RASORES. 121 



brushes which stretch along the line of coast of New South 

 Wales, or those clothing the sides of the hills of the interior, 

 being favoured with its presence. The same kind of situa- 

 tions that are suited to the Brush Turkey {Talegallus lathami), 

 the Menura and the Satin -bird are equally adapted to those 

 of the Wonga-wonga ; its distribution, therefore, over Aus- 

 tralia mainly depends upon whether the surface of the country 

 be or be not clothed with that rich character of vegetation 

 common to the south-eastern portion of the continent. As 

 the length of its tarsi would lead one to expect, it spends 

 most of its time on the ground, where it feeds upon the seeds 

 and stones of the fallen fruits of the towering trees under 

 whose shade it dwells, seldom exposing itself to the rays of 

 the sun, or seeking the open parts of the forest. While tra- 

 versing these solitudes, the explorer is frequently startled by 

 the sudden rising of the Wonga-wonga, the noise of whose 

 wings is not very different from that made by the rising of a 

 Pheasant. Its flight is not of long duration, this power being 

 merely employed to remove it to a sufficient distance to avoid 

 detection by again descending to the ground, or mounting to 

 the branch of a neighbouring tree. I had frequent oppor- 

 tunities of personally observing it at Illawarra, on the low 

 islands at the mouth of the river Hunter, and in the cedar- 

 brushes of the Liverpool range. During my encampment in 

 each of these parts, it was always secured whenever an oppor- 

 tunity occurred, for the purpose of eating. 



Of the nidification of this valuable bird I could gain no 

 precise information. 



The sexes present no external difference in the markings 

 of their plumage, but the female is somewhat inferior to the 

 male in size. 



Lores black ; forehead and chin white ; all the upper sur- 

 face, wings, and tail deep slate-grey ; primaries brown ; the 

 three lateral tail-feathers on each side tipped with white ; 

 sides of the head light grey, gradually passing into the greyish 



