ARTAMUS SORDIDUS.
Wood Swallow*
Turdus sordidus, Lath. Ind. Orn., Supp., p. xliii.
Sordid Thrush, Lath. Gen. Syn., Supp., voj, ii. p. i§6— Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. x. p. 238 —Lath. Gen. Hist., vol.
' ‘ v. p. 131. •
Ocypterus albovittatus, Cuv. Rfegn. Anim., tom. iv. t. 3. f. 6—Valenc. Mem. du Mus. d’Hist. Nat., tom. vi. p. 23.
t. 8. f. 2.—Gould, Syn. Birds of Australia, Part I. fig. 3.
Artamus Uneatus,YieiY\.. 2nde Edit, du Nouv. Diet. d’Hist. Nat., tom. xvii. p. 297 —lb. Ency. Meth., Part II.
' p 758.
Artamus albovittatus, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 210.
Leptopteryx albovittata, Wagl., Syst. Av., sp. 5.
Be-wd-wen, Aborigines of the lowland and mountain districts of Western Australia.
Work, Aborigines of King George’s Sound.
Wood Swallow of the colonists.
T h i s Wood Swallow has been long known to ornithologists, but unfortunately under so many generic and
specific appellations, that i t may be cited as an instance o f the manner in which our science has been
burthened with useless names, thereby producing an inextricable confusion, and which in this instance, by A
reference to Latham’s accurate description, and the. ^lightest care on the part o f other writers, might have
been avoided.
No other species of the Australian Artami with which I am acquainted possesses «o wide a range from east
to west as the p re se n t; the whole o f the southern portion of the continent, as well as the island o f Van
Diemen’s Land, being alike favoured with its presence. The extent o f its range northward has not yet
been satisfactorily ascertained, beyond the certainty that it has not hitherto been received in any collection
from the north coast.
I t may be regarded as strictly m igratory in'Van Diemen’s Land, where it arrives in October, the beginning
of the Australian summer, and after rearing a t least two broods departs again northwards in November.
On the continent a scattered few remain throughout the year in all the localities favourable to its habits, the
number being regulated by the supply o f insect food necessary for their subsistence. I may here observe,
that specimens from Swan River, South Australia and New South Wales present no difference either in size
or colouring, while those from Van Diemen’s Land are invariably larger in all their admeasurements, and are
also of a deeper colour; I regard them, however, as mere varieties o f each other, the greater size of the
latter being doubtless caused by the superabundance o f food which this more southern and humid climate
affords.
This Wood Swallow, besides being the commonest species of the genus, must I think be rendered a
general favourite with the Australians, not only from its singular and pleasing actions, but by its often
taking up its abode and incubating near the houses, particularly such as are surrounded by paddocks and
open pasture-lands skirted by large trees. It was in such situations as these in Van Diemen’s Land, a t the
commencement of spring, that I first had an opportunity of observing this species; it was then very
numerous on all the cleared estates on the north side of the Derwent, about eight or ten being seen on a
single tree, and half as many crowding one against another on the same dead branch, but never in
such numbers as to deserve the appellation of flocks: each bird appeared to act independently o f the o th e r ;
each, as the desire for food prompted it, sallying forth from the branch to capture a passing insect, or to
soar round the tree and return again to the same sp o t; on alighting it repeatedly throws up and closes one
wing at a time, and spreads the tail obliquely prior to settling. At other times a few were seen perched on
the fence surrounding the paddock, on which they frequently descended, like Starlings, in search o f coleóptera
and other insects. I t is not, however, in this state of comparative quiescence th at this graceful bird is seen
to the greatest advantage, neither is it that kind o f existence for which its form is especially ad ap ted ; for
although its structure is more equally suited for terrestrial, arboreal and aerial habits than th at o f any other
species I have examined, the form of its wing at once points out the air as its peculiar province: hence
it is, that when engaged in pursuit of the insects which the serene and warm weather has enticed from
th eir lurking-places among the foliage to sport in higher regions, this beautiful species in these aerial
flights displays its greatest beauty, while soaring above, in a variety o f easy positions, with white-tipped
tail widely spread. Another very extraordinary and singular habit of the bird is that of clustering like
bees on the dead branch of a tree, as represented in the P la te ; this feature was not seen by me, but by
my assistant Mr. Gilbert, during his residence a t Swan River, and I have here given his account in his own
words. “ The greatest peculiarity in the habits of this bird is its manner of suspending itself in perfect
clusters, like a swarm of bees; a few birds suspending themselves on the under side o f a dead branch,