INSESSORES. 575 



others killed on the continent of Australia, a difference is 

 found to exist in their relative admeasurements, the Tasmanian 

 birds being more robust and larger in every respect ; still as 

 not the slightest difference is observable in the markings of 

 their plumage, I consider them to be merely local varieties 

 and not distinct species. 



The natural habits of this bird lead it to frequent the thinly 

 timbered forests of Eucalypti clothing the plains and low hills, 

 rather than the dense brushes. 



It moves about in small companies of from four to ten in 

 number. In disposition it is restless, inquisitive, bold, and 

 noisy, and frequently performs the most grotesque actions, 

 spreading out the wings and tail, hanging from the branches 

 in every possible variety of position, and keeping up all the 

 time an incessant babbling : were this only momentary 

 or for a short time, their droll attitudes and singular note 

 would be rather amusing than otherwise ; but when they 

 follow you through the entire forest, leaping and flying 

 from branch to branch, they become very troublesome and 

 annoying. 



The nest is cup-shaped and about the size of that of the 

 European Thrush, very neatly built of fine twigs and coarse 

 grass, and lined either with wool and hair, or fine soft hair- 

 like strips of bark, frequently mixed with feathers ; it is 

 usually placed among the small upright branches of a mode- 

 rately sized tree. The eggs, which vary considerably, are 

 thirteen lines long by nine and a half lines broad, are of a 

 bluish white, marked all over with reddish brown, without 

 any indication of the zone at the larger end so frequently 

 observable in the eggs of other species. 



The sexes offer no other external difference than that the 

 female is a trifle smaller than the male. 



Face grey ; crown of the head dull black ; ear-coverts and 

 a crescent-shaped mark inclining upwards to the angle of the 

 bill glossy black ; all the upper surface light greyish brown ; 



