OF SOUTHERN AUSTRALIA. 151 



birds in the high parts of tall timber, but, with slim-bodied 

 animals only 4 inches long, it is not easy. Assisted by their 

 calls and a field-glass you will find them. For a time the 

 little ventriloquists may lead your eyes in all directions, and 

 finally close above you will be seen that for which you 

 search. 



Mr. Gould claims that P. ornatus has two notes in its call. 

 This sub-species has three, phonetically '* pick-it-up," or 

 " wit-e-chu." Occasionally, I believe, there is a hard-sounding 

 trill, the identity of which I am not sure. 



Both sexes take part in planning the nest and in the ex- 

 cavation work. While one is labouring at the bowl, the other 

 is expelling the material with its feet, little by little, till 

 finally it is forced out beyond the entrance to the ground 

 below. By quietly approachins; the tunnel mouth I saw the 

 process in certain of its interesting stages. 



The male either takes part in incubation, or, w^hich is more 

 unlikely, does all the sitting, because, when I cut away the 

 whole tunnel at a later date (4th November, 1893), I found 

 it alone upon the eggs. Within 2 feet of the entrance was a 

 second cave. It was nearly 3 inches in the hard soil, and 

 sufficient only to shelter the non-sitting bird in the night. 



The nesting of the sub-species appears to differ from that 

 of P. ornatus in so far as feathers are not used as a lining to 

 the nest. Further observation will probably show there is no 

 regular difference. 



One nest I found to be cup-shaped, with an irregular and 

 loosely-constructed outer lip. Dry grasses are used internally, 

 and a soft bark in part, specially upon the floor. The whole 

 appears in two portions, the inner being a neat and cup-like 

 body placed down in a loose but regular spherical wall of 

 dried grasses, interwoven and towering concavely above the 

 lip of the inner wall by an inch on one side and 1.5 inches on 

 the opposite one. Height of nest, on one side 3 inches, and 



