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CINCLOSOMA PUNCTATUM, Pie. and Horsf.
Spotted Ground-Thrush.

Turdus Punctatus, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. xliv.
Punctated Thrush, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 187. Ib. Gen. Hist., vol. v. p. 130. Shaw. Zool. New Holl.,
a2 only Cone Oolenolexenins: 2 (02:

Cinclosoma Punctatum, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 220. Griff. An. King., vol. vi. p. 529, pl. 29.

 

Tuts species has been long known to ornithologists, being one of the birds earliest described from Australia ;
still little or no information has hitherto been acquired respecting its habits and economy, which, however,
are extremely interesting.

It is everywhere a stationary species, and enjoys an extensive range of habitat, being distributed over the
whole of Van Diemen’s Land and the eastern portion of Australia, from Moreton Bay to Spencer’s Gulf,
to the westward of which I have never been able to trace it, and I have therefore reason to believe that this
is the limit of its range in that direction; its place appearing to be supplied in Western Australia by the
species represented in the succeeding Plate. During my researches in South Australia, I found both species
sparingly dispersed over the country, in such localities as are suitable to their habits, between the great bend
of the Murray and Lake Alexandrina; this, therefore, would seem to be the border-line of their range on
either hand ; how far these species are spread to the northward, is yet to be determined.

The Spotted Ground-Thrush gives a decided preference to the summits of low stony hills and rocky gullies,
particularly those covered: with scrubs and grasses. Its flight is very limited, and this power is rarely
employed, except for the purpose of crossing a gully or passing to a neighbouring scrub ; it readily eludes
pursuit by the facility with which it runs over the stony surface and conceals itself among the underwood.
When suddenly flushed it rises with a loud burring noise, like the Quail or Partridge. Its short flight is per-
formed by a succession of undulations, and is terminated by the bird pitching abruptly to the ground almost
at right angles.

It seldom perches on the smaller branches of trees, but may be frequently seen to run along the fallen
trunks so common in the Australian forests.

Unlike many others of the Thrush family which are celebrated for their song, the note of this species
merely consists of a low piping whistle, frequently repeated while among the underwood, and by which its
presence is often indicated.

In Hobart Town it is frequently exposed for sale in the markets with Bronzewing Pigeons and Wattle-
birds, where it is known by the name of Ground-Dove, an appellation which has doubtless been given both
from its habit of running and feeding upon the ground like the Pigeons, and the circumstance of its flesh
being very delicate eating ; to its excellence in this respect I can bear testimony. The pectoral muscles are
very largely developed, and the body, when plucked, has much the contour of a Quail.

The duty of incubation is performed in October and the three following months, during which period two
and often three broods are produced. The nest is a slight and rather careless structure, composed of leaves
and the inner bark of trees, and is of a round open form; it is always placed on the ground, under the
shelter of a large stone, stump of a tree, or a tuft of grass. The eggs are two, and sometimes three, in
number, one inch and three lines long, and are white, blotched with large marks of olive-brown, particularly
at the larger end, some of the spots appearing as if on the inner surface of the shell. The young, which at
two days old are thickly clothed with long black down, like the young of the genus Rallus, soon acquire the
power of running, and at an early age assume the plumage of the adult, after which they are subject to no
periodical change in their appearance. The stomach is very muscular, and in those dissected were found the
remains of seeds and caterpillars mingled with sand.

Adult males have the forehead and chest ash-grey; crown of the head, back, rump, and the middle tail-
feathers rufous-brown, each feather of the back having a broad longitudinal stripe of black down the centre ;
shoulders and wing-coverts steel-black, each feather having a spot of white at the extreme tip; primaries
blackish-brown, margined on their outer edges with lighter brown; throat and a narrow band across the
chest steel-black ; stripe over the eye, a nearly circular spot on the side of the neck, and the centre of the
abdomen white ; flanks and under tail-coverts reddish-buff, with a large oblong stripe of black down the
centre of each feather ; lateral tail-feathers black, broadly margined with grey on their inner webs, and
largely tipped with white; bill black ; legs fleshy-white; feet darker; eyes very dark lead colour, with a
naked blackish-brown eyelash. The female differs from the male in having all the upper surface of a lighter

hue ; the throat greyish-white instead of black ; the spot on the neck rufous instead of white, and in being
destitute of the black pectoral band.

The figures are of the natural size.