GROUND CUCKOO-SHRIKE. 
facing all one way, a habit characteristic of birds of the Artamus and Sittella 
genera. When I threw up a stick they took flight, and uttered sharp and 
rather sweet notes whilst upon the wing. The first portion of their flight 
was somewhat quick and rollicking, broken every now and again with a little 
volplaning. While volplaning the wings were kept in a downward position, 
somewhat like the letter V reversed, only extended thus /\. This part of 
their flight resembled that of the Ground Parrot ( Pezoporus terrestris) or 
Stubble Quail ( Goturnix pectoralis) when about to alight. The volplaning, 
besides giving a peculiar effect to their flight, was most interesting to watch. 
On throwing another stick, similar notes and flights were repeated. The 
birds returned and took up their previous attitude upon the same branch in 
the same spot. A third time they were put to flight, with the same result. 
Finding that the birds intended camping for the night upon this particular 
branch, I returned at midnight, and having a suitable moon for 4 mooning ’ 
them, secured two of the birds for scientific purposes. Upon handling them 
I found that they were the Ground Cuckoo-Shrike ( Pteropodocys phasianella), 
male and female— rare visitors and splendid specimens of their kind. As in 
other species belonging to this family, the feathers readily leave the body.” 
Mr. J. P. Rogers wrote me : “ On Jegurra Creek on the 11th July, 1911, 
at Roebuck Downs, 40 miles south of the Fitzroy, several Ground Cuckoo- 
Shrikes were seen feeding on a small grassy flat, the most being seen at Mungi, 
where there were several small flocks, but it was noted that these birds were 
very wild. On my return to Derby I saw none after leaving Roebuck Downs. 
These birds are rare and sparingly distributed over Kimberley, but I have 
seen them near Derby and at various points along the Fitzroy.” 
A very important discovery may be here recorded, as this is the first 
opportunity in connection since it was made. It will be more fully detailed 
elsewhere, but this is the place where it should also be mentioned. When 
Gould described this species he added : “ From the collection of Mr. Coxen,” 
and it has been commonly accepted for some years that the types of Gould’s 
species were in Philadelphia, and in the Austral Avian Record, Vol. I., pts. 6 
and 7, published on Feb. 28th, 1913, will be found : “A List of the Species 
of Australian Birds described by John Gould, with the location of the type 
Specimens, by Witmer Stone, in conjunction with Gregory M. Mathews.” 
Therein is written : “ The details of the sale of Gould’s Collection of Australian 
birds to Dr. Wilson are set forth in the late Dr. Bowdler Sharpe’s Analytical 
Index to the Works of John Gould, London, 1893 The specimens, 
apparently all skins, were sent to Verreaux Brothers, in Paris, to be mounted, 
.... Verreaux prepared a manuscript -catalogue of the collection based, as 
some memoranda show, on an original catalogue of Gould’s, which was apparently 
VOL. IX. 
105 
