Part 12

This species, the largest of the genus yet discovered, is a native of Van Diemen’s Land, 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 instance 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 often be detected. I usually met with it in the thickest 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 _Eucalypti_ and other trees, with which its olive 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 greyish 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 hemiptera mingled in some instances with small stones and seeds.

Crown of the head and ear-coverts dark brown; back, wings and tail chestnut-olive, the chestnut predominating on the back; 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.

The Plate represents a male and a female of the natural size.

COLLURICINCLA HARMONICA. Harmonious Colluricincla.

_Turdus harmonicus_, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp. p. xli.

_Harmonic Thrush_, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 182.—Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. x. p. 217.—Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. v. p. 120.

_Grey-headed Thrush_, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. v. p. 118.

_Collurincla cinerea_, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 214.—Jard. and Selb. Ill. Orn., vol. ii. pi. 71.—Less. Traité d’Orn., p. 374.—Ib. Man. d’Orn., tom. i. p. 131.—Swains. Class, of Birds, vol. ii. p. 221.—G. R. Gray, List of Gen. of Birds, 2nd Edit., p. 49.

_Lanius Saturninus_, Nordm.

_Turdus dilutus_, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. xl?—Bonn, et Vieill. Ency. Méth. Orn., part ii. p. 660?

_Dilute Thrush_, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 182?—Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. x. p. 208?—Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. v. p. 120?

_Turdus badius_, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. xli?—Bonn, et Vieill. Ency. Méth. Orn., part ii. p. 670?

_Port Jackson Thrush_, Lath. Gen. Syn., vol. ii. p. 183.—White’s Voy., pl. in p. 157.—Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. x. p. 198.—Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. v. p. 121.

_Austral Thrush_, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. v. p. 124?

As the members of this genus, originally formed on a single species, are now found to be numerous, but all very nearly allied, it becomes necessary to describe this, the typical bird, with particular accuracy. Nearly every colony appears to be inhabited by its own peculiar species; and accordingly we find that the present bird is an inhabitant of New South Wales, but extends its range westward as far as South Australia and eastward to Moreton Bay, and perhaps farther.

The _Colluricincla harmonica_ 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 bird, living much among the branches, and feeding upon insects of various kinds, caterpillars and their larvæ.

The term _harmonica_ applied to this species is very appropriate; for although it does not give utterance to any continued 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 the 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 intermingled 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 chestnut-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.

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 blackish brown; feet dark greenish grey.

The Plate represents a male and a female on a nest, all of the natural size.

COLLURICINCLA RUFIVENTRIS, _Gould_. Buff-bellied Colluricincla.

_Colluricincla rufiventris_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part VIII. p. 164.

_Goö-dee-lung_, Aborigines of Western Australia.

_Thrush_, of the Colonists.

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 among the trees and scrubs. In its actions, the positions it assumes, and in its general manners, it very closely resembles the Common Thrush of Europe. Its voice is a very loud, full and rich swelling note with a few connecting sounds, the whole much resembling, but not equalling in melody, the call-note of the European Thrush.

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 and 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.

Mr. Gilbert mentions that upon two occasions he found the eggs of this bird in old nests of _Pomatorhinus superciliosus_.

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 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.

The figures represent a male and a female of the natural size.

COLLURICINCLA BRUNNEA, _Gould_. Brown Colluricincla.

_Colluricincla brunnea_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part VIII. p. 164.

_Men-e-loö-roo_, Aborigines of Port Essington.

This bird is abundantly dispersed over the Cobourg Peninsula, and is to be met with in all the forests in the immediate neighbourhood of Port Essington, in which distant locality it represents the _Colluricincla harmonica_ of New South Wales, the _Colluricincla Selbii_ of Van Diemen’s Land, and the _Colluricincla rufiventris_ of Western Australia. As might be expected, its habits and manners are very similar to those of the other species of the genus, consequently the description of those of _Colluricincla harmonica_ is equally descriptive of those of _Colluricincla brunnea_.

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. harmonica_ 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 white, becoming almost pure white on the vent and under tail-coverts; thighs greyish brown; bill black; feet blackish brown.

The Plate represents the two sexes of the natural size.

COLLURICINCLA SELBII, _Jard._ Selby’s Colluricincla.

_Colluricincla Selbii_, Jard. in Jard. and Selby’s Ill. Orn., vol. i. note to text of pl. 71.

—— _rectirostris_, Jard. and Selby’s Ill. Orn., vol. iv. pl. xxxi.

—— _strigata_, Swains. Anim. in Menag. &c., p. 283, female or young male.

_Whistling Dick_, of the Colonists of Van Diemen’s Land.

The _Colluricincla Selbii_ is a native of, and a permanent resident in, Van Diemen’s Land and Flinders’ Island, over all parts of which it is very generally, but nowhere very abundantly, distributed; 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 is distinguished from all the other members of the genus by the greater length of the bill, and by the female having a broad stripe of rust-red over the eye. 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 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 remarkably 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 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, &c.

The sexes, which differ considerably from each other, may be thus described:—

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; irides brown; feet light lead-colour.

The female 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.

The young is similar to the female, but has the stripes of the under surface much broader and more conspicuous, the line over the eye of a deeper red, and the tail grey.

The Plate represents a male, a female, and a young bird of the natural size.

COLLURICINCLA PARVULA, _Gould_. Little Colluricincla.

_Colluricincla parvula_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., May 27, 1845.

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. Mr. 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 is 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 consists 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 preserved, 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 somewhat 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.

The figures are of the natural size.

FALCUNCULUS FRONTATUS, _Vieill._ Frontal Shrike-Tit.

_Lanius frontatus_, Lath. Ind. Orn., p. xviii.—Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. vii. p. 312.—Temm. Man., Part I. p. lix.—Ib. Pl. Col., pl. 77.

_Frontal Shrike_, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 75, pl. 122.—Ib. Gen. Hist., vol. ii. p. 72, pl. xx.

_Falcunculus frontatus_, Vieill. Gal. des Ois., tom. i. pl. 138.—Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 212.—G. R. Gray, List of Gen. of Birds, p. 36.—Less. Traité d’Orn., p. 372.

_Falcunculus flavigulus_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part V. p. 144; and in Syn. Birds of Australia, Part IV., young?

I had many opportunities of observing this bird, both in New South Wales and South Australia, over both of which countries it is very generally although not numerously dispersed. It does not inhabit Western Australia, neither have I as yet received it from the north coast. 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 trees; in procuring these it displays great dexterity, stripping off the bark in the most determined manner, for which purpose its powerful bill is admirably 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 erects its crest and assumes many pert and lively positions: no bird of its size with which I am acquainted possesses greater strength in 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 _Falcunculus frontatus_ is not distinguished by any powers of song, merely uttering a few low piping notes.

I could neither succeed in procuring the nest of this species nor obtain any authentic information respecting its nidification.

The stomachs of the specimens I dissected were filled with the larvæ 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 irides being darker and the feet bluish lead-colour.

The Plate represents a male and a female of the natural size, on a branch of a shrub-like tree which I gathered in the district of Illawarra, but of which I have not been able to obtain the name.

FALCUNCULUS LEUCOGASTER, _Gould_. White-bellied Shrike-Tit.

_Falcunculus leucogaster_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part V. p. 144; and in Syn. Birds of Australia, Part IV.

_Goore-beet-goore-beet_, Aborigines of the lowland districts of Western Australia.

_Jil-le-ë-lee_, Aborigines of the mountain districts of ditto.

_Djoon-dool-goo-roon_, Aborigines of the Murray in ditto.

This species is an inhabitant of the western portions of Australia, where it forms a beautiful representative of the _Fal. 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 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 in its progress in search of insects: the habits in fact of the present and Frontal Shrike-Tit are so closely similar that a separate 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 is a series of mournful sounds, the last of which is drawn out to a greater length than the preceding ones.

The stomach is extremely muscular, and its food consists principally of coleoptera.

The male has immediately above the bill a narrow hand 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, 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-feathers tipped with white, the white diminishing on each feather as it approaches the centre of the tail; throat black; chest, 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 her mate in being somewhat smaller in size, and in having the throat green instead of black.

The figures are those of a male and female, of the natural size.

OREOÏCA GUTTURALIS, _Gould_. Crested Oreoïca.

_Falcunculus gutturalis_, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 212.

_Crested Thrush_, Lewin, Birds of New Holl., pl. 9. fem.

_Oreoïca gutturalis_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part V. p. 151; and in Syn. Birds of Australia, Part IV.—G. R. Gray, List of Gen. of Birds, 2nd edit., p. 48.

_Bo-kürn-bo-kürn_, Aborigines of the mountain districts of Western Australia.

_Bell-bird_, Colonists of Swan River.