Part 48

The male has the lores, ear-coverts and throat buff; crown of the head and back of the neck deep brown; over each eye two parallel lines of yellowish white; a similar line down the centre of the head from the forehead to the nape; back of the neck brown, each feather marked down its centre with a lanceolate mark of yellowish white, blotched on each side with black; mantle, back and upper tail-coverts brown, transversely rayed with zigzag markings of black, and striped down the centre with lanceolate markings of yellowish white; wings brown, transversely rayed with zigzag lines of grey and black; primaries and centre of the chest black; sides of the chest brown; abdomen white, each feather marked down its centre with black; flanks rich brown, the centre of each feather white, bounded on either side by a fine line of black; bill black; irides hazel; feet pearly vinous white.

The female differs in being destitute of the black marks on the chest, in the throat being white instead of buff, and in the bill being olive instead of black.

The Plate represents both sexes of the natural size.

SYNOÏCUS AUSTRALIS.

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

SYNOÏCUS AUSTRALIS. Australian Partridge.

Perdix Australis, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. lxii.

Coturnix Australis, Temm. Pig. et Gall. 8vo, tom. iii. pp. 474 and 740.—Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. xi. p. 373.—Vieill. Gal. des Ois., pl. 215.—Less. Traité d’Orn., p. 508.

New Holland Quail, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 283.—Ib. Gen. Hist., vol. viii. p. 306.

Moo-ȑeete, Aborigines of the lowland districts of Western Australia.

Brown Quail, Colonists of Swan River and Van Diemen’s Land.

The present species will at all times claim more than ordinary attention from the colonists of Australia, from the circumstance of its being the representative in that country of the Common Partridge of the British Islands, so renowned for the goodness of its flesh, and for the healthy pastime it annually affords during the shooting season to all who are attached to and follow the sports of the field. Although much more diminutive in size, the present species offers in many points of its economy a great similarity to its antipodean ally. I believe that several species of this intermediate form exist in Australia; if, however, my surmise should prove to be incorrect, and it should be found that the Partridges over all parts of the country are merely varieties of each other, then it may be stated that the present species is an inhabitant of every known part of Australia, the north coast even not being without its presence; but if, on the other hand, it should be discovered that they are several distinct species, then the habitat of the present bird will be restricted to New South Wales, South Australia and Van Diemen’s Land, over the whole of which countries it is plentifully dispersed; the localities most suited to its habits being thick grassy flats and humid spots overgrown with herbage, by the sides of rivers and water-holes. Its call is very similar to that of the Common Partridge, and like that bird it is found in coveys of from ten to eighteen in number, which simultaneously rise from the ground and pitch again within a hundred yards of the spot whence they rose. It sits so close, that it will often admit of being nearly trodden upon before it will rise. Pointers stand readily to it, and it offers perhaps better sport to the sportsman than any other bird inhabiting Australia. Its weight is about four ounces and three quarters, and its flesh is delicious.

The Australian Partridge breeds on the ground, where it constructs a slight nest of grass and leaves; the eggs, which are of large size, and from ten to eighteen in number, are sometimes uniform bluish white, at others minutely freckled all over with buff.

The sexes differ but little in their colouring, neither do the young birds from the adult, except that the markings are somewhat broader and more distinct.

Forehead, space between the bill and the eye, and the throat greyish white, with a tinge of buff; all the upper surface irregularly marked with beautiful transverse bars of grey, black and chestnut, each feather on the back having a fine stripe down the centre; shoulders greyish brown, the remainder of the wing marked with obscure transverse lines of grey, brown and black; primaries brown, mottled on the external edges with greyish brown; all the under surface buffy grey, each feather having numerous zigzag markings of black, and many of them having a very fine line of white down the centre; bill blue, deepening into black at the tip; irides orange; feet dull yellow.

The figures are of the natural size.

SYNOÏCUS DIEMENENSIS: Gould.

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

SYNOÏCUS DIEMENENSIS, Gould. Van Diemen’s Land Partridge.

Synoïcus Diemenensis, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., March, 1847.

Greater Brown Quail of the Colonists.

During my visit to Van Diemen’s Land I was frequently informed that there were two kinds of Quail besides the stubble and painted Quails, the former of which is a true Coturnix and the latter a Hemipodius, while the two birds referred to belong to neither of those genera, but to that of Synoïcus. They are distinguished as the greater and lesser Brown Quail, and sometimes the name of Partridge was given to the bird here figured, doubtless from its going in coveys and resembling the Common Partridge of Europe in many of its actions: I failed in my endeavours to obtain examples, but I was fortunate enough to procure its nest and eggs, which differed so much from those of the common species as to convince me that they had been laid by a different bird: on a late visit to Paris, I found at the house of M. Verreaux several specimens of the bird itself, which had been sent to him by his brother direct from Van Diemen’s Land, and which being placed at my disposal enable me to give figures of both species. It is fully a third larger in size than the S. Australis, and has the markings of the upper surface more numerous and varied; the situations it affects appear to be low marshy grounds covered with dense masses of herbage. The eggs I procured were found in the swamps immediately below New Norfolk; they are more green than those of S. Australis, are sprinkled all over with minute spots of brown, and are from twelve to eighteen in number, one inch and seven-sixteenths long by one inch and an eighth broad. I feel more than ever convinced, that the birds of the form to which the generic term Synoïcus has been applied, constitute many more species than has hitherto been supposed.

Forehead, lores and chin greyish white tinged with buff; crown of the head dark brown, with a line of buff down the centre; all the upper surface irregularly marked with beautiful transverse bars of grey, black and chestnut, each feather with a fine stripe of greyish white down the centre; primaries brown, mottled on their external edges with greyish brown; all the under surface greyish buff, each feather with numerous regular somewhat arrow-shaped marks of black, and many of them with a very fine line of white down the centre; bill blue, deepening into black at the tip; irides orange; feet dull yellow.

The Plate represents the two sexes rather less than the size of life.

SYNOÏCUS SORDIDUS.

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

SYNOÏCUS SORDIDUS, Gould. Sombre Partridge.

Synoïcus sordidus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part XV. p. 33.