OF VICTORIA. 93 



Eggs.—G\\iid\ three, or possibly four ; pale purple- 

 white, with spots of chestnut evenly and freely distributed 

 over the whole surface. Length, 75 inch ; breadth, 

 6 inch. 



WHITE-THROATED THICKHEAD, 



Pacbyccpliala giitturalis, Lath. 



Fak-i-spf ' a-lci gut'u-ral'is. 

 Pachys, thick ; kephale, head ; guttur, throat ; alls, pertaining to. 



Pachycephala gutturalis, Gould, "Birds of Australia," foL, 



vol. ii., pi. 64. 

 Geographical Distribution. — Areas 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. 



Key to the Species. — Mo/e— Under surface rich yellow ; pectoral 

 collar jet black ; throat white ; head black ; only terminal part 

 of tail black, basal part grey washed with olive. 



i^ema^e— Throat pale brown, with white spots ; under parts 

 buff, without streaks ; under wing coverts whitish ; general 

 colour above, head, neck, upper tail coverts, and tail olive-brown ; 

 wing coverts and secondaries blackish -brown, edged with 

 reddish- brown ; primaries edged with grey ; bill stout and 

 black. 



Young — Uniform grey. 



Fledgling — Rusty colour, lighter brown on wings. 



" The Pachycephala gutturalis may be regarded as the type 

 of this genus, the members of which are peculiar to Australia 

 and the adjacent islands to the northward. Their habits 

 differ from those of most other insectivorous birds, par- 

 ticularly in their quiet mode of hopping about and traversing 

 the branches of the trees in search of insects and their 

 larvte. Caterpillars constitute a grea.t portion of their 

 food." 



This was that OTeat ornithologist, Mr. John Gould's, 



