232 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



Bass's Straits, neither has the extent of its range northwards 

 been ascertained. It is, I beheve, everywhere a stationary 

 species, but although its distribution is so general, it is 

 nowhere very plentiful. From what I observed of it, it 

 appeared to give a decided preference to the naked sterile 

 crowns of hills and open bare glades in the forests, and I 

 should say that its presence is indicative of a poor and 

 bad land. It resorts much to the ground, over the surface of 

 which it hops with great quickness, often in small companies 

 of from three to six in number. When flushed it flies but a 

 short distance, generally to a large horizontal branch of a 

 iicighhoui'mgUi(calj/ptus, along \Y\\ic\i it passes in a succession 

 of quick hops, similar to those of the Common Sparrow of 

 Europe. It is very animated in many of its actions, parti- 

 cularly the male, whose erected crest and white face, relieved 

 by tlie beautiful orange-colour of the eye, give it a very 

 sprightly appearance. The female, on the other hand, being 

 nearly uniform in colour, having the eye hazel and the crest 

 less developed, is by no means so attractive. I regret much 

 that it is not in my power to convey an idea of the sounds 

 uttered by this bird, for they are singular in the extreme ; 

 besides which, it is a perfect ventriloquist, its peculiar, 

 mournful, piping whistle appearing to be at a considerable 

 distance, while the bird is perched on a large branch of a 

 neighbouring tree. Gilbert having described to the best of 

 his power the singular note of this species, I give his own 

 words ; but no description can convey anything like an ac- 

 curate idea of it ; notes of birds, in fact, are not to be 

 described, — they must be heard to be understood. " The 

 most singular feature," says Gilbert, " connected with this 

 bird is, that it is a perfect ventriloquist. At first its note 

 commences in so low a tone that it sounds as if at a con- 

 siderable distance, and then gradually increases in volume 

 until it appears over the head of the wondering hearer, the 

 bird that utters it being all the while on the dead part of a 



