6i


THE


Hvicultural fllbaga3tne,


BEING THE JOURNAL OF THE


AVICULTURAL SOCIETY.



New Series. —VOL. II. —NO. 2 .—All rights reserved. DECEMBER, 1903.



THE WHITE-THROATED THICKHEAD.


Pachycephala gutturalis.


Through the kindness of our member Mr. Norman B.

Roberts, we are enabled to present to our readers an illustration

of this fine Australian species.


Dr. Sharpe enumerates no less than eighty-eight species

of the genus Pachycephala in his “ Hand List,” some fifteen

only of which occur on the mainland of Australia, the rest being

distributed over the surrounding islands.


Writing of this genus, Gould remarks:—“Their habits

differ from those of most other insectivorous birds, particularly

in their quiet mode of hopping about and traversing the

branches of the trees in search of insects and their larvse :

caterpillars constitute a great portion of their food; but

coleoptera and other insects are not rejected.”


In forwarding us the accompanying picture, Mr. Roberts

writes: “ I am sending you herewith a drawing of the White-

throated Thickhead, Pachycephala gzitturalis . It is not a rare

bird, but one, I believe, which has never yet been imported to

this country. There is however no reason why it should not be

as easily kept as many other birds of a similar nature.


“ It has much to recommend it, being strikingly handsome,

lively, and the possessor of a very melodious voice.


“ It is closely related to the Shrikes, and is a first cousin of

the so-called Yellow-breasted “ Robin,” which has been brought



