_J. Gould and H. C. Richter, del^t_ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]
ARTAMUS SORDIDUS.
Wood Swallow.
_Turdus sordidus_, Lath. Ind. Orn., Supp., p. xliii.
_Sordid Thrush_, Lath. Gen. Syn., Supp., vol. ii. p. 186.—Shaw, Gen.
Zool., vol. x. p. 238.—Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. v. p. 131.
_Ocypterus albovittatus_, Cuv. Règn. Anim., tom. iv. t. 3. f.
6.—Valenc. Mém. du Mus. d’Hist. Nat., tom. vi. p. 23. t. 8.
f. 2.—Gould, Syn. Birds of Australia, Part I. fig. 3.
_Artamus lineatus_, Vieill. 2nde Edit. du Nouv. Dict. d’Hist. Nat.,
tom. xvii. p. 297.—Ib. Ency. Méth., Part II. p. 758.
_Artamus albovittatus_, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p.
210.
_Leptopteryx albovittata_, Wagl. Syst. Av., sp. 5.
_Be-wö-wen_, Aborigines of the lowland and mountain districts of
Western Australia.
_Worle_, Aborigines of King George’s Sound.
_Wood Swallow_ of the colonists.
This Wood Swallow has been long known to ornithologists, but
unfortunately under so many generic and specific appellations, that it
may be cited as an instance of the manner in which our science has been
burthened with useless names, thereby producing an inextricable
confusion, and which in this instance, by a reference to Latham’s
accurate description, and the slightest care on the part of other
writers, might have been avoided.
No other species of the Australian _Artami_ with which I am acquainted
possesses so wide a range from east to west as the present; the whole of
the southern portion of the continent, as well as the island of Van
Diemen’s Land, being alike favoured with its presence. The extent of its
range northward has not yet been satisfactorily ascertained, beyond the
certainty that it has not hitherto been received in any collection from
the north coast.
It may be regarded as strictly migratory in Van Diemen’s Land, where it
arrives in October, the beginning of the Australian summer, and after
rearing at least two broods departs again northwards in November. On the
continent a scattered few remain throughout the year in all the
localities favourable to its habits, the number being regulated by the
supply of insect food necessary for their subsistence. I may here
observe, that specimens from Swan River, South Australia and New South
Wales present no difference either in size or colouring, while those
from Van Diemen’s Land are invariably larger in all their
admeasurements, and are also of a deeper colour; I regard them, however,
as mere varieties of each other, the greater size of the latter being
doubtless caused by the superabundance of food which this more southern
and humid climate affords.
This Wood Swallow, besides being the commonest species of the genus,
must I think be rendered a general favourite with the Australians, not
only from its singular and pleasing actions, but by its often taking up
its abode and incubating near the houses, particularly such as are
surrounded by paddocks and open pasture-lands skirted by large trees. It
was in such situations as these in Van Diemen’s Land, at the
commencement of spring, that I first had an opportunity of observing
this species; it was then very numerous on all the cleared estates on
the north side of the Derwent, about eight or ten being seen on a single
tree, and half as many crowding one against another on the same dead
branch, but never in such numbers as to deserve the appellation of
flocks: each bird appeared to act independently of the other; each, as
the desire for food prompted it, sallying forth from the branch to
capture a passing insect, or to soar round the tree and return again to
the same spot; on alighting it repeatedly throws up and closes one wing
at a time, and spreads the tail obliquely prior to settling. At other
times a few were seen perched on the fence surrounding the paddock, on
which they frequently descended, like Starlings, in search of coleoptera
and other insects. It is not, however, in this state of comparative
quiescence that this graceful bird is seen to the greatest advantage,
neither is it that kind of existence for which its form is especially
adapted; for although its structure is more equally suited for
terrestrial, arboreal and aërial habits than that of any other species I
have examined, the form of its wing at once points out the air as its
peculiar province: hence it is, that when engaged in pursuit of the
insects which the serene and warm weather has enticed from their
lurking-places among the foliage to sport in higher regions, this
beautiful species in these aërial flights displays its greatest beauty,
while soaring above, in a variety of easy positions, with white-tipped
tail widely spread. Another very extraordinary and singular habit of the
bird is that of clustering like bees on the dead branch of a tree, as
represented in the Plate; this feature was not seen by me, but by my
assistant Mr. Gilbert, during his residence at Swan River, and I have
here given his account in his own words. “The greatest peculiarity in
the habits of this bird is its manner of suspending itself in perfect
clusters, like a swarm of bees; a few birds suspending themselves on the
under side of a dead branch, while others of the flock attach themselves
one to the other, in such numbers that they have been observed nearly of
the size of a bushel measure.”
It was very numerous in the town of Perth until about the middle of
April, when I missed it suddenly, nor did I observe it again until near
the end of May, when I saw it in countless numbers flying in company
with the Common Swallows and Martens over a lake about ten miles north
of the town; so numerous, in fact, were they, that they darkened the
water as they flew over it.
Its voice greatly resembles that of the Common Swallow in character, but
is much more harsh.
The stomach is muscular and capacious, and the food consists of insects
generally.
The season of incubation is from September to December. The situation of
the nest is much varied; I have seen one placed in a thickly foliaged
bough near the ground, while others were in a naked fork, on the side of
the hole of a tree, in a niche formed by a portion of the bark having
been separated from the trunk, &c. The nest is rather shallow, of a
rounded form, about five inches in diameter, and composed of fine twigs
neatly lined with fibrous roots. I observed that the nests found in Van
Diemen’s Land were larger, more compact and more neatly formed than
those on the continent of Australia; and one which was shown me by Mr.
Justice Montague on his picturesque estate at Kangaroo Point, near
Hobart Town, was placed at the extremity of a small leafy branch, as
represented in the Plate.
The eggs are generally four in number; they differ much in the
disposition of their markings; their ground-colour is dull white,
spotted and dashed with dark umber-brown; in some a second series of
greyish spots appear as if beneath the surface of the shell; their
medium length is eleven lines, and breadth eight lines.
Head, neck, and the whole of the body fuliginous grey; wings dark bluish
black, the external edges of the second, third and fourth primaries
white; tail bluish black, all the feathers except the two middle ones
largely tipped with white; irides dark brown; bill blue with a black
tip; feet mealy lead-colour.
The sexes are alike in the colouring of their plumage, and are only to
be distinguished by the female being somewhat smaller in size.
The young have an irregular stripe of dirty white down the centre of
each feather of the upper surface, and are mottled with the same on the
under surface.
The Plate represents a male and female of the natural size.
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