_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _Hallmandel & Walton Imp._
]
SERICULUS CHRYSOCEPHALUS.
Regent Bird.
_Meliphaga chrysocephala_, Lewin, Birds of New Holl., pl. 1.
_Golden-crowned Honey-eater_, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. iv. p. 184.
_Oriolus regens_, Temm. Pl. Col., 320.—Quoy et Gaim. Zool. de
l’Uranie, pl. 22.—Less. Zool. de Coquille, pl. 20 (female).
_Sericulus chrysocephalus_, Swains. in Zool. Journ., vol. i. p.
478.—Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 326.—Jard.
and Selb. Ill. Orn., vol. i. pls. 18, 19, 20.—G. R. Gray,
List of Gen. of Birds, 2nd edit., p. 38.—Swains. Class. of
Birds, vol. ii. p. 237.—Less. Traité d’Orn., p. 340.—Steph.
Cont. of Shaw’s Gen. Zool., vol. xiv. p. 266.
_Sericulus regens_, Less. Man. d’Orn., tom. i. p. 256.
This beautiful species, one of the finest birds of the Australian Fauna,
is, I believe, exclusively confined to the eastern portion of the
country; it is occasionally seen in the neighbourhood of Sydney, which
appears to be the extent of its range to the southward and westward. I
met with it in the brushes at Maitland in company and feeding on the
same trees with the Satin and Cat Birds and the _Oriolus viridis_; it is
still more abundant on the Manning, at Port Macquarrie, and at Moreton
Bay; I sought for and made every inquiry respecting it at Illawarra, but
did not encounter it, and was informed that it is never seen there, yet
the district is precisely similar in character to those in which it is
abundant about two degrees to the eastward: while encamped on Mosquito
Island, near the mouth of the river Hunter, I shot several, and observed
it to be numerous on the neighbouring islands, particularly Baker’s
Island, where there is a fine garden, and where it is one of the
greatest pests the proprietor has to contend with; for during the summer
months, when the peaches and other fruits are ripening, it commits
serious injury to the crops and their owner.
Although I have spoken of this bird as abundant in the various
localities referred to, I must mention that at least fifty out of colour
may be observed to one fully-plumaged male, which when adorned in its
gorgeous livery of golden yellow and deep velvety black exhibits an
extreme shyness of disposition, as if conscious that its beauty,
rendering it a conspicuous object, might lead to its destruction; it is
usually therefore very quiet in its actions, and mostly resorts to the
topmost branches of the trees; but when two gay-coloured males encounter
each other, frequent conflicts take place. To obtain specimens in their
full dress, considerable caution is necessary; on the other hand,
females and immature males are very tame, and when feeding among the
foliage, appear to be so intent upon their occupation as not to heed the
approach of an intruder; and I have occasionally stood beneath a low
tree, not more than fifteen feet high, with at least ten feeding
voraciously above me. The stomachs of those dissected contained the
remains of wild figs, berries and seeds, but no trace of insects.
I did not succeed in discovering the nest, or in obtaining any
information respecting it.
I believe that the fine plumage represented in the Plate is not assumed
until the second or third year, and when once acquired is not afterwards
thrown off; it may be thus described:—
Head and back of the neck, running in a rounded point towards the
breast, rich bright gamboge-yellow tinged with orange, particularly on
the centre of the forehead; the remainder of the plumage, with the
exception of the secondaries and inner webs of all but the first
primary, deep velvety black; the secondaries bright gamboge-yellow, with
a narrow edging of black along the inner webs; the first primary is
entirely black, the next have the tips and outer webs black—the half of
the inner web and that part of the shaft not running through the black
tip are yellow; as the primaries approach the secondaries the yellow of
the inner web extends across the shaft, leaving only a black edge on the
outer web, which gradually narrows until the tips only of both webs
remain black; bill yellow; irides pale yellow; legs and feet black.
The female has the head and throat dull brownish white, with a large
patch of deep black on the crown; all the upper surface, wings and tail
pale olive-brown, the feathers of the back with a triangular-shaped mark
of brownish white near the tip; the under surface is similar, but here,
except on the breast, the white markings increase so much in size as to
become the predominant hue; irides brown; bill and feet black.
The young males at first resemble the females, but their hues are
continually changing until they gain the livery of the adult.
The Plate represents a male and a female on a branch of one of the wild
figs of the brushes of New South Wales, all the size of life.
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