Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia Volume II Part 32

Merops corniculata, Ind. Orn. 1 276.

k.n.o.b-fronted Honey-eater, Latham, 4 161.

This bird is found upon the whole extent of the Eastern Coast.

The next bird in the collection has been arranged by Dr. Latham in the Linnean genus Gracula, but appears to me to agree in no respect with that genus, as originally characterized by Linnaeus, much less with it as it has been modified by modern ornithologists. Whether we consider, according to M. Cuvier,* that the type of Gracula is the Paradisea tristis, Linn., or, according to M. Temminck, that it is the Gracula religiosa, Linn.,** in which latter opinion I feel rather disposed to acquiesce, my bird agrees with the group in none of its essential characters. In fact, the Linnean genus Oriolus is that to which it bears the closest resemblance in its general appearance; particularly by a similar disposition of its colours, and in the structure of its bill, wings, and legs. I would at once refer it to that genus, but that I have some reason to think that it belongs to the meliphagous birds, which are so abundant in New Holland, and which have been observed to a.s.sume the appearance of almost every group in the Insessores. Indeed, some birds of that country, which have been decided to be meliphagous, such as the Meliphaga cyanops, Lewin,*** [Graculine Honey-eater, Lath. Syn. 4 166. sp. Ed. 2da.] and others allied to it, and which differ little from the bird before us, have so many external relations with the Orioles, that they probably would be found to arrange themselves in the same family with them, were it not for the totally different structure of their tongue, and the consequent difference in their habits of life. Of the tongue, or mode of feeding of the bird at present before us, I can myself say nothing decisively, not having had leisure or opportunity, as I have already observed, of attending to the more interesting details of Natural History during the expedition. But general opinion places this bird among the groups that feed by suction; and as I have a second species. .h.i.therto undescribed, which is closely allied to it, I prefer forming both provisionally into a new genus, to referring them to one, from which, although they agree with it in external appearance, they may be totally remote, in consequence of their internal anatomy and habits of life. The error at least will not be so great, and may be easily retrieved. If the tongue of my birds be found to accord with that of the Orioles, and not of the Honey-suckers, my group of course must fall.

(*Footnote. Regne Anim. 1 360.)

(**Footnote. a.n.a.lyse d'un Syst. Gen. d'Orn. page 52.)

(***Footnote. Birds of New Holland plate 4.)

Genus MIMETES.*

(*Footnote. Mimetes, from Greek, imitator; [a.s.suming the appearance of a different group.])

Rostrum forte, subarcuatum, subcultratum, mandibulis utrisque apice emarginatis; naribus basalibus, lateralibus, subovalibus, membrano partim tectis.

Lingua ad sugendum idonea ?

Alae mediocres, rotundatae; remige 1ma brevissima; 2da et 6ta aequalibus; 3tia et 4ta fere aequalibus; longissimis; 5ta his paulo breviori: remigum 3tiae ad 6tam inclusam pogoniis externis in medio gradatim productis.

Pedes subbreves; acrotarsiis scutellatis, scutis quinque; paratarsiis integris.

Cauda mediocris, fere aequalis.

6. VIRIDIS. M. olivaceo-viridis, subtus albidus nigro guttatim striatus; alis caudaque nigro-fuscis, illis albido-marginatis, hac apice albo.

Gracula viridis. Lath. Ind. Orn. supp. page 28.

Caput dorsumque olivaceo-viridia, plumis in medio longitudinaliter fusco-lineatis. Tectrices superiores nigro-fuscae, ad apicem albido-marginatae; inferiores albido nigroque variegatae. Remiges supra fuscae, ad marginem externum apicemque leviter albido-notatae; subtus pallide fuscae. Rectrices nigro-fuscae, subtus pallidiores, omnibus, duabus mediis exceptis, apice albo-maculatis. Rostrum flavum. Pedes nigri. Longitudo* corporis, 10 1/4; alae a carpo ad remigem 3tiam, 5 7/10; caudae, 4 4/5; tarsi, 17/20; rostri ad frontem, 1 2/10, ad rictum, 1 3/10.

(*Footnote. My measurement is in inches, and their component parts.)

7. FLAVO-CINCTUS (n.s.) M. flavo-viridis, subtus pallidior, capite dorsoque fusco-lineatis, alis caudaque nigris viridi flavoque variegatis.

Capitis, gulae, dorsique plumae flavo-virides, in medio fusco-lineatae, hujus lineis latioribus. Tectrices superiores nigrae, apice flavo-marginatae, pteromatum margine flavo, alis clausis, fasciam conspicuam formante; inferiores flavee, ad basin nigro-notatae. Remiges supra nigrae, subtus fuscae; primariis anguste, secondariis late, apice flavo-marginatis; pogoniis externis anguste, internis late, flavo-marginatis. Rectrices supra nigrae flavo-viridi marginatae; subtus pallidiores, omnibus, duabus mediis exceptis, macula flava lata apicali notatis. Rostrum flavum, paulo altius, et magis carinatum, quam rostrum M. viridis. Pedes nigri.

The dimensions of this bird are nearly the same as those of M. viridis: the bill only slightly differing in being somewhat higher, and more carinated. The above descriptions will point out the specific differences between the two birds, which are strongly apparent, not merely by the M.

flavo-cinctus being marked with yellow where the other bird is white, but by the general distribution of the colours. In this respect, M.

flavo-cinctus resembles more closely the true Orioles, particularly in the yellow fascia which is formed on the wing, when closed by the junction of the apical spots on the quill coverts.

8. Rallus philippensis. Lin. Syst. 1 263.7. Ind. Orn. 756. Bris. 5 163.

t. 14. f. 1. Plate Enl. 774.

This bird was found upon b.o.o.by Island, near Cape York (the north extremity of New South Wales) and agrees with a specimen already in the Linnean Society's collection, that was taken in the neighbourhood of Port Jackson. My bird, being of smaller size than most of those with which I have compared it, is probably a young specimen. The rufous band on the breast is narrower than is usual in the species, originating probably from the same circ.u.mstance: otherwise it agrees precisely.

Rallus philippensis was originally found in the Philippine Islands. It appears to have a very extensive range, as it inhabits lands both in the North and South Pacific, as well as in the Indian Ocean.

9. Haematopus picatus (n.s.)

H. ater; corpore subtus, fascia alarum, uropygio, caudaeque basi, albis; remigibus primoribus totis nigris.

Rostrum pedesque rubri; collum totum nigrum; tectrices inferiores primores fuscae, secondariae albae, ad carpum et ad marginem exteriorem nigro-variegatae; fascia alarum angusta; remiges primores supra nigrae, subtus fuscae; uropygium alb.u.m parce nigro variegatum.

Longitudo corporis ab apice rostri ad apicem caadae, 22; alae a carpo ad remigem primam, 11; rosri, 3 3/10; tarsi, 2 3/10; caudae, 5.

Besides the common Oyster-Catcher of Europe, two species have lately been added to the genus, namely, H. palliatus, Temm., a native of Brazil, and H. niger, Cuv., from New Holland. The bird above described approaches more closely to the European species (H. ostralegus) than to the other two; but may be distinguished from it by the following characters, namely:

In its dimensions it exceeds the length of the European bird by six inches, and the other parts in proportion; it wants the white collar round the neck, which is a very distinctive character of H. ostralegus; the fascia on the wing is confined to the extremity of the secondary quill feathers alone, whilst in the other bird it extends to some of the wing coverts: the primary quill feathers also are entirely black; whereas the other has them partially variegated with white: the under wing coverts also differ, the primary ones being fuscous, and the outer secondary partially marked with black; whilst the whole of the under wing coverts in H. ostralegus are white. The uropygium also, which in the European bird is entirely white, is in our specimen partially variegated with black. The marginal webs of the toes are much more dilated. The whitish lunular mark under the eye of H. ostralegus, is entirely wanting in our species, of which the margin of the eye seems to be of a reddish tinge, of the same colour as the bill. This bird is common upon the sh.o.r.es of the continent generally; it is called by the colonists the Red Bill.

10. Aptenodytes minor. Gmel. Syst. 1 558.

The Little Penguin, Latham.

This bird is common in all parts of the Southern Ocean. The above specimen was found at King George the Third's Sound near the south-west extremity of New Holland. There are two specimens in the collection marked 9 a, and 9 b.

11. Tachypetes aquila. Vieillot.

Peleca.n.u.s Aquila, Gmel. Lin. 1 572.

Frigate Bird.

This specimen was obtained at Ascension, and is common in all parts of the Atlantic within or near the Tropic.

12. Sterna fuliginosa. Gmel. Lin. 1 605. Ind. Orn. 2 804.

Egg Bird, Forst. Voyage 1 115. Cook, Voyage 1 66, 275.

Noddy, Dampier, 3 pt. 1 99., table page 85. figure 5. Hawkesworth's Coll.

of Voyages, 3 652.

Sooty Tern, Gen. Syn. 6 352. Arc. Zool. 2 Number 447.

There are two specimens of this bird in the collection, marked 12 a, and 12 b.

13. Sterna pelecanoides (n.s.) S. alba; capitis vertice nigro albo-variegato; dorso, alis, caudaque canis; remigibus fusco-atris, rhachibus albis.

Colli latera parce cano-maculata; tectrices secundariae primoribus obscuriores; remiges fusco-atrae, pogoniis internis fere ad apicem albo-marginatis; rectrices externae fuscae basi apiceque albis; rostrum subflavum; pedes nigri.

Longitudo corporis, 19 1/4; alae a carpo ad remigem primam, 13 1/2; caudae, 6 3/4; rostri, ad frontem, 2 1/3, ad rictum, 3 1/6; tarsi, 1 1/6.

The hallux, or hind toe, of this bird appears to be more closely united to the fore toes, and to be situated more in front than is usual among the Terns: it is also to be observed, that the side of the nail of the middle toe is considerably dilated, although not serrated, similar to what is observed among the Pelecanidae. These characters offer a corroboration of the affinity of the Sternae to the family of the Pelecanidae, and particularly to the genus Phaeton, which approaches the Terns more closely than any other group of that family, in the smaller size of the membrane that unites the toes (see Linnean Transactions 14 505). It may also be stated on the other hand, that the same membrane of the Sterna pelecanoides deviates from its own genus, and approaches the Pelecanidae, in its being more dilated than usual. The wings are longer than the tail for a considerable extent, by which our bird also evinces another character, in common with the long-winged Tachypetes, or Frigate bird.

14. Larus georgii (n.s.)

L. albus, dorso alisque nigris; rectricibus albis, fascia media atra.

Rostrum flavum, apice rubro; mandibulae inferioris gonide maxime angulata; remiges primores atrae, secundariae supra nigrae apice albo, infra albae; tectrices inferiores albae; pedes flavi.

Longitudo corporis, 28; alae, a carpo ad remigem primam 18 3/4; mandibulae, superioris ad frontem, 2 1/3, ad rictum, 3 1/6; tarsi, 2 11/12; caudae, 8 1/2.

This bird was found at King George the Third's Sound, on the South-west Coast, in the vicinity of Seal Island.