Vol. IV. 1 Campbell, Victorian and Tasnianian Birds. 12 1 



1905 1 ' 



The main characteristics of this unique species are worthy of 

 review. Though often seen on the ground among fallen scrub, 

 like the Scricornis, it seems equally at home in the tops of the 

 musk and hazel trees, and, like an Acanthiza, it frequently fastens 

 for a moment or two on the side of a tree-trunk to survey an 

 intruder. It has a merry song, quite unlike any other of its 

 bush mates, and when seen is easily identified by the prominent 

 white wing markings and white throat. The nest is a round, 

 bulky structure, very like that of a Sericornis, plentifully built 

 of fern-down and green moss, placed 5 or 6 feet high, sometimes in 

 a large fork of a tree hidden in a gully, sometimes in the bushy 

 top of a wild currant (Coprosmd) bush, but more often in the 

 cluster of dead fronds hanging from a tree-fern. The eggs, though 

 large, are distinctly of the Acanthiza type (white ground with 

 reddish spots), and help materially to place the owner in the 

 peculiar position it occupies between two well-known genera. 



Scricorncs (Scrub-Wrens). — Several phases exist in Tasmania 

 and the adjacent islands of this genus, which are sufficiently 

 distinct from one another to be made sub-species. The specimens 

 of 5. humilis from Mt. Wellington are the largest and darkest of 

 all ; those from Launceston are different in size and in colour ; 

 the mantle, instead of being dark olive, is tinged with rufous ; 

 the head and the outer edges of the primaries are of a much 

 lighter tint, and the tail is brownish-olive instead of deep brown. 

 The legs are black, and not dark brown, while the dark sub- 

 terminal band on the tail is pronounced in the northern variety, 

 but very obscure in the southern. The sexes are distinguished 

 in each case by the lores being black in the male and slate- 

 coloured in the female. On King Island the bird more closely 

 resembles S. humilis, but, besides being lighter in general colour 

 and with no prominent dark centres to the chest feathers, it 

 has distinct subterminal tail markings, and, further, the dusky 

 under tail coverts are tipped with dull yellow, a point character- 

 istic of S. osculans of the mainland, but not noticed in S. humilis 

 proper. The young is of a deep rich brown colour. But it is with 

 the Sericornes from Kent Group, the nearest of Tasmanian 

 islands to the mainland, that the greatest difference is shown. 

 There are distinctly two strains, the larger, 5. gularis (Legge), 

 having a longer bill and shorter wings than 5. humilis ; general 

 colour greyish-olive ; throat feathers brownish-black, a few 

 only showing lighter edges ; under tail coverts edged with 

 dull yellow ; tail minus any dark subterminal band. The 

 smaller specimens are of a peculiar washed-out appearance, the 

 mantle being rust-coloured on scapularies, back, and rump, with 

 a lighter head, minus any prominent markings ; white edgings 

 to greater wing coverts very faint ; under tail coverts and 

 flanks brownish-fawn ; tail uniform. Several specimens obtained 

 are presumably adult birds, so the existence of two phases in 

 one area must be due to their living in different surroundings. 



Calamanthus fuliginosus (Striated Field-Wren). — The Tas- 



