206 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



where also it appears to be migratory, for not a single indi- 

 vidual was to be seen from the early part of November to the 

 month of March ; females and young birds were very abun- 

 dant on his arrival in July, but he only met with one old male 

 during his residence in the colony, a period of eight months. 



The stomach is muscular, and the food consists of insects 

 of various kinds and their larvae. 



The sexes differ considerably in colour, as will be seen by 

 the following description : — 



The male has the forehead, crown of the head, back of the 

 neck, and upper part of the back glossy greenish black; 

 shoulders and upper wing-coverts pure white, forming an 

 oblique line along the wing ; the remainder of the wing dull 

 black, with the secondaries slightly margined and tipped with 

 white ; lower part of the back and rump grey ; tail dull black, 

 the two outer feathers on each side largely tipped with white ; 

 throat, chest, and all the under surface white ; bill and feet 

 black ; irides nearly black. 



The female has all the upper surface, wings, and tail brown ; 

 wing-coverts and secondaries margined with buff; throat and 

 all the under surface buffy white, with the sides and front of 

 the breast speckled with brown ; irides very dark brown ; 

 upper mandible and tip of the lower dark reddish brown ; 

 basal portion of the latter saffron-yellow ; legs and feet dark 

 greyish black, slightly tinged with lead-colour. 



Genus PACHYCEPHALA, Swainson. 



The Vachycephala gutturalis may be regarded as the type 

 of this genus, the members of which are pecuhar to Aus- 

 tralia and the adjacent islands to the northward. Their 

 habits differ from those of most other insectivorous birds, 

 particularly in their quiet mode of hopping about and tra- 

 versing the branches of the trees in search of insects and 

 their larva' : caterpillars constitute a great portion of their 



