100 Order Passer if ormes, Family Sylviidae. 



Measurements — Length. 110 ni.iii. ; spread of wings, 192 

 m.in. ; bill. 10 m.m. ; tarsus, 10 ni.iJi. Th;^ northern form is 

 lighter than the above. There is litilc or no ditt'erence in 

 <:olouratiou between the sexes. 



Distribution — Over the greater part nf Australia, includ- 

 ing Tasmania and other islands. The wiitei- has recorded it 

 from Queensland, Tasnnmia, New South Wales. X'ictoria. South 

 Australia, and Western Australia. 



Habitat— They are to be found in varied situations, for they 

 extend from the coastline right through the interior, inhabiting 

 open forest country, low scrub with prickly acacia, on the edge 

 of the mangro\es along tidal creeks, on the plains, and in 

 the rocky ranges, and in the interior they are often met with 

 amidst the dense niulga scrubs. The writer has often met with 

 this bird amidst the low vegetation along the coastline. 



Habits — A lively little bird, moving about in small parties 

 from three or four to a dozen, and become very confiding. They 

 spend nuich of their time hopping about on the ground in 

 search of food, but they also search the twigs, leaves, and limbs 

 of trees and shrubs for insect life. This is a very familiar 

 bird to us grown-up Australians, for it was so common in our 

 childhood dayt^. and was commonly called the "Tom-Tit,"' and 

 there are few of us who have not seen their strange nests and 

 probably robbed them. 



Flight — Not long or sustained, merely fiitting from bu.sh to 

 bush or to the ground, and when in flight they show the yellow 

 upper tail-coverts most conspicuously. 



Call — It could almost be called a song, it is so sweetly 

 pretty, and when one or two are twittering at the same time it 

 is most pleasing. The notes are low, but very sweet. 



Food — Consists almost entirely of insect life; stomach 

 contents reveal many coleopterous insects, a few winged flies, 

 many scale insects and plant bugs, and in one instance a few 

 small seeds. 



Nesting Season — These birds are rather erratic breeders, 

 beginning as a rule early and keeping on till late in the season, 

 and an odd nest at times will be found quite out of season. 

 August to November seem about the general range of their 

 nesting season, and they very often bring out the third brood in 

 the season. 



Nest — Ts one of the most cui-ions of Australian birds" nests, 

 being at times comparatively large and consisting of several 

 compartments, hardly ever less than two. The use of the extra 

 compartment, or com])artments. has been the subject of much 

 sj>eculation amongst field workei-s. The writer favoni-s the 



