^'''iJ'oq" ] Campbell, The Flame-breasted Robiii. 123 



they go ; but he does not commit himself to any statement that 

 the birds retire to nest in the forests of Tasmania from the 

 adjacent States. Nor does Robert Hall in " Insectivorous Birds 

 of Victoria " (page 38). It must be remarked, however, that, 

 especially with the latter author, nothing very definite is 

 indicated of the species' summer habitat by the words " retire to 

 the forests to nest." 



In south-eastern Australia the Flame-breasted Robin is 

 regularly expected to appear in open country about the end of 

 March or the beginning of April. The earliest and latest dates 

 I have in my note-books are 20th March, 1889, and loth 

 September, 1900, both at Rutherglen, in north-east Victoria, while 

 those for the vicinity of Melbourne are 31st March, 1896, and 

 8th September, 1896. The species is first in large flocks — a 

 great many brown birds, with several bright-breasted males 

 among them. The flock after a few days passes on or scatters 

 itself about the adjacent district. I have remarked that the 

 Robins often are first seen immediately after boisterous weather. 

 This may be no coincidence, for the rough south-westerlies 

 which mark the equinoxes may be a signal to the little birds of 

 the change of season, that necessitates their seeking more 

 congenial winter quarters. 



Very numerous are the references to the arrival of the Robins. 

 Two typical ones are found in the Victorian Naturalist, vol. vi., 

 p. 72, and TJic Emu, vol. iii., p. 69, where it is stated that the 

 first Flame-breasted Robins were seen at such and such a place 

 on such a date. Particularly in the vicinity of Melbourne are 

 Robins in large numbers, frequenting the open country. 

 Throughout the moor and heath land of Cheltenham, on the 

 east side of Port Phillip, and on the grassy Werribee Plains on 

 the western side, the numbers of birds appearing in the late 

 autumn months would certainly do much to foster the idea that 

 the species came from Tasmania, which lies across the Strait. I 

 have a note, 8th June, 1897, Cheltenham, showing that a flock 

 of about 200 birds arrived on the littoral from over the bay on a 

 very strong south-west wind. Incidentally this illustrates that 

 the Robins during winter may move in force from one lowland 

 district to another. I do not suppose that this flock had come 

 further than the plains on the opposite shore of Port Phillip, a 

 distance of about 20 miles. 



The Western District is a favoured winter resort, so is north- 

 eastern Victoria ; but the greater part of the Goulburn Valley, 

 with somewhat similar country, and the Wimmera, can only 

 record very occasional birds. In the Mallee and Riverina the 

 species is not known. Robins also are found in winter in the 

 vicinity of the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, and about 

 Adelaide, South Australia. Upon a sketch map a line showing 

 the inland boundary of the area over which Flame-breasted 



