_J. & E. Gould del^t._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]
DASYORNIS AUSTRALIS, _Vig. & Horsf._
Bristle-bird.
_Dasyornis Australis_, Vig. & Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p.
232.—Jard. and Selb. Ill. Orn., vol. ii. pl. 73.
This bird inhabits reed-beds and thickets, particularly such as are
overgrown with creepers and rank vegetation; I believe it to be found
throughout New South Wales in all places suitable to its habits,
although, from the recluse nature of its disposition, it is a species
familiar to few, even of those who have been long resident in the
colony. I killed it at Illawarra, and other specimens were presented to
me by Mr. Stephen Coxen, which had been shot by him in New England, an
extensive district to the eastward of the Liverpool Plains. Its powers
of flight are very limited, but it threads the thickets and runs over
the ground with the greatest facility. It resembles the true _Maluri_
carrying the tail erect, as also in many other of its actions. I had no
opportunity of ascertaining whether or not it be migratory; but my own
impression is that it is stationary, since its powers of flight are
inadequate to enable it to pass over much extent of country, and the
thick brushes near the coast afford it ample shelter in winter.
I did not succeed in finding its nest, but in its nidification it
doubtless closely assimilates to the Long-billed Bristle-bird of the
western coast.
The sexes present no difference in plumage and but little in size; the
female is, however, rather the least.
The food consists of insects of various orders.
All the upper surface brown; wings, tail-coverts and tail rufous brown,
the latter indistinctly barred with a darker tint; under surface grey,
gradually passing into the brown of the upper surface; over the eye an
indistinct buffy stripe; irides brown; bill brown, becoming much lighter
on the lower mandible; legs greyish brown.
The Plate represents a male of the natural size.
[Illustration:
DASYORNIS TENUIROSTRIS: _Gould_.
_J. & E. Gould del^t._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]
DASYORNIS LONGIROSTRIS, _Gould_.
Long-billed Bristle-bird.
_Dasyornis longirostris_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part VIII. p.
170.
_Djyr-dal-ya_, Aborigines of the lowland districts of Western
Australia.
The present species assimilates very closely in the character and
colouring of its plumage to its eastern analogue, the _Dasyornis
Australis_; but differs from that bird in being of a smaller size and in
having a longer bill. It is a native of Western Australia, and is very
generally distributed over the colony of Swan River, where it inhabits
reed-beds and long grasses, and is occasionally seen in scrubby places.
“It is so remarkably shy,” says Mr. Gilbert, “that it is extremely
difficult to get even a glimpse of it: from the little I could observe
of the bird in a state of nature, it appeared to me to feed on the
ground, where its actions are extremely quick, running over the surface
with its tail erect, very like the _Maluri_; but when perched the tail
is either carried horizontally, or hanging down. The only time when it
can be seen with a chance of procuring specimens, is when it ascends to
a small branch or the top of a scrub to sing. Its notes are extremely
varied, some being very loud and clear, and so much lengthened as to
approach a song; but no two birds sing alike.
“Its flight is extremely heavy and very low; in fact the bird appears
incapable of rising more than a few yards above the scrub or long grass
it inhabits; it is consequently very rarely seen on a tree.
“The nest is formed of dry wiry grass without any lining, more globular
than those of the _Maluri_, but, like them, with an opening in the side;
it is of rather a large size, and the only one I met with was built in a
clump of coarse grass, sheltered by an overhanging dead bush, at about
seven inches from the ground. It contained two eggs, the ground-colour
of which is dull brownish white, blotched and freckled with purplish
brown, some of the blotches appearing as if beneath the surface,
particularly at the larger end, where they are most numerous.
“The stomach is thick and muscular, and its food consists of seeds and
insects.”
The sexes so closely resemble each other, that a representation and
description of one will suffice for both.
All the upper surface brown; wings, tail-coverts and tail rufous brown,
the latter indistinctly barred with a darker tint; under surface grey,
gradually passing into the brown of the upper surface; irides bright
reddish brown; upper mandible brown, lower mandible bluish green at the
tip and greenish white at the base; legs bluish grey.
The Plate represents a male and female of the natural size.
[Illustration:
ATRICHIA CLAMOSA: _Gould_.
_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]
ATRICHIA CLAMOSA, _Gould_.
Noisy Brush-bird.
_Atrichia clamosa_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., January 9, 1844.
Few of the novelties received from Australia are more interesting than
the species to which I have given the generic name of _Atrichia_. It is
one of the discoveries made by Mr. Gilbert, who met with it among the
dense scrubs of Western Australia, and who had his attention attracted
to it by its peculiar and noisy note long before he had an opportunity
of observing it; and it was only after many days of patient and
motionless watching among the scrubs that he succeeded in obtaining
specimens, and these unfortunately were shot at so short a distance from
his gun that they were all much mutilated. Future research will
doubtless furnish us with some highly interesting information respecting
the economy and history of this curious form, which is evidently
destined to tenant the most dense thickets and tangled beds of dwarf
trees, and consequently, from its recluse habits, rarely to meet the
gaze of civilized man.
The examples forwarded to me by Mr. Gilbert were killed between Perth
and Augusta in Western Australia, and were all males. The females will
doubtless, when discovered, prove to differ but little from their mates,
except that the black mark on the breast will not be so large or
conspicuous. I am led to offer this opinion from the circumstance of one
of the specimens sent being a young male, which usually resembles the
female during the first year, and in which this mark is less conspicuous
than in the others.
All the upper surface, wings and tail brown, each feather crossed by
several obscure crescent-shaped bars of brown; the inner webs of the
primaries very dark brown, without markings, and the tail freckled
instead of barred; throat and chest reddish white, with a large
irregular patch of black on the lower part of the throat; flanks brown;
abdomen and under tail-coverts rufous; bill horn-colour; irides dark
brown.
The figures are of the natural size.
[Illustration: