J 26 Campbell, The Flame-breasled Robin. [ist^'jau. 



nests were discovered in roots hanging from the road-cuttings on 

 the mountain-side. 



The Australian Museum Catalogue, page i66, gives a record 

 of three eggs being taken in South Gippsland after the finder 

 had seen the birds building, November, 1891 ; also of eggs taken 

 at Glanmire, Bathurst, New South Wales, 1896. But these two 

 records are unfortunately much discounted by two other records 

 for P. pJuvnicea^ on the same page — namely, at Portland, Vic, 

 and in the Mallee — two very questionable lowland areas. How- 

 ever, Mr. J. A. Hill tells me that at Jaunter, in the Blue Moun- 

 tains, he has seen old birds feeding young during the month of 

 February. 



So far these records indicate the presence of Pctnvca pJuvnicea 

 in high altitudes in Victoria and adjacent parts of New South 

 Wales during summer. Yet another tract where the species is in 

 numbers during the nesting season is the Cape Otway Forest, an 

 area of thickly-wooded, precipitous country in southern Victoria 

 over 500 square miles in extent, and with a big rainfall. The 

 late Mr. H. E. Hill statesf that both Petrceca phwnicea and P. 

 leggii occur in the forest. During Christmas, 1902, Mr. C. F. 

 Belcher "saw at least eight pairs of this species during a walk 

 from Forrest to the coast (25 miles), and not one of the Scarlet- 

 breasted birds {P. leggii). At Apollo Bay there were a few of 

 the latter, but the Flame-breasts were still in an easy majority. 

 There is not the slightest doubt in my mind that they breed 

 throughout this forest. I saw old birds feeding what seemed to 

 be this season's young on several occasions." :|: And again in 

 the Geelong Natiu-alist, September, 1904, page 50, he says: — " It 

 has generally been assumed that this beautiful Robin leaves the 

 mainland in spring and goes to breed in Tasmania and the 

 islands of Bass Strait. But in the Otway Forest in summer this 

 species is one of the commonest, so that it will not be surprising 

 if it is ascertained that the Flame-breast does not migrate from 

 Australia at all, but merely moves off at the approach of spring 

 to the thick forest country in the extreme south." In " Nature 

 Notes," The Argus, ist August, 1907, Mr. Donald Macdonald 

 writes concerning a nest of the Flame-breasted Robin built on a 

 ledge of cliff on the Erskine River, Cape Otway : — " This nest, 

 contrary to the general rule in that district, was not decorated 

 with lichen on the outside, but was of uniform grey, like the 

 rock, instead of resembling the lichen-spotted musk trees.' 

 South Gippsland ranges, being of similar geological and physical 

 nature to Cape Otway, would offer similar attractions to the 

 Robins in summer. 



In view of this evidence of the presence of Pctnvca pJiamicca 



* The nest and eggs of Pctraca leggii can scarcely be told apart from those of this 

 species. 



+ The Emu, vol. ii. , p. 163. % The Emu, vol. iii., p. 62. 



