136 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



sent bird was first procured ; the following notes by Mr. Mac- 

 gillivray comprise all the information I have been able to ob- 

 tain respecting it : — 



" The Poditti, as it is called by the aborigines, appears to 

 be a rare bird; for although it was much sought for, not 

 more than four or five examples were obtained during our 

 stay. Like the Tanysiptera Silvia, it is an inhabitant of the 

 brushes, Avhile the S. Torotoro of New Guinea is a mangrove 

 bird. I myself saw it alive only once, in a belt of tall trees, 

 thick underwood, and clumps of the Seaforthia palm fringing 

 a small stream about three miles from the sea. Attracted by 

 the call of the bird, which was recognized by the accompanying 

 natives as that of the much-prized Poditti, three or four of us 

 remained for about ten minutes almost under the very tree 

 in which it was perched, intently looking out for the chance 

 of a shot, before I discovered it on a bare transverse branch, so 

 high up as scarcely to be within range of small shot ; however, 

 it fell, but our work was only half over, as the wounded bird 

 eluded our search for a long time ; at length, one of our sable 

 allies — his eyes brightened, I dare say, by visions of a pro- 

 mised axe — found it lying dead in a corner to which it had 

 retreated. The more intelligent natives whom I questioned 

 separately agreed in stating that its mode of nidification is 

 similar to that of the Tanysiptera Sylvia, and that, like that 

 species, it lays several white eggs." 



The male has the crown of the head, back of the neck, ear- 

 coverts, and flanks cinnamon-red ; at the back of the neck a 

 narrow broken collar of black ; throat and lower part of the 

 abdomen tawny white ; back and wings sordid green ; rump 

 and tail greenish blue ; bill pale orange, the apical two-thirds 

 of the ridge of the upper mandible dark brown. 



The female difl'ers in being less brightly coloured, and in 

 having an oblong patch of black on the centre of the head 

 extending a little way down the occiput. 



