622 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



Judging from the little I saw of this species in a state of 

 nature, its habits were those of the members of the genus 

 Laviprococcyx ; thick shrubby trees of moderate height ap- 

 peared to be its favourite resort, and its food to consist of 

 insects obtained among the branches and from off the leaves, 

 in search of which it hops about with stealthiness and 

 quietude ; further than this, little is known respecting it. 

 One of my specimens was killed near Gundermein on the 

 Lower Namoi, on the 24th of December, 1839 ; but the true 

 habitat of the species has not yet been discovered. That it 

 is confined to Australia is almost certain, but this can only 

 be verified by future research. 



Gilbert, who observed this bird in Western Australia, 

 states that it is very shy, and that he only met with it in tlie 

 interior of the country. It utters a feeble, lengthened, and 

 plaintive note at long intervals. It flies slowly and heavily, 

 and but short distances at a time. The stomach is thin and 

 capacious, and slightly lined with hairs of caterpillars. 



Head, all the upper surface, and wings glossy olive-brown, 

 becoming darker on the shoulders and primaries, and fading 

 into white on the upper tail-coverts ; tail dark olive-brown, 

 each feather tipped with white, and the lateral one on each 

 side crossed on the inner web with five bars of white ; ear- 

 coverts black, encircled with white ; under surface of the 

 wing, throat, breast, and abdomen pale cinnamon-brown, 

 fading into white on the under tail-coverts ; bill very dark 

 brown ; irides dark blackish brown ; tarsi and upper surface 

 of the feet greenish grey ; under surface of the feet and the 

 back of the tarsi mealy fleshy grey. 



Total length 1\ inches ; bill |- ; wing 4f ; tail 3f ; tarsi f . 



That this bird is not identical with the Cuculus palliolatus 

 of Latham as supposed by MM. Cabanis and Heine is, in my 

 opinion, quite certain ; Latham's description does not agree 

 with it in any particular ; besides which it is not likely that 

 the bird, which is strictly confined to the interior of the 



