Part 39

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.

J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith. Hullmandel & Walton Imp. ]

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.

J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith. Hullmandel & Walton Imp. ]