BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 91 



absolutely unfavourable to bird life, and miles of this trvie 

 and most formidable '' jungle " may be struggled through 

 without a single species being met with. Veiy little, in- 

 deed, is known as yet concerning the avifauna of the 

 deusely-clothed mountains of the western half of the 

 country, where the dark and humid forests which fill the 

 gullies and cover the sides of the ranges are suited to the 

 habits of such birds only as the scrub-wren (^Sericornis hiuni- 

 lis), migratory fly-catchers (Myiagra), one or two- of the 

 thick-heads {Pachycefhala), also the forest-loving honey- 

 eater {Melithrtftus), and, finally, the black crowshrikes, or 

 magpies, whose far-reaching notes always betray their pre- 

 sence. In addition to these denizens of the trackless 

 Western forests, we find the bold and lofty mountain-tops, 

 which stand out of the wilderness in lonely grandeur, furnish- 

 ing a home for certain raptorial species, such as the White 

 and the Australian goshawks, the Black-cheeked Falcon, and 

 the Hobby {Falco Lunlatus), while around the borders of the 

 solitary tarns and lakes, which sparkle on their plateau sum- 

 raits, the ubiquitous Pipit (Anthus australis) is usuaJ^y 

 found, with, near at hand, one or two wandering honey- 

 eaters, if the Alpine flora happens to be in flower. 



In the Midlands, already referred to in connection with 

 the Passerine birds above-mentioned, we have the strong- 

 hold of the few species of plover found in Tasmania, accora- 

 panied in summer by the migratory Golden Plover, which 

 visits us from Northern Asia, ; and, round the large lagoons 

 and -salt-pans characteristic of the district, the Double- 

 banded Dottrel, and some rare species of waders are occar 

 sionally met with. Higher up on the open stock-runs, with 

 alternating plains and scattered timber-tracts, the marsli 

 Harrier {Gi?-ciis assi-miiis) , the Brown Hawk (both also com- 

 mon in the lowlands), and many of the commoner low- 

 country species are usually seen ; and here, too, that grand 

 but predatory bird, the Wedge-tailed Eagle, the h^te-novr of 

 the pastoralist, is sure to be seen, either perched on some 

 lofty tree or soaring at immense heights above the land- 

 scape. 



In 1845, a carefully-compiled list of Tasmanian birds was 

 submitted by the Rev. J. T. Ewing, at a meeting of the 

 Royal Society, and published in its Proceedings for that 

 year. Mr. Ewing was a keen observer of birds and their 

 habits, and was a contemporary of Gould's while this great 

 naturahst was in Australia. His list was exclusively ccrni- 

 piled from Gould's work, supplemented by a few species ob- 

 served by himself. A Tit found by Gould in Tasmania was 

 named after Ewing {Acanthiza ewmgi),hx\t it has since been 



