1S6 INSECTIVOROUS BIRDS 



and completely surrounded with spiders' webs, lichens, and 

 bark ; inner lining made of mosses. 



Eygs. — Generally three to clutch, sometimes four ; ground 

 colour bluish-white, spotted and blotched all over with 

 slaty colouring. Length, 0-6 inch ; breadth, 0*5 inch. 



BROWN TREE-CREEPER, 



Climacteris scaiideiis, Temm. 



KU-niak' te-ris skan'dens. 

 Klimahter, a step of a ladder ; scandere, to climb. 



Climacteris scandens, Gould, "Birds of Australia," fob, vol. iv., 



pi. 93. 



Geographical Distribution. — Areas 2, 3, 4, 6, 7. 



Key to the Species. — General appearance brown, with light 

 streaks along the breast ; central pair of tail feathers brown ; 

 orbital region brown ; fawn-coloured band across wing ; tail 

 square, soft, and shorter than wing ; bill slcDder, long and 

 curved. 



The Brown Tree-creeper presents a more bulky appearance 

 than its congener, the White-throated. This character 

 alone is sufficient to distinguish the species when you find 

 them associated in the same area, bordering the open 

 country on one side and the heavily timbered on the other. 

 The present species is strongest in numbers in the north- 

 west of Victoria, and the Mallee fringes seem to offer it 

 great attraction, for there it is in numbers. The rough 

 bark of the She-oak (Casuarina) and Native Pine (Callitiis) 

 in such a tract of country as that between Swan Hill and 

 Kerang offers special facilities in which to obtain a food 

 supply. The birds know it and the seasons. It has a 

 very prying nature, poking into logs, investigating spouts, 



