Vol. VII. 



j Hotnesteads, Break-o'-day District, Tasmania. 1 45 



Dick " has the field all to himself, without the fear of the 

 depredatory Shrike molesting its young. At such times the 

 male in the early morning indulges in a wonderful variety of 

 "whistles," most of which seem to be solely reserved for tiie 

 nuptial .'^eason, as they are not heard during the rest of the year 

 in the bush haunts of the bird. There is, however, nothing new 

 in this feature of its economy, as it, of course, exists in the case 

 of so many of our palaearctic songsters in Europe. It is in the 

 month of September that this Shrike-Thrush is first heard. 

 Just about daybreak it moves about from tree to tree, keeping 

 usually to the upper branches, and pours forth its loud and 

 not unmelodious whistles, some of which are answered by its 

 mate. The pleasantest calls are those which terminate in a 

 harmonious, long-drawn syllable, all of which could without 

 much difficulty be " syllabified " by any observer possessed of 

 a correct ear for sound. Most of these vocal efforts commence 

 with the syllables zvok or ivok-ivok, which, in the distance, when 

 compared with the louder ones which immediately follow, are 

 scarcely audible. Occasionally these notes are preceded by a 

 low chattering noise, appearing to come from the region of the 

 mandibles, and which can only be distinguished if one is 

 standing directly under the tree and the bird perched low down 

 in it. 



The usual call in the bush — zvok c/iee-iv/iitee — is not so much 

 indulged in at this season. A series of the bird's varied notes is 

 often commenced by the call cho-ivl-l-ek or wok-cle-atk, often 

 followed at a short interval by quock quock tee lecenk or wok 

 wok ie whitee-teenk, the latter syllables forming the melodious 

 sound in the bar. This latter call, or one similar to it, is 

 reiterated for a considerable time in the early morning. 



During one season, when the Shrike-Thrushes were very 

 noisy, a pair built in the ivy surrounding the trunk of a 

 eucalyptus, and from the nest the female used to answer her 

 mate in some of his calls. Noticing that the notes issued from 

 the ivy creeper, I climbed up, and, examining it, found the nest; 

 the bird left it and perched on a branch of the creeper, about 3 

 feet from my head, and, uttering one of her whistles, flew away. 

 The nest was not finished as to lining, and was forthwith 

 deserted by the birds. 



As an instance of the fearless nature of this species, I have 

 found them flying into the sheep-shed to pick at the sheepskins 

 while shearing was going on with doors opening into the shed. 



Petrckca PHcENICIA (Flame-breasted Robin). 



It is only of recent years that this beautiful Robin has become 

 partial to our grounds, frequenting the orchard and the lime- 

 avenue, as well as the lawns and vicinity of the plantations. It 

 has been already recorded by the writer as being seen here in 



