Report on the collection of Australian vertebrata contained in the museum of the Asiatic Society, Calcutta / [Edward Blyth].
- Edward Blyth
- Date:
- 1848]
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Report on the collection of Australian vertebrata contained in the museum of the Asiatic Society, Calcutta / [Edward Blyth]. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![different, and I doubt whether they can be brought under any other natural family. The Paridce are represented by two peculiar generic forms—Falcunculus (frontatus, leucogaster, and jiavigulus), and Oreoica (cristate). These have been referred to the Laniadce, a form which has no Australian representative . unless, indeed, Colluricincla can be approximated to Tephroaornis.* The Certhiadce likewise exhibit peculiar genera,—as Sittella (of which Mr. Gould figures three species), replacing Sitta of Europe, Asia, and N. America,f —and Climacteric (six species figured), more allied to true Certhia, though soft-tailed. The Merulidce, subfam. Merulince, present two species only (so far as l am aware) of true Thrushes; viz. 0reocincla lunulata, (Lath.), to which it is doubtful whether O. varia, (Horsf.), should not be referred];; and Merula fuli¬ ginose, (Lath.), v. M. nestor, Gould. The Colluricinclce are decidedly not Meruline. The Suxicolince are numerous, and generically peculiar. Among them the genus Pachycephala is remarkable for its large head and thickened bill: the allied division Eopsaltria indicating, however, its true position. Then follow Petroica, Erythrodryas, and Drymodes; and Micrceca is evidently one of the various fly-catching modifications of the same great rubeculine subtype. The Praticolirue constitute an extensive series, which is nearly peculiar to Australia. Such are the divisions Pruticola, Sw. (v. Calamanthus, Gould), Hylacola, Chthonicola, Sericurnis, Origma, Ephthianura, Pyrr/w/cemus, Sym- mojphus (?), Acanthiza, and Gerygone (olirn Psilopus) : species of the two last inhabit eastern Malasia. The Myiotherime are represented by three species of Brachyurus (v. Pitta) ; allied in form to those of India proper. The CinclorhamphincB comprise true Cinclorhamphus, so nearly allied to Mega- FringiUina inhabit every latitude, keeping’ chiefly however, to more elevated land within the tropics ; where, in the hot regions, they are mainly represented by the TanagrincE. A curious little Fringilline bird, from the Sandwich Islands, is figured by Mr. Gould by the name Linaria? coccinea (Zoology of H. M. S. ‘ Sulphur.’) Again, a peculiar group of FringiUida exists in Geospiza, Cactornis, &c. of Gould, from the Gallapagos Islands, figured in the Zoology of the ‘ Beagle,’ and one species from Bow Island in that of the ‘ Sulphur.’ Scissirostrum Pagei, Guerin, of the Moluccas is a very peculiar Fringillidous form, which I think, however, is allied to the EstreldhuE. * Compare more particularly the species which I presume to be C. Selbii, Gould, with one of the larger species of Tephrodornis, as T. sylvicola, Jerdon. f In New Zealand, replaced by Acanthisitta, G. R. Gray ; several species. X In this remark I have followed Mr. Strickland, but have since met. with an old memorandum on the subject, which I give in the Appendix. Mr. Gould distinguishes O. mucrorhyncha ( P. Z. S. 1837, p. 145), from New Zealand.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b30351340_0051.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
