SERICULUS MELINUS (Lath

Regent Bird.

).

Yellow-bellied Thrush, Lath. Gen. Syn. Suppl. ii. p- 187 (1801).

Turdus melinus, Lath. Ind. Orn. Suppl. ii. p. xliv (1801).—Vieill
Id. Enc. Méth. ii. p. 647 (1822),

Meliphaga chrysocephala, Lewin, Birds of New Holland, p. 10, pl. 6 (1808

Turdus mellinus, Steph. in Shaw’s Gen. Zool. x. p. 240 (1817).

Golden-crowned Honey-eater, Lath. Gen. Hist. iv. p. 184 (1822):

Oriolus regens, Quoy et Gaim. Voy. Uranie, p. 105 xii QZ
Wagl. Syst. Av., Oriolus, © 2 a. Ae a ae

Sericulus chrysocephalus, Swains. Zool. Journ. i. p. 478 (1825).—Vig. & Horsf. Tr 1
(1826).—Steph. in Shaw’s Gen, Zool. xiv. p. 266 Gero eetan & ath vee a ee ee
(1827).—Less. Traité d’Orn. p. 340 (1831).—Swains. Classif. B. ih ee a ae
iv. pl. 12 (1847). . p. 237 (1837),.—Gould, B. Austr.

Sericulus regens, Less. Voy. Coquille, Zool. i. p. 640, pl. 20 (1826).—Id. Man. Orn. i 25 i
Parad., Syn. p. 21.—Id. Hist. Ois. Parad. pls. 26, 27 (1835). é ae

Sericulus magnirostris, Gould, P. Z. S. 1837, p. 145.

Sericulus mellinus, Gray, Gen. B. 1. p. 233 (1845).—Bp. Consp. Av. i. p. 349 (1850)

Sericulis melinus, Gould, Nandb. B. Austr. i. p. 456 (1865).—Ramsay, Ibis 1866 pp. 325, 330.—Schl
Pays-Bas, Coraces, p. 99 (1867 ).—Ramsay, Ibis, 1867, pp. 415, 456.—Gray Gdn ) os ee
(1869).—Elhot, Monogr. Parad. pl. xxxii, (1873).—Ramsay, Proc. Tine a N S a Be
Geo) mharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. vi. (1881).—Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soe N s W 7 (2) oe
pl. xix. fig. 4 (1887).—North, t.c. pp. 1160, 1173.—Ramsay, Tab. List Nea B 11 Ges)
North, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. $. W. (2) iii. p. 1780 (1889).—-Id. Nests & Eggs oe B. a 181 ane
Id. Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S. W. (2) v. p. 507 (1891).—Campbell, Proeue! Soc. Victoria, new sen ¢
p. 128 (1893).—Sharpe, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club, iv. p. xiv (1894). a

N. Dict. d’Hist. Nat. xx. p. 243 (1818).—

 

Tus splendid ppomer-bird is one of the best known of the whole family, as it is one of the finest and most
conspicuous species. It appears to be strictly confined to Eastern Australia, where Dr. Ramsay gives its range
as New South Wales, and the Wide Ray, Richmond, and Clarence river districts. Mr. Cnnldee eiperience
oF the distribution of the species was as follows:—‘‘It is occasionally seen in the neighbourhood ot
Sydney, mich appears to be the extent of its range to the southward and westward. I met with it in the
brushes at Maitland in company with, and feeding on the same trees as, the Satin- and Cat-Birds, as well as
the Green Oriole (Mimeta viridis). It is still more abundant on the Manning, at Fort Macquarrie, and at
Moreton Bay. I sought for and made every inquiry for it at Illawarra, but did not meet with it, and was
informed that it was never seen there ; yet the district is precisely similar in character to those in which it is
abundant, about two degrees to the eastward. While encamped on Mosquito Island, near the mouth of the
River Hunter, I shot several, and observed it to be numerous on the neighbouring islands, particularly
Baker’s Island, where there is a fine garden, and where it commits serious injury to the fruit-crops.”
Mr. A. J. Campbell has recorded a specimen from Duaringa, near the Fitzroy River, and he believes this

to be the most northern range of the species.
males in full plumage are much more shy and difficult to

Everywhere it appears to be the case that the
are very much more plentiful.

procure, while the females and young males are not only much tamer, but
Mr. Gould never succeeded in obtaining a nest of the Regent Bird; but the nest was found at Moreton Bay
by Mr. F. Strange, who described it as ‘ rudely constructed of sticks, no other material bemg employed, not
nla few roots as a lining.” Dr. E. P. Ramsay found a nest at Taranya Creek, in the Richmond River
district, built in a cluster of “ Lawyer Vines” (Calamus australis). In shape the nest was like that of
Collyriocincla harmonica, and composed of twigs, mosses, leaves, &c., about five inches

The bower was first described by Mr. C. Coxen, who received the details from Mr.
While shooting in a scrub on the b
jumping wp and down, puffing out its
as he had never seen
th small shrubs, and

across by three deep.
Waller, of Brisbane,
a well-known Australian naturalist and collector. anks of the Brisbane
River, Mr. Waller saw a male Regent Bird “ playing on the ground,
r, which occasioned much surprise,

fei ; aac :
athers, and rolling about in a very odd manne
as thickly covered wi

the bir Bi, fs : :
e bird on the ground before. The spot where it was playing w

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