3(> CEVTROPODIN.E. 



Sub family CENTROPODINyE. 



O-en-U-S OEnsrTI^OI='U"3. ///(./"'■. 



Centropus phasianus. 



COUCAL. 



Cncii/us /i/iiisiiiiiH<', Latli.. Iiul, ()rn., Suppt. IT., p. xxx, (ISOl). 



('i)t/riijiiis /i/iasiaiiiiK, (iould, lids. Austr., fol. Vdl. IV., pi. ',»2 (1S4.S) ; /,/., Haiul-b. I'.ds. Aiistr , 

 Vol. I , p. i;:U (ISr,',) ■ Shelley, Cat. Bd.^. I!rit. Mus., Vol. XIX., p. .".lO (IS'.II). 



C>')itroj)ii>t macron i-iis, Gould, Bds. Austr., fol. Vol. l. Iiitrod. p. fJiS (1S4,S); id., Bds. .\u.str., fol. 

 Vol. TV., text 20, pi. 92 (184S); ir/,, Hand-b. Bds. Austr., Vol. I., p. ():?r, (ISO")). 



Adult MALK. — Iliad, neck, nmiilh' (iml nil ihi' iiiulrr siirfiu-i' il nil hlnc.k, Ihr rii/i'/ spiui'-Uk' 

 sliafis yloaxy hluisli hlwk ; ifini/s clirslnut (ilternnlfl i/ Imrri'il irilli. Iilafk (iml Iniff : llif oii/pr ^frvs of 

 tllP, lesser atnl ntf^iHilit. /rimi-rorrrts rfrif •juilf hull, irtth / niitsrrrsr lilai'kish Ixtrs, ihfrr shaf/s i/t llmrish- 

 inliite: llii' quill slmlts cIu'sIiihI : hnrer Imrk, mm/' itiiil nppi r tnil-cnrrrls tl.iill hrnir^iish-liliirl,-, tin- 

 littli'r ii'illi II i/fi'i'iiisli lustre am/ hnriiiif iiarrmr friiiisfi'fse hii.ff' cross-liafs : Inil-I'i nlln rn lilark, irliifish 

 ai'nund fit! fijis, iritli ilritli or Im iDj-irlntr hrnkrn rrnss bars : lull liliirkisli-lirmrn : li'i/s iinil fi'it slati/- 

 ijriy : ins ml. Tnlnl Irmjl/i rn tin' llrsh .'^ inelirs, iriinj If) •!, fnil / r'l, hill 1 li, tnrsiis .'. 



.Vdult FKMALK. — Ill-nil. hiad-iiei-k nail mitnth rhestiiiit, iritli slran- ivliitr shaft stripes, lliiisr at' 

 the latti'r hordend or hnrnd on I'ilhrr side loith. black : KHiti/s iiitd tail as in the male : nil tin nnihr 

 snrjiirp bujl'ii irhili irith pah r shn/'t stnaks, the frathi-rs nn tin- sulrs nf tin- fori'in-ek and nppi-r hri'nst 

 rhi'siiut tiiivards ihi-iY -margins, inth a hrnki-n Inui/itnilinnl iinr oj dull black : lo/i'i-rtln nks, n nl and 

 ■under tail-riiri-rts dull black iritli hajfy-irlriti crnssdiars. W inij .''.T inches. 



Distribntion — North-western .\ustralia, Northern I'erritory uf South Australia, (Uieensland, 

 New South Wales. 



(|f\N favourable situations the Coucal, or "Swamp Pheasant " as it is more commonly called, 

 J- is found throughout the coastal and contiguous district of North-western, N.)rlherii and 

 the greater portion of Eastern .Australia. There are specimens in the .\ustralian Museum 

 collection obtained by Mr. E. \l. Saunders near Koeburne. and by Mr. !■;. J. Cairn at I'erby, 

 North-western .\ustralia, by the late Mr. Alexander Morton at Port Essington, in the Northern 

 Territory of South Australia, and from Cairns by Messrs. IC. |. Cairn and Robt. Grant, and 

 Wide Bay, Queensland, by Mr. Cieorge Masters. Mr. Frank llislop has noted it as common in 

 the brushes of the FUoomfield River, and Mr. J. ;\. Boyd in the Herbert River District. In 

 New South Wales it is represented by numerous specimens collected in the northern coastal 

 districts of the State, its range extending south as far as the lllawarra I'istrict, where occasional 

 specimens are obtained. 



I met with this species in the Upper Clarence Oistrict, during..; two \-isits there, frequenting 

 the trees on the river banks; also on the sides of a creek running throu:;h Hackett's Scrub. 

 In actions it reminded me very much of Stnithidca ciiid'ca, as when disturbed from the ground it 

 rapidly ascended a tree, jumping from branch to branch until near the top. when it took Ifight. 

 Near Sydney solitary indixiduals are sometimes obtained, particularly duiing the sunnner 

 months, in the swampy undergrowth at Narrabeen and tireenvale, also along the banks of 

 George's River at Como, and at I'ort Hacking. An adult lemale presented to the Trustees of 

 the Australian Museum, was shot by iNI. Leon Jaubert at Thornleigh, on the 15th July. 1906. 



