157



on the Spotted Ground-bird.



by the handsome under tail-coverts. Speaking from memory,

they droop over the vent and are not raised, but on this point I

may be wrong. Neither in the Museum Catalogue nor in any

work that I possess do I find any reference to the remarkable

coloration of the under side of the tail and the still more re¬

markable uses to which it is put. Mr. Peir gave a description of

his bird, and referring to the tail says—“ The tail is brown with

white tips and all white underneath.” This is very strange ;

perhaps “slate” was written, and “white” is a transcribers

error. At any rate it shews that he observed the great difference

between the upper and under sides.


My Spotted Ground-bird was a very quiet amiable in¬

offensive creature, but needed a good deal of attention; to some

extent a cross-tempered Spotted Bower-bird was the cause of

this ; it would have got ou much better in an aviary of smaller

birds. For some little time after being introduced into the

garden the posture assumed was head down tail up. As long as

it was in the garden it continued to rush for shelter on the

approach of any one, but gradually ceased to elevate the hinder

parts.


When strolling about it often looked Dove-like, and some¬

times like a diminutive hen Pheasant; but there is nothing of

the Dove about it. Although keeping near shelter it liked to

•come into the open and bask in the sun or peck about. If on a

bright day it should go up to a high perch in the open, if

disturbed it would sometimes drop into the nearest thicket

almost as stone-like as the kittle Owl. It seemed to be able to

fly very much better than might be supposed from Wood’s

account, being quite clever on the wing amongst the trees.

The wings are short and rounded.


I never heard my bird utter a sound in the garden. When

being fed in a large cage it would utter a very soft low whistle,

audible only to those quite near. Campbell says that it has a

peculiar whining or whistling note, presumably the same note

given in a louder tone.


The species is chiefly if not wholly insectivorous. I

occasionally saw my bird pick up seed, but a captive bird will



