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Show 1866.] MR. E. P. RAMSAY ON A N E W ATRICHIA. 439 white runs down from the centre of the throat, widening on the chest and spreading out at its base, joins the sides of the neck above the shoulders; underside of the tail-feathers dark brown, outer webs only freckled with a darker hue; under tail-coverts brown, barred with blackish brown, and margined with rufous brown. Total length 8 inches, wing 2 ^ inches, tail 4 inches. It is a curious fact that the specimens of A. clamosa and A. rufescens, procured by Gilbert, MacGillivray, or Masters are all males. 8. Remarks upon the N e w Species of Atrichia and on A. clamosa of the West Coast. By E. P. R A M S A Y , C.M.Z.S. Since I last forwarded my description of the new Atrichia, for which I proposed the specific name of rufescens, I find that Mr. James F. Wilcox procured the birds during an excursion made by Messrs. Wilcox and MacGillivray to the brushes of the Richmond River. Mr. Wilcox, therefore, is its discoverer, and not Mr. MacGillivray as I had stated. I have just received a very interesting note from Mr. J. F. Wilcox, in which he gives us the following valuable account of his discovery, which, I think, I cannot do better than give in his own words :- " In answer to your inquiries respecting the Atrichia, I have much pleasure in sending you all the particulars, which I take from my notes made at the time, November 17, 1865:-'In the Bowling Creek, Richmond River, in a dense scrub, in pursuit of Rifle-birds (Ptiloris paradisea), m y attention was drawn to the note of a bird I had never before heard, and from that moment I knew it would prove a prize should I have the good luck to procure it. I followed it up on m y hands and knees (for the scrub was too thick to stand up in) until the voice appeared almost at the muzzle of the gun ; here I remained fixed quite half an hour, and during that time I can scarcely describe m y feelings. I was almost inclined, although not superstitious, to think some evil spirit was playing me a trick ; for at one moment it would give out its own notes apparently just in front of me, and the next minute .mimic the Spine-tailed Orthonyx (O. spinicauda) in another direction ; then the Scrub-Robin's note would be imitated in some other place ; and even sometimes its voice seemed to come from the ground, at other times from the trees above me.' " This state of things lasted until I became painfully cramped from the position I had to lie in, and m y eyes painful from staring about so long. I was just about to give up, when, to m y delight, I saw m y tormentor hop from one bush to another, not more than 7 or 8 feet from where I had been lying the whole time. But the scrub was so densely thick I could not bring the gun to bear on it; but marking well the spot where the bird was sitting, I managed to back a little through a narrow open place, fired, and to m y intense satisfaction succeeded in bringing it down. During the whole time |
