ORTHONYX SPIjSICAUDUS. 



(Spine-tailed Orthonijx.) 



Male — Crown of the head and behind the neck, broAvn ; back, brown, with a black patch on each feather ; lower part of back and upper tail 

 coverts, rufous ; shoulders, and greater and lesser wing coverts, black, much tipped with grey ; primaries, secondaries, and tertiaries, blackish 

 brown at the base, the remaihing portion, reddish brown ; tail, dark brown — the quills naked at the tips ; face, dark grey ; throat and under 

 surface, white ; flanks, grey ; bill and feet, black ; irides, dark brown. 



Female — Is very similar to the Male, but rather redder in plumage, and may at once be distinguished by the throat, which is 

 rich rust red. The young has the under surface obscurely barred with greyish brown, and the feathers of the head are a curious mixture of 

 brown, grey, and rust red. 



Length, 8^ inches ; wing, 3i ; tail, Sf ; bill, f ; tarsus, 1. 



The scrubs and bushes which border the coasts of Queensland and New South Wales are the resort of this curious bird ; in 

 those situated on the Clarence, Richmond, and Tweed B-ivers it is perhaps the most abundant. It is always to be seen upon the ground, its 

 powerful claws being eminently serviceable in procuring its insect food, for which it scratches as a common hen. It is shy, and must be 

 sought for always in the most inaccessible portions of the scrub. The nest, which is a large structure, is built upon the ground, in some 

 situation suited for its protection, such as under the roots of a tree or shelving rock ; it is formed of moss, and is domed in shape, with a 

 small entrance near the bottom. The eggs are large for the size of the bird, and are of a whitish tint. 



