Order PASSERIFORMES. 
No. 26. 
Family MUSCICAPIDAi. 
PACHYCEPHALA PECTORALIS. 
(CONTEMPTA.) 
LORD HOWE ISLAND THICK-HEAD. 
(Plate 22.) 
Pachycephala Vigors and Horsfield, Trans. Linn. Soc. (Lond.), Vol. XIV., pt. iii., p. 444, (before 
July) 1825. Type (by original designation) : Muscicapa pedoralis Latham. 
Mtjscicapa pectoralis Latham, Index Omith. Suppl., p. li., after May 30th, 1801 : Port JacksGn, 
New South Wales. 
Pachycephala contempta Hartert, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club, Vol. VIII., p. xv., Nov. 28th, 1898 : Lord 
Howe Island ; Mathews, Handl. Birds Austral., p. 85, Jan. 1908. 
Pachycephala howensis North, Bee. Austr. Mus., Vol. V., pt. ii., p. 125, Jan. 28th, 1904: Lord 
Howe Island. 
Pachycephala gutturalis contempta Mathews, Nov. Zool., Vol. XVIII., p. 449, Jan. 1912. 
Pachycephala pectoralis contempta Mathews, List Birds Austr., p. 322, Dec. 1913. 
Distribution. Lord Howe Island. 
Adult male. Fore-head, crown of head, occiput, nape, lores, sides of the face and ear-coverts, jet 
black with a slight gloss ; a broad band of golden-yellow round the hind-neck ; scapulars, 
lower back, rump and upper tail-coverts uniform olive-green ; lesser, median and greater 
wing-coverts olive-green at the extremity and blackish-brown at the base ; primary-quills 
blackish-brown, the five outermost margined on the outer web with white, remainder 
fringed with olive-yellow ; tail-feathers olive-green on the basal half, becoming black 
towards the terminal half and fringed at the tips with whitish ; cheeks, chin and throat 
pure white, encircled with a broad band of jet black ; remainder of the under-parts golden- 
yellow ; under wing-coverts and axillaries white, washed with yellow ; quills below ash-grey, 
margined on the inner web with whitish. Bill black, eyes bright brown, feet blackish-grey. 
Total length 177 mm. : culmen 11, wing 92, tarsus 24, tail 76. Figured. Collected at 
the Pines, Lord Howe Island. 
Adult female. Similar to the immature male described below. 
Immature male. Fore-head, crown of the head, occiput, nape, hind-neck, fore head, lores, sides 
of the face and ear-coverts brownish-olive ; scapulars, lower back, rump, upper tail- 
coverts, lesser, median and greater wing-coverts brownish-olive, brightest on the rump 
and upper tail-coverts ; primary-quills brownish-ash, externally narrowly margined with 
whitish-buff, innermost primaries widely margined with brick-red; outer secondaries 
widely margined with reddish, innermost secondaries fringed with olive; tail-feathers 
greenish-olive with brown shafts ; chin and throat whitish, indistinctly waved with dull 
olive ; remainder of the under-surface whitish-buff, brightest on the sides of the body; 
under tail-coverts golden-yellow; under wing-coverts and axillaries whitish ; quills below 
asli-brown, widely margined on the inner web with reddish-buff. Bill blackish-grey, eyes 
brown, feet dark blue-grey. Total length 174 mm. : wing 91, culmen 11, tail 75, tarsus 23. 
38 
