Vol. III. 

 1903 



LITTLER, Notes on Some Birds Peculiar to Tasmania. 25 



districts of the island for those of more genial climatic conditions. 

 During the following month of the same year several birds came 

 into the private gardens round and about the centre of Launceston, 

 and remained in the vicinity for upwards of a week, during which 

 time they fed on whatever insects they could gather from the 

 trees and out of the ground. So far as I am aware, the occasion 

 referred to is the only time when the Summer-Bird has been 

 recorded as having stayed for any length of time in and about 

 the centre of the city. 



On several occasions have I seen it flying overhead, and more 

 than once observed it perched on trees in our garden, but not 

 staying for any length of time. To a great extent it resembles 

 the Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike (Graucalus mclanops) of the 

 mainland. It is, however, somewhat smaller, and differs some- 

 what in the markings of the plumage from the latter species. 

 It was only after much investigation that Gould separated the 

 two species. The most striking features in the plumage of the 

 bird under discussion are as follow : — The upper surface, wings, 

 and tail are dark slaty-grey ; black is the prevailing colour on 

 the forehead, ear coverts, sides of the face, and the throat ; the 

 rest of the under surface is a pretty shade of grey ; the primaries 

 are dark brown ; bill black, and legs and feet dark grey. There 

 is no difference in the plumage of the sexes. 



The nest, which is placed high on a dead horizontal branch 

 of a eucalypt tree, is rather a flimsy affair, consisting of fine twigs 

 and fragments of bark matted together with spiders' web. The 

 structure is shallow, the sides not being much higher than suffi- 

 cient to keep the eggs from being in danger of falling out. 

 Generally four eggs are laid to the clutch. They are 

 handsome in appearance. The surface is smooth and slightly 

 glossy, the texture of the shell fine ; in shape they are inclined 

 to be oval. The ground colour is a pretty shade of dark green, 

 much spotted with various shades of umber ; many of the spots 

 run together and form blotches. Mr. Campbell mentions that 

 the markings are heaviest on the apex, but in the specimens 

 in my possession the spots are very evenly distributed. Average 

 size of eggs about 1 \ in. by slightly over f in. During the greater 

 portion of the year the species is distributed throughout the 

 length and breadth of the island. During the breeding season, 

 which lasts from October to December, it generally goes in pairs, 

 at other times small flocks of from six to ten are usually to be 

 seen. Large flocks of twenty and upwards only appear during 

 the winter months, and then more particularly about the 

 north-west corner of the island. It is tamer in winter than at 

 any other season of the year, allowing one to approach within 

 reasonable distance. Its food consists of insects of every descrip- 

 tion, which it captures either in the air or by searching among 

 the leaves and rubbish on the ground. This bird has no song, 

 but has a variety of notes which are used on different occasions. 

 The most noticeable one is loud, shrill, and somewhat harsh. 



