_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del^t._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]
ERYTHRODRYAS RHODINOGASTER.
Pink-breasted Wood-Robin.
_Saxicola rhodinogaster_, Drap. Ann. Gén. des Sci. Phys. de Bruxelles.
_Muscicapa Lathami_, Vig. in Zool. Journ., vol. i. p. 410. pl.
13.—Jard. and Selb. Ill. Orn., vol. i. pl. 8.
_Petroica rhodinogaster_, Jard. and Selb. Ill. Orn. Add., vol. ii.
_Erythrodryas rhodinogaster_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., August 9,
1842.
_Pink-breasted Robin_, Colonists of New South Wales.
The great stronghold of this species is Van Diemen’s Land, particularly
the western parts of the island. I feel assured that it is rarely seen
on the main land of Australia, from the circumstance of the total
absence of skins in collections from those parts. In one instance only
did I meet with it on the continent, and that was in a deep ravine under
Mount Lofty in South Australia; I shot the specimen, which on dissection
proved to be a young male.
In habits and disposition this and the following species are very
dissimilar to the Red-breasted Robins (_Petroica_), being much less
spirited in all their actions. They prefer the most secluded and remote
parts of the forest, particularly the bottoms of deep gullies, the
seclusion of which is seldom broken by the voice or presence of any
living being, and where animal life is almost confined to aphides and
other minute insects, upon which they exist. There are times, however,
especially in winter, when they leave these quiet retreats and even
enter the gardens of the settlers; but this is of so rare occurrence,
that few persons can have had opportunities of observing this bird in a
state of nature, except those who have visited the localities above
described. I shot several specimens in the gullies under Mount
Wellington in Van Diemen’s Land; and on visiting, in company with the
Rev. T. J. Ewing, the enchanting spot selected by my ever-esteemed
friend Lady Franklin as a site for a Botanic Garden, I observed it to be
tolerably numerous there. Through the kindness of Ronald C. Gunn, Esq.,
who liberally placed the whole of his collection at my disposal, I was
enabled to obtain examples of many species, in every stage from youth to
maturity; among others, of the present bird, which Mr. Gunn informed me
had been collected on the Hampshire Hills, a locality where it is very
abundant.
The food of the Pink-breasted Wood-Robin consists solely of insects,
which it procures by darting out in pursuit of them while passing by in
the air, and also on the ground.
It exhibits the peculiar actions and manners of the Robins by sitting
about on stumps and stones at the bottom of the gullies, presenting its
full breast like the Robin of Europe.
Its nest is formed of narrow strips of soft bark, soft fibres of
decaying wood, and fine fibrous roots matted and woven together with
vegetable fibres, and old black nests of spiders. The eggs are three in
number, smaller but very similar to those of _Petroica multicolor_; of a
greenish white thickly sprinkled with light chestnut and purplish brown;
eight lines and a half long, by six lines and a half broad.
Like the true Petroicas, the sexes present considerable differences in
their colouring.
The male has the head, neck, throat and back sooty black; a small spot
of white in the centre of the forehead; wings brownish black; a few of
the primaries and secondaries with an oblong spot of reddish brown on
the outer web near the base and another near the tip, forming two small
oblique bands when the wing is spread; breast and abdomen rose-pink,
passing into white on the vent and under tail-coverts; irides and bill
black; feet black, with the soles orange.
The female has an indication of the white spot on the forehead; all the
upper surface brown; wings and tail brown, with the markings on the
primaries and secondaries larger and of a more buffy colour than in the
male; throat brownish buff; chest and abdomen brownish grey; vent and
under tail-coverts buff.
The young male during the first autumn closely resembles the female; for
the first two months after they have left the nest, they have the centre
of each feather striated with buff.
The Plate represents the male and female of the natural size.
[Illustration:
ERYTHRODRYAS ROSEA: _Gould_.
_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del^t._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]
ERYTHRODRYAS ROSEA.
Rose-breasted Wood-Robin.
_Petroica rosea_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part VII. p. 142.
_Erythrodryas rosea_, Gould in Ibid., August 9, 1842.
This pretty little Robin inhabits all the brushes which skirt along the
south-eastern coast of New South Wales. I also observed it to be
numerous in the cedar brushes of the Liverpool range, and it doubtless
frequents similar situations in all other parts of the country. It
penetrates to the very depths of the forest, and chooses as its
favourite abode the most secluded spots. It is a solitary species, more
than a single pair being rarely seen at one time, is excessively quiet
in its movements, and so tame, that in the course of my wanderings
through the woods of Illawarra and in the neighbourhood of the Hunter,
it frequently perched within two or three yards of me while resting my
wearied limbs under a dense canopy of foliage, and listening to the
songs of the various species surrounding me. What has been said
respecting the habits and manners of the Pink-breasted Robin is equally
descriptive of those of the present bird; its food is also precisely of
the same kind, and is captured in a similar manner.
Although it is by no means rare in the localities I have mentioned, but
few specimens yet adorn our Museums, and it certainly had not received
any scientific appellation until I proposed the one given above, in a
letter addressed to the Zoological Society of London during my residence
in New South Wales.
Of its nidification and the number and colour of its eggs nothing is at
present known.
It has a cheerful inwardly uttered song, the strain of which is very
like that of the other Robins, but is much more feeble.
The male has the forehead crossed by a very narrow band of white; crown
of the head, throat and all the upper surface dark slate-grey; chest
rich rose-red, inclining to scarlet; lower part of the abdomen and under
tail-coverts white; wings and the six central tail-feathers blackish
brown; the three outer ones on each side tipped with white, the white
predominating over the inner webs, particularly on the two lateral
feathers; bill and feet blackish brown; gape and soles of the feet
yellow.
The female differs considerably from her mate, having the forehead
crossed by a narrow band of buff; all the upper surface greyish brown;
wings brown; secondaries crossed by two obscure bands of greyish buff;
tail of a browner tint, but otherwise marked like that of the male.
The figures are those of a male and a female of the natural size.
[Illustration: