152 



AX AUSTRALIAN BIRD BOOK. 



325 Olive Whistler, Olivaceous Thickhead, P. oUvacea, 



N.S.W., v., T., Bass St. Is. Stat. r. humid scrubs 8 



Olive brown; head dark-gray; throat whitish marked 

 brown; faint gray band across chest; under reddish- 

 brown; f., no band on chest. Insects. "Liquid, 

 whistling note." 

 6 326* Yellow-breasted Shrike-Robin, Yellow Robin (e), 

 8 Wild Canary (e), Eopsaltria austraUs. N.S.W., V. 



Stat. c. timher 5.3 

 Dark-gray; upper base tail olive-yellow; throat grayish- 

 white; under bright yellow. Tame, perches on side of 

 sapling; f., sim. Insects. Piping note often repeated. 



the difficulty of skinning these birds, they were given the 

 name Pachycephala. It is unfortunate that the literal transla- 

 tion — thick head — was the name used by bird people for these 

 beautiful singers. It is now proposed to change the name to 

 Whistler. Strange to say, we have not heard a good local name 

 for these attractive and often gorgeous birds. 



To complete this interesting sub-family, we have the Yellow- 

 breasted Shrike-Robin — a confiding favorite, found in most dark 

 scrubs. Its single, often-repeated, piping note is responsible for 

 its name, Eopsaltria, "Psalm of the Dawn." This delightful 

 forest-dweller frequently perches sideways on a sapling. Six kinds 

 are known from Australia, and two more from adjacent islands. 



In Family 135 — Titmice or Tits — Australia has but five repre- 



