_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]
COLLURICINCLA HARMONICA.
Harmonious Colluricincla.
_Turdus harmonicus_, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp. p. xli.
_Harmonic Thrush_, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 182.—Shaw, Gen.
Zool., vol. x. p. 217.—Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. v. p. 120.
_Grey-headed Thrush_, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. v. p. 118.
_Collurincla cinerea_, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p.
214.—Jard. and Selb. Ill. Orn., vol. ii. pi. 71.—Less.
Traité d’Orn., p. 374.—Ib. Man. d’Orn., tom. i. p.
131.—Swains. Class, of Birds, vol. ii. p. 221.—G. R. Gray,
List of Gen. of Birds, 2nd Edit., p. 49.
_Lanius Saturninus_, Nordm.
_Turdus dilutus_, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. xl?—Bonn, et Vieill. Ency.
Méth. Orn., part ii. p. 660?
_Dilute Thrush_, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 182?—Shaw, Gen.
Zool., vol. x. p. 208?—Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. v. p. 120?
_Turdus badius_, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. xli?—Bonn, et Vieill. Ency.
Méth. Orn., part ii. p. 670?
_Port Jackson Thrush_, Lath. Gen. Syn., vol. ii. p. 183.—White’s Voy.,
pl. in p. 157.—Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. x. p. 198.—Lath. Gen.
Hist., vol. v. p. 121.
_Austral Thrush_, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. v. p. 124?
As the members of this genus, originally formed on a single species, are
now found to be numerous, but all very nearly allied, it becomes
necessary to describe this, the typical bird, with particular accuracy.
Nearly every colony appears to be inhabited by its own peculiar species;
and accordingly we find that the present bird is an inhabitant of New
South Wales, but extends its range westward as far as South Australia
and eastward to Moreton Bay, and perhaps farther.
The _Colluricincla harmonica_ is one of the oldest known of the
Australian birds, having been described in Latham’s “Index
Ornithologicus,” figured in White’s “Voyage,” and included in the works
of all subsequent writers.
So generally is it dispersed over the countries of which it is a native,
that there are few localities in which it is not to be found; the
brushes near the coast as well as the plains of the interior being
equally frequented by it; it is a very active bird, living much among
the branches, and feeding upon insects of various kinds, caterpillars
and their larvæ.
The term _harmonica_ applied to this species is very appropriate; for
although it does not give utterance to any continued song, it frequently
pours forth a number of powerful swelling notes, louder but less varied
than those of the Song Thrush of Europe; and it is somewhat singular
that these notes are emitted while in the act of feeding, and while
engaged in the search of its insect food.
The site of the nest is very varied; sometimes a hollow in the upright
bole of a small tree is chosen; at others the ledge of a decayed branch,
or a rock, or any similar situation. The nest is a cup-shaped, and
somewhat slight structure, externally composed of the outer and inner
bark of trees and leaves, and lined with fibrous roots; I have
occasionally seen wool intermingled with the outer materials. The eggs,
which are three in number, and one inch and two lines long by ten lines
broad, are of a beautiful pearly white, thinly sprinkled with large
blotches of light chestnut-brown and dull bluish grey, the latter colour
appearing as if beneath the surface of the shell. In one instance I
found a nest of eggs which were brownish white instead of pearly white.
The sexes are very nearly alike, the only difference being that the
female has the bill browner and an indication of a white stripe over the
eye.
Head brownish grey, with an indistinct line of brown down the centre of
each feather; back of the neck, back and shoulders olive-brown; wings
slaty black margined with grey; rump and tail grey, the latter with dark
brown shafts; under surface light brownish grey, fading into pure white
on the vent and under tail-coverts and greyish white on the throat, each
of the throat and breast feathers with a fine line of brown down the
centre; irides dark brown; bill blackish brown; feet dark greenish grey.
The Plate represents a male and a female on a nest, all of the natural
size.
[Illustration:
COLLURICINCLA RUFIVENTRIS: _Gould_.
_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]
COLLURICINCLA RUFIVENTRIS, _Gould_.
Buff-bellied Colluricincla.
_Colluricincla rufiventris_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part VIII.
p. 164.
_Goö-dee-lung_, Aborigines of Western Australia.
_Thrush_, of the Colonists.
This species is about the size of the _Colluricincla harmonica_, for
which at a first glance it might be mistaken, but from which on
comparison it will be found to differ in the following particulars:—the
whole of the upper surface is pure grey instead of brown; the abdomen
and under tail-coverts are deep buff instead of greyish white; and the
lores are much more distinctly marked with white. It is a native of
Western Australia, where it is to be found in all thickly wooded places,
feeding as much on the ground as among the trees and scrubs. In its
actions, the positions it assumes, and in its general manners, it very
closely resembles the Common Thrush of Europe. Its voice is a very loud,
full and rich swelling note with a few connecting sounds, the whole much
resembling, but not equalling in melody, the call-note of the European
Thrush.
It breeds in the latter part of September and the beginning of October,
and the nest, which is generally placed in the hollow part of a high
tree, is formed of dried strips of gum-tree bark very closely packed and
deep, and is sometimes lined with soft grasses. The eggs, which are two
or three in number, are of a beautiful bluish or pearly white, with
large blotches of reddish olive-brown and dark grey, the latter
appearing as if beneath the surface of the shell; the medium length of
the eggs is one inch and one line by ten lines in breadth.
Mr. Gilbert mentions that upon two occasions he found the eggs of this
bird in old nests of _Pomatorhinus superciliosus_.
The stomach is muscular, and the food consists of insects, principally
of the coleopterous order, and seeds.
Lores greyish white; crown of the head and all the upper surface deep
grey, slightly tinged with olive; primaries and tail dark brown,
margined with brownish grey; throat and under surface darkish grey,
passing into buff on the vent and under tail-coverts; all the feathers
of the under surface have a narrow dark line down the centre; thighs
grey; irides dark reddish brown; bill blackish brown; feet dark greenish
leaden grey.
The figures represent a male and a female of the natural size.
[Illustration:
COLLURICINCLA BRUNNEA: _Gould_.
_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]
COLLURICINCLA BRUNNEA, _Gould_.
Brown Colluricincla.
_Colluricincla brunnea_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part VIII. p.
164.
_Men-e-loö-roo_, Aborigines of Port Essington.
This bird is abundantly dispersed over the Cobourg Peninsula, and is to
be met with in all the forests in the immediate neighbourhood of Port
Essington, in which distant locality it represents the _Colluricincla
harmonica_ of New South Wales, the _Colluricincla Selbii_ of Van
Diemen’s Land, and the _Colluricincla rufiventris_ of Western Australia.
As might be expected, its habits and manners are very similar to those
of the other species of the genus, consequently the description of those
of _Colluricincla harmonica_ is equally descriptive of those of
_Colluricincla brunnea_.
A nest of this bird found on the 2nd of February was built in the upper
part of a hollow stump, and was outwardly formed of narrow strips of the
bark of the _Melaleuca_ and lined with fine twigs. The eggs are of a
pearly bluish white, spotted and blotched with markings of olive-brown
and grey, the latter colour appearing as if beneath the surface of the
shell; their medium length is one inch and two lines by ten lines in
breadth.
It is a larger and more robust species than either _C. harmonica_ or _C.
rufiventris_, the bill is shorter and much stouter, and the colouring is
of a uniform light brown; even the primaries and tail-feathers are of
the same hue.
All the upper surface pale brown; primaries and tail the same, but
somewhat lighter; all the under surface brownish white, becoming almost
pure white on the vent and under tail-coverts; thighs greyish brown;
bill black; feet blackish brown.
The Plate represents the two sexes of the natural size.
[Illustration: