278 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



Pink-breasted Robin is equally descriptive of those of the 

 present bird. 



Of its nidification and the number and colour of its eggs 

 nothing is at present known. 



Its cheerful song is very like that of the other Robins, but 

 is much more feeble. 



The male has the forehead crossed by a very narrow band 

 of white ; crown of the head, throat, and all the upper surface 

 dark slate -grey ; chest rich rose-red, inclining to scarlet ; 

 lower part of the abdomen and under tail-coverts white ; 

 winsrs and the six central tail-feathers blackish brown : the 

 three outer ones on each side tipped with white, the white 

 predominating over the inner webs, particularly on the two 

 lateral feathers ; bill and feet blackish brown ; gape and soles 

 of the feet yellow. 



The female differs considerably from her mate, having the 

 forehead crossed by a narrow band of buff; all the upper 

 surface greyish brown ; wings brown ; secondaries crossed by 

 two obscm'e bands of greyish buff; tail of a browner tint, but 

 otherwise marked like that of the male. 



Total length 4^ inches ; bill ^ ; wing 2f ; tail 2^ ; tarsi ^. 



Genus PETROICA, Swains. 



Several species of this genus inhabit Australia, where they 

 form a conspicuous feature in the landscape, their bright red 

 colouring offering a strong contrast to the sombre tint of the 

 ground, upon which they dwell. They are very sprightly in 

 their actions, and, like the Wheatears, raise their breasts in 

 such a manner as to show off their fine colours to the greatest 

 advantage. They build round, cup-shaped nests, in the crevice 

 of a tree or in a wall, and sometimes under a stone or at the 

 base of a rock. The sexes are very dissimilar, the males 

 being adorned with black, white, and scarlet, while the females 

 arc of a sombre brown. 



