PETROICA SUPERCILIOSA, Gowd.

White-eyebrowed Robin.

Petroica superciliosa, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part XIV pp. LOG:

 

For our knowledge of this new species of Petroica we are indebted to the researches of Mr. Gilbert, who
while in company with Dr. Leichardt, during his adventurous expedition from Moreton Bay to Port
Essington, discovered it in the neighbourhood of the Burdekin Lakes towards the Gulf of Carpentaria.
The following remarks in Mr. Gilbert’s Journal comprise all that is at present known respecting it :—
‘May 14th. In a ramble with my gun I shot a new bird, the actions of which assimilate to those of the
Petroice and the Hépsaltrie ; like the former it carries its tail very erect, but is more retiring in its habits
than those birds ; on the other hand, its notes resemble those of the latter. It inhabits the dense jungle-
like vegetation growing beneath the shade of the fig-trees on the banks of the Burdekin. I succeeded in
procuring two specimens.”

Superciliary stripe, throat, abdomen, under surface of the shoulder, and the bases of the primaries and
secondaries white; lores, ear-coverts, wing-coverts, and the primaries and secondaries for some distance
beyond the white deep black; all the upper surface, wings and tail sooty brown; all but the two central
tail-feathers largely tipped with white ; bill and feet black ; irides reddish brown.

The Plate represents the two sexes of the natural size. :

Lor NY NO | OS 9 ZY a | NO ee ee ee