154 NATUEAL HISTOBY SKETCHES. 



with fine black and white markings, and a large black crest 

 on the head. In the male the throat is deep black, in 

 the female dull. It was not a very common bird ; gene- 

 rally seen in pairs high up in the gum or stringy-bark 

 trees, and the call-note rather resembled the mewing of 

 a cat. 



We had no real titmice in our districts. 



The Collier's Awl bird was a pretty little bird of a 

 chestnut-brown colour, with white belly and a black 

 crescent round the breast. The beak was long, thin, and 

 curved, and the bird bore some slight resemblance to the 

 humming-bird, of which class we had no real varieties 

 here, the range of these little birds being confined to 

 within 40 degrees north and south of the equator. It 

 was common throughout the year in the small honey- 

 suckle and other scrub, but was rather local. 



Whilst watching in the thick tea-tree scrub by the 

 side of a creek for ducks, the ear is often startled by a 

 loud whistle ending in a sharp smack like the loud crack 

 of a whip, something like that of the stock-whip bird, 

 but a great deal louder. This is the call-note of the 

 Coach-Whip Bird, a large species of fly-catcher, nearly 

 the size of a thrush, of a uniform light cinnamon-brown 

 colour, with a long wedge-pointed tail and small round 

 wings. I do not believe the bird is so very rare in 

 favourite localities, but as it always keeps in the 

 thickest tea-tree scrub it is oftener heard than seen. 

 There was a smaller species, something resembling this 

 bird, but which had not the same loud note, and which 



