Chapter V: Part 5

_Anthus minimus_, Vig. & Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 230.

This pretty little bird is usually seen on the ground in small companies of five or six in number, and is so very tame in disposition as to admit of the nearest approach, and when flushed merely flits off to the distance of a few yards. Its distribution, so far as we yet know, is confined to New South Wales and South Australia, in both of which countries it is a stationary and abundant species. It is very active in its actions, running, or rather hopping, with great celerity over the gravelly ridges of the ground beneath the shade of the apple- and gum-trees.

The nest is of a domed form, and is placed among withered grass in a depression of the ground, so as to be on a level with the surface, and being formed of the same material as that with which it is surrounded, it is all but impossible to discover it; the entrance is an extremely small hole close to the ground. The eggs, which are four in number, are of a light cochineal-red, with a zone of blackish brown spots at the larger end; their medium length is nine lines by seven lines in breadth.

The sexes are very similar; some individuals however are distinguished by the superciliary stripe being brown instead of white; whether this be characteristic of youth or maturity, I have not satisfactorily ascertained; I can scarcely conceive that so trivial a difference should indicate a difference of species.

General plumage olive-brown, the feathers of the back with darker centres, and of the head with a longitudinal stripe of buff down the middle of each; primaries narrowly edged with whitish; tail slightly tipped with white; under surface white, washed with yellow, each feather with a broad stripe of blackish brown down the centre, except on the middle of the abdomen, which is nearly pure white and without stripes; irides straw-yellow; bill brown; feet fleshy brown.

The figures are of the natural size.

ANTHUS AUSTRALIS: _Vig. & Horsf._

_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]

ANTHUS AUSTRALIS, _Vig. & Horsf._
Australian Pipit.

_Anthus Australis_, Vig. & Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 229.

——— _pallescens_, Vig. & Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 229.

_Waȑ-ra-joo-lon_, Aborigines of the lowlands of Western Australia.

_Common Lark_ of the Colonists.

The Pipits, like many other of the Australian birds, are exceedingly perplexing, inasmuch as the specimens from the various colonies differ from each other considerably in size and in the length and form of the hind-claws. A more minute examination and a longer observation of them in a state of nature than my stay in the country afforded, may prove them to comprise several species, though for the present I can only regard them as mere local varieties; whatever the case may be, one thing is certain,—namely that the northern and southern regions of the country are inhabited by Pipits which bear a great resemblance to each other. Every variety of country, from the humid flats and sides of lagoons teeming with luxuriant vegetation to the hot sterile plains, are equally frequented by them; I could not fail to remark, however, that the short-toed and smaller-sized birds were most abundant on the plains. The _Anthus Australis_ has all the habits and actions of its European prototype the _Anthus aquaticus_, but is still more bold and showy; its note is also very similar; it seldom flies higher than the tops of the trees, but occasionally mounts perpendicularly in the air, singing all the time; when flushed from the ground it rarely flies to any great distance before it descends again rather abruptly, to the earth, to the branch of a tree, or a small bush.

The nest is a rather deep and compactly formed structure of dried grasses; it is placed in a hole in the ground, sometimes beneath the shelter of a tuft of grass, but more frequently in a clear, open and exposed situation, the top of the nest being level with the surface. The eggs, which are three and sometimes four in number, are of a lengthened form, being eleven lines long by seven and a half lines broad, and are of a greyish white, blotched and freckled with light chestnut-brown and purplish grey, the latter colour appearing as if beneath the surface of the shell.

The breeding-season commences in the early part of September and continues until January, during which season two or three broods are reared.

The stomach is very muscular, and the food consists of insects of various kinds and small seeds.

The sexes are alike in plumage and may be described as follows:—

All the upper surface dark brown, each feather broadly margined with reddish brown; wings and two centre tail-feathers brown, margined with whitish brown; two lateral tail-feathers white, margined on the inner webs with blackish brown and with blackish brown shafts, the remaining tail-feathers blackish brown; stripe over the eye light buff; ear-coverts brown; under surface dull white, washed with buff on the under surface of the shoulder and on the under tail-coverts; the feathers of the breast, flanks and sides of the neck with a streak of dark brown down the centre, these marks being most conspicuous on the sides of the neck and across the upper part of the breast, where they are arranged in the form of a gorget, the points of which proceed upward to the angle of the lower mandible; irides very dark brown; bill and feet fleshy brown.

Freshly moulted individuals differ in having a rich tint of rufous pervading the whole of the upper surface, the breast and flanks.

The figures represent the two sexes of the natural size, from specimens procured in New South Wales.

CINCLORAMPHUS CRURALIS.

_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]

CINCLORAMPHUS CRURALIS.
Brown Cincloramphus.

_Megalurus cruralis_, Vig. & Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 228.

_Cincloramphus cruralis_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part V. p.
150; and in Syn. Birds of Australia, Part IV.

As there are two, if not three, species of this very singular genus inhabiting the southern portion of Australia, which bear a great resemblance to each other, it becomes necessary to state that the bird represented in the accompanying Plate is the one commonly seen during the months of spring and summer in all the open districts of New South Wales, in which country it arrives in August, and after performing the task of incubation, departs again in January or February. Open downs, grassy flats and fields of corn are its favourite places of resort. It is certainly one of the most animated of the Australian birds. Had I not visited Australia and personally studied its habits, my credulity would have been severely taxed upon being informed that the two birds here figured represent the male and female of the same species, many genera having been instituted upon much slighter grounds of difference; I had abundant proofs, however, that such is really the case, having seen many of the nests and eggs with the parent bird in the act of incubation, during the two seasons I spent in the country. In most of its habits and in its economy this bird closely assimilates to the Skylark of Europe. During the early months of spring it trips over the ground in the most sprightly manner with its tail nearly erect; mounts on the dead limbs of trees and the fences of enclosures, and runs along them with the greatest dexterity; at this season of the year also the male may be frequently seen running beside his diminutive partner, and so busily engaged in pouring forth his song for her amusement, as to be apparently unconscious of the presence of any other object. After the female has chosen the place for her nest, which is always on the ground, the male, like the Skylark, frequently mounts in the air with a tremulous motion of the wings, and after cheering her with his animated song, descends again to the ground or skims off to a neighbouring tree, and incessantly pours forth his voluble and not unpleasing notes.

I found it very abundant in all the Upper Hunter districts, as well as in all the surrounding country, both to the north and south: I killed numerous examples of both sexes, but not one male with the throat and under surface black, like specimens I have seen from Port Philip and South Australia, and which I consider to be specifically distinct.

The male has the entire plumage brown, each feather margined with brownish white; a large patch of dark brown on the centre of the abdomen; bill, inside of the mouth and tongue black; irides hazel; feet flesh-brown.

The female is similar in colour, but the feathers being more broadly margined with brownish white gives her a paler hue than her mate; the under surface is also much lighter, and the patch in the centre of the abdomen is much smaller.

The Plate represents a male and a female of the natural size.

CINCLORAMPHUS CANTILLANS: _Gould_.

_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]

CINCLORAMPHUS CANTILLANS, _Gould_.
Black-breasted Cincloramphus.

_Cincloramphus cantatoris_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part X. p.
135.

_Ye-jȕl-lup_, Aborigines of the mountain districts of Western
Australia.

_Sky-Lark_ of the Colonists.

I consider it necessary to state that the figures in the accompanying Plate are taken from specimens killed at Port Philip in South Australia, and I have a specimen procured at Port Essington which is precisely similar. They all differ from _C. cruralis_ in their smaller size and in their darker colouring, a character which is confined to the male sex, and which is, I believe, strictly a summer livery. At Swan River the individuals are still smaller, and like the _C. cruralis_ are never so black on the breast as the bird here figured; shall we not then be justified in considering this again as distinct? The term _cantillans_ was applied to a specimen in the winter dress, when neither the breast nor bill is black, otherwise a more appropriate appellation might have been applied.

I possess no information respecting the habits of the Port Philip bird.

The following notes are from the pen of Mr. Gilbert, and are the result of his observations of the bird in Western Australia:—

“This is a summer visitor to Western Australia, a remarkably shy and wary species, and a most difficult bird to procure, from its generally perching on a part of a tree whence it can command an uninterrupted view all round, rarely admitting any one to approach it within gun-shot. On being flushed from the ground it immediately takes to a tree, where, with its tail erect, and its head stretched out to the full extent of its neck, it presents a most grotesque appearance. It often ascends perpendicularly to a considerable height in the air, and then floats horizontally without any apparent motion of the wings to the distance of three hundred yards. While flying it utters a most disagreeably harsh and grating note, which is exchanged for an inward, rather plaintive tone when perched among the branches. The nest, which is deposited in a slight depression of the ground, is formed of dried grasses, and is so loosely put together that it is extremely difficult to preserve it entire; the eggs are four in number, and are similar to, but larger and of a lighter colour than those of the _C. rufescens_.”

All the upper surface sandy brown, the centres of the feathers darker; primaries and tail greyish brown, slightly margined with reddish brown; immediately before the eye a triangular spot of brownish black; throat and chest dull white, the latter with a stripe of brown down each feather; under surface light brown; in the centre of the abdomen a patch of dark brown, each feather margined with pale brown; bill and feet fleshy brown.

The figures represent two males and a female of the natural size in different states of plumage.

CINCLORAMPHUS RUFESCENS.

_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]

CINCLORAMPHUS RUFESCENS.
Rufous-tinted Cincloramphus.

_Anthus rufescens_, Vig. & Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 230.

_E-rolȅ-del_, Aborigines of the Mountain districts of Western
Australia.

_Singing Lark_ of the Colonists.

If Australia be not celebrated for its singing-birds, it has still some few whose voices serve to enliven the monotony of its scenery; and of these no one deserves greater attention than the bird here represented, which is a very sweet songster, and whose note somewhat resembles, but is much inferior to that of our own Skylark. With the exception of Van Diemen’s Land, where I believe it is never seen, it appears to be distributed over all parts of Australia, as evidenced by my collection, containing specimens from every locality yet visited by Europeans. In New South Wales and Western Australia it is strictly migratory, and only a summer visitor, arriving in August and departing in February; on the other hand, I met with it on the sand hills at Holdfast Bay in South Australia in the month of July, the period of winter: although not exclusively a terrestrial bird, it spends much of its time on the ground, from which it makes perpendicular ascents to a great height in the air, and then descending to the tops of the highest trees, flies horizontally from one tree to another, singing all the time with the greatest volubility; the female, which is not more than half the size of the male, remaining all the while on the ground, from which she is not easily aroused, and consequently not so often seen. It evinces a great partiality to open grassy plains here and there studded with trees. It breeds in October, November and December, and sometimes rears two broods during the season. The nest is placed in a depression of the earth, most frequently at the foot of a slightly raised tuft of grass, and is externally composed of strong grasses and lined with very fine grasses, and sometimes with hairs. The eggs are four in number, ten lines long by seven and a half lines broad, and are of a purplish white, very boldly marked with freckles and small blotches of deep chestnut-brown, so much so as frequently to render the blotches more conspicuous than the ground colour.

The female frequently utters a monotonous shriek or call at night.

The male has all the upper surface dark brown, each feather margined with olive-brown; upper tail-coverts rufous; lores black; stripe above the eye and throat whitish; all the under surface pale brownish grey, deepening into buff on the under tail-coverts, and with a series of minute spots of brown on the breast; irides hazel; bill dark lead-colour in summer, fleshy brown in winter; tarsi yellowish grey; feet bluish ashy grey.

The female is smaller and is destitute of the black lores; in other respects she is so like the male that a separate description is unnecessary.

The figures represent the two sexes of the natural size, on a branch of the cherry-tree of the colonists (_Exocarpus Cupressiformis_).

MIRAFRA HORSFIELDII: _Gould_.

_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]

MIRAFRA HORSFIELDII, _Gould_.
Horsfield’s Mirafra.

_Mirafra Horsfieldii_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., January 27, 1847.

This species, which I have named _Horsfieldii_ in honour of the founder of the genus, is sparingly dispersed over all the plains and open districts of New South Wales, but is more abundant on the inner side of the mountain ranges towards the interior than between the ranges and the sea; I have also a specimen procured during Dr. Leichardt’s overland expedition from Moreton Bay, and one from the neighbourhood of Port Essington: both of these, although possessing characters common to each other, differ from specimens obtained in New South Wales in being larger, redder in colour, and in having a stouter bill—features which will probably hereafter prove them to be distinct, and which exhibit a near alliance to the true _Mirafra Javanica_.

The bird here figured is from New South Wales, where I found it more abundant on the Liverpool Plains than elsewhere; I also met with solitary individuals in the district of the Upper Hunter.

In its habits it is more terrestrial than arboreal, and will frequently allow itself to be almost trodden upon before it will rise, and then it merely flies to a short distance and descends again; it may often be seen perched upon the strong blades of grass and occasionally on the trees; it frequently mounts high in the air after the manner of the Skylark of Europe, singing all the time very melodiously, but with a weaker strain than that favourite bird; it also occasionally utters its pleasing song while perched on the branches of the trees.

The sexes are alike in colour and size.

General plumage ashy brown, the centre of the feathers dark brown, the latter colour predominating on the head, lower part of the back and tertiaries; wings brown margined with rufous; over the eye a stripe of buff; chin white; under surface pale buff; throat crossed by a series of dark brown spots arranged in a crescentic form; under surface of the wing rufous; bill flesh-brown at the base and dark brown at the tip; feet fleshy brown.

The figures are of the natural size.

ESTRELDA BELLA.

_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]

ESTRELDA BELLA.
Fire-tailed Finch.

_Loxia bella_, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. xlvi.

_Black-lined Grosbeak_, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 198.—Ib.
Gen. Hist., vol. v. p. 267.

_Fringilla bella_, Vig. & Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 257.

_Wee-bong_, Aborigines of New South Wales.

_Fire-tail_, Colonists of Van Diemen’s Land.

Van Diemen’s Land may be considered the stronghold of this species, for it is universally and numerously dispersed over all parts of that island suited to its habits and economy. It also inhabits New South Wales, but is there far less abundant than in other districts. I generally observed it in small communities varying from six to a dozen in number, searching on the ground for the seeds of grasses and other small plants which grow on the plains and open parts of the forest. It also frequents the gardens and pleasure-grounds of the settlers, with whom it is a favourite, few birds being more tame or more beautifully coloured than this little Finch; the brilliant scarlet of the rump, and the base of the tail-feathers strongly contrasting with the more sombre hue of the body. Its flight is extremely rapid and arrow-like, particularly when crossing a plain or passing down a gulley. It is a stationary species in Van Diemen’s Land, and probably also in New South Wales. In the former country I constantly encountered it breeding, my attention being usually attracted by the enormous nest which it builds, and which, being placed among the branches of shrubby trees without the slightest attempt at concealment, is very conspicuous. It moreover breeds in small communities, several nests about ten inches in diameter being placed on the same tree. They are constructed entirely of grasses and stalks of plants, dome-shaped in form, with a hole near the top for the ingress and egress of the bird. The eggs are five or six in number, rather lengthened in form and of a beautiful flesh-white, eight and a half lines long by six and a half lines broad. It breeds from September to January, during which period two or three broods are reared. Its note is a single mournful sound emitted while perched on the low branches of the trees in the neighbourhood of its feeding-places.

The sexes present no external difference, and may be thus described:—circle surrounding the eyes, lores, and a line crossing the forehead black; all the upper surface, wings and tail olive-brown, crossed by numerous narrow crescentic lines of black; rump and base of the tail-feathers shining scarlet; all the under surface grey, crossed by numerous narrow crescentic lines of black; centre of the abdomen and under tail-coverts black; tips of the primaries and tail-feathers brown without bars; bill crimson, becoming paler at the base of the upper mandible; irides very dark brown; eyelash beautiful light blue; feet flesh-colour.

The Plate represents the two sexes of the natural size.

ESTRELDA OCULEA.

_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]

ESTRELDA OCULEA.
Red-eared Finch.

_Fringilla oculea_, Quoy et Gaim. Voy. de l’Astrolabe, Zool., Part I.
p. 211; Ois., pl. 18. fig. 2.

_Jeȅ-ree_, Aborigines of the lowland, and

_Dweȑ-den-ngool-gnan̏-neer_, Aborigines of the mountain districts of
Western Australia.

_Native Sparrow_, Colonists of Swan River.

This species is abundant in many parts of the colony of Swan River on the western coast, but has not as yet been discovered elsewhere. Like its near ally the _Estrelda bella_ it inhabits open grassy glades studded with thickets, particularly in moist swampy districts and along the borders of lakes and rivers. Its food consists of small grass-seeds procured among the herbage on the ground. It is not a migratory species, and its place of resort appears to be merely changed when, the supply of food being exhausted, it becomes necessary to seek it elsewhere. Mr. Gilbert states that “it is a solitary species and is generally found in the most retired spots in the thickets, where its mournful, slowly drawn-out note only serves to add to the loneliness of the place. Its powers of flight, although sometimes rapid, would seem to be feeble, as they are merely employed to remove it from tree to tree. The natives of the mountain districts of Western Australia have a tradition that the first bird of this species speared a dog and drank its blood, and thus obtained its red bill.”

The sexes are so much alike that dissection is necessary to distinguish the male from the female. The beautiful patch of scarlet feathers behind the eye, together with the rich colouring of the bill, assists very materially in relieving the more sombre but delicate markings of the remainder of the body.

Lores, line over the bill and a narrow circle surrounding the eye black; behind the eye a small patch of shining scarlet; all the upper surface olive-brown, crossed by numerous fine irregular crescent-shaped bands of black, which are broadest and most conspicuous on the lower part of the back; wings and tail similarly marked, but with the black bands still broader and more distinct; rump and the margins of the base of the central tail-feathers shining scarlet; throat and breast light brown, crossed by numerous crescent-shaped bands of black; abdomen and under surface black, with a large spot of white near the tip of each feather; irides red; bill bright vermilion, the base of the upper mandible edged with pearl-grey; eyelash greenish blue; legs yellowish grey.

The figures are of the natural size.

ESTRELDA BICHENOVII.

_J. & E. Gould del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]

ESTRELDA BICHENOVII.
Bicheno’s Finch.

_Fringilla Bichenovii_, Vig. & Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p.
258.—Jard. and Selb. Ill. Orn., vol. i. pl. xii. fig. 3.

This beautiful little Finch inhabits the extensive plains of the interior, particularly such portions of them as are thinly intersected with low scrubby trees and bushes. The localities in which my specimens were obtained were the Liverpool and Brezi Plains, and I have not yet received it from any other parts of Australia, but this may be attributed rather to the paucity of information respecting the interior than to any other cause; and as I have had occasion to remark with respect to other species, it will be impossible to determine the precise extent of the range of this bird until the country has been more fully explored.

The Bicheno’s Finch is very tame in its disposition, and is generally to be observed on the ground, occupied in procuring the seeds of the grasses and other small plants, which form its principal food. At the time of my visit to the interior, which was in the month of December, it was assembled in small flocks of from four to eight in number; these, when flushed from among the grasses, would perch on the neighbouring bushes rather than fly off to any distance, and indeed the form of its wings and tail indicate that it possesses lesser powers of flight than many of the other Finches.

I was not fortunate enough to obtain its nest or eggs, neither did I ever hear it utter any kind of song; consequently I am unable to give any information on these points.

The male has the face, ear-coverts and throat pure white, completely surrounded by a band of black, which is broadest on the forehead; crown of the head, nape of the neck, and back broccoli-brown, each feather crossed by numerous transverse lines of a lighter tint; upper part of the rump black; lower part of the rump and upper tail-coverts snow-white; wings black, all the feathers except the primaries beautifully spotted with white; chest greyish white tinged with buff, bounded below by a broadish band of jet-black; abdomen and flanks buffy white; under tail-coverts and tail black; irides black, surrounded by a narrow black lash; bill beautiful pale blue.

The sexes, although having a similar character of marking, may be distinguished from each other by the male having the black bands of the chest and throat broader, and its plumage more brilliant. The young also at an early age possess the characteristic markings of the adult.

The Plate represents a male and a female of the natural size.

ESTRELDA ANNULOSA: _Gould_.

_J. & E. Gould del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]

ESTRELDA ANNULOSA, _Gould_.
Black-rumped Finch.

_Amadina annulosa_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part VII. p. 143.

This species was one of several, collected by the Officers of H.M.S. the Beagle, and for the specimens from which my figures were taken I am indebted to Messrs. Bynoe and Dring. The bird has also been more recently brought to England by Captain Grey: all the specimens here alluded to were collected on the north-west coast, and I find it is not unfrequently seen on the Coburg Peninsula, where it inhabits the grassy banks of running streams, in small families of from six to ten in number.

It differs from Bicheno’s Finch in the spots and markings on the upper surface being rather less defined, and in the colouring of the rump, which in this species is black, while in the other it is white.

Face, ear-coverts and throat white, surrounded by a jet-black band, which is broadest on the forehead; chest greyish white, bounded below by a conspicuous band of black; lower part of the abdomen white; crown of the head, back of the neck, and back greyish brown marked with numerous fine transverse lines of greyish white; rump, upper and under tail-coverts and tail black; wings blackish brown, the secondaries and coverts thickly dotted with fine markings of greyish white; bill and feet lead-colour.

The figures are those of a male and a female of the natural size.

ESTRELDA TEMPORALIS.

_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del^t._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]

ESTRELDA TEMPORALIS.
Red-eyebrowed Finch.

_Fringilla temporalis_, Lath. Ind. Orn., Supp., p. xlviii.—Vig. &
Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 258.—Shaw, Gen. Zool.,
vol. ix. p. 533.

_Temporal Finch_, Lath. Gen. Syn., Supp., vol. ii. p. 211; and Gen.
Hist., vol. vi. p. 115.—Lewin, Birds of New Holl., pl. 12.

_Le Sénégali quinticolor_, Vieill. Ois. Chant., p. 38, pl. 15.

_Fringilla quinticolor_, Vieill. 2nde Edit., du Nouv. Dict. d’Hist.
Nat., tom. xii. p. 183.—Ib. Ency. Méth., Part III. p. 991.

_Goo-lung-ag-ga_, Aborigines of New South Wales.

_Red-Bill_ of the Colonists.

This species of Finch is very generally spread over the gardens and all such open pasture lands of New South Wales and South Australia as abound in grasses and small plants, upon the seeds of which it chiefly subsists. It is particularly abundant in the neighbourhood of Sydney; even in the Botanic Garden numbers may always be seen flitting from border to border. It is easily domesticated, and is of a lively disposition in captivity, even old birds becoming perfectly reconciled after a few days. In the autumn it is gregarious, and Mr. Caley states it often assembles in such large flocks, that he has killed above forty at a shot; in the spring they are mostly seen in pairs, and then build their large and conspicuous nest, which is formed of dead grass, lined with thistle down, in any low bush adapted for a site, but in none more frequently than in the beautiful plant figured in the accompanying Plate (_Leptospermum squarrosum_) which was made by Mrs. Gould during our stay in Sydney; and I feel assured it will be acknowledged, that in delineations of flowers as well as of birds her pencil was directed by a hand at once masterly and truthful.

The eggs are five or six in number, of a beautiful fleshy white, seven lines long by five and a half lines broad.

Crown of the head bluish grey; upper surface, wings and tail olive-brown; under surface white; patch over the eye and rump crimson; irides brownish red; eyelash narrow, naked and black; bill fine blood-red, with the ridge of the upper and the lower part of the under mandible black; legs yellowish white.

The Plate represents the two sexes of the natural size.

ESTRELDA? PHAETON.

_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del^t._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]

ESTRELDA PHAETON.
Crimson Finch.

_Bengali Phaéton_ (_Fringilla phaeton_), Homb. et Jacq. Ann. des Sci.
Nat., tom. vi. p. 314.

_Ing-a-dȁm-oon_, Aborigines of Port Essington.

_Red Finch_, Residents of Port Essington.

In a paper addressed by MM. Hombron and Jacquinot to the Académie des Sciences on the 9th of August, 1841, entitled, “_Déscription de plusieurs Oiseaux nouveaux ou peu connus, provenant de l’expédition autour du monde faite sur les corvettes l’Astrolabe et la Zélée_,” I find the characters of a Finch, which, although the colouring does not quite agree with that of the bird here figured, I have little doubt is identical with it. I am the more inclined to consider them to be identical from the circumstance of MM. Hombron and Jacquinot’s bird having been collected at Raffles’ Bay, a locality closely bordering that in which Mr. Gilbert procured the specimens in my own collection, and who states that “this bird is an inhabitant of moist grassy meadows, particularly where the _Pandanus_ (Screw Pine) is abundant. It is generally found feeding among the grass, and when disturbed invariably takes to those trees. From July to November it is to be observed in large flocks, sometimes of several hundreds; but although great numbers were shot during this period, not more than three or four were obtained in the rich plumage. About the latter part of November they were either in pairs or in small companies, not exceeding six in number; the males decorated with their rich red and spotted dress.”

In its form it is in every respect closely allied to the _Estrelda temporalis_ of the southern coast, and it doubtless as closely assimilates in its actions, economy and nidification, of which at present nothing is known.

The stomach is somewhat muscular, and the food consists of grass and other small seeds.

Crown of the head deep bluish black; lores, line over the eye, sides of the face and ear-coverts rich crimson red; under surface crimson red, spotted on the flanks with white; centre of the abdomen and under tail-coverts black; back of the neck and rump dark brownish grey; back and wings brownish grey, each feather crossed near the extremity with a band of deep crimson red; upper tail-coverts and two centre tail-feathers deep red; the remainder deep red at the base, passing into brown at the tip; bill rich carmine, bounded at the base by a band of greyish white about one-tenth of an inch in breadth; hinder part of the tarsi and inside of the feet ochre yellow; front of tarsi and upper surface of the feet ochre yellow, strongly tinged with hyacinth-red.

The female, who is rather smaller than her mate, is brown above, a few of the feathers on the back and the wing-coverts crossed with red as in the male; lores, line over the eye, sides of the face, chin, upper tail-coverts and tail as in the male, but not quite so brilliant; breast and flanks greyish brown, the latter ornamented with a few small spots of white; centre of the abdomen buff.

The Plate represents the two sexes of the natural size.

ESTRELDA RUFICAUDA: _Gould_.

_J. Gould and H. C. Richter lithog._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]

ESTRELDA RUFICAUDA, _Gould_.
Red-tailed Finch.

_Amadina ruficauda_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part IV. p. 106;
and in Syn. Birds of Australia, Part I.

I observed this beautiful Finch rather thinly dispersed on the sides of the river Namoi, particularly along the sloping banks covered with herbage, where it appeared to be feeding upon such grasses and other annuals as afforded seeds congenial to its taste; I also frequently observed it among the rushes which grow in the beds of mud along the sides of the water; and this, I regret to say, is all the information I have to communicate respecting it. It is a species seldom seen in collections, which may be attributed to the circumstance of its being strictly confined to the interior, a part of the country where collections are much less frequently formed than near the coast. The only parts of Australia whence I have received or in which I have killed it, are the Liverpool Plains, and the banks of the rivers Mokai and Namoi.

The adult male and female are scarcely to be distinguished by outward appearance; the female is, however, a trifle less than her mate in size. The young, on the contrary, present a very different appearance; the whole of their plumage being of a uniform buffy brown; eye yellowish olive surrounded by a narrow olive lash; bill reddish brown; legs brownish yellow.

Face and cheeks scarlet, the latter covered with narrow feathers, which are finely spotted with white at the tip; upper surface and wings olive-brown; upper tail-coverts and tail deep crimson-brown, the former having a large spot of pinkish white near the tip of each feather; throat, chest and flanks delicate olive-grey, each feather having a large oval white spot transversely disposed near the tip; centre of the abdomen and under tail-coverts dirty yellowish white; bill scarlet; irides orange slightly inclining to hazel, surrounded by a rather broad, naked, flesh-coloured lash; legs and feet rather darker than fine lemon-yellow.

The figures are of the natural size.

AMADINA MODESTA: _Gould_

_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]

AMADINA MODESTA, _Gould_.
Plain-coloured Finch.

_Amadina modesta_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part IV. p. 105; and
in Syn. Birds of Australia, Part I.

The native habitat of this species of Finch, so far as is yet known, is confined to New South Wales, where it inhabits the stony ridges bordering the large plains. I have known it to cross the Liverpool range and take up its summer abode in the flats of the Upper Hunter, but this proximity to the coast is rare. I found it tolerably abundant on the Liverpool Plains and on the banks of the Namoi, and Mr. Gilbert also mentions his having observed it on the low ranges to the northward of Moreton Bay. In its habits, actions and economy no remarkable differences were observed from those of the other species of the genus.

It is usually seen in pairs or associated in small companies, feeding either on or near the ground; the seeds of grasses and other annuals forming its chief supply of food.

A nest found by Mr. Gilbert was of a domed form, composed of grasses, and contained five or six white eggs, about half an inch long by three-eighths broad.

The sexes may be distinguished by the absence of the black mark in the female, as shown in the accompanying Plate.

The male has the fore-part of the head deep crimson red; lores and a spot on the chin black; nape of the neck, mantle and back brown; wings brown; tertials (which are very long in this species), together with the greater and lesser quill-feathers, having a spot of white at the tip; rump and upper tail-coverts alternately barred with lines of greyish white and brown; tail-feathers black, the two outer ones on each side tipped with white; under surface white, transversely barred with lines of brown, which are strongest on the flanks; middle of the abdomen and under tail-coverts white; bill black; irides reddish brown; eyes surrounded by a very narrow lash of blackish brown; legs flesh-white.

The female differs in having the colouring of the crown less extensive, and in wanting the black on the chin and lores.

The figures represent the two sexes of the natural size.

AMADINA LATHAMI.

_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]

AMADINA LATHAMI.
Spotted-sided Finch.

_Fringilla leucocephala_, var., Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p.
xlviii.—Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. ix. p. 493.

_Spotted Grosbeak_, Lewin, Birds of New Holl., pl. ix.

_White-headed Finch_, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 210. pl. 132.

_Spotted-sided Grosbeak_, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. v. p. 248. pl.
lxxxix.

_Fringilla Lathami_, Vig. & Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 256.

This bird is very generally dispersed over the southern portion of the Australian continent; I found it plentiful in South Australia and in every part of New South Wales that I visited; and it was equally numerous beyond the boundary of the colony on the Liverpool Plains, the Namoi, &c. It is a showy attractive species, and passes much of its time on the ground, where it procures its food, which consists of the seeds of various kinds of grasses, &c.; upon being compelled to rise from the ground it merely flies into the nearest tree, the scarlet rump showing very conspicuously during these short flights.

The most singular part of this bird’s history is the site often chosen for its nest, which is frequently built among the large sticks forming the under surface of the nest of the smaller species of Eagles, and that too during the time the Eagle is sitting, both species hatching and rearing their progeny in harmony; this I have witnessed in several instances, and have taken the eggs of the Eagle and of the Finch at the same time, as mentioned in the following extract from my journal:—“Oct. 23. Found the nest of _Amadina Lathami_ placed under and among the sticks of a Whistling Eagle’s (_Haliastur? sphenurus_) nest, in which latter the old bird was then sitting. My black companion Natty ascended the tree, a high swamp oak (_Casuarina_) on the bank of the Dartbrook, and brought down the eggs of both birds. The little Finches were sitting on the small twigs close to their rapacious but friendly neighbour.” At other times the nest is placed on the leafy branch of a gum- or apple-tree. It is of a large size, and is constructed of grasses of various kinds; in form it is nearly spherical, with a short pendent spout on one side, through which the bird obtains access to the interior; the eggs are white, rather long in shape, and five or six in number.

The sexes offer little or no difference in the markings of their plumage.

Crown of the head and back of the neck brownish grey; back and wings brown, becoming deeper on the tips of the primaries; lores, a broad band across the breast, flanks and tail deep black; each feather of the flanks with a large spot of white near the tip; rump and upper tail-coverts shining scarlet; throat, abdomen and under tail-coverts white; irides red, surrounded by a narrow, naked, lilac-red lash; bill blood-red, passing into lilac at the base and on the culmen; feet purplish brown.

The young for the first year has the bill black, except at the base, where it is flesh-colour; the band across the breast and the flanks greyish brown, the latter being barred indistinctly with black and greyish white; in other respects the plumage nearly resembles the adult.

The Plate represents an adult male and a young bird of the natural size.

AMADINA CASTANOTIS: _Gould_.

_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]

AMADINA CASTANOTIS, _Gould_.
Chestnut-eared Finch.

_Amadina castanotis_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part IV. p. 105;
and in Syn. Birds of Australia, Part I.

This bird, which is nearly allied to the _Bengali moucheté_ of Vieillot’s ‘Oiseaux Chanteurs,’ plate 3, appears to be almost peculiar to the interior of Australia; among other places it inhabits the large plains to the north of the Liverpool range, and is particularly abundant about Brezi and the banks of the river Mokai; but that it sometimes occurs on the southern side of the range, is proved by my having killed five specimens in Mr. Coxen’s Garden at Yarrundi on the Upper Hunter. It has also been found, though very sparingly, at Swan River, and a specimen is contained in the collection formed by Mr. Bynoe at Port Essington: like the _Amadina Lathami_, this species resorts much to the ground and feeds upon the seeds of various kinds of grasses. On the plains it congregates in small flocks, and evinces a decided preference to those spots where the trees are thinly dispersed and grasses abundant.

The Chestnut-eared Finch is one of the smallest of the genus yet discovered in Australia; it is also one of the most beautiful, and in the chasteness of its colouring can scarcely be excelled.

The two sexes differ very considerably in their markings, and may be thus described:—

The male has the crown of the head, nape and back brownish grey; wings brown; rump white; upper tail-coverts jet-black, each feather having three large and conspicuous oval spots of white; tail-feathers blackish brown slightly tinged with white at their tips; cheeks and ear-coverts reddish chestnut, separated from the bill by a narrow transverse line of white, which white line is bounded on each side by a still finer line of black; throat and chest grey, the feathers transversely marked with fine lines of black; a small black patch on the middle of the chest; abdomen white; under tail-coverts buffy white; flanks chestnut, each feather marked near the tip with two small oval spots of white; bill reddish orange; feet reddish orange, rather lighter than the bill; irides red.

The female has the transverse lines on the face, upper tail-coverts and feet, as in the male; upper surface, ear-coverts, wings, tail and flanks greyish brown; throat and chest grey, slightly tinged with brown; abdomen yellowish brown; bill reddish orange.

The figures represent both sexes of the natural size.

AMADINA GOULDIÆ: _Gould_.

_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]

AMADINA GOULDIÆ.
Gouldian Finch.

_Amadina Gouldiæ_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., January 23, 1844.

Novelty in itself has attractions, but when with novelty, beauty and elegance are combined, the attractions are augmented beyond measure. With this trite observation I here introduce to the notice of the ornithologist a species not only the most beautiful of the family to which it belongs, but which has its plumage adorned with colours and markings that render it conspicuously different from every other bird known; it is in fact beyond the power of my pen to describe or my pencil to portray anything like the splendour of the changeable hues of the lilac band which crosses the breast of this little gem, or the scarcely less beautiful green of the neck and golden-yellow of the breast, the latter colour being only equalled, certainly not surpassed, by the crest-feathers of the Golden Pheasant. Whenever this bird becomes so far common as to form a part of our preserved collections, or to add a living lustre to our aviaries, it cannot fail to become a general favourite. It is therefore with feelings of no ordinary nature that I have ventured to dedicate this new and lovely little bird to the memory of her, who in addition to being a most affectionate wife, for a number of years laboured so hard and so zealously assisted me with her pencil in my various works, but who, after having made a circuit of the globe with me, and braved many dangers with a courage only equalled by her virtues, and while cheerfully engaged in illustrating the present work, was by the Divine will of her Maker suddenly called from this to a brighter and better world; and I feel assured that in dedicating this bird to the memory of Mrs. Gould, I shall have the full sanction of all who were personally acquainted with her, as well as of those who only knew her by her delicate works as an artist.

A single specimen of apparently an adult male and two immature birds are all that ever came under my notice; for the former my especial thanks are due to my esteemed friend Benjamin Bynoe, Esq., Surgeon R.N., late of H.M.S. the Beagle, who obtained it in the Victoria River, on the north-west coast of Australia. The young birds were procured by Mr. Gilbert at Port Essington. These three examples are probably all that have been collected, and from the remote situation of the country of which it is a native, a long period is likely to elapse before the species becomes common.

“This would seem to be a very local species,” says Mr. Gilbert, “for I only met with it on Greenbill Island at the head of Van Diemen’s Gulf, where it inhabited the edges of the mangroves and thickets: when disturbed it invariably flew to the topmost branches of the loftiest gums, a habit I have not before observed in any other member of the genus. Its note is a very mournful sound, added to a double twit. Those I observed were feeding among the high grass in small families of from four to seven in number, and were very shy. The stomach is tolerably muscular, and the food consists of grass and other seeds.”

The adult has the forehead, lores, ear-coverts and throat, deep velvety black; from behind the eye, round the occiput, and down the sides of the neck, a mark of verdigris-green, gradually blending into the yellowish green of the upper surface and wings; across the breast a broad band of shining lilac-purple, below which all the under surface is shining wax-yellow; bill flesh-white at the base, tipped with blood-red; feet flesh-colour.

The young bird has the head grey; upper surface light olive; under surface pale buff; chin white; primaries and tail brown; irides dark brown.

The figures are of the natural size.

POËPHILA MIRABILIS: _Humb: et Jacq:_

_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]

POËPHILA MIRABILIS, _Homb. et Jacq._
Beautiful Grass Finch.

_Poëphila mirabilis_, Homb. et Jacq. Voy. au Pole Sud.—O. des Murs,
Icon. Orn., pl. 3. fig. 1.

Fine examples of this, one of the most lovely of the Finches yet discovered, are contained in the gallery of the Museum of Natural History of Paris; they were procured by Messrs. Hombron and Jacquinot in the neighbourhood of Raffles’ Bay, on the north coast of Australia, where it is so rare, that those gentlemen only met with three examples, and were unable to make themselves acquainted with its actions and manners. In the works above-quoted my _Poëphila Gouldiæ_ is figured as the female of the present bird, but this I believe to be a mistake, the specimen from which my description and figure were taken being to all appearance an adult male; and as an evidence that such may be the case, I may mention that no female of the group has yet been discovered so gorgeously arrayed; the females of all the _Poëphilæ_ I have seen resemble their respective males in the colouring of their plumage, but have all the hues much less brilliant; it is not probable therefore that a bird so gaily coloured as the _P. Gouldiæ_ should be the female of the _P. mirabilis_; besides which, Mr. Gilbert procured an example of _P. Gouldiæ_ during Dr. Leichardt’s Expedition from Moreton Bay to Port Essington, which dissection proved to be a female, and which although similarly, was much less highly coloured than the bird I have represented.

Crown of the head and cheeks of a beautiful carmine, bounded posteriorly by a narrow line of black; throat black; to this succeeds a band of pale blue, narrow on the throat and broad on the back of the neck; back and wings green, passing into yellow at the nape of the neck; breast crossed by a broad band of lilac, separated from the yellow of the abdomen by a narrow line of orange; rump and upper tail-coverts pale blue; quills brown; bill fleshy white, becoming redder at the tip; feet flesh-colour.

The figures represent a male in two positions of the natural size.

POËPHILA ACUTICAUDA: _Gould_.

_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del^t._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]

POËPHILA ACUTICAUDA, _Gould_.
Long-tailed Grass Finch.

_Amadina acuticauda_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part VII. p. 143.

It is no less interesting to trace the analogies of species inhabiting the opposite portions of a large continent like that of Australia, than to observe how beautifully any peculiar character is preserved in the species of every natural group. The three new species of the present genus afford a very striking example of this, where not only a similarity of colouring exists in the deep fawn or cinnamon hue of the plumage, but in the conspicuous band of black which surrounds the lower part of the body; nor is the graduated character of the tail-feathers less striking in these three species, the first trace of it being observable in _Poëphila cincta_, which would appear to be carried to the maximum in the present species, which, so far as is known, is confined to the north-west coast. The specimens from which my figures of this bird were taken are from the interesting collection placed in my hands by Mr. Bynoe of the Beagle, whose great perseverance and assiduity have enabled me to add many species to the fauna of Australia. Indeed many of the officers of that vessel will have their names handed down to posterity in consequence of the attention they have paid to this branch of science, independently of the legitimate objects of their various expeditions; among others I may particularly allude to my much-esteemed friend Mr. Darwin, Captain Wickham, Captain Stokes, Mr. Dring, &c. Since the arrival of Mr. Bynoe’s birds I have also received specimens from Port Essington, which, like their analogue the _Poëphila cincta_ of the eastern coast, inhabit the open plains bordering streams, and feed on the seeds of various grasses and other plants.

I regret that so little information has been transmitted to me respecting the habits and economy of this beautiful species.

The sexes differ but little in outward appearance; the female is, however, rather less in size, is less strikingly marked, and has the two middle tail-feathers shorter than her mate.

Crown of the head and cheeks grey; upper and under surface of the body fawn-colour, becoming more delicate, and assuming a pinky hue on the abdomen; lores, throat, hand across the rump and tail jet-black; upper and under tail-coverts and thighs white; wings fawn-grey; bill and feet yellow.

The figures are those of a male and a female of the natural size.

POËPHILA PERSONATA: _Gould_.

_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del^t._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]

POËPHILA PERSONATA, _Gould_.
Masked Grass Finch.

_Poëphila personata_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., February 8, 1842.

This beautiful and well-marked species of Grass Finch is also a native of the north-west coast of Australia, where several specimens were shot by Mr. Gilbert during an excursion from Port Essington towards the interior of the country, who states that it inhabits grassy meadows near streams, feeding on grass-seeds, &c. It was tolerably abundant, being congregated in flocks of from twenty to forty. When on the wing it utters a very feeble cry of _twit, twit, twit_, but at other times pours forth a drawn-out mournful note, like that of the Estreldas.

The sexes are scarcely to be distinguished by their outward appearance, both possessing the masked face; the female is, however, rather less in size, and her markings are not quite so brilliant or decided as those of the male.

Base of the bill surrounded by an irregular ring of deep velvety black; crown of the head, upper surface and wings light cinnamon-brown; lower part of the abdomen banded with deep velvety black; lower part of the rump and under tail-coverts white; upper tail-coverts white, striped longitudinally with black on the outer side; tail deep blackish brown; irides of the old birds red, of the young birds dark brown; bill bright orange; legs and feet fleshy red.

In some specimens the upper and lower ridges of the bill are black, while in others the basal half only is orange, the remaining portion being brown.

The figures are those of a male and a female of the natural size.

POËPHILA LEUCOTIS: _Gould_.

_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]

POËPHILA LEUCOTIS, _Gould_.
White-eared Grass Finch.