AILURQGE:DUS MACULOSUS, Ramsay.

Queensland Cat-bird.

Aslureedus maculosus, Ramsay, P. Z. S. 1874, p. 601.

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Tus addition to the group of Cat-birds (Ailuredus) is of ver

y great interest to me, as I have for years
suspected that more species of the genus would be disc ;

overed, and the affinities of Mr. Ramsay’s bird
afford further evidence of the close zoological relations existing between the avifauna of Australia a that
related to the ordinary species (Ailuredus Smithii
| ea to the black-eared Cat-bird of the Aru Islands
(Ailuredus melanotis), from which it is distinguished by its smaller size, dark-green coloration, and thickly
mottled under surface. From the common Cat-bird it is at once to be told Thy

of New Guinea and the Aru Islands. Instead of being

vel crassirostris), the Queensland species comes nearer

: its black ear-coverts and by
other characters ee att well set forth by Mr. Ramsay in the description quoted below. Although our
knowledge of its habits is at present meagre, more details than usual in the case of novelties are siven by
the above-named naturalist. It will probably be found that, like 4. Smethii, the present species does not
build a bower as do Pé:lonorhynchus and Chlamydera.

The following is Mr. Ramsay’s description :—

«The whole of the head, including the chin, feathers at the base of the lower mandible, and ear-coverts,
black, having a spot of white tinged with olive-green at the end of each feather; the spots on the back of
the head and neck become more distinctly tinged with olive-green as they approach the shoulders, where
they are lost in the brown-green margin of the feathers, which on their under surface are of a bluish green
tint.

«A narrow line down the centre of each feather on the top of the head and neck black; line over the
eye and just in front of it white tinged with olive-green ; lower part of the ear-coverts black ; upper part
immediately behind the eye centred with white and tinged slightly with olive-green ; sides of the lower part
of the neck olive-green, each feather indistinctly marked with a whity-brown spot.

“Whole of the under surface olive-green, being brightest on the flanks, each feather on the chest centred
with a conspicuous and somewhat heart-shaped blotch of white, which on the abdomen and flanks becomes
lanceolate in form, more acute on those feathers between the flanks and round the vent, which are nearly
white, having a brownish crescentic mark near the margin; the spots on the abdomen are almost obsolete.
Under tail-coverts olive-green, centred and broadly margined with white tinged with olive-green; the basal
portion of all the feathers brown ; under surface of the tail brown, with a tinge of bluish green in certain
lights ; all but the two centre tail-feathers tipped with white on both surfaces ; the under surface oi the wings,
inner webs of primaries, and secondaries dark brown, becoming almost white on the margins of the inner webs:
The inner webs of primaries and secondaries, and the basal part of the inner webs of the tertiaries, blackish
brown on the upper surface; the margin of the wings and under wing-coverts melniie, win a sounewlnett
crescent-shaped mark of dark brown, margined with green, in the centre; the basal portion of the eauens
dark brown. The narrow outer web of the primaries above bluish green ; all the upper surface from ine
back of neck and mantle bright grass-green ; on the tertiaries to approximate secondaries a Suna spot of
white at the tips of the outer webs only; some of the lesser wing-coverts oe also a srumtlat spot in SS
w of the feathers between the shoulders have a bluish green tinge; two centre tail-
first feather on either side bright grass-green above; the lower
ither side tinged with green ; the inner webs of all the

specimens; and a fe
feathers and the outer webs of all except the
portion of the outer web of the first tail-feather on e
tail-feathers except the two centre ones blackish brown above,

feathers, but becoming blackish brown near the tips, which Sr ee ee
he outer feathers, diminishing into a narrow white

tinged with green near the shafts of the
) a white marginal spot more largely

developed on the inner webs and of greater extent on ¢
line on those next the centre tail-feathers. Bill light horn-colour.

«Total length 10 to 11 inches; bill from forehead 1, oe eye
the mouth 1-45, width at base 0°5; wing from flexure 5°5; tail 4°3; t
horn-colour. Claws light brown. 3

“This new species is at least one quarter less in size than ae ee
only found on the East-Coast ranges, about Cardwell, at Bas He oe a me
obtained, but unfortunately so late in the season that the plumage is ns er ke ee

“Its note resembles that of 4. Smithii, but is not so distinct a cry, anc 7 oe ee
in small flocks from ten to twenty in number, and frequent |

5 on
Carpophaga assis.

1:9 to 2, from nostril 0°6, from angle of
arsus 1°6 to 1:8, of a dark bluish

New-South-Wales bird, 2. Smith, and is
Several specimens were

a whistle. They assemble ;
; : . ‘hus ant
fruit-trees in company with Ptilonopus superbus a

The figure is of the natural size.

 

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