146 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



Sp. 74. AUTAMUS MINOR, FieiUot. 



Little Wood Swallow. 



Artamus minor, Vieill. Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat., torn. xvii. p. 298. 

 Ocypterus fuscatus, Valenc. Mem. du Mus. d'Hist. Nat., torn. vi. p. 24, 



t. 9. fig. 1. 

 Leptopterijx minor, Wagl. Syst. Av., sp. 6. 

 Ocypterus minor, Gould, Syn. Birds of Australia. 



Artamus minor, Gould, Birds of Australia, foL, vol. ii. pi. 28. 



In its structure and in the disposition of the markings of 

 its plumage, this species offers a greater resemblance to the 

 Artamus sordidus than to any other member of the group ; 

 the habits of the two species are also very similar ; if any 

 difiference exists, it is that the present bird is still more aerial, 

 a circumstance indicated by the more feeble form of the foot, 

 and the equal, if not greater, development of the wing. 

 During fine weather, and even in the hottest part of the day, 

 it floats about in the air in the most easy and graceful 

 manner, performing in the course of its evolutions many 

 beautiful curves and circles, without the least apparent motion 

 of the wings, the silvery whiteness of which, as seen from 

 beneath, and the snowy tips of its wide-spread tail strongly 

 contrast with the dark colouring of the other parts of its 

 plumage. 



I found the Artamus minor abundant on the Lower Namoi, 

 particularly on the plains thinly studded with the Acacia 

 pendula and other low trees in the neighbourhood of Gummel- 

 Gummel, where it had evidently been breeding, as I observed 

 numerous young ones, whose primaries were not sufficiently 

 developed to admit of their performing a migration of any 

 distance ; besides which, they were constantly being fed by 

 the parents, who were hawking about in the air over and 

 around the trees, while the young were quietly perched close 

 to each other on a dead twig. 



I have received two specimens from Port Essington, and 



