BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 91 



absolutely unfavourable to bird life, and miles of this true 

 and most formidable 'jungle" may be struggled through 

 without a single species being met with. Very little, in- 

 deed, is known as yet concerning the avifauna of the 

 densely-clothed mountains of the western half of the 

 country, * where the dark and humid forests which fill the 

 gullies and cover the sides of the ranges are suited to the 

 habits of such birds only as the scrub-wren {Sericornis humi- 

 lis), migratory fly-catchers (Myiagra), one or two of the 

 thick-heads [Pachycefhala), also the forest-loving honey - 

 eater {Melithre'ptiis), and, finally, the black crowshrikes, or 

 magpies, whose far-reaching notes always betray their pre- 

 sence. In addition to these denizens of the trackless 

 Western forests, we find the bold and lofty mountain-tops, 

 which stand out of the wilderness in lonely grandeur, furnish- 

 ing a home for certain raptorial species, such as the White 

 and the Australian goshawks, the Black-cheeked Falcon, and 

 the Hobby {Falco L unl at la^), while around the borders of the 

 solitary tarns and lakes, which sparkle on their plateau sum- 

 mits, the ubiquitous Pipit {Anthus australis) is usua]^y 

 found, with, near at hand, one or two wandering hone^/- 

 eaters, if the Alpine flora happens to be in flower. 



In " the Midlands, already referred to in connection with 

 the Passerine birds above-mentioned, we have the strong- 

 hold of the few species of plover found in Tasmania, accom- 

 panied in summer by the migratory Golden Plover, w'hich 

 visits us from Northern Asia; and, round the large lagoons 

 and -salt-pans characteristic of the district, the Double- 

 banded Dottrel, and some rare species of waders are occar 

 sionally met with. Higher up on the open stock-runs, with 

 alternating plains and scattered timber-tracts, the marsh 

 Harrier {Circus assimiiis), the Brown Hawk (both also com- 

 mon in the lowlands), and many of the commoner low- 

 country species are usually seen; and here, too, that grand 

 but predatory bird, the Wedge-tailed Eagle, the h\ete-noir of 

 the pastoralist, is sure to be seen, either perched on some 

 lofty tree or soaring at immense heights above the land- 

 scape. 



In 1845, a carefully-compiled list of Tasmanian birds was 

 submitted by the Rev. J. T. Ewing, at a meeting of the 

 Royal Society, and published in its Proceedings for that 

 year. Mr. Ewing was a keen observer of birds and their 

 habits, and was a contemporary of Gould's while this great 

 naturaUst was in Australia. His list was exclusively com- 

 piled from Gould's work, supplemented by a few species ob- 

 served by himself. A Tit found by Gould in Tasmania was 

 named after Ewing (Acanthiza ewingi), hut it has since been 



