AN AUSTRALIAN BIRD BOOK. 129 



267 Chestnut-backed Ground-Bird (-Thrush). G. castano- 

 notum, W.N.S.W., W.V., S.A., W.A., N.W.A. 



Stat. r. plains 9 

 Upper chestnut-brown; eyebrow, side-throat white; throat, 

 chest black; shoulder black spotted white; tail tipped 

 white; f., duller; throat, chest gray. Insects. 

 1 268 Pilot Bird, Pycnoptilns floccosus, E.N.S.W., E.V. 



1 Stat. v.r. dense scrubby gullies 6.7 

 Rich dark-brown; throat rufous mottled dusky; f., sim. 



Insects. "Guinea-a-week." 

 3 269 Scrub-Robin, Drymodcs brunneipygius, N.S.W., V., 

 5 S.A. (interior). Stat., v.r. mallee, scrub § 



Upper brown; wings brown barred white; tail brown, 



slightly tipped white; under grayish-brown; long legs; 



shy, runs; f., smaller. Insects. Monotonous whistle. 



2 270 Chestnut-rumped Ground-Wren, Red-rumped Scrub- 



2 Warbler, Hylacola pyrrhopygia, N.S.W., V., S.A. 



Stat. v.r. dry scrubs 5.3 

 Upper brown; base tail chestnut-red, tip white; eyebrow 

 white; under streaked black, white; f., sim. Agree- 

 able song. 

 271 Shy Ground-Wren (Red-rumped, Cautious, Rufous- 

 rumped). Shy Scrub-Warbler, H. cauta, V., S.A., 

 W.A. Stat. v.r. dry scrubs 5.7 



Like 270, but small white patch near outer edge of wing; 

 shier; f., sim. Insects. 



3 272*Coachwhip Bird (Whip, Stockwhip), Psophodes 

 3 crepitans, E.S.Q., E.N.S.W., E.V. 



Stat. c. dense scrtcbs 10 

 Dark olive-green; black crest, breast; white side of throat, 

 centre of abdomen, tip-tail; f., smaller, duller. Insects. 

 Loud full note ends in a whip crack. 



The Spotted and Chestnut-backed Ground-Birds are rare 

 and are very quiet and shy as they run back under the shade of 

 a bush. Thus, they are seldom seen, though they are very beau- 

 tiful in their richly-spotted plumage. Driving along mallee 

 roads, one sometimes sees these birds make a short, quick run 

 to cover. A good name is required for them. Ground-Bird 

 is not very definite. 



The rich brown Pilot Bird rarely flies, but keeps low down 

 in the dense tangles and undergrowths in country like that about 

 Ferntree Gully. It must be patiently waited for, as it is very 

 shy. It, apparently, values its services highly, for it often calls 

 "A-guinea-a-week." 



The larger Scrub-Robin which lives only in the interior flies 

 little, but, as shown in the figure, it has long legs, suitable for run- 

 ning. Its color is not the dark-brown suitable for dark scrubs, 

 but is the light-brown which matches the dead mallee twigs lying 

 so thickly on the ground under the scrub. We met the Scrub- 

 Robin on Eyre Peninsula, but it was difficult to get a second look 



