PLATE IXXjIIX. 



GENUS GRAUCALUS (Cuvier). 



EMBERS of this group inhabit nearly every part of Australia. 



GRAUCALUS MELANOPS (Vig. and Horsf.) 

 BLA CK-FA CED GRA UCALUS. 



THIS bird is distributed over the whole of New South Wales, almost every description of country 

 being equally favoured by it. 



It subsists on berries and insects, the latter of which are obtained both anions the foliage 



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of the trees, and in the air. 



Its song, which it continually utters while perched on a dead limb of a tree, consists of a 

 single rather harsh note, several times repeated. 



The breeding season extends from October to January. During that time two eggs are laid 



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in a small, shallow nest, placed in the fork of a tree, and constructed of small dry twigs, matted 

 together with cobwebs and sometimes lined with moss. The eggs are light brown in colour, sometimes 

 tinged with green, and are spotted with reddish or yellowish brown. In length they are thirteen 

 lines and in breadth ten lines. 



The sexes are alike in plumage. 



The forehead, sides of face, ear-coverts, and throat are black ; upper and under surface and 

 wings, light grey, slightly tinged with brown, the primaries and secondaries margined with black ; 

 under tail coverts, white ; tail, dark grey, tipped with white ; irides, legs and feet, dark brown ; 

 bill, black. 



Habitat : New South Wales. 



GRAUCALUS PARVIROSTRIS (Gould). 



TASMANIAX GRAUCALUS. 



TI^HE Tasmanian variety of the genus Graucalus resembles the New South Wales species, both in 

 -A- appearance and habits, but is somewhat smaller, and has also some small differences in colouring. 



Its habits are so like those of Graucalus Mclanops, that a separate description is unnecessary. 



The forehead, ear-coverts, sides of face and throat are black ; upper surface, wings, and tail, 

 dark grey ; primaries, dark brown ; under surface, grey ; irides, brownish-grey ; bill, black ; legs and 

 feet, dark grey. 



Habitat : Tasmania. 



