INSESSORES. 93 



Sp. 46. POD ARGUS PLUMIFERUS, Gould. 



Plumed Podargus. 

 Podai-gus plumiferus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part xiii. p. 104. 



Podargus plumiferus, Gould, Birds of Australia, foL, vol. ii. pi. 6. 



The only information I have to communicate respecting 

 this beautiful Podargus is, that it is a native of the brushes 

 of the Clarence and neighbouring rivers in New South Wales, 

 and that several examples have come under my notice, of 

 which one is deposited in the Museum at Dublin, another in 

 the Museum at Manchester, and a third was sent to me by 

 the late Mr. Strange of Sydney. The Podargus plumiferus is 

 readily distinguished from all the other Australian members of 

 the genus by the more lengthened form of tail, and by the 

 remarkable and conspicuous tufts of feathers which spring 

 from immediately above the nostrils : considerable variation 

 is found to exist in the colouring of the various specimens, 

 some being much redder than the others, and having the 

 markings on the under surface much less distinct and of a 

 more chestnut tint. 



Tuft of feathers covering the nostrils alternately banded 

 with blackish brown and white ; all the upper surface mottled 

 brown, black, and brownish white, the latter predominating 

 over each eye, where it forms a conspicuous patch; the 

 markings are of a larger but similar kind on the wings, and 

 on the primaries and secondaries assume the form of bars ; 

 tail similar, but paler, and with the barred form of the 

 markings still more distinct ; centre of the throat and chest 

 brownish white, minutely freckled with brown ; sides of the 

 neck and breast and all the under surface similar, but with a 

 dark line of brown down the centre, and two large nearly 

 square-shaped spots of brownish white near the tip of each 

 feather ; bill and feet horn-colour. 



