THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 145 



recognized in the bright colour on the crown of head. To breed 

 the preference is given to more northern latitudes. 



41. Flame-breasted Robin, W, (P. Phoenicia, Gould).* 



This species is musical. It has a set bar containing some 

 seven notes, very sweet, varying, and occupying about two and a 

 half seconds in production. After the passing of cold months, as 

 May, June, and July, the first of bird-voices is decidedly welcome. 

 The time to study bird-voices is at this period of the year, for 

 with the incoming of spring they seem to vie with one another — the 

 males do. Two clutches, each two eggs, were found on 24th 

 October, 1894, and one young in nest on 9th November, 1894, 

 some twelve feet up a eucalypt. 



42. Yellow-breasted Robin, W. (Eopsaltria Australis, Lath.)* 

 The best known of the seven species of yellow-breasted robins 



that encompass our continent is this one. The silent, unob- 

 trusive bird, that would not so much as disturb a thought of the 

 naturalist in a glen, will remain for minutes together without any 

 apparent movement of muscles or feathers, attached in a perpen- 

 dicular position to a tree. Both watcher and watched are as if 

 immovable and uncomfortable, and the thought naturally arises, 

 in five minutes' time, who is to be first in the move ; however, the 

 bird settles it by noiselessly darting at a fly and regaining a 

 position that warrants a change for you also. The bird will fly 

 from undergrowth to stem of tree, clinging thereto as is the 

 manner of the tree-creepers, but not creeping. One Saturday 

 afternoon I approached a tree thinking to take off what I con- 

 sidered at the distance to be quite a new fungus for Box Hill, 

 when, without any previous movement, the object became winged, 

 and away went a Yellow Robin. This species is one of the foster 

 parents of Cnculus pallidus, a bird somewhat similar to G.fiabelli- 

 formis. Although nests are generally placed within a few feet of 

 the ground, I noticed one at twenty feet from it. New nests are 

 sometimes placed two feet above those of last year in the same 

 shrub. Whin Acacia {A. verticillata) may support them, or 

 a three-prong perpendicular sapling, or, which is usual, a hori- 

 zontal light branch. 



On 24th November I saw birds in many grades of plumage — 

 juvenile to adult markings of this year's brood. The changes are 

 rapid — first, yellow on the neck ; second, chest yellow ; third, 

 nearly developed yellow, with straggling brown feathers showing 

 irregularly along dorsal surface. 



By November the nests become deserted. In one the fearless 

 bird had to be pushed off before it would evacuate. 



43. Coach-whip Bird (Psophodes crepitans, V. and H.) 

 Keeping to the shadows and the low-growth timber, the bird 



that is the source of the whip note is but seldom seen. You 



