94 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



Sp. 47. PODARGUS MARMORATUS, Gould. 



Marbled Podargus. 



Podargus marmoratus, Gould in App. to Macgillivray's Voy. of Rattle- 

 snake, vol. ii. p. 356. 



Podargus marmoratus, Gould, Birds of Australia, Supplement, 

 pi. . 



On carefully comparing examples of this species with the 

 original example of MM. Quoy and Gairaard's Podmyiis ocel- 

 latm in the Museum of the Jardin des Plantes, I found them 

 to differ so greatly that I could come to no other conclusion 

 than they were distinct. The P. ocellatus is a smaller bird, 

 has a redder tail, and very conspicuous large round white 

 spots on the wing, arranged in the form of three distinct 

 semicircular bars — characters which do not exist in the Aus- 

 tralian bird ; I had, therefore, no alternative but to give the 

 latter a distinctive appellation. 



The present species is particularly elegant in form, and is, 

 in fact, a miniature representative of the F. Papuensis, and, 

 like that bird, has a lengthened cuneate tail — a feature which 

 adds much to its gracefulness. 



Much difference exists in the colouring of the sexes, the 

 female being of a deep rusty hue, while the male is beautifully 

 marbled with pearl-white, interspersed with freckles of brown 

 and black, particularly on the under surface. 



Both the specimens from which my descriptions were taken 

 were shot by Mr. Macgillivray on the Cape York Peninsula, 

 one on the 14th, the other on the 19th of November 1849. 

 These examples now grace the National Collection, where 

 they will be available for comparison should any nearly allied 

 species be discovered. 



The male has the whole of the upper surface and wings 

 minutely mottled with brown, grey, and buff, the buffy tint 

 prevailing over the eyes, on the scapularies, and on the tips 



