Part 7

In some the rich tawny colour predominates, while others are more grey.

The bird is represented of the natural size, asleep, in the position it is usually seen during the day.

PODARGUS CUVIERI: Vig. and Horsf.

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

PODARGUS CUVIERI, Vig. and Horsf. Cuvier’s Podargus.

Podargus Cuvieri, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 200.

More-pork of the Colonists.

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. Van Diemen’s Land, 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 in the woods; and its distribution over the island is so general, that to particularize localities in which it may be found is quite unnecessary, it being equally abundant near the coast as well as in the interior. I observed it both among the thick branches of the Casuarinæ 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 frequently on the same branch. Like the other members of the genus, this bird feeds almost exclusively on insects, of which Coleoptera form a great part: it is strictly nocturnal in its habits, and although not so active as the true Caprimulgi, displays considerable alertness in the capture of its food, presenting a striking contrast to its inertness in the daytime, when it is so drowsy that it can scarcely be aroused from its slumbers; that portion of its existence being passed in a sitting posture across a dead branch, perfectly motionless and with the bill pointing upwards: it never flies by day unless roused from the branch on which it is sitting, and this is not easily effected, as neither the discharge of a gun nor any other noise will cause it to take wing. It is frequently captured and kept in captivity, where it excites attention more from the sluggishness of its nature and the singular position it assumes than from any other cause: raw meat forms a suitable substitute for its natural food. In captivity 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 some a bird of ill omen, principally from the extraordinary sound of its hoarse, unearthly cry, which resembles the words more-pork; it not only approaches the immediate vicinity of the houses, but emits this sound while perched in their verandahs and on the buildings themselves; and it is often to be seen perched on the tombstones of the churchyard.

It builds a somewhat 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 immaturity, or characteristic of the fully adult plumage, I have not been able to satisfy myself. The figures represent both these styles of colouring.

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 irregular 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 narrow 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.

The figures are of the natural size.

PODARGUS PHALÆNOÏDES: Gould.

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

PODARGUS PHALÆNOÏDES, Gould. Moth-plumaged Podargus.

Podargus Phalænoïdes, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part VII. p. 142.

Nÿ-ane? and In-ner-jïn-ert, Aborigines of the neighbourhood of Port Essington.

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 colouring of the thighs, which are light brown instead of black; its tail also is rather more lengthened than that of the common species. Like the members of the genus inhabiting Van Diemen’s Land and New South Wales, 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. I am inclined to consider that age has much to do with this variation in colour: but whether the red-tinted birds are immature or adult I have had no means of ascertaining; further observation is necessary to determine this point; and I consequently hope the subject will not be neglected by those who may have an opportunity of observing the bird alive: the red-tinted birds occur less frequently than the others.

I have several specimens from the north-west coast of Australia, and Mr. Gilbert states that it is abundant in every part of the Cobourg Peninsula.

Like the rest of the genus it is strictly nocturnal in its habits; becoming animated at the approach of evening, it sallies forth from the favourite branch where it has rested during the day in search of insects, which, I believe, constitute almost exclusively its food; its whole economy in fact, so 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 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 striæ are much narrower than in the specimen above described.

The Plate represents a male and a female, in the differently tinted plumage, of the natural size.

PODARGUS PLUMIFERUS: Gould.

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

PODARGUS PLUMIFERUS, Gould. Plumed Podargus.

Podargus plumiferus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part XIII. p. 104.