WHITE-BROWED BABBLER. 187 



CHAPTER CV. 



WHITE-BROWED BABBLER, OR CODLIN MOTH BIRD. 

 (Powatostomus super ciliosus, Vigors and H or s field. ) 



Regarding this bird, Gould says the sexes, as well as 

 the young, so closely resemble each other, that they 

 can only be distinguished by the aid of dissection. 



Lores, space surrounding the eye and ear coverts', 

 dark silky-brown ; a broad line of white, bounded above 

 and beneath with a narrow one of dark brown, commences 

 at the base of the upper mandible, passes over the eye, 

 and continues to the occipujt ; crown of the head and all 

 the upper surface, flanks, and under tail coverts, olive- 

 brown, passing into a purer and deeper brown on the 

 primaries ; tail, dark brown, crossed by very indistinct 

 bars of a darker color, the five lateral feathers on each 

 side tipped with white ; chin, throat, and chest, white ; 

 bill, blackish-brown ; the lower part of the under 

 mandible, grey ish- white ; irides in the adult, straw- 

 yellow ; in the young, brown ; feet, blackish-brown. 



The habits of this well-known insectivorous bird are 

 similar to those of the Temporal Pomatostomus, which 

 is regarded by orchardists as the best Codlin grub- 

 destroying bird that visits the orchards. The White- 

 browed Pomatostomus is exceptionally plentiful towards 

 the Murray, also in the Mallee, and occasionally near 

 Melbourne. The nest is a bulky structure, with a side 

 entrance, composed of sticks and strong rootlets, and 

 lined with bark, grass, etc. The eggs are light grey, 

 marked all over with dark hair-like markings, often 

 forming a slight zone on the larger end. Clutch usually 

 from three to five; and, according to Mr. A. J. Campbell, 

 eggs measure (1) .99 x .66, (2) .95 x .67. Breeding 

 months October, November, and December. 



