IQ2 Howe, Notes on the Genus Pycnoptilus. [^^^ 



Emu 

 April 



Notes on the Genus Pycnoptilus. 



By F. E. Howe, C.M.Z.S. 

 {Read before the Bird Observers' Club, iSth February, 191 5.) 

 The Pilot-Bird [Pycnoptilus floccosus) was twice described by 

 John Gould in " The Proceedings of the Zoological Society of 

 London." Appended are his descriptions : — 



Pycnoptilus FroccosA.* 



From New South Wales to the country towards the River Darling. 



Genus Pvcnopiilus. 

 Bill much shorter than the head ; gonys and culmen gradually 

 descending ; upper mandible notched at the tip ; nostrils covered 

 with a distinct operculum ; base of the bill beset with very fine, feeble 

 hairs ; wings very short, round, and concave, the sixth primary the 

 longest ; tail short, rounded, feathers very broad and of a soft texture ; 

 tarsi strong and somewhat lengthened compared with the size of 

 the bird ; hind toe strong, and armed with a rather long claw ; fore 

 toes and nails rather feeble, the outer and inner toes of equal length ; 

 plumage dense, lengthened and silky, especially on the flanks. 



Pycnoptilus floccosus. 



All the upper surface, wings, and tail rich brown ; throat and 

 breast sandy-buff, the feathers of the latter with a crescent of brown 

 near the tip ; remainder of the under surface brown, approaching to 

 white on the centre of the abdomen ; under tail coverts rusty-red ; 

 bill and feet dark brown. 



Total length, 6|- inches ; bill, | inch ; wing, 2|- inches ; tail, 2f inches ; 

 tarsi, i;{- inches. 



Habitat. — New South Wales. 



Remark. — Received in a collection made on the upper part of the 

 River Murrumbidgee. 



This form is somewhat allied to Hylacola, Atrichia^ and Dasyornis, 

 but differs from all these genera in several particulars. 



Genus Pycnoptilus. f 



General Characters. 

 Bill shorter than the head, slightly notched at the tip ; culmen 

 inclining downwards ; nostrils basal, rather large, and partiallv 

 covered with an operculum • base of the bill beset with a few fine 

 bristles ; wings short, very concave, round in form, the first quill 

 very short, the second, third, fourth, and fifth gradually increasing 

 in length, the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth equal and the longest ; 

 tail moderately long, rounded, the feathers soft and yielding ; tarsi 

 considerably longer than the toes ; hind toe strong, lateral toes 

 equal ; plumage dense and silky. 



Pycnoptilus floccosus. 



General plumage brown, inchning to rufous on the lower part of 

 the back, upper tail coverts, and tail ; forehead, lores, throat, and 

 breast dark reddish-buff, with a very narrow crescent of dark brown 

 at the tip of each feather ; centre of the abdomen greyish-brown, 

 crossed by crescentic bands of black ; flanks and vent brown, passing 

 into deep rufous on the under tail coverts ; bill brown ; base of the 

 under mandible fleshy-brown ; legs and feet fleshy-brown. 



* " Proceedings Zoological Society," 1850, p. 95. 

 t " Proceedings Zoological Society," 1850, p. 279. 



