^"'i'.)m''1 Ross, Notes on the Rufous Bristle-Bird. I23 



be hatched, and thi- otlicr may \n- lakcii troin the nest alter the 

 young bird lias tlowii, or, peiiiaps, 1 sliould say run. Ihe ill- 

 matched eggs in the ordinary clutch, and the hatching of only one 

 of them, are two more hnks between the l-5ristle-Bird and the 

 Pilot-Bird ; but I think both i)eculiarities occur more often with 

 the former than with the latter species. One more habit both 

 sj)ecies have is that of hopping on the highest point of a bit of 

 scrub when a distant noise is heard, and in this manner obtaining 

 a view much less restricted than is to be got from the ground. 

 I might also mention the rapidity of building the nest (two or 

 three days) as a habit common to both species. Between the 

 way the two species construct and conceal tfieir nests there is, 

 however, a great difference ; for of all the nests of the Bristle- 

 Bird I have found, the best-hidden was not so hard to find as the 

 least difficult of those of the Pilot-Bird which I have seen. The 

 nests of the latter species harmonize with their surroundings to 

 a far greater extent than is the case with the former. In fact, 

 as a rule the nest of the Bristle- Bird is not hard to find when you 

 are near it : but usually you cannot get near it without having 

 forced your way through a considerable amount of scrub, with 

 disastrous results to your clothing. With the Pilot-Bird the 

 opening into the nest is usually the first object about it to catch 

 the eye, and it is the fact that it is by no means a large opening 

 that makes the nest so difficult to find. Another habit I observed 

 with one pair of Bristle-Birds when I was near a chick was the 

 frequent spreading of the tail in a manner similar to that adopted 

 by a male Pigeon when courting his mate. In this feature it 

 resembles the Coachwhip-Bird (Psophod^s crepitans), which, like 

 the Pilot-Bird, inhabits the densely scrub-covered ranges of 

 eastern Victoria, similar in character to the ranges in south- 

 western Victoria frequented by the Bristle-Bird. My visits to 

 Lome have not been sufficiently long for me to ascertain the 

 period of incubation, or how long the young birds remain in the 

 nest after being hatched. As to food, I can speak definitely only 

 of the contents of the stomachs of the birds shot, and for my 

 information as to these I am indebted to Mr. Chandler. The 

 stomach of each bird contained a number of seeds presumably 

 of a species of Acacia, a few smaller seeds which were unknown 

 to Mr. Chandler, and young green shoots of some plant or shrub. 

 One of the stomachs also contained a small borer beetle. The 

 green shoots predominated. From the nature of the country the 

 birds frequent, and their keeping to the ground, one would expect 

 to find more insects, and probably at times of the year when seeds 

 and tender vegetation are scarce insects form a more important 

 part of the bird's diet. The call I most frequently heard con- 

 sisted of about nine notes, the first six being those which resemble 

 the squeak of the cart-wheel, although, in justice to the birds. 

 I must say that I do not like the simile. The odd numbers are 

 all in one tone, and the even numbers all in another, slightly 

 deeper, the three last being most musical, rich in tone, of greater 



