The stomach is muscular, and the food consists of insects of various genera, which are generally taken from off the leafy branches of the highest trees.
The sexes assimilate very closely in colouring, and only differ in the females and young males having the lores of a dull brown instead of black.
Lores black; crown of the head and all the upper surface dark grey; wings and tail black; chin, under surface of the wings, abdomen and under tail-coverts white; breast pale greyish white; irides brownish black; bill blackish brown; legs and feet black; insides of the feet and spaces between the scales of the tarsi mealy grey.
The figures are of the natural size.
GRAUCALUS SWAINSONII: Gould.
J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith. Hullmandel & Walton Imp.
GRAUCALUS SWAINSONII.
Swainson’s Graucalus.
Ceblepyris lineatus, Swains. in Zool. Journ., vol. i. p. 466.
Graucalus Swainsonii, Gould in Syn. Birds of Australia, Part IV.
This species of Graucalus, which is distinguished from all the other Australian members of the genus by the beautiful barring of the breast, was originally described by Mr. Swainson under the appellation of lineatus; but that term having been previously applied to another species of the group, it became necessary to change it; and in substituting that of Swainsonii, I was desirous of paying a just tribute to the talents of a gentleman who has laboured most zealously in the cause of natural science, and whose researches and writings are so well known to all ornithologists.