EPTHIANURA AURIFRONS, Gowid.

Orange-fronted Epthianura.

Epthianura aurifrons, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part V. p. 148; and in Syn. Birds of Australia, Part IV.

 

As long since as the year 1837 I had the pleasure of characterizing this species at one of the scientific
meetings of the Zoological Society of London, from a specimen which had been presented to the Society’s
collection by Lieut. Breton, R.N., a gentleman much attached to zoological science, as exemplified by his
numerous donations to that Society, and in his “ Excursions in New South Wales, Western Australia and
Van Diemen’s Land.”

The Orange-fronted Epthianura must be regarded as a bird of the greatest rarity, for the specimen above
mentioned is the only one that has ever come under my notice, and in all probability it is quite unique ;
hence this is another of the birds to which I would wish to direct the attention of residents in New
South Wales, particularly those who have an opportunity of visiting the locality in which it was seen by
Lieut. Breton, who, when speaking of Gammon Plains, New South Wales, in the work above mentioned,
says “we shot also some Platypi, and a small bird like a Mule Canary (a species of Saxicola); this last is
exceedingly rare in the colony, and I am not aware that any other person possesses a specimen; there were
only three together, and the natives said they had never seen any before.”

In the lengthened wing, largely developed tertiaries, and in the square form of the tail, it offers a greater
alliance to Eptheanura than to any other genus, and there I have provisionally placed it; future research,
however, and a knowledge of its habits and nidification, will determine the justice of this opinion, or the
propriety of separating it into a distinct genus.

Head, upper tail-coverts, sides of the neck, breast and all the under surface fine golden orange, which is
richest on the forehead and centre of the abdomen; back olive ; wings brown, margined with olive; tail
brownish black, each feather except the two middle ones having an oval spot of white on the inner web at
the tip ; chin and centre of the throat black ; bill black; feet brown.

The fieure is of the natural size.
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