_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]
GRALLINA AUSTRALIS, _G. R. Gray_.
Pied Grallina.
_Gracula picata_, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. 29.
_Pied Grakle_, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 130.—Ib. Gen. Hist.,
vol. iii. p. 169.
_Tanypus Australis_, Oppel.
_Grallina melanoleuca_, Vieill. Anal. d’une Nouv. Orn., pp. 42 and
68.—Ib. Gal. des Ois., pl. 150.—Ib. 2nde Edit. du Dict.
d’Hist. Nat., tom. xiii. p. 41. pl. F. 32.—Ib. Ency. Méth.
Orn., Part II. p. 693.—Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol.
xv. p. 233.
_Grallina bicolor_, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 233.
_Grallina Australis_, G. R. Gray, List of Gen. of Birds, 2nd Edit. p.
33.
_Grallina picata_, Strickl. in Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. ii. p. 335.
_Corvus cyanoleucos_, Lath. Gen. Hist. vol. iii. p. 49?
_Magpie Lark_, Colonists of New South Wales.
_Little Magpie_, Colonists of Swan River.
_Bÿ-yoo-göol-yee-de_, Aborigines of the lowland, and
_Dil̈-a-but_, Aborigines of the mountain districts of Western
Australia.
Future research will, in all probability, establish the fact of this
bird being universally dispersed over the greater portion of Australia;
I have specimens in my collection from New South Wales, Swan River, and
Port Essington, all of which are so closely alike that no character of
sufficient importance to establish a second species can be detected.
Those that came under my observation in New South Wales were never seen
very near the coast, but frequented the rich alluvial flats and sides of
the creeks and rivulets of the interior.
Few of the Australian birds are more attractive than the present, or
more elegant and graceful in its actions, and these, combined with its
tame and familiar disposition, must ever obtain for it the friendship
and protection of the settlers, whose verandahs and house-tops it
constantly visits, running along the latter like the Pied Wagtail of our
own island; in fact, the two birds, except in size, are very similar.
Mr. Gilbert states that in Western Australia he observed it congregated
in large families on the banks and muddy flats of the lakes around
Perth, while in the interior he only met with it in pairs, or at most in
small groups of not more than four or five together; he further
observes, that at Port Essington, on the north coast, it would seem to
be only an occasional visitant, for on his arrival there in July it was
tolerably abundant round the lakes and swamps, but from the setting-in
of the rainy season in November to his leaving that part of the country
in the following March not an individual was to be seen; it is evident
therefore that the bird removes from one locality to another according
to the season and the more or less abundance of its peculiar food. I
believe it feeds solely upon insects of various kinds, particularly
aquatic grubs, grasshoppers, and coleoptera generally.
The flight of the _Grallina_ is very peculiar, and unlike that of any
other Australian bird that has come under my notice; it much resembles
that of the Common Pewit of Europe, and is performed with the same heavy
flapping motion of the wings; still the flight of the two birds differs
materially during their passage through the air, the _Grallina_ passing
noiselessly and generally in a straight line, while the Pewit makes
sudden turns and dips,—a peculiarity in its mode of flight which must
have been noticed by all who have seen the bird on the wing.
Its natural note is a peculiarly shrill whining whistle often repeated.
The nest may be regarded as one of the anomalies of Australia, so unlike
is it to anything usually met with; it is from five to six inches in
breadth and three in depth, and is formed of soft mud, which soon
becoming hard and solid upon exposure to the atmosphere has precisely
the appearance of a massive clay-coloured earthenware vessel; as if to
attract notice, this singular structure is generally placed on some bare
horizontal branch, often on the one most exposed to view, sometimes
overhanging water and at others in the open forest. The colour of the
nest varies with that of the material of which it is formed: sometimes
the clay or mud is sufficiently tenacious to be used without any other
material, but in those situations where no mud or clay is to be obtained
it is constructed of black or brown mould; the bird, appearing to be
aware that this substance will not hold together for want of the
adhesive quality of the clay, mixes with it a great quantity of dried
grass, stalks, &c., and thus forms a firm and hard exterior, the inside
of which is slightly lined with dried grasses and a few feathers. The
eggs differ considerably in colour and in shape, some being extremely
lengthened, while others bear a relative proportion; the ground-colour
of some is a beautiful pearl-white, of others a slight tinge of buff;
their markings again differ considerably in form and in their
disposition, being in some instances wholly confined to the larger end,
in others distributed over the whole of the surface, but always inclined
to form a zone at the larger end; in some these markings are of a deep
chestnut-red, in others light red with large clouded spots of grey
appearing as if beneath the surface of the shell. The eggs are generally
four, but sometimes are only two in number; their medium length is one
inch and three lines, and their breadth nine lines. It breeds in October
and November.
Although the sexes are very similar in size, the female may at all times
be distinguished from the male by her white forehead and throat, a fact
I determined many times by actual dissection, thus showing the fallacy
of the opinion entertained by some naturalists of their being two
distinct species.
The male has a line over the eye, a patch on each side of the neck, a
longitudinal stripe on the wing, tips of the secondaries, rump, upper
tail-coverts, the basal two-thirds and the tips of the tail, under
surface of the shoulder, breast, flanks, abdomen and under tail-coverts
white, the remainder of the plumage black with a deep bluish tinge on
the head, throat, chest and back, and a green tinge on the primaries and
tail; bill yellowish white; irides straw-yellow; feet black.
The female differs in having the forehead, lores and chin white. The
young on leaving the nest have the irides black; in other respects they
resemble their parents, but are of course far less brilliant in colour.
The figures represent the two sexes of the natural size.
[Illustration: