GRAUCALUS MELANOPS. _J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._ ] GRAUCALUS MELANOPS. Black-faced Graucalus. _Corvus melanops_, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. xxiv. no. 1. _Ceblepyris melanops_, Temm. Man., p. lxii. _Rollier à masque noir_, Le Vaill. Ois. de Parad., pl. 30. _Black-faced Crow_, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 116.—Ib. Gen. Hist., vol. iii. p. 46. _Graucalus melanops_, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 216.—Gould in Syn. Birds of Australia, Part IV. _Kai-a-lora_, Aborigines of New South Wales. _Nu-lär-go_, Aborigines of the lowland, and _Nü-laarg_, Aborigines of the mountain districts of Western Australia. _Blue Pigeon_ of the Colonists. New South Wales, Van Diemen’s Land, Swan River and Port Essington are each inhabited by _Graucali_ so nearly allied to the present bird, that by many persons it would be considered questionable whether they were not referable to one and the same species; but as this is by no means certain, I shall confine my remarks to the bird inhabiting New South Wales, which is one of the largest of the genus yet discovered, and distinguished from its near allies by the greater depth of the blue-grey colouring of the upper surface. The _Graucalus melanops_, then, is a very common bird in New South Wales, but is far less numerous in winter than in summer, when it is so generally dispersed over the colony, that to particularize situations in which it may be found is quite unnecessary; hills of moderate elevation, flats and plains thinly covered with large trees being alike resorted to; but I do not recollect encountering it in the midst of the thick brushes,—situations which, probably, are uncongenial to its habits and mode of life. On the plains of the interior, such as the Liverpool and those which stretch away to the northward and eastward of New South Wales, it is more abundant than within the colony. Its flight is undulating and powerful, but is seldom exerted for any other purpose than that of conveying it from one part of the forest to another, or to sally forth in pursuit of an insect which may pass within range of its vision while perched upon some dead branch of a high tree, a habit common to this bird and the other members of the genus. On this elevated perch it sometimes remains for hours together; but during the heat of the day seeks shelter from the rays of the sun by shrouding itself amidst the dense foliage of the trees. Its food consists of insects and their larvæ, and berries, but the former appear to be preferred, all kinds being acceptable, from the large Mantis figured in the accompanying Plate, to others of a minute size. One of the specimens I procured was shot while in the act of flying off with the insect figured.