_J. & E. Gould del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]
TROPIDORHYNCHUS CORNICULATUS, _Vig. & Horsf._
Friar-Bird.
_Merops corniculatus_, Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. i. p. 276.
_Corbi calao_, Le Vaill. Ois. d’Am. et des Indes, tom. i. p. 69. pl.
24.
_Knob-fronted Honey-eater_, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. iv. p. 161.
_Knob-fronted Bee-eater_, Ib. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 151.—Shaw,
Gen. Zool., vol. viii. p. 183.
_Tropidorhynchus corniculatus_, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol.
xv. p. 324.—Jard. and Selb. Ill. Orn., vol. iii. pl.
133.—Gould, Syn. Birds of Australia, Part I.
_Merops monachus_, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. xxxiv, young.
_Cowled Bee-eater_, Ib. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 155.—Shaw, Gen.
Zool., vol. viii. p. 166, young.
_Cowled Honey-eater_, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. iv. p. 162, young.
_Knob-fronted Bee-eater_, White’s Voy., pl. in p. 190, young.
_Tropidorhynchus monachus_, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv.
p. 324, young.
_Coldong_, Aborigines of New South Wales.
_Friar, Poor Soldier, &c._, of the Colonists.
There are few birds more familiarly known in the colony of New South
Wales than this remarkable species of Honey-eater: it is generally
dispersed over the face of the country, both in the thick brushes near
the coast and in the more open forests of the interior. I also observed
it tolerably abundant on the banks of the Peel, but could not fail to
observe that its numbers diminished as I descended the Namoi, on the
lower parts of which river it is, I believe, rarely if ever seen, its
place there being supplied by the yellow-throated species,
_Tropidorhynchus citreogularis_. My own observations induce me to
consider it as a summer visitant only to New South Wales; but as a
lengthened residence in the country would be necessary to determine this
point, my limited stay may have led me into error. It has never yet been
known to visit Van Diemen’s Land, neither have I traced it so far to the
westward as South Australia.
The Friar-Bird, selecting the topmost dead branch of the most lofty
trees whereon to perch and pour forth its garrulous and singular notes,
attracts attention more by its loud and extraordinary call than by its
appearance. From the fancied resemblance of its notes to those words, it
has obtained from the Colonists the various names of “Poor Soldier,”
“Pimlico,” “Four o’clock,” etc. Its bare head and neck have also
suggested the names of “Friar-Bird,” “Monk,” “Leather Head,” etc.
Its flight is undulating and powerful, and it may frequently be seen
passing over the tops of the trees from one part of the forest to
another. While among the branches it displays a more than ordinary
number of singular positions; its curved and powerful claws enabling it
to cling in every variety of attitude, frequently hanging by one foot
with its head downwards, etc. If seized when only wounded, it inflicts
with its sharp claws severe and deep wounds on the hands of its captor.
Its food consists of the pollen of the _Eucalypti_, and insects, to
which are added wild figs and berries.
It commences breeding in November, when it becomes animated and fierce,
losing all fear of man, and readily attacking hawks, crows, magpies
(_Gymnorhina_) or other large birds that may venture within the
precincts of its nest, never desisting from the attack until they are
driven to a considerable distance. The nest, which is rather rudely
constructed, and of a large size for a Honey-eater, is cup-shaped, and
outwardly composed of the inner rind of the stringy bark and wool, to
which succeeds a layer of fine twigs lined with grasses and fibrous
roots, the whole being suspended to the horizontal branch of an apple-
(_Angophora_) or gum-tree without the least regard to secresy,
frequently within a few feet of the ground. So numerous were they
breeding in the Apple-tree Flats near Aberdeen and Yarrundi, that they
might almost be termed gregarious. The eggs are generally three in
number, of a pale salmon colour with minute spots of a darker tint, one
inch and five lines long by eleven lines broad.
There is no observable difference in the plumage of the sexes, but the
female is somewhat smaller in size.
The adults have the bill and head dull ink-black; all the upper surface,
wings and tail greyish brown, the feathers of the latter tipped with
white; chin and lanceolate feathers on the chest silvery white, with a
fine line of brown down the centre; remainder of the under surface
brownish grey; eye red, fading immediately after death to brown and
sometimes to greyish hazel; feet lead-colour.
The young, although having the same general colouring as the adult, have
the head less denuded of feathers, and a mere rudiment of the knob on
the bill; the feathers on the breast are also less lanceolate in form,
and those on the sides of the chest are margined with yellow; eye dark
brown, surrounded with short brown feathers lengthening into a tuft at
the back of the head; feet much more blue than in adults.
The Plate represents an old bird and a young one of the first autumn, on
the wild fig of the Upper Hunter; the birds and plant being of the
natural size.
[Illustration:
TROPIDORHYNCHUS ARGENTICEPS: _Gould_.
_J. & E. Gould del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]
TROPIDORHYNCHUS ARGENTICEPS, _Gould_.
Silvery-crowned Friar-bird.
_Tropidorhynchus argenticeps_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part VII.
1839, p. 144.
For the first knowledge of this new species of _Tropidorhynchus_,
science is indebted to Benjamin Bynoe, Esq., Surgeon of Her Majesty’s
Surveying ship the Beagle, who, on my visiting Sydney, placed his
specimens at my disposal; since my return, other examples have been sent
for my use, in this work, by His Excellency Captain Grey, now Governor
of South Australia.
Mr. Bynoe’s specimens were all obtained during the survey of the
north-west coast, a portion of Australia the natural productions of
which are but little known, and Captain Grey’s during his expedition
into the interior, from the same coast.
In size the Silvery-crowned Friar-bird is somewhat inferior to the
common species (_Tropidorhynchus corniculatus_), from which it may also
he readily distinguished by the crown of the head being clothed with
well-defined, small, lanceolate feathers. Of its habits and economy
nothing is known; but as it is very nearly allied to the last-mentioned
species, we may reasonably conclude that they are very similar.
Crown of the head silvery grey; the remainder of the head naked, and of
a blackish brown; throat and all the under surface white; back, wings
and tail brown; bill and feet blackish brown.
The figure is of the natural size.
[Illustration:
TROPIDORHYNCHUS CITREOGULARIS: _Gould_.
_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]
TROPIDORHYNCHUS CITREOGULARIS, _Gould_.
Yellow-throated Friar-Bird.
_Tropidorhynchus citreogularis_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part
IV. p. 143; and in Syn. Birds of Australia, Part I.
_Ȁr-dulk_ and _Wȕl-loo-rat?_ Aborigines of Port Essington.
_Leather-neck_ of the Colonists of Port Essington.
_Yellow-throated Friar_, Colonists of New South Wales.
This is strictly a bird of the interior of the south-eastern portion of
Australia, and is never, so far as I am aware, found on the sea-side of
the mountain ranges. I observed it in tolerable abundance during my tour
to the Namoi; first meeting with it in the neighbourhood of Brezi,
whence as I descended the river to the northward it gradually became
more numerous. I killed both adult and young birds in December, the
latter of which had just left the nest, consequently the breeding-season
must have been about a month previous. The yellow colouring of the
throat represented in my ‘Synopsis of the Birds of Australia,’ is
peculiar to the period of immaturity; in the adult this colouring is
entirely wanting, and the bird is one of the plainest-coloured species
of the Australian Fauna.
Its habits and manners are very similar to those of the _Tropidorhynchus
corniculatus_; like that bird it feeds on insects, berries, fruits, and
the flowers of the _Eucalypti_, among the smaller branches of which it
may constantly be seen hanging and clinging in every possible variety of
attitude.
In the neighbourhood of Port Essington on the north coast, a species of
this form is found which precisely resembles the present bird in every
respect, except that it is about one-fifth smaller and has a rather
larger bill; if these birds should ultimately prove to be merely
varieties of each other, then the range of the species will be very
extensive indeed; in my own opinion they are distinct, but whether I am
right in thus believing or not, can only be ascertained by an increased
knowledge of the productions of this vast continent.
Mr. Gilbert states that the Port Essington bird is less abundant, less
active, and has not so deep a voice as the _T. argenticeps_, but that
the habits and manners of the two birds are precisely similar.
The adult has the whole of the upper surface, wings and tail light
brown; all the under surface pale greyish brown; bill and legs leaden
olive; irides and eyelash nearly black; naked part of the face mealy
bluish lead-colour.
The young are similar to the adult, but have the feathers of the upper
surface fringed with grey, and those of the wings slightly margined with
greenish yellow; the throat and sides of the chest lemon-yellow; face
blackish, and not so mealy as in the adult.
The young of the Port Essington bird has the yellow colouring of the
throat still more extensive than in the bird from New South Wales.
The figures represent an adult and a young bird from specimens killed on
the Namoi.
[Illustration: