_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]
ZOSTEROPS DORSALIS, _Vig. & Horsf._
Grey-backed Zosterops.
_Certhia cœralescens_, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. xxxviii.
_L’Heorotaire bleu_, Vieill. Ois. dor., tom. ii. p. 121. pl. 83?
_Bluish-breasted Creeper_, Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. viii. p. 244.
_Cœrulean Creeper_, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 188.
_Cœrulean Honey-eater_, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. iv. p. 204.
_Sylvia lateralis_, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. lv.
_Rusty-side Warbler_, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 250.—Shaw
Gen. Zool., vol. x. p. 659.—Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. vii. p.
140.
_Certhia diluta_, Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. viii. p. 244.
_Philedon cœruleus_, Cuv.
_Meliphaga cœrulea_, Steph. Cont. of Shaw’s Gen. Zool., vol. xiv. p.
264.
_Sylvia annulosa_, var. Β, Swains. Zool. Ill. 1st Ser., pl. 16.
_Zosterops dorsalis_, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p.
235.
_White-eye_, Colonists of New South Wales.
This bird is stationary in all parts of Van Diemen’s Land, New South
Wales and South Australia, and is more numerous than any other bird
inhabiting those countries; where it is not only to be met with in the
forests and thickets, but also in nearly every garden, by the
proprietors of which it is regarded more as a pest than, as one would
suppose, a welcome visitor; no one of the birds of the country effecting
greater damage to the buds and fruits of every kind. It even builds its
nest and rears its young in the shrubs and rose-trees bordering the
walks. I observed several nests in such situations in the garden of the
Government House at New Norfolk, Van Diemen’s Land. Among the trees of
the forest the beautiful tea-tree (leptospermum ?) is the one to which
at all times this species evinces a great partiality. Were it not for
its destructive propensities, the Grey-backed Zosterops must from its
familiar disposition and pretty lively song be a very general favourite.
Its flight is quick and darting, and when among the branches of the
trees it is as active as most birds, prying and searching with the most
scrutinizing care into the leaves and flowers for the insects, upon
which it feeds. It is sometimes seen singly or in pairs, while at others
it is to be observed in great numbers, on the same or neighbouring
trees. The southern and eastern portions of Australia, and the islands
adjacent, are its true habitat; and the two succeeding plates will show
how beautifully it is represented by allied species in other parts of
the country.
The breeding-season commences in September and continues to January. The
nest is one of the neatest structures possible; it is of a round deep
cup-shaped form, composed of fine grasses, moss and wool, and most
carefully lined with fibrous roots and grasses. The eggs are usually
three in number, of a beautiful uniform pale blue, eight and a half
lines long by six lines broad.
The sexes present no difference of plumage.
On examining the “Collection of Australian Drawings,” formerly belonging
to the late A. B. Lambert, Esq., and now in the possession of the Earl
of Derby, who kindly forwarded them to me for the purposes of the
present work, I find that this species was long since described by
Latham, under the names above quoted; in neither of his descriptions,
however, does he mention the white ring around the eye, which forms so
conspicuous a feature in the appearance of the bird, the want of which
would have precluded the possibility of my believing them to be
identical, had not the drawings named by Latham’s own hand proved such
to be the case: the species should therefore stand as _Zosterops
cœrulescens_, although _Z. lateralis_ would certainly be more
appropriate; unfortunately this fact did not come to my knowledge until
after the Plate had been named, and the requisite number of impressions
struck off. Latham refers to the 83rd Plate of the “Oiseaux Dorées,” as
identical with his _cœrulescens_, but of this as I have indicated above
I am doubtful.
Crown of the head, wings and tail olive; back dark grey, eyes surrounded
by a zone of white feathers, bounded in front and below with black;
throat, centre of the abdomen, and under tail-coverts greyish white with
a slight tinge of olive; flanks light chestnut-brown; upper mandible
dark brown, under mandible lighter; irides and feet greyish brown.
In some specimens the throat and sides of the head are wax-yellow, and
the flanks are only stained with chestnut-brown.
The Plate represents the male, female and nest of the natural size, on a
branch of the tea-tree of Van Diemen’s Land.
[Illustration:
ZOSTEROPS CHLORONOTUS: _Gould_.
_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]
ZOSTEROPS CHLORONOTUS, _Gould_.
Green-backed Zosterops.
_Zosterops chloronotus_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part VIII. p.
165.
_Jule-w̏e-de-lung_, Aborigines of the lowland districts of Western
Australia.
_Grape-_ and _Fig-eater_, Colonists of Swan River.
The _Zosterops chloronotus_ is an inhabitant of the western coast of
Australia, where it constitutes a beautiful representative of the
_Zosterops dorsalis_ of the southern and eastern coasts. As might be
supposed, the habits, manners, actions and economy of two species so
nearly allied are very similar; hence the settlers of Swan River were
not long in discovering that in this species they had found no friend to
their gardens during the season when the fruits are ripening, whatever
good it may effect by the destruction of insects at other periods.
Mr. Gilbert states that “This bird is particularly fond of figs and
grapes, it consequently abounds in all the gardens where those plants
are cultivated; and it is often to be seen as numerous as sparrows in
England; besides feeding upon fruits, I have also observed it taking
flies while on the wing after the manner of the true Flycatchers.
“Its note is a single plaintive one, several times repeated; and its
flight is irregular, and of short duration.
“The breeding-season commences in August and ends in November; those
nests that came under my observation during the earlier part of the
season, invariably contained two eggs; but in October and November I
usually found the number to be increased to three, and upon one occasion
to four. The nest is small, compact, and formed of dried wiry grasses,
bound together with the hairy tendrils of small plants and wool, the
inside being lined with very minute fibrous roots; its breadth is about
two inches, and depth one inch; the eggs are greenish blue without spots
or markings, eight lines long by six lines broad.”
Lores black; crown of the head and all the upper surface olive-green;
primaries and tail-feathers brown, margined with olive-green; throat and
under tail-coverts light greenish yellow; breast and under surface grey,
tinged with brown on the abdomen and flanks; irides wood-brown; bill
brown, lighter on the under mandible; legs and feet dark grey.
The figures are of the natural size.
[Illustration:
ZOSTEROPS LUTEUS: _Gould_.
_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]
ZOSTEROPS LUTEUS, _Gould_.
Yellow Zosterops.
_Zosterops luteus_, Gould, in Proc. of Zool. Soc.
This new species is an inhabitant of the northern portion of Australia.
“I first met with it,” says Mr. Gilbert, “in August, on Greenhill
Island, Van Diemen’s Gulf, dwelling among the mangroves or the densest
thickets. It is much more wild and solitary than _Zosterops dorsalis_,
and does not resort like that bird to the gardens and the neighbourhood
of the houses of the settlers; its note is also very different, being a
pretty canary-like song, instead of the long drawn-out note of _Z.
dorsalis_. When disturbed it usually left the thicket for the higher
branches of the gum-trees, where it was effectually hidden from view by
the thick foliage. It was generally met with in small families of from
three to seven or eight in number.”
All the upper surface olive-yellow; primaries and tail-feathers brown,
margined with olive-yellow; forehead and throat pure yellow; lores and
line beneath the eye black; eye encircled with a zone of white feathers;
abdomen and under tail-coverts dull yellow; irides light reddish brown;
upper mandible blackish grey, the basal half rather lighter; apical
third of the lower mandible blackish grey; basal two-thirds light
ash-grey; legs and feet bluish grey.
The figures are of the natural size.
[Illustration:
CUCULUS OPTATUS: _Gould_.
_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]
CUCULUS OPTATUS, _Gould_.
Australian Cuckoo.
_Cuculus optatus_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part XIII. p. 18.
It is no less remarkable than true, that when we are in countries far
distant from that which gave us birth, our minds are strongly disposed
to seize upon any objects presenting associations connected with our
native land; whatever reminds us of our own country becomes immediately
interesting, and its productions acquire a triple value. By the
colonists of New South Wales and Van Diemen’s Land, a stripling oak or
an elm, a violet or a primrose are regarded as treasures; and a caged
blackbird or lark is more prized than a bird of paradise would be here;
how welcome then to the settlers will be this Cuckoo, when the part of
Australia in which it is found becomes inhabited by Englishmen! Here, as
in Europe, it is the harbinger of spring, and an index of the
revivifying of nature, and its voice will be heard with even greater
sensations of pleasure than was that of its representative in Europe.
I think I hear my readers remark, “Surely this is the true Cuckoo of
Europe; and if so, why give it a new name?” To this I may answer, that I
can trace distinctions, which in my opinion warrant me in stating the
Australian bird to be a distinct species; specific characters, which,
although appearing very trivial to the general observer, are so apparent
to the ornithologist, that he can always distinguish an Australian
specimen from one killed in Europe. In the Australian bird the black
bands on the breast are broader and more defined than in the European,
and in the former a light fawn tint pervades the abdomen, which part is
white in the latter; the claws of the Australian bird are also smaller
and more delicate than those of its northern ally; the breast, neck and
head of the immature Australian bird are more broadly and distinctly
barred with black and white, while the rufous tint which pervades the
body of the immature European Cuckoo is almost, if not wholly, wanting.
The northern part of Australia is the only locality in which this bird
has been found; the specimens in my collection, as I learn from the
labels attached, were killed in the month of January: whether it utters
the word ‘Cuckoo’ or not I am unable to say, but it is most likely that
in this respect it also closely assimilates to its European relative.
All the upper surface slaty grey; inner webs of the primaries broadly
barred with white; tail-feathers dark violet-brown, with a row of oblong
spots of white, placed alternately on either side of the stem, and
slightly tipped with white; the lateral feathers have also a row of
white spots on the margin of their inner webs; chin and breast light
grey; all the under surface buffy white, crossed by bands of black;
irides, bill and feet orange.
The Plate represents a male of the natural size.
[Illustration: