.V£SrS AND ECC.S Oh AVSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



-'3> 



A'(/(/»-, — Clutth, three ; inclined to oval in shape ; texture of shell very 

 tine ; surface slightly glossy ; colour, warm or pinkish-white, finely freckled 

 with reddisli-brown, generally foniiing a zone round the apex. Dimensions 

 in inches of a proper clutch: (1) -68 x -48, (2) -GT x -48, (3) 65 x -46. 

 (Plate 10.) 



Observations. — This coumiou colom'ed little bush bird ranges throughout 

 the eastern portion of Australia, possibly being more plentiful towards the 

 south. 



According to Mr. K. Broadbcnt, the Little Brown Tit is not uncommon 

 at Herberton and in the mountain sciiibs at the back of Cardwell, 

 Northern Queensland. He relates that when standing with Mr. Meston 

 on the summit of the central peak of Mount Bcllenden-Kcr, one mid- 

 winter day, the Little Ijrowu Tit was the sole representative of animal 

 lifo to obtrude itself upon the notice of the explorers, its cliirrup alone 

 breaking the oi)prcssive silence there reigning. 



It is an active little bird, and at times emits pretty warbling notes, 

 in fact, it was called the Dwarf Warbler* in Latham's early work. 



Dr. Ramsay writes : — " Upon cvei-y occasion that we have discovered 

 its nest it has been placed within a few inches of the ground. One I have 

 at present before me is suspended to the underside of a fern (I'icri.s 

 fiqitl/iiut } ; it is a closely interwoven, dome-shaped structure, in form 

 resembling that of A. lineatu, but differs from it in the outside being 

 made as rough as possible with coarse pieces of strong bark and grasses, 

 which hang down and stick out in various directions. It is comjjosed 

 chiefly of stringy-bark and the white paper-like bark of the tea-tree, lined 

 inside with cotlon-trcc down and feathers ; length 4 inches by 3 inches 

 in breadth. 



" Besides being the foster-parent of the Chalcucocnj.i: hamlis and 

 C. playosus, this species frequently rears the young of Cacumantis 

 flahellifitrmis : three nests out of four lately found of tliis Acanthiza 

 contained an egg of the C. flahidliformix." 



I have found the nest of the Little Brown Tit in the Mordialloc scrub 

 in August. The middle of September, 1888, I noted in that locality three 

 nests — one built, one containing eggs, and one with young. Mr. North 

 has noted the bird building in New South Wales as early as the "JOth 

 Jiuie, therefore the breeding season may be said to e.xtend from June to 

 November or December, during which period no doubt two or three 

 broods are reared. 



This Tit's nest, together with that of the Striated Tit, make a good 

 pair for a picture. By reference to the illustration it will be noticed that 

 the latter nest is on a musk branchlet. 



' Some recent authors use the term Thornbill— a name already applied to 

 a number of Humminpr Birds — as a vernacular name for the Acanthizas. 



