INSESSOllES. 599 



lead to a contrary supposition, it spends mucli of its time on 

 the ground, under the canopy and near the boles of the larger 

 trees, in a similar pursuit, and also traverses the fallen trunks 

 with a keen and scrutinizing eye. While on the ground it 

 has a pert lively action, passing over the surface in a succession 

 of quick shuffling hops, carrying its head erect with the 

 feathers puffed out, almost in the form of a crest. Among 

 the trees it assumes all the actions of the true Creeper, 

 ascending the upright boles, and traversing with the greatest 

 facility both the upper and under sides of the branches. It 

 never descends with the head downwards, like the members 

 of the genera Sitta and Sittella ; still I have seen it descend 

 an upright bole for a short distance, by hopping or shuffling 

 backwards, as it were, generally making a spiral course. 



It flies with a skimming motion of the wings, during which 

 the brown marking of the primaries is very conspicuous. 



Like many other insectivorous birds in Australia it seldom, 

 if ever, resorts to the water for the purpose of drinking. It 

 has a sharp piercing cry, which is frequently uttered, espe- 

 cially if the tree upon which it is climbing be approached. 



The breeding-season commences in August and continues 

 until January. The nest is generally placed deep down in a 

 hollow branch : those I found were entirely composed of 

 the hair of the Opossum, which, judging from its brightness 

 and freshness, had doubtless been plucked from the living 

 animal while reposing in the hollow trees. The eggs in all 

 the nests I took were two in number, of a reddish flesh- 

 colour, thickly blotched all over with reddish brown ; they 

 are ten and a half lines long by eight lines broad. 



The male has the crown of the head blackish brown ; lores 

 black ; line over the eye and the throat dull butf ; at the base 

 of the throat a few indistinct blackish-brown spots ; all the 

 upper surface rufous brown ; primaries blackish brown at the 

 base and light brown at the tip, all but the first crossed in 

 the centre by a broad band of buff", to which succeeds another 



