^°'i K)^''] Chisholm, Three Species of the Pachycephalina;. 37 



Field Notes on Three Species of the Pachycephalinae. 



By a. H. Chisholm, R.A.O.U. (Brisbane). 



My field acquaintance with that fine genus, Pachycephala, is 

 confined to three species — namely, P- rufiventris, P. gutturalis, 

 and P. gilherti. The observations embodied in the following notes 

 were made over a wide area, but most belong to the bird-haunted 

 bush surrounding Maryborough (Vic.) There the three Whistlers 

 mentioned were to be found, P. rufiventris being plentiful and P. 

 gutturalis occasionally well represented, while P. gilberti always 

 was rare. In my experience none of the three species was 

 stationary, nor was any species migratory. All three were simply 

 nomads, coming and going as the spirit moved them. 



P. rufiventris. — Spring in Victoria would not be complete without 

 the Rufous-breasted Whistler. Its rich, clear warble, " with ring 

 and with ripple," is one of the most joyous lilts in the bush and 

 country towns from late August to mid-December. Occasionally 

 the birds — male and female are both songsters — may be seen and 

 heard in and about towns during the autumn and winter months, 

 but it is seldom then that the song has the emphasis, the power, 

 and the joyous abandon of the spring paeon. Into this the male 

 particularly seems to throw his whole spirit. His body vibrates 

 with the melody. It is a curious fact, too, that the birds can sing 

 finely when their beaks are full of insects. When photographing 

 young Whistlers I have seen the parent birds emitting a vigorous 

 musical protest from bills that were crammed full of orchard 

 flies. On one occasion a male Whistler flew to an apple-tree in 

 a favourite old bush orchard, and sang dehghtfully. His beak 

 held a large, red worm, which, by the way, he ate himself. 



The loud, rippling song does not exhaust the Whistler's 

 repertoire. When the spring is over and gone, specimens of each 

 sex may sometimes be detected pensively uttering a sweet httle 

 soHloquy, much akin to the autumn song of the Silver-eye 

 (Zosterops). This habit of "thinking aloud" is, I believe, 

 characteristic of the whole family ; probably of many other birds 

 also. 



Occasionally the Whistler sings from a high tree-top, but more 

 often it is content with whistling and singing in fruit-trees. It 

 is this predilection for orchards that has earned the valuable 

 bird the name of "Gardener" in some parts. "Joey-joey" is 

 another colloquial title, derived, presumably, from the series of 

 notes that follow the whip-Hke crack. Apparently the birds are 

 constant to the one locality. Year after year a pair returned to 

 the same pear-tree in the bush orchard mentioned. 



These birds could always be expected about the first week in 

 September. No one ever saw them arrive. On one day there 

 would he no hint of their presence, and at dawn next morning 

 the garden was vocal with melody. A week or so later and house- 

 keeping commences. The fragile nest involves very little labour, 

 and most of this is done by the female. Her consort, however, 



