_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]
POËPHILA MIRABILIS, _Homb. et Jacq._
Beautiful Grass Finch.
_Poëphila mirabilis_, Homb. et Jacq. Voy. au Pole Sud.—O. des Murs,
Icon. Orn., pl. 3. fig. 1.
Fine examples of this, one of the most lovely of the Finches yet
discovered, are contained in the gallery of the Museum of Natural
History of Paris; they were procured by Messrs. Hombron and Jacquinot in
the neighbourhood of Raffles’ Bay, on the north coast of Australia,
where it is so rare, that those gentlemen only met with three examples,
and were unable to make themselves acquainted with its actions and
manners. In the works above-quoted my _Poëphila Gouldiæ_ is figured as
the female of the present bird, but this I believe to be a mistake, the
specimen from which my description and figure were taken being to all
appearance an adult male; and as an evidence that such may be the case,
I may mention that no female of the group has yet been discovered so
gorgeously arrayed; the females of all the _Poëphilæ_ I have seen
resemble their respective males in the colouring of their plumage, but
have all the hues much less brilliant; it is not probable therefore that
a bird so gaily coloured as the _P. Gouldiæ_ should be the female of the
_P. mirabilis_; besides which, Mr. Gilbert procured an example of _P.
Gouldiæ_ during Dr. Leichardt’s Expedition from Moreton Bay to Port
Essington, which dissection proved to be a female, and which although
similarly, was much less highly coloured than the bird I have
represented.
Crown of the head and cheeks of a beautiful carmine, bounded posteriorly
by a narrow line of black; throat black; to this succeeds a band of pale
blue, narrow on the throat and broad on the back of the neck; back and
wings green, passing into yellow at the nape of the neck; breast crossed
by a broad band of lilac, separated from the yellow of the abdomen by a
narrow line of orange; rump and upper tail-coverts pale blue; quills
brown; bill fleshy white, becoming redder at the tip; feet flesh-colour.
The figures represent a male in two positions of the natural size.
[Illustration:
POËPHILA ACUTICAUDA: _Gould_.
_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del^t._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]
POËPHILA ACUTICAUDA, _Gould_.
Long-tailed Grass Finch.
_Amadina acuticauda_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part VII. p. 143.
It is no less interesting to trace the analogies of species inhabiting
the opposite portions of a large continent like that of Australia, than
to observe how beautifully any peculiar character is preserved in the
species of every natural group. The three new species of the present
genus afford a very striking example of this, where not only a
similarity of colouring exists in the deep fawn or cinnamon hue of the
plumage, but in the conspicuous band of black which surrounds the lower
part of the body; nor is the graduated character of the tail-feathers
less striking in these three species, the first trace of it being
observable in _Poëphila cincta_, which would appear to be carried to the
maximum in the present species, which, so far as is known, is confined
to the north-west coast. The specimens from which my figures of this
bird were taken are from the interesting collection placed in my hands
by Mr. Bynoe of the Beagle, whose great perseverance and assiduity have
enabled me to add many species to the fauna of Australia. Indeed many of
the officers of that vessel will have their names handed down to
posterity in consequence of the attention they have paid to this branch
of science, independently of the legitimate objects of their various
expeditions; among others I may particularly allude to my much-esteemed
friend Mr. Darwin, Captain Wickham, Captain Stokes, Mr. Dring, &c. Since
the arrival of Mr. Bynoe’s birds I have also received specimens from
Port Essington, which, like their analogue the _Poëphila cincta_ of the
eastern coast, inhabit the open plains bordering streams, and feed on
the seeds of various grasses and other plants.
I regret that so little information has been transmitted to me
respecting the habits and economy of this beautiful species.
The sexes differ but little in outward appearance; the female is,
however, rather less in size, is less strikingly marked, and has the two
middle tail-feathers shorter than her mate.
Crown of the head and cheeks grey; upper and under surface of the body
fawn-colour, becoming more delicate, and assuming a pinky hue on the
abdomen; lores, throat, hand across the rump and tail jet-black; upper
and under tail-coverts and thighs white; wings fawn-grey; bill and feet
yellow.
The figures are those of a male and a female of the natural size.
[Illustration:
POËPHILA PERSONATA: _Gould_.
_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del^t._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]
POËPHILA PERSONATA, _Gould_.
Masked Grass Finch.
_Poëphila personata_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., February 8, 1842.
This beautiful and well-marked species of Grass Finch is also a native
of the north-west coast of Australia, where several specimens were shot
by Mr. Gilbert during an excursion from Port Essington towards the
interior of the country, who states that it inhabits grassy meadows near
streams, feeding on grass-seeds, &c. It was tolerably abundant, being
congregated in flocks of from twenty to forty. When on the wing it
utters a very feeble cry of _twit, twit, twit_, but at other times pours
forth a drawn-out mournful note, like that of the Estreldas.
The sexes are scarcely to be distinguished by their outward appearance,
both possessing the masked face; the female is, however, rather less in
size, and her markings are not quite so brilliant or decided as those of
the male.
Base of the bill surrounded by an irregular ring of deep velvety black;
crown of the head, upper surface and wings light cinnamon-brown; lower
part of the abdomen banded with deep velvety black; lower part of the
rump and under tail-coverts white; upper tail-coverts white, striped
longitudinally with black on the outer side; tail deep blackish brown;
irides of the old birds red, of the young birds dark brown; bill bright
orange; legs and feet fleshy red.
In some specimens the upper and lower ridges of the bill are black,
while in others the basal half only is orange, the remaining portion
being brown.
The figures are those of a male and a female of the natural size.
[Illustration:
POËPHILA LEUCOTIS: _Gould_.
_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]
POËPHILA LEUCOTIS, _Gould_.
White-eared Grass Finch.
_Poëphila leucotis_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part XIV. p. 106.
The present beautiful species of _Poëphila_ is one of the novelties
discovered during Dr. Leichardt’s expedition from Moreton Bay to Port
Essington; it was killed in the neighbourhood of the river Lynd by Mr.
Gilbert, in whose Journal, under the date of June 3, 1845, I find the
following remark:—“The most interesting circumstance that occurred to me
to-day was the discovery of a new species of _Poëphila_, which is very
nearly allied to the one from Port Essington (_P. personata_, Gould),
but which differs from that bird in having the bill light yellowish
horn-colour instead of orange, the irides dark brown and the legs red;
it is in every respect a true _Poëphila_, having the black face and
throat, the black marks on the flanks, the lengthened tail-feathers and
the general plumage of a light brown; like the other members of the
genus too, it inhabits the open spots of country, and feeds on grass
seeds.”
This I regret to say is all that is known respecting it. In addition to
the differences pointed out by Mr. Gilbert, I may mention that it may
also be distinguished from the _P. personata_ by its white ear-coverts
and by the black of the throat being bounded below and the black marks
on the flanks anteriorly with white; the colouring of the upper surface
is also a somewhat richer brown.
I possess both sexes of this species, and, as is the case with the other
members of the genus, they differ but little from each other.
Band crossing the forehead, lores, throat, and a large patch on each
flank deep velvety black; ear-coverts, a narrow line beneath the black
of the throat, and a space surrounding the black patch on the flanks
white; crown of the head deep reddish chestnut; all the upper surface
and wings dark cinnamon-brown; chest and abdomen pale vinous brown;
upper and under tail-coverts white, the former margined externally with
deep black; tail black; irides dark brown; feet red; bill yellowish
horn-colour.
The Plate represents the two sexes of the natural size.
[Illustration:
POËPHILA CINCTA: _Gould_.
_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del^t._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]
POËPHILA CINCTA, _Gould_.
Banded Grass Finch.
_Amadina cincta_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part IV. p. 105.
This species is tolerably abundant on the Liverpool Plains, and the open
country to the northward towards the interior. It occurs so rarely on
the sea side of the ranges, that I only once met with it during my
sojourn in New South Wales. It is doubtless a native of the great basin
of the interior, where, like the _P. acuticauda_ and _P. personata_, it
frequents those parts of the open plains which abound in grasses, upon
the seeds of which and other plants it mostly subsists. The range of
this species is entirely unknown; I have never seen a specimen except
from the localities above mentioned.
Crown of the head and back of the neck grey; ear-coverts and sides of
the neck silvery grey; throat and lores black; back, chest and abdomen
chestnut-brown; wings the same, but darker; lower part of the body
surrounded by a black band; tail-coverts white; tail black; bill black;
irides reddish brown; eyelash blackish brown; feet pink-red.
The female differs from her mate by all her markings being much more
obscurely defined.
The figure is that of a male of the natural size.
[Illustration:
DONACOLA CASTANEOTHORAX: _Gould_.
_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del^t._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]
DONACOLA CASTANEOTHORAX, _Gould_.
Chestnut-breasted Finch.
_Amadina castaneothorax_, Gould in Syn. Birds of Australia, Part II.
Judging from the extreme rarity of this species in European collections,
its true locality can scarcely as yet have been visited by naturalists.
I observed several specimens in the Museum at Sydney; these, as well as
those I possess, were obtained at Moreton Bay; the productions of which
part of Australia are less known than might have been expected,
considering how long it has been colonized. I had not the good fortune
to meet with this bird in a state of nature, but I have been informed
that it frequents reed-beds on the banks of rivers and lagoons, and that
it much resembles the Bearded Tit (_Calamophila biarmicus_) of Europe,
in the alertness with which it passes up and down the upright stems of
the reeds, from the lower part to the very top, a habit for which the
lengthened and curved form of its claws seems well adapted.
The sexes appear to differ but little in colouring; in some individuals,
however, the cheeks and throat are black instead of brown, a character
doubtless dependent on age or season.