96 ASHBY— Field Notes in the Blue Mountains. 



2,013 feet. The township is on a ridge, with steep gullies 

 falling away on either side. The smaller gully bottoms were 

 dense with shrubs, undergrowth, and ferns, though very few 

 tree ferns were seen, and no typical tree fern gullies. 



Origima solitaria (Lewin) — Rock Warbler. — Was seen 

 running over the rocks early in the morning almost in the 

 township, and also again later in the day one was disturbed in 

 a small cave near the creek in the main gully. This bird we 

 watched for some time within a few yards of us, exhibiting no 

 signs of fear. It then flew on to the top of the rock beneath 

 which was the cave, and settled quite close to another of our* 

 party. 



Menura novaeliollandiae (Latham) — Lyre Bird. — In a 

 branch gully, not far from the cave before mentioned, a freshly 

 made lyre bird's nest was found. It was made of sticks and 

 fine twigs, and lined with still finer twigs and roots. It 

 appeared completed and ready for eggs. The hole was the 

 shape of a half circle, the straight line at the top, the top over- 

 hung making a sort of eves, no doubt to shoot the rain. 



The nest was in the centre of a low grass tree 

 (XantJwrrlioea), which was growing close to the edge of a small 

 cliff. From the nest quite an extensive view down the gully 

 could be obtained. 



I sat for half an hour near the nest next day, hoping to 

 get a sight of or to hear a sound of the birds, but neither 

 heard nor saw them. 



In some dense scrub on the rising ground above the 

 locality of the nest were a number of open spots that had been 

 used by the birds as performing grounds. Some were old 

 ones, but one or two evidently quite recent. 



I saw no sericomis, although the country seemed so suit- 

 able. 



Pycnoptilus floccosus (Gld.) — Pilot Bird. — Two specimens 

 of this interesting bird were obtained. They were both in the 

 gully bottoms, and were creeping about under the fern in the 

 silent mouse-like manner of a sericomis. I heard one early 

 in the morning much higher up the gully, but evidently the 

 birds were not calling, as that was the only time that I heard 

 its cry, "a guinea a week." . 



Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris (Latham) — Spinebill. — These 

 lovely little birds were exceedingly numerous and very tame, 



