G08 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



throwing back the earth like the GallinacecB. It never climbs, 

 as was formerly supposed, but runs over fallen trunks of 

 trees; — is rather a solitary bird, seldom more than two being 

 seen together. Its often-repeated cry of cri-cri-cri-crite 

 betrays its presence, when its native haunts, the most retired 

 parts of the forest, are visited. Its chief food consists of 

 insects, their larvae, and wood-bugs. It builds a large domed 

 nest, of slender mosses ; the entrance being by a lateral hole 

 near the bottom. The eggs are white and disproportionately 

 large. The situation of the nest is the side of a slanting rock 

 or large stone, the entrance-hole being level with the surface. 

 — Revue Zoologique, July 1847. 



The male has the crown of the head and upper part of the 

 back reddish brown, with a large mark of black on each 

 feather ; lower part of the back and upper tail-coverts rich 

 rufous brown ; wings black ; coverts largely tipped with grey; 

 primaries crossed with grey at the base ; apical half of the pri- 

 maries and the tips of the secondaries dark brownish grey ; 

 tail dark brown ; sides of the head and neck dark grey ; 

 throat and chest white, separated from the grey of the sides 

 of the neck by a lunar-shaped mark of deep black ; flanks and 

 under tail-coverts grey, stained with reddish brown ; bill and 

 feet black ; irides very dark hazel. 



The female only differs in colour in having the throat rich 

 rust-red. 



Genus SITTELLA, Swainson. 



During the progress of the " Birds of Australia" I had the 

 pleasure of characterizing several new species of this form ; 

 one from Southern and Western Australia, another from 

 Moreton Bay, and a third from the north coast. The Sittella 

 chrysopiera was the only one previously known. 



No species of this genus exists in Tasmania. -' 



These birds build singular, upright nests on the branches of 



