Vol. VI, 

 1907 



1 Sir ay Feat keys. ^35 



timbered country inland. Behind the sand dunes are thickets 

 of tea-tree scrub matted with coastal sword grass, and into this 

 the Bristle-Bird advanced.* But further along the vegetation 

 alters ; tea-tree clings to the foot of straggling cliffs of soft 

 young sandstone, then undergrowth is less profuse, then the same 

 tea-tree stands out alone in low tufts or brakes upon the 

 rounded sides of the seaward slopes, until finally it is lost in the 

 rolling dune sands of the Barvvon mouth. This view extends 

 over about 40 miles of coast line, and along this the Bristle- 

 Bird has gone until it could proceed no further. It has not 

 moved past Point Addis to the eastward. Of course, there are 

 sundry breaks where no cover exists, but still the Bristle-Bird 

 seems to have passed these with ease and taken up its abode 

 wherever any inducement offered. It will be interesting to 

 ascertain what difference exists between birds from the extreme 

 ends of this line of march, for such movement as this, from thick 

 forest undergrowth to sea-blown slopes, where tea-tree tufts 

 provide a forest and an undergrowth in one, must result in some 

 marked changes. Such difference in habitat, when long 

 sustained, will result, in fact, in the making of a new species. 



No less than eleven pairs of birds came under our observation 

 in about two miles of scrub. In parts matted with sword grass, 

 they were more often heard than seen, but in one or two more 

 open places the birds, especially when nesting, could be attracted 

 about one's feet by making a squeaking noise. One pair which 

 had a large young one running about with them were quite 

 pugnacious. The male, with spread wings and tail, approached 

 to within 3 feet. The food in the stomach of one bird examined 

 consisted of about three-parts of comminuted brown chafer 

 beetles and one part cranberry fruits. A bird was noticed out 

 on the beach sand in search of these beetles, which were very 

 plentiful, but the cranberry bushes were only found in the 

 higher land to tlie rear. The birds also eat earth grubs, for 

 which they search after the manner of GeocicJUa^ running along 

 a few feet and then standing quite still, moving on again in a 

 few seconds or digging out an insect with a probe or two of the 

 bill. The birds rarely fly, but sometimes mount on to a prom- 

 inent stick or bush to whistle. In the mornings it was noticed 

 they were always very late with their song. Singing Honey- 

 eaters {Ptilotis sonora) were very plentiful, and welcomed the 

 daybreak in all directions with their delightful notes, but they 

 were an hour ahead of the Bristle-Birds. 



The nest of Sphenura broadbenti hereabouts is built of dead 

 cutting-grass {Lepidosperma) leaves, a broad platform at the 

 entrance sometimes being built of broader leaves of sword-grass 

 carried into the structure small end first. The circumference of 

 the nest is about 24 inches. The interior, which is built of 



* See Plate X. 



