_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]
PODARGUS CUVIERI, _Vig. and Horsf._
Cuvier’s Podargus.
_Podargus Cuvieri_, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 200.
_More-pork_ of the Colonists.
This species is readily distinguished from the _Podargus humeralis_ by
the bill being much less robust and of a more adpressed form, while the
culmen is sharp and elevated; the bird itself is also of a smaller size
and altogether more slender than its near ally. Van Diemen’s Land, if
not its exclusive habitat, is certainly its great stronghold, it being
there very numerous, as evidenced by the frequency with which I
encountered it during my rambles in the woods; and its distribution over
the island is so general, that to particularize localities in which it
may be found is quite unnecessary, it being equally abundant near the
coast as well as in the interior. I observed it both among the thick
branches of the _Casuarinæ_ and on the dead limbs of the _Eucalypti_; it
appeared however to evince a greater partiality for the latter, which it
closely resembles in colour, and from the position in which it rests,
looks so like a part of the branch itself as frequently to elude
detection; it is generally seen in pairs sitting near each other, and
frequently on the same branch. Like the other members of the genus, this
bird feeds almost exclusively on insects, of which Coleoptera form a
great part: it is strictly nocturnal in its habits, and although not so
active as the true _Caprimulgi_, displays considerable alertness in the
capture of its food, presenting a striking contrast to its inertness in
the daytime, when it is so drowsy that it can scarcely be aroused from
its slumbers; that portion of its existence being passed in a sitting
posture across a dead branch, perfectly motionless and with the bill
pointing upwards: it never flies by day unless roused from the branch on
which it is sitting, and this is not easily effected, as neither the
discharge of a gun nor any other noise will cause it to take wing. It is
frequently captured and kept in captivity, where it excites attention
more from the sluggishness of its nature and the singular position it
assumes than from any other cause: raw meat forms a suitable substitute
for its natural food. In captivity it will pass the entire day in sleep
on the back of a chair or any other piece of furniture on which it can
perch. Like the owl, it is considered by some a bird of ill omen,
principally from the extraordinary sound of its hoarse, unearthly cry,
which resembles the words _more-pork_; it not only approaches the
immediate vicinity of the houses, but emits this sound while perched in
their verandahs and on the buildings themselves; and it is often to be
seen perched on the tombstones of the churchyard.
It builds a somewhat neatly-formed flat nest, about seven inches in
diameter, in the fork of an horizontal branch; the exterior formed of
small sticks, and the interior of the fibrous portions of various
plants; the eggs are white, and nearly of a true oval in form, being one
inch and nine lines long by one inch and three lines broad.
Considerable variation occurs in the colouring of individuals, the
prevailing tint being a dull ashy grey, while others are of a rich
chestnut hue; but whether this be indicative of immaturity, or
characteristic of the fully adult plumage, I have not been able to
satisfy myself. The figures represent both these styles of colouring.
Lores brown, each feather tipped with mealy white, forming a line before
and above the eye; feathers of the forehead mealy white, blending into
the dull ashy grey of the head and back, all the feathers of which have
a stripe of blackish brown down the centre, terminating in a small spot
of white, and are moreover minutely freckled with greyish white and dark
brown; wing-coverts chestnut, each tipped with an oval spot of white
bounded posteriorly with black, forming a line across the wing;
remainder of the wing brown, mottled with greyish white, arranged,
particularly on the primaries, in the form of irregular bars;
scapularies washed with buff and with a broad stripe of blackish brown
down the centre; under surface brownish grey, minutely freckled with
white, and with a narrow line of blackish brown down the centre; sides
of the neck washed with chestnut; tail grey, minutely freckled with
greyish white and black, assuming the form of broad irregular bands,
each feather with a small spot of white at the tip; irides varying from
yellow to reddish yellow and hazel; feet olive-brown.
Other examples have the general tint rich chestnut-brown, with all the
markings larger and more decided.
The figures are of the natural size.
[Illustration:
PODARGUS PHALÆNOÏDES: _Gould_.
_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]
PODARGUS PHALÆNOÏDES, _Gould_.
Moth-plumaged Podargus.
_Podargus Phalænoïdes_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part VII. p.
142.
_Nÿ-ane?_ and _In-ner-jïn-ert_, Aborigines of the neighbourhood of
Port Essington.
The present bird, which is from Port Essington, may be readily
distinguished from every other Australian species of _Podargus_ by its
small size, by the beautiful, delicate, and moth-like painting of its
plumage, and by the colouring of the thighs, which are light brown
instead of black; its tail also is rather more lengthened than that of
the common species. Like the members of the genus inhabiting Van
Diemen’s Land and New South Wales, it exhibits considerable variation in
size and colouring; in some a rusty red tint pervades the whole plumage,
while in others no trace of this hue occurs. I am inclined to consider
that age has much to do with this variation in colour: but whether the
red-tinted birds are immature or adult I have had no means of
ascertaining; further observation is necessary to determine this point;
and I consequently hope the subject will not be neglected by those who
may have an opportunity of observing the bird alive: the red-tinted
birds occur less frequently than the others.
I have several specimens from the north-west coast of Australia, and Mr.
Gilbert states that it is abundant in every part of the Cobourg
Peninsula.
Like the rest of the genus it is strictly nocturnal in its habits;
becoming animated at the approach of evening, it sallies forth from the
favourite branch where it has rested during the day in search of
insects, which, I believe, constitute almost exclusively its food; its
whole economy in fact, so far as known, so closely resembles that of the
_Podargus humeralis_, that one description would serve for both.
Forehead, sides of the face and all the under surface brownish grey,
minutely freckled with black; the feathers of the under surface with a
stripe of blackish brown down the centre, these stripes being broadest
and most conspicuous on the sides of the chest; all the upper surface
brown, minutely freckled with grey, each feather with a broad stripe of
black down the centre; shoulders dark brown; coverts freckled with
greyish white and with a spot of white, the centre of which is
fawn-colour at the tip; primaries dark brown, crossed on their outer
webs with an irregular bar of white, the interspaces on the outer
primaries rufous; inner webs of the primaries crossed by irregular bands
of freckled brown and fawn-colour; tail brown, crossed by numerous broad
bands of freckled grey, bounded on either side by irregular blotchings
of black; irides orange or reddish hazel; bill horn-colour.
In the other state, to which I have alluded, the whole of the upper
surface is of a dark rust-red, freckled on the forehead, wing-coverts
and scapularies with white; the bands on the tail less apparent; a
rufous tint pervades the grey of the under surface, and the striæ are
much narrower than in the specimen above described.
The Plate represents a male and a female, in the differently tinted
plumage, of the natural size.
[Illustration:
PODARGUS PLUMIFERUS: _Gould_.
_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]
PODARGUS PLUMIFERUS, _Gould_.
Plumed Podargus.
_Podargus plumiferus_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part XIII. p.
104.
The only information I have to communicate respecting this beautiful
Podargus, is, that it is a native of the brushes of the Clarence and
neighbouring rivers in New South Wales, and that several examples have
come under my notice, of which one is deposited in the Museum at Dublin,
another in the Museum at Manchester, and two are contained in my own
collection; of the latter, one was sent to me by Mr. Strange of Sydney,
and the other was purchased with other Australian birds in London. It is
readily distinguished from all the other Australian members of the genus
by the more lengthened form of tail, and by the remarkable and
conspicuous tufts of feathers which spring from immediately above the
nostrils: considerable variation is found to exist in the colouring of
the various specimens, some being much redder than the others, and
having the markings on the under surface much less distinct and of a
more chestnut tint.
Nothing whatever is known of its habits and economy, points which must
remain for future discovery and research to make known.
Tuft of feathers covering the nostrils alternately banded with blackish
brown and white; all the upper surface mottled brown, black, and
brownish white, the latter predominating over each eye, where it forms a
conspicuous patch; the markings are of a larger but similar kind on the
wings, and on the primaries and secondaries assume the form of bars;
tail similar but paler, and with the barred form of the markings still
more distinct; centre of the throat and chest brownish white, minutely
freckled with brown; sides of the neck and breast, and all the under
surface similar, but with a dark line of brown down the centre, and two
large nearly square-shaped spots of brownish white near the tip of each
feather; bill and feet horn-colour.
The figures are of the natural size.
[Illustration: