4 





STEATORNIM. 



in the hollow trunks of trees, but on the approach of evening they become very active. Mr. Gould is induced to 

 believe that they are in the habit of creeping among the branches in search of insects that are in a state of repose, such 

 as Phasmidas, Cicada?, and Coleoptera ; he also found in their stomachs the fibres of the roots of what appeared to be 

 a parasitic plant. They utter at night a loud hoarse noise, consisting of two distinct sounds. The nest is composed of 

 sticks slightly interwoven together, and placed at the fork of a horizontal branch of a tree. The female usually deposits 

 two eggs. 



1. P. cinereus (Cm.) Reg. An. ii. p. 172. t. 4. f. 1., Vieill. Gal. 

 des Ois. 1. 123. — P. Cuvieri Fig. % Horsf. Less. Tr. d'Orn. t. 33. 

 f. 1. ; Capvimulgus podargus Dum. 



2. ? P. strigoides (Lath.) Lamb. Icon, ined.67. 



3. P. Stanleyanus Vig. & Horsf. Linn. Trans, xv.p. 197. 



4. ? P. gracilis (Lath.) Lamb. Icon. ined. 69. 



5. ? P. megacephalus (Lath.) Lamb. Icon. ined. 68. 



6. P. humeralis Vig. & Horsf. Linn. Trans, xv. p. 1 98., Gould, 

 B. of Austr. pi., Jard. & Selby, 111. Ornith. pi. 88. 



7. P. phalainoides Gould, Pr. Z.S. 1839. P- 142., B. of Austr. pi. 



8. P. brachypterus or macrorhynchus Gould, Proc. Z. S. 1840. 

 p. 163. 



9. P. papuensis Quoy. & Gaim. Voy. de l'Astrol. Ois. t. 13. 

 10. P. ocellatus Quoy. & Gaim. Voy. de l'Astrol. Ois. t. 14. 



Batrachostomus Gould.* 



Characters resembling those of Podargus ; but with the Wings long and rounded, with the sixth quill 

 the longest ; and the Toes rather short, with the outer toe longer than the inner. 



These birds are found in the islands of the Indian Archipelago. 



1. B. javanensis (Horsf.) Linn. Trans, xiii. p. 141., Zool.Res.pl. 



2. B. cornutus (Temm.) PI. col. 159. 



3. B. auritus (Vigors), Raffl. Me'm. App. p. 652., Griff. An. 



Kingd. ii. pi. p. 114., Gould, Icon.Av.pl Podargus Fullertoni 



Hay, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. 1842. p. 798. 



4. B. stelMus (Gould), Proc. Z. S. 1837. p. 43. 



^Egotheles Vig. fy Horsf. f 



Bill small, weak, and much depressed, with the culmen much arched and compressed, especially at 

 the tip, which is hooked and obtuse ; the lateral margins nearly entire and curved ; the nostrils placed 

 in the middle, with the opening oblique and rather spatuliform, narrowing behind ; the base of the 

 bill concealed by the projecting plumes and lengthened bipectinated bristles. Wings moderate and 

 rounded, with the third and fourth quills equal and longest. Tail rather long and graduated. Tarsi 

 rather longer than the middle toe, slender, and covered with transverse scales. Toes long, slender, 

 and free, with the outer toe longer than the inner ; the hind toe long : the claws compressed and 

 acute. 



The species of this genus are found in most parts of Australia, where they equally inhabit the forests, the densest 

 brush, and the thinly wooded districts. They remain concealed during the day in the hollows of trees, and as the 

 night approaches they fly about in search of various kinds of insects. If disturbed, they fly from tree to tree, either 



* Established in 1838 by Mr. Gould (Icones Avium). Bombycistomas of Mr. Hay is synonyn 

 + Vigors and Dr. Horsfield established this genus in 1825 (Linn. Trans, xv. p. 194.). 



