EPTHIANURA AURIFRONS, _Gould_.
Orange-fronted Epthianura.
_Epthianura aurifrons_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part V. p. 148;
and in Syn. Birds of Australia, Part IV.
As long since as the year 1837 I had the pleasure of characterizing this
species at one of the scientific meetings of the Zoological Society of
London, from a specimen which had been presented to the Society’s
collection by Lieut. Breton, R.N., a gentleman much attached to
zoological science, as exemplified by his numerous donations to that
Society, and in his “Excursions in New South Wales, Western Australia
and Van Diemen’s Land.”
The Orange-fronted Epthianura must be regarded as a bird of the greatest
rarity, for the specimen above mentioned is the only one that has ever
come under my notice, and in all probability it is quite unique; hence
this is another of the birds to which I would wish to direct the
attention of residents in New South Wales, particularly those who have
an opportunity of visiting the locality in which it was seen by Lieut.
Breton, who, when speaking of Gammon Plains, New South Wales, in the
work above mentioned, says “we shot also some _Platypi_, and a small
bird like a Mule Canary (a species of _Saxicola_); this last is
exceedingly rare in the colony, and I am not aware that any other person
possesses a specimen; there were only three together, and the natives
said they had never seen any before.”
In the lengthened wing, largely developed tertiaries, and in the square
form of the tail, it offers a greater alliance to _Epthianura_ than to
any other genus, and there I have provisionally placed it; future
research, however, and a knowledge of its habits and nidification, will
determine the justice of this opinion, or the propriety of separating it
into a distinct genus.
Head, upper tail-coverts, sides of the neck, breast and all the under
surface fine golden orange, which is richest on the forehead and centre
of the abdomen; back olive; wings brown, margined with olive; tail
brownish black, each feather except the two middle ones having an oval
spot of white on the inner web at the tip; chin and centre of the throat
black; bill black; feet brown.
The figure is of the natural size.
[Illustration:
EPTHIANURA TRICOLOR: _Gould_.
_J. & E. Gould del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]
EPTHIANURA TRICOLOR, _Gould_.
Tri-coloured Epthianura.
_Epthianura tricolor_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part VIII. p.
159.
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