CAMPEPHAGA KARU.

Northern Campephaga.

Lanwus Karu, Less. Zool. de la Coq., pl. 12.
Notodela Karu, Less. 'Traité d’Orn., p. 374.

 

Mr. Gitsert, who met with this species at Port Essington on the northern coast of Australia, states that it
is a very shy and timid bird, that it is generally seen creeping about in pairs among the thickets and clumps
of mangroves, that its note is a somewhat sbrill piping call, that its stomach is tolerably muscular, and
that it feeds upon insects of various kinds : this, I regret to say, is all that is known respecting it.

In referring this species to the Lanus Karu of Lesson, I am rather influenced by a desire not to add to
the number of useless synonyms, than from any positive conviction of their being identical ; for although,
having only M. Lesson’s figure to refer to, Iam unable to detect any difference of sufficient importance to
be considered specific, little doubt exists in my mind that the two birds are really distinct, and that future
research will verify the propriety of this opinion.

The male has the head, all the upper surface, wings and tail black ; the wing-coverts largely tipped,
primaries narrowly edged and tipped, secondaries broadly margined on their external webs, rump and
upper tail-coverts slightly, the external tail-feather largely, and the next on each side slightly tipped
with white ; line from the nostrils over each eye to the occiput buffy white ; under surface pale grey, crossed
on the breast and flanks with narrow irregular bars of slaty black, and washed with fulvous, gradually in-
creasing in intensity until on the vent and under tail-coverts it becomes of a deep tawny buff; irides dark
brown ; bill black ; feet blackish grey externally, bluish grey internally ; light mealy ashy grey between the
scales and inside the feet.

The female differs in being somewhat smaller than the male; in having the upper surface and tail brown,
instead of black; the upper tail-coverts tipped with buff instead of white, and the barrings of the under
surface broader, darker and more distinct.

The Plate represents the two sexes of the natural size.