Part 51

Gerygone chloronotus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part X. p. 133.

This species is an inhabitant of the northern parts of 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 of insects, upon which it solely subsists. In form and in 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 lesser development of the bristles at the gape, are among the points in which it differs from the Gerygone fuscus of the brushes of New South Wales. The latter feeds upon the smallest kinds of gnats and other soft insects which it captures in the air; on the other hand, the structure of the present bird would lead us to infer that the insects it feeds upon are procured either on the leaves or about the branches.

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; upper mandible greenish grey; lower mandible white; feet blackish grey.

The Plate represents the two sexes of the natural size.

SMICRORNIS BREVIROSTRIS: Gould.

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

SMICRORNIS BREVIROSTRIS, Gould. Short-billed Smicrornis.

Psilopus brevirostris, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part V. p. 147.

Geah-ter-but, Aborigines of the mountain districts of Western Australia.

Until more information has been acquired respecting the members of this genus, I shall regard the species from Swan River and New South Wales as the same, although some trivial differences exist in the examples from those distant localities.

It 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, in 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 neighbourhood of Adelaide and in the gulleys 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. Mr. Gilbert states that in 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 larvæ 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 Acanthiza chrysorrhœa.

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, &c., 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 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.

The figures represent the two sexes, which are similar in plumage, of the natural size.

SMICRORNIS FLAVESCENS: Gould.

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

SMICRORNIS FLAVESCENS, Gould. Yellow-tinted Smicrornis.

Smicrornis flavescens, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part X. p. 134.

This is the least of the Australian birds I have yet seen, scarcely exceeding the smallest Humming-bird. 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 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 plumage or in magnitude. 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 extremity, 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.

The Plate represents the two sexes of the natural size.

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TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES

1. Silently corrected typographical errors and variations in spelling. 2. Retained anachronistic, non-standard, and uncertain spellings as printed. 3. Enclosed italics font in underscores.