Part 12

PSOPHODES CREPITANS: Vig. & Horsf.

J. & E. Gould del^t. C. Hullmandel Imp. ]

PSOPHODES CREPITANS, Vig. & Horsf. Coach-whip Bird.

Muscicapa crepitans, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. li.

Coach-whip Flycatcher, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 222.

Coach-whip Honey-eater, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. iv. p. 187.

Psophodes crepitans, Vig. & Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 329.

Djou, Aborigines of New South Wales.

This bird, so renowned for the singularity of its note, is very abundant in many parts of New South Wales, to which portion of the Australian continent it appears to be confined, as I have never met with it in collections from any other part of the country. It is to be found only in dense brushes, such as those at Maitland, Manning, Illawarra, and the cedar brushes of the Liverpool range; in fact, the localities that are suitable to the Menura and the Wattled Talegalla, are congenial to the habits of the Coach-whip Bird, which in some degree assimilate to those of the former; and the loud full note of this bird, ending sharply like the cracking of a whip, with which the woods are constantly reverberating, appeared to me, although very dissimilar, to be analogous to the peculiar call of the Menura; and I would further remark that a great resemblance is observable in the structure of the two birds.

The Coach-whip Bird is a shy and recluse species, for although its full notes indicate its presence, it rarely exposes itself to view, but generally keeps in the midst of the densest foliage and among the thickest climbing plants, frequenting alike those that have intertwined themselves with the branches of the tallest shrubs, and those that form almost impenetrable masses near the ground, and through which it threads its way with the utmost ease. In these arboreal habits it less resembles Menura than in other parts of its economy. It is extremely animated and sprightly in all its actions, raising its crest and spreading its tail in the most elegant manner, generally carrying this organ slightly raised, but never elevating it in the grotesque style of the Blue Wrens (Maluri). These actions become even more animated during the spring, when the males may often be seen chasing each other, frequently stopping to pour out their notes with great volubility, making the brushes ring for a considerable distance around them, and displaying themselves to the greatest advantage.

The food consists of insects of various kinds, obtained almost entirely from the ground, and sought for by scratching up the leaves and turning over the small stones, precisely after the manner of the Menura.

Independently of its peculiar whistle, which must be heard to be understood, as it is impossible to convey an idea of it by words, it possesses a low inward song of considerable melody.

The rounded form of the wings and graduated tail, as well as the softness of the feathers of the back, have induced some authors to consider it to be allied to the Bush Shrikes of America (Thamnophili); but the structure of its bill, which is so essentially different, being totally devoid of the notch on both the mandibles, must have been overlooked, and in no one of its habits or actions does it assimilate to those birds.

The sexes are much alike in colour, but may be readily distinguished by the more obscure plumage, and lesser size of the female. The young of the first year are of a much browner hue, a character of plumage that soon gives place to the adult livery. Of its nidification I regret to say I know nothing, although I paid great attention to the subject myself, and offered rewards for its nest and eggs, and for any information respecting them.

The male has the head, ear-coverts, chin and breast black; a large patch of white on each side of the neck, all the upper surface, wings, flanks, and base of the tail-feathers olive-green; the remaining portion of the tail-feathers black, the three lateral feathers on each side tipped with white; under surface olive-brown, some of the feathers on the centre of the abdomen tipped with white, and forming a conspicuous irregular patch; irides brownish red; bill, inside and out, and base of the tongue black; feet reddish brown.

The Plate represents the male and female of the natural size, on the branch of a plant growing abundantly in the brushes of the Hunter, with the scientific name of which I am not acquainted, but which is called the Cherry by the colonists.

PSOPHODES NIGROGULARIS: Gould.

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

PSOPHODES NIGROGULARIS, Gould. Black-throated Psophodes.

Psophodes nigrogularis, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., January 23, 1844.

The addition of a second species to the genus Psophodes will be hailed with pleasure by every one who makes the science of ornithology a matter of study; nor will its discovery be a subject of surprise to us, as it is only another illustration of that beautiful law of representation which is conspicuously carried out in Australia. The habitat of the present bird will doubtless be hereafter found to be as strictly confined to the western part of the continent as that of the P. crepitans is to the eastern. As yet only a single example has reached me, and in all probability no other specimen has ever fallen by the gun of any individual. It is to Mr. Gilbert’s perseverance that science is indebted for the knowledge of this new bird, and his notes which accompanied the specimen (a male) I here transcribe:—“Inhabits thickets of a small species of Leptospermum growing among the sand hills which run parallel with and adjacent to the beach. It utters a peculiar harsh and grating song which it is quite impossible to describe, and which is so different from that of every other bird I ever heard or am acquainted with, that I shall have no difficulty in recognizing it again wherever I may hear it. I heard it for the first time, together with the notes of many other birds equally strange to me, in the vicinity of the Wongan Hills a few weeks back, but could not then obtain a sight of the bird, although I knew from its singular and never to be mistaken note that it was only a few yards from me.”

Plumage of the upper surface olive; under surface ashy, passing into brown on the flanks and white on the centre of the abdomen; primaries brown; tail light olive-brown, the four lateral feathers crossed near the extremity with a hand of black, and tipped with white; throat deep black, with a stripe of white from the angle of the lower mandible, just within the black; bill dark horn-colour; irides dark brown; feet dark horn-colour.

The figures are of the natural size.

SPHENOSTOMA CRISTATUM: Gould.

J. & E. Gould del^t. C. Hullmandel Imp. ]

SPHENOSTOMA CRISTATUM, Gould. Crested Wedge-bill.

Sphenostoma cristatum, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part V. p. 150.—Ib. Syn. Birds of Australia, Part IV.

Several years have now elapsed since I published the characters of this bird in the “Zoological Proceedings,” and a figure of the head in my “Synopsis.” I had little or nothing to communicate respecting its history at that time, and I regret to say that the interval has not added to my knowledge of the subject. The specimen from which my description and figure were originally taken was a female; and although the male differs but little in its outward appearance, still the rather more produced form of the bill supplies a key as to what tribe of birds it appears to be most nearly allied, that of Psophodes; at the same time it must be admitted, that the affinity is somewhat remote, and it may be that my conclusions are not well-founded: a knowledge of its habits will materially assist in clearing up this point.