STKEPEKA ARGITTAi GotM.
/kdbtumJd-t H'ultnt /«//■
STREPERÀ ARGUTA, Gould.
Hill Crovr-Shrike.
Streperà arguta, Gould in Proc. of Zool. So.c., Part XIV. p. 19.
T h e Strepera arguta is abundantly dispersed over Van Diemen’s Land, but is more numerous in the central
parts of the island than in the districts adjacent to the coast; it also inhabits South Australia, in which
country it is more scarce, and all the specimens I have seen are rather smaller in size. I have never seen
it iu any part o f New South Wales that I have visited, neither have specimens occurred in the numerous
collections from the west coast that have come under my notice. ,I t is the largest, the boldest and the
most animated species o f the genus yet discovered. If not strictly gregarious, it is often seen in small
companies of from four to ten, and during the months of winter even a greater number are to be seen congregated
together. The districts most suited to its habits are open glades in the forest and thinly-timbered
hills: although it readily perches on the trees, its natural resort is the ground, for which its form
is admirably adapted, and over which it passes with amazing rapidity, either in a succession o f leaps or by
running. Fruits being but sparingly diffused over Australia, insects necessarily constitute almost its sole
food, and o f these nearly every order inhabiting the surface of the ground forms part o f its diet. It
devours grasshoppers with great avidity, and as these insects are ever most abundant, the one would
appear to he formed for the sustenance of the other.
Its-note is a loud ringing and very peculiar sound, somewhat resembling the words clink, clink, several
times repeated, and strongly reminded me o f the distant sound o f the strokes on a blacksmith’s anvil; and
lieuce the term arguta appeared to me to be an appropriate specific appellation for this new species.
All the nests I found o f this species either contained young birds or were without eg g s; I am consequently
unable to give their size and colour. The nest, which is of a large size, is generally placed on a
horizontal branch o f a low tree; it is round, deep and cup-shaped, outwardly formed of sticks and lined
with fibrous roots and other fine niaterials.
The sexes present no external difference whatever, neither is there much difference in size ; the young
are black from the nest, except that the tertiary feathers are strongly tipped with white, a character never
I believe thrown off in adult age.
All the plumage brownish black, becoming much browner on the tips o f the wing-feathers, and of a grey
tint on the abdomen; base of the inner webs of the primaries and secondaries, the under tail-coverts and
the apical third o f the inner webs of the tail-feathers white; irides orange-yellow; bill and feet black;
corner of the mouth yellow.
The Plate represents the bird about four-fifths o f the size o f life.