Bill small, shorter than the head, nearly cylindrical; tomia curved and pointing downwards; a well-defined notch at the extremity of the upper mandible; nostrils basal, round, and covered with the short feathers of the forehead; wings long and pointed, the fourth feather the longest; tail lengthened, the four middle and the lateral feather on each side shorter than the rest; tarsi long, stout; toes rather short, the inner toe longer than the outer one, hind-toe large and lengthened, the toe and nail nearly equalling in length the middle toe and nail.
The general structure of the only known species of this form resembles that of Graucalus and of Campephaga, but the bill is so small as to be quite out of proportion with the body; its lengthened wings and tarsi adapt it both for flight and for moving rapidly over the surface of the ground.
| 104. Pteropodocys Phasianellus, Gould | [Vol. II. ] Pl. 59. |
Inhabits the whole of the interior of Southern Australia from east to west; the extent of its range northward has not been ascertained. It has many habits in common with the Graucali; but while those birds are destined for the trees the present bird is adapted for the ground, where it procures and feeds upon insects of various genera, particularly locusts and grasshoppers. It frequents the open plains in small companies of from three to six or eight in number, and is very animated in its actions, but at the same time most cautious and shy.
Genus Campephaga, Vieill.
The members of this genus are spread over India and the Indian Islands, and the fauna of Australia comprises four species; they are allied to the Graucali, but are much smaller in size, and more active among the branches.
The sexes are generally very dissimilar in colour and markings, while in Graucalus they are alike. The nidification and the form of the nests of the two genera are very similar.
| 105. Campephaga Jardinii, Gould | [Vol. II. ] Pl. 60. |
| 106. Campephaga Karu | [Vol. II. ] Pl. 61. |
| 107. Campephaga leucomela, Vig. & Horsf. | [Vol. II. ] Pl. 62. |
| 108. Campephaga humeralis, Gould | [Vol. II. ] Pl. 63. |
Genus Pachycephala, Swains.
The Pachycephala gutturalis may be regarded as the type of this group of birds, which is peculiarly Australian, and comprises many species, universally distributed over the country. Their habits differ from those of most other insectivorous birds, particularly in their quiet mode of hopping about and traversing the branches of the trees in search of insects and their larvæ: caterpillars constitute a great portion of their food; but coleoptera and other insects are not rejected. The more gaily-attired species, such as P. gutturalis, P. glaucura, P. melanura and P. pectoralis, resort to the flowering Acaciæ, Eucalypti and other stately trees, while the more dull-coloured ones frequent the ground: they all build a neat, round, cup-shaped nest, and the eggs are generally four in number. Their powers of flight are not great: some of the species enjoy a wide range of habitat, while others are extremely local. The song of some is loud and rather pleasing, while others merely emit a whistling note, slowly but frequently repeated.