J 28 Campbell, The Flame-breasted Robin. [it,f'j"n. 



land was in sight." " C. H.," the author of these statements, is 

 very emphatic, but he stands alone as an eye-witness of this 

 remarkable migration. 



Again, an interesting report comes from Cape Wickham (King 

 Island) Lighthouse (see The Emu, vol. iv., p. 65), in which a 

 number of birds are enumerated as gathering round the light at 

 night, in fine, overcast weather. The Flame-breasted Robin is 

 mentioned. No dates, however, are given for its appearance at 

 the light, but the supposition that the species was migrating 

 oversea is a very remote one, seeing that at least two other 

 species of land-birds are named in conjunction therewith which 

 are distinctly local and are never accused of migrating. These 

 are the Dusky Robin and Olivaceous Thickhead. 



The conclusions I feel justified in drawing from the fore- 

 going facts are these : — 



a. That the Flame-breasted Robin does not regularly 



migrate from the mainland to Tasmania or the 

 islands of Bass Strait in spring and back again in 

 autumn. 



b. That the species remains the whole year round in 



Tasmania. 



c. That the Robins frequenting the low country of south- 



eastern Australia in winter retire to the adjacent 



highlands to nest. 

 Regarding conclusion a little more need be said. It is well 

 known that some small birds — instance. Sandpipers and Stints — 

 not much larger than Robins in point of size, undertake marvel- 

 lous journeys from one hemisphere to another, but unquestion- 

 ably they are adapted by nature for extended flight, provisioned 

 as they are with large pectoral muscles and long primaries or 

 flight feathers. Other birds, again, as is the case with certain 

 Flycatchers, take long journeys, but do not cross the sea. 

 They pass by easy stages from one belt of forest to 

 another, and so can rest and forage by the way. A tender and 

 timid bird like RJiipidiira riififrons can thus cover 3,COO 

 miles or more, journeying froni Queensland to Victoria and 

 back again, annually, A parallel still more appropriate is 

 Petraxa rosea, which comes from the same sub-tropical coastal 

 scrubs as RJiipidiira rufifrons, where it has passed the winter, 

 and, after nesting in Victoria, returns again with its young. But 

 Petnvca rosea, though similar in many respects to P. pJuenicea, 

 is not credited with crossing Bass Strait, for it has never been 

 recorded in Tasmania. Petnvca leggii, a very close connection 

 of P. pJuvtiicea, wanders about also, seeking congenial winter 

 quarters and food supply, but to no great distance from its 

 starting point, when spring comes round returning to the forests 

 to nest. 



Conclusion b is the natural corollary of a, but is a necessary 



