464 BIRDS OP AUSTRALIA. 



in a low tone and imitating the notes of many birds, includ- 

 ing the Zosterops, and particularly the Black or Fruit-eating 

 Magpie. While feeding, it frequently utters a harsh guttural 

 sort of squeak. During the breeding-season, which commences 

 at the end of September and ends in January, it confines itself 

 to a very monotonous although melodious cry, the first part of 

 which is quickly repeated, and ends in a lower note." 



The bird as observed by me in New South Wales was bold 

 and active, and was often seen in company with the Regent-, 

 Satin-, and Cat-birds, feeding in the same trees and on similar 

 berries and fruits, particularly the small wild fig. I often 

 observed it capturing insects on the wing and flying very 

 high, frequently above the tops of the loftiest trees. 



The sexes when fully adult differ so little in colour that 

 they can scarcely be distinguished ; the male is however of a 

 more uniform tint about the head, neck, and throat, and has 

 the yellowish olive of the upper surface of a deeper tint than 

 the female. 



Head and all the upper surface yellowish olive ; wings and 

 tail-feathers dark brown ; the outer webs of the coverts and 

 secondaries grey, margined and broadly tipped with white ; 

 all but the two centre tail-feathers with a large oval-shaped 

 spot of white on the inner, and the extremity of the outer 

 web white, the white mark gradually increasing in size as 

 the feathers recede from the centre until it becomes an inch 

 long on the external one ; under surface white, washed with 

 olive-yellow on the sides of the chest, each feather with an 

 elongated pear-shaped mark of black down the centre ; bill 

 dull flesh-red ; irides scarlet ; feet lead-colour. 



The young bird during the first year has the bill blackish 

 brown instead of dull flesh-red; the upper surface ohve- 

 brown, each feather strongly streaked down the centre with 

 dark brown ; wings brown, under surface of the shoulder 

 and all the wing-feathers except the primaries margined witli 

 sandy red ; the black streaks on the breast more decided, and 



