VOLUME IV.

Pitta strepitans, _Temm._ Noisy Pitta 1

—— Vigorsii, _Gould_ Vigors’ Pitta 2

—— Iris, _Gould_ Rainbow Pitta 3

Cinclosoma punctatum, _Vig. & Horsf._ Spotted Ground-Thrush 4

—— castanotus, _Gould_ Chestnut-backed Ground-Thrush 5

—— cinnamomeus, _Gould_ Cinnamon-coloured Cinclosoma 6

Oreocincla lunulata Mountain Thrush 7

Chlamydera maculata, _Gould_ Spotted Bower-Bird 8

—— nuchalis Great Bower-Bird 9

Ptilonorhynchus holosericeus, _Kuhl_ Satin Bower-Bird 10

—— Smithii, _Vig. & Horsf._ Cat Bird 11

Sericulus chrysocephalus Regent Bird 12

Oriolus viridis New South Wales Oriole 13

—— flavo-cinctus Crescent-marked Oriole 14

Sphecotheres Australis, _Swains_. Australian Sphecotheres 15

Corcorax leucopterus White-winged Chough 16

Struthidea cinerea, _Gould_ Grey Struthidea 17

Corvus Coronoïdes, _Vig. & Horsf._ White-eyed Crow 18

Neomorpha Gouldii, _G. R. Gray_ Gould’s Neomorpha 19

Pomatorhinus temporalis Temporal Pomatorhinus 20

—— rubeculus, _Gould_ Red-breasted Pomatorhinus 21

—— superciliosus, _Vig. & Horsf._ White-eyebrowed Pomatorhinus 22

Meliphaga Novæ-Hollandiæ New Holland Honey-eater 23

—— longirostris, _Gould_ Long-billed Honey-eater 24

—— sericea, _Gould_ White-cheeked Honey-eater 25

—— mystacalis, _Gould_ Moustached Honey-eater 26

—— Australasiana Tasmanian Honey-eater 27

Glyciphila fulvifrons Fulvous-fronted Honey-eater 28

—— albifrons, _Gould_ White-fronted Honey-eater 29

—— fasciata, _Gould_ Fasciated Honey-eater 30

—— ocularis, _Gould_ Brown Honey-eater 31

Ptilotis chrysotis Yellow-eared Honey-eater 32

—— sonorus, _Gould_ Singing Honey-eater 33

—— versicolor, _Gould_ Varied Honey-eater 34

—— flavigula, _Gould_ Yellow-throated Honey-eater 35

—— leucotis White-eared Honey-eater 36

—— auricomis Yellow-tufted Honey-eater 37

—— cratitius, _Gould_ Wattle-cheeked Honey-eater 38

—— ornatus, _Gould_ Graceful Honey-eater 39

—— plumulus, _Gould_ Plumed Honey-eater 40

—— flavescens, _Gould_ Yellow-tinted Honey-eater 41

—— flava, _Gould_ Yellow Honey-eater 42

—— penicillatus, _Gould_ White-plumed Honey-eater 43

—— fusca, _Gould_ Fuscous Honey-eater 44

—— chrysops Yellow-faced Honey-eater 45

—— unicolor, _Gould_ Uniform Honey-eater 46

Plectorhyncha lanceolata, _Gould_ Lanceolate Honey-eater 47

Zanthomyza Phrygia Warty-faced Honey-eater 48

Melicophila picata, _Gould_ Pied Honey-eater 49

Entomophila picta, _Gould_ Painted Honey-eater 50

—— albogularis, _Gould_ White-throated Honey-eater 51

—— rufogularis, _Gould_ Red-throated Honey-eater 52

Acanthogenys rufogularis, _Gould_ Spiny-cheeked Honey-eater 53

Anthochæra inauris, _Gould_ Great Wattled Honey-eater 54

—— carunculata Wattled Honey-eater 55

—— mellivora Brush Wattle-Bird 56

—— lunulata, _Gould_ Lunulated Wattle-Bird 57

Tropidorhynchus corniculatus Friar-Bird 58

—— argenticeps, _Gould_ Silvery-crowned Friar-Bird 59

—— citreogularis, _Gould_ Yellow-throated Friar-Bird 60

Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris Slender-billed Spine-bill 61

—— superciliosus White-eyebrowed Spine-bill 62

Myzomela sanguineolenta Sanguineous Honey-eater 63

—— erythrocephala, _Gould_ Red-headed Honey-eater 64

—— pectoralis, _Gould_ Banded Honey-eater 65

—— nigra, _Gould_ Black Honey-eater 66

—— obscura, _Gould_ Obscure Honey-eater 67

Entomyza cyanotis Blue-faced Entomyza 68

—— albipennis, _Gould_ White-pinioned Honey-eater 69

Melithreptus validirostris, _Gould_ Strong-billed Honey-eater 70

—— gularis, _Gould_ Black-throated Honey-eater 71

—— lunulatus Lunulated Honey-eater 72

—— chloropsis, _Gould_ Swan River Honey-eater 73

—— albogularis, _Gould_ White-throated Honey-eater 74

—— melanocephalus, _Gould_ Black-headed Honey-eater 75

Myzantha garrula Garrulous Honey-eater 76

—— obscura, _Gould_ Sombre Honey-eater 77

—— lutea, _Gould_ Luteous Honey-eater 78

—— flavigula, _Gould_ Yellow-throated Miner 79

—— melanophrys Australian Bell-Bird 80

Zosterops dorsalis, _Vig. & Horsf._ Grey-backed Zosterops 81

—— chloronotus, _Gould_ Green-backed Zosterops 82

—— luteus, _Gould_ Yellow Zosterops 83

Cuculus optatus, _Gould_ Australian Cuckoo 84

—— inornatus, _Vig. & Horsf._ Unadorned Cuckoo 85

—— cineraceus, _Vig. & Horsf._ Ash-coloured Cuckoo 86

—— insperatus, _Gould_ Brush Cuckoo 87

Chalcites osculans, _Gould_ Black-eared Cuckoo 88

Chrysococcyx lucidus Shining Cuckoo 89

Scythrops Novæ-Hollandiæ, _Lath._ Channel-Bill 90

Eudynamys Flindersii Flinders’s Cuckoo 91

Centropus Phasianus Pheasant Cuckoo 92

Climacteris scandens, _Temm._ Brown Tree-Creeper 93

—— rufa, _Gould_ Rufous Tree-Creeper 94

—— erythrops, _Gould_ Red-eyebrowed Tree-Creeper 95

—— melanotus, _Gould_ Black-backed Tree-Creeper 96

—— melanura, _Gould_ Black-tailed Tree-Creeper 97

—— picumnus, _Temm._ White-throated Tree-Creeper 98

Orthonyx spinicaudus, _Temm._ Spine-tailed Orthonyx 99

Ptiloris paradiseus, _Swains_. Rifle Bird 100

Sittella chrysoptera Orange-winged Sittella 101

—— leucocephala, _Gould_ White-headed Sittella 102

—— leucoptera, _Gould_ White-winged Sittella 103

—— pileata, _Gould_ Black-capped Sittella 104

PITTA STREPITANS, _Temm._ Noisy Pitta.

_Pitta strepitans_, Temm. Pl. Col. 333.—Jard. and Selb. Ill. Orn., vol. ii. pl. 77.

_Pitta versicolor_, Swains. in Zool. Journ., vol. i. p. 468.

The description of _Pitta versicolor_ given by Mr. Swainson in the “Zoological Journal” agrees so accurately with the description and figure of _Pitta strepitans_ in the “Planches Coloriées,” that not the slightest doubt exists in my mind as to their identity; but which of these names has the priority is a point I have been unable satisfactorily to determine, in consequence of the latter work having been published in parts at irregular periods. Mr. Swainson, it is true, refers to the “Planches Coloriées,” and institutes a comparison between his bird and the _Pitta cyanoptera_, beautifully figured in Pl. 218; the _Pitta strepitans_, on the other hand, forms the subject of Pl. 333, which we may reasonably suppose must have appeared at a much later period, although it may still have been prior to the publication of _P. versicolor_; the numbers of foreign works being frequently much in arrear in this country. In support of the priority of M. Temminck’s name, I may quote a passage from the “Illustrations of Ornithology” of Messrs. Jardine and Selby:—“This species seems to have been unnoticed until the figure of M. Temminck, who received his specimen from Mr. Leadbeater. It then appeared to be the only individual of this form known to belong to New Holland; and it is only lately that Mr. Swainson has added a second species, in his _P. versicolor_, to the interesting ornithology of that country.”

Never having seen this bird alive, I am unable to give any account of its habits and manners from my own observation. It is said to dwell in those almost impenetrable brushes of the eastern coast of Australia, and is tolerably abundant in all such localities between the river Macquarrie and Moreton Bay; it is also said to be very thrush-like in its disposition, and, as its long legs would lead us to suppose, resorts much to the ground, although it readily takes to the branches of trees when its haunts are intruded upon. Its food consists of insects, and probably berries and fruits.

The two young figured in the accompanying Plate with an adult were collected in the brushes bordering the river Clarence on the east coast, which must consequently be enumerated among its breeding-places. The circumstance of the young, like those of the Kingfishers, assuming the characteristic plumage of the adult from the time they leave the nest is very singular, and the knowledge of this fact is very important, inasmuch as it may lead to some valuable results in classification.

The sexes appear to present but little differences either in colour or size; some specimens, which I take to be males, however, differ in having the tail-feathers more largely tipped with green than others.

Crown deep ferruginous with a narrow stripe of black down the centre; on the chin a large spot of black terminating in a point on the front of the neck, and uniting to a broad band on each side of the head, encircles the crown and terminates in a point at the back of the neck; back and wings pure olive-green; shoulders and lesser wing-coverts bright metallic cærulean blue; across the rump a band of the same colour; upper tail-coverts and tail black, the latter tipped with olive-green; primaries black, becoming paler at the tips; at the base of the fourth, fifth and sixth a small white spot; sides of the neck, throat, breast and flanks buff; in the centre of the abdomen a patch of black; vent and under tail-coverts scarlet; irides dark brown; bill brown; feet flesh-colour.

The figures are of the natural size.

PITTA VIGORSII, _Gould_. Vigors’ Pitta.

_Pitta brachyura_, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 218.

A single specimen of this beautiful species of _Pitta_ forms part of the collection of the Linnean Society of London, where it has always been considered as identical with the _Pitta brachyura_, but from which it differs in many important characters, among the most conspicuous of which may be noticed its larger size, and the narrow streak of light greenish grey which passes from the nostrils over each eye, and nearly surrounds the occiput.

I have not been able to obtain any decided information respecting the portion of Australia from which this bird was obtained, but the eastern and northern coasts may be regarded as its most likely habitat; and I am unable to render any account of its habits, or the situations it frequents: several of the members of the group, however, particularly the other Australian species (_Pitta strepitans_), are known to prefer the thick brushes near the coast, where it hops about and scratches up the leaves, etc., in search of food. The _Pitta brachyura_ is also said to perch on the topmost branches of decayed trees, and to resort to the sides of inland streams and waters, where it sports among the shallows, frequently wading up to its knees, which aquatic habits are indicated by the general character of its plumage; and as the present bird is very nearly allied to that species, it has doubtless similar habits.

Messrs. Vigors and Horsfield having omitted to notice the distinctive characters of this species, while engaged upon their elaborate Catalogue of the Australian Birds in the Linnean Society’s collection, I have much pleasure in dedicating it to the memory of the late Mr. Vigors, whose high scientific attainments, especially in Ornithology, are so well known that my testimony is unnecessary.

Crown of the head, ear-coverts, and back of the neck jet-black; a narrow stripe of greenish grey commences at the nostrils, passes over each eye, surrounds the crown, and nearly unites at the occiput; back, scapularies, outer edges of the secondaries, and the greater wing-coverts bronzy green; shoulders, rump, and upper tail-coverts fine lazuline blue; throat white; chest, flanks, and thighs tawny buff; centre of the abdomen dark blood-red, passing into scarlet on the under tail-coverts; primaries black, with a white bar across the centre of the third, fourth, fifth and sixth; tail black, tipped with green; bill dark brown; legs flesh-colour.

The figure is of the natural size.

PITTA IRIS, _Gould_. Rainbow Pitta.

_Pitta Iris_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., February 8, 1842.

Two specimens of this new and beautiful _Pitta_, both killed on the north coast of Australia, have already come under my notice. One of these is in the collection of Dr. Bankier, Acting Surgeon of H.M.S. Pelorus, and the other, apparently a female, is in the British Museum, having been lately presented to the national collection with many other fine birds, by Captain Chambers, R.N., of the same vessel.

The Rainbow Pitta differs so much from all other known species of this lovely tribe of birds, as to render a comparison quite unnecessary. By its discovery we can now enumerate three species from Australia. How rapidly is this fine country unfolding her rich treasures, of which, indeed, sufficient have been seen to rank her second to none in the interest of her productions!

Both the specimens above-mentioned are from the Cobourg Peninsula, where the species is not uncommon, and it will doubtless, hereafter, be found to range over a great portion of the north coast. No further account of the habits of this fine bird have been received than that it inhabits the thick “cane-beds” near the coast, through which it runs with great facility; the boldness and richness of its markings render it a most attractive object in the bush.

Head, neck, breast, abdomen, flanks and thighs deep velvety black; over the eye, extending to the occiput, a band of ferruginous brown; upper surface and wings golden green; shoulders bright metallic cærulean blue, bordered below with lazuline blue; primaries black, passing into olive-brown at their tips, the third, fourth, fifth and sixth having a spot about the centre of the feather; tail black at the base, green at the tip, the former colour running on the inner web nearly to the tip; rump-feathers tinged with cærulean blue; lower part of the abdomen and under tail-coverts bright scarlet, separated from the black of the abdomen by yellowish brown; irides dark brown; bill black; feet flesh-colour.

The figures are of the natural size.

CINCLOSOMA PUNCTATUM, _Vig. & Horsf._ Spotted Ground-Thrush.

_Turdus Punctatus_, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. xliv.

_Punctated Thrush_, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 187.—Ib. Gen. Hist., vol. v. p. 130.—Shaw, Zool. New Holl., p. 25.—Ib. Gen. Zool., vol. x. p. 202.

_Cinclosoma Punctatum_, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 220.—Griff. An. King., vol. vi. p. 529. pl. 29.

This species has been long known to ornithologists, being one of the birds earliest described from Australia; still little or no information has hitherto been acquired respecting its habits and economy, which, however, are extremely interesting.

It is everywhere a stationary species, and enjoys an extensive range of habitat, being distributed over the whole of Van Diemen’s Land and the eastern portion of Australia, from Moreton Bay to Spencer’s Gulf, to the westward of which I have never been able to trace it, and I have therefore reason to believe that this is the limit of its range in that direction; its place appearing to be supplied in Western Australia by the species represented in the succeeding Plate. During my researches in South Australia, I found both species sparingly dispersed over the country, in such localities as are suitable to their habits, between the great bend of the Murray and Lake Alexandrina; this, therefore, would seem to be the border-line of their range on either hand; how far these species are spread to the northward, is yet to be determined.

The Spotted Ground-Thrush gives a decided preference to the summits of low stony hills and rocky gullies, particularly those covered with scrubs and grasses. Its flight is very limited, and this power is rarely employed, except for the purpose of crossing a gully or passing to a neighbouring scrub; it readily eludes pursuit by the facility with which it runs over the stony surface and conceals itself among the underwood. When suddenly flushed it rises with a loud burring noise, like the Quail or Partridge. Its short flight is performed by a succession of undulations, and is terminated by the bird pitching abruptly to the ground almost at right angles.

It seldom perches on the smaller branches of trees, but may be frequently seen to run along the fallen trunks so common in the Australian forests.

Unlike many others of the Thrush family which are celebrated for their song, the note of this species merely consists of a low piping whistle, frequently repeated while among the underwood, and by which its presence is often indicated.

In Hobart Town it is frequently exposed for sale in the markets with Bronzewing Pigeons and Wattle-birds, where it is known by the name of Ground-Dove, an appellation which has doubtless been given both from its habit of running and feeding upon the ground like the Pigeons, and the circumstance of its flesh being very delicate eating; to its excellence in this respect I can bear testimony. The pectoral muscles are very largely developed, and the body, when plucked, has much the contour of a Quail.

The duty of incubation is performed in October and the three following months, during which period two and often three broods are produced. The nest is a slight and rather careless structure, composed of leaves and the inner bark of trees, and is of a round open form; it is always placed on the ground, under the shelter of a large stone, stump of a tree, or a tuft of grass. The eggs are two, and sometimes three, in number, one inch and three lines long, and are white, blotched with large marks of olive-brown, particularly at the larger end, some of the spots appearing as if on the inner surface of the shell. The young, which at two days old are thickly clothed with long black down, like the young of the genus _Rallus_, soon acquire the power of running, and at an early age assume the plumage of the adult, after which they are subject to no periodical change in their appearance. The stomach is very muscular, and in those dissected were found the remains of seeds and caterpillars mingled with sand.

Adult males have the forehead and chest ash-grey; crown of the head, back, rump, and the middle tail-feathers rufous brown, each feather of the back having a broad longitudinal stripe of black down the centre; shoulders and wing-coverts steel-black, each feather having a spot of white at the extreme tip; primaries blackish brown, margined on their outer edges with lighter brown; throat and a narrow band across the chest steel-black; stripe over the eye, a nearly circular spot on the side of the neck, and the centre of the abdomen white; flanks and under tail-coverts reddish buff, with a large oblong stripe of black down the centre of each feather; lateral tail-feathers black, broadly margined with grey on their inner webs, and largely tipped with white; bill black; legs fleshy-white; feet darker; eyes very dark lead-colour, with a naked blackish brown eyelash. The female differs from the male in having all the upper surface of a lighter hue; the throat greyish white instead of black; the spot on the neck rufous instead of white, and in being destitute of the black pectoral band.

The figures are of the natural size.

CINCLOSOMA CASTANOTUS, _Gould_. Chestnut-backed Ground-Thrush.

_Cinclosoma castanotus_, Gould, Proc. of Zool. Soc., September 8, 1840.

_Boȍne-Yung_, Aborigines of the mountain districts of Western Australia.

This new species of _Cinclosoma_ appears to be as much confined to the southern and western portions of Australia as the preceding species is to the eastern. It inhabits various parts of the great scrub bordering the Murray above Lake Alexandrina, and I have ascertained that it is also found in the neighbourhood of Swan River.

The economy of the present bird closely resembles that of the Spotted Ground-Thrush, as the similarity of their form would naturally lead us to expect; but the more level plains, particularly those that are studded with clumps of dwarf trees and scrubs, would appear to be the situations for which it is more peculiarly adapted, at least such was the character of the country in the Belts of the Murray where I discovered it. On the other hand, it is stated in the notes accompanying specimens received from Swan River, that “it is rarely seen in any but the most barren and rocky places. The white-gum forests, here and there studded with small patches of scrub, are its favourite haunts. It is only found in the interior; the part nearest to the coast, where it has been observed, being Bank’s Hutts on the York Road about fifty-three miles from Fremantle.”

Its disposition is naturally shy and wary, a circumstance which cannot be attributed to any dread of man as an enemy, since it inhabits parts scarcely ever visited either by the natives or Europeans. Few persons, I may safely say, had ever discharged a gun in that rich arboretum, the Belts of the Murray, before the period of my being there; still the bird was so difficult of approach, that it required the utmost exertion to procure any number of specimens. They were generally observed in small troops of four or six in number, running through the scrub one after another in a line, and resorting to a short low flight, when crossing the small intervening plains. The facility with which it runs over the surface of the ground is even greater than in its near ally, and on examination the toes will be found shorter than in that species, and admirably suited to its terrestrial habits: although it doubtless possesses the power of perching, I do not recollect having ever seen it on a tree.

In its mode of flight and nidification it assimilates so closely to the Spotted Ground-Thrush, as to render a separate description superfluous.

The stomach is extremely muscular, and the food consists of seeds and the smaller kind of _Coleoptera_.

The male has the crown of the head, ear-coverts, back of the neck, upper part of the back, upper tail-coverts and two central tail-feathers brown; stripe over the eye, and another from the base of the lower mandible down the side of the neck white; scapularies and lower part of the back rich chestnut; shoulders and wing-coverts black, each feather having a spot of white at the tip; primaries and secondaries dark brown, margined with lighter brown; lateral tail-feathers black, largely tipped with white; chin, throat and centre of the breast steel-black; sides of the chest and flanks brownish grey, the latter blotched with black; centre of the abdomen and under tail-coverts white; bill black; base of the under mandible lead-colour; irides reddish hazel; legs blackish brown. The female differs in having the whole of the plumage much lighter, and with only a slight tinge of chestnut on the rump; the stripes of white over the eye and down the sides of the neck less distinctly marked; the chin, throat and breast grey instead of black; the irides hazel, and the feet leaden brown.

The figures are of the natural size.

CINCLOSOMA CINNAMOMEUS, _Gould_. Cinnamon-coloured Cinclosoma.

_Cinclosoma cinnamomeus_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part XIV. p. 68.

We are indebted to the researches of that enterprising traveller Captain Sturt for our knowledge of this new _Cinclosoma_, which is the more interesting as forming an additional species of a singular group of Ground-Thrushes peculiar to Australia, of which only two were previously known. The specimen from which my figure is taken now forms part of the collection at the British Museum, and we learn from Captain Sturt that it was the only one procured during his lengthened sojourn at the Depôt in that sterile and inhospitable country, the interior of Australia.

It is considerably smaller than either of its congeners, the _C. castanotus_ and _C. punctatum_, and, moreover, differs from them in the cinnamon colouring of the greater portion of its plumage.

The whole of the upper surface, scapularies, two central tail-feathers, sides of the breast and flanks cinnamon-brown; wing-coverts jet-black, each feather largely tipped with white; above the eye a faint stripe of white; lores and throat glossy black, with a large oval patch of white seated within the black, beneath the eye; under surface white, with a large arrow-shaped patch of glossy black on the breast; feathers on the sides of the abdomen with a broad stripe of black down the centre; lateral tail-feathers jet-black, largely tipped with pure white; under tail-coverts black for four-fifths of their length on the outer web, their inner webs and tips white; eyes brown; tarsi olive; toes black.

The accompanying Plate represents the bird in two positions of the natural size.

OREOCINCLA LUNULATA. Mountain Thrush.

_Turdus lunulatus_, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. xlii.

_Philedon_, Temm. Man. d’Orn., 2nd Edit. tom. i. p. lxxxvii.

_Lunulated Thrush_, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 184.

—— _Honey-eater_, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. iv. p. 180.

_Turdus varius_, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 218.

_Oreocincla Novæ-Hollandiæ_ et _O. macrorhyncha_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part V. p. 145; and in Syn. Birds of Australia,