EPTHIANURA AURIFRONS, Gow. 
Orange-fronted Ejpthianura. 
Epthianura aurifrons, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part V. p. 148; and in Syn. Birds of Australia, Part IV. 
As long since as the year 1837 I had the pleasure of characterizing this species at one of the scientific 
meetings of the Zoological Society of London, from a specimen which had been presented to the Society's 
collection by Lieut. Breton, R.N., a gentleman much attached to zoological science, as exemplified by his 
numerous donations to that Society, and in his “ Excursions in New South Wales, Western Australia and 
Van Diemen’s Land.” 
The Orange-fronted Epthianura must be regarded as a bird of the greatest rarity, for the specimen above 
mentioned is the only one that has ever come under my notice, and in all probability it is quite unique 5 
hence this is another of the birds to which I would wish to direct the attention of residents in New 
South Wales, particularly these who have an opportunity of visiting the locality in which it was seen by 
Lieut. Breton, who, when speaking of Gammon Plains, New South Wales, in the work above mentioned, 
says “we shot also some Platypi, and a small bird like a Mule Canary (a species of Sawivola); this last is 
exceedingly rare in the colony, and I am not aware that any other person possesses a specimen; there were 
only three together, and the natives said they had never seen any before.” 
In the lengthened wing, largely developed tertiaries, and in the square form of the tail, it offers a greater 
alliance to Epthianura than to any other genus, and there I have provisionally placed it; future research, 
however, and a knowledge of its habits and nidification, will determine the justice of this opinion, or the 
propriety of separating it into a distinct genus. 
Head, upper taii-coverts, sides of the neck, breast and all the under surface fine golden orange, which is 
richest on the forehead and centre of the abdomen; back olive ; wings brown, margined with olive ; tail 
brownish black, each feather except the two middle ones having an oval spot of white on the inner web at 
the tip; chin and centre of the throat black ; bill black ; feet brown. 
The figure is of the natural size. 
