4 CHISHOLM, Xotes on Two AVtc Birds. Rff^r 



ever be gained in tliose gloomy i)lace>. Indeed, the bird looked 

 :-o dark that I almost donbted its identitv ; bnt there was no mis- 

 taking the long. Or///o»v.i'-like tail. And presently I got a 

 glimj)se of the barred, rufons colonring: for. acting upon a few- 

 more twitters of persuasion, the wondering avine recluse half- 

 circled me and hopped upon the other end of the old log. For 

 quite a while the little beauty — it is a beautiful bird, for all its 

 protective toloratiori. so wonderfuUv like that of the scrub-snails 

 (Helix) among which it dwells — kept about the sjwt. i)ausing 

 in its perambulations between whiles and chattering vigorously 

 — raising the head and opening wide the i>ill as it did so. There 

 was a curious scolding note, not unlike a bar used by the Large- 

 headed Shrike Robin { f'urilodrxas) : there was also a single 

 rich whistle (akin to that which caused the bird's discovery two 

 years before) : but nothing seemed quite so characteristic of the 

 species as the vigorous "Chit-chit." which occasionally was very 

 loud and strong. Once a pair of \\'hite->hafte(l I'"antails 

 (Rliipiditra flabellijera) nearby emitted excited trills, and imme- 

 diately .Itriclioniis mimicked them. A great little l)ir(l. to be 

 sure ! 



That afternoon Mr. Smith came along to be introduced to the 

 Scrub-Bird, but this time there was a change of attitude ; all 

 the coaxing we could utter would not bring the cai)ricious creature 

 mto view, though at times he was probablv not more than ten 

 yards away. Again the rich ''Chips " and whistles were varied 

 by the scolding note — that adjective is used in its human sense, 

 of course, and probably does not express the feelings (^f the bird 

 — but always there was a strength in the calls which set them 

 above those of other small birds about, and gave them an attinitv 

 with the rich-voiced Lvre-r)ird-- that were rollicking in the next 

 gully. 



Adventures with Atrichoniis came again on the following 

 dav. when we went further afield. The second member of the 

 species — our original acquaintance had been again voiceful that 

 morning — was heard calling at a si)ot about a mile from the hut. 

 lowards the border mount Ijearing the j^leasant !iame of Uilhon- 

 gabel. Airiehornis number 3 a])i)eared of his own volition. 

 We were huiching on a little si)ring-fed creeklet on r.ithongabel 

 — a quiet, lonely si)ot — and were expecting nothing more than 

 familiar bird-acquaintances. Suddenly there was a rustle on 

 the opposite side of a small pool, and the bare cnitline of .1 

 mouse-like bird appeared. .\gain a twitter proved effective: it, 

 brought an Atriehornis, springing with the energy of a tennis- 

 hall, upon an old log hard by. lUit the bird was away again in 

 an mstant. and we saw it no more. (This specimen we took to 

 be identical with one wt- had heard calling, ten minutes previ- 

 ouslv. alxnit 100 yards down the gullv. ) 



An hour or so later, halt a mile up towards the crest of the 

 mount, the commanding. veulrilo(iuial call of a Scrub-Bird 



