_J. & E. Gould del._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]
ÆGOTHELES NOVÆ-HOLLANDIÆ, _Vig. and Horsf._
Owlet Nightjar.
_Crested Goat-sucker_, Phill. Bot. Bay, pl. in p. 270.
_Caprimulgus Novæ-Hollandiæ_, Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. ii. p. 588.—Less.
Traité d’Orn., p. 265.—Ib. Man., t. i. p. 412.—Vieill. Nouv.
Dict. d’Hist. Nat., t. x. p. 234.
—— _cristatus_, Shaw in White’s Voy., pl. in p. 241.
_New Holland Goat-sucker_, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p.
261.—Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. x. p. 170.—Lath. Gen. Hist.,
vol. vii. p. 341.
_Bristled Goat-sucker_, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. vii. p. 342.
_Caprimulgus vittatus_, Ib. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. lviii.
_Banded Goat-sucker_, Ib. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 262, pl.
136.—Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. x. p. 152, pl. 17.—Lath. Gen.
Hist., vol. vii. p. 342, pl. cxv.
_Ægotheles Novæ-Hollandiæ_, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv.
p. 197.—De la Fresn. in Guerin, Mag. de Zool. 1838, p. 21,
pl. 82.
—— _lunulatus_, Jard. and Selby, Ill. Orn., vol. iii. pl. 149.
—— _Australis_, Swains. Class. of Birds, vol. ii. p. 338.
—— _cristatus_, G. R. Gray, List of Gen. of Birds, p. 7.
_Little Mawepawk_, Colonists of Van Diemen’s Land. _Teringing_,
Aborigines of the coast of New South Wales.
This very interesting little Nightjar is subject to great variation in
the colour and markings of its plumage, a circumstance which has tended
to produce much confusion, and greatly to increase the list of synonyms.
It possesses a great range of habitat, being found in every part of Van
Diemen’s Land, and throughout the southern portion of Australia, from
Swan River on the western coast to Moreton Bay on the eastern; time, and
the continued exploration of that vast country, can alone determine how
far it may be found to the northward: it is a stationary species,
inhabiting alike the densest brushes near the coast, and the more
thinly-wooded districts of the interior.
While rambling in the Australian forests I had the good fortune to meet
with more than an ordinary number of specimens of this curious bird. I
also procured its eggs, and considerable information respecting its
habits and actions, which differ most remarkably from those of the true
_Caprimulgidæ_, and on the other hand assimilate so closely to the
smaller Owls, particularly those comprised in the genus _Athene_, as to
form as perfect an analogical representative of that group of birds as
can possibly be imagined, for which reason the English name of Owlet
Nightjar has been assigned to it.
During the day it resorts to the hollow branches or spouts as they are
called, and the holes of the gum-trees, sallying forth as night
approaches in quest of insects, particularly the smaller _Coleoptera_,
upon which it chiefly subsists. Its flight is straight, and not
characterized by the sudden turns and descents of _Caprimulgus_. On
driving it from its haunts I have sometimes observed it to fly direct to
a similar hole in another tree, but more frequently to alight on a
neighbouring branch, perching across and never parallel to it. When
assailed in its retreat it emits a loud hissing noise, and has the same
stooping motion of the head observable in the Owls; it also resembles
that tribe of birds in its erect carriage, the manner in which it sets
out the feathers round the ears and neck, and in the power it possesses
of turning the head in every direction, even over the back, a habit it
is constantly practising. A pair I had for some time in captivity were
frequently leaping to the top of the cage, and had a singular mode of
running or shuffling backwards to one corner of it.
While traversing the woods, the usual mode of ascertaining its presence
is by tapping with a stone or a tomahawk at the base of the hollow
trees, when the little inmate, as represented in the upper figure of our
Plate, will almost invariably ascend to the outlet and peep over to
ascertain the cause of disturbance. If the tree be lofty or its hole
inaccessible, it will frequently retire again to its hiding-place, and
there remain until the annoyance be repeated, when it flies off to a
place of greater security. In these holes, without forming any nest, it
deposits its eggs, which are four or five in number, perfectly white,
nearly round, and about one inch and a line in length and eleven lines
in breadth. At least two broods are reared by each pair of birds during
the year. I have known the young to be taken in Van Diemen’s Land in
October, and in New South Wales I have procured eggs in January.
Specimens from Van Diemen’s Land, Swan River, South Australia, and New
South Wales, all present considerable difference in the colour and
markings of the plumage, but none of sufficient importance to justify
their separation into distinct species: in some the nuchal band and the
circular mark on the head are very conspicuous, while in others scarcely
a trace of these markings is observable; these variations do not depend
upon habitat, but are constantly found in specimens from the same
localities.
Little or no difference is apparent in the size or plumage of the sexes.
Adults have the patches above the eyes, a semilunar mark at the back of
the head, a band round the neck, and all the under surface grey, finely
sprinkled with black, and tinged with buff; ear-coverts reddish buff,
the remainder of the head blackish brown; all the upper surface and
wings dark brown, sprinkled with grey in the form of irregular bars;
primaries brown, sprinkled on their outer webs with lighter brown and
grey; tail dark, regularly barred with numerous narrow lines of grey
sprinkled with black: irides hazel; feet flesh colour.
In immature birds the lunulate markings are much richer in colour and
more distinct than in the adults, in many of which they are nearly
obliterated, and the irides are nearly black.
The figures are of the natural size.
[Illustration:
ÆGOTHELES LEUCOGASTER: _Gould_.
_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]
ÆGOTHELES LEUCOGASTER, _Gould_.
White-bellied Owlet Nightjar.
_Ægotheles leucogaster_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., June 25, 1844.
This is altogether a larger and more powerful bird than the _Ægotheles
Novæ-Hollandiæ_; besides which, the white colouring of the lower part of
the belly will at all times serve to distinguish it from that species.
It is rather abundant on the Cobourg Peninsula, where it inhabits the
forests in the immediate vicinity of Port Essington; how far its range
may extend is at present unknown, but it is probable that the bird is
distributed over the whole of the northern portion of the continent, and
that it there forms the representative of the _Æ. Novæ-Hollandiæ_, which
up to the present time has only been found on the southern.
Mr. Gilbert states that it is abundant in most parts of the settlement
at Port Essington, “where it is frequently seen flying about at
twilight, and occasionally during the day. On the approach of an
intruder it flies very heavily from tree to tree, and on alighting
invariably turns round on the branch to watch his approach, moving the
head all the time after the manner of the Hawk tribe.”
The sexes when fully adult will not I expect be found to differ in
plumage. I attribute the redness of some of my specimens to the age of
the individuals; but whether the red varieties or the grey are the most
mature birds, I have not had sufficient opportunities of ascertaining.
It feeds on insects of all kinds, and as the bird is strictly nocturnal
in its habits, they are, as a matter of course, procured at night.
Head black; the crown, a lunar-shaped mark at the back of the head, and
a collar surrounding the back of the neck freckled with grey; back
freckled black and white; wings brown, crossed by numerous bands of
lighter brown freckled with dark brown; primaries margined externally
with buff, interrupted with blotchings of dark brown; tail dark brown,
crossed by numerous broad irregular bands of reddish buff freckled with
dark brown; ear-coverts straw-white; chin, abdomen and under
tail-coverts white; breast and sides of the neck white, crossed by
numerous freckled bars of black; irides dark brown; upper mandible dark
olive-brown, lower mandible white with a black tip; legs very pale
yellow; claws black.
The figures are of the natural size.
[Illustration: