Chapter VI: Part 6

_Poëphila leucotis_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part XIV. p. 106.

The present beautiful species of _Poëphila_ is one of the novelties discovered during Dr. Leichardt’s expedition from Moreton Bay to Port Essington; it was killed in the neighbourhood of the river Lynd by Mr. Gilbert, in whose Journal, under the date of June 3, 1845, I find the following remark:—“The most interesting circumstance that occurred to me to-day was the discovery of a new species of _Poëphila_, which is very nearly allied to the one from Port Essington (_P. personata_, Gould), but which differs from that bird in having the bill light yellowish horn-colour instead of orange, the irides dark brown and the legs red; it is in every respect a true _Poëphila_, having the black face and throat, the black marks on the flanks, the lengthened tail-feathers and the general plumage of a light brown; like the other members of the genus too, it inhabits the open spots of country, and feeds on grass seeds.”

This I regret to say is all that is known respecting it. In addition to the differences pointed out by Mr. Gilbert, I may mention that it may also be distinguished from the _P. personata_ by its white ear-coverts and by the black of the throat being bounded below and the black marks on the flanks anteriorly with white; the colouring of the upper surface is also a somewhat richer brown.

I possess both sexes of this species, and, as is the case with the other members of the genus, they differ but little from each other.

Band crossing the forehead, lores, throat, and a large patch on each flank deep velvety black; ear-coverts, a narrow line beneath the black of the throat, and a space surrounding the black patch on the flanks white; crown of the head deep reddish chestnut; all the upper surface and wings dark cinnamon-brown; chest and abdomen pale vinous brown; upper and under tail-coverts white, the former margined externally with deep black; tail black; irides dark brown; feet red; bill yellowish horn-colour.

The Plate represents the two sexes of the natural size.

POËPHILA CINCTA: _Gould_.

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

POËPHILA CINCTA, _Gould_.
Banded Grass Finch.

_Amadina cincta_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part IV. p. 105.

This species is tolerably abundant on the Liverpool Plains, and the open country to the northward towards the interior. It occurs so rarely on the sea side of the ranges, that I only once met with it during my sojourn in New South Wales. It is doubtless a native of the great basin of the interior, where, like the _P. acuticauda_ and _P. personata_, it frequents those parts of the open plains which abound in grasses, upon the seeds of which and other plants it mostly subsists. The range of this species is entirely unknown; I have never seen a specimen except from the localities above mentioned.

Crown of the head and back of the neck grey; ear-coverts and sides of the neck silvery grey; throat and lores black; back, chest and abdomen chestnut-brown; wings the same, but darker; lower part of the body surrounded by a black band; tail-coverts white; tail black; bill black; irides reddish brown; eyelash blackish brown; feet pink-red.

The female differs from her mate by all her markings being much more obscurely defined.

The figure is that of a male of the natural size.

DONACOLA CASTANEOTHORAX: _Gould_.

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

DONACOLA CASTANEOTHORAX, _Gould_.
Chestnut-breasted Finch.

_Amadina castaneothorax_, Gould in Syn. Birds of Australia, Part II.

Judging from the extreme rarity of this species in European collections, its true locality can scarcely as yet have been visited by naturalists. I observed several specimens in the Museum at Sydney; these, as well as those I possess, were obtained at Moreton Bay; the productions of which part of Australia are less known than might have been expected, considering how long it has been colonized. I had not the good fortune to meet with this bird in a state of nature, but I have been informed that it frequents reed-beds on the banks of rivers and lagoons, and that it much resembles the Bearded Tit (_Calamophila biarmicus_) of Europe, in the alertness with which it passes up and down the upright stems of the reeds, from the lower part to the very top, a habit for which the lengthened and curved form of its claws seems well adapted.

The sexes appear to differ but little in colouring; in some individuals, however, the cheeks and throat are black instead of brown, a character doubtless dependent on age or season.

I have not as yet seen this bird from the northern or western coast.

Crown of the head and back of the neck grey, the centre of each feather being brown; cheeks, throat and ear-coverts blackish brown in some specimens, each feather slightly tipped with pale buff; upper surface and wings reddish brown; upper tail-coverts orange; tail brown, margined with paler brown; across the chest a broad band of pale chestnut, bounded below by a line of black, which gradually widens towards the flanks, along which it is continued for some distance; the remainder of the feathers on this part white, with a spot of blackish brown at the extremity of each; abdomen white; thighs black; under tail-coverts white, with a spot of blackish brown at the extremity of each; bill black; feet brown.

The figures are of the natural size.

DONACOLA PECTORALIS: _Gould_

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

DONACOLA PECTORALIS, _Gould_.
White-breasted Finch.

_Amadina pectoralis_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part VIII. p. 127.

For two beautiful specimens of this entirely new Finch I am indebted to E. Dring, Esq., of the Beagle, who procured them on the north-west coast of Australia: no notes of their habits or economy having been forwarded with the specimens, I am unable to give any particulars respecting them.

In structure and in the general disposition of its markings, the White-breasted Finch offers a considerable resemblance to the _Donacola castaneothorax_ of the eastern coast, and in all probability they are analogues of each other, in accordance with a law which appears very generally to prevail among the birds of Australia; each great division of this vast country having its own peculiar species.

Crown of the head, all the upper surface and wings delicate greyish brown; the tips of the wing-coverts very minutely spotted with white; tail blackish brown; throat and ear-coverts glossy blackish purple; chest crossed by a band of feathers, black at the base, largely tipped with white; abdomen and under tail-coverts vinous grey; flanks ornamented with a few feathers similar to those crossing the breast; bill bluish horn-colour; feet flesh-colour.

The figures in the Plate are of the natural size, and are supposed to represent the two sexes; the principal figure the male.

DONACOLA FLAVIPRYMNA: _Gould_.

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

DONACOLA FLAVIPRYMNA, _Gould_.
Yellow-rumped Finch.

_Donacola flaviprymna_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., part xiii. p.
80.

A single specimen, and the only one I have ever seen of this pretty Finch, was presented to me by Benjamin Bynoe, Esq., Surgeon, R.N., who procured it on the banks of the Victoria River during the late surveying voyage of H.M.S. Beagle. It is very nearly allied to the _Donacola castaneothorax_, but is specifically distinct from that as well as from every other known species of this now numerous tribe of birds. I regret to add that nothing whatever is known of its habits or mode of life; but in these respects it doubtless as closely assimilates to its congeners as it does in form.

Head pale fawn-colour; back and wings light chestnut-brown; under surface buff; upper tail-coverts wax-yellow; under tail-coverts black; tail brown.

The figures are of the natural size.

EMBLEMA PICTA: _Gould_.

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

EMBLEMA PICTA, _Gould_.
Painted Finch.

_Emblema picta_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., 1842.

This beautiful Finch is a native of the north-west coast of Australia, where it was procured by B. Bynoe, Esq. The single individual sent me by that gentleman, and which I have drawn in two different positions, was unaccompanied by any account whatever of its habits and economy; but we may reasonably infer from the lengthened and pointed form of its bill, that the kind of food upon which it subsists will be somewhat different from that of the other Australian Finches. My readers will not fail to observe how singular is the disposition of the colouring in the present bird, the under parts being extremely beautiful, while on the upper, which is generally the most highly ornamented, a more than ordinary degree of plainness prevails.

Face and throat deep vermilion red; the base of all the feathers of the throat black, giving that part a mingled appearance of black and red; crown of the head, all the upper surface and wings brown; rump deep vermilion red; tail dark brown; chest and all the under surface jet-black, the flanks numerously spotted with white, and the centre of the abdomen dashed with deep vermilion red; feet light red; upper mandible black, under mandible scarlet, with a triangular patch of black at the base.

The figures are of the natural size.

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TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES

1. Silently corrected typographical errors and variations in spelling. 2. Anachronistic, non-standard, and uncertain spellings retained as printed. 3. Enclosed italics font in _underscores_.

End of Project Gutenberg's The Birds of Australia, Vol. 3 of 7, by John Gould