i 
RED-LORED THICKHEAD. 
Eggs. Clutch, two or three. Ground-colour stone or buff, spotted, more at the larger 
end, where a zone is formed, with dark brown or umber and lavender. 23 mm. 
by 17. 
Breeding-season. September to December. 
Under the heading “ Rediscovery of Pachycephala rufogularis (Gould) ” Capt. 
S. A. White wrote : “ One hot day in November last (1911) Mrs. White and 
I were working the dense mallee scrub 40 miles east of the Riyer Murray. 
Attracted by a call which we had never heard before, we came upon two male 
Thickheads fighting and calling loudly. The call, once heard, will never be 
forgotten — it is so unlike that of any other bird. The first note is a loud, clear 
whistle ; the next note follows quickly, and resembles the noise produced by 
the drawing in of the breath between partially closed lips. Later in the day 
we secured a female. It is the opinion of some ornithologists, I believe, that 
the bird in question is the immature P. gilberti. I am positive this is not the 
case, for both the males I secured were mature birds in every. respect. I cannot 
think for a moment that the lores, which are a reddish-brown, would change 
to black, as they are in P. gilberti ; lastly, Gould had ample material to compare 
these birds, and he would not make a mistake of this kind. Evidently John 
Gould met with this bird in fair numbers in the bush near Adelaide over 70 
years ago, but, strange to say, it has not been met with since.” 
Gould wrote : “ All the examples of this species of Pachycephala I have 
yet seen were obtained by myself during my explorations in South Australia, 
where I found it anything but abundant ; in fact, many days frequently elapsed 
without my procuring a specimen. Its stronghold, probably a part of the 
vast interior, has yet to be discovered. From the little I saw of it, I am induced 
to believe that it is a very solitary bird ; for I usually met with only one at a 
time, hopping about on the ground in the thinly timbered forest which surrounds 
the city of Adelaide ; but its actions were so particularly quiet, and its plumage 
so unattractive, that it might easily be overlooked. I never heard it utter 
any note, nor did I observe anything in its habits and economy worthy of 
remark. It doubtless resorted to the ground for coleopterous and other 
insects, the remains of which formed the contents of the stomachs of those 
I procured. The adult males and females differ considerably in the 
colouring of their plumage ; the young males resemble the females. The 
rusty colouring of the throat and face distinguish this species from every 
other member of the genus.” 
From Kow Plains L. G. Chandler recorded : “ One day (20th September), 
while on the fringe of the desert, in some porcupine grass ( Triodia ) I heard the 
call of a Whistler which resembled slightly that of P. gilberti, but still was 
distinct. I raced through the porcupine grass at full speed, for the call of 
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