202 Jackson, Secnvd Trip io Macpherson Range. 0. [,<;fA"rii 



Red-bodied blow-flies were common, and deposited their eggs on 

 clothes, blankets, food, and anything ; they loved the coolest 

 parts of the range. March-flies of several species frequently 

 stung us severely ; specimens were collected for identification. 

 They form food for many of the birds. 



The three young Scrub-Birds obtained on this trip make a 

 unique series, as they are of different ages — about three, five, 

 and eight weeks old respectively. In the bodies of the two oldest 

 the male organs are discernible, but the youngest bird shows 

 nothing. Judging from my experience, one would assume that 

 the young of this species grow and develop very fast, and don 

 their adult plumage very early. 



The bird lays an enormous egg in comparison with the size of 

 its body, and consequently, when hatched, the young one is well 

 advanced, and grows fast. This is possibly the reason why the 

 sexual organs develop so early compared with the young of much 

 larger species. The note of the young bird is different from that 

 of the adults ; it resembles the sound produced by suddenly 

 drawing the finger-nail across a rough or rusty lid on a small 

 empty tin 3 or 4 inches high. 



The three young birds were collected on the following dates : — 

 (fl) No. I (male), about 8 weeks old, collected 2nd November, 

 1920 ; {h) No. 2 (no sex), about 3 weeks old, collected 4th Novem- 

 ber, 1920 ; (c) No. 3 (male), about 5 weeks old, collected 29th 

 October, 1920. These three specimens, in the flesh, gave the 

 following descriptions and measurements (millimetres) : — 



{a) (Young male) — total length, 178; wing, 64^; tarsus, 20; bill 

 to base of gape, 20 ; tail, 69 ; upper mandible dark horn, lower 

 mandible yellow ; eyes dark slaty brown (not coffee-colour like 

 adults) ; gape of mouth yellow ; inside mouth whitish ; legs 

 brownish-horii ; feet paie brownish-horn ; under feet pale yellow ; 

 edges of wing feathers and wing coverts of a darker chestnut or 

 reddish-brown than in adult birds; no black. patch showing on 

 breast ; patch of rufous on abdomen much larger than in adult 

 male ; throat whitish. Two young ones were noticed at an 

 altitude of nearly 3,900 feet with the mother ; they were shy and 

 wary. We secured one young one, and did not interfere with 

 the other or the mother. Once we were within 8 feet of her, and 

 she excitedly rendered the usual " ticking " note. The young 

 one on several occasions made an attempt at mimicking, and 

 caused us much amusement, especially when he tried the notes 

 of the Olive Thickhead, which was calling close by. His attempt, 

 however, was not altogether a failure. Scrub-Birds apparently 

 start- their mimicking antics early. 



[h) (Juvenile, no sex) — total length, 129 ; wing, 54 ; tarsus, 17^ ; 

 bill to base of gape, 16 ; tail, 38 ; upper mandible dark horn, lower 

 mandible yellow ; eyes dark slaty- brown ; gape of mouth rich 

 yellow ; inside mouth yellow ; legs, feet, and claws very pale horn ; 

 under feet pale yellow. This is the smallest and youngest speci- 



