F A L C O T C m i J S ILE TUCO <&A§» TK jE: Gmtd.
S<%£.0>ut#MaM,. tfO tU tnm dtiln^,
FALCUNCULUS LEUCOGASTER, Gould.
White-bellied Shrike-Tit.
Falmmuks Imcogaster, Gould in Proc. Zool. Sac., Part V. p. 144; and in Syn. Birds of Australia, Part IV.
Goore-beet goore-beet, Aborigines of the lowland districts of Western Australia.
Jil-le-e-lee, Aborigines of the mountain districts of ditto.
Djoon-dool-goo-roon, Aborigines of the Murray in ditto.
T h i s species is an inhabitant of the western portions of Australia, where it forms a beautiful representative
o f the Fal. frontatus of the eastern eoast, from which it may be readily distinguished by its white abdomen ;
it is very generally dispersed over the colony o f Swan Eiver, although, like its near ally, it is not to be met
with in great abundance. I t is usually seen in pairs among the thickly-foliaged trees, particularly such as
grow in quiet-secluded places, and i s a most active little bird, running over the trunks and branches o f the
trees with the greatest facility, and tearing off the bark in its progress In search o f in sects; the habits
in fe c t of the present,and F rontal Shrike-Tit a re so closely similar th at a separate description is unnecessary.
Its flight is of short duration, and is seldom employed for any other purpose than th at o f flitting from
branch to branch, or from one tree to another. Its note is a series o f mournful sounds, the last o f which
is drawn out to a greater length than the preceding ones.
The stomach is extremely muscular, and its food consists principally of coleóptera.
The male has immediately above the bill a narrow band of white, from which, down the centre o f the head,
H a broad stripe of black feathers forming a crest;; sides of the face and head white, divided by a line of
black, which passes through the eye to the nape; back, rump, shoulders and wing-coverts bright yellowish
olive ; primaries and secondaries blackish brown, margined with olive-yellow; tail-feathers blackish brown,
margined with olive-yellow, except the two outer, which are grey, broadly margined with w h ite ; aU the tail-
feathers tipped with white, the white diminishing on each feather as it approaches the centre o f the t a i l ;
throat b lack ; bhest, upper p a rt of the breast, and under tail-coverts bright yellow; abdomen and thighs
white; irides wood-brown; bill dark brown, becoming lighter a t the edges of the mandibles ; legs and feet
greenish blue.
T he female differs from h e r mate in being somewhat smaller in size, and m having the throat green
instead of black.
The figures are those of a male and female, of the natural size.