The present species assimilates very closely in the character and
colouring of its plumage to its eastern analogue, the _Dasyornis
Australis_; but differs from that bird in being of a smaller size and in
having a longer bill. It is a native of Western Australia, and is very
generally distributed over the colony of Swan River, where it inhabits
reed-beds and long grasses, and is occasionally seen in scrubby places.
“It is so remarkably shy,” says Mr. Gilbert, “that it is extremely
difficult to get even a glimpse of it: from the little I could observe
of the bird in a state of nature, it appeared to me to feed on the
ground, where its actions are extremely quick, running over the surface
with its tail erect, very like the _Maluri_; but when perched the tail
is either carried horizontally, or hanging down. The only time when it
can be seen with a chance of procuring specimens, is when it ascends to
a small branch or the top of a scrub to sing. Its notes are extremely
varied, some being very loud and clear, and so much lengthened as to
approach a song; but no two birds sing alike.
“Its flight is extremely heavy and very low; in fact the bird appears
incapable of rising more than a few yards above the scrub or long grass
it inhabits; it is consequently very rarely seen on a tree.
“The nest is formed of dry wiry grass without any lining, more globular
than those of the _Maluri_, but, like them, with an opening in the side;
it is of rather a large size, and the only one I met with was built in a
clump of coarse grass, sheltered by an overhanging dead bush, at about
seven inches from the ground. It contained two eggs, the ground-colour
of which is dull brownish white, blotched and freckled with purplish
brown, some of the blotches appearing as if beneath the surface,
particularly at the larger end, where they are most numerous.
“The stomach is thick and muscular, and its food consists of seeds and
insects.”
The sexes so closely resemble each other, that a representation and
description of one will suffice for both.
All the upper surface brown; wings, tail-coverts and tail rufous brown,
the latter indistinctly barred with a darker tint; under surface grey,
gradually passing into the brown of the upper surface; irides bright
reddish brown; upper mandible brown, lower mandible bluish green at the
tip and greenish white at the base; legs bluish grey.
The Plate represents a male and female of the natural size.
[Illustration:
ATRICHIA CLAMOSA: _Gould_.
_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]
ATRICHIA CLAMOSA, _Gould_.
Noisy Brush-bird.
_Atrichia clamosa_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., January 9, 1844.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account