142 



ORNITHOLOGY. 



2. Genus COLLURICINCLA, Virj. and Ilorsf. Trans. Linn. Soc. 

 London, XV, p. 213 (1825). 



1. COLLURICINCLA HARMONICA [Latll.). 



Tardus harmom'cus, Latham, Gen. Syn. Supp. p. 41 (1801). 

 Colluridnda strigata, SwAiNSON, Cab. Cy. Birds, PI. Ill, p. 283 (1838). 

 Tiirdus paUidus, Peale, Zool. Exp. Exp. Vincennes, Birds, p. 86 (1st ed. 1848).* 



Gould, B. of Aust. IT, Plate LXXIV. 



In his description, as above cited, Mr, Peale states his specimen to 

 have been obtained near Valparaiso. His label is, however, now at- 

 tached to a specimen in the collection of the Expedition, which is 

 undoubtedly the young of Colluricincla harmonica, a common bird of 

 Australia. His description, too, entirely corresponds with it, and there 

 is in fact no doubt that the specimen to which we allude is the iden- 

 tical one described. 



We can account for this singular error only by supposing that a bird 

 resembling that at present before us, for instance, a species of Lipan- 

 gus, might have been observed and obtained at the locality mentioned 

 by Mr. Peale, and afterwards lost. Otherwise, we must adopt the 

 difficult inference that this bird of Australia either is a native also of 

 Chili, or a visitor to that country, though never observed, nor any 



* " Crown, neck, and back, ashy-brown ; throat white, lineated with pale brown ; breast, 

 abdomen, and under part of the tail, pale ash-color, the feathers having a darker centre; 

 wings and upper part of the tail, ashy-brown ; greater wing-coverts margined with fer- 

 ruginous; fourth and fifth quills equal and longest, first, half the length of the second; 

 tail consisting of twelve feathers, nearly even at the end; shafts white; irides brown; 

 bill black ; legs horn-color. 



"Total length, nine and seven-tenths inches; wing, from the carpal joint, five and 

 three-tenths inches ; tail, four and two-tenths inches ; tarsi, one and three-twentieths of 

 an inch; middle toe, including the claw, nine-tenths of an inch; claw, three-tenths of 

 an inch ; hind toe, including the claw, seven-twentieths of an inch ; bill, seven-tenths of 

 an inch ; to the angle of the mouth, one and one-twentieth of an inch. 



" Our specimen was obtained in the month of May, near Valparaiso ; its actions were 

 like the Robin of North America (^Tiirdus migrntorlus), to which its voice also had a 

 distant resemblance, and whenever it uttered its call note, it was attended with a jerk of 

 the tail, in the characteristic manner of the Northern liobin." 



