explored. This active little bird is generally seen seeking insects among the leaves, for which purpose it frequents trees of every description, but gives a decided preference to the Hucalyptt. Its flight is rapid and darting, hence it passes from tree to tree, or from one part of the forest to another with the greatest ease. Its voice is a double note several times repeated. | The nest, which is a very neat structure of dried soft grasses and the bark of the tea-tree, lined with feathers, is usually placed in a hole of a dead branch, but sometimes in the boll of the tree. It breeds in September, October, and M 162 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. November, and lays three or four fleshy-white eggs, which are nine lines long by seven lines broad. The sexes so closely assimilate in colour and markings that they are only to be distinguished with certainty by dissection. The young assume the adult colouring from the nest, but have the tips of the spurious wing orange instead of red. The validity of this latter passage has been questioned by Mr. Ramsay, no mean authority respecting Australian birds. I believe it-is his opinion that the bird which I regarded as the young of P. striatus may prove to be a distinct species, intermediate between P. striatus and P. afinis. I have not, however, as yet seen any examples which would lead to con- firm his view, and, without undervaluing his opinion, I leave the subject undetermined. Mr. Ramsay has, I think, found birds with this character of plumage breeding ; but that is no proof, for I have positive evidence that some of the Australian species reproduce their kind before they have attained their adult livery. Forehead and crown of the head black, the feathers of the latter having a stripe of white down the centre; a stripe of deep orange-yellow commences at the base of the upper man- dible and runs above the eye, where it is jomed by a stripe of white which leads to the occiput; back of the neck and back brownish olive-grey ; rump and upper tail-coverts yellowish brown; wings black, the external edges of the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh primaries white at their base and tipped-with white ; secondaries margined with white and red- dish brown; tail black, each feather tipped with white ; sides of the face and neck grey ; throat and upper part of the chest yellow ; centre of the abdomen white ; flanks and under tail- coverts brownish buff, the former tinged with yellow; irides brownish red; bill at the tip and along the culmen dark brown tinged with blue,the remainder yellowish white; legs and feet greenish grey. INSESSORES, 163 Sp. 85. PARDALOTUS AFFINIS, Gould. ALLIED DIAMOND-BIRD. Pipra striata?, Gmel. et Auct. Striped-headed Manakin, Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. x. p. 29, pl. 4. Pardalotus affinis Gould, in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part v. 1837, p. 25. Pardalotus affinis, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 39. - The Pardalotus afinis is distinguished by the yellow tips of its spurious wings, and by the margin of the third primary only being white. The bird figured by Shaw and Latham, as quoted above, has, in all probability, reference to the present species, but not, in my opinion, to the Pipra striata of Gmelin, whose description does not agree with the Tas- mania bird, or with any of those from New South Wales; he distinctly states that the tips of some of the wing-coverts are. yellow, and that the spurious wing is tipped with white, and, moreover, adds that it is a native of South America. The Allied Diamond-bird is distributed over every part of Tasmania, and may be regarded as the commonest bird of the island: wherever the gum and wattle exist, there also may the bird as certainly be found; giving no decided preference to trees of a high or low growth, but inhabiting alike the sapling and those which have attained their greatest altitude. It displays great activity among the branches, clinging and creeping about in the most easy and elegant manner, examining both the upper and under sides of the leaves with the utmost care in search of insects. It is equally common in all the gardens and shrubberies, even those in the midst of the towns, forming a familiar and pleasing object, and enlivening the scenery with its sprightly actions and piping though some- what monotonous note. Its food consists of seeds, buds, and insects, in procuring which, its most elegant actions are brought into play. ) | I was formerly led to believe that the Aled Diamond-bird M2 164 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. was strictly confined to Tasmania and the islands in Bass’s Straits; but I have lately seen specimens from Victoria and New South Wales. The season of nidification occupies three or four months of the year, during which two or more broods are reared. Eggs may be found in September; and on reference to my journal I find that near George Town, on the 8th of January, I took from a nest in the hole of a tree five fully-fledged young. The nest in this instance was of a large size, and of a round domed form like that of the Wren, with a small hole for an entrance; it was outwardly composed of grasses and warmly lined with feathers. The eggs vary from three to five in number, and are of a beautiful white, nine lines long by seven lines in diameter. The holes selected for the nest are sometimes high up m the loftiest trees, at others within a few feet of the ground. The young birds have the tips of the spurious wing orange instead of yellow ; and although the whole plumage possesses the same character as that of the adults, the markings are less brilliant and well-defined. The sexes offer no observable difference in their colouring by which they can be distin- guished. Forehead and crown of the head black, the latter with a stripe of white down the centre of each feather ; a stripe of yellow commences at the base of the upper mandible, and ‘runs above the eye, where it is jomed by a stripe of white, which proceeds nearly to the occiput ; back of the neck and back greyish olive-brown ; rump and upper tail-coverts olive- brown; wings black, each of the primaries slightly tipped with white, and the third externally edged with white ; the secondaries edged with white and rufous, and the tips of the spurious wing yellow ; tail blackish brown, each feather having a transverse mark of white at the tip; ear-coverts and cheeks grey ; throat yellow, passing into lighter yellow on the flanks ; centre of the abdomen white; irides olive-brown ; bill black ; feet brown. _ INSESSORES. 165 Sp.86. PARDALOTUS MELANOCEPHALUS, Gould. BLACK-HEADED DIAMOND-BIRD. Pardalotus melanocephalus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part v. p. 149. Pardalotus melanocephalus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 40. Lhave received numerous examples of this beautiful and well-defined species from Moreton Bay, where it probably takes the place of the P. striatus, from which it is distin- guished by the black colouring of its head and by its thicker bill, but to which it is very nearly allied, as well as to the P. uropygialis; it is, in fact, directly intermediate between the two, having the black head of the latter without the yellow colouring of the rump. There appears to be no external difference in the sexes. Crown of the head, lores, and ear-coverts black; over each eye a stripe commencing at the nostrils, the anterior half of which is orange, and the posterior white ; sides of the face and neck white; back of the neck and back olive-grey ; upper tail-coverts brownish buff; tail black, each feather tipped with white; wings blackish brown, the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh primaries white ; secondaries edged and tipped with white; one of the wing-coverts broadly margined on the inner web with white, forming an oblique line across the shoulder ; spurious wing tipped with crimson; line down the centre of the throat, the breast, and middle of the abdomen bright yellow; vent and under tail-coverts buff; bill black ; feet brown. . . At present we are unaware whether this bird nidifies in the holes of trees like the other Pardaloti or not; the colour and number of the eggs are also unknown; they are probably pinky white; but these particulars must be left for the in- vestigation of those who may be. favourably situated for ascer- taining them. 166 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Sp. 8¥.8 PARDALOTUS UROPYGIALIS, Gould. YELLOW-RUMPED DIAMOND-BIRD. Pardalotus uropygials, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part vii. 1839, p. 148. Pardalotus uropygialis, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 41, For this very beautiful Diamond-bird, and several other in- teresting species from the north-west coast of Australia, I am indebted to the kindness of the late Benjamin Bynoe, Esq., Surgeon of Her Majesty’s Surveying Ship the Beagle; to Captain Wickham and the other officers of which vessel my thanks are also due for their polite attention to my wishes, and the promise of communicating to me any novelties they might procure during their survey of the north-west coast. The Yellow- rumped Diamond-bird is easily distinguished from every other species of the group with which I am ac- quainted. by the bright yellow colouring of the lower part of the back, by the rich spot of orange before the eye, by having a shorter wing, and by being more diminutive in size than any of the others, with the exception of Pardalotus punctatus. I am unable to give any account of its habits and manners ; but in these respects it doubtless closely assimilates to the other members of its group. Crown of the head, stripe before and behind the eye black ; lores rich orange; a mark from above the eye to the occiput, chest, and centre of the abdomen white; throat and cheeks delicate crocus-yellow ; rump and upper tail-coverts sulphur- yellow ; back of the neck and back olive-grey ; wings black, the external webs of the second and five following primaries white at the base; tips of the spurious wing scarlet; tail black; the three outer feathers tipped with white, the white spreading largely over the inner web of the outer feathers ; bill black ; feet lead-colour. The sexes do not seem to differ in size or in the colour of their plumage. | | INSESSORES. 167 Family LANIADZ. Genus STREPERA, Lesson. - On a careful examination of the members of this genus, it will be perceived that their relationship to the Corvide, to which they have been usually assigned, is very remote, their size and colour being, in fact, the only features of resem- — blance; their whole structure and economy are indeed very different from those of every other known bird, except those of Gymnorhina and Cracticus, with which genera, in my opinion, they form a very distinct group, the natural situation of which is among the Zaniade or Shrikes. - Most of the species are peculiar to Australia, and strictly confined to the southern portion of that continent, their range being limited to the country comprised within the 25th and 40th degrees of south latitude; future research may, however, add both to the number of species and perhaps to the extent of their range; still their great stronghold is un- doubtedly the most southern portion of the Australian con- tinent, the islands of Bass’s Straits, and Tasmania. I have, however, seen a species of this genus from Lord Howe’s Island which is very similar to, if not the same as S. graculina. These birds seek their food on or near the ground, sometimes in swampy situations and even on the sea-shore, at others on the most sterile plains far distant from water ; grasshoppers and insects of every order are eaten by them with avidity, and to these grain seeds and fruits are fre- quently added; they hop with remarkable agility over the broken surface of the ground, and leap from branch to branch with great alacrity: their flight is feeble and protracted, and they seldom mount high in the air, except for the purpose of crossing a gully, or for passing from one part of the forest to another, and then merely over the tops of the trees; during flight they: usually utter a peculiar shrill cry, which is fre- 168 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. quently repeated and answered by other birds of the same troop, for they mostly flit about in small companies of from four to six in number, apparently the parents and their off- spring of the year. All the species occasionally descend to the cultivated grounds, orchards, and gardens of the settlers, and commit considerable havoc among their fruits and grain ; in many parts of Australia, and particularly in Tasmania, they form an article of food, and are considered good and even delicate eating. They usually build open cup-shaped nests as large as that of the Crow, composed of sticks and other coarse materials, lined with grasses or any other suitable sub- stance that may be at hand; the eggs are generally three, but are sometimes four, in number. The sexes are similar in plumage, and the young assume the livery of the adult from the time they leave the nest. Sp. 88. STREPERA GRACULINA. Prep Crow-SHrike. Réveilleur de ? Isle de Norfolk?, Daud. tom. ii. p. 267. Corvus graculinus, White’s Bot. Bay, pl. in p. 251. Coracias strepera, Lath. Ind. Orn., vol.1. p. 173. Corvus streperus, Leach, Zool. Misc., vol. ii. pl. 86. - Noisy Roller, Lat. Gen. Syn., Supp., vol. 1. p. 121. Le Grand Calibé, Le Vaill. Ois. de Par., &c., pl. 24. Cracticus streperus, Vieill. Gal. des Ois., pl. 109. Gracula strepera, Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. vii. p- 462. Barita strepera, Temm. Man., part 1. p. hi. Coronica strepera, Gould, Syn. Birds of Australia, part 1. Strepera, Less. Traité d’Orn., p. 329. Strepera graculina, G. R. Gray, Gen. of Birds, 2nd edit., p. 50. Strepera graculina, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 42. This species was originally described and figured in White's ‘Voyage to New South Wales’; it is consequently the oldest and most familiarly known member of the group to which it belongs. It is very generally distributed over the colony of INSESSORES. 169 New South Wales, inhabiting alike the brushes near the coast, those of the mountain ranges, and also the forests of Eucalypti which clothe the plains and more open country. As a great part of its food consists of seeds, berries, and fruits, it is more arboreal in its habits than some of the other species of its group, whose structure better adapts them for progression on the ground, and whose food principally con- sists of insects and their larve. Like the other members of the genus, it is mostly seen in small companies, varying from four to six in number, seldom either singly or im pairs : Tam not, however, inclined to consider them as gregarious birds +n the strict sense of the word, believing as I do that each of these small companies is composed of a pair and their progeny, which appear to keep together from the birth of the latter until the natural impulse for pairmg prompts them to separate. It is during flight that the markings of this bird are dis- played to the greatest advantage, and render it a conspicuous object in the bush: while on the wing it utters a peculiar noisy cry, by which its presence is often indicated. The nest, which is usually constructed on the branches of low trees, sometimes even on those of the Casuarina, is of a large size, round, open, and cup-shaped, built of sticks and lined with moss and grasses ; the eggs, which I was not so fortunate as to procure, are said to be three or four in number. The plumage of both sexes at all ages is so precisely similar, that by dissection alone can we distinguish the male from his mate, or the young from the adult; the female is, however, always a trifle less in all her admeasurements, and the young coc Ee ene birds have the corners of the mouth more fleshy and of a | brighter yellow than the adults. Their general colour is fine bluish black ; the basal half of the primaries, the basal half and the tips of the tail-feathers, including those portions of their shafts and the under tail- coverts, snow-white ; irides beautiful yellow ; bill and feet black. 170 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Sp. 89. STREPERA FULIGINOSA, Gould. Soory Crow-Surike. Cracticus fuliginosus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part iv. p. 106. Coromca fuliginosa, Gould in Syn. Birds of Australia, part i. Black Magpie of the Colonists. Strepera fuliginosa, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 43. This species is a permanent resident in Tasmania ; its range also extends to the islands in Bass’s Straits, and a few indivi- duals have been found in South Australia. Its browner colour- ing, more arched and gibbose bill, its smaller size, and the absence of the white colouring of the under tail-coverts and of the base of the primaries, are characters by which it may at once be distinguished from most of the other members of the group. ‘The localities it frequents are also of a different de- scription, those preferred being low swampy grounds in the neighbourhood of the sea and woods bordering rivers. Like the other species of the genus, it subsists on insects and grubs of various kinds, to which pulpy seeds and berries are frequently added. It is very active on the ground, passing over the surface with great rapidity. It breeds in the low trees, constructing a large and deep nest very similar to that of the European Crow, and lays three eggs, of a pale vinous brown marked all over with large irregular blotches of brown, one inch and five-eighths long by one inch and a quarter broad. T have seen this bird in a state of captivity, and it appeared to bear confinement remarkably well. The sexes present no visible difference except in size, the female being smaller than the male; they may be thus de- scribed :— All the plumage sooty black, with the exception of the ends of the primaries and all but the two middle tail-feathers, which are white ; irides bright yellow; bill and feet black. INSESSORES. hy a Sp. 90. STREPERA ARGUTA, Gould. Hitt Crow-SHRIiks. Strepera arguta, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part xiv. p. 19. melanoptera, Gould, Id. p. 20. Strepera arguta, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii, pl. 44. The Strepera arguta is abundantly dispersed over Tasmania, but is more numerous in the central parts of the island than in the districts adjacent to the coast ; it also inhabits South Australia, in which country it is more scarce,. and all the specimens I have seen are rather smaller in size. I have never seen it in any part of New South Wales that I have visited, neither have specimens occurred in the numerous col- lections from the west coast that have come under my notice. “It is the largest, the boldest, and the most animated species of the genus yet discovered. If not strictly gregarious, it 1s often seen in small companies of from four to ten, and during the months of winter even a greater number are to be seen congregated together. The districts most suited to its habits are open glades in the forest ‘and thinly-timbered hills ; although it readily perches on the trees, its natural resort is the ground, for which its form is ‘admirably adapted, and over which it passes with amazing rapidity, either in a succession of leaps or by running. Fruits being but sparingly diffused over Australia, insects necessarily constitute almost its sole food, and of these nearly every order inhabiting the surface of the ground forms part of its diet ; grasshoppers are devoured with great avidity. . 2 fel . - Its note is a loud ringing and very peculiar sound, some- what resembling the words clink, clink, several times repeated, and strongly reminded me of the distant sound of the strokes on a blacksmith’s anvil; and hence the term arguta appeared to me to be an appropriate specific appellation for this new species. Ss 172 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. All the nests I found of this species either contained young birds or were without eges; I am consequently unable to give their size and colour. The nest, which is of a large size, is generally placed on a horizontal branch of a low tree ; it is round, deep, and cup-shaped, outwardly formed of sticks and lined with fibrous roots and other fine materials. The sexes present no external difference whatever, neither is there much difference in size ; the young are black from the nest, except that the tertiary feathers are strongly tipped with white, a character which is rarely I believe thrown off in adult age. All the plumage brownish black, becoming much browner on the tips of the wing-feathers, and of a grey tint on the ab- domen; base of the inner webs of the primaries and second- aries, the under tail-coverts and the apical third of the inner webs of the tail-feathers white ; irides orange-yellow ; bill and feet black ; corner of the mouth yellow. | Upon a careful examination of the numerous specimens of this bird contained in my collection, I find among them two very singular varieties; one with the base of the primaries of a nearly uniform black and the tips white, and another in which the base of the primaries is white and the tips black. It is evident, therefore, that ‘the markings of this species are not constant, and this induces me to believe that the bird I characterized as S. melanoptera is nothing more than one of the varieties above mentioned. I do not, however, venture to affirm that the birds received from South Australia with wholly black wings may not prove to be distinct from those from Tasmania; this is a matter for investigation of future Australian naturalists. For the present I sink the appellation melanoptera into a synonym. : INSESSORES. 173 Sp. 91. STREPERA ANAPHONENSIS. Grey CRow-SHRIKE. Barita Anaphonensis, Temm. PI. Col. Cracticus cuneicaudatus, Vieill. 2° Edit. du Nouv. Dict. d’Hist. Nat. . tom. v. p. 356. Strepera plumbea, Gould in Proe. of Zool. Soc., part xiv. p. 20. Corvus versicolor, Lath. ? z Strepera versicolor, Gray, Gen. of Birds, vol. ii. p. 802, Sérepera, sp. 3. Gymnorhina Anaphonensis, Gray, Gen. of Birds, vol. 11, p. 302, Gymno- rhina, sp. 8. Dje-laak, Aborigines of Western Australia. Squeaker of the Colonists. Strepera Anaphonensis, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol. vol. ii. pl. 45. | Having formerly considered the Grey Crow-Shrikes of New South Wales and Western Australia as distinct species, I assigned to the Swan River bird the specific appellation of plumbea ; subsequent research has, however, induced me to believe them identical ; and if this be really the case, no one species of the genus has so wide a range as the present, extending as it does from New South Wales on the east to Swan River on the west coast. It is, however, more local in its habitat than any of them, at least such is the case in New South Wales; for although it is tolerably abundant at Illawarra, at Camden, and at Bong-bong, it was not seen in any other district that I visited. Gilbert states that in Western Australia he mostly met with it in the thickly wooded forests, singly or in pairs, feeding on the ground with a gait and manners very much resembling the Common Crow. _ Its flight is easy and long-sustained, and it occasionally mounts to a considerable height in the air. The stomach is very muscular, and the food consists of coleoptera and the larvee of insects of various kinds. It breeds in the latter part of September and the beginning 174 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. of October, forming a nest of dried sticks in the thickest part of the foliage of a gum- or mahogany-tree and laying three eggs, the ground-colour of which is either reddish buff or wood-brown, marked over nearly the whole of the surface with blotches of a darker tint; their medium length is one inch and nine lines by one inch and two and a half lines broad. The sexes resemble each other so closely in colour, that it is impossible to distinguish the one from the other, except by dissection. All the upper surface leaden grey, becoming much darker on the forehead and lores; wings black; secondaries mar- gined with grey and tipped with white; basal half of the inner webs of the primaries white, of the outer webs grey ; the remainder of their length black, slightly tipped with white; tail black, margined with grey and largely tipped with white; all the under surface greyish brown; under tail- coverts white ; irides orange ; bill and feet black. Genus GYMNORHINA. Like Strepera, this is strictly an Australian form, the structure of which is a mere modification of that of the members of the last genus adapted to a somewhat different mode of life and habits. The species, being more pastoral in their habits than the Strepere, frequent the open plains and grassy downs, over which they hop with great facility. Their chief food consists of grasshoppers and other insects, to which berries and fruits are added, when procurable. Few birds are more ornamental, or give a more animated appear- ance to the country, than the members of this genus, either when passing over the surface of the ground, or when pouring forth their smgular choral-like notes while perched together on the bare branches of a fallen Hucalyptus. The form and situation of their nests are the same as those of the Strepere., INSESSORES. 175 Sy oe. GYMNORHINA TIBICEN. Piping CRoW-SHRIKE. Coracias Tibicen, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. Xxvul. Barita Tibicen, Temm. Man. d’Orn., part i. p. h. Piping Roller, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. iii. p. 86, no. 23. Cracticus Tibicen, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 260. Gymnorhina Tibicen, G. R. Gray, List of Gen. of Birds, 2nd edit. p. 50. Ca-ruck, Aborigines of New South Wales. Gymnorhina tibicen, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii, pl. 46, This species is universally diffused over the colony of New South Wales, to which part of the Australian continent I believe it to be confined. It is true that a bird of this genus inhabits the neighbourhood of Swan River, whose size and style of plumage are very similar, but which I have little doubt will prove to be distinct ; I shall therefore consider the habitat of the present bird to be restricted to New South Wales until I have further proofs to the contrary. _ The Gymnorhina Tibicen is a bold and showy bird, which greatly enlivens and ornaments the lawns and gardens of the colonists by its presence, and with the slightest protection from molestation becomes so tame and familiar that it approaches close to their dwellings, and perches round them and the stock yards in small families of from six to ten in number. Nor is its morning carol less amusing and attractive than its pied and strongly contrasted plumage is pleasing to the eye. To de- scribe the notes of this bird is beyond the power of my pen, and it is a source of regret to myself that my readers cannot, as I have done, listen to them in their native wilds, or that the bird is not introduced more frequently into this country ; for a more amusing and easily-kept denizen for the aviary could not be selected. It lives almost entirely on insects, which are generally procured on the ground, and the number of locusts and grasshoppers it devours is immense. In cap- tivity it subsists upon animal food of almost every kind, and 176 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. that berries and fruits would be equally acceptable I have but little doubt. Cleared lands, open flats, and plains skirted by belts of trees are its favourite localities; hence the interior of the country is more favourable to its habits than the neighbour- hood of the coast. _ The breeding-season commences in August and lasts until January, during which period two broods are generally reared by each pair of birds. The nest is round, deep, and open, composed outwardly of sticks, leaves, wool, &c., and lined with any finer materials that may be at hand. The eggs are either three or four in number ; their colour and size I regret to say I cannot give, having unfortunately neglected to pro- cure them while in New South Wales. Crown of the head, cheeks, throat, back, all the under sur- face, scapularies, secondaries, primaries, and tips of the tail- feathers black; wing-coverts, nape of the neck, upper and under tail-coverts, and base of the tail-feathers. white; bill bluish ash-colour at the base, passing into black at the tip ; irides rich reddish hazel ; legs black. Sp. 98. GYMNORHINA LEUCONOTA, Gould. WHITE- BACKED Crow-SHRIKE. Barita Tibicen, Quoy et Gaim. Voy. de la Cogq., pl. 20, Goore-bat, Aborigines of the lowland districts of Western Australia. Gymnorhina leuconota, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii, pl. 47. This fine species of Gymuorhina, which has been confounded by the French writers with the Coracias Tibicen of Latham, inhabits South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales. It is said to be tolerably abundant at Port Phillip, and that it is sometimes seen on the plains near Yass. For my own part I have never met with it in New South Wales, but observed it to be rather abundant in South Australia. In the extreme INSESSORES. T77 shyness of its disposition it presents a remarkable contrast to the G. Tibicen; it was indeed so wary and so difficult to approach, that it required the utmost ingenuity to obtain a sufficient number of specimens necessary for my purpose. Plain and open hilly parts of the country are the localities it prefers, where it dwells much on the ground, feeding upon locusts and other insects. In size it is fully as large as any species of the genus yet discovered; it runs over the ground | | with great facility, and frequently takes long flights across the plains from one belt of trees to another ; in other parts of its economy it so nearly resembles the G. Zidicen, that it would be useless to repeat a description of them. The same single clear note and early carol of small companies perched on some leafless branch of a Zucalyptus appears charac- teristic of all the members of the genus. It breeds in September and October, constructing a nest of dried sticks in an upright fork of a gum- or mahogany- tree. A nest taken in Angas Park, South Australia, Oct. 5, | 1861, and presented to me by G. French Angas, Esq., measures about a foot across, and is constructed of coarse roots and twigs, with its shallow interior lined with coarse dried grasses; and Mr. Angas tells me that it is built in September, and always placed at a great height m red gum- trees. The eggs are three in number, very long in form, and of a dull bluish white, in some instances tinged with red, marked with large zigzag streakings of brownish red; the average length of the eggs is one inch and eight lines, and ! breadth one inch and one line. Occasionally eggs are met with which are spotted with black or umber-brown. i Immature birds of both sexes have the whole of the back | clouded with grey, and the bill of a less pure ash-colour. | Back of the neck, back, upper and under coverts of the wings, basal portion of the spurious wing, upper and under . tail-coverts, and base of the tail-feathers white ; remainder of } | the plumage and the shafts of the white portion of the tail- tf N i Mt 178 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. feathers glossy black; irides light hazel; bill bluish-lilac, passing into black at the tip; legs and feet blackish grey. — Sp. 94. GYMNORHINA ORGANICUM, Gould. TASMANIAN CROW-SHRIKE. Cracticus hypoleucus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part iv. p. 106. Gymnorhina hypoleuca, Cab. Mus. Hein., Theil i. p. 226. Organ-Bird and White Magpie of the Colonists. Gymnorhina organicum, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 48. This animated and elegant bird is a native of Tasmania, and appears to be very local in its habitat, for while it is never found below Austin’s Ferry on the southern bank of the river Derwent, it is very plentiful on the opposite side, and it is also to be met with in small troops in all the open parts of the country; but I did not observe it on the banks of the Tamar. When perched on the dead branches of the trees soon after day-break, it pours forth a succession of notes of the strangest description that can be imagined, much re- sembling the sounds of a hand-organ out of tune, which has obtained for it the colonial name of the Organ-Bird. It is very easily tamed; and as it possesses the power of imitation in an extraordinary degree, it may be readily taught to whistle various tunes as well as to articulate words; it conse- quently soon becomes a most amusing as well as an ornamental bird for the aviary or cage. The stomach is very muscular, and the food consists of insects of various kinds, grubs, cater- pillars, &c., which are procured on the ground. A nest I found among the topmost branches of a high gum-tree was round, and outwardly constructed of sticks interspersed with strips of bark, short grasses, and tufts of a species of swamp grass, to which succeeded an internal lining of coarse grass, which again was lined with the inner bark of the stringy bark-tree, sheep’s wool, and a few fea- INSESSORES. 179 thers, felted together, and forming a dense and warm recep- tacle for the eggs; it was about ten inches in diameter, and about four or five inches in depth. The eggs were four in number, of a lengthened form, with a ground-colour of greenish ashy grey, spotted and blotched, particularly at the larger end, with umber-brown and bluish grey, the latter colour appearing as if beneath the surface of | the shell; they were one inch and five lines long by one inch broad. The young assume the adult livery from the nest, a and appear to keep in company of the parent birds during the first ten months of their existence. The male has the crown of the head, cheeks, throat, all the under surface, scapularies, primaries, and tips of the tail jet- black; nape of the neck, back, upper and under tail-coverts, and base of the tail-feathers white; bill dark lead-colour at the. base, passing into black at the tip; legs black ; irides bright hazel. F | The female differs in having the nape of the neck and back | | grey, and the primaries and tips of the tail-feathers brownish a black. i) ) | Genus CRACTICUS, Vieillot. The members of this genus are universally dispersed over | Australia, where they prey upon small quadrupeds, birds, lizards, and insects, which they frequently impale after the i i manner of the ordinary Shrikes. Their mode of nidification i resembles that of the species belonging to the genera Strepera and Gymuorhina, the nest being a large round structure a placed among the branches of the trees, and the eggs four \ in number. A great similarity exists between the species inhabiting New South Wales, Tasmania, and Western Aus- iW tralia, but the annexed descriptions, with a due attention to if ° the localities, will obviate all difficulty in determining the species. 3 N 2 180 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Sp.95. CRACTICUS NIGROGULARIS, Gould. BLACK-THROATED CROW-SHRIKE. Vanga nigrogularis, Gould in Proe. of Zool. Soc., part v. p. 143. Cracticus varius, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 261. robustus, Bonap. Conspectus Gen. Av., tom. i. p. 367, Cracticus, sp. 2. . Cracticus nigrogularis, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. 11. pl. 49. The Black-throated Crow-Shrike finds a natural asylum in New South Wales, the only one of the Australian colonies in which it has yet been found, and where it is by no means rare, although the situations it affects render it somewhat local ; it is a stationary species, breeding in all parts of the country suitable to its habits and mode of life; districts of rich land known as apple-tree flats, and low open undulating hills studded with large trees, are the kind of districts to which it peculiarly resorts: hence the cow-pastures at Camden, the fine park-like estate of Charles Throsby, Esq., at Bong-bong, and the entire district of the Upper Hunter are among the localities in which it may always be found. It is usually seen in pairs, and, from its active habits and pied plumage, forms a conspicuous object among the trees, the lower and outspreading branches of which are much more frequented by it than the higher ones; from these lower branches it often descends to the ground in search of insects and small lizards, which however form but a portion of its food, for, as its powerful and strongly-hooked bill would lead _ us to infer, prey of a more formidable kind is often resorted to; its sanguinary disposition, in fact, leads it to feed on young birds, mice, and other small quadrupeds, which it tears piece-meal and devours on the spot. The nest, which is rather large and round, is very similar to that of the European Jay; those I examined were out- wardly composed of sticks, neatly lmed with fine fibrous roots, INSESSORES. Be | and were generally placed on a low horizontal branch among the thick foliage. The eggs are dark yellowish brown, spotted and clouded with markings of a darker hue, and in some instances with a few minute spots of black ; their medium length is one inch and three lines by eleven lines in breadth. _ The breeding-season commences in August, and continues during the four following months. The sexes are so precisely alike in colouring, that they can only be distinguished with certainty by dissection. Head, neck, and chest black; hinder part of the neck, shoulders, centre of the wing, rump, and under surface white ; two middle tail-feathers entirely black, the remainder black largely tipped with white ; bill lead-colour at the base, black at the tip ; legs black; irides brown. The young during the first autumn are very different from \ the adult, particularly in the colouring of the head and chest, | which is light brown instead of black ; the bill, as im most : youthful birds, is also very different, the basal portion being dark fleshy brown instead of lead-colour. Sp. 96. CRACTICUS PICATUS, Gould. Prep Crow-SHRIKE. Cracticus picatus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., 1848, p. 40. Ka-ra-a-ra, Aborigines of Port Essington. Magpie of the Colonists. Cracticus picatus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 50. This is in every respect a miniature representative of the Cracticus nigrogularis of New South Wales; it must, how- ever, be regarded as a distinct species ; for its much more diminutive size will warrant such a conclusion by every orni- thologist who compares them. Gilbert, who found it at Port Essington in considerable abundance, states that it is an extremely shy and wary bird, 182 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. inhabiting the most secluded parts of the forest, and is as: frequently seen searching for its food on the ground as among the topmost branches of the highest trees. In its habits, manners, mode of flight, and in its loud, discordant, organ- pipe-like voice, it closely resembles the other members of the genus. It is usually seen in pairs, or in small families of four or five. Its nest is built of sticks in the upright fork of a thickly-foliaged tree, at about thirty or forty feet from the ground. The stomach is muscular, and the food consists of insects of various kinds, but principally of coleoptera. The sexes are not distinguished by any difference in the markings of the plumage, but the young are dressed in a brown colouring like those of the other members of the genus. Collar at the back of neck, centre and edge of the wing, rump, abdomen, under tail-coverts, and tips of all but the centre tail-feathers white, remainder of the plumage deep black ; irides dark reddish brown; bill ash-grey, the tip black ; legs and feet dark greenish grey. Sp. Yi. CRACTICUS ARGENTEUS, Gould. SILVERY-BACKED Crow-SHRIKE. Cracticus argenteus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part vii. p. 126. Cracticus argenteus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. p. 51. Examples of this species were discovered on the north coast of Australia, both by Sir George Grey and B. Bynoe, Esq., to the latter of whom Iam indebted for one of the spe- cimens from which my description was taken. The Cracticus argenteus is directly intermediate in size be- tween C. torquatus and C. nigrogularis, and moreover exhibits a remarkable participation in the colouring of those two species, having the white throat and chest of the former, and the parti-coloured wings, conspicuous white rump, and white- * ‘INSESSORES. 183 tipped tail of the latter ; it differs, however, from both, as well as from all the other members of the genus, in the light or silvery-grey colouring of the back, and hence the term of argenteus has been applied to it. No account of its habits has yet been received, but they doubtless resemble those of the other species of the genus. Crown of the head, ear-coverts, shoulders, primaries, and all the tail-feathers for three-fourths of their length from the ‘base black; back silvery grey ; throat, all the under surface, sides of the neck, some of the wing-coverts and the margins of several of the secondaries, rump, and tips of the tail-feathers pure white ; bill horn-colour ; feet blackish brown. Sp. 98. CRACTICUS QUOYTI. Quoy’s Crow-SHRIKE. Barita Quoyi, Less. Zool. de la Cog., tom. i. p. 639, pl. 24. Mol-gol-ga, Aborigines of Port Essington. Cracticus Quoyii, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 53. We have abundant evidence that the zoology and botany of New Guinea and Australia are very similar. In some snstances the same species are found in both countries, of which fact the present bird is an example. M. Temminck, to whom I showed specimens of this bird killed in Australia, assured me that they were identical with others from New Guinea. The northern coast is the only portion of Australia in which this bird has been observed. It is tolerably abun- dant at Port Essington, where it inhabits the mangrove- swamps generally, even those close to the settlement. Gilbert states that it is extremely shy and wary, and that the nature of its usual haunts precludes in a great measure all chance of getting a sight of it. He never met with it in any other situation than the darkest and thickest parts of the man- groves, where there is a great depth of mud, and where the roots of the trees are very thickly intertwined; it 1s among a4 i it wd q iD] by i i Wy is) | 1$4, BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. these roots that it is constantly seen searching for crabs. Its note is short and monotonous, and very like the name given to it by the aborigines, Mol-gol-ga, the second syllable being prolonged and forming the highest note; it also utters other sounds, some of them resembling bose of the Gymnorhina leuconota ; at other times it frequently emits a note very similar to the cry of young birds for food. The stomach is muscular, and the food consists of crabs, and occasionally of coleoptera, neuroptera, and the larvee of insects of various kinds. The entire plumage black, each feather of the upper and under surface broadly margined with deep glossy green ; irides dark reddish brown ; bill very light ash-grey, passing into leaden grey at the base, and dark bluish grey on the culmen near the tip ; legs and feet greenish grey. The bill appears to vary very much in colour ; being in some instances entirely ash-grey, except at the tip, where it is black; while in others the basal two-thirds is black and the tip grey : whether this difference is occasioned by age or sex has not yet been ascertained. 5p..80. CRACTICUS TORQUATUS. CoLLARED Crow-SHRIKE. Lanius torquatus, Lath. Ind. Orn., Supp., p. xviii. Vanga destructor, Temm. Man., part i. p. lix. Barita destructor, Term. Pl. Col. 273. Bulestes torquatus, Cab. Mus. Hein. Theil 1. p. 66. W ad-do-wad-ong, Aborigines of the lowland districts of Western Aus- tralia. Butcher-Bird of the Colonists of Swan River. Cracticus destructor, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 52. This bird is a permanent resident in New South Wales and South Australia, where it inhabits the margins of the brushy ‘lands near the coast, the sides of hills, and the belts of trees INSESSORES. 185 which occur in the more open parts of the country ; in fact 1 scarcely know of any Australian bird so generally dispersed. Its presence is at all times betrayed by its extraordinary note, a jumble of discordant sounds impossible to be described. It is nearly always on the trees, where it sits motionless on some dead or exposed branch whence it can survey all around, and particularly the surface of the ground beneath, to which it makes perpendicular descents to secure any large insect or lizard that may attract its sharp and penetrating eye; it usually returns to the same branch to devour what it has captured, but at times will resort to other trees and impale its victim after the manner of the true Shrikes : mice, small 1) birds, and large Phasmie come within the list of its ordinary poe 1 diet. September and the three following months constitute the period of incubation. The nest, which is large and cup- shaped, is neatly formed of sticks, and in some instances beautifully lined with the shoots of the Caswarina and fibrous | roots. Considerable difference is found to exist in the colour of the eggs, the ground colouring of some being dark yellowish brown, with obscure blotches and marks of a darker hue, and here and there afew black marks not unlike small blots of | ink ; while in others the ground colour is much lighter and the darker markings are more inclined to red, and to form a zone round the larger end; the eggs are generally three in number, one inch and three lines long by eleven lines broad. Under ordinary circumstances this species is very shy and retiring, but at times is altogether as bold; as an evidence of which I may mention, that having caught a young Képsaltria i and placed it in my pocket, the cries of the little captive ) attracted the attention of one of these birds, and it continued | to follow me through the woods for more than an hour, when the little tenant, disliking its close quarters, effected its escape and flitted away before me: I immediately gave chase; but the Crow-Shrike, which had followed me, pounced down within two yards of my face and bore off the poor bird to a yep PEE SE AER IS EE 186 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. neighbouring tree, and although I ran to the rescue, it was of no avail, the prize bemg borne away from tree to tree until the tyrant paid the forfeit of his life by being shot for his temerity. The male has the crown of the head, ear-coverts, and back of the neck black ; a white mark from the base of the bill to the eye; back and rump dark greyish brown ; upper tail-coverts white; wings blackish brown ; the middle secondaries white along their outer edges ; tail black, all the feathers except the two middle ones tipped with white on their inner webs ; under surface greyish white; bill bluish lead-colour at the base, passing into black at the tip; feet blackish lead-colour ; irides very dark reddish brown. The female resembles the male, but is more obscure in all her markings; and the young differ in being clothed in a plumage of mottled tawny and brown. Sp. 100. CRACTICUS CINEREUS, Gould. CrnErzous Crow-Suriks. Vanga cinerea, Gould in Proce. of Zool. Soc., part iv. p. 143.—Syn., Birds of Australia, part 1. fig. of head. Bulastes cinereus, Cab. Mus. Hein. Theil 1. p. 66, note. Cracticus cinereus, Gould, Birds of Australia, vol. i. Introd. Pp. XXXV. | Inhabits Tasmania, and may be distinguished from C. torquatus by its much longer bill, and, when fully adult, by its grey back. By some ornithologists this bird may be considered only a local variety of C. terquatus, but I did not fail to notice that the two birds appeared very different in their respective countries, and ornithologists will observe on examination that a marked difference occurs in individuals from Tasmania and New South Wales. I will not, however, affirm that this bird is confined to Tasmania, for I have lately received evidence of INSESSORES. | 187 its also occurring on the shores of the opposite part of the continent. | The male has the crown of the head, ears, and back of the neck black; back, shoulders, and rump delicate grey; upper tail-coverts white ; tail black, largely tipped with white on the inner webs, except the two middle feathers, which are wholly black ; space between the bill and the eye, middle of the secondaries, greater wing-coverts, throat, and all the under surface white ; primariés black ; bill bluish lead-colour at the | base, passing into black at the tip; legs black. | The female differs in being browner, and less distinct in all her markings. | | Total length 124 inches; bill 14; wing 6; tail 53; tarsi 17. Sp. 101. CRACTICUS LEUCOPTERUS, Gould. WuitE-wincED Crow-SHRIKE. Bulastes leucopterus, Cab. Mus. Hein. Theil 1. pr Ofs Cracticus leucopterus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. i. Introd. | p. XXXV. | This species, which inhabits Western Australia, 1s very closely allied to C. torquatus and C. cinereus ; but differs from the former in the white mark on the wings being much more | extensive, and from the latter in its smaller size. | Family ——? Genus GRALLINA, Vieillot. The only known species of this form is one of the anomalies of the Australian avifauna; for its alliance to any group with which we are acquainted is very limited. Its colouring and general contour remind us of the Motacille; but its habits and mode of nidification clearly indicate that it must not be associated with those birds. Uncertain where to place it, I ne es eee eeeemnennmmnr ene hil ppEtopEe EEE Se 188 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. shall assign it the same position in the present as in the folio work; not that it has any special affinity to the birds which immediately precede or follow it. I find it impossible to arrange the birds of a single country in a linear series without numerous hiati. Sp. 102. GRALLINA PICATA. Prep GRALLINA. Gracula picata, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. 29. Tanypus Australis, Oppel. Grallina melanoleuca, Vieill. Anal. d’une Nouv. Orn., pp. 42 and 68. Cracticus cyanoleuca, Vieill. 2° Edit. du Nouv. Dict. d’Hist. Nat., tom. v. p. 356. Grallina Australis, G. R. Gray, List of Gen. of Birds, 2nd Edit., p. 33. picata, Strickl. in Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. xi. p. 835. cyanoleuca, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 204. Corvus cyanoleucos, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. iii. p. 49. Magpie Lark, Colonists of New South Wales. Little Magpie, Colonists of Swan River. " By-yoo-gool-yee-de and Dil-a-but, Aborigines of Western Australia. Grallina australis, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 54. Future research will, in all probability, ascertain that this bird is universally dispersed over the greater portion of Australia; I have specimens in my collection from New South Wales, Swan River, and Port Essington, all of which are so closely alike that no character of sufficient importance to establish a second species can be detected. Those that came under my observation in New South Wales frequented alluvial flats, sides of creeks and rivulets. Few of the Australian birds are more attractive or more elegant and graceful in its actions, and these, combined with its tame and familiar disposition, must ever obtain for it the friendship and protection of the settlers, whose verandahs and house-tops it constantly visits, running along INSESSORES. 189 the latter like the Pied Wagtail of our own island. Gilbert states that in Western Australia he observed it congre- gated in large families on the banks and muddy flats of the lakes around Perth, while in the interior he only met with it in pairs, or at most in small groups of not more than four or five together; he further observes, that at Port Essington, on the north coast, it would seem to be only an occasional visitant, for on his arrival there in July it was tolerably abundant round the lakes and swamps, but from the setting in of the rainy season in November to his leaving that part of the country in the following March not an individual was to be seen; it is evident therefore that the bird removes from one locality to another according to the season and the more or less abundance of its peculiar food. I believe it feeds solely upon insects and their larve, parti- cularly grasshoppers and coleoptera. The flight of the Pied Grallina is very peculiar—unlike that of any other Australian bird that came under my notice, and is performed in a straight line with a heavy flapping motion of the wings. Its natural note is a peculiarly shrill whining whistle often repeated. It breeds in October and November. The nest is from five to six-inches in breadth and three in depth, and is formed of soft mud, which, soon becoming hard and solid upon exposure to the atmosphere, has precisely the appearance of a massive clay-coloured earthenware vessel ; and as if to attract notice, this singular structure is generally placed on some bare horizontal branch, often on the one most exposed to view, sometimes overhanging water, and at others in the open forest. The colour of the nest varies with that of the material of which it is formed; sometimes the clay or mud is sufficiently tenacious to be used without any other mate- rial; in those situations where no mud or clay is to be ob- tained, it is constructed of black or brown mould; but the bird, appearing to be aware that this substance will not hold 190 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. together for want of the adhesive quality of the clay, mixes with it a great quantity of dried grass, stalks, &c., and thus forms a firm and hard exterior, the inside of which is slightly lined with dried grasses and a few feathers. The eggs differ considerably in colour and in shape, some being extremely lengthened, while others bear a relative proportion; the ground-colour of some is a beautiful pearl white, of others a very pale buff; their markings also differ considerably in form and disposition, being in some instances wholly confined to the larger end, in others distributed over the whole of the surface, but always inclined to form a zone at the larger end ; in some these markings are of a deep chestnut-red, in others light red, intermingled with large clouded spots of grey ap- pearing as if beneath the surface of the shell. The eggs are generally four, but sometimes only two in number; their average length is one inch and three lines, and their breadth nine lines. The sexes are very similar in size, but the female may at all times be distinguished from the male by her white forehead and throat, a fact I determined many times by actual dissection, thus showing the fallacy of the opinion enter- tained by some naturalists of there being two distinct species. The male has a line over the eye, a patch on each side of the neck, a longitudinal stripe on the wing, tips of the secondaries, rump, upper tail-coverts, the basal two-thirds and the tips of the tail, under surface of the shoulder, breast, flanks, abdomen, and under tail-coverts white ; the remainder of the plumage black, with a deep bluish tinge on the head, throat, chest, and back, and a green tinge on the primaries and tail; bill yellowish white; irides straw-yellow; feet black. The female differs in having the forehead, lores, and chin white. The young on leaving the nest have the irides black ; in other respects they resemble their parents, but are of course far less brilliant m colour. | INSESSORKS. 191 In a note on the name of this species by the late Mr. Strickland, that gentleman says, “As this bird was very accurately described by Latham in his second ‘Supplement ’ under the name of Gracula picata; and as the name picatais more correctly descriptive than cyanoleuca, which he had previously applied to it, I should prefer making the permanent designation of the bird Grallina picata, rather than G. cyano- leuca’’; comciding with Mr. Strickland’s views, I have adopted his suggestion. : Family CAMPEPHAGIN A. The birds which I intend to keep under the above family name are very numerous in Australia, in the Indian Islands, and in the Peninsulas of India and Malacca. The Australian members appear to be naturally divided into two or three well-marked forms—Graucalus, Pteropodocys, and Campe- phaga. These three forms, however, constitute but a small portion of this extensive family, in which, perhaps, the beautifully coloured Pericrocoti should be comprised. All the species are individually very numerous, and, being truly insectivorous, must perform a most important part in the economy of nature. Most of the members of this group build a flat slight nest of fine short dead twigs, curiously joined together with cob- webs, on which they lay two eggs. Genus GRAUCALUS, Cuvier. The infinite changes of plumage which some of the Austra- lian members of this genus undergo from youth to maturity i render their investigation very perplexing. I have done my i best to define them correctly; if I have committed some Mh errors, let us hope that a son of the great southern land may be imbued with a sufficient love for natural science to pay attention to the subject, and place it in a truer light. 192 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. All the members of the present genus are of large size compared with the other forms of the family. Sp. 103. GRAUCALUS MELANOPS. BLACK-FACED GRAUCALUS. Corvus melanops, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. xxiv. no. I. Ceblepyris melanops, Temm. Man., p. Ix. Rollier & masque noir, Le Vaill, Ois. de Parad., pl. 30. Black-faced Crow, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 116. Graucalus melanops, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 216. melanotis, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part v. p. 143, and in Syn. Birds of Australia, part iv. Young. Campephaga melanops, G. R. Gray, Cat. Mamm. and Birds of New Guinea in Brit. Mus., p. 32. Kai-a-lora, Aborigines of New South Wales. Nu-lar-go, Aborigines of the lowland districts of Western Australia. Blue Pigeon of the Colonists. Graucalus melanops, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 5B. New South Wales, Tasmania, Swan River, and Port Essington are each inhabited by Graucal so nearly allied, that by many persons it would be considered questionable whether they were not referable to one and the same species ; but as this is by no means certain, I shall confine my remarks to the bird inhabiting New South Wales, which is one of the largest of the genus yet discovered, which is distinguished from its near allies by the greater depth of the blue-grey colouring of the upper surface, and to which the synonyms ‘ given above refer. The Graucalus melanops, then, is a very common bird in New South Wales, but is far less numerous in winter than in summer, when it is so generally dispersed over the colony, that to particularize situations in which it may be found is quite unnecessary; hills of moderate elevation, flats, and plains thinly covered with large trees being alike resorted to ; INSESSORES. 193 but I do not recollect meeting with it in the midst of the thick brushes,—situations which probably are uncongenial to its habits and mode of life. It is very abundantly dispersed over the plains of the interior, such as the Liverpool and those which stretch away to the northward and eastward of New South Wales. 3 | Its flight is undulating and powerful, but is seldom exerted for any other purpose than that of conveying it from one part of the forest to another, or to sally forth in pursuit of an insect which may pass within range of its vision while perched upon some dead branch of a high tree, a habit common to this bird and the other members of the genus. On such an elevated perch it sometimes remains for hours together ; but during the heat of the day seeks shelter from the rays of the sun by shrouding itself amidst the dense foliage of the trees. Its food consists of insects and their larvae, and berries, but the former appear to be preferred, all kinds being acceptable, from the Jarge Mantes to others of a minute size. When the young, which are generally two in number, leave the nest, the feathers of the body are brown, margined with light grey; this colourmg is soon exchanged for one of a uniform grey, except on the lower part of the abdomen and under tail-coverts, which are white, and a mark of black which surrounds the eye and spreads over the ears: the throat and forehead in this stage are lighter than the re- mainder of the plumage, which is somewhat singular, as in the next change that takes place those parts become of a jet-black; and this colour, I believe, is never afterwards _ thrown off, but remains a characteristic of the adult state of both sexes, which are at all times so similar in size and colour — as not to be distinguished from each other. It breeds in October and the three followg months. The nest is often of a triangular form, in consequence of its being made to fit the angle of the fork of the horizontal branch in which it is placed; it is entirely composed of small dead O 194 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. twigs, firmly matted together with a very fine, white, downy substance like cobwebs and a species of Lichen, giving: the nest the same appearance as the branch upon which it is placed, and rendering it most difficult of detection. In some instances I have found the nest ornamented with the broad, white, mouse-eared Lichen; it is extremely shallow in form, its depth and breadth depending entirely upon that of the fork in which it is built; the largest I have seen did not exceed six inches in diameter. - The ground-colour of the eggs, which are usually - two in number, varies from wood-brown to asparagus-green, the blotches and spots, which are very generally dispersed over their surface, varying from dull chestnut-brown to light yellowish brown; in some instances they are also sparingly dotted with deep umber-brown; their medium length is thirteen lines, and breadth ten lines. Its note, which is seldom uttered, is a peculiar single purring or jarring sound, repeated several times in succession. The adults have the forehead, sides of the face, ear-coverts, and throat jet-black ; crown of the head, all the upper surface, and wing-coverts delicate grey; primaries black, their outer edges and tips margined with grey; secondaries grey, with their inner webs black; tail grey at the base, gradually passing into black near the extremity, and broadly tipped with white; chest blackish grey, into which the black of the throat. gradually passes; lower part of the abdomen pale erey ; under tail-coverts white; irides, bill, and feet black. Sp. 104. GRAUCALUS PARVIROSTRIS, Gould. Graucalus parvirostris, Gould in Proe. of Zool. Soc., part v. p. 143. Graucalus parvirostris, Gould, Birds of Australia, vol. i. Introd. p. XXXV. In my description of Graucalus melanops, 1 have stated that New South Wales, Tasmania, Swan River, and Port Essington INSESSORES. 195 are each inhabited by Graucali so nearly allied to each other that it was questionable whether they were not one and the same species, and that the slight differences they present were attributable to some peculiarity in the districts they inhabit ; after much attention to the subject, I have been. induced to regard the Tasmanian bird as distinct, and I have therefore assigned it a name, parvirostris. Forehead, sides of the face, and the throat jet-black ; crown of the head, all the wpper surface and centre of the wings delicate grey ; primaries and the inner webs of the secondaries: deep brownish black, the former narrowly and the latter broadly margined with greyish white ; tail grey at the base, passing into deep brownish black, and largely tipped with white, the grey colouring predominating on the two centre feathers, which are destitute of the white tips; chest grey, into which the black of the throat gradually passes; lower part of the abdomen, under surface of the wing and under tail-coverts white; flanks and thighs grey; bill and feet brownish black. Total length 12 inches; bill 1g; wing 74; tail 6; tarsi 1. Sp. 105. GRAUCALUS MENTALIS, V7. and Horsf. VARIED GRAUCALUS. Graucalus mentalis, Vig. & Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 217. Lanius robustus, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. xvii? Robust Shrike, Lath. Gen, Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 74? Graucalus mentalis, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 56. New South Wales, or the south-eastern division of Australia, is the native habitat of the present species ; it is by no means a rare bird in the Upper Hunter and all similar districts, yet Idid not succeed in finding its nest and eggs; they are there- fore desiderata with me. There is no one member of the family to which it belongs which undergoes so many changes of plumage as the present 02 196 . BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. species, and it is consequently very puzzling to the ornitholo- gist. In extreme youth, or during the first few months after it has left the nest, the throat, chest, and back of the neck are jet-black, while the breast. and abdomen are rayed with ob- Scure arrow-shaped markings of the same colour on a greyish white ground ; from this state individuals in every variety of change, to the uniform grey throat and head, with black lores and mark under the eye, are to be met with. Independently of a difference in its markings, its much smaller size will at all times serve to distinguish it from Graucalus melanops, which inhabits the same districts. Insects of various orders and caterpillars, which are either captured on the wing or taken from the branches, form its diet. - In the adult the upper surface and wings are dark slate- grey, passing into paler grey on the forehead and on the rump and upper tail-coverts ; primaries and secondaries slaty black, narrowly edged with greyish white ; outer webs of the three secondaries nearest the body grey; tail black, the lateral feathers largely tipped with white; lores deep velvety black, which colour is continued above and below the eye; throat and breast grey; insertion of the wing, under surface of the wing, abdomen, and under tail-coverts white; bill black ; irides and feet dark brown. Sp. 106. GRAUCALUS HYPOLEUCUS, Gould. | WHITE-BELLIED GRAUCALUS. Graucalus hypoleucus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc. 1848, p. 38. Campephaga hypoleuca, G. R. Gray, Cat. of Mam. and Birds of New Guinea in Brit. Mus., p. 82. Graucalus hypoleucus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 57. This species inhabits the neighbourhood of Port Essington, where it is a very familiar bird, constantly flitting about the branches overhanging the houses of the settlement. In its general habits, manners, and note it closely assimilates to the = — - INSESSORES. 4197 Graucalus melanops. It is abundant in every part of the Co- bourg Peninsula, and is generally seen in small families of from four to ten or twelve in number. The whiteness of the under surface serves to distinguish this from all the other species of the genus yet discovered in Australia. _ The stomach is muscular, and the food. consists of insects of various genera, which are generally taken from the leafy branches of the highest trees. The sexes assimilate very closely in colourmg, and only differ in the females and young males having the lores of a dull brown instead of black. | Lores black ; crown of the head and all the upper surface dark grey ; wings and tail black ; chin, under surface of the wings, abdomen, and under tail-coverts white; breast pale greyish white; irides brownish black ; bill blackish brown ; legs and fect black; insides of the feet and spaces between the scales of the tarsi mealy grey. | Sp. 107. GRAUCALUS SWAINSONH, Gould. SwAINSON’S GRAUCALUS. Ceblepyris lineatus, Swains. in Zool. Journ., vol. i. p. 466. Graucalus Swainsonii, Gould in Syn. Birds of Australia, part iv. Graucalus Swainsonii, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol. vol. ii. pl. 58. This species of Graucalus, which is distinguished from all the other Australian members of the genus by the beautiful barring of the breast, was originally described by Swainson under the specific appellation of /neatus ; but that term having been previously applied to another species of the group, it became necessary to change it; and in substituting that of Swainsonié, I was desirous of paying a just tribute to the talents of a gentleman who has laboured most zealously in the cause of natural science, and whose researches and writings are so well known to all ornithologists. 198 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Examples of this species occur in almost every collection sent from Moreton Bay; I regret to add that it is one of the few birds I had no opportunities of observing in a state of nature, and that little is at present known of its habits and economy, beyond what is stated m the followmg note which was sent to me by the late F. Strange:—‘“ Durmg the summer months this species feeds exclusively on the wild figs, m company with members of the following genera, Pélono- rhynchus, both species, Sericulus, Scythrops, and Carpophaga, with all of which it seems to be quite familiar, but does not appear to mix with the other species of its own genus, all of which are strictly insectivorous. A female shot on the 24th of November contained a fully developed egg.” Judging from the specimens I have examined, I believe that the ‘sexes are alike in plumage. | - Lores black; head, all the upper surface, wing-coverts, throat, and breast grey; primaries and secondaries black, the former narrowly, and the latter broadly, margined on their external edges with grey; tail grey at the base, black for the remainder of its length; abdomen, under surface of the shoulder, and under tail-coverts white, crossed by numerous decided narrow bars of black; irides straw-colour; bill and feet black. Genus PTEROPODOCYS, Gould. To say that this is the terrestrial form of the Australian Campephaging will, I think, be consistent with truth; for while all the others affect the branches, and either sally thence to capture their insect food or search for them and their larvee among the leafy tops of trees, the only known member of the present genus looks for them on the ground. Its lengthened tarsi would indicate that this was its habit, and in accordance with this inference it is most frequently found thereon. The increased length of the tarsi and tail, and the narrow form of the bill, are the most striking of the INSESSORES. 199 structural differences between Pteropodocys and Graucalus, and are so apparent as to be perceptible at a single glance. Only a single species of this form has yet been discovered. ° Sp. 108. PTEROPODOCYS PHASIANELLA, Gould. Grounp GRAUCALUS. Graucalus Phasianellus, Gould in Proce. of Zool. Soc., part vil. p. 142. Ceblepyris maxima, Rupp. Mon. in Mus. Senckenbergianum, 1839, p. 28. taf. i. . Goo-ra-ling, Aborigines of York, Western Australia. Pteropodocys phasianella, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 59. The rarity of this species in our collections is sufficient evi- dence that it is a bird inhabiting the interior of the country, and that its native localities have been seldom visited by the explorer; hence it was a source of no ordinary gratification to me when I first encountered it on the plains bordering the River Namoi in New South Wales, and perceived that no very lengthened study of its habits and mode of life was requisite to ascertain that its structure is as beautifully adapted for terrestrial progression and for a residence on the ground, as the structure of the Graucali fits them to inhabit the branches of the trees; more beautiful modifications of form, in fact, can scarcely be seen than occur among the members of this group, which now comprehends a considera- ble number of species ; the present bird, however, is the only terrestrial one that has yet come under my notice, either from Australia or the great nursery of these birds—India and the Indian islands. Plains and open glades skirted by belts of high trees are the localities im which I generally met with this bird, either in pairs or small parties of from three to six or eight in number. Its actions are very animated; at the same time it is cautious and shy. Its powers of progression on the ground are considerable ; 200 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. when disturbed it flies across the plain to the belts of lofty trees, when the white mark on the rump shows very con- spicuously, and imay be seen at a considerable distance. Its range extends over the whole of the interior of Southern Australia from east to west; how far it proceeds northwards has not yet been ascertained. Of its nidification I regret to say nothing is at present known. The sexes, which exhibit no external differences, may be thus described :— | Head, neck, chest, and back delicate grey, becoming darker on the ear-coverts; rump and abdomen white, crossed by narrow irregular bars of black; under tail-coverts white ; wings and tail black, the latter having the tips of the outer and the basal portion of all the feathers white; bill and feet black, tinged with olive ; irides buffy white. Genus CAMPEPHAGA, Vieillot. Several species of this form are found in the Indian Islands and Africa; and three or four in Australia; some of these have been separated and placed in the genus Lalage, but I do not perceive the necessity of such a measure. The Campephage are allied to the Graucali; but are much smaller in size, and more active among the branches. The sexes are generally very dissimilar in colour and mark- ings, while in Graucalus they are alike. The nidification and the form of the nests of the members of the two genera are very similar. Sp.109. CAMPEPHAGA JARDINII, Rippell. J ARDINE’S CAMPEPHAGA. Graucalus tenuirostris, Jard. and Selb. Ill. Orn., vol. ii. pl. 114. Ceblepyris Jardinii, Riipp. Mon. in Orn. Mise. 1889, p. 80. Campephaga Jardinii, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 60. The only parts of Australia wherein this species has been INSESSORES. 201 observed are Moreton Bay and the Liverpool Range in New South Wales, and the Cobourg Peninsula: it is likely that it ranges over the whole of the intermediate country, but this can only be determined by future research. Its smaller size, the more attenuated form of its bill, and the great difference in the colouring of the sexes, point out most clearly that it is a member of the genus Campephaga, and not of Graucalus, to which it was first assigned. It is far less common m New South Wales than it is at Port Essington, where Gilbert col- lected the following particulars respecting it :— «This bird is extremely shy and retiring in its habits. It generally inhabits the topmost branches of the loftiest and most thickly-foliaged trees growing in the immediate vicinity — of swamps. Its note is altogether different from that of any other species of the genus, being a harsh, grating, buzzing tone, repeated rather rapidly about a dozen times im succes- sion, followed by a lengthened interval. It appears to be a solitary species, as I never saw more than one at a time.” The stomach is muscular, and the food consists of insects of many kinds, but principally coleoptera. ) The adult male has the lores black; all the upper and under surface, wing-coverts, edges of the primaries and secondaries, basal three-fourths of the two central and the tips of the outer tail-feathers deep blue-grey; primaries, secondaries, and the other parts of the tail black ; irides dark brown ; bill blackish brown ; legs and feet very dark greenish grey. The female has the whole of the upper surface, wings, and tail brown, the two latter edged with buff; line over the eye and all the under surface buff, the feathers of the side of the neck, the breast, and the flanks with an arrow-head-shaped mark of brown in the centre. The young male is bluish brown above ; wings and tail as in the female; under surface. buff, crossed with numerous transverse narrow irregular bars of black. 202 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Sp. 110. CAMPEPHAGA KARU. NortTHERN CAMPEPHAGA. Lanius Karu, Less. Zool. de la Coq., pl. 12. Notodela Karu, Less. Traité d’Orn., p. 374. Lalage Karu, Cab. Mus. Hein., Theil i. p. 60. Campephaga (Lalage) Karu, G. R. Gray, Cat. of Birds of Trop. Islands of Pacific Ocean in Coll. Brit. Mus., p. 23. Campephaga Karu, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 61. Gilbert, who met with this species af Port Essington, states that it is a very shy and timid bird, that it is generaily seen creeping about in pairs among the thickets and clumps of mangroves, that its note is a somewhat shrill piping call, that its stomach is tolerably muscular, and that it feeds upon insects of various kinds: this, I regret to say, is all that is known respecting it. In referring this species to the Zaniws Karu of Lesson, I am rather influenced by a desire not to add to the number of useless synonyms, than from any positive conviction of their being identical; for although, with only Lesson’s figure to refer to, I am unable to detect any difference of sufficient im- portance to be considered specific, it 1s possible that the two birds are really distinct. The male has the head,.all the upper surface, wings, and tail black ; the wing-coverts largely tipped, primaries narrowly edged and tipped, secondaries broadly margined on their ex- ternal webs, rump and upper tail-coverts slightly, the external tail-feather largely, and the next on each side slightly tipped with white ; line from the nostrils over each eye to the occiput buffy white; under surface pale grey, crossed on the breast and flanks with narrow irregular bars of slaty black, and washed with fulvous, gradually increasing in intensity until on the vent and under tail-coverts it becomes of a deep tawny buff; indes dark brown; bill black; feet blackish grey ex- — INSESSORES. 203 ternally, bluish grey internally; light mealy ashy grey between the scales and inside the feet. iF The female differs in being somewhat smaller than the male ; in having the upper surface and tail brown, instead of black ; - the upper tail-coverts tipped with buff instead of white, and the barrings of the under surface broader, darker, and more distinct. | 3 Sp. 111. CAMPEPHAGA LEUCOMELA, Vy. and Horsf. BLAcK AND WuHitre CAMPEPHAGA. a Campephaga leucomela, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 215. Lalage leucomela, Cab. Mus. Hein., Theil i. p. 60, note. fammennae® leucomela, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 62. This species, which frequents the brushes of the eastern parts of New South Wales between the river Hunter and Moreton Bay, differs from the Campephaga Karu in its much greater size, in the rufous colouring of the lower part of the abdomen and under tail-coverts, in the more uniform grey colouring of the breast, and in the barring of this part being much less conspicuous. I have had examples of this species in my collection for many years, but was not fortunate enough to see it alive during my visit to Australia. Strange also sent me a pair which he shot in the scrubs on the banks of the Clarence. Its nest and eggs, and any information of its habits, are desiderata to me. | The sexes, as is the case with the other species, differ very considerably from each other in their colouring ; they may be thus described :— . The male has the head, back, wings, and tail deep glossy black ; wing-coverts largely tipped and the secondaries broadly margined with white ; the two outer tail-feathers tipped with white, the external one also narrowly margined on the outer web with the same hue; rump and upper tail-coverts very * 204 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. dark grey; line over the eye snow-white; under surface greyish white, gradually passing. into rufous on the abdomen and under tail-coverts, and indistinctly rayed with dark grey; bill, feet, and irides black. The young male is brown where the male is black; has the wings not so conspicuously marked with white; the under surface washed with rufous and conspicuously rayed with brown ; and the under tail-coverts deep rufous. Sp. 112. CAMPEPHAGA HUMERALIS, Gould. WHITE-SHOULDERED CAMPEPHAGA. Ceblepyris humeralis, Gould in Proce. of Zool. Soc., part v. p. 143. Lalage humeralis, Cab. Mus. Hein., Theil i. p. 60. Goo-mul-cul-long, Aborigines of the mountain districts of Western Australia. Campephaga humeralis, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. i1. pl. 63. This bird occurs in considerable numbers throughout the southern portion of Australia during the months of summer ; it is strictly migratory, arriving in the month of September, and having performed the task of reproduction departs again northwards in the months of January and February. It is a most animated, lively, and spirited bird, constantly singing a loud and pretty song while actively engaged in pursuit of insects, which it captures on the wing, among the branches, or on the ground. It commences breeding soon after its arrival, constructing a shallow round nest of small pieces of bark, short dead twigs and grasses inter- woven with fine vegetable fibres, cobwebs, white moss, &., and sometimes a few grasses and fine fibrous roots by way of lining ; it is usually placed in the fork of a horizontal dead branch of the Angophore and Eucalypti, and is not easily seen from below. During the early part of the breeding-season the male frequently chases the female from tree to tree, pouring INSESSORES. 205 forth his song all the while. The eggs, which are generally two, but sometimes three in number, differ very considerably in colour, some being of a light green blotched all over with wood-brown, while others have a lighter ground so largely blotched with chestnut-brown as nearly to cover the entire surface of the shell, and I have seen some of an almost uniform greyish green; their medium length is nine and a half lines, and breadth, seven and a half lines. In his Notes from Western Australia, Gilbert says, “ This bird is a migratory summer visitant to this part of the country, where it arrives about the beginning of September, after which it is to be met with in considerable numbers among the mountains of the interior, but is very rarely seen in the lowland districts. . | “Its powers of flight are considerable, and when excited during the breeding-season the males become very pugnacious, and not only attack each other in the most desperate manner, but also assault much larger birds that may approach the nest. Its usual flight is even, steady, and graceful, and while flying from tree to tree it gives utterance to its sweet and agreeable song, which at times is so like’ the full, swelling, shaking note of the Canary, that it might easily be mistaken for the song of that bird. It is a remarkably shy species, espe- cially the females, which are so seldom seen that I was at first inclined to think they were much less numerous than the other sex, but this I afterwards found was not the case. Their favourite haunts are thickly-wooded places and the most se- cluded spots. The nest is so diminutive that it is very diffi- cult to detect it, and so shallow in form that it is quite surprising the eggs do not roll out when the branch is shaken by the wind. The nests I discovered were placed on a horizontal dead branch of a Eucalyptus ; they were formed of grasses and contained two eggs. It breeds in the latter part of September and the beginning of October.” Gilbert subsequently met with the bird at Port Essington, 206 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. where also it appears to be migratory, for not a single indi- vidual was to be seen from the early part of November to the month of March; females and young birds were very abun- dant on his arrival in July, but he only met with one old male during his residence in the colony, a period of eight months. The stomach is muscular, and the food consists of insects of various kinds and their larvee. The sexes differ considerably in colour, as will. be seen by the following description :— ‘The male has the forehead, crown of the head, back of the neck, and upper part of the back glossy greenish black; shoulders and upper wing-coverts pure white, forming an oblique line along the wing; the remainder of the wing dull black, with the secondaries slightly margined and tipped with white ; lower part of the back and rump grey ; tail dull black, the two outer feathers on each side largely tipped with white ; throat, chest, and all the under surface white; bill and feet black ; irides nearly black. The female has all the upper surface, wings, and tail brown ; wing-coverts and secondaries margined with buff; throat and all the under surface buffy white, with the sides and front of the breast speckled with brown; irides very dark brown ; upper mandible and tip of the lower dark reddish brown ; basal portion of the latter saffron-yellow ; legs and feet dark greyish black, slightly tinged with lead-colour. Genus PACHYCEPHALA, Swainson. | The Pachycephala gutturalis may be regarded as the type of this genus, the members of which are peculiar to Aus- tralia and the adjacent islands to the northward. Their habits differ from those of most other insectivorous birds, particularly in their quict mode of hopping about and tra- versing the branches of the trees in search of insects and their larvae: caterpillars constitute a great portion of their INSESSORES. 907 food; but coleoptera and other insects are not rejected. The more gaily-attired species, such as P. gutturalis, P. glaucura, P. melanura, amd P. pectoralis, resort to the flowering Acacia, Eucalypti, and other stately trees, while the more dull- coloured frequent the ground: they all build a neat, round, cup-shaped nest, and the eggs are generally four in number. Their powers of flight are not great; some enjoy a wide range of habitat, while others are extremely local. ‘The song of some is loud and rather pleasing, while others merely emit a whistling note, slowly but frequently repeated. Sp. 113. PACHYCEPHALA GUTTURALIS. Wuuits-THROATED THICKHEAD. Turdus gutturalis, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p- xlil. Muscicapa pectoralis, Lath. Ib., p. li. ‘i Orange-breasted Thrush, Lewin, Birds of New Holl., pl. 7. Black-crowned Thrush, Lewin, Ib., pl. 10. Motacilla dubia, Shaw, Nat. Misc., vol. xxii. pl. 949. Guttural Thrush, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. il. p. 182. Black-breasted Flycatcher, Lath. Tb., vol. it. p- 222. Pachycephala gutturalis, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 239. a8 Turdus lunularis, Steph. Cont. of Shaw’s Gen. Zool., vol, xiii, part il. p- 200. La Cravate blanche, Le Vaill. Ois. d’Afrig., tom. ii. pl. 115. Pachycephala fusca, Vig. and Horst. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 240. fuliginosa, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 241, female or young. tt , Pe-dil-me-dung, Aborigines of Western Australia. Thunder Bird, Colonists of New South Wales. Pachycephala gutturalis, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 64. | , Tt would seem that the whole extent of the southern coast of Australia is inhabited by the present species, for on com- paring adult males from New South Wales, South Australia, 208 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. and Swan River, I find that they do not present any material differences ; the apical half of the tail is blackish brown in all, and the colourmg of the under surface of the richest yellow. It is rather abundantly dispersed over the forests of Lucalypti and the belts of Acacie, among the flowering branches of which latter trees the male displays himself to the greatest advantage, and shows off his rich yellow breast as if desirous of outvieing the beautiful blossoms with which he is surrounded. The stomach is very muscular, and the principal food consists of insects of various genera, which are sought for and captured both among the flowers and leaves as well as on the ground. It is generally met with in pairs, and the males are more shy than the females. It flies in short and sudden starts, and seldom mounts far above the tops of the trees. The voice of the male is a single note, seven or eight times repeated, and terminating with a sharp higher note much resembling the smack of a whip. Gilbert mentions that it is sparingly dispersed throughout the Swan River colony, but is more abundant in the best- watered districts, such as Perth and Freemantle. I did not succeed. in finding the nest of this species, but was informed that it breeds in September and October, and lays three or four eggs, ten and a half lines long by eight lines broad, with a ground-colour of brownish-buff, sparingly streaked and spotted with reddish brown and bluish grey, the latter colour appearing as if beneath the surface of the shell. : The male has the crown of the head, lores, line beneath the eye, ear-coverts, and a crescent-shaped mark from the latter across the breast deep black; throat, within the black, white; back of the neck, a narrow line down each side of the chest behind the black crescent, and all the under surface gamboge yellow; back and upper tail-coverts yellowish olive ; INSESSORES. 809 wing-coverts blackish brown, margined with yellowish olive; primaries and secondaries blackish brown, margined with greyish olive; basal half of the tail grey, apical half blackish — brown, tipped with grey; irides dark brown; bill black ; legs and feet blackish grey. The female has the whole of the upper surface and tail greyish brown; primaries and secondaries brown, margined with grey ; throat pale brown, freckled with white ; remainder of the under surface pale brown, passing into deep buff on the abdomen. Sp. 114. PACHYCEPHALA GLAUCURA, Gould. GRreEY-TAILED T'HICKHEAD. Pachycephala glaucura, Gould, in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part xl. p. 19. Pe-dil-me-dung, Aborigines of the lowland districts of Western Australia. Pachycephala glaucura, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 65. . Although the present bird is very nearly allied to the P. gutturalis, it may be readily distinguished from that species by its larger size, by its shorter and more robust bill, by the uniform grey colouring of its tail, and by the lighter and more washy tint of the yellow of the under surface. Tasmania and the islands in Bass’s Straits are the only countries in which it has yet been discovered, and where it takes the place of the P. gutturalis, which latter species appears to be exclusively confined to the Australian continent. The P. glaucura frequents the vast forests of Fucalyptt that cover the greater part of Tasmania, and although it is rather thinly dispersed, is to be met with in every variety of situation, the crowns of the hills and the deep and most secluded gulleys being alike visited by it. It frequently descends to the ground in search of insects, but the leafy P 210 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. branches of the trees, particularly those of a low growth, are the situations to which it gives the preference. The adult male, like most other birds of attractive plinnaae, is of a shy disposition; hence there is much more difficulty in obtaining a glimpse of that sex im the woods than of the sombre-coloured and comparatively tame female, or even of the young males of the year, which during this period wear a _ similar kind of livery to that of the latter. The actions of this species are somewhat peculiar, and unlike those of most other insectivorous birds: it pries about the leafy branches of the trees, and leaps from twig to twig in the most agile manner possible, making all the while a most scrutinizing search for insects, particularly coleoptera. When the male exposes himself, as he occasionally does, on some bare twig, the rich yellow of his plumage, offering a strong contrast to the green of the surrounding foliage, renders him a conspicuous and doubtless highly attractive object to his sombre-coloured mate, who generally accompanies him. It sometimes resorts to the gardens and shrubberies of the settlers, but much less frequently than might be supposed, when we consider that the neighbouring forests are its natural place of abode. The Grey-tailed Pachycephala utters a loud whistling call of a single note several times repeated, by which its presence is often detected. I was unsuccessful in my search for its nest, and the eggs are still desiderata to my collection. Soon after leaving the nest, the eround-colour of the entire plumage is grey, washed, both on the upper and under surface, with rusty or chestnut-red, which gradually gives place to a uniform olive-brown above and pale brown beneath. The adult male has the crown of the head, lores, space beneath the eye, and a broad crescent-shaped mark from the latter across the breast deep black ; throat, within the black, white; back of the neck, a narrow line down each side of the chest behind the black crescent, and the under surface yellow ; INSESSORES. 211 back and wing-coverts yellowish olive; wings dark slate- colour, margined with grey; tail entirely grey; under tail- coverts white, or very slightly washed with yellow; irides reddish brown; bill black; feet dark brown. Total length 7 inches; bill 3; wing 4; tail 33; tarsi 1. Sp. 115. PACHYCEPHALA MELANURA, Gould. Buack-TarnEp THICKHEAD. Pachycephala melanura, Gould in Proce. of Zool. Soc., part x. p. 134. Pachycephala melanura, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 66. | The Pachycephala melanura is a native of the northern coasts of Australia, where it was procured by B. Bynoe, Esq., during the surveying voyage of H.MLS. the Beagle. It may be readily distinguished from the P. guttwralis and P. glaucura by the jet-black colouring of the tail (which organ is also shorter and more square than that of any other species), by its much longer bill, and by the colouring of the back of the neck and the under surface being richer than that of either of those above named. I have not yet seen a female of this fine species. Whenever this sex is collected, it will be found to bear a very general resemblance to the females of P. gut- turalis and P. glaucura. Head, crescent commencing behind the eye and crossing the chest, and the tail black; throat pure white; collar round the back and sides of the neck, and all the under surface, very rich gamboge yellow ; upper surface rich yellowish olive; wings black, the coverts margined with yellowish olive; the primaries narrowly, and the secondaries broadly margined with yellowish grey; bill and feet black; irides brown. | Total length 6 inches ; bill $; wing 35; tail 25; tarsi £. ee 212 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Sp. 116. PACHYCEPHALA RUFIVENTRIS. RvuFovus-BREASTED 'T'HICKHEAD. Sylvia rufiventris, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. bx. Rufous-vented Warbler, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 248. Orange-breasted Thrush, Lewin, Birds of New Holland, pl. 8. Pachycephala pectoralis, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 239. striata, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 240, female or ‘young male. rufiventris, G. R. Gray, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. xi. p. 193. Lanius macularius, Quoy et Gaim., Voy. d’Astrolabe, p. 257, pl. 31. f. 1, young male. Rufous-vented Honey-eater, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. iv. p. 188. Pachycephala pectoralis, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 67. This very common species ranges over the whole of the southern portion of the Australian continent, from Swan River on the west to Moreton Bay on the east; but the extent of its range northwards has not yet been determined. During the spring and the earlier months of summer there are few birds that give utterance to a more animated and lively song—a loud continuous ringing whistle, frequently terminating in a sharp smack, which latter note is peculiar to most members of the group. In New South Wales and South Australia it is abundantly dispersed over all the thinly- timbered forests, keeping among the leafy branches of the highest trees. I do not recollect having met with it in the cedar-brushes of New South Wales ; in Western Australia the thick scrubs are said to be its favourite places of resort. Although it does not migrate, it makes a slight change m the situations it frequents, according to the state of the seasons, or the more or less abundant supply of food, which consists of insects of various kinds, caterpillars, and berries : like the other members of the group, it creeps and hops about the branches in a gentle and quiet manner. The breeding-season commences in August or September, INSESSORES. - 313 and continues during the three following months. The nest is cup-shaped, and is rather a frail structure, being often so slight that the eggs may be descried through the interstices of the fine twigs and fibrous roots of which it is composed. In New South Wales I found the nest upon the small horizontal branches of large trees, but at Swan River it 1s more frequently constructed in shrubs, particularly the JJelaleuca: the eggs are generally three in number, of an olive tint, with a zone of indistinct spots and blotches at the larger end ; they are eleven lines long by eight lines broad. The sexes differ very considerably both in the arrange- ment of their markings and in the general colouring of their | plumage, and it is not until the second year that the young males assume the band on the chest and the pure white throat of the adult. Sp.117. PACHYCEPHALA FALCATA, Gould. Lunatep THICcKHBAD. Pachycephala falcata, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part x. p. 134. Pachycephala falcata, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 68. We find in this species of Pachycephala, which inhabits the northern parts of Australia, a beautiful representative of the P. pectoralis of the southern parts of the continent ; from which it differs in its much smaller size, and in the black crescent which bounds the white throat of the male not ex- tending upwards to the ear-coverts, which with the lores are grey. Allthe specimens IJ possess were killed on the Cobourg Peninsula, near the settlement at Port Essington, where, as well as on the adjacent islands, it is a stationary species and very abundant. It breeds in September and the two following months, and lays two eggs. Its habits and manners are pre- cisely similar to those of the other members of the family. The adult male has the crown of the head, lores, ear-coverts, back, and upper tail-coverts grey ; wings dark brown, all the 214 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. feathers margined with grey ; throat white, bounded below by a distinct crescent of black: abdomen, flanks, and under tail-coverts orange-brown ; tail dark brown, the basal portion of the webs edged with grey; irides reddish brown; bill black ; feet blackish brown. The adult female has the crown of the head and all the upper surface grey; ear-coverts brownish grey; throat buffy white, passing into light buff or fawn-colour on the chest, flanks, abdomen, and under tail-coverts; the feathers of the throat and chest with a narrow dark line down the centre ; wings and tail as in the male. The young male is similar in colour to the female, but has the throat whiter, and the markings on the chest much more distinct and extending over the abdomen also. In very young individuals a rich rufous or tawny tint per- vades the greater part of the upper surface. | Sp. 118. PACHYCEPHALA LANOIDES, Gould. SHRIKE-LIKE THICKHEAD. Pachycephala lanoides, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soe., part vii. p. 142. sr ae lanoides, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 69. The smgle specimen of this species which has come under my notice was procured on the north-west coast of Aus- tralia, and is probably unique. It is a most robust and powerful bird, and may hereafter be made the type of a new genus; but until the female has been discovered, and more examples obtained, I retain it among the Pachycephale. That it feeds on insects of a large size there can be little doubt, its whole structure indicating that it subsists upon this kind of food. No information whatever has been obtained with respect to its habits and economy; this blank therefore remains: to | INSESSORES. 215 be filled up by those naturalists who may hereafter visit the part of the country of which it is a denizen. Crown of the head, ear-coverts, and chest black, bounded posteriorly by a narrow band of chestnut ; throat, centre of the abdomen, and under tail-coverts white ; flanks, back, shoulders, and external webs of the primaries, secondaries, and wing-coverts grey; tail, bill, and feet black. Sp. 119. PACHYCEPHALA RUFOGULARIS, Gould. RED-THROATED THICKHEAD. Pachycephala rufogularis, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part vill. p. 164, Pachycephala rufogularis, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 70. All the examples of this species of Pachycephala \ have yet seen, were obtained by myself during my explorations in South Australia, where I found it anything but abundant ; in fact many days frequently elapsed without my procuring a specimen. Its stronghold, probably a part of the vast interior, has yet to be discovered. From the little I saw of it, Iam snduced to believe that it is a very solitary bird; for T usually met with only one at a time, hopping about on the ground in the thinly-timbered’ forest which surrounds the city of Ade- laide; but its actions were so particularly quiet, and its plumage so unattractive, that it might easily be overlooked. I never heard it utter any note, nor did I observe anything in its habits and economy worthy of remark. It doubtless re- sorted to the ground for coleopterous and other insects, the remains of which formed the contents of the stomachs of those I procured. The adult males and females differ considerably in the colouring of their plumage; the young males resemble the females. The rusty colouring of the throat and face distin- euishes this species from every other member of the genus. The male has the crown of the head and all the upper sur- 216 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. face deep brownish grey ; wings and tail dark brown, the feathers margined with greyish brown; lores, chin, throat, under suface of the shoulder and all the under surface reddish sandy brown, crossed on the breast by a broad irregular band of greyish brown; iides reddish brown; bill black; feet blackish brown. The female differs from the male in having the throat and under surface greyish white, the chest being crossed by an obscure mark of greyish brown, and with a lie down the centre of each feather. Sp. 120. PACHYCEPHALA GILBERTI, Gould. GILBERT’s THICKHEAD. Pachycephala Gilbertii, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part xii. p. 107. tnornata, Gould, Ib., part viii. p. 164 (young). Pachycephala Gilbertii, ‘Gould, Birds of Australia, fol, vol. ii. pl. 71. Although the practice of naming species after individuals is a means by which the names of men eminent for their scientific attainments may be perpetuated to after-ages, I have ever questioned its propriety, and have rarely resorted to it ; but in assigning the name of Gd/berti to this interesting bird, I feel that I only paid a just compliment to one who most assi- duously assisted me in the laborious investigations required for the production of the ‘ Birds of Australia,’ and who was the discoverer of the species. The specimens transmitted to me by Gilbert are, I believe, all that have yet been procured. Although the P. Gilberti is nearly allied to the P. rufo- gularis, it may be readily distinguished by the rufous colouring being confined to the throat, and not ascending upon the forehead and occupying the space between the bill and the eyes as in that species; it is ate a smaller bird in all its admeasurements. The Red-throated Thickhead is an inhabitant of the interior oe : | INSESSORES. 217 of Western Australia. The following notes, which are all that is known of its history, accompanied the specimens sent to ) me:—“ This species inhabits the the thick brushes of the ) interior.- It is an early breeder, as is proved by my finding | a nest with three newly hatched young birds in the middle of August. The nest was built in the upright fork of a small shrub about four feet from the ground. It was deep, cup- | shaped in form, and constructed of dried grasses, and, except | that it was rather more compactly built, it was very similar to those of the other members of the genus.” 3 The sexes of the present bird exhibit a similar difference in colour to those of P. rufogularis ; the females of both species being very sombre and devoid of any rufous colouring on the throat and breast. . The male has the upper surface dark greyish olive-brown ; head dark slate-grey; breast of a lighter grey; lores black ; throat rust-red; under surface of the shoulder, centre of the abdomen, and under tail-coverts sandy butt; irides light brown ; bill and feet black. eae EES Sp. 121. PACHYCEPHALA SIMPLEX, Gould. PLAIN-COLOURED ‘T'HICKHEAD. | Pachycephala simplex, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part x. p. 135. Pachycephala simplex, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 72. The Pachycephala simplex is a native of the north-western parts of Australia, but does not appear to be very numerous in any locality yet explored; Gilbert, who discovered it in the neighbourhood of Port Essington, states that it is of a very shy and retiring disposition, and that it is usually met with in pairs hopping and creeping about among the under- wood or very thickly-foliaged trees, but may be more fre- quently seen in thickets situated in the midst of swamps or te among the mangroves. In its mode of feeding and in many of its actions it greatly resembles the Flycatchers, but does 218 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. not, like them, shake the tail. Its voice is peculiarly soft and mournful, and its call consists of a single note four times repeated with rather lengthened intervals; at other times it utters a somewhat pleasing and lengthened song; “but,” says Gilbert, “I never heard it emit that sharp terminating note, resembling the smack of a whip, which concludes the song of all the other species of the genus.” The stomach is muscular, and the food consists of insects and seeds of various kinds. | It appears to breed during the months of December, January, and February ; for the ovarium of a female killed on the third of the last-mentioned month contained eggs very fully developed, and, from the bare state of the breast, it appeared to have been already engaged in the task of in- _ cubation. All the upper surface brown ; under surface brownish white, with a very faint stripe of brown down the centre of each feather ; irides light brown; bill and feet black. Sp. 122. PACHYCEPHALA OLIVACEA, Vig. and Horsf.’ Oxivacsous T'HICKHEAD. Pachycephala olivacea, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 241. Native Thrush of the Tasmanians. iii ae olivacea, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 73. This species, the largest of the genus yet discovered, is a native of Tasmania, where it inhabits forests and thick- scrubby situations, and is very generally dispersed over the island from north to south; I observed it also on Flinders Island in Bass’s Straits, but no stance has come under my notice of its occurrence on the continent of Australia. It is rather recluse in its habits ; and were it not for its oft-repeated, loud, sharp, liquid, whistling note, its presence would not always be detected. I usually met with it in the thickest INSESSORES. : 219 parts of the forests, where it appeared to resort to the ground rather than to the branches, and to frequent gulleys and low swampy situations beneath the branches of the dwarf Hucalypti and other trees, with which its olive-brown colouring so closely assimilated, that it was very difficult to perceive it. Although I felt assured that the bird was breeding in many parts of the country, and made repeated attempts to discover its nest, I could never succeed in so doing; the eggs are therefore among the desiderata of my cabinet. But little outward difference is observable in the sexes; the male is rather the largest, and has the head of a sooty ereyish brown, while the head of the female is olive-brown. The young resemble the female, and assume the adult colouring at an early age. : The stomachs of several specimens dissected were very muscular, and contained the remains of coleoptera and hemi- ptera mingled in some instances with small stones and seeds. Crown of the head and ear-coverts dark brown; back, wings, and tail chestnut-olive ; throat greyish white, each feather tipped with brown ; chest, abdomen, and under tail- coverts reddish brown; bill black; irides reddish brown ; feet mealy reddish brown. 3 Genus COLLURICINCLA, Vigors and Horsfield. The members of the present genus are more strictly con- fined to Australia than those of the last mentioned. Hach of the colonies, from north to south and from east to west, is In- habited by a species peculiarly and restrictedly its own. They have many characters which would appear to ally them. to the Pachycephale, which they also somewhat resemble in their nidification. They are neither Shrikes nor Thrushes, but are most nearly allied to the former ; and feed on insects to avery creat extent, but occasionally partake of mollusks and berries. Some of them defend themselves vigorously with both bill and claws when attacked. Their voice is a loud whistle, ee 220 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. some parts of which are not devoid of melody, particularly the loud swelling notes. The nest is rather slightly built, cup-shaped in form, ‘and is mostly placed in the hollow spout of a tree: the eggs are four in number. It is somewhat singular that each of the great divisions of Australia should, as before mentioned, be tenanted by a different species of this genus, each possessing distinctive characters by which they may be readily recognized Sp. 123. COLLURICINCLA HARMONICA. Harmonious Surike-Turvusn. -Turdus harmonicus, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. xl. Harmonie Thrush, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 182. Grey-headed Thrush, Lath..Gen. Hist., vol. v. p. 118. Colluricinela cinerea, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 214. Lanius saturninus, Nordm. Turdus dilutus, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. xl? Dilute Thrush, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 182? Turdus badius, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. xli? Port Jackson Thrush, Lath. Gen. Syn., vol. 11. p. 183. Austral Thrush, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. v. p. 124? Pnigocichla harmonica, Cab. Mus. Hein., Theil i. p. 66. Certhia canescens, Lath. ? we a harmonica, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. Pp The Colluricincla harmonica is an inhabitant of New South Wales and South Australia, and is one of the oldest-known of the Australian birds, having been described in Latham’s ‘Index Ornithologicus,’ figured in White’s ‘ Voyage,’ and included in the works of all subsequent writers. So generally is it dispersed over the countries of which it is a native, that there are few localities in which it is not to be found, the brushes near the coast, as well as the plains of the interior, being equally frequented by it ; it is a very active INSESSORES. Ae bird, living much among the branches, and feeding upon insects of various kinds, caterpillars, and their larvee. The term harmonica applied to this species 1s very appro- priate; for although it does not give utterance to any con- tinued song, it frequently pours forth a number of powerful swelling notes, louder but less varied than those of the Song- Thrush of Europe; and it is somewhat singular that these notes are emitted while in the act of feeding, and while engaged in search of its insect food. The site of the nest is very varied: sometimes a hollow in the upright bole of a small tree is chosen ; at others the ledge of a decayed branch, or a rock, or any similar situation. The nest is a cup-shaped and somewhat slight structure, externally composed of the outer and inner bark of trees, and leaves, and lined with fibrous roots; I have occasionally seen wool inter- mingled with the outer materials. The eggs, which are three in number, and one inch and two lines long by ten lines broad, are of a beautiful pearly white, thinly sprinkled with large blotches of light chestuut-brown and dull bluish grey, the latter colour appearing as if beneath the surface of the shell. In one instance I found a nest of eggs which were brownish white instead. of pearly white. The sexes are very nearly alike, the only difference being that the female has the bill browner and an indication of a white stripe over the eye. 3 Head brownish grey, with an indistinct line of brown down the centre of each feather; back of the neck, back, and shoulders olive-brown; wings slaty black, margined with grey ; rump and tail grey, the latter with dark-brown shafts ; under surface light brownish grey, fading into pure white on the vent and under tail-coverts, and greyish white on the throat, each of the throat- and. breast-feathers with a fine line of brown down the centre; irides dark brown; bill ~Dlackish brown; feet dark greenish grey. 099 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Sp. 124. COLLURICINCLA RUFIVENTRIS, Gould. Burf-BELLIED SHRIKE-THRUSH. Colluricincla rufiventris, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part viii. p. 164. Go6-de-lung, Aborigines of Western Australia. Thrush of the Colonists. Colluricincla rufiventris, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. i. pl. 75. ~ This species is about the size of the Colluricincla harmonica, for which at a first glance it might be mistaken, but from which on comparison it will be found to differ in the following particulars :—the whole of the upper surface is pure grey instead of brown; the abdomen and under tail-coverts are deep buff instead of greyish white; and the lores are much more distinctly marked with white. It is a native of Western Australia, where it is to be found in all thickly-wooded places, feeding as much on the ground as upon the trees and scrubs. It breeds in the latter part of September and the beginning of October, and the nest, which is generally placed in the hollow part of a high tree, is formed of dried strips of gum- tree bark very closely packed ; it is deep, and is sometimes lined with soft grasses. The eggs, which are two or three in number, are of a beautiful bluish or pearly white, with large blotches of reddish olive-brown and dark grey, the latter appearing as if beneath the surface of the shell; the medium length of the eggs is one inch and one line, by ten lines in breadth. Gilbert mentions that upon two occasions he found ‘the eggs of this bird in old nests of Pomatorhinus supercihosus. The stomach is muscular, and the food consists of insects, principally of the coleopterous order, and seeds. Lores greyish white; crown of the head, and all the upper surface deep grey, slightly tinged with olive; primaries and tail dark brown, margined with brownish grey; throat and under surface darkish grey, passing into buff on the vent and lila = INSESSORES. 200 under tail-coverts; all the feathers of the under surface have a narrow dark line down the centre; thighs grey; irides dark reddish brown ; bill blackish brown; feet dark greenish leaden grey. Sp.125. COLLURICINCLA BRUNNEA, Gould. Brown Surike-TurvusaH. Colluricinela brunnea, Gould in Proe. of Zool. Soc., part vii. p. 164. Men-e-lod-roo, Aborigines of Port Essington. Colluricincla brunnea, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol, vol. ii. pl. 76. This bird is abundantly dispersed over the Cobourg Penin- sula, and is to be met with in all the forests in the immediate neighbourhood of Port Essington and the north coast gene- rally, in which distant localities it represents the Colluricincla harmonica of New South Wales, the C. Seléc of Tasmania, and the O. rufiventris of Western Australia. As might be expected, its habits, manners, and general economy are very similar to those of the other species of the genus; conse- quently the description of those of C. harmonica is equally descriptive of those of C. drunnea. A nest of this bird found on the 2nd of February was built | in the upper part of a hollow stump, and was outwardly formed of narrow strips of the bark of the Melaleuca, and lined with fine twigs. The eggs are of a pearly bluish white, spotted and blotched with markings of olive-brown and grey, the latter colour appearing as if beneath the surface of the shell; their medium length is one inch and two lines, by ten lines in breadth. It is a larger and more robust species than either C. har- monica or C. rufiventris, the bill is shorter and much stouter, and the colouring is of a uniform light brown; even the primaries and tail-feathers are of the same hue. All the upper surface pale brown ; primaries and tail the same, but somewhat lighter; all the under surface brownish SEAT =e as 224 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. white, becoming almost pure white on the vent and under tail-coverts ; thighs greyish brown; bill black; feet blackish brown. Sp.126. COLLURICINLA SELBII, Jardine. SeLpy’s SHRIKE-THRUSH. Colluricincla Selbii, Jad. in Jard. and Selby’s Il]. Orn., vol. 1. note to text of pl. 71. rectirostris, Jard. in Jard. and Selby’s Ill. Orn., vol. iv. pl. xxxi. strigata, Swains. Anim. in Menag., &c., p. 288, female or young male. Whistling Dick of the Colonists of Tasmania. Colluricincla Selbii, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. i. pl. 77. The Colluricincla Selbit is a native of, and a permanent resident in, Tasmania and Flinders Island, over all parts of which it is very generally, but nowhere very abundantly, dis- tributed ; it appears to give a decided preference to the thick woods, wherein its presence may always be detected by its loud, clear, liquid, and melodious whistle. It does not appear to confine itself to any particular part of the forest ; for it may sometimes be observed on the low scrub near the ground, and at others on the topmost branches of the highest trees. It is distinguished from all the other members of the genus by the greater length of the bill. It feeds on caterpillars and insects of various kinds, which it often procures by tearing off the bark from the branches of the trees in the most dexterous manner with its powerful bill, and while thus employed frequently pours forth its remarkable note. In disposition it is lively and animated, confident and fearless, and might doubtless be easily tamed, when it would become a most interesting bird for the aviary. The nest, although composed of coarse materials, is a re- markably neat structure, round, rather deep, and cup-shaped, outwardly formed of strips of the rind of the stringy-bark tree and lined with a few grasses; it is about five inches in - INSESSORES. 2B diameter and four in height, the interior being three inches and a half in breadth by two and a half in depth. The sites usually selected for the nest are the hollow open stump of a tree, a cleft in a rock, Wc. The male has the general plumage dark slate-grey, deepening into brown on the back and wings, much paler on the under surface, and fading into white on the throat and breast ; over the eye a faint stripe of greyish white; bill black; mides brown ; feet light lead-colour. The female or young male has all the upper surface, wings, and tail brown ; upper tail-coverts slate-grey ; over the eye a stripe of rust-red ; under surface light grey tinged with brown on the throat and breast, and each feather with a stripe of dark brown down the centre; bill horn-colour at the base, black at the tip. Sp. 127. COLLURICINCLA PARVULA, Gould. Lirtite SHrRikE-THRUSH. Colluricincla parvula, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part xi. 1845, p- 62. Colluricincla parvula, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 78, This species, to which I have given the name of parvula, from the circumstance of its being the smallest of the genus that has come under my notice, is a native of Port Essington and the neighbouring parts of the northern coast of Australia. Gilbert, to whose notes I must refer for all that is known about it, states that it is ‘an inhabitant of the thickets, is an extremely shy bird, and 1s generally seen on or near the ground. Its note is a fine thrush-like tone, very clear, loud, and melodious. ‘The stomach is muscular, and the food con- sists of insects of various kinds, but principally of coleoptera. The nest and eggs were brought me by a native; they were taken from the hollow part of a tree, about four feet from the ground; the former, which was too much injured to be pre- Q 226 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. served, was formed of small twigs and narrow strips of the bark of a Melaleuca. The eggs were two in number, of a beautiful pearly flesh-white, regularly spotted all over with dull reddish orange and umber-brown; like the eggs of the other species of the genus, they are also sprinkled over with bluish markings, which appear as if beneath the surface of the shell; their medium length is one inch, and breadth nine lines.” ) The sexes are so nearly alike in plumage, that they are not readily distinguished from each other ; but the male is some- what larger than his mate. All the upper surface, wings, and tail olive-brown ; a faint line over the eye and the chin white; all the under surface pale buff, the feathers of the throat and breast with a broad stripe of brown down the centre ; irides dark brownish red ; bill blackish grey ; tarsi bluish grey. Sp. 128. COLLURICINCLA RUFIGASTER, Gould. RUSTY-BREASTED SHRIKE-T'HRUSH. Colluricinela rufogaster, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soe., part xii. 1845, p- 80. Colluricincla rufogaster, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol. vol. i. Introd., p, XXXVil. . I assigned this name to a bird sent to me by the late F. Strange from the brushes of the Clarence in New South Wales ; it may hereafter prove to be identical with the last- mentioned species, C. parvula, the form and admeasurements being precisely the same; but the bird from New South Wales has a lighter-coloured bill, and the whole of the under surface washed with deep rufous. Strange informed me that the bird “is tolerably common in the brushes skirting the lower part of the Clarence and Richmond rivers; but I never saw it out of the brushes or on the ground, as you may C. harmonica and the other species INSESSORES. ORY of the genus. It imitates the note of Ptilonorhynchus holose- riceus so exactly that I have often been deceived by it. You mostly meet with the bird amongst the vines and supplejacks trailing over a few stunted trees ; here it will be seen hopping up the thick limbs in search of food, just after the manner of the members of the genus Climacteris ; like them too, they are continually on the move.” 3 All the upper surface, wings, and tail olive-brown, with the exception of the inner webs of the primaries, which are dark brown; throat pale buffy white, streaked with brown ; all the under surface rusty red ; irides black; bill and feet fleshy brown. Total length 73 inches; bill 13; wing 38; tail 84; tarsi 13. 7 Genus FALCUNCULUS, Vieillot. The two species of this genus are not only strictly Austra- lian, but are confined to the southern parts of the country ; the F. frontatus inhabiting New South Wales and South Australia, and the / Jeucogaster Western Australia. When attacked by other birds or by man, both species defend them- selves with their powerful bill and claws with the utmost fury; they also use their strongly toothed bills for tearing off pieces of rotten wood and the thin scaly bark of the Aucalypti in search of insects. The large branches of trees are their usual place of resort, and in many of their actions and habits they closely resemble the Tits of Europe and India (genus Parus), while they also assimilate to the Pachycephale. They build a round, cup-shaped nest, and lay three or four eggs. Q 2 228 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Sp. 129. FALCUNCULUS FRONTATUS, Mieiifot. FRONTAL SHRIKE-TIT. Lanius frontatus, Lath. Ind. Orn., p. xvii. Frontal Shrike, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. u. p. 75, pl. 122. Falcunculus frontatus, Vieill. Gal. des Ois., tom. i. pl. 138. flavigulus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part v. p. 144, female. Gouldi, Cab. Mus. Hein., Theil i. p. 66. Falcunculus frontatus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. i. pl. 79. | I had many opportunities of observing this bird, both im New South Wales and South Australia, over both of which countries it is very generally although not numerously dis- persed. It alike inhabits the thick brushes as well as the trees of the open plains. Its chief food is insects, which are either obtained among the foliage or under the bark of the larger branches and trunks of the tree; in procuring these it displays great dexterity, stripping off the bark in the most determined manner, for which purpose its powerful bill is ad- mirably adapted. It is very animated and sprightly in its actions, and in many of its habits bears a striking resemblance to the Tits, particularly in the manner in which it clings to and climbs among the branches in search of food. While thus employed it frequently erccts its crest and assumes many pert and lively positions : no bird of its size with which I am acquainted possesses greater strength im its mandibles, or is capable of inflicting severer wounds, as I experienced on handling one I had previously winged, and which fastened on my hand in the most ferocious manner. . As far as I am aware, the Fulcunculus frontatus is not dis- tinguished by any powers of song, for I only heard it utter a few low piping notes. | I could neither succeed in procuring the nest of this species nor obtain any authentic information respecting its nidification. —————————— : — INSESSORES. 229 The stomachs of the specimens I dissected were filled with the larvee of insects and berries. ) The male has immediately above the bill a narrow band of white, from which, down the centre of the head, is a broad stripe of black feathers forming a crest ; sides of the face and head white, divided by a line of black which passes through the eye to the nape ; back, shoulders, and wing-coverts olive ; primaries and secondaries blackish brown, broadly margined with grey; tail blackish brown, broadly margined with grey, especially on the two centre feathers; two outer tail-feathers and tips of the remainder white, the white diminishing on each feather as it approaches the centre of the tail; throat black; all the under surface bright yellow; irides reddish brown; bill black; legs and feet bluish grey. The sexes may at all times be distinguished from each other by the smaller size of the female, and by the colouring of the throat being green instead of black; by the inides being darker, and the feet bluish lead-colour. Sp. 130. FALCUNCULUS LEUCOGASTER, Gould. Wuiti-BELLinp SuRike-T't. Falcunculus leucogaster, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part v. p. 144. Goore-beet-goore-beet, Aborigines of the lowland districts of Western Australia. Jil-le-e-lee, Aborigines of the mountain districts of ditto. Djoon-dool-goo-roon, Aborigines of the Murray in ditto. Falcunculus leucogaster, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol. vol. ii. pl. 80. This species is an inhabitant of the western portions of Australia, where it represents the Paleunculus frontatus of the eastern coast, from which it may be readily distinguished by its white abdomen; it is very generally dispersed over the colony of Swan River, although, like its near ally, it is not to be met with in great abundance. It is usually seen in pairs 230 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. among the thickly-foliaged trees, particularly such as grow in quiet secluded places, and is a most active little bird, running over the trunks and branches of the trees with the greatest facility, and tearing off the bark im its progress in search of insects: the habits in fact of the present and Frontal Shrike-Tit are so closely similar that a further description is unnecessary. Its flight is of short duration, and is seldom employed for any other purpose than that of flitting from branch to branch, or from one tree to another. Its note 1s a series of mournful sounds, the last of which is drawn out to a great length. Gilbert, while staying in the Toodyay district in the month of October, found the nest of this species among the topmost and weakest perpendicular branches of a Hucalyptus, at a height of fifty feet: it was of a deep cup-shaped form, com- posed of the stringy bark of the gum-tree, and lined with fine grasses, the whole matted together externally with cobwebs ; the eggs, which are three or four in number, are of a glossy white with numerous minute speckles of dark olive most thickly disposed at the larger end; they are seyen-eighths of an inch long by five-eighths of an inch in breadth. It is a shy bird, but when breeding becomes more bold and familiar. The stomach is extremely muscular, and its food consists principally of coleoptera. The male has immediately above the bill a narrow band of white, from which, down the centre of the head, is a broad stripe of black feathers forming a crest ; sides of the face and head white, divided bya line of black, which passes through the eye to the nape; back, rump, shoulders, and wing-coverts bright yellowish olive; primaries and secondaries blackish brown, margined with olive-yellow; tail-feathers blackish brown, margined with olive-yellow, except the two outer, which are grey, broadly margined with white; all the tail-fea- thers tipped with white, the white diminishing on each feather as it approaches the centre of the tail; throat black ; chest, ne = — INSESSORES. . MA upper part of the breast, and under tail-coverts bright yellow ; abdomen and thighs white; irides wood-brown ; bill dark brown, becoming lighter at the edges of the mandibles ; legs and feet greenish blue. The female differs from the male in being somewhat smaller in size, and in having the throat green instead of black. Genus OREOICA, Gould. The only species known of this form is strictly Australian, and is a sprightly animated bird frequenting the sterile districts studded with large trees, where it hops about on the ground in search of insects. Notwithstanding the singularly length- ened form of its scapularies and its terrestrial habits, it appears to me to partake of the characters of the Colluricincle and the Pachycephale ; its loud piping note and mode of nidifica- tion also favour this opinion. It lays three or four eggs in a round cup-shaped nest, placed either in a Xanthorrhea or in a hole in the stump of a tree. Sp. 131. OREOICA CRISTATA. Crestep Orezoica. Turdus cristatus, Lewin, Birds of New Holl., pl. 9. fem. Falcunculus gutturalis, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 212. Oreoica gutturalis, Gould in Proce. of Zool. Soc., part v. p. 151. Oreica cristata, G. R. Gray, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. xi. p. 190, note. Bo- kurn-bo-kurn, Aborigines of the mountain districts of Western Australia. Bell-bird, Colonists of Swan River. Oreoica gutturalis, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 81. This very singular bird possesses an extremely wide range of habitat, being dispersed over the whole of the southern portion of Australia from east to west. It has not yet been discovered in Tasmania or in any of the islands in 22 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. | Bass’s Straits, neither has the extent of its range northwards been ascertained. It is, I believe, everywhere a stationary species, but although its distribution is so general, it is nowhere very plentiful. From what I observed of it, it appeared to give a decided preference to the naked sterile crowns of hills and open bare glades in the forests, and I should say that its presence is indicative of a poor and bad land. It resorts much to the ground, over the surface of which it hops with great quickness, often in small companies of from three to six in number. When flushed it flies but a short distance, generally to a large horizontal branch of a neighbouring Hucalyptus, along which it passes in a succession of quick hops, similar to those of the Common Sparrow of Europe. It is very animated in many of its actions, parti- cularly the male, whose erected crest and white face, relieved by the beautiful orange-colour of the eye, give it a very sprightly appearance. The female, on the other hand, being nearly uniform in colour, having the eye hazel and the crest less developed, is by no means so attractive. I regret much that it is not im my power to convey an idea of the sounds uttered by this bird, for they are singular in the extreme ; besides which, it is a perfect ventriloquist, its peculiar, mournful, piping whistle appearing to be at a considerable distance, while the bird is perched on a large branch of a neighbouring tree. Gilbert having described to the best of his power the singular note of this species, I give his own words; but no description can convey anything like an ac- curate idea of it; notes of birds, in fact, are not to be described,—they must be heard to be understood. “The most singular feature,” says Gilbert, “connected with this bird is, that it is a perfect ventriloquist. At first its note commences in so low a tone that it sounds as if at a con- siderable distance, and then gradually increases in volume until it appears over the head of the wondering hearer, the bird that utters it being all the while on the dead part of a INSESSORES. Doe tree, perhaps not more than a few yards distant ; its motion- less attitude rendering its discovery very difficult. It has two kinds of song, the most usual of which is a running suc- cession of notes, or two notes repeated together rather slowly, followed by a repetition three times rather quickly, the last note resembling the sound of a bell from its ringing tone ; the other song is pretty nearly the same, only that it concludes with a sudden and peculiar fall of two notes.” In Western Australia its nest is formed of strings of bark lined with a few fine dried grasses, and is generally placed in a Xanthorrhea or grass-tree, either in the upper part of the erass or rush above, or in the fork of the trunk, and is of a deep, cup-shaped form. It breeds in October, and generally lays three eggs, which vary much in colour; the ground-tint being bluish white, in some instances marked all over with minute spots of ink-black, in others with long zigzag lines and blotches of the same hue. In some these markings are confined to the larger end, where they form a zone ; in others they are equally spread all over the surface, intermingled with the black markings; also blotches of grey appear as if beneath the surface of the shell, and some eggs have been found with the ground-colour of the larger end of a beautiful bluish green. In its nidification and in many of its actions it offers considerable resemblance to the members of the genus Colluricincla. Tt has a thick muscular gizzard, and its food consists of seeds, grain, coleoptera, and the larvee of all kinds of insects. In Western Australia it often resorts to newly ploughed land, as it there finds an abundance of grubs and caterpillars, its most favourite food. The male has the face white; feathers on the fore part of the head, along the centre of the crest, line from the eye bounding the white of the face, and a large gorget-shaped mark on the breast deep black ; sides of the head and crest a a i Te Shape nan per ge, ee andrea ae ein aS LE an ap 234 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. grey; all the upper surface and flanks light brown; wings brown, margined with lighter brown; tail dark brown; centre of the abdomen brownish white; vent and under tail- coverts buff; irides beautiful orange, surrounded by a narrow black lash; bill black; legs and feet blackish brown. The female resembles the male, but differs in having the | face and forehead grey, only a line of black down the centre of the crest, the chin dull white, in having a mere indication of the black gorget, the irides hazel, and the feet olive- or dark brown. Family DICRURIDZ. “The family of Drongo-Shrikes,” says Mr. Jerdon, “com- prises a small number of birds found in Africa, India, and Malayana, and extending in fewer numbers to Australia and the neighbouring islands. They have almost always black plumage and longish forked tails of only ten feathers, being one of the very few groups in which there are fewer than the normal number of twelve. The bill varies much, being short and depressed in some, lengthened and curved in others. They are capable of strong, rapid, and vigorous, but not of sustained flight ; and they feed almost entirely on insects, which they capture on the wing, or on the ground, or occa- sionally on leaves or flowers; their legs are short, and their feet are only fitted for grasping. Some live in the open country, in gardens, and fields, others occur only in the forests, and they are found from the level of the sea to an altitude of 8000 feet and upwards. ‘They form a most characteristic feature in Indian ornithology, for, go where you will in India, you are sure to see one or more of the genus. They build rather loosely constructed nests, and lay three or four eggs, which are usually white with a reddish tinge, and marked with spots and blotches of various shades of red or purple.” geen INSESSORES. 235 Genus CHIBIA, Hodgson. The following is the only species of this form that has yet been found in Australia. Sp. 182. CHIBIA BRACTEATA, Gould. SpANGLED DRONGO-SHRIKE. Dicrurus balicassius, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 211. bracteatus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part x. p. 182. Dicrurus bracteatus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 82. : ‘Having carefully compared the bird here represented with — the other species of the genus inhabiting the Indian islands and the continent of India, I find it to be quite distimct from the whole of them; I have therefore assigned to it a separate specific title, and selected that of dracteatus as ex- pressive of its beautifully spangled appearance. Its range is very extensive, the bird being equally abundant in all parts of the northern and eastern portions of Australia; it was found by Sir George Grey on the north-west coast, by Gilbert at Port Essington, and it has also been observed in the neigh- bourhood of Moreton Bay. I did not encounter it myself during my rambles in Australia; we are therefore indebted to Gilbert’s notes for all that is known of its history. “This species is one of the commonest birds of the Cobourg Penin- sula, where it is generally seen in pairs and may be met with in every variety of situation, but more frequently among the thickets and mangroves than elsewhere. It is at all times exceedingly active, and its food consists entirely of insects of various kinds, particularly those belonging to the orders Coleo- ptera and Neuroptera. Its usual note is a loud, disagreeably harsh, cackling or creaking whistle, so totally different from that of any other bird, that having been once heard it is readily recognized. | «J found five nests on the 16th of November, all of which 286 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. contained young birds, some of them nearly able to fly, and others apparently but just emerged from the egg. The whole of these nests were exactly alike and formed of the same mate- rial, the dry wiry climbing stalk of a common parasitic plant, ~ without any kind of lining; they were exceedingly difficult to examine from their being placed on the weakest part of the extremities of the horizontal branches of a thickly-foliaged tree at an altitude of not less than thirty feet from the ground ; they were of a very shallow form, about five inches and a half in diameter; the eggs would seem to be three or four in number, as three of the nests contained three, and the other two four young birds in each.” The head and the body both above and below are deep black, the feathers of the head with a crescent, and those of the breast with a spot of deep metallic green at the tip; wings and tail deep glossy green; under wing-coverts black, tipped with white ; irides brownish red; bill and feet blackish brown. Genus MANUCODIA, Boddaert. Of this genus only a single species is found in Australia, the exact position of which in the natural system has not, in my opinion, been satisfactorily determined. I think it is as well placed here as elsewhere. Sp. 188. MANUCODIA GOULDII, G. 2. Gray. . Govuup’s Manvucope. Manucodia gouldi, G.R.Gray in Proc. Zool. Soc., part xxvii. p. 158, note. Manucodia Keraudreni, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., Supple- ment pl. _ New Guinea, owing to the hostile character of its native population, is a sealed country to the collector, and we really know but little of its natural productions. There are doubt- less many fine birds in its mountain districts which never quit their own forests, while others are from time to time INSESSORES. . 937 found on the Cape York Peninsula and other northern pro- montories of Australia, and this is probably one of them. I have seen two or three specimens of this bird, all of which were collected during Captain Stanley’s Expedition. A fine example in the British Museum, obtained at Cape York, is stated by Mr. Macgillivray to be a male, and 1s the one from which my description was taken. Centre of the crown, the lengthened ear-plumes, the lanceo- late feathers on the sides of the neck, back, rump, and breast green; shoulders, primaries, and tail purplish-black, as are also the thighs, lower part of the abdomen, and under tail- coverts ; bill and legs black. When I published this species I believed it to be identical with the Wanucodia keraudreni ; but inhis ‘ List of Birds sent by Mr. Wallace from New Guinea,’ Mr. G. R. Gray says, «The specimen figured by Mr. Gould, in his ‘ Birds of Aus- tralia” as from Cape York, is of a uniform glossy golden- green, with the feathers of the neck of a less pointed form than those of the Dorey examples. It is certainly distinct from the IM. heraudreni of Dorey, and. therefore will warrant a new specific name being given to it; and I now propose that of Manucodia gouldit.” Family MUSCICAPID. Birds pertaining to this family are found in nearly every part of the globe. As their name implies, they live almost solely on insects, and must perform a most important office in keeping those creatures in check. Genus RHIPIDURA, Vigors and Horsfield. Many species of this genus occur in India, the Indian islands, New Guinea, and Polynesia; and several are com- prised in the fauna of Australia, in every part of which country, including Tasmania, one or other member of the group is found. 238 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Sp. 134, RHIPIDURA ALBISCAPA, Gould. ' WHITE-SHAFTED FANTAIL. Rhipidura flabellifera, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 247. Rhipidura albiscapa, Gould in Proce. of Zool. Soc., part viii. 1840, BLL. Rhipidura albiscapa, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 83. Specimens of this bird from Tasmania are always much darker than those of the continent, and have the tail-feathers less marked with white ; others from Western Australia, again, are somewhat lighter in colour, and have the white markings of the tail more extensive than in those I collected in South Australia or New South Wales; the bird from Western Aus- tralia has been characterized as distinct, and named 2. Preissi by M. Cabanis. In Tasmania I have seen the White-shafted Fantail in the depth of winter in the gullies on the sunny sides of Mount Wellington; and it is my opinion that it only retires at this season to such localities as are sheltered from the bleak south-westerly winds which then so generally prevail, and where insects are still to be found. The bird is also subject to the same law on the continent of Australia; but as the temperature of that country is more equable, its effects are not so decided ; and in support of this opinion I may adduce the remark of Caley, who says, “'The species is very common about Paramatta; and I do not recollect having missed it at any period of the year.” It is generally found in pairs, but I have occasionally seen as many as four or five together. It inhabits alike the top- most branches of the highest trees, those of a more moderate growth, and the shrouded and gloomy foliaged dells in the neighbourhood of rivulets: from these retreats it darts out a short distance to capture insects, and in most instances returns again to the same branch it had left. While in the air it often assumes a number of lively and beautiful positions, INSESSORES. 939 at one moment mounting almost perpendicularly, constantly spreading out its tail to the full extent, and frequently tumbling completely over in the descent; at another it may be seen flitting through the branches, and seeking for insects among the flowers and leaves, repeatedly uttering a sweet twittering song. This Fantail is rather a late breeder, scarcely ever com- mencing before October, during which and the three follow- ing months it rears two and often three broods. Its elegant little nest, closely resembling a wine-glass in shape, is woven together with exquisite skill, and is generally composed of the inner bark of a species of Hucalyptus, neatly lined with the down of the tree-fern intermingled with flowering stalks of moss, and outwardly matted together with the webs of spiders, which not only serve to envelope the nest, but are also employed to strengthen its attachment to the branch on which it is constructed. The situation of the nest is much varied: I have observed it in the midst of dense brushes, in the more open forest, and placed on a branch overhanging a mountain rivulet, but at all times within a few feet of the ground. The eggs are invariably two in number, seven lines long; their ground-colour white, blotched all over, but par- ticularly at the larger end, with brown slightly tinged with olive: the young from the nest assume so closely the colour and appearance of the adults, that they are only to be distin- guished by the secondaries and wing-coverts being margined with brown, a feature lost after the first moult. The adults are so precisely alike, that actual dissection is necessary to determine the sexes. ; In its disposition this little bird is one of the tamest imaginable, allowing of a near approach without evincing the slightest timidity, and will even enter the houses of persons resident in the bush in pursuit of gnats and other insects. During the breeding-season, however, it exhibits extreme anxiety at the sight of an intruder in the vicinity of its nest. 240 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. All the upper surface, ear-coverts, and a band across the chest sooty black, slightly tinged with olive, the tail, crown of the head, and pectoral band being rather the darkest ; stripe over the eye, lunar-shaped mark behind the eye, throat, tips of the wing-coverts, margins of the secondaries, shafts, outer webs, and tips of all but the two middle tail-feathers white ; under surface buff; eyes black ; bill and feet brownish black. Sp. 135. RHIPIDURA PREISSI, Cabanis. Preiss’ § FANTAIL. Rhipidura Preissi, Cab. Mus. Hein., Theil 1. p. 57. This is the bird I have alluded to in my account of A. albiscapa. As 1 have now no specimens in my collection, I am unable to institute’ a comparison and form an opinion as to its specific value ; it is, therefore, given on the authority of the learned Berlin Professor, who has named it in honour of Dr. Preiss, an ardent collector of natural history, who spent some years in the neighbourhood of Swan River. If not identical, it is very closely allied to 2. albiscapa. Its habitat is Western Australia. Sp. 186. RHIPIDURA RUFIFRONS. Rurovus-FRONTED FAnTatL. Muscicapa rufifrons, Lath. Ind. Orn. Suppl., p. 1. Orange-rumped Flycatcher, Lewin, Birds of New Holl., pl. 13. Rufous-fronted Flycatcher, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 220. Rhipidura rufifrons, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 248. ' Bur-ril, Aborigines of New South Wales. Rhipidura rufifrons, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 84. The Rufous-fronted Fantail is one of the most beautiful and one of the oldest known members of the group to which it belongs, having been originally described by Latham in his ‘Index Ornithologicus,’ and included in the works of nearly every subsequent writer on ornithology. In Mr. INSESSORES. 24) Caley’s short but valuable ‘Notes on the Birds of New South Wales,’ he says, “This bird appears to me to be a rare one; at least I do not recollect having ever seen any other specimen than the present. I met with it on the - 15th of October, 1807, in a thick brush or underwood, the resort of the great Bat,’ at Cardunny, a place about ten miles to the north-east of Paramatta. The fact of the colony having at that early date been but little explored will readily account for Caley’s opinion of the rarity of this bird; but had he visited the dense brushes of Illawarra, the Liverpool range, and the Hunter, he would have found it in considerable numbers. ) Although many of its habits closely resemble those of the Rhipidura albiscapa, they are, as the greater length of its legs would indicate, far more terrestrial. It runs over the ground and the fallen logs of trees with great facility. While thus engaged, and particularly when approached, it constantly spreads and displays its beautiful tail, and evinces a great degree of restlessness. It is always found in the most secluded parts of the forest, no portion of which appears to be too dense for its abode. | I never met with it in Tasmania or on the islands in Bass’s Straits, neither do I recollect having seen it in South Australia ; and it has not yet been found in Western Australia or on the north coast, in which latter locality it is represented by the Rhipidura dryas. | I had but little opportunity of observing it during the breeding-season, but frequently found its deserted wineglass-" shaped nest, which bore a general resemblance to that of R. albiscapa. In one of them T found a single egg, which may be thus described :—Ground-colour stony-white, speckled all over with purple and yellowish-brown spots and markings, disposed so numerously as to form a zone at the larger end. It is about eight lines long and six broad. . The sexes are precisely alike in colour; and their only R 24.2 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. outward difference consists in the somewhat smaller size of the female. Forehead rusty red, continuing over the eye; crown of the head, back of the neck, upper part of the back, and wings olive-brown; lower part of the back, tail-coverts, and the basal portions of the tail rusty red; remainder of the tail blackish brown, obscurely tipped with light grey; the shafts of the tail-feathers, for nearly half their length from the base, light rusty red; throat and centre of the abdomen white ; ear-coverts dark brown; chest black, the feathers of the lower part edged with white; flanks and under tail-coverts light fawn-colour ; eyes, bill, and feet brown. Sp. 137. RHIPIDURA DRYAS, Gould. Woop FrycatcHer. Rhipidura dryas, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. i. Introd., p. xxxix. This bird differs from R. rufifrons in being of a smaller size, in its dark-grey tail-feathers being more largely tipped with white, and merely fringed with rufous at the base only, in the breast being white, crossed by a distinct band of black, and devoid of the dark spotted markings seen on the chest of its ally. | Total length 52 inches; wing 23; tail 33; tarsi 3. The R. dryas inhabits the north-western portion of Austra- lia, where it appears to be as common as the &. rujifrons is in the south-eastern. I have several specimens, all of which bear a general resemblance to each other. Sp. 188. RHIPIDURA ISURA, Gould. NortHern FANTAIL. Rhipidura isura, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part vil. p. 174. Rhipidura isura, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 85. ‘This species is an inhabitant of the north and north-west ——— = INSESSORES. ; 243 coasts of Australia, in which localities specimens have been procured by Sir George Grey and by Gilbert, the latter of whom states that it is abundant in all parts of the Cobourg Peninsula, and that it is to be met with in every variety of situation, that it is usually seen in pairs, and that it secludes itself during the heat of the day amidst the dense thickets of mangroves. A nest found by Gilbert in the early part of November appeared to have been recently inhabited by young birds ; it was placed in the centre of three upright twigs of a species of Banksia, and was formed of narrow strips of bark, firmly bound together on the outside with cobwebs and vegetable fibres; it was very cup-like in shape, about two inches and a half in height, one inch and three-quarters in diameter, and three-quarters of an inch in depth. The food consists of insects of various kinds and. their larvee. All the upper surface dull brown; wings and tail darker brown, the outer feather of the latter on each side margined externally and largely tipped with white, the next having a large irregular spot of white at the tip, and the next with a minute line of white near the tip; chin and under surface buffy white, with an indication of a dark brown band across the chest; bill and feet black. Total length 8 inches; bill 3; wing 38; tail 84; tarsi 44. Genus SAULOPROCTA, Cabanis. M. Cabanis has considered it desirable to separate the Rhipidura motacilloides of Vigors and Horsfield and one or - two other nearly allied birds from the smaller Rhipidure and. to form them into a distinct genus, believing that their greater size, longer wings and legs, and different style of colourmg justified his so doing. | Besides the two species found in Australia several others exist in the islands lying to the northward of that country, all of which bear a general resemblance to each other. R2 Q44 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Sp. 189. SAULOPROCTA MOTACILLOIDES. Buack FANTAIL. Rhipidura motacilloides, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 248. Sauloprocta motacilloides, Cab. Mus. Hein. Theil i. p. 57. "! Wil-la-ring, Aborigines of the lowland, and ! " Jit-te-jit-te, Aborigines of the mountain districts of Western Australia. Wagtail Flycatcher of the Colonists of Swan River. Rhipidura motacilloides, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 86. With the exception of Tasmania, this bird has been found in every part of Southern Australia yet visited by Europeans. At the same time that it is one of the most widely diffused, it is also one of the most tame and familiar of the Australian birds, and consequently a general favourite; it is constantly about the houses, gardens, and stock-yards of the settlers, often running along the backs and close to the noses of the cattle in order to secure the insects which are roused and attracted by the heat from their nostrils, along the roofs of the buildings, the tops of pailings, gates, &c.; constructing its pretty nest beneath the verandah, and even entering the rooms to capture its insect prey. It passes much of its time on the ground, over which it runs and darts with the utmost celerity, and when skirting the stream with tail erect and shaking from side to side, it presents an appearance very similar to that of the Pied Wagtails; the movements of the tails of the two birds, however, are very different, that of the European being perpendicular, while that of the Australian is a kind of lateral swing. Its song, which consists of a few loud and shrill notes, is continually poured forth throughout the entire night, espe- cially if it be moonlight. Its flight is at times gracefully undulating ; at others it con- sists ofa series of sudden zigzag starts, but is always of very od _INSESSORES. — DAS short duration ; «it never poises itself in the air, like the Sezsura volitans, and never mounts higher than the tops of the trees. It commences breeding in September, and generally rears two or three broods. Its beautiful deep, cup-shaped and compact nest is very often built on a branch overhanging water, or on the dead limb of a tree overshadowed by a living branch above it, but the usual and favourite site is the upper side of a fallen branch without the slightest shelter from the sun and rain, at about three or four feet from the ground ; the nest itself is constructed of dried grasses, strips of bark, small clumps of grass, roots, &c., all bound and firmly matted together and covered over with cobwebs, the latter material being at times so similar in appearance to the barkof the branch, that the entire nest looks like an excrescence of the wood, when it is almost impossible to detect it; it is lmed with a finer description of grass, small wiry fibrous roots, or feathers. The eggs are generally three in uumber, of a dull greenish white, banded round the centre or towards the larger end with blotches and spots of blackish and chestuut-brown, which in some instances are very minute; the medium length of the egg is nine lines and a half, by seven lines in breadth. On an intruder approaching the nest, the birds fly about. and hover over his head, and will even sit on the same branch on which the nest is placed while the eggs are being taken; uttering all the time a peculiar cry which may be compared to the sound of a child’s rattle, or the noise produced by the small cog-wheels of a steam-mill. The sexes are alike in plumage, and may be thus de- scribed :— | Head, neck, throat, sides of the chest, upper surface, and tail glossy greenish black ; over each eye a narrow Ime of white ; wings brown; wing-coverts with a small triangular spot of white at the tip; under surface pale buffy white ; irides, bill, and feet black. 246 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Sp. 140. SAULOPROCTA PICATA, Gould. Prep Fanralu. Sauloprocta picata, Cab. Mus. Hein. Theil i. p. 57 (note). Rhipidura picata, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. i. Introd. p. XXXix. This northern species is a minute representative of the S. motacilloides of the south. It is a native of Port Essington and the surrounding country, and I have specimens brought by Mr. Wallace from the Aru Islands which, if not identical, are so similar that I have failed to detect any difference. The colouring of the 8. picata being the same as that of S. motacilloides, a description of it is unnecessary ; the following are its admeasurements :— Total length 64; wing 34; tail 3% ; tarsi Z. Genus SEISURA, Vig. and Horsf. The present genus and RAéipidura are mere modifications of each other; a difference of structure, however, exists of sufficient importance to justify their separation, and, as is always the case, a corresponding difference is found in the habits and actions of the species. Sp. 141. SEISURA INQUIETA. Restiess FLycatcHer. Turdus inquietus, Lath. Ind. Orn., Supp., p. xl. volitans, Lath., ib., p. xl. muscicola, Lath., ib., p. xli. dubius, Lath., ib., p. xl. Restless Thrush, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. i. p. 181. Volatile Thrush, Lath., ib., p. 183. Seisura volitans, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 250. " Jit-tee-gnut, Aborigines of Western Australia. The Grinder of the Colonists of Swan River and New South Wales. Seisura inquieta, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. il. pl. 87. This species ranges over the whole of the southern portions - INSESSORES. Q47 of the Australian continent, and appears to be as numerous at Swan River as it is in New South Wales, where it may be said to be universally distributed ; for I observed it in every part I visited, both among the brushes as well as in the more open portions of the country, in all of which it is apparently a stationary species. It is a bird possessing many peculiar and very singular habits. It not only captures its prey after the usual manner of the other Flycatchers, but it frequently sallies forth into the open glades of the forest and the cleared lands, and procures it by poising itself in the air with a remarkably quick motion of the wings, precisely after the manner of the English Kestrel (innunculus alaudarius), every now and then making sudden perpendicular descents to the ground to capture any insect that may attract its notice. It is while performing these singular movements that it produces the remarkable sound, which has procured for it from the colonists of New South Wales the appellation of “The Grinder.” The singular habits of this species appear to have attracted the notice of all who have paid any atten- tion to the natural history of New South Wales: Mr. Caley observes, “It is very curious in its actions. In alighting on the stump of a tree it makes several semicircular motions, spreading out its tail at the time, and making a loud noise somewhat like that caused by a razor-grinder at work. I have seen it frequently alight on the ridge of my house, and perform the same evolutions.” To this I may add the fol- lowing account of the actions and manners of this species as observed by Gilbert in Western Australia :— 7 «This bird is found in pairs in every variety of situation. Its general note is a loud harsh cry several times repeated ; it also utters a loud clear whistle; but its most singular note is that from which it has obtained its colonial name, and which is only emitted while the bird is in a hovering position at a few fect above the ground ; this noise so exactly resem- bles a grinder at work, that a person unaware of its being Q48 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. produced by a bird might easily be misled. Its modé of flight is one of the most graceful and easy imaginable ; it rarely mounts high in flying from tree to tree, but moves horizontally with its tail but little spread, and with a very slight motion of the wings ; it is during this kind of flight that it utters the harsh note above-mentioned—the grinding note being only emitted during the graceful hovering mo- tion, the object of which appears to be to attract the notice of the insects beneath, for it invariably terminates in the bird descending to the ground, picking up something, fly- ing into a tree close by, and uttering its shrill and distinct whistle.” The months of September, October, and November consti- tute the breeding-season. The nests observed by me in New South Wales were rather neatly made, very similar to those of Sauloprocta motacilloides, cup-shaped, and composed of fine grasses matted together on the outside with cobwebs, and lined with very fine fibrous roots and a few feathers ; they were placed on horizontal branches frequently overhang- ing water. The eggs, which are sometimes only two, but mostly three in number, are dull white, distinctly zoned round the centre with spots of chestnut and greyish brown, the latter colour appearing as if beneath the surface of the shell; their medium length is nie lines and a half by seven lines in breadth. The nests found by Gilbert in Western Australia were remarkably neat and pretty, and were formed of cobwebs, dried soft grasses, narrow strips of gum-tree bark, the soft paper-like bark of the MWelaleuce, &c., and were usually lined with feathers or a fine wiry grass, and in some instances horse-hair. The situations chosen for their erection are the most difficult of access, being the upper side, the extreme end, and the dead portion of a horizontal branch. The bird is very reluctant to leave the nest, and will almost suffer itself to be handled rather than desert its eggs. ~ ‘The sexes are very similar in plumage, but the female and INSESSORES. . — 949 young males have the lores or space between the bill and the eye not so deep a black as im the male. Head and all the upper surface shining bluish black ; wings dark brown ; tail brownish black ; lores deep velvety black; under surface silky white, with the exception of the sides of the chest, which are dull black ; irides dark brown ; basal half of the sides of the upper mandible and the basal two-thirds of the lower mandible greenish blue; the re- mainder of the bill bluish black; legs and feet dark bluish brown. Genus PIEZORHYNCHUS, Gould. The only species of this genus yet discovered in Australia ss a native of the northern parts of that country, from Cape York to Port Essington, where it frequents the dense beds of mangroves. Mr. G. R. Gray, in his Catalogue of the Birds of the ‘Tro- pical Islands of the Pacific Ocean in the collection of the British Museum, enumerates two species of this form from New Ireland, and in his Catalogue of the Birds of New Guinea one from the Aru Islands. . Sp, 142. PIEZORHYNCHUS NITIDUS, Gould. SuHinine FLYCATCHER. Piezorhynchus nitidus, Gould in Proe. of Zool. Soc., part viii. p. 171. Urg-bur-ka, Aborigines of Port Essington. Piezorhynchus nitidus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. il. pl. 88. This Flycatcher is by no means scarce at Port Essington, but, from the extreme shyness of its disposition and the situations it inhabits, it is seldom seen ; specimens im fact are not procured without considerable trouble and difficulty. As 250 | _ BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. I have not myself seen the bird in its native haunts, I transcribe Gilbert’s notes respecting it :—‘ Inhabits the © densest mangroves and thickets, and is usually seen creep- ing about close to the ground among the fallen trees in the swamps, at which time it utters a note so closely resembling the croak of a frog, that it might easily be mistaken for the voice of that animal; this peculiar note would seem to be only emitted while the bird is feeding on the ground; for when it occasionally mounts to the higher branches of the trees it utters rather a pleasing succession of sounds re- sembling dwit-te-twite; on the slightest disturbance it imme- diately descends again to the underwood and recommences its frog-like note. The nest is either built among the man- groves, or on the verge of a thicket near an open spot. One that I found among the mangroves was built on a seed- ling-tree not more than three feet from the ground ; another was on a branch overhanging a small running stream within reach of the hand; while a third, constructed on the branches of the trees bordering a clear space in the centre of a dense thicket, was at least twenty feet high. The nest at all times so closely resembles the surrounding branches, that it is very difficult to detect unless the birds are very closely watched ; in some instances it looks so like an excrescence of the tree, and in others is so deeply seated in the fork whereon it is placed, that it can hardly be discovered when the bird is sitting upon it. The nest is about two inches and a half in height and three and a quarter in diameter, is of a cup-shaped form, with the rim brought to a sharp edge, and is outwardly composed of the stringy bark of a Aucalyptus bound together on the outside with vegetable fibres, among which in some instances cobwebs are mixed: all over the outside of the nest small pieces of bark resembling portions of lichens are at- tached, some of them hanging by a single thread and moving about with every breath of air; the internal surface is lined with a strong thread-like fibrous root, whereby the whole INSESSORES. . 251 structure is rendered nearly as firm as if it were bound with wire.” : The eggs, which are two in number, are ten lines long and seven lines broad, of a bluish’white, blotched and spotted all over with olive and greyish brown, the spots of the latter hue being less numerous and more obscure; the spots inclining towards the form of a zone at the larger end. The male has the whole of the plumage rich deep ‘glossy greenish black; irides red ; bill greyish blue at the base, ‘black at the tip; tarsi greenish grey. | The female has the top and sides of the head and the back of neck rich deep glossy greenish black ; the remainder of the upper surface, wings, and tailrusty brown; and the whole of the under surface white. | Total length 74 inches; bill 1}; wing 34; tail 33; tarsi 3. Genus ARSES, Lesson. The members of this form are allied to those of Monarcha, and should be placed between them and the Zchitree. One species inhabits Australia, and others are found in the Aru and neighbouring islands. Sp. 143. ARSES KAUPI, Gould. ; Kaver’s Fiycatcuer. Arses Kaupi, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part xvii. p. 278. Arses Kaupi, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., Supplement, pl. - Thave some little doubt as to the propriety of placing this bird in the genus 4rses, but rather than multiply the number of genera, perhaps unnecessarily, I have assigned it a place therein, as it accords more nearly with that form than with Monarcha, the only other genus to which it presents alliance. | am happy to have this opportunity of paying a just compli- ment to my friend Dr. Kaup of Darmstadt, an ornithologist 252 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. of vast acumen and research, and whose philosophical labours are well known to all naturalists. The specimen described was killed on the north coast of Australia. Small spot on the chin, crown of the head, lores, line be- - neath the eye, ear-coverts, broad crescentic band across the back, and a broad band across the breast, deep shining bluish black ; wings and tail brownish black; throat and a broad band across the back of the neck white; lower part of the back and abdomen white, the base of the feathers black, which occasionally showing through give those parts a mottled ap- pearance ; bill bluish horn-colour, becoming lighter at the tip; feet black. Total length 64 inches ; bill $; wing 53; tail 34; tarsi 3. Genus MYIAGRA, Vig. and Horsf. A group of insectivorous birds, the greater number of _ which inhabit the Indian Islands and Polynesia, and of which four species are found in Australia. Sp. 144. MYTIAGRA PLUMBEA, Vig. and Horsf. LEADEN-COLOURED FLYCATCHER. Myiagra plumbea, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 254. Myiagra plumbea, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 89, A summer visitant to New South Wales, where it takes up its abode on high trees bordering creeks and low valleys, and captures its insect food under the shady branches, the | Myiagra plumbea is mostly seen in pairs, which are rather thinly dispersed over the districts forming its usual place of resort. A low whistling note, frequently uttered by the males, is, in all probability, indicative of the season of love. On the approach of winter it retires northwards, and returns a INSESSORES. 2538 again the following August or September, the months in which spring commences in Australia. It is a most active bird; in fact all its actions are charac- terized by great liveliness; for even while in a state of comparative repose, or when not actually im pursuit of insects, it displays a constant tremulous motion of the tail, by which means its presence is often betrayed when it would otherwise remain unnoticed. As is the case with all the other members of the genus, the sexes present considerable difference in their plumage, the female having the throat of a bright rusty red, while the throat of the male is of a rich greenish lead-colour, like the upper surface,—a style of colouring which has suggested the specific name of plumbea. The young males during the first year so closely assimilate in plumage to the female, that by dissection alone can they be distinguished with certainty. The nest is cup-shaped, rather deep, formed of moss and lichens, and neatly lined with feathers, and is generally placed on the horizontal branch of a tree. I did not succeed in procuring the eggs. | The male has the whole of the upper surface, wings, tail, and breast lead-colour, glossed with green on the head, neck, and breast, and becoming gradually paler towards the ex- tremity of the body and on the wings and tail; primaries slaty black ; secondaries faintly margined with white ; under surface of the wing, abdomen, and under tail-coverts white ; bill leaden blue, except at the extreme tip, which is black ; irides and feet black. The female has the head and back lead-colour, without the ereenish gloss; wings and tail brown, fringed with bluish grey, particularly the secondaries ; throat and breast rich rusty red, gradually fading into the white of the lower part of the abdomen and under tail-coverts; upper mandible black ; under mandible pale blue, except at the extremity, which is black. a 254 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Sp. 149. MYIAGRA CONCINNA, Gould. Pretty FLYCATCHER. Myiagra concinna, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 90. This species is a native of the north-western portion of Australia, where it inhabits the dense mangroves and thickets adjacent to swamps. It is very shy and retiring in its disposition, but may occasionally be seen on the topmost branches of the highest trees of the forest. Like the other Flycatchers, it has the habit of sitting for a long time on a branch, watching the various insects as they pass, now and then darting forth and capturing one on the wing, and then returning again to the branch from which it had flown. When among the low mangroves it utters a rather agreeable twittering song; but on high trees it emits a loud and shrill whistle, drawn out at times to a considerable length. The stomach is muscular, and the food consists of insects of various kinds and their larvee. Like the other members of the genus, the sexes differ considerably in colour; they may be thus described :— The male has the whole of the upper surface, wings, tail, and breast lead-colour, glossed with green on the head, neck, and breast, and becoming gradually paler towards the ex- tremity of the body and on the wings and tail; primaries slaty black; secondaries faintly margined with white; under surface of the wing, abdomen, and under tail-coverts white ; bill leaden blue, except at the extreme tip, which is black ; rides brown ; feet blackish grey. The female has the head and back lead-colour, Sutin the greenish gloss; wings and tail brown, fringed with bluish grey, particularly the secondaries ; throat and breast rich rusty red; abdomen and under tail-coverts white, which colour does not gradually blend with the rusty red of the breast as in the female of Myiagra plumbea; upper mandible INSESSORES. 255 black ; under mandible pale blue, except at the tip, which is black. Sp. 146. MYIAGRA NITIDA, Gould. Suinine FLYCATCHER. Todus rubecula, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. xxii, female. Red-breasted Tody, Lat. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. i. p. 147. Platyrhynchus rubecula, Vieill., 2nde édit. du Nouv. Dict. d’Hist. Nat. tom. xxvii. p. 16. Myiagra rubeculoides, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 253, female. nitida, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part v. p. 142. Satin Sparrow of the Colonists of Tasmania. Myiagra nitida, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 91. The Myiagra nitida appears in Tasmania about the end of September, commences breeding soon after its arrival, rears a somewhat numerous progeny during the months of summer, and departs again in February. In performing these migra- tions it necessarily passes directly over the colonies of South Australia and New South Wales, yet it seldom occurs in col- lections from those countries. It is a most lively, showy, and active bird, darting about from branch to branch and sallying forth in the air in pursuit of its insect prey with a singular, quick, oscillating or trembling motion of the tail. I experienced but little difficulty in obtaining several of its nests and eggs among the gullies and forest land on the north side of Mount Wellington, particularly those immediately in — the rear of New Town, near the residence of the Rev. Thomas J. Ewing, who frequently accompanied and aided me in my search. ‘The nest is usually placed at the extreme tip of a dead branch, at a height varying from twenty to forty feet from the ground. Some nests are formed of a minute species of light green Mss ; others are constructed of fine threads of stringy bark ; all are rendered very warm by a dense lining ‘of soft hair of the opossum, the flocculent fibres of the tree a a em a i te teas a cesta te ce TE: 256 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. fern, and blossoms of many other kinds of plants; and the outsides of all are decorated with small pieces of lichen stuck on without any degree of regularity ; these different materials are all felted together with cobwebs. The form of the nest appears to depend upon the nature of the site upon which it is built: if placed on a level part of the branch, the nest is large and high; if in a fork, then it is a more shallow structure; in each case the opening is as perfect a circle as the nature of the materials will admit: the height varies from two inches to three inches and a quarter, the average breadth of the opening is about one inch and three-quarters, and the depth one inch. The eggs are generally three in number, somewhat round in form, and of a greenish white spotted and blotched all over with umber brown, yellowish brown, and obscure markings of purplish grey ; the medium length is nine lines, and breadth seven lines. The note is a loud piping whistle frequently repeated. The male has the lores deep velvety black ; all the upper surface, wings, tail, and breast of a rich deep blackish green with a metallic lustre; primaries deep brown ; under surface of the shoulder, abdomen, and under tail-coverts white ; bill lead-colour at the base, passing into black at the tip; irides and feet black. The female differs considerably from the male—the upper surface being much less brilliant, and the throat and breast of a rich rusty red—a style of colouring which is also characteristic of the young males during the first autumn of their existence. Sp. 147. MYIAGRA LATIROSTRIS, Gould. BROAD-BILLED FLYCATCHER. Myjagra latirostris, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part Viil. p. 172. Myiagra latirostris, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 92. This species was procured on the north coast by Mr. Dring, INSESSORES. 257 and at Port Essington by Gilbert. It is in every respect a true Myiagra, and is rendered remarkably conspicuous by the great breadth or lateral dilatation of the bill. As no notes accompanied the specimens, I am unable to give any par- ticulars as to its habits and economy; in all probability they are very similar to those of the other members of the genus. All the upper surface, wings, and tail dark bluish grey, with a shining greenish lustre on the head and back of the neck ; throat and chest sandy buff; under surface white; bill black ; irides blackish brown ; feet black. Total length 6 inches; bill $; wing 93; tail 23; tarsi ¢. Genus MACH ARIRHYNCHUS, Gould. This is a very singular and distinct form among the smaller Flycatchers. The bill is laterally developed to a greater extent than in any other bird of its size. At least two species are known, one of which inhabits Australia, the other, J. wanthogenys, the Aru Islands. Sp. 148. MACH AERIRHYNCHUS FLAVIVENTER, Gould. YELLOW-BREASTED FLYCATCHER. Macherirhynchus flaviventer, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part xviii. p. 277, Aves, pl. xxxil. Macherirhynchus flaviventer, Gould, Birds of Australia, Supple- ment, pl Mr. Macgillivray informed me that a single specimen of this Flycatcher was shot at Cape York by Mr. James Wilcox, who observed it on the skirts of one of the dense brushes or jungles, making short flights in the air, snapping at passing flies, and returning again to the same tree, the Wormia alata of botanists, distinguished by its red papery bark, large glossy leaves and handsome yellow flowers, which attract numbers of 5 958 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. insects. The place was frequently visited afterwards, but no other example was seen. Since Mr. Macgillivray’s visit to Cape York other examples have been procured in that locality. Crown of the head, lores, ear-coverts, wings, and tail black ; wing-coverts tipped with white ; secondaries margined with white ; outer tail-feathers margined on the apical portion of the external web and largely tipped with white, the white becoming less and less, until only a slight trace of it is found on the central feathers; back olive-black ; throat white; line from the nostrils over each eye and the breast, abdomen, and under tail-coverts bright yellow; bill black; feet bluish black. Total length 5 inches; bill $; wing 2; tail 21; tarsi 4. Genus MICRG:CA, Gould. Three species of this form inhabit Australia, to which country they are probably confined. Sp. 149. MICRECA FASCINANS. Brown FLYCATCHER. Lowia fascinans, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. xvi. Fascinating Grosbeak, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. 1. p. 197. Myiagra macroptera, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 254. Micreca macroptera, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part viii. p. 172. Sylvia leucophea, Lath. Brown Flycatcher of the Colonists. Micreeca macroptera, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 93. This bird is generally dispersed over the colonies of New South Wales and South Australia, where it inhabits nearly every kind of situation, from the open forest lands of the interior to the brushes of thickly-grown trees near the sea- eoast, shrubs not a yard high and the branches of the INSESSORES. 259 highest gum-trees being alike resorted to. It is certainly one of the least ornamental of the Australian birds; for it is neither gaily coloured, nor is it characterized by any con- spicuous markings; these deficiencies, however, are, aS 1s usually the case, amply compensated for by the little sombre tenant of the forest being endowed with a most cheerful and pleasing song, the notes of which much resemble, but are more clear and powerful than the spring notes of the Chaffinch (Fringilla Celebs), and which are poured forth at the dawn of day from the topmost dead branch of a lofty gum-tree, an clevated position which appears to be frequently resorted to for the purpose of serenading its mate, its usual place of abode being much nearer the ground. It is mostly met with in pairs, and may be frequently seen perched on the low bushy twigs of a thistle-like plant, occasionally on the gates and palings and in the gardens of the settlers, Mr. Caley states that “it has all the actions of the British Rodin Red-breast, except coming inside houses. When a piece of ground was fresh dug it was always a constant attendant.” It appeared to me that its actions resemble quite as much those of the Flycatchers as of the Robins, and at the same time are sufficiently distinct from either to justify the bird being made the type of a new genus ; I may particularly mention a singular lateral movement of the tail, which it is continually moving from side to side. Its food consists of insects, which it captures both among the foliage of the trees and on the wing, frequently flying forth in pursuit of passing flies, and returning again to the branch it had left. | It generally rears two broods in the course of the year. The nest, which is built in October, is a slight, nearly flat, and very small structure, measuring only two inches and a half in diameter by half an inch in depth; it is formed of fine fibrous roots decorated externally with lichens and small flat pieces of bark, attached by means of fine vegetable fibres and cobwebs, and is most artfully placed in the fork of a dead $2 260 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. horizontal branch, whereby it is rendered so nearly invisible from beneath, that it easily escapes detection from all but the scrutinizing eye of the aboriginal native. The eggs are generally two in number, of a pale greenish blue, strongly marked with dashes of chestnut-brown and indistinct blotches of grey; they are eight and a half lines long by five and a half Imes broad. | The sexes are alike in colour; the young differs from the adult in being much paler, and in being spotted with white on the head and back, and with brown on the breast. ‘The adult has all the upper surface and wings pale brown ; wing-coverts slightly tipped with white, and a wash of white on the margins of the tertiaries and tips of the upper tail- coverts; tail dark brown, the external feather white, and the next on each side with a large spot of white on the inner web at the tip; all the under surface pale brownish white, fading into nearly pure white on the chin and abdomen ; bill, irides, and feet brown. Sp. 150. MICRG@CA ASSIMILIS, Gowld. ALLIED FLYCATEHER. Micreca assimilis, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part vii. p. 172. Micreeca assimilis, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. 1. Introd. p. xl. This species inhabits Western Australia, and is nearly allied to the Micreca fascinans, from which it only differs in being much less in size, and in having the base of the outer tail-feather brown instead of white. All the upper surface brown; primaries dark brown ; tail brownish black; the tips and the terminal half of the ex- ternal margins of the two outer feathers white; the three next on each side also tipped with white, the extent of the white becoming less upon each feather as they approach the centre of the tail; the four middle feathers without the white INSESSORES. 261 tip; throat, centre of the abdomen, and under tail-coverts white, passing into pale brown on the sides of the chest and flanks ; irides reddish brown ; bill and feet blackish brown. Total length 48 inches ; bill 5 ; wings 323; tail 24; tarsi z%. Sp. 151. MICRE@CA FLAVIGASTER, Goud. YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER. Micreca flavigaster, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part x. p. 182. Micreca flavigaster, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 94. This little Flycatcher is met with in the neighbourhood of Port Essington in every variety of situation, and is particularly abundant on all the islands in Van Diemen’s Gulf. “It gives utterance,” says Gilbert, “to many different notes, pouring forth at the dawn of day a strain much resembling that of some of the Petroice, and like them remaining stationary for a long time while singing its agreeable melody. In the middle of the day, when the sun is nearly vertical, it leaves the trees and soars upward in circles, like the Skylark, until it arrives at so great a height as to be scarcely perceptible ; it then descends perpendicularly until it nearly reaches the trees, when it closes its wings and apparently falls upon the branch on which it alights. During the whole of this movement it pours forth a song, some parts of which are very soft and melodious, but quite different from that of the morning; in the evening the song is again varied, and then so much resembles the unconnected notes of the Gerygone, that I have frequently been misled by it. The Micreca flavigaster is a very familiar species, inhabiting the trees and bushes close around the houses, and is little alarmed or disturbed at the approach of man. At times it is extremely pugnacious; I have seen a pair attack a Crow and beat it until it was obliged to seek safety by flight, all the while calling out most lustily. Notwithstanding it is so abundant everywhere, and it must have been breeding during 262 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. my stay here, as is proved by my killing young birds appa- rently only a few days old, I did not succeed in finding the nest; and on inquiring of the natives, they could give me no information whatever respecting it or the period of meubation.” The sexes do not differ in colour or size. All the upper surface brownish olive; wings and tail brown, margined with paler brown; throat white ; all the under surface yellow; irides blackish brown; feet blackish grey. Total length 33 inches; bill 3; wing 2%; tail 24; tarsi }. Genus MONARCHA, Vigors and Horsfield. Several species of this genus occur in the Indian Islands, and two in Australia. They are insectivorous birds, and pro- cure their food by quietly hopping about among the branches of the trees. The members of the present form and those of the genus Arses are very nearly allied. Sp. 152. MONARCHA CARINATA. CARINATED FLYCATCHER. Muscipeta carinata, Swains. Zool. Il., 1st ser. pl. 147. Drymophila carinata, Temm. Pl. Col. 418. f. 2. Monarcha carinata, Vig. and Horsf. im Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 255. Monarcha carinata, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 95. This is a migratory bird in New South Wales, arriving in spring and departing again in March and April, the Austra- lian autumn. It gives a decided preference to thick brushy forests, such as those at Illawarra and other similar districts extending from the Hunter to Moreton Bay. _ It is also equally abundant in the thick brushes which clothe the slopmg moun- tains of the interior. During the spring or pairing-time it INSESSORES. . es becomes very animated, and is continually flying about and beneath the branches of the trees ; it does not capture insects, like the true Flycatchers, on the wing, but obtains them while hopping about from branch to branch, after the manner of the Pachycephale. Tt has arather loud whistling note, which being often repeated tends considerably to enliven the woods in which it dwells. | . The Monarcha carinata does not inhabit Tasmania or South Australia; its great nursery is evidently the south-eastern portion of the country. Forehead, lores, and throat jet-black ; all the upper surface grey ; wings and tail brown ; sides of the neck and the chest light grey; abdomen and under tail-coverts rufous; bill beautiful light blue-grey, the tip paler than the base; legs bluish lead-colour ; irides black; inside of the mouth greyish blue. In all probability, the females and the young males of the year are destitute of the black mark on the face. Sp. 153. MONARCHA TRIVIRGATA. BLACK-FRONTED FLYCATCHER. Drymophila trivirgata, Temm. Pl. Col. 418. fig. 1. Monarcha trivirgata, Gould in Syn. Birds of Australia, part 11. Monarcha trivirgata, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 96. Although the Monarcha trivirgata has been known to na- turalists for many years, it is still a scarce bird, very few spect- mens occurring in any of the numerous collections sent home from Australia, which is doubtless occasioned by its true habitat not having been yet discovered. ‘The specimens seen have been procured in the Moreton Bay district of the east coast. | | All the examples that have come under my notice have been marked precisely alike, with the exception of one procured during the early part of Dr. ‘Leichardt’s expedition from 264 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Moreton Bay to Port Essington, which differs in being desti- tute of the rufous timt on the flanks, and which may be a female. . I can perceive little or no difference between Australian examples and specimens brought by Mr. Wallace from the islands of Batchian and ‘Timor. In form and markings this species closely assimilates to the members of the genus Arses. Forehead, throat, space round the eye, and the ears jet- black; upper surface dark grey; tail black, the three outer feathers on each side largely tipped with white ; cheeks, chest, and flanks rufous ; abdomen and tail-coverts white ; bill lead- colour; feet black. Sp. 154. MONARCHA LEUCOTIS, Gould. WHITE-EARED FLYCATCHER. Monarcha leucotis, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part xviil. p. 201. Monarcha leucotis, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., Supplement, pl. I have refrained from making the White-cared Flycatcher the type of a new genus until more information has reached us respecting it, and in the mean time have assigned it a situation with the other members of that form to which it seems to me to be most nearly allied. Like most of the other new birds figured in the Supplement to the Birds of Australia, it is a native of Cape York, and in all probability it ranges widely over the north coast. “ Respecting this bird,” says Mr. Macgillivray, “I regret to say I can afford you very little information. A specimen was obtained at Dunk Island, off the north-east coast of Australia, in lat. 17° 56’ S., where it was shot during its flight from one tree to another: a second individual was afterwards procured at Cape York, which ren- ders it probable that its range extends between these two places.” INSESSORES. 265 Crown of the head, back of the neck, primaries and six middle tail-feathers black; three lateral tail-feathers on each side black, with white tips ; lores, a broad mark over the eye, ear-coverts, sides of the neck, scapularies, and upper tail- coverts white ; throat white, bounded below with black, the feathers lengthened and protuberant; chest and abdomen - light grey ; bill and feet lead-colour. Total length 52 inches; bill §; wing 93; tail 23; tarsi 3. Family ——? Genus GERYGONE, Gould. The term Psilopus was originally proposed by me for this genus ; but that name having been previously employed, Gery- gone Was substituted for it. Several species mmhabit Australia, and others, I believe, New Guinea and Polynesia. Their chief food consists of insects ar the most diminutive size, such as aphides, gnats, and mos- quitos. The more thickly-billed species may probably feed upon larger insects and their larvee. They mostly frequent the thick umbrageous woods, where they flit about under the canopy of the dense foliage, or sally forth into the open glade like true Flycatchers. Their nests are of a domed form, with the entrance near the top, some species protecting the opening by constructing a projection above it like the peak of a cap; the eggs are generally four in number, and spotted with red like those of the Malwri and Part. All the members of the genus yet discovered are of small size, unobtrusive in colour, sprightly m their movements, and but little skilled in song. The sexes are similarly marked, and but slightly differ in outward appearance. 266 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Sp.155. GERYGONE ALBOGULARIS, Gould. WHITE-THROATED GERYGONE. Psilopus albogularis, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soe., part v. p. 147. olivaceus, Gould, ibid., p. 147, young ? Gerygone albogularis, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 97. This, so far as I know, is a stationary species, and is abundantly dispersed over all parts of New South Wales, but evinces a greater preference for the open forests of Lucalypti than for the brushes near the coast. I found it in considerable numbers in every part of the Upper Hunter district, nearly always among the gum-trees, and constantly uttermg a peculiar and not very harmonious strain. It is very active among the small leafy branches of the trees, where it searches with the greatest avidity for msects, upon which it almost exclusively subsists, resorting for this purpose to trees of all heights, from the low sapling of two yards high to those of the loftiest growth. I killed young birds in January, but was not so fortunate as to discover the nest. The sexes are nearly alike in plumage; but the young of _ the year are distinguished from the adult by the throat being _| of the same colour as the breast, instead of white. _ Crown of the head, ear-coverts, and all the upper surface olive-brown ; throat white; chest and all the under surface bright citron-yellow ; two centre tail-feathers brown, the re- mainder brown at the base, above which is a bar of white, succeeded by a broader one of deep blackish brown ; the tips of all but the two middle ones buffy white on their inner web; bill blackish brown ; irides scarlet ; feet blackish brown im some specimens, and leaden brown in others. Total length 44 inches; bill}; wing 23; tail 12; tarsi 3. INSESSORES. — 267 Sp. 156. GERYGONE FUSCA, Gould. Brown GERYGONE. Psilopus fuscus, Gould in Proce. of Zool. Soc., part v. p. 147. Gerygone fusca, Gould in De Strzelecki’s Phys. Deser. of New South Wales and Van Diemen’s Land, p. 321. Gerygone fusca, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 98. The Gerygone fusca is an inhabitant of New South Wales, where it is to be found in all the brushes near the coast, as well as in those on the sides of the ranges in the interior. As its form would indicate, it has much of the habit of the Flycatcher, and lives almost exclusively upon insects, which are as frequently taken on the wing as they are from the under sides of leaves, &c. It particularly loves to dwell in the most retired and gloomy part of the forest, and is an active and lively little bird, flitting about from flower to flower, some- times, like the true Flycatchers, sallying out into the open - to capture an insect, and at others hanging to the under sides of the leaves, after the manner of the Acanthize. Its feeble song is a pleasing, twittering sound, and is poured forth almost incessantly. The breeding-season comprises the months of September, October, and November. ‘The nest is a delicate and beautiful structure of a domed oblong form, the lower end terminating in a point, with the entrance at the side near the top covered’ with a well-formed spout, which completely excludes both sun and rain from the interior of the nest; it is about eight inches in height and ten in circumference, the spout project- ing about two inches, and the entrance being scarcely an inch in diameter. The body of a nest found in the brushes of the Hunter was composed of green moss, mouse-eared lichen, soft wiry grasses, the inner bark of trees, and other materials, and was lined with extremely soft grasses. ‘The eggs are three in number, and very similar, both in size and colour, to those 268 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. of the Malurus cyaneus, being minutely speckled with red on a white ground; they are seven and a half lines long by five and a half lines broad. The sexes are alike in colour. Crown of the head, all the upper surface and wings dark fuscous brown, slightly tinged with olive; two centre tail- feathers brown; the remainder white at the base, succeeded by a broad band of deep blackish brown, round which is a broad stripe of white, which entirely crosses the outer feathers, but only the immer webs of the remainder, the tips pale brown; throat and chest grey; abdomen and under tail- coverts white; bill and feet deep blackish brown; irides bright brownish red. Total length 3% inches; bill }; wing 24; tail 12; tarsi 3. Sp.157. GERYGONE CULICIVORA, Gould. WrsTERN GERYGONE. Psilopus culicivorus, Gould in Proe. of Zool. Soc., part viii. p. 174. War-ryle-bur-dang, Aborigines of the lowlands of Western Australia. Gerygone culicivorus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 99. This species is plentifully dispersed over the colony of Swan River in Western Australia, where it inhabits forests, scrubs, and all situations where flowering trees abound, and where it is seen either m pairs or in small groups of four or five in number. Its food consists wholly of aphides and other small insects, which are captured on the wing or from off the flowers; it sometimes traverses the smaller branches, and even the upright boles of trees, prying about and searching for its prey with the most scrutinizing care. Its powers of flight are rarely exerted for any other purpose than to convey it from shrub to shrub, and for its little sallies in pursuit of insects, much after the manner of the true Flycatchers. Its notes are very varied, being at one time a singing kind INSESSORES. ~—6- 269 of whistle, and at others a somewhat pleasing and plaintive medody ; but it has a singular habit of uttermg, when flitting from tree to tree, a succession of notes and half-notes, some of which are harmoniously blended, while others are equally dis- cordant. | | It is said by the natives to breed in September and October. The nest is suspended by the top to the extremity of a branch, and is formed of threads of bark, small spiders’ nests, green moss, WC., all felted together with cobwebs and vegeta- ble fibres, and warmly lined with feathers; it is about eight inches in length, pointed at the top and at the bottom, and about nine inches in circumference in the middle; the extrance is a small round hole, about three inches from the top, with a slight projection immediately above it. I did not succeed in procuring the eggs. The sexes are alike in plumage. All the upper surface olive-brown ; wings brown, margined with olive; two centre tail-feathers brown; the remainder white, crossed by an irregular band of black and tipped with brown, the band upon all but the external feathers so blend- ing with the brown at the tip that the white between merely forms a spot on the inner web ; lores blackish brown ; line over the eye, throat, and chest light grey, passing into buff on the flanks, and into white on the centre of the abdomen and under tail-coverts; irides light reddish yellow; bill and feet black. Total length 44 inches; bill}; wing 24; tail 1}; tarsi olen 270 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Sp. 158. GERYGONE MAGNIROSTRIS, Gould. GREAT-BILLED GERYGONE. Gerygone magnirostris, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part x. p. 183. Gerygone magnirostris, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 100. Of this species I regret to say but little information has as yet been received ; the two examples in my collection are all that have come under my notice; and these were shot by Gilbert on Greenhill Island near Port Essington, while hovering over the blossoms of the mangroves and engaged in capturing the smaller kinds of insects, during which occupa- tion it gave utterance to an extremely weak twittering song : unfortunately he had no further opportunity of making himself acquainted with its habits and manners; but they doubtless resemble those of the other members of the genus. All the upper surface brown; margins of the primaries slightly tinged with olive ; tail-feathers crossed near the ex- tremity by an indistinct broad band of brownish black ; all the under surface white, tinged with brownish buff; irides light brown; bill olive-brown ; the base of the lower mandi- ble pearl-white ; feet greenish grey. Total length 32 inches ; bill 3% ; wing 27; tail 1g; tarsi 3. Sp. 159. GERYGONE LAVIGASTER, Gould. BUFF-BREASTED GERYGONE. Gerygone lavigaster, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part x. p. 138. Gerygone levigaster, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 101. Gilbert killed several specimens of this little bird on the Cobourg Peninsula, and on the islands in Van Diemen’s Gulf, and sometimes observed a solitary individual among the man- eroves near the settlement of Port Essington. He states that it has a very pleasing but weak piping note, and occasionally INSESSORES. Q71 utters a number of notes in slow succession, but not so much ~ lengthened as those of the Gerygone culicivora of Swan River; like that bird, it hovers before the smaller leafy branches of the trees and creeps about the thickets. It is very tame, and scarcely ever flies from the tree upon the approach of an in- truder, but sits turning its little head about from side to side until the hand is almost upon it, when it merely hops upon another branch and again quietly looks about, apparently quite unconcerned. The stomach is tolerably muscular, and the food consists of small insects, principally of the soft-winged kinds. A narrow obscure line, commencing at the nostrils and passing over the eye, yellowish white; all the upper surface rusty brown ; primaries brown, margined with lighter brown ; tail whitish at the base, gradually deepening into nearly black, the lateral feather largely and the remainder, except the two middle ones, slightly tipped with white ; all the under surface white, slightly washed with yellow; irides light reddish brown ; bill olive-brown ; base of lower mandible light ash- grey; feet dark greenish grey. - 238% | Total length 33 inches ; bill +; wing 2; tail 14; tarsi 3. Sp. 160. GERYGONE CHLORONOTUS, Gould. GREEN-BACKED GERYGONE. Gerygone chloronotus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part x. p. 183. Gerygone chlorontus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 102. This species is an inhabitant of the northern parts 0 Australia: it is tolerably abundant at Port Essington, where it dwells among the extensive beds of mangroves which stretch along the coast. It is of a very shy and retiring disposition ; and as the colouring of its back assimilates very closely to that of the leaves of the mangroves, it is a very difficult bird to sight as it creeps about among the thick branches in search fe: BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. of insects, upon which it solely subsists. In form and m most of its habits and economy it offers some difference from the typical members of the genus Gerygone; and it would be no great stretch of propriety to assign to it a new generic appellation: the more lengthened form of its legs, the more rigid structure of its primaries, and the less development of the bristles at the gape are among the points in which it differs from the Gerygone fusca of the brushes of New South Wales. The sexes are so precisely similar in plumage, and differ so little in size, that dissection must be resorted to to distinguish the one from the other. Head and back of the neck brownish grey; back, wing- coverts, rump, upper tail-coverts, margins of the primaries, and the margins of the basal half of the tail-feathers bright olive-green; primaries and. tail-feathers brown, the latter becoming much darker towards the extremity ; under surface white ; sides and vent olive-yellow ; irides wood-brown ; up- per mandible greenish grey; lower mandible white; feet blackish grey. Total length 34 inches; bill 75; wing 2g; tail 1¢; tarsi 2. Genus SMICRORNIS, Gould. The members of this genus are the smallest birds of the Australian fauna. I have described two species, one in- habiting New South Wales, and the other Port Essington ; and had I characterized the bird of this form found in Western Australia as distinct, I should probably not have been in error. As it is impossible to convey a just conception of these di- minutive birds by written descriptions, I must request those readers who have the opportunity to consult the Plates in the folio work, on which the species are represented. INSESSORES. 273 ‘Sp.161. SMICRORNIS BREVIROSTRIS, Gould. SHORT-BILLED SMICRORNIS. Psilopus brevirostris, Gould in Proce. of Zool. Soc., part v. p. 147. Geah-ter-but, Aborigines of the mountain districts of Western Aus- tralia. Smicrornis brevirostris, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 103. This bird is a constant inhabitant of the leafy branches of the Eucalypti, and resorts alike to those of a dwarf stature and those of the loftiest growth. While searching for insects, mm which it is incessantly engaged, it displays all the scrutinizing habits of the Pari or Tits, clinging about the finest twigs of the outermost branches, prying underneath and above the leaves and among the flowers, uttering all the while or very frequently a low simple song. I found it abundant in every part of South Australia I visited, particularly in the neigh- bourhood of Adelaide and in the gullies of the ranges skirting the belts of the Murray; in New South Wales it was frequently seen at Yarrundi, and other parts of the Upper Hunter district. Gilbert states that m Western Australia he only met with it in the. York district, that it was always seen on the branches of trees, where it feeds on larvee and small insects, that its flight was of very short duration, merely flitting from tree to tree, and that its note is a weak twitter, a good deal resembling that of the Geobasileus chrysorrhous. It breeds in September and the two following months, and forms a nest of the downy buds of plants, mixed with green moss, the cocoons of spiders, &., all matted and bound together very firmly and closely with spiders’ webs, and the inside lined at the bottom with feathers; it is globular in form, and is attached by the back part to an upright branch, with the entrance in the side, the upper part over the entrance being carried out to a point, which shades the T 274 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. opening like the eaves of a house. The eggs are three in number, of a dull buff, marked with extremely fine freckles at the larger end; they are six and a half lines long by four and a half lines broad. A narrow stripe of yellowish white passes from the bill over each eye; crown of the head brownish grey, passing into olive at the back of the neck; back, rump, and upper tail- coverts olive, brightest on the latter; ear-coverts and sides of the face very pale reddish brown; throat and chest white, tinged with olive, with a faint longitudinal mark of brown down the centre of each feather, the remainder of the under surface pale citron-yellow; two centre tail-feathers brown ; the remainder brown at the base, the middle being crossed by a broad band of blackish brown, which is succeeded by a spot of white on the inner webs, the tips pale brown ; feet blackish brown; irides pale straw-yellow; bill varying from fleshy white to ashy grey. Total length 34 inches; bill 8; wing 2; tail 13; tarsi i. Sp. 162. SMICRORNIS FLAVESCENS, Gould. : YELLOW-TINTED SMICRORNIS. Smicrornis flavescens, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part x. p. 134. ie 7 flavescens, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 104. This is the least of the Australian birds I have yet seen, scarcely exceeding in size the smaller Humming-birds. It is tolerably abundant on many parts of the northern coasts of Australia, and particularly on the Cobourg Peninsula; it inhabits most of the high trees in the neighbourhood of Port Essington, keeping to their topmost branches, and there seeking its insect food among the leaves, over which it creeps and clings in every possible variety of position. From the circumstance of its confining itself exclusively to the topmost INSESSORES. . BIS branches of the trees, it is not easily procured, its diminutive size preventing its being seen. There is no outward difference in the sexes, either in size or plumage. Future research, and a longer sojourn in the country than has hitherto been afforded for the investigation of the natural productions of those distant parts, are requisite to determine whether it be migratory or not, and to procure correct information respecting its nidification. All the upper surface bright yellowish olive; the feathers of the head with an indistinct line of brown down the centre ; wings brown; tail brown, deepening into black near the ex- tremity, and with a large oval spot of white on the inner web near the tip of all but the two central feathers ; all the under surface bright yellow. Total length 23 inches ; bill 3; ; wing 74; tail 13; tarsi %5 Family SAXICOLIDA. Genus ERYTHRODRYAS, Gould. The birds of this form are much more delicate in structure than the members of the restricted genus Petrozcu, have their feeble bill strongly beset with bristles, and are more arboreal in their habits; their usual places of resort being the inner- most recesses of the forest, where, in a state of quiet seclusion, they flit about in search of insects ; the true Petroice, on the other hand, frequent open plains, are more bold and vigorous, and possess a structure which adapts them for the ground, over which they pass like the Wheatears. The two species of this genus, all that are at present known, are confined to the south-eastern portions of Australia and Tasmania. We may naturally conclude that, in their mode of nich tion, the form of their nests, and in the number and colour of their eggs, they will very closely resemble the true Petroice. ; T 2 276 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Sp. 168. ERYTHRODRYAS RHODINOGASTER. PINK-BREASTED Woop-Rosin. Saxicola rhodinogaster, Drap. Ann. Gén. des Sci. Phys. de Bruxelles. Muscicapa lathami, Vig. in Zool. Journ., vol. i. p. 410, pl. 13. Petroica rhodinogaster, Jard. and Selb. Ill. Orn. Add., vol. ui. Erythrodryas rhodinogaster, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part x. p.112. Pink-breasted Robin, Colonists of New South Wales. Erythrodryas rhodinogaster, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iii. pl. 1. The principal habitat of this species is Tasmania, where I shot several specimens in the gullies under Mount Wellington ; it is also abundant on the Hampshire Hills of that island. In one instance only did I meet with it on the continent, in a deep ravine under Mount Lofty in South Australia; I shot the specimen, which on dissection proved to be a young male. In habits and disposition this and the following species differ considerably from the Red-breasted Robins (Petrozce), and are much less spirited in all their actions. They prefer the most remote parts of the forest, particularly the bottoms of deep gullies, the seclusion of which is seldom disturbed by the presence of man, and where animal life is almost confined to aphides and other minute insects. There are times, however, especially in winter, when they leave these quiet retreats, and even enter the gardens of the settlers; but this is of rare occurrence. The food of the Pink-breasted Wood-Robin consists solely of insects, which it generally procures by pursuing them in the air. The nest is formed of narrow strips of soft bark, soft fibres of decaying wood, and fine fibrous roots matted and woven together with vegetable fibres, and old black nests of spiders. The eggs are three in number, of a greenish white, thickly sprinkled with light chestnut and purplish brown; eight lines and a half long, by six lines and a half broad. INSESSORES. att Like the true Petroicas, the sexes present considerable differences in their colouring. = The male has the head, neck, throat, and back sooty black ; a small spot of white in the centre of the forehead; wings brownish black; a few of the primaries and secondaries with an oblong spot of reddish brown on the outer web near the base, and another near the tip, forming two small oblique bands when the wing is spread; breast and abdomen rose- pink, passing into white on the vent and under tail-coverts ; irides and bill black; feet black, with the soles orange. The female has an indication of the white spot on the forehead ; all the upper surface brown; wings and tail brown, with the markings on the primaries and secondaries larger, and of a more buffy colour than in the male; throat brownish buff; chest and abdomen brownish grey; vent and under tail-coverts buff. The young male during the first autumn closely resembles \ the female; for the first two months after they have left the | nest, they have the centre of each feather striated with buff. Sp. 164. _ ERYTHRODRYAS ROSEA. RosE-BREASTED Woop-Rosin. Petroica rosea, Gould in Proce. of Zool. Soc., part vii. p. 142. _ Erythrodryas rosea, Gould, ibid. part x. p. 112. . Erythrodryas rosea, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iii. pl. 2. This pretty little Robin inhabits all the brushes skirting the south-eastern coast of New South Wales. [I also ob- served it to be numerous in the cedar brushes of the Liver- pool range. It is a solitary species, more than a pair being rarely seen at one time, is excessively quiet in its movements, and so tame that, in the course of my wanderings through the woods of Illawarra and in the neighbourhood of the Hun- ter, it frequently perched within two or three yards of me. What has been said respecting the habits and manners ‘of the pees eee 278 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Pink-breasted Robin is equally descriptive of those of the present bird. Of its nidification and the number and colour of its eggs nothing is at present known. Its cheerful song 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. Total length 4¢ inches ; bill +; wing 22; tail 24; tarsi 4. Genus PETROICA, Swans. | Several species of this genus inhabit Australia, where they form a conspicuous feature in the landscape, their bright red colouring offering a strong contrast to the sombre tint of the ground, upon which they dwell. They are very sprightly in their actions, and, like the Wheatears, raise their breasts in such a manner as to show off their fine colours to the greatest advantage. ‘They build round, cup-shaped nests, in the crevice! of a tree or in a wall, and sometimes under a stone or at the, | base of a rock. The sexes are very dissimilar, the males being adorned with black, white, and scarlet, while the females are of a sombre brown. INSESSORES. 279 Sp. 165. PETROICA MULTICOLOR. ScARLET-BREASTED ROBIN. Muscicapa multicolor, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 243. Red-breasted Warbler, Lewin, Birds of New Holl., pl. 17. Petroica multicolor, Swains. Zool. Ill., 2nd ser. pl. 36. Petreeca multicolor, Cab. Mus. Hein., Theil 1. p. 11. Goo-ba, Aborigines of Western Australia. Robin of the Colonists. Petroica multicolor, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iii. pl. 3. This beautiful Robin enters the gardens of the settlers in New South Wales, and is a great favourite, its attrac- tiveness being much enhanced by its gay attire—the strong contrasts of scarlet, jet-black, and white rendering it one of the most beautiful to behold of any of the birds of Australia. After a careful comparison of a large number of specimens, I | feel fully satisfied that the scarlet breast of this species, like | | ay that of the Robin of Europe, is assumed during the first | autumn, and that it is never again thrown off; but, as might t be expected, it is much more brilliant and sparkling during | the breeding-season than at any other period of the year. A - slight difference exists in the depth of the colouring of spe- cimens from the western and eastern coasts, those from the former, particularly the females, having the scarlet more brilliant and of greater extent than those from New South Wales and Tasmania; the difference, however, is too trivial to be regarded otherwise than as indicative of a mere variety. Its song and call-note much resemble that of the European Robin, but are more feeble, and uttered with a more inward | tone. \ The nest is a very compact structure of dried grasses, narrow strips of bark, mosses, and lichens, all bound firmly together with cobwebs and vegetable fibres, and warmly lined with feathers and wool or hair; in some instances I have seen it lined entirely with opossum’s hair; it is gene- ser RENTERS 280 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. rally placed in the hollow part of the trunk of a tree, or in a slight cavity in the bark six or seven feet from the ground ; but I have found it placed in a fork of a small upright tree more than thirty feet from the ground. The eggs, which are three or four in number, are greenish white, slightly tinged with bluish or flesh-colour, rather minutely freckled with olive-brown and purplish grey, the latter more obscure than the former; these freckles are very generally dispersed over the surface of the shell, but in some instances they also form a zone near the larger end: the medium length of the eggs is nine lines, and breadth seven lines. It usually rears two or three broods in the year, the period of nidification commencing in August and ending in February. The male has the head, throat, and upper surface black ; forehead snowy white; a longitudinal and two oblique bands of white on the wings; breast and upper part of the belly scarlet ; lower part of the belly dull white; irides very dark brown ; bill and feet black. The female has all the upper and under surface brown, with the breast strongly tinged with red. Sp. 166. PETROICA GOODENOVIL. RED-CAPPED Rosin. Muscicapa goodenovii, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 245. Petroica goodenovi, Jard. and Selb. Tl. Orn., Add. vol. ii. Petreca goodenovit, Cab. Mus. Hein., Theil i. p. 11. Me-ne-gé-dang, Aborigines of the mountain districts of Western Australia. . Red-capped Robin of the Colonists. Petroica goodenovii, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iii. pl. 5. Its red crown and much smaller size at once distinguish this Robin from every other species of the genus yet disco- vered, Although not plentiful in any part I have visited, it is very generally distributed over the whole of the southern INSESSORES. 281 portion of Australia; and was killed by Gilbert in Western Australia, where, however, it is very local, for he only met with it in two localities, one in the York district, and the other at Kojenup, about one hundred miles towards the interior from King George’s Sound. 7 I generally observed it either singly or in pairs, and it ap- peared to give a decided preference to the beds of dry rivulets, — ‘and to thinly timbered plains, the dense brushes near the coast never being visited by it; it would seem thercfore to be a species peculiar to the interior of the country. The whole of the actions and economy of this bird closely assimilate to those of the Petroica multicolor ; of its nidifica- tion but little information has yet been obtained ; I possess an egg which may be described as of a bluish white, with numerous fine speckles, particularly at the larger end, of yel- lowish brown and purplish grey, the latter appearing as if beneath the shell; it is five-eighths of an inch long, by half an inch wide. : It possesses a peculiarly swect and plaintive song, very much like that of the European Robin, but more weak and not so continuous. The male has the upper surface, neck, upper part of the breast, and wings brownish black ; wing-coverts and second- aries edged with white, forming a broad stripe along the wings; middle of the outer web of the quills with a narrow white margin; forehead, crown, and lower part of the breast bright scarlet, passing into white on the vent ; irides, bill, and feet blackish brown ; soles of the feet yellow. | The female, as is the case with the females of the other species, differs much from her mate in the colouring of the plumage. 282 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Sp. 167. PETROICA PHCNICEA, Gould. FLAME-BREASTED ROBIN. Petroica phenicea, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part iv. p. 105. Petreca phenicea, Cab. Mus. Hein., Theil i. p. 11. Muscicapa erythrogaster, var., Lath. Petroica pheenicea, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iii. pl. 6. Tasmania and the south-eastern portion of the Australian continent constitute the natural habitat of this species; in the former country it is very common, but in New South Wales and South Australia it is not so numerous, and is very local. It is far less arboreal than the Pefroica multicolor, giving a decided preference to open wastes and cleared lands rather than to the woods: in many of its actions it much re- sembles the Wheatears and other true Saxicoline birds, often selecting a large stone, clod of earth or other substance, on which to perch and show off its flame-coloured breast to the greatest advantage. As the season of nidification approaches, it retires to the forests for the purpose of breeding, and builds its cup-shaped nest in the hole of a tree, in the cleft of a rock, or any similar situation. It is a very familiar species, seeking rather than shunning the presence of man, and readily taking up its abode in his gardens, orchards, and other cultivated grounds; I have even taken its nest from a shelving bank in the streets of Hobart Town. It has a pretty, cheerful song, uttered somewhat low and inwardly ; the male: generally sings over or near the female while she is sitting upon her eggs. | The nest, which is thick and warm, is formed of narrow strips and thread-like fibres of soft bark, matted together with cobwebs and sometimes wool, and lined with hair and fea- thers, or occasionally with fine hair-like grasses. The general colour of the eggs is greenish white, spotted and freckled with purplish and chestnut-brown: much variety occurs in these markings, some assuming the form of large, bold irregular INSESSORES. Se spots and blotches, while in others they are merely minute freckles ; the eggs are three in number ; their medium length nine lines, and breadth seven lines. The male has the crown of the head and all the upper sur- face sooty grey, except a small white spot across the forehead, a patch of the same colour on the shoulders and the anterior edges of the tertials ; primaries and tail-feathers greyish black, except the outer feathers of the latter, which are nearly all white ; the second tail-feather on each side is also tinged with © white ; upper part of the throat sooty grey, the rest of the under surface rich scarlet ; under tail-coverts white ; irides, bill, and feet black. The female is uniform brown above; wings dark brown ; tertials and wing-coverts edged with reddish grey ; tail brown; the outer tail-feathers on each side almost wholly white ; all the under surface reddish grey ; irides, bill, and feet black. Genus MELANODRYAS, Gould. For the Pied Robins, of which at least two species inhabit Australia, I propose the generic term of Melanodryas. Sp. 168. MELANODRYAS CUCULLATA. Hoopgp Rosin. Muscicapa cucullata, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. 51 ? Hooded Flycatcher, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 223? Petroica bicolor, Swains. Ill. Zool., 2nd ser. pl. 43. Petreca cucullata, Cab. Mus. Hein., Theil i. p. 11. Grallina bicolor, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol, xv. p. 223. Jil-but, Aborigines of the mountain districts of Western Australia. Goo-ba-mégin, Aborigines around Perth, Western Australia. — Black Robin of the Colonists. Petroica bicolor, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iii. pl. 7. The Melanodryas cucullata inhabits New South Wales, Vic- toria, South Australia, and Swan River, but not Tasmania. It 284 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. loves to dwell in the open parts of the country rather than in the thick brushes. I have always found it most numerous on such flats as were studded here and there with large trees, among the lower branches of which, as well as on the ground immediately beneath them, it might be observed darting about for insects in the most bold and active manner; the jet-black colouring of its upper surface, contrasted with the whiteness of the other parts, rendering it very conspicuous, particularly when its wings and tail are displayed to their full extent. _ Its food consists solely of insects of various kinds, particu- larly coleoptera and their larve. The breeding-season commences in September, and con- tinues during the four following months; im this period two broods at least are reared. The nest, which is rather small and shallow, is formed of dried grasses, strips of bark, and fibrous roots, bound together and partly smoothed over with cobwebs, the inside being lined with fine wire-like fibres, and generally a little wool at the bottom ; it is placed on the dried branch of a small tree, resting against the trunk, or in the fork of a fallen branch within two or three feet of the ground. The _ eggs, which are three in number and of a rather lengthened form, are light olive-green without any spots or markings, but occasionally washed with brown, particularly at the larger end; their medium length is ten lines and a half, and breadth seven lines and a half. The male has the head, throat, neck, back, rump, upper tail-coverts, and the two centre tail-feathers deep velvety black ; the next tail-feather on each side black on the inner web, white on the outer web, and largely tipped with black, the remainder of the tail-feathers white, largely tipped with black; feathers covering the insertion of the wing white ; wings dull black, the secondaries edged with white; an oblique band of white across all but the two first primaries near their base ; under surface of the shoulder, breast, abdo- INSESSORES. . BSH men, and under tail-coverts white; irides brownish black ; bill black ; feet blackish brown. | The female has the upper surface dark brownish grey ; wings brown, with the oblique band less prominent than in the male; under surface light brownish grey, passing into white on the vent and under tail-coverts; tail brown, the lateral feathers white at the base, the white continuing to near the tip on the external web of the outer feather. The young immediately after leaving the nest is dark brown, with a stripe of light brown down the centre of each feather, the markings of the wings and tail resembling those of the adult; under surface like the upper, but becoming white as it proceeds towards the vent. Sp. 169. MELANODRYAS PICATA, Gould. Prep Rosin. For many years I have had in my possession skins of two Pied Robins, one from the north-west, and the other, which is somewhat mutilated, and perhaps a female, from Port Essington. In all probability they are two district species, both differing from the I. cucullata of New South Wales; I shall here, however, only describe the one from the north-west coast. The specimen is that of a fully adult male. In its colour and general form it is very like the I. cucullata, but 1s much smaller than ornithologists admit to constitute a mere race or variety. Head, throat, neck, back, and wings black ; scapularies, bases of the innermost primaries and the secondaries and under surface white; tail black, the lateral feathers white for two-thirds of their length from the base ; bill and legs black. Total length 54 inches; bill}; wing 33; tail 24; tarsi Z. BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Genus AMAURODRYAS, Gould. The well-known Dusky Robin of Tasmania differs in several particulars from the true Petrozce, not only in colour, but in the stouter and more robust or thicker form of the bill; its eggs are also very different from those of the Petrowce. The sexes are alike in colouring. : Sp. 170. AMAURODRYAS VITTATA. Dusxy Rosin. Muscicapa vittata, Quoy et Gaim. Voy. de l’Astrolabe, pl. 3. fig. 2? Petroica fusca, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iii. pl. 8. This plain-coloured species is very abundantly distributed over all those parts of Tasmania that are suitable to its habits ; it gives preference to thinly-timbered hills, and all such plains and low grounds as are sterile and covered with thickets and stunted brushwood. In its manners and whole economy it assimilates to the Red-breasted Robins ; I frequently observed it sitting on the stumps of dead and fallen trees, on the rail- ings of inclosures, gardens, and other similar situations. Its food appeared to consist solely of insects, which it swallows entire, even coleoptera of a large size. Its nest, which is rather large and of a cup-shape, is formed of coarse fibrous roots, small twigs, strings of bark and dried grasses intermixed with very fine hair-like fibrous roots, wool, and the soft seed-stalks of mosses. The size and form of the nest depend upon the nature of the situation chosen for a site ; if a ledge or fissure of a rock, it is much spread out, but with the inside and top very neatly finished; the opening measures on an average about two inches and a half, and the nest is about one inch and a quarter in depth. The eggs, which are three or four in number, differ in colour from those of every other member of the genus, but more nearly assimilate in tint and markings to those of INSESSORES. . ee Petroica bicolor than of any other. They are of a light ereenish blue, freckled and spotted with minute indistinct markings of brown; their medium length is ten lines, and breadth seven and a half lines. Although I have paid considerable attention to the distri- : bution of this species, I have never been able to meet with it on the continent of Australia, or in any other country than Tasmania. It is very numerous about Hobart Town, both in the gullies under Mount Wellington, and on the opposite side of the Derwent towards Clarence Plains. Its note is low and monotonous, without any peculiar cha- racter. The sexes are alike in colour. : Head, and all the upper surface reddish brown tinged with olive; wings and tail brown; primaries and secondaries crossed by a narrow line of white at the base; the outer tail- feather on each side margined externally and at the tip with white; under surface pale brown, passing into buffy white on the vent and under tail-coverts ; irides, bill, and feet blackish brown. The young is very dark brown above, striated with deep buff; beneath mottled brown and buffy white; the latter colour occupying the centre of the feathers. Genus PEECILODRYAS, Gould. On reference to the figures of the birds I have called Petroica? cerviniventris and P. superciliosa in the third volume of the folio edition and in the Supplement, it will at once be seen that these two species cannot be associated with either of the preceding genera, and must be separated into a new one; this division I have accordingly made, and assigned to it the above appellation. 288 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Sp. 171. PGiCILODRYAS CERVINIVENTRIS, Gould. Burr-sipep Rosin. Petroica? cerviniventris, Gould in Proce. of Zool. Soc., part xxv. p. 221. Petroica? cerviniventris, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., Supple- ment, pl. So far as regards Ornithological science, it was fortunate that Mr. Elsey remained for a long time encamped near the Victoria River, on the north-west coast of Australia, since it enabled him to pay much 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 Expedition. All who have read my work on the Birds of Australia, will have observed that a species of this form, collected by Gilbert in the neighbourhood of the Bur- dekin Lakes, towards the Gulf of Carpentaria, is figured m the third volume under the name of P. superciliosa ; to this species the one here described is very nearly allied—so nearly, in fact, that, although I have treated them as distinct, a suspicion has arisen in my mind that they may be the sexes of one and the same species; they both differ m form from the typical or true Petroice, and are doubtless representatives of each other in the respective countries they inhabit, the P. superciliosa dwelling on the eastern parts of the continent, and the P. cerviniventris in the western. | The following is a correct description of the latter :— 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 black- ish brown; irides dark brown. Total length 64 inches; bill?; wing 3}; tail 32; tarsi 2. The original specimen from which the above description was taken is now in the British Museum. INSESSORES. 289 © Sp. 172. PCICILODRYAS SUPERCILIOSA, Gould. WHITE-EYEBROWED RoBIn. Petroica superciliosa, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part xiv. p. 106. Petroica superciliosa, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iii. pl. 9. For our knowledge of this species we are indebted to the researches of Gilbert, who, while in company with Dr. Leichardt, during his adventurous expedition from Moreton Bay to Port Essington, discovered it in the neighbourhood of the Burdekin Lakes towards the Gulf of Carpentaria. The following remarks in Gilbert’s Journal comprise all that is at present known respecting it :—‘ May 14th. In a ramble with my gun I shot a new bird, the actions of which assimi- late to those of the Petroice and the Kopsaltrie: like the former it carries its tail very erect, but is more retiring in its habits than those birds; on the other hand, its notes resemble those of the latter. It inhabits the dense jungle-like vegeta- tion growing beneath the shade of the fig-trees on the banks of the Burdekin. I succeeded in procuring two specimens.” Superciliary stripe, throat, abdomen, under surface of the shoulder, and the bases of the primaries and _ secondaries white ; lores, ear-coverts, wing-coverts, and the primaries and secondaries for some distance beyond the white deep black ; all the upper surface, wings, and tail sooty brown; all but the two central tail-feathers largely tipped with white ; bill and feet black; irides reddish brown. Total length 5 inches; bill $; wing 3; tail 24; tarsi 7. Genus DRYMODES, Gould. Two species only of this genus have yet been discovered, and these, as their long legs would indicate, are denizens of the ground. One of them was figured in the folio edition, and the other in the Supplement ; the latter was obtained near Cape York. U 290 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Sp. 173. DRYMODES BRUNNEOPYGIA, Gould. Scrus-Rosin. Drymodes brunneopygia, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part viii. p. 170. Drymodes brunneopygia, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 10. I discovered this singular bird in the great Murray Scrub, where it was tolerably abundant ; I have never seen it from any other part of the country, and it is doubtless confined to such portions of Australia as are clothed with a similar character of vegetation. It is a quiet and inactive species, resorting much to the ground, over which and among the underwood it passes with great ease; it appeared rarely to take wing, but to depend for security upon its dexterity in hopping away to the more scrubby parts. I have occasionally observed it mount to the most elevated part of a low bush, and there pour forth a sharp monotonous whistling note, not very unlike that of some of the Pachycephaline ; indeed it was its note that first attracted my attention to it. When on the ground, and occasionally when perched on a twig, it elevates its tail considerably, but not to the extent of the Maluri. The sexes are alike in colouring, but the female is much smaller than her mate; the young resemble the immature Petroice in the character of their plumage. Head and all the upper surface brown, passing into rufous brown on the upper tail-coverts; wings dark brown, the coverts and primaries edged with dull white ; primaries and secondaries crossed near the base on their inner webs with pure white; tail rich brown, all but the two middle feathers tipped with white ; under surface greyish brown, passing into buff on the under tail-coverts ; irides, bill, and feet blackish brown. Total length 8 inches ; bill $; wing 32; tail 42; tarsi 14. I cee INSESSORES. 291 Sp. 174. DRYMODES SUPERCILIARIS, Gould. Eastern Scrus Rosin. Drymodes superciliaris, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part xviii. p. 200. Trokaroo, Aborigines of Cape York. : Drymodes superciliaris, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., Supple- ment, pl. Perhaps one of the most interesting birds discovered by me in the brushes of South Australia was a species of this form, to which I gave the name of Drymodes brunneopygra ; this second species of the genus is an inhabitant of the north- east coast ; and it will be seen by the following notes by Mr. Macgillivray that the two birds, as might be supposed, accord as nearly in their habits as they are allied in structure. « While traversing on the 17th of November, 1849, a thin ‘open scrub of small saplings growing in a stony ground thickly covered with dead leaves, about five or six miles inland from Cape York, I observed a nest placed on the earth at the foot of a small tree; its internal diameter was four inches and a half; it was outwardly composed of small sticks, with finer ones inside, and lined with grass-like fibres, and was moreover surrounded with dead leaves heaped up to a level with its upper surface; it contained two eggs an inch long by seven-tenths of an inch broad, of a regular oval shape, and of a very light stone-grey thickly covered with small umber blotches, which increased in size and were more thickly placed at the larger end: they were placed side by side, with the large end of one opposite the small end of the other. After watching near the nest for some time, one of the owners appeared, and was procured; but putrefaction having com- menced before my return to the ship, I could not ascertain the sex with certainty: it approached me within three or four yards, hopping with sudden jerks over the leaves, and moving by fits and starts like the Robin of Europe ; it uttered no cry u2 oats 992 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. ornote during the time I was watching its motions. Two others were afterwards procured in the same kind of open scrub, and the birds, being probably in the immediate neighbourhood of their nest, hopped up quite close to the observer.” This is a much more gaily attired species than the last, its back and tail-feathers being rich reddish brown, which, with the black and white markings about its face and the two white bands across its wings, render it conspicuously different. The sexes assimilate in colour, but the female is somewhat smaller than the male. | Lores white ; immediately above and below the eye a black mark forming a conspicuous moustache ; crown of the head and upper surface reddish brown, passing into chestnut-red on the rump and six middle tail-feathers ; remainder of the tail-feathers black, tipped with white ; wings black, with the base of the primaries and the tips of the coverts white, forming two bands across the wing ; throat and centre of the abdomen fawn-white; chest and flanks washed with tawny ; irides umber-brown; legs and feet flesh-colour. Total length 84 inches; bill Z; wing 32; tail 4; tarsi 18. Genus EOPSALTRIA, Gould. At least four species of this form are known; two of these are natives of Western Australia, and two inhabit the eastern portion of the country. Although generically distinct from, they are very nearly related to the Petroice. They are all more arboreal in their habits than those birds, and also differ from them in the silky character of their plumage and in the prevalence of yellow in their colouring. The females generally lay only two eggs, while those of the Petroice lay four. INSESSORES. 293 Sp. 175. KOPSALTRIA AUSTRALIS. YELLOW-BREASTED RoBIN. _ Muscicapa australis, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. li. Southern Motacilla, Motacilla australis, White’s Journ., pl. in p. 239. Southern Flycatcher, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. u. p. 219. Sylvia flavigastra, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. liv? i Todus flavigaster, Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. i. p. 168. \ Pachycephala australis, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 242. Muscipeta, sp. 15, Muscicapa australis, Less. Traité d’Orn., p. 385. Eépsaltria flavicollis, Swains. Class. of Birds, vol. ii. p. 250. australis, G. R. Gray, List of Gen. of Birds, 2nd edit. p. 45. flavigastra, G. R. Gray. Yellow-breasted Thrush, Lewin, Birds of New Holl., pl. 23. Eopsaltria parvula, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part v. 1837, p. 144, female. Yellow Robin, Colonists of New South Wales. | Kopsaltria australis, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iii. pl. 11. This is a very common species in all the brushes of New South Wales; I also observed it in most of the gardens in the neighbourhood of Sydney, as well as in those of the settlers in the interior. It is very Robin-like in its actions, particularly in the habit of throwing up its tail, and in the sprightly air with which it moves about. It is by no means shy, and may often be seen crossing the garden walks, perching on some stump or railing, regardless of one’s presence, at which time the fine yellow mark on its rump is very conspicuous. Its powers of flight are but feeble, and are seldom employed except to enable it to flit from bush to bush or from tree to tree. Its food consists entirely of insects, which are more frequently taken on the ground than on the trees. It breeds in September and October. The nest is a beautiful, compact, round, cup-shaped structure, about three inches in diameter, and an inch and a half deep, composed of narrow strips of bark, wiry fibrous roots, and in some 294, BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. instances grasses; the outside held together with cobwebs, and sparingly speckled over with mouse-eared lichen and small pieces of bark hanging loosely about it; the inside of the nest is generally lined with leaves, but occasionally with portions of the broad blades of grasses. It is generally placed in the fork of some low tree in an open or exposed part of the brush, is a neat structure, and sometimes so nearly resembles the bark of the tree upon which it is constructed, as to be scarcely detectible. The eggs are usually two in number, of a bright apple-green, speckled and spotted all over with chestnut-brown and blackish brown, the latter tint being much less conspicuous than the former ; they are nine lines long by seven and a half lines broad. It is not migratory, and so far as is known, is confined to the southern and eastern portion of the country. The sexes are very similar in colour; but the female is somewhat smaller in size, and has the rump olive instead of yellow: the young on leaving the nest has the plumage streaked and spotted very similar to that of young Robins, but obtains the plumage of the adult at an early period. Head and all the upper surface, wings and tail, with the exception of the rump, very dark grey ; chin white; all the under surface and rump wax-yellow; irides, bill, and feet black. Sp. 176. EOPSALTRIA GRISEOGULARIS, Gould. GREY-BREASTED RoBIN. Eopsaltria griseogularis, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part v. p. 144. Muscicapa georgiana, Quoy et Gaim. Voy. de l’Astrolabe, pl. 3. fig. 4. Bam-boore, Aborigines of the lowland districts of Western Australia. Eopsaltria griseogularis, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ill. pl. 12. The Hopsaltria griseogularis is abundant in every part of the colony of Swan River, inhabiting thickets and all spots INSESSORES. 295 clothed with vegetation of a brush-like character. ‘In its actions,’ says Gilbert, “this bird is very like the Robins, being much on the ground, and when feeding constantly flying up and perching on a small upright twig. It does not appear to be capable of great or continued exertion on the wing, as it is rarely scen to do more than flit from bush to bush. Its most common note much resembles the very lengthened and plaintive song of the Sstrelda bella, but differs from it in being a double note often repeated ; it also utters a great variety of single notes, and during the breeding- season pours forth a short but agreeable song. «The nest is very difficult to detect, the situations chosen for it being the thickly-wooded gum-forests of the mountain districts and the mahogany-forests of the lowlands ; from the forks of the younger of these trees a great portion of the bark generally hangs down in strips; and in the fork the bird generally makes its nest of narrow strips of the bark bound together with cobwebs, while around the outside a quantity of dangling pieces are suspended, giving it the exact appear- ance of other forks of the tree; the inside of the nest has no other lining than a few pieces of bark laid across each other, or a single dried leaf, large enough to cover the bottom. It breeds in September and October, and lays two eggs, which are more lengthened in form than those of Lopsaliria austrahs, and are of a wood-brown, obscurely freckled with yellowish red, ten lines long by seven lines and a half broad. “Tts stomach is muscular, and its food consists of imsects of various kinds.” The sexes are precisely similar in outward appearance. It is stationary in Western Australia, but the extent of its range over the continent is not yet known. Crown of the head, ear-coverts, sides and back of the neck, and back grey; throat and chest greyish white; abdomen, rump, upper and under tail-coverts rich yellow ; wings and tail greyish brown, the extreme tips of the latter edged with = Se 296 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. white ; bill dark horn-colour ; irides very dark reddish brown; legs and feet dark olive-brown. Sp.177. HOPSALTRIA LEUCOGASTER, Gould. Wuitt-BELLIED Rosin. Eopsaltria leucogaster, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part xiv. p. 19. Muscicapa gularis, Quoy et Gaim. Voy. de Astrolabe, pl. 4. fig. 1. Kopsaltria leucogaster, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iii. pl. 138. The White-bellied Robin is a native of Western Australia, but is only to be met with in the hilly portions of the country. Gilbert states that the first specimen he procured was killed on the Darling range, near the gorge of the River Murray, at_an elevation of about seven or eight hundred feet, and that he afterwards met with it on the southern extremity of the same range, between Vasse and Augusta, but that he never observed it on the lower grounds between the mountain- range and the coast. Like the other species of the genus, it was constantly seen clinging to the bark of large upright trees, or straight and small stems, m search of its insect food. It is extremely quiet and secluded in its habits, is almost exclusively confined to the neighbourhood of small mountain-streams, where scarcely any other sound is heard than the rippling and gurgling of the water over the rocks, and on the slightest approach it immediately secretes itself among the thick scrub or brushwood. Its song very closely resembles that of the Petroice. Immediately before the eye a small triangular-shaped spot of black; above the eye a faint line of greyish white; crown of the head, all the upper surface, wings, and tail dark slate- grey; the lateral tail-feathers largely tipped with white on their inner webs; all the under surface white; irides dark brown ; bill and feet black. INSESSORES. 297 oa mp. 110. EOPSALTRIA CAPITO, Gould. LARGE-HEADED Rosin. Eopsaltria capito, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part xix. p. 285. Eopsaltria capito, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., Supplement, pl. The outer slopes of the high ranges which skirt the southern and eastern coasts of Australia, at a distance of from forty to sixty miles from the sea, have in the course of time changed into a soil so rich and deep as to be favourable, not only to the growth of the largest kinds of Lucalypti, but to magnificent cedars, fig-trees, and palms of two or three species. Favoured by an aspect which commands the rays of the sun, and by humidity from the sea, the vegetation here becomes of that dense and peculiar character technically known in New South Wales by the name of Brushes; these districts are tenanted by a bird-life equally peculiar; so that the fauna of the brushes is as distinct from that of the plains as if hundreds of miles of sea rolled between. The unobtrusively coloured bird here described is a native of the brushes of the south-east coast, and is tolerably plentiful in the neigh- bourhood of the Clarence, the Manning, and the Brisbane rivers. Its existence was not known to me when the ‘ Birds of Australia’ was published; and its discovery is due to the late F. Strange, who sent me several specimens, two of which have been figured in the supplement to the folio edition. Its habits are doubtless very similar to those of the other Hopsal- trie. like them, the sexes do not differ in colour, but the female may generally be distinguished by her somewhat smaller size. Upper surface olive-green, inclining to brown on the head ; wings and tail slaty-brown, faintly margined with olive-green ; ear-coverts grey ; lores, a line below the eye, and the throat greyish white; under surface yellow ; irides hazel ; bill black , feet brownish flesh-colour. . Total length 5 inches; bill}; wing 3§ ; tail 24; tarsi J. BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Family MENURIDA. Genus MENURA, Davies. Two, if not three, species of this extraordinary form are known to inhabit the dense woods of the south-eastern portions of Australia; until very recently, however, the M. superba was the sole representative of the genus. Other species may yet be discovered when the country has been more thoroughly explored. Sp. 179. MENURA SUPERBA, Davies. LYRE-BIRD. Menura superba, Davies in Linn. Trans., vol. vii. p. 207, pl. 22. Le Parkinson, Vieill. (Ois. Dor.) Ois. de Parad., pls. 14, 15, 16. Megapodius menura, Wag). Syst. Av., sp. 1. Menura lyra, Shaw, Nat. Mise., pl. 577. nove-hollandia, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. lxi. Parkinsonius mirabilis, Bechst. - Menura vulgaris, Flem. paradisea, Swains. Class. of Birds, vol. u. p. 351. Superb Menura, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. 11. p. 271. Pheasant of the Colonists. Beleck-Beleck and Balangara of the Aborigines. Menura superba, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 14. Were I requested to suggest an emblem for Australia among its avifauna, I should without the slightest hesita- tion select the Lyre-bird as the most appropriate, it being not only strictly peculiar to that country, but one which will always be regarded with the highest interest both by the people of Australia and by ornithologists in Europe, from whom it has received the specific appellations of superba, para- disea, and mirabilis. In the structure of its feet, in its lengthened claws, and in its whole contour, the Lyre-bird presents the greatest simi- larity to the Pteroptochus megapodius of Kittlitz. The im- INSESSORES. - 299 mense feet and claws of this bird admirably adapt it for the peculiar localities it is destined to inhabit. | The principal habitat of the Menura superba is New South Wales, and, from what I could learn, its range does not extend so far to the eastward as Moreton Bay, nor have I been able to trace it to the westward of Port Philip*; but further research can alone determine these points. It appears to inhabit alike the brushes on the coast and those that clothe the sides of the mountains in the interior ; on the coast it was especially abundant at Western Port and Illawarra when I visited the colony in 1838. In the interior the cedar-brushes of the Liverpool range, and, according to Dr. Bennett, the mountains of the Tumat country, are among the places of its resort. Of all the birds I have ever met with, the Menura is by far the most shy and difficult to procure. While among the brushes I have been surrounded by these birds, pouring forth their loud and liquid calls, for days together, without being able to get a sight of them ; and it was only by the most determined perseverance that I was enabled to effect this to me desirable object, which was ren- dered the more difficult by their often frequenting the almost inaccessible and precipitous sides of gullies and ravines, covered with tangled masses of creepers and umbrageous trees: the cracking of a stick, the rolling down of a small stone, or any other noise, however slight, is sufficient to alarm them; and none but those who have traversed the rugged, hot, and suffocating brushes can fully understand the excessive labour attendant on the pursuit of the Menura. Those who wish even to sight it must only advance when the bird’s atten- tion is occupied in singing, or in scratching up the leaves in search of food. To watch its actions, it is necessary to remain * It will be seen that I consider the Menura from this part of the country to be different from the bird inhabiting New South Wales, and that, under this impression, I have named it M. victortw in honour of our gracious Sovereign. 300 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. perfectly motionless, or it vanishes from sight as if by magic. But the Menura is not always so alert ; for in some of the more accessible brushes through which roads have been cut, it may frequently be seen, and on horseback even closely approached, the bird apparently evincing less fear of those animals than of man when thus unaccompanied. At Illawarra it is sometimes successfully pursued by dogs trained to rush suddenly upon it, when it immediately leaps upon the branch of a tree, and, its attention being attracted by the dog which stands barking below, it is more easily approached and shot. The Lyre-bird is of a wandering disposition ; and although it keeps to the same brush, it is constantly traversing it from one end to the other, from mountain-top to the bottom of the gullies, whose steep and rugged sides present no obstacle to its long legs and powerful muscular thighs ; it is also capable of performing extraordinary leaps; and I have heard it stated that it will spring to the ledge of a rock or the branch of a tree ten feet perpendicularly from the ground. It appears to be of solitary habits, as I have never seen more than a pair together, - and these only in a single instance; they were both males, and were chasing each other round and round with extreme rapidity, apparently in play, pausing every now and then to utter their loud shrill calls: while thus employed, they carried the tail horizontally, as they always do when running quickly through the brushes, that being the only position in which it could be conveniently borne. Among its many curious habits is that of forming small round hillocks, which are constantly visited during the day, and upon which the male is con- tinually trampling, at the same time erecting and spreading out his tail in the most graceful manner, and uttering his various cries, sometimes pouring forth his natural notes, at others mocking those of other birds, and even the howling of the Dingo. The early morning and the evening are the periods when it is most animated and active. It may truly be said that all the beauty of this bird lies in INSESSORES, 301 the plumage of his tail, the new feathers of which appear in February or March, but do not attain their full beauty and perfection until June; during this and the four succeeding months it is in its finest state; after this the feathers are gradually shed, to be resumed again at the period above stated. I am led to believe that they are all assumed simultaneously, by the fact of a native having brought to my camp a specimen with a tail not more than six inches long, the feathers of which were in embryo, and all of the same length. Upon reference to my journal I find the following notes upon the subject :—* Mar. 14, Liverpool range. Several Menuras killed to-day : their tails not so fine as they will be.” Oct. 25.—I find this bird is now losing its tail-feathers ; and, judging from appearances, they will be all shed in a fortnight.” The food of the Menura consists of insects, particularly centipedes and coleoptera ; I also found the remains of shelled snails in the gizzard, which is very strong and muscular. I never found the nest but once, and this unfortunately was after the breeding-season was over; but all those of whom I made inquiries respecting it, agreed in assuring me that it is either placed on the ledge of a projecting rock, at the base of a tree, or on the top of a stump, but always near the ground; and a cedar-cutter whom I met in the brushes informed me that he had once found a nest, which, to use his own expression, was “ built like that of a magpie,” adding that it contained but one egg, and that upon his © visiting the nest again some time afterwards he found in it a newly-hatched young, which was helpless and destitute of the power of vision. The nest seen by myself was placed on the prominent point of a rock, in a situation quite secluded fom observation behind, but affording the bird a command- ing view and easy retreat in front; it was deep and shaped like a basin, and had the appearance of having been roofed, was of a large size, formed outwardly of sticks, and lined with the inner bark of trees and fibrous roots. | 302 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. General plumage brown; the secondary wing-feathers nearest the body, and the outer webs of the remainder, rich rufous brown; upper tail-coverts tinged with rufous; chin and front of the throat rufous, much richer during the breeding-season ; all the under surface brownish ash-colour, becoming paler on the vent ; upper surface of the tail blackish brown ; under surface silvery grey, becoming very dark on the external web of the outer feather ; the inner webs of these feathers fine rufous, crossed by numerous bands, which at first appear of a darker tint, but on close inspection prove to be perfectly transparent ; the margin of the inner web and tips black; bill and nostrils black; irides blackish brown ; bare space round the eye blackish lead-colour; legs and feet black, the scales mealy. | | The female differs in wanting the smgularly formed tail, and _ in having the bare space round the eye less extensive and less brilliantly coloured. Sp. 180. MENURA VICTORLA, Gould. QuzEen Victorta’s Lyrz-BIRD. Menura victorig, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., 1862, p. 23. Those ornithologists who have examined specimens of the Menure from. the neighbourhood of Melbourne must have noticed a great difference in the structure of their tails from — this lyre-shaped organ in examples from New South Wales. Although on slender grounds, I admit, I have been induced to consider the Port Philip bird to be a distinct species ; I say slender grounds, because I have not seen a sufficient number of specimens from that locality to enable me to say positively that it is really different. ‘The specimens kindly sent to me by Professor M‘Coy, the learned naturalist at the head of the zoological department of the public Museum at Melbourne, would, however, tend to warrant this view; and I would especially call the attention of Australians to the aE a =a INSESSORES. 303 subject as one worthy of their attention. The chief difference of the bird I have named JZ. victorie is the diminished length of its outer tail-feathers, and their much stronger and broader markings. | Whether the bird be or be not distinct from J/. superba, the following highly interesting notes kindly sent to me by the late Dr. Ludwig Becker have reference to it :— « Bullan-Bullan is the name which the aborigines of the Yarra tribe give to this bird. The word has some similarity to the gurgling tone which the bird at times is heard to emit. The favourite place chosen by the Bullan-Bullan for building its nest is the dense scrub on the slopes of deep gullies, or in thickly grown small scrubs, lying between the bends of rivers, but still in the vicinity of mountains. Here the bird selects young trees standing close together; between the saplings, one or two feet from the ground, it makes fast its nest. Sometimes it may be found also upon the trunk of a tree, hollowed out by some bush-fire ; or it selects a fern tree, of not too great a height, for the same purpose. The nest proper is ten inches in diameter, and is five inches high. It is closely woven together from fine but strong roots, and the inside is lined with the softer feathers of the bird. Round this nest the bird builds a rough covering, composed of sticks and pieces of wood, grass, moss, and leaves, in such a manner that it projects over the genuine nest, affording the sittmg bird a shelter from above. An opening in the side serves as an entrance, through which the female enters backwards, with her tail laid over her back, and; with watchful eye and ear, keeps her head in the direction of the opening. She lays only one egg, of a purplish-grey tint, with numerous spots and blotches of purplish brown, especially at the larger end, as seen in the egg of the common Crow (Corvus corone); the colour resembles in fact so closely that of the feathers with which the nest is lined, that it is not easy to detect the egg. It is two and a half inches long by one inch and five-eighths broad. 804 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. “It is generally believed that the M/enura makes use of the same nest for several years. A nest and egg, found on the 3lst of August, arrived in Melbourne on the 4th of September, in a good state of preservation. This is some- what astonishing, considering that the ‘black fellow ° carried them on his back day by day, wrapped up in his opossum- skin, while by night he had to protect them from the wild cats and other animals. In Melbourne, unfortunately, or rather fortunately, the egg was broken, and an almost fully deve- loped young one dropped out, which would, in the course of two or three days, have broken through the shell. «The young one is almost unfledged, having only here and there feathers, resembling black horsehair, of an inch in length. The middle of the head and spe are the parts most thickly covered, while the forearm and the legs are less so. A tuft is visible on its throat, and two rows of small and light-coloured feathers on its belly. The skin is of a yellowish-grey colour; feet dark; claws grey ; beak black ; eyelids closed. “TJ believe that the period of incubation of the Lyre-bird begins in the first week of August, and that the young one breaks through the shell in the beginning of September.” Some further observations on this species were sent to me by Dr. Becker, on the 24th of September, 1859. “In the month of October 1858, the nest of a Lyre-bird was found in the densely wooded ranges near the sources of the river Yarra-Yarra. It contained a young bird in a sickly state, and of a very large size compared with its helplessness. When taken out of the nest, it screamed loudly ; the note was high, and sounded like ‘tching-tching.’ In a short time the mother, attracted by the call, arrived, and, notwithstanding the proverbial shyness of the species, she flew within a few feet of her young, trying in vain to deliver it from captivity by flapping her wings and making rapid motions in different directions towards the captor. A shot brought down the al Pe INSESSORES. 303 poor old bird, and, with its dead mother near it, the young | Menura was soon silent and quiet. It was taken away, and kept at a ‘ Mia-Mia’ erected in the midst of the surrounding forest. “The following description will give you, as nearly as possible, a correct idea of this interesting bird :— “Its height, from foot to crown of head, was sixteen inches. The body was covered with a brown down, but the wings and tail were already furnished with feathers of a dark brown colour. The head was thickly covered with a greyish-white down, from one to two inches in length. The eyes were hazel- brown; the beak blackish and soft ; the legs nearly as large as those of a full-grown specimen; but it walked most awkwardly, with the legs bent inwards. When it rose, it did so with difficulty, the wings assisting ; once on its legs, it ran sometimes, often falling down, however, in consequence of the want of strength to move properly the large and heavy bones of its legs. It constantly endeavoured to approach the camp-fire, attracted doubtless by the warmth, and it was a matter of some difficulty to keep it from that dangerous position. As I stated before, its cry was a high-sounding ‘tching-tching,’ often heard during daytime, as if recalling the parent bird. When this call was answered by its keeper, feigning the note ‘ bullan-bullan, which is an imitation of the old bird’s cry, it followed the voice at once, and was easily led away by it. It became quite tame very shortly after having been taken from the nest. It was always voracious, refusing no food when offered ; it stood there with the bill gaping, awaiting the approaching hand which held the food, consisting principally of worms and the larvee of ants, commonly called ants’ eggs; but it did not refuse bits of meat, bread, &c. Sometimes it picked from the ground ants’ eggs itself, but was never able to swallow them, as apparently the muscles of the neck had not attained sufficient power to produce the required jerk and throwing back of ».« 306 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. the head necessary for swallowing the grubs. It scarcely ever took water. It reposed in a nest made of moss, and lined with opossum-skin, where it appeared quite contented. While asleep, the head was covered by one of the wings. When called ‘Bullan-Bullan’ it awoke, looking for several seconds at the disturber, and soon put its head again under the wing, taking no notice whatever of other sounds or voices. A proof that the young of this bird often remain for a long time in their natural nest may be found in the manner in which they dispose of their droppings. The young captive always went backwards. before discharging its dung, as if afraid of soiling the nest. It is probable that m its natural state and during daytime it leaves the nest, when the warmth of the weather invites it, but during the night, and if cold weather sets in, the mother will be with her young. « Notwithstanding all the care bestowed upon this poor little bird, it died on the eighth day of its captivity, appa- rently in consequence of the excessively cold weather which set in, and which was even keenly felt by the possessor of the bird himself. At this time the young Menura had begun to change its plumage, feathers taking the place of the down with which it was previously covered ; and the legs, enveloped. in a sort of scaly scurf, which fell off as the bird grew older, already were of a blackish colour. «There is no doubt that the Lyre-bird could be easily introduced into our menageries ; they only require care while young, and, when full-grown and tamed, may be shipped to England with as little difficulty as any other Australian bird, none of which, however, offer such attractions as the Me- mura.” INSESSORES: 307 Sp. 181. MENURA ALBERTI, Gould. Prince ALBER?T’S LYRE-BIRD. Menura alberti, Gould in Proc. of Linn. Soc., February 5, 1850. Menura alberti, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., Supplement, pl. _ The dense, luxuriant, and almost impenetrable brushes which skirt the eastern coast of Australia from Sydney to Moreton Bay are, as might be supposed, tenanted by many forms both of mammalia and birds peculiarly their own ; many of these districts are very partially known, and some of them may be said to be as yet untrodden; hence it is not sur- prising that an additional species of this extraordinary form should have been there discovered. I must fairly admit, however, that I was not prepared for the acquisition of so remarkable a bird within the limits of the colony of New South Wales. The specific differences between the present bird and the M. superba axe very apparent; they consist in the rufous colouring of the plumage, and in the total absence of the brown barrings of the outer tail-feathers, which, moreover, are much shorter than the others, while in JZ. superba they are the longest. The first specimens that came under my notice were sent to me by the late F. Strange; my friend Dr. Bennett also forwarded to me almost simultaneously a fine example be- longing to the Sydney Museum, which the Directors had at his request permitted to be sent to England for illustration. With reference to the latter, Dr. Stephenson, residing at York Station, Richmond River, wrote to Dr. Bennett, “ You will perceive a very close affinity between it and the /. sw- perba, except in the tail, which is very different. Since the idea of its being distinct occurred to me and to my friend Augustus A. Leycester, Esq., 1 have made every possible in- 2 —6808 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. quiry respecting the bird amongst the sawyers and others, all of whom agree that it is distinct; some of them had shot specimens of the JZ. superba at Camden Haven and other localities, but had never seen the present bird further to the south than the Nambucca River ; they also state that the new bird is not so timid as the old one, and is consequently more easily shot. The locality it frequents consists of mountain- ridges not very densely covered with brush ; it passes most of its time on the ground, feeding and strutting about with the tail reflected over the back to within an inch or two of the head, and with the wings dropping on the ground. Each bird forms for itself three or four ‘ corroborying places,’ as the sawyers call them ; they consist of holes scratched in the sandy ground about two feet and a half in diameter by sixteen, eighteen, or twenty inches in depth, and about three or four hundred yards apart. Whenever you get sight of the bird, which can only be done with the greatest caution and by taking advantage of intervening objects to shelter yourself from its observation, you will find it in one or other of these holes, into which it frequently jumps and seems to be feeding, then ascends again and struts round and round the place, imitating with its powerful musical voice any bird it may chance to hear around it; the note of the Dacelo gigas it imitates to perfection; its own whistle is exceedingly beautiful and varicd. No sooner does it perceive an intruder than it flies up into the nearest tree, first alighting on the lowermost branches and then ascending by a succession of jumps until it reaches the top, whence it instantly darts off to another of its play-grounds. ‘The stomachs of those I dissected in- variably contained insects, with scarcely a trace of any other material.” The late F. Strange informed me that he met with the bird ‘in the cedar-brushes which skirt Turanga Creek, Richmond River. Like the JZ. superéa, it is of a shy disposition. I spent ten days in the midst of the cedar-brushes in the hope of learn- INSESSORES. 309 ing something of its nidification, but did not succeed in find- ing any nest with eggs; I found, however, one large domed nest made of sticks and placed in the spur of a large fig-tree, which the natives assured me was that of the Colvin, their name for this bird; it resembled that of Orthonyx, except that the inside was not lined with moss, but with the litter from a large mass of parasitical plants that had fallen to the ground. The natives agree in asserting that the eggs are only laid in the cold weather, by which I apprehend they mean the spring, as I shot a young bird about four months old, on the 24th of November, which had the whole of the body still covered with a brown and greyish down. I have seen this species take some extraordinary jumps of not less than ten feet from the ground on to a convenient branch, whence it continues to ascend in successive leaps, until it has attained a sufficient elevation to enable it to take flight into the gully below.” - The male has the crown of the head and back of a sooty black, with a tinge of chestnut on the forehead and some of the crest-feathers; all the upper surface, and parti- cularly the upper tail-coverts, rich rusty chestnut ; primaries blackish brown, tinged with rufous on their external edges ; throat rusty red, passing into a paler tint of the same colour on the breast; abdomen grey, washed with sandy buff; thighs grey, slightly washed with buff; under tail-coverts bright rufous ; upper surface of the tail-feathers slaty black, their under surface silvery grey; the large outer feather on each side much shorter than the corresponding feathers im " Menura superba, and. entirely destitute of the bars so conspi- cuous in that species; the two centre feathers narrow, pro- longed, crossing each other at the base, curving outward at the tip, and webbed only on their external side. The female is similar in colour to the male; but distin- guishable by the feathers of the tail being much less filament- ous in their structure, and by the two middle feathers being 310 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. shorter, broader, and straighter than in the opposite sex, and broadly webbed on both sides of the shaft. Since the above appeared in the folio edition, I have been favoured with several notes respecting this species which, in justice to the writers, I here insert. The first is from A. A. Leycester, Esq., who says— «These birds hitherto have been found only on the Rich- mond and Tweed rivers, in the dense brushes which clothe the mountains in those districts ; and, what is most remarkable, though similar mountains and brushes exist on the rivers both | north and south of those rivers, yet the J/. albertc is never to be found in them, their boundary appearing to be limited to a patch of country not wider than eighty by sixty miles. “The habits of Wenura alberti are very similar to JZ. su- perba. Having seen and watched both on their play-grounds, I find the J. albert: is far superior in its powers of mocking and imitating the cries and songs of others of the feathered race to the W. superba ; its own peculiar cry or song is also different, being of a much louder and fuller tone. I once listened to one of these birds that had taken up its quarters within two hundred yards of a sawyer’s hut, and he had made himself perfect with all the noises of the sawyer’s homestead—the crowing of the cocks, the cackling of the hens, and the barking and howling of the dogs, and even the painful screeching of the sharping or filing of the saw. I have never seen more than a pair together. Each bird appears to have its own walk or boundary, and never to infringe on the other’s ground; for I have heard them day after day in the same place, and seldom nearer than a quarter of a mile to each other. Whilst singing, they spread their tails over their heads like a Peacock, and droop their wings to the eround, and at the same time scratch and peck up the earth. They sing mornings and evenings, and more so in winter than at any other time. The young cocks do not sing until they get their full tails, which, I fancy, is not until the fourth INSESSORES. 811 year, having shot them in four different stages ; the two centre, curved feathers are the last to make their appearance. They live entirely upon small insects, principally beetles. Their flesh is not eatable, being dark, dry, and tough, and quite unlike other birds, They commence building their nests in May, lay in June, and have young in July. They generally place their nests on the side of some steep rock, where there +s sufficient room to form a lodgment, so that no animals or vermin can approach. “The nest is constructed of small sticks, interwoven with moss and fibres of roots, the inside being lined with the skeleton leaf of the parasitical tree fern, resembling horsehair, and covered in, with the entrance on the side. The single egg laid is of a very dark colour, appearing as if it had been blotched over with ink. The young bird for the first month is covered with down, and remains in the nest about six weeks before it takes its departure. Aboriginal name,’ Colwin.’ ” Mr. Wilcox, in a letter dated Sydney, September 26, 1852, writes :— “Tt gives me much pleasure to forward to you the nest and egg of Menura albert, which I have just obtained from the Richmond River. It was placed on a rocky ledge, about one hundred feet above the stream, so difficult of access as to render its acquisition a task of no ordinary kind. Another nest was also found in the brush near the water; it would seem, therefore, that there is no rule as to the elevation of the locality in which it is placed. Only one egg was found © in each nest; and, from all the information I could glean on the subject, the bird never lays but one. «You will be as sorry to hear as I am to tell you, that by an accidental fire I have just lost four young birds which had been taken from nests the moment they were ready to leave them, and which had thriven well for four months on worms, insects, bread, and meat. Mr. Lonsdale, a gentleman who has paid much attention to the birds of Australia, tells me that while out shooting on Mount Kera he came upon a bird sitting on 312 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. a nest at the base of a large tree on the side of a deep gully ; on going to the spot, the bird got off and ran away; he pursued and captured it, when it proved to be a young Menura superba; on returning again to the spot, he found the nest to be a loose structure of large sticks, and lined with the fibres of the cabbage-tree leaf.” A nest and an egg sent to me by Mr. Turner were described in the ‘ Proceedings of the Zoological Society’ for 1858 :— “The nest is oven-shaped in form, outwardly constructed of roots, tendrils, and leaves of palms, and lined with green mosses. It was about two feet in length by sixteen inches in breadth, and domed over except at one end. The eggs were barely two inches and a quarter in length by one inch and three quarters in breadth, and of a deep purplish chocolate, irregularly blotched and freckled with a darker colour. This nest and egg are now in the British Museum,” Genus PSOPHODES, Vigors and Horsfield. This form is peculiar to Australia. ‘Two species are known, one of which inhabits the eastern, and the other the western portion of the country. Sp. 182. PSOPHODES CREPITANS, Vig. and Horsf. CoACH-WHIP-BIRD. Muscicapa crepitans, Lath. Ind. Orn., Suppl. p. hi. Coach-whip Honey-eater, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. iv. p. 187. Psophodes crepitans, Vig. and Horsf. in dann. Trans., vol. xv. p. 329. Djou, Aborigines of New South Wales. Corvus auritus et olivaceus, Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. i. p. 160, and Suppl. . XXV1L Pica olivacea, Vieill. Nouv. Dict. d’Hist. Nat., tom. xxix. p. 119. gularis, Wagl. Syst. Av. Pica, sp. 13. Dasyornis Abeillei, Less. Psophodes crepitans, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iii. pl. 15. This bird, so renowned for the singularity of its note, is very - _INSESSORES. | 313 abundant in many parts of New South Wales, to which por- tion of the Australian continent it appears to be confined. It is to be found only in dense brushes, such as those at Maitland, Manning, Illawarra, and the cedar-brushes of the Liverpool range ; in fact, the localities that are suitable to the Menura and the Wattled Talegalla are congenial to the habits of the Coach-whip-bird. Its loud full note ending sharply like the cracking of a whip, with which the woods are constantly reverberating, appeared to me to be analogous to the peculiar call of the Menwra; besides this peculiar whistle, it also gives utterance to a low inward song of con- siderable melody. : | It is a shy and recluse species, rarely exposes itself to view, but generally keeps in the midst of the densest foliage and among the thickest climbing plants, frequenting alike those that have intertwined themselves with the branches of the tallest trees, and those that form almost impenetrable masses near the ground. It is extremely animated and sprightly in all its actions, raising its crest and spreading its tail in the most elegant manner. These actions become even more animated during the spring, when the males may often be seen chasing each other, frequently stopping to pour out their notes with great volubility. The food consists of insects of various kinds, obtained almost entirely from the ground, and sought for by scratching up the leaves and turning over the small stones, precisely after the manner of the Menura superba. | The sexes are much alike in colour, but may be readily distinguished by the more obscure plumage and smaller size of the female. The young of the first year are of a much browner hue, a character of plumage that soon gives place to adult livery. On its nidification the late I’. Strange sent me the following note :—* I found a nest on the 26th of Novem- ber; it was placed in a small bush surrounded with a great number of weeds, at about two feet from the ground. It con- 814 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. tained two young ones, which I looked at every day until they were half fledged, when they disappeared, having probably been taken out by the old birds, as I observed them in the neighbourhood for four days afterwards.” More recently some eges of this bird (which is said to lay two) have been sent to me from New South Wales, and may be thus de- scribed :— They are lengthened and elegant in form, about an inch and an eighth in length by thirteen-sixteenths of an inch in breadth, and are greenish white, sparingly dotted with black and greyish black, the latter colour appearing as if beneath the surface of the shell, and the spots beg most numerous at the larger end. In some specimens the markings assume the form of commas, small oblique dashes, and crooked Hebrew-like characters, reminding one somewhat of the mark- ings of the eggs of the Buntings. The male has the head, ear-coverts, chin, and breast black ; a large patch of white on each side of the neck, all the upper surface, wings, flanks, and base of the tail-feathers olive-green ; the remaining portion of the tail-feathers black, except that the three lateral feathers on each side are tipped with white ; under surface olive-brown, some of the feathers on the centre of the abdomen tipped with white, and forming a conspicuous irre- gular patch; irides brownish red; bill, inside and out, and base of the tongue black ; feet reddish brown. Sp. 183. PSOPHODES NIGROGULARIS, Gould. BLACK-THROATED PsopHODES. Psophodes nigrogularis, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part xii. p. 5. Psophodes nigrogularis, Gould, ‘Birds of /Australia, fol., vol. iii. pl. 16. The addition of a second species to the genus Psophodes will be hailed with pleasure by every one who makes the science of ornithology a matter of study ; nor will its discovery INSESSORES. 315 be a subject of surprise, as it is only another illustration of that beautiful law of representation which is conspicuously carried out in Australia. The habitat of the present bird will doubtless be hereafter found to be as strictly confined to the western part of the continent as that of the P. crepitans 1s to the eastern. It is to Gilbert’s perseverance that science is indebted for the knowledge of this new bird ; and his notes respecting it I here transcribe :—“ Inhabits thickets of a small species of Leptospermum growing among the sand-hills which run parallel with and-adjacent to the beach. It utters a peculiar harsh and grating song which it is quite impossible to describe, and which is so different from that of every other bird I ever heard or am acquainted with, that I shall have no difficulty in recognizing it again wherever I may hear it. 1 heard it for the first time, together with the notes of many other birds equally strange to me, in the vicinity of the Won- gan Hills a few weeks back, but could not then obtain a sight of the bird, although I knew that it was only a few yards from me.”’, _ Plumage of the upper surface olive; under surface ashy, passing into brown on the flanks and white on the centre of the abdomen; primaries brown; tail light olive-brown, the four lateral feathers crossed near the extremity with a band of black, and tipped with white; throat deep black, with a stripe of white from the angle of the lower mandible, just within the black; bill dark horn-colour ; irides dark brown ; feet dark horn-colour. Total length 64 inches; bill $; wing 3g; tail AL; tarsi 1g. Genus SPHENOSTOMA, Gould. The only known species of this genus frequents the sterile parts of the interior of Australia generally, particularly those portions of the country clothed with low shrubs and bushes. . That this form and Psophodes are nearly allied there can, I think, be no doubt. | 316 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Sp. 184. SPHENOSTOMA CRISTATUM, Gould. Crestep WEDGE-BILL. Sphenostoma cristatum, Gould in Proce. of Zool. Soc., part v. p. 150. cristata, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. 1. Introd. p. xlin. Sphenostoma cristatum, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iii. pl. 17. The Crested Wedge-bill is an inhabitant of the low scrubby trees and Polygonum bushes which stud the hot plains of the interior of Australia, particularly those on the borders of the Lachlan and Darling: it has also been killed on the Lower Namoi. Whether it has any kind of loud sharp whistle analogous to that of the Coach-whip-bird (Psophodes crepitans), or if it has the same shy disposition, it would be interesting to ascertain ; and to these points, as well as to all other details connected with its history, I would call the attention of those who may visit the interior, or may otherwise be favourably situated for observing them. The sombre tints of the bird are very like the colour of the earth of the plains it mhabits ; and when the nature of its food shall have been ascertained, its wedge-shaped bill will doubtless be found admirably adapted for procuring it. General plumage brown, lighter beneath ; chin and centre of the abdomen greyish white ; wings dark brown, edged with pale brown, the fourth and fifth primaries conspicuously margined with white ; four centre tail-feathers dark brown, indistinctly barred with a still darker hue; the remainder brownish black, largely tipped with white; bill blackish brown ; feet lead-colour. A nest of this species now in the British Museum is rather large, round, cup-shaped, outwardly composed of fine twigs and lined with grasses. The eggs in my own collection are like those of Psophodes crepitans, lengthened and elegant in form, their ground-colour delicate greenish blue, thinly - sprinkled with purplish-black specks, particularly at the larger bth INSESSORES. 317 end. In some instances these purple-black specks and mark- ings assume forms similar to those described as occurring on the eggs of Psophodes cremtans. Family Q Genus MALURUS, Vierllot. The members of this genus are among the most beautiful | of the Australian birds. Their gay attire, however, is only | assumed during the pairing-season, and is retamed for a very ~~ short period, after which the sexes are alike in colouring. The genus is strictly an Australian one, and, with two or three exceptions, all the species are confined to the southern , parts of the continent and Tasmania. ‘They build dome- \ shaped nests, and are frequently selected to perform the office of foster-parents to the young of the Bronze Cuckoo, (Chrysococeyx lucidus). — Sp. 185. MALURUS CYANEUS, Vieillot. , Supers WARBLER. Sylvia cyanea, Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. ii. p. 545. Motacilla cyanea, Gmel. Syst. Nat., vol. 1. p. 991. superba, Shaw, Nat. Mise., pl. 10. Superb Warbler, Shaw in White’s Voy., pl. in p. 256, upp. fig. Malurus cyaneus, Vieill. Gal. des Ois., p. 265, pl. 163. Superb Warbler, Blue Wren, &c., of the Colonists. Malurus cyaneus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iii. pl. 18. Of the lovely group of birds forming the genus Maturus, the present species is the oldest known, being that described and figured in White’s Voyage to New South Wales, under the name of Superb Warbler, a term by which the bird is still familiarly known in Australia. It is abundantly dispersed over the eastern portion of the country, and I observed it to be equally numerous on the plains of the interior ; but how 318 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. far its range may extend northwards, can only be determined. when those parts of the continent shall have been fully ex- plored. I killed many specimens in South Australia which I formerly believed to be identical with the present bird ; but on a recent comparison, I find them to be more nearly allied to the Afalurus longicaudus ; «further knowledge of the South Australian bird is therefore necessary, before I can determine to which it is referable, or if it may not be distinct from both. The Malurus cyaneus gives preference to those parts of the country which is thinly covered with low scrubby brushwood, and especially to localities of this description which are situ- ated near the borders of rivers and ravines. During the months of winter it associates im small troops of from six to eight in number (probably the brood of a single pair), which continually traverse the district in which they were bred. At this period of the year the adult males throw off their fine livery, and the plumage of the sexes then becomes so nearly alike that a minute examination is requisite to distinguish them. The old males have the bill black at all seasons, whereas the | young males during the first year, and the females, have this | organ always brown; the tail-feathers also, which with the ‘primaries are only moulted once a year, are of a deeper blue in the old male. As spring advances, the small troops sepa- | rate ito pairs, and the males undergo a total transformation, not only in their colour, but in the texture of their plumage ; indeed a more astonishing change can scarcely be imagined. This change is not confined to the plumage alone, but extends also to the habits of the bird; for it now displays great vivacity, proudly shows off its gorgeous attire to the utmost advantage, and pours out its animated song unceasingly, until the female has completed her task of incubation, and the craving appetites of its newly-hatched young have called forth a new feeling, and given its energies a new direction. _ During the winter months no bird can be more tame and familiar; for it frequents the gardens and shrubberies of the INSESSORES. 319 settlers, and hops about their houses as if desirous to court, rather than shun, the presence of man; but when adorned. with his summer plumage, the male becomes more shy and retiring, appearing to have an instinctive consciousness of the danger to which his beauty subjects him; nevertheless they will frequently build their little nest and rear their young in the most populous places. Several broods are reared annually in the Botanic Garden at Sydney, and I saw a pair busily employed in constructing their nest in a tree close to the door of the Colonial Secretary’s Office. The short and rounded wing incapacitates it for protracted flight, but the amazing facility with which it passes over the surface of the ground fally compensates for this deficiency; its mode of progression can scarcely be called running, it is rather a succession of bounding hops, performed with great rapidity: while thus employed its tail is carried perpendicularly, or thrown forward over the back ; indeed the tail is rarely, if ever, carried hori- zontally. | The breeding-season continues from September to January, during which period two, if not three, broods are reared: the young of one being scarcely old enough to provide for themselves, before the female again commences laying: inde- pendently of rearing her own young, she is also the foster- parent of the Bronze Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx lucidus), a single egg of which species is frequently found deposited in her nest ; but by what means, is (as in the case of its Kuropean prototype) unknown. : The nest, which is dome-shaped, with a small hole at the side for an entrance, is generally constructed of grasses, lined with feathers or hair: the site chosen for its erection is usually near the ground, in a secluded bush or tuft of grass. The egos are generally four in number, of a delicate flesh-white, sprinkled with spots and blotches of reddish brown, which are more abundant and form an irregular zone at the larger ex- tremity: they are eight lines long by five and a half broad. 320 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. - The song is a hurried strain, somewhat resembling that of the Wren of Europe. The stomach is muscular, and the food consists of insects of various kinds, collected on the ground, the trunks of fallen trees, &c. The male in summer has the crown of the head, ear-coverts, and a lunar-shaped mark on the upper part of the back light metallic blue; lores, line over the eye, occiput, scapularies, back, rump, and upper tail-coverts velvety black ; throat and chest bluish black, bounded below by a band of velvety black ; tail deep blue, indistinctly barred with a darker hue, and finely tipped with white; wings brown; under surface buffy white, tinged with blue on the flanks; irides blackish brown ; bill black; feet brown. The female has the lores and a circle surrounding the eye reddish brown; upper surface, wings, and tail brown; under surface brownish white; bill reddish brown; feet fleshy brown. Sp. 186. MALURUS LONGICAUDUS, Gould. LONG-TAILED SUPERB WARBLER. Malurus longicaudus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part v. p. 148. Malurus longicaudus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iii. pl. 19. The Long-tailed Superb Warbler is so universally dispersed over Tasmania, as well as the islands in Bass’s Straits, that to particularize any one part of the former island where it is found more than another would be vain, since it is present in every gully and every other place where low scrubby bushes and underwood are to be met with: I have also received from Kangaroo Island a single specimen in its winter dress which, I believe, is referable to this species. Active and cheerful, and possessing a sweet warbling song, the present bird is as much a favourite in Tasmania as the Superb Warbler is in New South Wales, and, like its congener, in INSESSORES. o21 the winter season it is equally tame and familiar. It is subject to the same changes of plumage, and its whole economy is so similar as to render a separate description unnecessary. Its nest is also similarly constructed, but is of a rather larger size, is usually composed of grasses and leaves, warmly lined with feathers, and in some instances with the fur of the Kangaroo and Opossum, and is placed either in a small bush near the ground, or artfully built in a tuft of grass. The season of reproduction commences in August and lasts until January, during which time two or three broods are reared. Like the JZ. cyaneus, it is also the foster- parent of the Bronze Cuckoo (Chrysococcyex lucidus). The eggs, which bear a similar character, but are proportionally larger than those of the J. cyaneus, are four or five in number, of a flesh-white, blotched and spotted with markings of reddish brown, particularly at the larger end, where these form an irregular zone: they are nearly nine lines long by ~ six and a quarter broad. The long legs of this species admirably adapt it for the ground, and for traversing the fallen trunks of trees, along which, with tail erect, it passes with the utmost activity : it is also frequently to be observed among the low trees and bushes, the male often selecting a small prominent bare twig, whereon to perch and warble forth his animated song. The male in summer has the crown of the head, ear-coverts, and a broad lunar-shaped mark on the upper part of the back metallic blue; lores, line over the eye, occiput, scapularies, back, rump, and upper tail-coverts velvety black; throat and chest bluish black, bounded below by a band of velvety black ; tail dark blue, indistinctly barred with a darker hue and finely tipped with white; wings brown ; under surface buffy white, tinged with blue on the flanks; irides blackish brown ; bill black ; feet brown. The female has the lores and a circle surrounding the eye reddish brown; upper surface, wings, and tail brown; under 4 322 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. surface brownish white; bill reddish brown; feet fleshy brown. Sp. 187. MALURUS MELANOTUS, Gould. BLACK-BACKED SUPERB WARBLER. Malurus melanotus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part vii. p. 163. Malurus melanotus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol,, vol. iii, pl. 20. The Belts of the Murray in South Australia were the only places in which I observed this species ; but, although it was tolerably abundant there, it was so extremely shy and dis- trustful that specimens were obtained with the greatest difficulty. It was most frequently observed on the ground, particularly in the small open glades and little plams by which the outer belt of this vast scrub is diversified. The period of my visit was in winter ; consequently the specimens I collected were all out of colour, or, more properly speaking, divested of the rich blue and black plumage, in which state a single specimen was afterwards forwarded to me by one of the party that accompanied His Excellency Colonel Gawler and Captain Sturt, when those gentlemen visited the Murray in 1839; and other examples have since been received. It is a most interesting species, inasmuch as it possesses cha- racters intermediate between the M. eyaneus and M. splen- dens, having the blue belly and conspicuous pectoral band of the latter and the black back of the former; from both, however, it differs in the length of its toes, which are much shorter than those of its near allies: this difference in struc- ture exerts a corresponding influence upon its habits and actions ; for while the others run over the ground with great facility, the Black-backed Superb Warbler far exceeds them in this respect. Instead of exerting any power of flight, those I saw effected their escape by the extraordinary manner in which they tripped over the small openings and through the INSESSORES. 320 serub, each troop appearing to have a leader, and keeping just beyond the range of the gun. | The male in summer has the crown of the head, chin, throat, abdomen, upper part of the back, upper and under tail-coverts beautiful metallic blue; ear-coverts verditer-blue ; lores, back of the neck, band across the breast, and lower part of the back velvety black; external margins of all the wing-feathers green; tail bluish green, indistinctly barred with a darker tint, and slightly tipped with white; bill black ; irides and legs blackish brown. The female has the lores and circle surrounding the eye reddish brown; all the upper surface brown; under surface brownish white; wings brown; tail green, each feather slightly tipped with white; bill reddish brown; feet brown, Total length 42 inches; bill ; wing 2; tail23; tarsi 2. Sp. 188. MALURUS SPLENDENS. BanpDED SupERB WARBLER. Saxicola splendens, Quoy et Gaim. Voy. del’ Astrol. Zool., tom. ee pl. 10. fig. 1. Malurus pectoralis, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part i. p. 106. Djur-jeel-ya of the Aborigines of the lowland, and Jeer-jal of the Aborigines of the mountain districts of Western Australia. Malurus splendens, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iii. pl. 21. The Malurus splendens, which may very justly be considered more gorgeous than any other of its race, its whole plumage sparkling with beautiful shining metallic lustre, is an in- habitant of the western coast of Australia, and is, I believe, very generally distributed over the Swan River settlement, where it inhabits scrubby places covered with underwood. Its song very nearly resembles that of the Tasmanian spe- cies, WU. longicaudus. It breeds in September and the three following months : the nest is constructed of dried, soft grasses, - and lined either with hair, wool, or feathers, is of a dome- ¥ 2 324 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. shape, the cover of the top resembling the peak of a cap, and is about six or eight inches in height: the eggs are generally four in number, of flesh-white, thickly blotched and freckled with reddish brown, especially at the larger end; eight and a quarter lines long by six and a quarter lines broad. The situation of the nest is much varied, being sometimes built among the hanging clusters of the stinkwood tree, at others among the upright reeds growing just above the water's edge on the borders of lakes and the banks of rivers. The male in its summer dress has the crown of the head, back, scapularies, and upper tail-coverts deep metallic blue ; ear-coverts verditer-blue; throat and all the under surface deep shining violet-blue ; lores, crescent-shaped mark across the chest, and back of the neck deep velvet-black ; external edges of the wing-feathers green; tail greenish blue, im- distinctly barred with a darker tint; bill black; eyes and feet blackish brown. The female has the bill, lores, and circle round the eyes reddish brown; crown of the head and all the upper surface brown; the external margins of the wing-feathers slightly tinged with green; tail as in the male, but paler, and slightly tipped with white. Sp. 189. MALURUS ELEGANS, Gould. GRACEFUL SuPERB WARBLER. Malurus elegans, Gould, Birds of Australia, part i. Aug. 1837. Djur-jeel-ya, Aborigines of the lowland districts of Western Australia. Malurus elegans, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iii. pl. 22. This is one of the largest species of the genus yet discovered, and is a most beautiful and elegant bird : the delicate verditer- blue of the centre of the back, and the larger size and more spatulate form of its tail-feathers, at once distinguish it from Malurus Lamberti, the species to which it is most nearly allied. It is an inhabitant of the western coast of Australia ; INSESSORES. 325 all the specimens I possess were collected at Swan River, where it is tolerably abundant. The nest is dome-shaped, with a hole in the side for an entrance, and is generally formed of the thin paper-like bark of the Tea-tree (Melaleuca), and lined with feathers: it is also usually suspended to the foliage of this tree, and occasionally to that of other shrubs which grow in its favourite localities. The eggs are four in number, of a delicate flesh-white, freckled with spots of reddish brown, which are much thicker at the larger end; they are about eight lines long and six lines broad. The breeding-season commences in September, and continues during the three following months. The males are subject to the same law relative to the seasonal change of plumage as the J/alurus cyaneus and the other members of the genus. The gay nuptial costume of these birds renders them conspicuously different from the Prinie of India, to which they have otherwise a seeming alliance. | The male has the forehead, ear-coverts, sides of the face, and occiput rich verditer-blue; centre of the back light verditer-blue; scapularies chestnut; throat, chest, back of the neck and rump deep velvety black, the throat im certain lights tinged with blue; wings brown; abdomen and under tail-coverts buffy white; tail dull bluish green, crossed by numerous indistinct bars, seen only in some positions, and very slightly tipped with white; bill black; eyes and feet blackish brown. The female has all the upper surface and wings brown ; throat and under surface buff-white; tail as in the male, but more dull, and devoid of the white at the extremity of the feathers; bill dull reddish brown, lighter beneath; space between the bill and eyes reddish brown ; legs brown. Total length 54 inches; bill 3; wing 1{; tail 83; tarsi |. 326 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Sp. 190. MALURUS PULCHERRIMUS, Gould. BLvuE-BRASTED SUPERB WARBLER. Malurus pulcherrimus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part xu. p. 106. Malurus pulcherrimus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iii. pl. 23. The Blue-breasted Superb Warbler is one of the variegated species of its genus, and is nearly allied to the JM. elegans and M. amabilis, but is of larger size, and moreover differs from them in having the throat and breast of a rich deep blue mstead of black. . For a knowledge of this species I am indebted to the researches of Gilbert, who informs me that “it appears to be exclusively confined to the thickets of the interior of Western Australia; in habits and manners it greatly resembles the other members of the genus, but its nest is somewhat smaller than that of either of them. A nest found on the 28th of October, in the vicinity of the Wongan Hills, was placed on the upper branches of a.species of Hakea, about four feet from the ground; it contained two newly-laid eggs, which resembled those of the other species of the genus, but had the blotches very much larger.” Crown of the head and a broad band across the centre of the back rich glossy violet-blue; space surrounding the eye, and the ear-coverts, verditer-blue ; throat intense indigo-blue ; bounded below by an indistinct band of black; lores, collar surrounding the back of the neck, and the lower part of the back deep velvety-black ; scapularies chestnut ; wings brown ; tail dull greenish blue, indistinctly barred with a darker tint, and slightly tipped with white; abdomen and under tail- coverts white; bill and feet black; irides dark brown. Total length 54 inches; bill 5; wing 2; tail 34; tarsi +3. INSESSORES. | 327 Sp. 191. MALURUS LAMBERTI, Vig. and Horsf. LAMBERT’s SuPERB WARBLER. Malurus lamberti, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn, Trans., vol. xv. p. 221. Superb Warbler, White’s Journ., pl. in p. 256, low. fig. Variegated Warbler, Lewin, Birds of New Holland, pl. xv. Malurus lamberti, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iii. pl. 24. Although far less common and much more local than M. cyaneus, this species ranges over a greater extent of country, being an inhabitant of most parts of New South Wales, the districts near the coast, as well as those of the interior, but particularly those in the neighbourhood of the Namoi, where it is sometimes associated with its congener M. cyaneus. ; The neighbourhood of Botany Bay is one of its most fa- vourite resorts, and it is occasionally seen near Sydney, and even in the small gardens within the town. It does not im- habit Tasmania, nor did I observe it in South Australia, or hear of its ever having been seen there, neither have I received it from thé colony of Swan River. This is one of the few common birds of Australia of which I was not able to find the nest; but its changes of plumage, nidification, the number and colour of its eggs, are doubtless very similar to those of the other members of its family. Its food consists of insects of various kinds, which are sought for on the ground, over which it runs with great facility. The male has the forehead, ear-coverts, sides of the head, occiput, and centre of the back beautiful violet-blue ; throat, breast, crescent across the upper part of the back and rump black; scapularies chestnut ; wings brown ; abdomen white, tinged with brown on the flanks; tail dull greenish blue, indistinctly barred with a darker tint, and lightly tipped with white ; bill black; eyes and feet dark brown. The female has the body dull brown; the throat and under 328 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. surface much paler ; tail-feathers as in the male, but less bri ght ; bill and space round the eye reddish brown; feet brown. Sp. 192. MALURUS AMABILIS, Gould. Lovey Supers Warsier. Malurus amabilis, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part xviii. p. 277. a amabilis, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., Supplement, Pp The officers of Her Majesty’s Surveying Ship Rattlesnake so well employed their time in collecting the natural produc- tions of the Cape York district, that they added very consi- derably to our knowledge of the fauna of that part of the continent. A single and somewhat bled specimen of this bird, bearing the words “Cape York, 1849,” was transmitted by the late Captain Owen Stanley to the Zoological Society of London ; and it is from this specimen that my description was kc It is nearly allied to the Malurus elegans, but differs from that bird in its larger bill, in the deeper and more uniform blue of the cheeks and crown, in the darker, colouring of the thighs, and in the much greater extent of the white on the tips and margins of the outer tail-feathers. I feel assured the female of JZ. amabilis will be found to closely resemble that sex of M/. elegans whenever it is our good fortune to have examples transmitted to us; and that this desideratum may soon be obtained, as well as additional skins of the male, is much to be wished. When the Cape York Peninsula is closely explored, not only this, but many other interesting species will reward the collector, and the fauna will probably be found to partake of that of the adjacent island of New Guinea, as well as of forms peculiar to New South Wales. Head, ear-coverts, and centre of the back delicate violet- blue ; lores, throat, breast, crescent across the upper part of the back, and the rump deep bluish-black ; scapularies chest- INSESSORES. 829 nut; wings brown, the secondaries slightly margined with white; abdomen white, very slightly tinged with buff on the flanks ; tail dull greenish blue, the four lateral feathers mar- gined externally and largely tipped with white; hinder part of the thighs black ; bill black ; irides and feet dark brown. Sp. 193. MALURUS CORONATUS, Gould. Crownep SurerB WARBLER. Malurus coronatus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part xxv. p. 221. scoot Pe coronatus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., Supplement, Pp Charming as are many of the smaller Australian birds, I think the present species is entitled to the palm for elegance and beauty, not only among the members of its own genus, numerous and beautiful as they really are, but among all other groups of birds yet discovered; the charm, too, is consider- ably enhanced by the great novelty in the style of its colour- ing ; for in how few birds do we find the lovely lilac tint which encircles and adorns the head of this bird! a similar tint, it is true, appears in the nape of the Bower-birds (Chla- mydoder@) ; but I scarcely know of a third instance Having prem T now come to the painful task of naming its collector ; I say painful, because the gentleman who shot and brought it to this country has fallen, like many other Australian explorers, a victim to the climate of that country, congenial to Europeans as it generally is. It will be recollected by all those who take an interest in scientific explorations, that Mr. Elsey accom- panied A. C. Gregory, Esq., as surgeon and naturalist on his great journey from the Victoria River to Moreton Bay. Soon after his return to England it became evident that he had contracted the disease called hemoptysis, which speedily obliged him to remove to a warmer climate : he selected one ised thus much respecting this new Malurus, — 330 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. of the West-Indian Islands, and, on arriving, commenced his investigations with his usual spirit; but he rapidly became worse, and science shortly had to deplore the loss of one of her most enthusiastic votaries. The little I saw of this gen- tleman impressed me with the belief that he had a true love for nature; and had he been spared, I feel assured he would have distinguished himself greatly in one or other branch of the natural sciences. The Malurus coronatus is an inhabitant of the countries bordering the Victoria River. Both sexes were procured, and they now form part of the collection in the British Museum. The male has the crown of the head rich lilac-purple, with a triangular spot of black im the centre, and bounded below bya band of velvety black, which, commencing at the nostrils, passes backwards through the eye, dilates upon the ear- coverts, and meets at the back of the neck; back and wings light brown; tail bluish green, becoming of a deeper hue towards the extremity; lateral feathers margined externally and tipped with white ; under surface buffy white, becoming gradually deeper on the flanks and vent; irides brown; bill black ; feet fleshy brown. The female has all the upper surface light brown; lores and space behind the eye white; ear-coverts chestnut; in other respects she is similar to the male. Total length 63 inches ; bill 3; wing 24; tail 38; tarsi 14. Sp. 194. MALURUS LEUCOPTERUS, Quoy et Gaim. ? WHITE-WINGED SUPERB WARBLER. Malurus leucopterus, Quoy et Gaim. Zool. de ’Uranie, p. 108, pl. 23. fig. 2? Amytis leucopterus, Less. Traité d’Orn., p. 454, Malurus leucopterus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iii. pl. 25, I regret that I have not been able to clear up the doubt which exists in my mind, whether the present bird is or is not INSESSORES. 331 distinct from the one figured by Messrs. Quoy and Gaimard in the ‘ Voyage de |’ Uranie,’ since, on applying at the Museum of the Jardin des Plantes for the purpose of examining the original specimen, it could not be found: the figure above quoted, if intended for this bird, is by no means correct, and it is, moreover, said to be from Dirk Hatich’s Island, on the western coast, a locality very distant from those in which my specimens were procured, New South Wales; which circum- stance strengthens my belief that they may be distinct : besides which, the bird under consideration is supposed to be ex- clusively an inhabitant of the interior ; for I never observed it between the mountain-ranges and the coast, and it is scarcely probable, therefore, that it should inhabit an island like that of Dirk Hatich. In case they should prove to be different, I propose the name of Malwrus eyanotus for the bird from New South Wales. The birds seen by me were either in pairs or im small troops, and evinced so much shyness as to render the ac- quisition of specimens a task of no little difficulty, particu- larly of the full-plumaged male, who appeared to be conscious that the display of his gorgeously coloured dress might lead to his detection. Its powers of flight are not creat ; but this is fully compensated for by the extraordinary manner in which it threads the bushes, and passes over the surface of the eround in a series of hopping bounds, whereby it readily eludes pursuit. The most successful mode of obtaining it is to ascertain the precise spot in which it is located, to approach it cautiously, and to remain silent for a short time, when the male will soon show himself by hopping out from the bush—the restless nature of his disposition not admitting of his remaining long concealed. The nest is composed of grasses, rather large and dome- shaped, with a hole near the top for an entrance. The one sent me from South Australia contained two eggs, one of which was the Bronze Cuckoo’s, thus showing that this little 332 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. bird is also the foster-parent of those birds. The number of eges laid by the MJalurus leucopterus is in all probability four; the one I possess is flesh-white, finely freckled with reddish brown (forming a zone at the larger end), and is eight lines long by six lines broad. ~The male has the whole of the head, body above and beneath, and the tail beautiful deep blue ; scapularies, wing- coverts, and tertiaries snow-white; primaries brown, with their external edges silvery green; bill black; feet brown ; eyes dark brown. The female has the crown of the head and all the upper surface and flanks brown; throat and abdomen white, faintly washed with brown ; external edges of the primaries and tail pale greenish blue ; bill reddish brown. Sp.195. MALURUS LEUCONOTUS, Gould. WHITE-BACKED SUPERB WARBLER. Malurus leuconotus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., 1865, p. 198. In size this fine new species is very similar to the last, from which, however, it may be at once distinguished by its white back, which has suggested the specific name I have assigned to it. It inhabits the interior of Australia, but the precise locality is unknown to me; it accompanied fine examples of Geophaps plumifera. My attention was called to it by Mr. Ward, of Vere Street. The example described is in the possession of Mrs. Elizabeth F. M. Craufuird, of Budleigh Salterton, Devon. The entire head, neck, under surface, rump, and tail deep blue; back, shoulders, greater and lesser wing-coverts, and secondaries silky white; primaries brown; bill black; feet brownish black. ; Total length 54 inches; billd; wing 2; tail 32; tarsi g. - INSESSORES. Deo Sp.196. MALURUS MELANOCEPHALUS, Vig. and Horsf. BLACK-HEADED SUPERB WARBLER. Scarlet-backed Warbler, Lewin, Birds of New Holl., pl. xiv. Malurus melanocephalus, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p- 222. browniti, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 223. Malurus melanocephalus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iii. pl. 26. The Black-headed Superb Warbler, which probably mhabits all the south-eastern portion of Australia, is a local species, not being generally diffused over the face of the country, like several other members of the group, but confined to grassy ravines and gullies, particularly those that lead down from the mountain-ranges. I obtained several pairs of adult birds in very fine plumage in the valleys under the Liverpool range, all of which I discovered among the high grasses which there abound ; but as the period of my visit was their breeding- season, I never observed more than a pair together, each pair being always stationed at some distance from the other, and in such parts of the gullies as were studded with small clumps of scrubby trees. This Superb Warbler has many actions in common with the WM. cyancus, and like that species carries its tail erect: it also frequently perches on a stem of the most prominent grasses, where it displays its richly-coloured back, and pours forth its simple song. I did not succeed in finding the nest, although I knew they were breeding around me : it was pro- bably placed among the grasses, but was so artfully concealed as to completely baffle my research. One might suppose the greater development of feather on the back of this species to have been given it as a defence against the damp and dense grasses of the ravines, among which it usually resides; but from the circumstance of the female not possessing this character of plumage, and the rich 334 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. garb being only seasonal in the male, this supposition falls to the ground. In their winter dress the sexes very nearly re- semble each other; but the males may always be distinguished by the black colouring of the bill and tail-feathers. The young male of the year has the tail-feathers brown, like the females ; and it is a curious fact, that at this age these feathers are much longer than in the adult. The male has the head, all the under surface, wing-coverts, upper tail-coverts, and tail deep velvety black ; back of the neck, scapularies, and remainder of the upper surface rich orange-scarlet ; bill black; eyes blackish brown ; feet fleshy brown. Female brown above, paler beneath ; bill brown; base of the under mandible reddish brown ; feet flesh-brown. Sp.197. | MALURUS CRUENTATUS, Gould. Brown’s SuPpERB WARBLER. Malurus cruentatus, Gould in Proe. of Zool. Soc., part vil. p. 143. Malurus Brownii, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 27. Among the species of which I sent home characters from Australia, for publication in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society, was the present pretty bird, to which I gave the specifie name of erwentatus. It is a native of the north- western portion of the country, and formed part of the col- lection placed at my disposal by the officers of H.M.S. ‘Beagle.’ It differs from Malwrus melanocephalus in the more intense blood-red colour of the back, and in its much smaller size. We now know that this bird is common at Port Essington ; and, as I have above stated, that it is also an inhabitant of the north-western coasts, and in all probability enjoys an exten- sive range over the north-western parts of the Australian continent, where grassy ravines occur. INSESSORES. oon The male in summer has the head, neck, wings, all the under surface, and tail black ; primaries and secondaries brown; back and shoulders fine crimson; bill black ; legs fleshy brown. The female is uniform light brown, the abdomen inclining to white ; bill and feet light brown. Total length 4 inches; bill 4; wing 13; tail 14; tarsi 3. Genus AMYTIS, Lesson. A form nearly allied to Malurus, strictly Australian, and of which three species are known, inhabiting the southern half of the country, and not occurring in Tasmania. Sp. 198. AMYTIS TEXTILIS. Textrine WREN. Malurus textilis, Quoy et Gaim. Zool. de l’Uranie, p. 107, pl. 28. fig. 1. Amytis textilis, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iii. pl. 28. The bird figured in the “ Voyage de l’Uranie,’” doubtless represents the present species, while that figured by Lesson in the Atlas to his “ Traité d’Ornithologie,”” and which seems to have been the subject from which he took his generic characters and description, as clearly belongs to 4. striatus. The only place in which I observed the Textile Wren was the plains bordering the Lower Namoi; and that its range extends far to the northward and westward is tolerably certain. | In the various positions it assumes, in the elevated carriage of its tail, and in its whole economy, it bears a close re- semblance to the Maluri: like them also it wanders about in small troops of four or six in number, always keeping within a short distance, and returning towards the close of the day to its accustomed haunts. On the Lower Namoi, 336 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. where it is very abundant, it is found in all those parts of the plains that are studded with scrubs and clumps of a low shrub-like tree, resembling the Barilla of the coast, through and among which it creeps with astonishing rapidity ; indeed its mode of progression on the ground is such as no descrip- tion can convey an accurate conception of, and must be seen to be understood: I cannot perhaps compare it with anything, unless with the motion of an Indian-rubber ball when thrown forcibly along the ground. While stealing from bush to bush, with this rapid movement, its head low and tail perfectly erect, it presents an exceedingly droll appearance. Like many others of its family, it seldom employs its power of flight. On my arrival in Australia fresh from Europe, these birds and those of the preceding genus were regarded by me with the highest interest, as they must be by every person not born and bred in Australia, who sees them for the first time in a state of nature. Of its nidification I have nothing to communicate: it doubtless builds a dome-shaped nest, and im all probability lays four spotted eggs; but to these points I would call the attention of those who are favourably situated for observing them, as also to confirm or refute the opinion I have elsewhere expressed of this and the following bird being distinct. All the upper surface dark brown, each feather with a narrow stripe of white down the centre ; under surface the same, but much paler; flanks and under surface of the shoulder rust-red; tail dark brown, indistinctly barred with a still darker hue and edged with pale brown ; irides reddish hazel ; base of lower mandible bluish horn-colour ; remainder of the bill black; feet flesh-brown. The male I dissected was destitute of the rusty red colour- ing on the flanks and the under surface of the shoulder. INSESSORES. 337 Sp. 199. AMYTIS STRIATUS, Gould. Srrratep WREN. Amytis textilis, Less. Traité d’Orn., p. 454, pl. 67. fig. 2. Dasyornis striatus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part vii. p. 143. Amytis striatus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iii. pl. 29. The only specimen I procured of this little bird in a recent state was shot while I was traversing the Lower Namoi; it appeared to give preference to a loose sandy soil studded with high rank grass, which, growing in tults, left the interspaces quite bare: through the natural labyrinth thus formed the Striated Wren ran with amazing rapidity ; and it was only by forcing it to take wing that I succeeded in killing the one I obtained, which on dissection proved to be a male. All the specimens I have seen from New South Wales were in the red state of plumage, which goes far towards proving that a bird is really distinct from Amytis textils. Nothing has yet been ascertained respecting its nidification : its food, like that of the Textile Wren, consists of insects of various kinds. As might be conjectured from its form, its habits are terrestrial; and it rarely, if ever, mounts into the air, or flies except among the trees. Upper surface fine rusty red, each feather with a line of buffy white bounded on each side by black down the centre ; line beneath the eye black ; ear-coverts black, striated with white; wings and tail brown, margined with light reddish — base of the primaries rust-red, forming a conspicuous patch ; aie and throat white; feathers of the chest buffy white, with two lines of brown, one down each side the stem ; under surface rust-red, some of the feathers with a stripe of white down the centre; tail dark brown, indistinctly barred with a still darker tint, margined with lighter brown ; irides hazel; bill dark horn-colour ; feet brownish lead-colour. Total length 63 inches ; bill 3; wing 22; tail 35; tarsi L. Z 338 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Sp. 200. AMYTIS MACROURUS, Gould. LARGE-TAILED WREN. Amytis macrourus, Gould in Proce. of Zool. Soc., part xv. p. 2. Nyern-de and Jee-ra, Aborigines of the interior of Western Australia. Amytis macrourus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pl. 30. The present is the only species of the genus that has been discovered in Western Australia; two examples were shot in the interior by Gilbert, who states that “it inhabits the thickets, and is almost always on the ground, moving about in families of from four to seven in number: it carries its tail more erect than any other bird I have seen, and certainly no bird rans or rather hops over the surface of the ground with greater rapidity.” It is evidently the representative of the Amytis tectilis of the eastern coast, to which it is very nearly allied, but from which, as well as from the J. striatus, it may at once be distinguished by its more robust. form, and by the much greater length and size of its tail. All the upper surface brown, each feather with a narrow stripe of white down the centre; under surface the same, but much paler; under surface of the shoulder pale rusty red ; tail brown, margined with pale brown ; irides hazel; base of the lower mandible horn-colour, remainder of the bill black ; feet flesh-brown. Total length 54 inches; bill 1; wing 24; tail 24; tarsi {. Genus STIPITURUS, Lesson. A form confined to Australia, where it frequents extensive erass-beds, particularly those which occur in humid situations. Tt runs quickly over the ground, and carries its tail erect like the Maluri. Some slight variation occurs in specimens from Tasmania, Southern and Western Australia ; but I believe they are all referable to one species. INSESSORES. 339 Sp. 201. STIPITURUS MALACHURUS, Less. Emu WReEN. Muscicapa malachura, Lath. Ind. Orn., Supp. pl. 52. Soft-tailed Flycatcher, Linn. Trans., vol. iv. p. 242, pl. 21. Malurus malachurus, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 224. palustris, Vieill., 2° édit. du Nouv. Dict. d’Hist. Nat., tom. xx. p. 214. Stipiturus malachurus, Less. Traité d’Orn., p. 415. Soft-tailed Warbler, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. vii. p. 128. Waw-gul-jelly, Aborigines of New South Wales. Djur-jeel-ya, Aborigines of the lowlands of Western Australia. Stipiturus malachurus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iii. pl. 31. 7 This curious little bird has a wide distribution, since it inhabits the whole of the southern portion of Australia, from Moreton Bay on the east to Swan River on the west, including © Tasmania. Among the places where it is most numerous in the latter country, are the swampy grounds in the neighbour- hood of Recherche Bay in D’Entrecasteaux Channel, the meadows at New Norfolk, Circular Head, and Flinders Island in Bass’s Straits; on the continent of Australia, Botany Bay and, indeed, all portions of the country having a similar character are favoured with its presence. The Emu Wren is especially fond of low marshy districts covered with rank high grasses and rushes, where it conceals itself from view by keeping near the ground in the midst of the more dense parts of the grass-beds. Its extremely short round wings ill adapt it for flight, and this power is con- sequently seldom employed, the bird depending for progres- sion upon its extraordinary capacity for running: in fact, when the grasses are wet from dew or rain, its wings are rendered perfectly unavailable. On the ground it is alto- gether as nimble and active, its creeping mouse-like motions, and the extreme facility with which it turns and bounds over Z2 340 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. the surface, enabling it easily to elude pursuit, and amply compensating for the paucity of its powers of flight. The tail is carried in an erect position, and 1s even occasionally retroverted over the back. The nest, which is a small ball-shaped structure, with rather a large opening on one side, 1s composed of grasses lined with feathers, and artfully concealed in a tuft of grass or low shrub. One that I found in Recherche Bay contained three newly-hatched young’: this being the only nest I ever met with, I am unable to give any description of its eggs from my own observation; but this want is supplied m the following account of this species from the pen of Mr. E. P. Ramsay, published in the ‘ Ibis’ for 1865 :— «JT had for many days visited the swamps upon Long Island, where these birds are very plentiful, in the hope of finding them breeding; but it was not until the 25th of September that I succeeded in discovering a nest, although I had watched them for hours together for several days. While walking along the edge of the swamp on that day, a female flew from my feet out of an overhanging tuft of grass growing only a few yards from the water’s edge. Upon lifting up the leaves of the grass which had been bent down by the wind, I found its nest carefully concealed near the roots, and containing three eggs. They were quite warm, and within a few days of being hatched, which may account for the bird being unwilling to leave the spot; for upon my returning about five minutes afterwards, the female was perched upon the same tuft of grass, and within a few inches of whence I had taken the nest. The nest is of an oval form (but that part which might be termed the true nest is perfectly round), placed upon its side ; the mouth very large, taking up the whole of the under part of the front. It is very shallow, so much so that, if tilted slightly, the eggs would roll out, being almost upon a level with the edge. It is outwardly composed of grass and the young dry shoots of the reeds INSESSORES. 341 which are so common in all the swamps near the Hunter River, lmed with fine grass, roots, and, finally, a very fine . green moss. It is very loosely put together, and requires to be moved very gently to prevent its falling to pieces. _ “The eggs measure 64 lines long by 44 broad, sprinkled all over with minute dots of a light reddish brown, particularly | at the larger end, where they are blotched with the same colour. One of the three had no blotches, but was minutely | | freckled all over. ‘The ground-colour is a delicate white, with | a blush of pink before the egg is blown. | “The only note of the bird, besides a slight chirp when | flushed and separated, is a slight twitter, not unlike a faint attempt to imitate the Malurus cyaneus. While in the swamp, Vl which at the time was nearly dry, I observed several separate l flocks: of these some were hopping along the ground, picking Hel up something here and there; others, whose appetites seemed appeased, were creeping along through the reeds about a foot | from the ground, but as the reeds thickened I soon lost sight of them. They seldom took wing, except when disturbed, ' and not always then, seeming very averse to showing them- \ | selves. While watching them I observed one now and then : hop to the top of a tall reed as if to get a glimpse at the world above. Upon coming suddenly upon a flock and following | them, they keep to the reeds just in front of you, and never ) take wing unless hard driven, when they separate and do not collect again for some time.” | The male is readily distinguished from the female by the | blue colouring of the throat, and by a somewhat greater de- _ velopment of the tail-feathers. 'The decomposed or loose — structure of these feathers, much resembling those of the Emu, has suggested the colonial name of Emu Wren for this species, an appellation singularly appropriate, masmuch as it at once indicates the kind of plumage with which the bird is clothed, and the Wren-like nature of its habits. BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Genus SPHENURA, Lichtenstein. A group of birds adapted for situations covered with an impenetrable vegetation, reed-beds, &c. 'T'wo species are all that are at present known; of these one is from the eastern, and the other from the western part of Australia. Sp. 202. SPHENURA BRACHYPTERA., BrisTLE-BIRD. Turdus brachypterus, Lath. Ind. Orn., Supp. p. xl. Sphenura brachyptera, Licht. Verz. der Doubl., p. 40. Malurus pectoralis, Steph. Cont. Shaw’s Gen. Zool., vol. xiii. part 3. p. 224. Dasyornis australis, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 232. Dasyornis australis, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iii. pl. 32. This bird inhabits reed-beds and thickets, particularly such as are overgrown with creepers and rank vegetation ; I be- lieve it to be found throughout New South Wales in all places suitable to its habits, although, from the recluse nature of its disposition, it is a species familar to few, even of those who have been long resident in the colony. Its powers of flight are very limited, but it threads the thickets and runs over the ground with the greatest facility. It resembles the true Maluri in carrying the tail erect, and in many other of its actions. My own impression is that it is a stationary species, since its powers of flight are inadequate to enable it to pass over much extent of country, and the thick brushes near the coast afford it ample shelter in winter. I did not succeed in finding its nest, but in its nidifica- tion it doubtless closely assimilates to the next species, the Long-billed Bristle-bird of the western coast. The sexes present no difference in plumage, and but little in size; the female, however, is rather the smaller. The food consists of insects of various orders. ‘-INSESSORES. 343 All the upper surface brown; wings, tail-coverts, and tail rufous brown, the latter indistinctly barred with a darker tint ; under surface grey, gradually passing into the brown of the upper surface ; over the eye an indistinct buffy stripe; irides brown; bill brown, becoming much lighter on the lower mandible; legs greyish brown. Sp. 203. SPHENURA LONGIROSTRIS, Goud. Lonc-BiLLED BristLE-BIRD. Dasyornis longirostris, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part viii. p. 170. Djyr-dal-ya, Aborigines of the lowland districts of Western Australia. Dasyornis longirostris, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iii. pl. 33. The present species assimilates very closely in the character and colouring of its plumage to its eastern analogue, the Sphe- nura brachyptera; but differs from that bird in being of a smaller size and in having a longer bill. It is a native of Western Australia, and is very generally distributed over the colony of Swan River, where it inhabits reed-beds and long grasses, and is occasionally seen in scrubby places. “ It. is so remarkably shy,”’ says Gilbert, “that it is extremely difficult to get even a glimpse of it: it appeared to feed on the ground, where its actions are extremely quick, running over the surface with its tail erect. The only chance of procuring specimens is when it ascends to a small branch on the top of a scrub to sing. Its notes are loud, clear, and extremely varied. “It flies very low; in fact the bird scarcely ever rises more than a few yards above the scrub or long grass it inhabits; it is consequently very rarely seen on a tree. « The nest is formed of dry wiry grass, without any lining, more globular than those of the Maluri, but, like them, with an opening in the side; it is of rather a large size, and the 344 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. only one I met with was built in a clump of coarse grass, shel- tered by an overhanging dead bush. It contained two eggs, the ground-colour of which is dull brownish white, blotched and freckled with purplish brown, some of the blotches ap- pearing as if beneath the surface, particularly at the larger end, where they are most numerous. “ Tts food consists of seeds and insects.” The sexes so closely resemble each other, that a representa- tion and description of one will suffice for both. All the upper surface brown ; wings, tail-coverts, and tail rufous brown, the latter indistinctly barred with a darker tint ; under surface grey, gradually passing into the brown of the upper surface ; irides bright reddish brown ; upper mandible brown, lower mandible bluish green at the tip and greenish white at the base; legs bluish grey. Total length 74 inches; bill $; wing 25; tail 4; tarsi $. Genus ATRICHIA, Gould. The only species of this genus yet discovered is as singular in its structure as it is shy and retiring in its habits; the total absence of vibrissee in a bird apparently closely allied to Sphenura, in which they are so much developed, renders it one of the anomalies of the Australian fauna. Sp. 204. ATRICHIA CLAMOSA, Gould. Noisy SCRUB-BIRD. Atrichia clamosa, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part xii. p. 2. Atrichia clamosa, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iii. pl. 34. Few of the novelties received from Australia more interested me than the species to which I have given the generic name of Atrichia. Gilbert met with it among the dense scrubs of Western Australia, having had his attention attracted to it by its peculiar and noisy note long before he had an oppor- INSESSORES. 845 tunity of observing it; and it was only after many days of patient and motionless watching among the scrubs, that he succeeded in obtaining specimens. Future research will doubtless furnish us with some interesting information re- specting the habits of this curious form. It is a bird evi- dently destined to tenant the most dense thickets and tangled beds of dwarf trees. The examples forwarded to me were killed between Perth and Augusta, and were all males. The females will doubtless, when discovered, prove to differ but little from their mates, except that the black mark on the breast will not be so large or conspicuous. I am led to offer this opinion from the cir- cumstance of one of the specimens being a young male, which usually resembles the female during the first year. All the upper surface, wings, and tail brown, each feather crossed by several obscure crescent-shaped bars of brown ; the inner webs of the primaries very dark brown, without markings, and the tail freckled instead of barred ; throat and chest reddish white, with a large irregular patch of black on the lower part of the throat; flanks brown ; abdomen and under tail-coverts rufous ; bill horn-colour ; irides dark brown. Total length 7% inches ; bill Z; wing 3; tail 4; tarsi 1. Genus HYLACOLA, Gould. A genus comprising two species peculiar to the southern © parts of the country, one of which enjoys an extensive range from South Australia to Moreton Bay ; the other has, as yet, only been found in the Great Murray Scrub. These birds carry their tail in an upright position, move quickly over the surface of the ground, and trip with agility along the hori- gontal branches of fallen trees. In size they are about equal to our well-known Hedge-Sparrow (Accentor modularis), to which they bear some resemblance when seen in their native country. The sexes are alike im plumage. 346 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. Sp. 205. HYLACOLA PYRRHOPYGIA. Rep-RuMpED Hynacona. Acanthiza pyrrhopygia, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 227. Hylacola pyrrhopygia, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iii, pl. 39, The situations most favourable to the habits of this bird are open sterile spots, here and there studded with clumps of brushes or dense herbage, the beds and sides of creeks, and the crowns of stony hills. I have generally observed it in small companies, probably the brood of a single pair. Its agreeable song is poured forth while the bird is perched upon some conspicuous part of a bush, or some little spray among the branches of the large fallen trees, where it loves to dwell, as on the approach of an intruder it can readily and effectually secrete itself among the high grass and herbage which have grown up amidst the branches. The facility with which it creeps among or threads these little thickets is sur- prising. It rarely flies, but depends for progression more upon the rapidity with which it can pass over the ground, than upon the feeble powers of its small rounded wing. I found it plentiful on the low hills to the north of the Liverpool Plains, as well as in most parts of South Aus- tralia, and believe it to be a stationary bird, for it appeared to be equally numerous in summer and winter. Of its nidification | have nothing to communicate, its nest not having been discovered either by myself or by any of my party. Its food consists of insects of various kinds. The sexes present no visible difference in their plumage. Crown of the head, all the upper surface, wings, and tail brown ; lower part of the rump and upper tail-coverts chest- nut-red; all but the two centre tail-feathers crossed near the tip with a broad band of black, beyond which the tips are ——— INSESSORES. 347 greyish white ; line over the eye and all the under surface — greyish white, each feather of the latter with a line of black down the centre, except on the middle of the abdomen ; bill dark brown ; irides buffy white ; legs flesh-brown. Sp. 206. HYLACOLA CAUTA, Gould. Cautious Hynacoua. Hylacola cauta, Gould in Proce. of Zool. Soc., part x. p. 185. Hylacola cauta, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iii. pl. 40. The only locality in which I have seen this species is the great scrub clothing the banks of the river Murray in South Australia, where it was not uncommon, but so excessively shy that I obtained but a single specimen during my stay in the district. Its timidity being so great, and its natural habitat the more dense parts of the scrub, it is a species which must for a long time be exceedingly scarce mm our collections. © | With the exception of its being even more shy, its whole habits and economy appeared to be very similar to those of the preceding species (H. pyrrhopygia). It carries its tail perfectly erect, and hops over the ground and threads the bushes with the greatest ease, generally keeping among the more dense parts of the low bushes, and only exposing itself on the outermost twigs when desirous of pouring forth its song, which is sweet and harmonious. In size the H. cauta is rather less than the H. pyrrhopygia, has the markings of the under surface much bolder, and the chestnut-coloured mark on the rump of a much deeper tint. Line from the base of the upper mandible along the side of the face and over the eye white; above this a narrow line of black ; crown of the head and all the upper surface brown ; upper and under tail-coverts bright chestnut ; wing-coverts brown, edged with brownish white; primaries brown, with 348 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. the outer web white at the base, forming a conspicuous spot in the centre of the wing; tail blackish brown, tipped with white; throat striated with black and white, produced by each feather being black down the centre and fringed with white; flanks mottled brown and white; abdomen white ; bill dark brown ; irides buffy white; feet flesh-brown. When I characterized this species in the ‘ Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London,’ I had only seen a single example; I have since received a second, proving the correct- ness of my view of its being quite distinct from the . pyrrho- pygia, a fact disputed by the late Mr. Strickland, who stated it to be his opinion that H. pyrrhopygia and H. cauta were one and the same species, but who, upon an examination of the specimens themselves, acknowledged he was in error. Total length 52 inches; bill 3%; wing 24; tail 25; tarsi g. Genus PYCNOPTILUS, Gould. Of this form only a single species is known, all the m- formation respecting which will be found below. Although I do not doubt that it is really an inhabitant of Australia, I have no positive evidence on this point. The type specimen is in the British Museum. Sp. 207. PYCNOPTILUS FLOCCOSUS, Gould. Downy Pycnopriuus. Pycnoptilus floccosus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part xviii. pp. 95, 279. Pycnoptilus floccosus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., Supplement, pl. I know nothing of the habits and economy of this bird, nor what part of Australia it inhabits. I purchased it of Mr. Warwick, who had obtained it in a small collection of birds said to have been formed in the interior of New South Wales towards the river Morumbidgee. Judging from its INSESSORES. 349 very thick clothing and overhanging back-feathers, I conclude that, like the members of the genus Dasyornis, it is a fre- quenter of the ground in dense and scrubby places—a conjecture which I should be happy to have verified by residents in New South Wales who may be aorta situated for observing it. General plumage brown, inclining to rufous on the lower part of the back, upper tail-coverts, and tail; forehead, lores, throat, and breast dark reddish buff, with a very narrow crescent of dark brown at the tip of each feather; centre of the abdomen greyish brown, crossed by crescentic bands of black; flanks and vent brown, passing into deep rufous on the under tail-coverts; bill brown; base of under mandible fleshy brown ; legs and feet fleshy brown. Total length 62 inches; bill 3; wing 24; tail 23; tarsi 14. Genus CISTICOLA, Kaup. These little birds are most perplexing, and the due eluci- dation of the Australian members of this form can only be effected by resident ornithologists; to this subject I would therefore direct the special attention of Mr. Ramsay of New South Wales, Mr. White of South Australia, or any other person favourably located for investigating them. and breadth six lines. The sexes are alike in plumage, but the female is somewhat smaller than the male. Feathers of the forehead deep buff, edged with dark brown; all the upper surface, wings, and tail light olive-brown; tail crossed with a broad and distinct band of brownish black near the extremity, and largely tipped with white ; upper tail-coverts tinged with rufous; throat and chest greyish ; tail-coverts pale buff white, each feather margined with black, giving that part a mottled appearance ; flanks, abdomen, and under irides light red; bill, legs, and feet dark brown. Total length 4 inches; bill 4; wing 2; tail 2; tarsi % Sp. 224. ACANTHIZA PYRRHOPYGIA, Gould. RED-RUMPED ACANTHIZA. Acanthiza pyrrhopygia, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iii pl. 58. This species differs from the Acanthize diemenensis, pusilla, and apicalis, in having a shorter and more robust bill, and in the greater depth of the red colouring on the rump and upper tail-coverts ; it also differs from the two former in having the tail tipped with white, in which respect it assimilates to the A. apicalis and A. wropyyialis, to the former of which it is most nearly allied. I discovered this species in the Belts of the Murray, where it inhabits the small shrubby trees ; upon first seeing it, I at | once perceived that it was a distinct species by the red colouring of the rump, which showed very conspicuously at the distance of several yards, and also by the peculiarity of its note. In its actions it very closely assimilates to the other members of the genus, being an alert and quick little bird, carrying its tail above the level of the back, and showing the red colourmg of the coverts to the greatest advantage. I 2B 370 BIRDS: OF AUSTRALIA. succeeded in killing both sexes, and found that they exhibit no outward difference, and are only to be distinguished with certainty by dissection. | | All the upper surface and wings olive-brown, the feathers of the forehead margined with buff; wings brown with pale edges; throat white, each feather margined with black ; abdomen whitish ; flanks pale buff; upper tail-coverts rufous; tail ‘slive, crossed by a broad band of black, and tipped on the outer webs with pale olive, on the inner webs with white ; bill blackish brown, under. mandible somewhat lighter ; feet brown ; irides reddish brown. Total length 4 inches; bill 4; wing 2; tail 13; tarsi 7. Sp.225. ACANTHIZA INORNATA, Gould. PLAIN-COLOURED ACANTHIZA. Acanthiza inornata, Gould in Proe. of Zool. Soc., part vii. p. 171. Djo-bul-djo-bul, Aborigines of the lowland districts of Western Aus- tralia. Acanthiza inornata, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iii. pl. 59. Although neither elegant in form nor characterized by any beauty of plumage, the present little bird demands as much of our attention as any other species of the group. Its true habitat seems to be the south-western parts of Australia, for it is numerously dispersed over the colony of Swan River ; it is equally abundant at King George’s Sound; and as I killed specimens on the small low islands at the mouths of Spencer’s and St. Vincent’s Gulfs, it is most probable that its range extends all along the coast between those localities. Inde- pendently of its plainer colouring, the truncated form of its tail serves at once to distinguish it from the Acanthiza apicalis, with which it is often seen in company; unlike the latter bird however it does not erect its tail, but carries it in a line with the body. Its note is a little feeble song somewhat resembling that of INSESSORES. 37} the Maluri. It feeds solely on minute insects of various kinds, in searching for which it assumes the usual clinging and prying positions of other insectivorous birds which seek _ their food among the leaves and branches of shrubs and trees. | It breeds in November; the nest, which is of a domed form, being placed in some low shrub, often in that of the jam-wood, and composed of grasses lined with a few feathers. The eggs are five in number, and of a white colour, slightly tinged with greenish grey; they measure seven and a half lines long by five and a half lines broad. No visible difference is observable in the sexes. | All the upper surface, wings, and tail olive-brown ; pri- | | maries dark brown ; tail crossed by a broad band of brownish | | black ; all the under surface light buff; irides greenish white ; bill and feet black. | Total length 35 inches ; bill $; wing 14; tail 14; tarsi #5. | Sp. 226. ACANTHIZA NANA, Vig. and Horgf | || Lirtie ACANTHIZA. | Dwarf Warbler, var. A, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. viii. p. 184? Acanthiza nana, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn, Trans., vol. xv. p. 226. Acanthiza nana, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iii. pl. 60. | This little bird, which is very generally distributed over the colonies of New South Wales and South Australia, frequents the extremities of the branches of the various trees, without, il) so far as I could observe, evincing a partiality for any par- 7 ticular kind; the Caswarine on the banks of creeks, the Lucalypti of the plains, and the belts of Banksie being equally resorted to by it. Minute insects constitute its sole food, and in the capture of these it exhibited many lively and varied actions, which strongly reminded me of those of the Regulus cristatus of England. | The nest is a neat domed structure with a small entrance