BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 41 



Young. — Dull bro\vnish-oli\e ; patch of dull Vfllow on each 

 side of the chest; centre of abdomen white. 



Nest. — AccoixUng to Mr. A. L. Butler, the position of the nest 

 varies according to the nature of the scrub in which it is found. 

 He saj's : — " I have found them as low as 3 inches from the ground 

 and as high as 9 feet, in grass and fenis, and then again in the 

 dead fronds of the tree-feni." The nest is globular in shape, with 

 a side entrance, and is composed of strips of bark, rootlets, and a 

 little green moss, the lining being fern down, feathers, and fur. 



Eggs. — Clutch three; inclined to oval in shape; texture of 

 shell fine ; surface glossy ; colour pearly-white, more or less blotched 

 with reddish-brown and purplish-brown, and, as is often the case, 

 the markings are heaviest about the stouter end. Dimensions in 

 mm. of a clutch :— (1) 18 x 13, (2) 19 x 13, (3) 18.5 x 12.5. 



Breeding Season. — October and November principall3^ 



Geographical Distribidion. — Tasmania. 



Observations. — On account of the nature of the country' it 

 frequents, combined with its shyness, this interesting Scrub-Tit 

 is but rarely seen vmless one lays oneself out to specially search 

 for it. Of its habits Mr. Butler says : — " With its mouse-like move- 

 ments, it will fly to the base of a tree-fern, run rapidlj- to the 

 top and down the other side, just pausing long enough to grasp 

 an unwary beetle, or some such small object, then off again to 

 another tree, and repeat the performance. Whilst it is feeding 

 its note is a short 'Cheep, cheep,' but at times you will hear 

 it trilling out a little song something like the Calamanthus (Reed- 

 Lark), but not so full or sustained as that bird's note." 



Regarding the distribution of this Tit, it has been found round 

 Piper's River in the north, Penguin in the north-west, and 

 Waratah in the west. I expect there are other places where it is 

 present. JNIr. Butler has found it at the Huon, Carnarvon, North- 

 West Bay River, Glenorchy, Bismarck, New Norfolk, in addition to 

 different places about the base of INIount Wellington. 



*BROWN SCRUB-WREN 



(Sericornis humilis, Gould). 



Male. — Crown of the head, back, and wings dark olive-brown; 

 rump and tail dark olive-brown tinged with reddish ; ' ' spurious 

 wing blackish-brown, each feather margined with white; throat 

 greyish-white spotted with blackish-brown" (Gould); chest dark 

 grey, passing into brownish-yellow on abdomen; chest obscurely 

 marked with blackish-brown; flanks rufous-brown. Dimensions in 

 mm. : — Length, 130; bill, 13; wing, 62; tail, 54; tarsus, 25. 



Female. — Similar to male, except that the lores are slate 

 instead of black. 



Nest. — Somewhat large for the size of the bird ; inclined to 

 globular in shape, with the entrance at the side ; composed of fine 



