The sexes do not differ in outward appearance, and may be thus described:—
Throat, centre of the breast and a broad stripe over each eye white; lores and ear-coverts dark brown; centre of the crown, back and sides of the neck greyish brown, gradually deepening into very dark brown on the wing-coverts, back and scapularies; wings very dark brown, with the exception of the inner webs of the primaries, which are rufous for three-fourths of their length from the base; tail-coverts and tail black, the latter largely tipped with pure white; abdomen and flanks dark brown, stained with rusty red; bill blackish olive-brown, except the basal portion of the lower mandible, which is greyish white; irides in the adult straw-yellow, in the young brown; feet blackish brown.
The figures are of the natural size.
POMATORHINUS RUBECULUS: Gould
J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith. C. Hullmandel Imp.
POMATORHINUS RUBECULUS, Gould.
Red-breasted Pomatorhinus.
Pomatorhinus rubeculus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part VII. p. 144.
This bird is rather numerously dispersed over the northern parts of Australia, where it takes the place of the Pomatorhinus temporalis of New South Wales, from which it differs but little either in size or colouring; its slightly smaller dimensions and the red hue of the breast are, however, characteristics by which it may at all times be distinguished from its prototype. Mr. Gilbert states that on the Cobourg Peninsula, it inhabits the open parts of the country, and when disturbed takes to the higher branches of the gums, first mounting upon one of the lower boughs, and then by a succession of hops and leaps ascending to the top. In its actions and economy it very closely assimilates to the other species of the genus, being like them a noisy and restless bird; and feeding on insects, which are frequently sought for on the ground under the canopy of the larger trees.
Throat and stripe over each eye white; chest and upper part of the abdomen dull brownish red; stripe from the nostrils through each eye to the occiput blackish brown; centre of the crown, back and lower part of the abdomen dark brown, slightly tinged with olive; upper and under tail-coverts and tail black, all the feathers of the latter tipped with white; irides straw-yellow; bill blackish grey, becoming paler at the base; legs and feet greenish grey.
The sexes are alike in plumage, as will be seen by the accompanying Plate, which represents a male and a female of the natural size.