THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
1901 ; Cleland, Emu, Vol. V., p. 191, 1906 ; Sharpe, Hist. CoU. Brit. Mus., Birds, 
p. 148, 1906 ; Hall, Key Birds Austr., p. 79, 1906 ; id., Useful Birds South Austr., 
p. 194, 1907 ; Mathews, Handl. Birds Austral., p. 29, 1908 ; Austin, Emu, 
Vol. VII., p. 77, 1907 ; Cleland, ih., Vol. VII., p. 188, 1908 ; Littler, Handb. Birds 
Tasm., p. 119, 1910. 
(Edicnemus australis Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. (Lond.) 1859, p. 212 (nude name). 
Burhinus magnirostris magnirostris Mathews, Nov. Zool., Vol. XVIII., p. 225, 1912 ; id., 
List Birds Austr., p. 75, 1913. 
Distribution. New South Wales ; Victoria ; Tasmania ; South Austraha. 
Adult male. General colour of the upper-surface pale grey with black shaft-lines, more 
broadly on the scapulars, and brown bars and mottlings on the upper tail-coverts 
and tail ; lesser upper wing-coverts brown margined with buff, the median-coverts 
broadly margined on the basal portion with buffy-white, which give the appear- 
ance of an irregular wing-band ; the marginal-coverts round the bend of the wing 
greyish-brown with black shaft-lines ; bastard-Aving, primary-coverts and quills 
black with a broad white band on the four outer primaries, secondaries dark 
brown with paler margins, the long innermost secondaries like the long scapulars ; 
outer tail-feathers mottled with grey and barred with brown on the outer web 
and barred with brown and white on the inner webs and tipped with black ; fore- 
head, lores, cheeks, a streak below the eye, and superciliary-hne white hke the chin 
and throat; ear-coverts, fore-neck and breast buff with dark shaft-streaks, which 
are much broader on the breast ; abdomen and axillaries white ; flanks and 
under tail-coverts buff ; under wing-coverts grey with dark brown shaft-lines, 
the greater series with brown tips ; bill black ; iris greyish-yellow ; legs yellow, feet 
brown. Total length 550 mm. ; cuhnen 51, wing 297, tail 170, tarsus 138. 
Adult female. Similar to the adult male, but smaller ; cuhnen 50, wing 275, tarsus 132. 
Nestling, in down. Whitish-grey above with fom* longitudinal black lines, two of which 
meet on the tail, each fringed with sandy -buff ; head whitish-grey, more or less 
mixed with black ; a black spot on the fore-head, which is continued over the eye 
on to the ear-coverts, also a black spot in front of the eye and a hne of the same 
colour below the latter ; throat and under-surface white with a more or less 
bufity tinge. 
Nestling, in 'partial down. Crown of head, hind-neck, back, scapulars, and tail blue-grey 
with dark centres to the feathers ; outer scapulars tinged with rufous ; the grey 
down still adhering to the feathers on the sides of the crown, sides of neck, rump, 
and tail ; fore-head, eyebrow, and throat white ; lores and ear-coverts blackish ; 
quills black with white downy tips ; lower-throat and fore-neck dark buff with broad 
black shaft-lines which extend on to the sides of the body ; abdomen, lower-flanks, 
and thighs buffy-white ; under tail-coverts sandy-buff. 
Young. Head and hind-neck grey, with dark central streaks to the feathers, the down 
still adhering to the feathers of the latter ; the feathers of the back, scapulars, 
and lesser wing-coverts broadly margined with rufous, becoming brighter and 
inclining to chestnut on the wings ; median coverts for the most part white with 
dark shaft-lines ; tail grey barred and mottled with brown ; cheeks and ear- 
coverts buff with dark shaft-streaks ; abdomen and thighs white, the latter tinged 
with buff ; under tail-coverts cinnamon-buff. 
Nest. None made. 
Eggs. Clutch, two ; similar to those of the other subspecies. 
Breeding-season. August to January. 
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