EIFiYTIHIFi(D)BOKTS CKH C T 1 1J S : G mM
E R Y THRO GONY S CINCTUS, GoiM.
Banded Red-knee.
Erylhrogmyt cinctus, (,'uld aSftrot. <* Anstt«iB«»rwt <*•
O vlr w h 5 extenf'of eountry the Banded Bed-knee may range is yet to be determined; tbe south-eastern
portfons'Qf Australia are the o n i y . lp S ^ , l r o ^ ^ T i t J m oUerr nirhtly, I have ever seen or received
’specimens-
It ;s a summer.vi-iu.1 to New «imthB M S . where it ^esteemed a rare bird, and where its presence is
probably dependent upon thg-Tjgnd q f’ sgiison that may o p jg g i t s natural habits leading it to
L q uen fithe -b ord er s 'o f'f^W n s , muddy flats and the r iyS.-none but wet and humid seasons,
i i f i i i B M I i l ,'i‘gn trul, are so unfrqquent in Austraha, are suiUhle to it: I believe ft/w;seldom or
M M P H S onf hi ( t in mar the lea-cqast, huSthat i t is strictly: an inhabitant o f the. inferior. In
October anffi^ovember, 183fl?i‘ f b ^ i t tolerably abundant on the flats near Aberdeen, and <>“ m “ PP*r
part o f Dartbrook, a tributary of j g f l l v e r Hunter, and on visiting the Mokai and Namoi in the following
month I ohsenved?ifeb& equally ^ n te rw s on those rivers. I seldom saw more than two together, and
these were almost always imd* 'ii3 y.cu .d e; they appeared, as I baye before stated, to prefer soft muddy
banks to the Stony or shingly — B g whicle preference may be attributed to the circumstance
' k f e former y i# in g a more ahuudant supply of{ t b o d ..^ is a most showy and active little bird,
and is ’ so tame that I had not the slightest trouble in shootSg as many as I pleased. Its actions and
maimers are very peculiar; and partake b,oth p f thqse o f the Dottrell and; tfcq Sandpiper; having the stooping
carriage o f fhe former, and the quick hobbmg motion'qf dm head and tail of the latter: its olive-green
plumage and long tertiaries | g § l J ? t o the Sandpipers, while » l a r g e head and eye it approximates
to the Dottrell. 1 1 . I m , H T j . . IMS
The sexes present no variation in the colour or marking of their plumage, neither did I detect any
difference in size by which'they might be disdughished- Although they were probably breeding at the
period of my visit to the above-mentioned localities, TeauH tW er discover their eggs, nor could the two
'intelligent natives accompanying me dither aid. or givemm hhy-mformatio^on the subject.
Its food hdnsistg of msects o f various kinds. , .. . . ,, , w , a _
Head ear-eoverts, back of the neck, and chest black; a small patch under the eye throat chest, sides
of die neck centre o f the abdomen, and under tail-coverts white, the Iatt.er spotted with dark brown; back,
centre of the wings, and tertiaries olive, tinged with bronzy brown;, tips of the secondaries, andthe inner
webs of the d ps .o f the six upntiguous primaries white; rump and two middle tail-feathem dive, the
remaining tail-ftathers white; flanks chestnut; hides nearly U a f . .with a narrow black eyelash; hfflpulpy,
pink-red at die base, black at the t ip ; thigh, knee, and for a quarter o f an inch down the tarsus pink-red,
the remainder of the tarsus and the toes lively blufeti%aj|cdqt[r. ‘
The figures are rifose o f a male and a female of the natural s i^ g i^