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On some Tasmanian birds’ nests.



with the charred surface at the back of the niche above it, thus

making it appear but a portion of the tree-trunk.


In the course of the same trip a nest of the Large-hilled

Ground-Thrush ( Geocichla macrorhyncha ) was found, placed upon

the top of a large gum-tree stump, at a height of about 5 ft., and

screened by a copse of young dogwoods ( Pomaderris ). It was com¬

posed of dry grass and green moss, and contained two eggs. From

my journal, kept while living in the bush within a few miles of Table

Cape, is culled the following : “ Nest of the Ground-Thrush ( Geo¬

cichla) discovered to-day (October 10th) in the fork of a large dog¬

wood ( Pomaderris apetala, Lab.), about 10 ft. up. A large,

beautifully-round structure, taking up the whole space within the

fork, and composed of green moss and fibres plucked from the trunks

of Dicksonia tree-ferns. Within were two fine eggs, of a greenish

tint, blotched all over with dark red.” This Thrush is fond of the

site of an old nest, and will sometimes build on the same foundation

season after season until the structure outside becomes of a great

size, although the egg cavity itself may be under 3 in. in width

and 2 in. in depth ; the eggs are usually either two or three in

number, rarely four, and an average measurement would be l - 35 in.

by -92 in.


On the occasion of a trip along the banks of Distillery Creek,

near Launceston, on October 21st, a nest of the Ground-Thrush was

noted in the scrub above our heads, on the top of an old home of the

Ring-tailed Possum (Phalanger) . Upon the mass of sticks which

had been brought together in a former season by the marsupial, the

Thrush had constructed a large, circular nest of grass, and lined it

with soft green grass, but so far no eggs had been deposited. Another

nest was found only 4 ft. from the ground, built on dry gum-twigs

which had fallen on to a bush ; a dirt base had been placed upon the

twigs, then a nest of grass with a little moss intermixed, and lined

with grass, Where moss is easily obtainable, the Ground-Thrush is

fond of using it in profusion, giving a most pleasing appearance to

the nest.


While exploring a hill not far from Launceston, a friend and

myself found a patch of the scrub sometimes known as Pinkwood

(Beyeria viscosa, Miq.), belonging to the Euphorbias. Some of the



