GBAXTCÄLUS ATM.,AKIS ■ Sobrad. W aiter im p.
GRAUCALUS AXILLARI S , Salvad.
Bruijn’s Cuckoo Shrike.
Graucalus axillaris, Salvad., Ann. Mus. Civ. Genova, vii. p. 925 (1875).—Sharpe, Mittheil. Zool. Mus. Dresden,
i. p. 366 (1878).—Id. Cat. B. Brit. Mus. iv. p. 27 (1879).
T hebe is not much to record respecting this interesting species o f Cuckoo Shrike, which, a t the time
we write, has been too recently discovered for us to know any thing o f its habits and economy.
Although the male is to all appearance uniform in coloration, it has the axillaries and under wing-
coverts barred with black and w h ite ; and this a t once distinguishes it from any o f the allied species of
Graucalus. The female is quite different, and belongs to the section of G. lineatus and G. maforensis.
Originally discovered by Mr. Bruijn a t Mansema in the Arfak Mountains, it has lately been sent by Mr.
Goldie from the Taburi district, a t the back o f the Astrolabe range, in South-eastern New Guinea. He gives
the native name as Shorara.
The following descriptions, taken from the typical specimens, are reproduced from Mr. Sharpe’s Catalogue
o f B ird s:—
“ Adult male. General colour above slaty grey, with a cast of lighter and more bluish grey ; lesser wing-
coverts like the back, the median and g reater series rather darker than the b a ck ; quills black, externally
edged with dark slaty g r e y ; the secondaries outwardly entirely dark grey like the greater wing-coverts; tail
black, with a slight ashy shade on the centre feathers ; a narrow frontal line, lores, and feathers in front of
the eye black ; ear-coverts darker grey than the h e a d ; under surface o f body slaty grey, the under wing-
coverts and axillaries barred across with w h ite ; quills ashy-black below, grey on the inner web, which is
edged internally with white. Total length 8 7 inches, culmen 0 7 5 , wing 5*4, tail 4 -4, tarsus 0 ’85 {Mus.
Civ. Genov.).
“ Adult female. Differs from the male in having the throat and fore neck alone slaty g re y ; the rest of the
under surface barred with black and white, the black bars always the broadest, but especially so on the sides
of the body and on the under tail-coverts. The general tone of the grey upper surface is darker, the quills
being blackish and the secondaries narrowly edged with white like the primaries. Total length 9 inches,
culmen 0 -8, wing 5 ‘65, tail 4 ‘4, tarsus 0 -85 {Mus. Civ. Genov.).
“ Young male. Like the old female, but with some of the uniform grey breast-feathers o f the adult male
plumage appearing below ; upper tail-coverts tipped with white, o f which there are scarcely any traces in the
adult female. Wing 5*4 in ch es; tail black, the middle feathers dark slaty grey with a black tip {Mus. Civ.
Genov.').”
The pair o f birds represented in the accompanying illustration are drawn from specimens collected by Mr.
Goldie in South-eastern New Guinea, and now form p art of the national collection. The birds are shown
o f about the size o f life.
[R. B. S.]