INSESSORES. 355 



away among the underwood. Its food, whicli consists of 

 insects of various kinds, is obtained on the ground or among 

 the trunks of the prostrate trees, over which and the large 

 stones it passes with much ease and agihty. 



The sexes are very similar in colour, but the female may at 

 all times be distinguished by her smaller size and the less 

 strongly contrasted tints of her plumage, particularly in the 

 hue of the streak running through the eye and extending 

 over the ear-coverts, which is neither so dark nor so broad as 

 in the male. 



One of the most interesting points connected with the 

 history of this species is the situations chosen for its nest. 

 All those who have rambled in the Australian forests must 

 have observed that in their more dense and humid parts there 

 is a redundant growth of mosses of various kinds, and that 

 these mosses not only grow upon the trunks of decayed 

 trees, but are often accumulated at the extremities of the 

 drooping branches, in masses of sufficient size to admit 

 of the bird constructing a nest in the centre of them with 

 so much art that it is impossible to distinguish those 

 selected for this purpose from any of the other pendulous 

 masses in the vicinity. These bunches are frequently a yard 

 in length, and in some instances hang so near the ground as 

 to strike the head of the explorer during his rambles ; while 

 in others they are placed high up upon the trees, but only in 

 those parts of the forest where there is an open space entirely 

 shaded by overhanging foliage. As will be readily conceived, 

 in whatever situations they are met with, they at all times 

 form a remarkable and conspicuous feature in the forest 

 scenery. Although the nest is constantly disturbed by the 

 wind and liable to be shaken when the tree is disturbed, so 

 secure does the inmate consider itself from danger or in- 

 trusion of any kind, that I have frequently captiu'ed the 

 female while sitting on her eggs. 



The nest is formed of the inner bark of trees, intermingled 



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