ACANTHIZA MAGNA, Gould.

Great Acanthiza.

 

For the knowledge of this new and very distinct species of Acanthiza we are indebted to Ronald C. Gunn,
Esq., a gentleman who has long resided in Van Diemen’s Land, and whose name will be for ever perpetuated
in the annals of science for the numerous botanical discoveries made by him in the island he has adopted
as his home. I am, moreover, indebted to Mr. Gunn for the only specimen of this bird which has come
under my notice, and which was collected by him in one of the districts of the northern part of the island.
I have carefully compared this specimen with every other member of the genus, and have no hesitation in
pronouncing it an entirely new species of this Australian form. In size it approaches the smaller species
of Sericornis; but in its structure and the character of its plumage, it is closely allied to the members of
the genus in which I have placed it.

Head, all the upper surface, sides of the neck and flanks olive-brown, becoming of a more rufous hue on
the rump and upper tail-coverts ; wings blackish-brown, washed with olive on the external webs; coverts,
particularly the greater ones, tipped with white ; primaries narrowly edged with grey, innermost secondaries
margined all round the tip with white ; tail olive, crossed near the tip by a broad band of dusky-brown,
beyond which the external feathers are margined on both webs with greyish-white ; lores black ; ear-coverts
slaty-brown ; throat and under surface straw-yellow ; bill blackish-brown ; feet fleshy-brown.

The figures are of the size of life.

NB SE 6 SENZA SA BV EN JD ND fe Gi CALE