66 BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 



mm. of a clutch:— (1) 17.5 x 13, (2) 18 x 14, (3) 19 x 13.5, (4) 

 19 X 14, (5) 18 X 14. 



Breeding Season. — September to January. 



Geographical Distribution. — Tasmania, King and some other 

 islands in Bass Strait, New South Wales, Victoria, South Aus- 

 tralia, and South Queensland. 



Observations. — When all else is still in the bush the monotonous 

 " Sleep, baby " cry of this Pardalote may be heard issuing from the 

 tops of the loftiest eucalypts. In some districts it is a very plentiful 

 species, and may be seen in small flocks moving froin tree-top to 

 tree-top. Occasionally it descends into the low scrub and may be 

 observed busily searching the under sides of the boughs and leaves 

 for insects. I have never observed it descend in heavily timbered 

 country, but always in light-wooded tracts. In addition to insects, 

 it feeds on seeds of various descriptions. Small flocks sometimes 

 com.e out of the bush and visit the trees in suburban gardens, 

 especially during autumn and winter. 



^SPOTTED PAEDALOTE (Diamond-Bird) 

 {Pardalotus punctatus, Temm.) 



Male. — "Crown of the head, wings, and tail black, each feather 

 having a round spot of white at the tip ; a stripe of white com- 

 mences at the nostrils and passes over the eye ; ear coverts and 

 sides of the neck grey ; feathers of the back grey at the base, 

 succeeded by a triangular-shaped spot of fawn colour, and edged 

 with black; rump rufous-brown; upper tail coverts crimson; 

 throat, chest, and under tail coverts yellow; abdomen and flanks 

 tawny; bill black ; feet brown " (Gould). Dimensions in mm. of an 

 average bird from the Launceston district: — Length, 87; bill, 6; 

 wing, 56; tail, 33; tarsus, 18. 



Female. — Upper surface differs from that of the male in that 

 the feathers on the crown of the head are tipped with pale yellow 

 and edged with black ; throat and chest whitish, instead of yellow ; 

 rest of plumage as in male. Dimensions in mm. : — Length, 97; 

 bill, 6; wing, 58; tail, 34; tarsus, 20. 



Young. — Fully fledged, each and every feather on the upper 

 surface and head tipped with a beautiful golden-orange. 



Nest. — Almost invariably if not invariably the nest is placed 

 in a hollow cavity at the end of a tunnel varying in length from 

 1 foot to 3 feet drilled in the side of a railway cutting, sand-pit, 

 or almost any bank at all suitable. I have found nests in a low 

 bank at the side of a road along which much daily trafflc passed. 

 The tunnel is always drilled in a slightly upward direction. The 

 nest is spherical in shape, and composed of fine and soft strips of 

 bark, with a lining of grass and feathers. A nest containing five 

 fully fledged young birds was composed entirely of fine grasses. 



Eggs. — Clutch four to five ; fairly round in shape ; texture fine ; 

 surface slightly lustrous; colour pure white. Dimensions in mm. 



