Spine-tatled Orthonyx.

Orthonya spinicaudus, Temm. Pl. Col., 428 male, 429 female.—Less. Traité d’Orm., p. 315.—Swains. Class. of Birds
p. 321.
Temmincku, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 294.
—_—~-- maculatus, Steph. Cont. of Shaw’s Gen. Zool., vol. xiv. p. 186.

 

Tue Spine-tailed Orthonyx is very local in its habitat, being entirely confined, so far as Ihave been enabled to
ascertain, to the brushes which skirt the southern and eastern coasts of Australia, such as occur at Illawarra,
and in the neighbourhood of the rivers Manning, Clarence and MacLeay. It is usually found in the most
retired situations running over the prostrate logs of trees, large moss-covered stones, &c.; further than
I ascertained by an examination of the stomach that the

this, nothing is known of its habits and economy.
Joleoptera, and that the white throat distinguishes the

food consists of insects, principally of the order
male and the rufous throat the female. A knowledge of the situation and form of its nest and the, number
and colour of its eggs would probably afford some clue to its real affinities; at present I do not know to
which group it truly pertains, and I very much regret that circumstances did not admit of my settling this
point by a further observation of the bird in a state of natur
seen, and it would consequently require many months’ residence to be

e: as it is very solitary in its habits it 1s seldom
come tolerably acquainted with it, and

to acquire a knowledge of these desirable facts.

The male has the crown of the head and upper par
black on each feather; lower part of the back and upper tail-coverts rich rufous brown; wings black ;
coverts largely tipped with grey ; primaries crossed with grey at the base ; apical half of the primaries and
the tips of the secondaries dark brownish grey; tail dark brown ; sides of the head and neck dark grey ;
throat and chest white, separated from the grey of the sides of the neck by a lunar-shaped mark of deep

black; flanks and under tail-coverts grey, stained with reddish brown; bill and feet black ; irides very

t of the back reddish brown, with a large mark of

dark hazel.
The female only differs in colour in having the throat r
The Plate represents the male and female of the size of life.

ich rust-red.

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