_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]
CRACTICUS DESTRUCTOR.
Butcher-Bird.
_Vanga destructor_, Temm. Man., Part I. p. lix.—Vig. and Horsf. in
Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 213.—Gould in Syn. Birds of
Australia, Part I.
_Barita destructor_, Temm. Pl. Col. 273.
_Wäd-do-wäd-ong_, Aborigines of the lowland districts of Western
Australia.
_Butcher-Bird_, of the Colonists of Swan River.
This bird is a permanent resident in New South Wales and South
Australia, where it inhabits the margins of the brushy lands near the
coast, the sides of hills, and the belts of trees which occur in the
more open parts of the country; in fact I scarcely know of any
Australian bird so generally dispersed. Its presence is at all times
betrayed by its extraordinary note, a jumble of discordant sounds
impossible to be described. It is nearly always on the trees, where it
sits motionless on some dead or exposed branch whence it can survey all
around, and particularly the surface of the ground beneath, to which it
makes perpendicular descents to secure any large insect or lizard that
may attract its sharp and penetrating eye; it usually returns to the
same branch to devour what it has captured, but at times will resort to
other trees and impale its victim after the manner of the true Shrikes:
mice, small birds, and large _Phasmiæ_ come within the list of its
ordinary diet. September and the three following months constitute the
period of incubation. The nest, which is large and cup-shaped, is neatly
formed of sticks, and in some instances beautifully lined with the
shoots of the _Casuarina_ and fibrous roots. Considerable difference is
found to exist in the colour of the eggs, the ground colouring of some
being dark yellowish brown, with obscure blotches and marks of a darker
hue, and here and there a few black marks not unlike small blots of ink;
while in others the ground colour is much lighter and the darker
markings are more inclined to red, and to form a zone round the larger
end; the eggs are generally three in number, one inch and three lines
long by eleven lines broad.
Under ordinary circumstances this species is very shy and retiring, but
at times is altogether as bold; as an evidence of which I may mention,
that having caught a young _Eöpsaltria_ and placed it in my pocket, the
cries of the little captive attracted the attention of one of these
birds, which continued to follow me through the woods for more than an
hour, when the little tenant, disliking its close quarters, effected its
escape and flitted away before me: I immediately gave chase; but the
Butcher-bird, who had been following me, pounced down within two yards
of my face and bore off the poor bird to a neighbouring tree, and
although I ran to the rescue, it was of no avail, the prize being borne
away from tree to tree until the tyrant paid the forfeit of his life by
being shot for his temerity.
The sexes are so similar in appearance, that it is impossible to
distinguish one from the other by any other means than dissection.
The male has the crown of the head, ear-coverts and back of the neck
black; a white mark from the base of the bill to the eye; back and rump
dark greyish brown; upper tail-coverts white; wings blackish brown; the
middle secondaries white along their outer edges; tail black, all the
feathers except the two middle ones tipped with white on their inner
webs; under surface greyish white; bill bluish lead-colour at the base,
passing into black at the tip; feet blackish lead-colour; irides very
dark reddish brown.
The female resembles the male, but is more obscure in all her markings;
and the young differ in being clothed in a plumage of mottled tawny and
brown.
The figures represent the two sexes of the natural size.
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