PYRRHOLÆMUS BRUNNEUS, _Gould_.
Brown Red-Throat.
_Pyrrholæmus brunneus_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part VIII. p.
173.
_Beȑ-rit-beȑ-rit_, Aborigines of the mountain districts of Western
Australia.
I found this new bird tolerably abundant in the Belts of the Murray,
about forty miles to the northward of Lake Alexandrina, where it gave a
decided preference to low stunted bushes and fallen trunks of trees
overgrown with herbage, under which it secreted itself; it sometimes
rose to the top of a bush to sing, pouring forth a melody equal to any
of the smaller birds of Australia, which must render it a general
favourite when that portion of the country becomes colonized. It passes
much of its time on the ground, hopping about with great celerity, and
with its tail elevated considerably above the level of its back.
Since I killed my specimens it has been obtained by Mr. Gilbert in
Western Australia, from whose notes I learn that it is there an
inhabitant of the underwood and the thickest scrub; and that “it
possesses a very sweet and melodious song, which it generally utters
while perched on the extreme topmost branch of a small scrubby tree, and
having repeated it two or three times, dives down into the impenetrable
bush. While feeding it utters a weak, piping, call-like note. I never
saw it fairly on the wing, for it seems averse to flying, but generally
prefers creeping from bush to bush, and even if closely hunted merely
flits a few yards. It makes its nest on the ground, precisely like the
members of the genus _Calamanthus_. I found a pair building in the month
of September; upon visiting the spot again after an interval of a week,
the nest appeared finished, being lined with feathers, but there were no
eggs; unfortunately from this time the birds deserted the nest; but Mr.
Drummond tells me that he once saw the eggs, that they were three in
number and of a green colour.”
Lores greyish white; all the upper surface and wings brown; tail
brownish black, the three lateral feathers on each side largely tipped
with white; centre of the throat rufous; the remainder of the under
surface brownish grey, passing into sandy buff on the flanks and under
tail-coverts; irides reddish brown, with an outer ring of yellowish
white; upper mandible reddish brown; lower mandible greenish white; legs
and feet dark greenish grey.
The figures represent the two sexes of the natural size.
[Illustration:
ORIGMA RUBRICATA.
_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]
ORIGMA RUBRICATA.
Rock-Warbler.
_Sylvia rubricata_, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. li.—Bonn. et Vieill.
Ency. Méth. Orn., part ii. p. 461.
_Ruddy Warbler_, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 249.—Shaw, Gen.
Zool., vol. x. p. 697.—Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. vii. p. 138.
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