102 INSECTIVOROUS BIRDS 



A species closely allied, but comparatively rare, is C. 

 rufigaster^ Gld., the Rusty-breasted Shrike-Thrush. 



Nest. — Cup-shaped and deep, composed of bark and 

 fibres, and placed among twining plants, or in the hollow of 

 a tree-spout, or even in the bole. The illustration shows a 

 spout nest. 



Eggs. — Four to a sitting ; ground colour clear white, 

 with spots of chestnutty-brown and bluish-grey upon them. 

 Tlie spots and blotches may vary considerably in their 

 density and their disposition. Length, 1*1 inches; breadth, 

 0-85 inch. 



SPOTTED BABBLING-THRUSH 



(Spotted GROUND-Tnuusn, Ground-Dove), 



Cinclosoma puuctatiim, Lath. 



Sing-klo-somd pu7ikt-(ttum. 

 Kigllos, a bird ; soma, a body ; piinctattis, dotted. 



CiNCLOSOMA puxcTATUM, Gould, " Blixls of Australia," fol., vol. iv., 



pi. 4. 



Key to the Species. — 3Iale — Throat and narrow band across chest 

 steel black ; forehead and chest ashy-grey ; crown of head 

 black ; rump and inside tail feathers rufous brown ; shoulders 

 and wing coverts steel black, each feather with white spot at 

 tip. 



Female — Throat greyish-white instead of black ; no black 

 breast-band ; spot on neck rufous instead of white. 



True Babbling-Thrushes are remarkable for their strong, 

 clumsy feet and powerful rounded wings, and not so much 

 as a whole for their powers of babbling. The Australian 



