the name of an Australian birdwhich has not been identified. The word does not occurin the ornithological lists.
1862. H. C. Kendall, `Poems – – Evening Hymn,' p. 53:
«The echu's songs are dying with the flute-bird's mellow tone.»
1896. `The Australasian,' Jan. 11, p. 73, col. 1:
«`Yeldina' (Rochester) writes – – While I was on the Murray, a fewdays before Christmas last, some miles below Echuca, myattention was attracted to the melancholy note, as of a birdwhich had lost its mate, calling ee-k-o-o, e-e-koo, which wasrepeated several times, after which a pause, then ee-koo,ee-ko, coolie, coolie, ee-koo. This happened in the scrub atsunset, and came, I think, from a bird smaller than theAustralian minah, and of a greenish yellowish hue, larger, butsimilar to the members of the feathered tribe known to youngcity `knights of the catapult' as greenies. It was whilereturning to camp from fishing that I noticed this bird, whichappeared of solitary habits.»
«`Crossbolt' (Kew) writes – – The echu is probably identical witha handsome little bird whose peculiar cry `e-e-choo' isfamiliar to many bush ramblers. It is the size of a smallwood-swallow; black head, back, wings, and tail more or lessblue-black; white throat; neck and breast light to richbrown. The female is much plainer, and would scarcely berecognized as the mate of the former. The melodious `e-e-choo'is usually answered from a distance, whether by the female or arival I cannot say, and is followed by a prolonged warbling.»