158



Mr. Reginald Phiixipps,



often pick up a stray seed instead of grit. The formation of

the bill is suggestive. It is straight and slim, the lower mandible

being springy. The two mandibles, until pressure is applied,

meet only at the tip so that, when an insect is seized, there is

great pressure at the end, not onty enabling the bird to cleverly

seize and firmly hold its prey, but also to subject it to such

pressure as quickly to kill it.


In captivity there is difficulty with the food, for my bird

did not take kindly to artificial mixtures of any kind. Tiny

cockroaches and mealworms it would take only too freely, but

having once taken a mealworm it would hardly touch am 7 thing

else, and it eventually died from the effects of a series of fits.

When I heard how Mr. Peir fed his Ground-bird I felt that it

could not live ; and writing later to Mr. Carrick he says:—

“ Referring to your remarks about Mr. Phillipps’ anxiety to

obtain a pair of the Spotted Ground-Thrush, kindly inform Mr.

Phillipps that I am sending him the specimen I possess, and

which I mentioned in a previous note ” ; but in a further letter

he says :—“ I came home to get the Spotted Ground-Thrush to

take down to the steamer on day of sailing and found it dead.

It was in perfeet condition, and Mr. G. examined it and like me

is mystified as to the cause of death ; its head was bent back on

to the tail as if it had had tetanus.” The too free mealworm diet

unquestionably caused the poor bird’s death. If I should ever

succeed in obtaining another, I would endeavour to dispense

with mealworms altogether, and feed it in the plainest manner.

Live ants, fresh ants’ eggs, earwigs, spiders, woodlice, &c., would

probably suit the bird well, but these are practically unobtainable

in London. It needs, also, more exercise than as a rule it is

possible to give it in captivity.


Although always roosting in a tree, a point not mentioned

by any writer, all the members of the genus seem invariably to

nest on the ground. Campbell says of the Spotted Ground-bird’s

nest:—“ Open or cup-shaped; somewhat loosely constructed of

strips of hard grey outer bark, dead leaves, and sometimes grass ;

lined inside with finer materials—bark, grass, &c. ; placed on

the ground in a depression or hollow, sheltered by a stump,

fallen branch, stone or tussock, in forest country. Eggs .—



