GRALLINA BRUIJNI, sawaa.

Bruijn’s Grallina.

Grallina bruijni, Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civ. Genova, vii. p. 929 (1875).—Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. iii. p. 273
(1877).—Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civ. Genova, xv. p. 42, n. 4 (1879).—Salvad. Orn. Papuasia, ii. p. 191
(1881).—Sharpe, Journ. Linn. Soc., Zool. vol. xvi. p. 435 (1882).

Pomareopsis semiatra, Oustalet, Bull. Ass. Sci. de France, 1880, p. 173.

 

Tue discovery of a species of Grallina in New Guinea is of great interest, as the genus was until recently
considered to be entirely peculiar to Australia. In general appearance the New-Guinea bird differs
considerably from its Australian relative, and is on the whole the handsomer bird of the two; but the same
difference in sexes which characterizes the Pied Grallina is seen in the species from New Guinea.

The present species was discovered in the Arfak Mountains by the hunters employed by Mr. Bruijn, after
whom it is named. More recently it has been sent from the mountains of South-eastern New Guinea by
Mr. Goldie, who procured it from the Morocco district at the back of the Astrolabe range. Mr. Goldie
states that the native name is Zudz, and gives the following note :—‘ These birds are found flying about
creeks and hopping about stones ; they seem to feed on insects obtained there.”

The following descriptions are taken from a pair of Mr. Goldie’s birds in the British Museum.

Adult male. General colour above glossy blue-black, including the scapulars ; all the wing-coverts pure
white, forming a large shoulder-patch ; bastard wing, primary-coverts, and quills black with glossy blue-black
margins ; lower back white ; rump, upper tail-coverts, and basal half of the tail creamy buff, the terminal half of
the latter black ; feathers round the eye and ear-coverts blue-black, with a streak of white above the eye; the
lower ear-coverts creamy white, as also the sides of the neck, forming a large patch ; throat and entire under
surface blue-black ; lower flanks and thighs white; under tail-coverts creamy buff; on the sides of the lower
back a patch of white feathers ; under wing-coverts and axillaries blue-black ; quills below black, the inner
edges rather browner.

Total length 6-9 inches, culmen 0:9, wing 4°09, tail 3-05, tarsus 1-1.

Adult female. Resembles the male above, but differs as follows. Lores and broad eyebrow white ; eyelid,
feathers below the eye, cheeks, ear-coverts, and throat blue-black ; remainder of under surface creamy white,
deeper creamy buff on the flanks ; abdomen and under tail-coverts, under wing-coverts, and axillaries white,
and base of quills also, broader on the secondaries. Culmen 0°85 inch, wing 4:00, tail 2-9, tarsus 1-05.

The Plate represents an adult male and female of the natural size; and for the loan of the birds I am
indebted to Mr, Edward Gerrard, junr. [R.B.S.]

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