122 



AN AUSTRALIAN BIRD BOOK. 



11 244*Scarlet-breasted Robin, Petroica Xeggei, S.Q., N.S.W., 

 17 v., S.A., W.A., T. 



Mig. c. (winter) open, (summer) forest gullies 

 Head, throat, upper black; cap white; white bands an 

 wing; breast scarlet; lower-abdomen dull-white; outer- 

 tail white; bill, feet black; f.,* upper, under brown; 

 breast tinged red; white marks on wing. Insects. 



5.2 



Tacky Winter, is less formal than Brown Flycatcher — a name 

 which is already in use for another bird. 



The Robin Redbreast of Britain is regarded with affection by 

 all English children. That feeling hns been transferred to the 

 externally slightly similar "Robin Redbrensts" of this country, 

 though they are not at all related to the British Robins. Red- 

 breast is really the name of the English bird, and Robin is per- 

 haps a term of endearment added to the name Redbreast. While 

 the British bird has a rufous breast, the Australian birds have 

 a scarlet breast, and are much handsomer birds. The British 

 Robin is now placed in the Thrush family. 



Once given to members of this family, the name Robin has been 

 adopted for related birds that have no red — e.g., the black 

 and white Hooded Robin, and the Tasmanian Dusky Robin. The 

 Shrike Robins belong to the Shrike family, so they need not 

 be mentioned here. The Scrub Robin of the inland dry scrubs 

 belongs to the same family as the Coachwhip Bird and the Babbler. 



The Fantails and some, at least, of the Flycatchers proper are 



