^S'Ha^td¿i rf fitft . . i i E I L ' r a i i l l E l D T J S DilACTUILOSTiTS ^ Bmrisay.
. W/j/MTl^rOA f»»lf>.
^ L U R C E D U S M A C U L O S U S , Ramsaj,.
Queensland Cat-bird.
A^Inrofdm Diaculosus, Ramsay, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1874, p. GOl.—Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. vi. p. 385 (1881).—
Caira & Grant, Rec. Austr. Mus. i. p. 31 (18D2).—Nortli, t. c. p. 112 (1892).
Ailurcedus maculoms, Gould, Birds of New Guinea, i. pi. 38 (1875).— Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W. ii.
p. 187 (1878).—Id. Tab. List Austr. B. p. 11 (1888).—North, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W. (2) i.
p. U5() (1887).—Id. op. cit. iii. p. 147 (188i)) —Id. Nests & Eggs Austr. B. p. 177 (1883).
T H I S species agrees with JE. mehmotis and /E. arfulaamis in having- tlie crown of tlic head mottled, the
colotu' in this case being- hhick s])otte(l with olive-brown, while there is also a hliick patch on the ear-coverts
and another on the chin.
Mr. A. J . North inis given the following- good account of this sj)ecles in ' Nests and Eggs of Au.stralian
B i r d s ' : —
" T h i s bird is a native of the dense scrubs that are to lie found in the neighbourhood of Rockingham liay,
and the Johnstone, Kussell, and Mulgrave Rivers in Tropical Queensland. Tlicy congregate in small lloeks
on the palms and fig-trees, from which they obtain their food. During a recent e.xcursion to tlie Ralleuden-
Ker Ranges, Messrs. E. J . Caii'n and Robert Grai]t, collecting on belialf of the Trustees of the Australian
Museum, succeeded in obtaining, amongst otiiers, a fine series of these birds in different stages of plumage;
and, besides finding several nests with young birds, they were fortunate in obtaining, although very late in
the season, a nest containing eggs. The nest and eggs iu question were found on December 2[id, 1887, in
the fork of a sapling about seven feet from the ground, on the Herberton road, at a distance of thirty-two
miles from Cairns. The nest is a neat bowl-shaped structure, composed of long twigs and leaves of a
Tnstama, lined inside with twigs and the dried wiry stems of a climbing ])hmt; on tiie outside several
nearly perfect leaves of the Tristnnia are worked iii, and partially obscm-e one side of the nest. Exterior
diameter seven inches, by four inciics and a halfiu deptli; interior diameter four inches and three-quarters,
by two inches and a halfiu depth. Eggs two in number for a sitting, nearly true ovals iu form, tajiering
but slightly at one end, of a uniform creamy-white ; the shell is thin, the surface being smooth and slightly
glossy. (A) l -O/ xMl ; (B) l - ( j3xM inch. Both parent birds were procured at the time of taking the
eggs, which were in a very advanced state of incubation."
Adult. General colour above green ; the wing-coverts like the back, with oljscnre yellowish spots at the
eiuls of the median and greater coverts ; quills dusky blackish, externally green like the back ; the primaries
bluish on their outer webs, the imiermost secondaries tijiped with a spot of yellowish white ; tail-feathers
green, dusky blackish on the inner web, all but the two centre ones barred along the tip with wiiite ; head
ochreous brown, mottled all over with blackish edges to the feathers ; the feathers of the hind-neck and
mantle greenish, mottled with a spot of pale ochreous or yellowish white ; lores bluish white tinged with
yellow ; feathers above and below the eye whitish, the former having blackish tips to some of the feathers;
ear-coverts black, with a streak of whily brown tinged with green along the npper edge; chiu and a spot at
the base of the cheeks black; remainder of cheeks yellowish white, the feathers mottled with dnsky-hrown
li]is ; sides of neck asliy, tinged with green and mottled with brown edges ; behind the ear-coverts and on
the lower neck a whitish shade, forming an indistinct patch ; throat ashy, mottled wilb greenish-brown edges
to the feathers ; remainder of nnder surface spotted, the feathers having a large ovate mark of white in the
centre, and being broadly edged with greenish brown, these margins less distinct on the abdomen, which is
consequently whiter; thighs ashy, washed with green, with a sub-terminal bar of yellow; under wing-coverts
dusky, tipped with yellowish wliite forming a faint bar ; axillaries green, with yellowish tips ; edge of wiiig
yellow ; quills dusky below, whitish towards the base of the inner web. Total length 11 inches, cuhnen 1-3,
wing 5'9, tail 4'1, tarsus 1-85.
The descri|ition is taken from a specimen in the British Mnseum, and the Plate represents two figures of
an adult bird, together with the nest. For the opportunity of figuring this I am indebted to the kindness
of Mr. .A. J . North, who sent me an enlarged photograph of it.