LIPOA. 



150 



Lipoa ocellata. 



MALLEE FOWL. 



L'-ipoa ocHatii, Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1840, p. 12(3 ; i//., IJJs. Aiistr., fol. Vol. V., pi. 78 (1.S48) ; 

 it/., Hanclbk. Bd.s. Austr., Vol. II., p. 155 (1SG5). 



Lipoa ocellaUi, Grant, Cat. Bils. Brit. .Mus., Vol. XXII,, p 403 (1803); SImrpe, Haml-I. Bcls., Vol. 

 I., p. 13 (1899). 



AuuLT MALE. — Forelieail mtd ^idii^ of lli>' Iiead liull hwleti-gri'y : /''iK/l/ieifd fentliers on t/ie 

 cenlri; nf tlf crown ami occiput dark liroivit ; liiiid-ncck and mantle lcadcn-(/rey, some of (lie fealliers, 

 eupccialli/ those next the back, margined with rufous-bronni ; upper winy-cucerts and scapulars c/rei/ish- 

 browu at the base, ru/ous-brou'n lou:ards the tips, ivitli. a bar of yrei/isJi-ivhile across the centre, 

 bordered above a>id bejuu: u-itli black, tlie latter colour on the apical lialf of the feathers forminy a 

 siibmaryinal border, exlendiny in a narrou' line along (he shaft ; primaries pale broivn, mo((led ivilh 

 hlackish-bronni on (heir outer ivehs ,■ (lie inner secondaries and the lonyer scapulars like the iippier 

 wing-coverts; rmnp and up)>er (ail-coverts brownish-grey, the latter irregularly barred with black; 

 (lie lateral feathers greyish-broirn at (he base, blackish-brou:n on the terminal half, and (ipped tci(h 

 pale bujfy-u'/iile ; chin, cheeks and (hroa( rich buff : sides of (he neck and upper breast grey ; fea(hers 

 on the centre of fore-neck and upjter breast black, the former streaked u-ith buff, and some of the feathers 

 of till' latter broadly margined ivith w/iite on their outer irebs ; remainder of tlie under surface pale 

 creamy-bujf, conspicuously barred with black on (lie sides of the body, and passing into creamy-bujf on 

 the uniler tail-coverts. Total length in the flesh ~.T inches, nnng l-f tail S'75, bill 7v7, tarsus S. 



Adult female. — Similar in plumage to (he male. 



Distribution. — New South Wales, \'ictoria, South Australia, Central Australia, Western 

 Australia. 



f "|(^ H E range of the Mallee-fowl, but more commonly called Mallee-hen, also the " Lovvan " 



J_ of the Wimmera District of North-western Victoria, and the "Gnow"of Western 



Australia, may be regarded as the southern half of the Australian Continent, omitting as a rule 



the coastal districts. As its vernacular name implies, it is an inhabitant of the dry inland scrubs 



of the Southern States, and is 

 never found in the rich and humid 

 brushes near the coast ; it also 

 occurs throughout the inland 

 portions of New South Wales, 

 North-western \'ictoria. South 

 Australia, Central Australia and 

 Western Australia. Although 

 numerous throughout the Mallee 

 country, this bird, owing to its 

 shy disposition and wary nature, 

 is seldom seen. In Eastern Aus- 

 gs— tralia, however, of coniparatively 

 recent years an inveterate foe 

 has arisen in the form of the 

 acclimatised fo.x, and it is only 

 a question of time when the 

 trackless Mallee will be invaded 



MALLEE-FOWL. 



