408 BIHDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



Swan River. Like its near ally the Zonmgi7ithus belliis, it 

 inhabits open grassy glades studded with thickets, particu- 

 larly in moist swampy districts and along the borders of lakes 

 and rivers. Its food consists of small grass-seeds procured 

 among the herbage. Gilbert states that "it is a solitary 

 species and is generally found in the most retired spots in the 

 thickets, where its mournful, slowly drawn-out note only 

 serves to add to the loneliness of the place. Its powers of 

 flight, although sometimes rapid, would seem to be feeble, as 

 they are merely employed to remove it from tree to tree. The 

 natives of the mountain districts of Western Austraha have a 

 tradition that the first bird of this species speared a dog and 

 drank its blood, and thus obtained its red bill." 



^he sexes are so much alike that dissection is necessary to 

 distinguish the male from the female. The beautiful patch of 

 scarlet feathers behind the eye, together with the rich colour- 

 ing of the bill, assists very materially in relieving the more 

 sombre but delicate markings of the remainder of the body. 



Lores, line over the bill and a narrow circle surrounding 

 the eye black ; behind the eye a small patch of shining 

 scarlet ; all the upper surface olive- brown, crossed by numer- 

 ous fine irregular crescent-shaped bands of black, which are 

 broadest and most conspicuous on the lower part of the back ; 

 wings and tail similarly marked, but with the black bands 

 still broader and more distinct ; rump and the margins of the 

 base of the central tail-feathers shining scarlet ; throat and 

 breast light brown, crossed by numerous crescent-shaped 

 bands of black ; abdomen and under surface black, with a 

 large spot of white near the tip of each feather ; irides red ; 

 bill bright vermilion, the base of the upper mandible edged 

 with pearl-grey ; eyelash greenish blue ; legs yellowish grey. 



