﻿322 
  THE 
  ZOOLOGIST. 
  

  

  more 
  especially 
  to 
  the 
  Wrens, 
  Tree-Tits, 
  and 
  other 
  small 
  Pas- 
  

   serine 
  birds. 
  

  

  Including 
  accidental 
  and 
  doubtful 
  visitors, 
  but 
  excluding 
  in- 
  

   troduced 
  species, 
  some 
  two 
  hundred 
  and 
  fourteen 
  species 
  have 
  

   been 
  recorded 
  for 
  Tasmania 
  and 
  its 
  dependencies. 
  Of 
  these, 
  

   twenty 
  species 
  are, 
  with 
  a 
  few 
  exceptions, 
  insular 
  forms 
  of 
  birds 
  

   found 
  on 
  the 
  mainland. 
  The 
  species 
  "peculiar" 
  to 
  Tasmania 
  

   are: 
  Hill 
  Crow 
  Shrike 
  {Strepera 
  arguta), 
  Whistling 
  Shrike 
  Thrush 
  

   (Collyriocincla 
  rectirostris) 
  , 
  Small-billed 
  Cuckoo 
  Shrike 
  (Graiicalvs 
  

   melanops 
  subsp. 
  parvirostris) 
  , 
  Dusky 
  Fantail 
  (RJiipidura 
  diemen- 
  

   ensis), 
  Long-tailed 
  Blue 
  Wren 
  (Malurus 
  gouldi), 
  Dark-blue 
  Wren 
  

   (M. 
  elizdbetlw) 
  , 
  Large-billed 
  Ground 
  Thrush 
  (Geocichla 
  macro- 
  

   rhyncha), 
  Tasmanian 
  Tit 
  or 
  Brown 
  Tail 
  (Acanthiza 
  diemenensis), 
  

   E 
  wing's 
  Tit 
  (A. 
  ewingi), 
  Large-billed 
  Tit 
  {A. 
  magnirostris) 
  , 
  

   Scrub 
  Tit 
  (Acanthornis 
  magna), 
  Brown 
  Scrub 
  Wren 
  (Sericomis 
  

   humilis), 
  Lesser 
  White-backed 
  Magpie 
  (Gymnorhina 
  hypcrleuca), 
  

   Grey 
  Butcher 
  Bird 
  {Cracticus 
  destructor 
  subsp. 
  cinerens), 
  Grey- 
  

   tailed 
  Thickhead 
  (Pachycephala 
  glaucura), 
  Strong-billed 
  Honey- 
  

   eater 
  (Melithreptus 
  validirostris) 
  , 
  Black-headed 
  Honeyeater 
  (M. 
  

   mclanoccphalus), 
  Yellow-throated 
  Honeyeater 
  (Ptilotis 
  flavigularis) 
  , 
  

   Yellow 
  Wattle 
  Bird 
  (Acanthochara 
  inauris), 
  and 
  the 
  Forty- 
  spotted 
  

   Pardalote 
  (Pardalotus 
  quadragintus). 
  

  

  Nearly 
  the 
  whole 
  of 
  the 
  species 
  in 
  the 
  above 
  list 
  are 
  but 
  

   insular 
  representatives 
  of 
  mainland 
  species. 
  In 
  several 
  instances 
  

   the 
  island 
  birds 
  have 
  longer 
  bills 
  than 
  those 
  on 
  the 
  mainland 
  ; 
  

   but 
  in 
  one, 
  the 
  Small-billed 
  Cuckoo 
  Shrike, 
  the 
  reverse 
  is 
  the 
  

   case. 
  In 
  nearly 
  every 
  instance, 
  the 
  species 
  "peculiar" 
  to 
  

   Tasmania 
  are 
  of 
  a 
  lustier 
  build 
  than 
  their 
  mainland 
  cousins 
  ; 
  

   but 
  by 
  some 
  strange 
  freak 
  the 
  Lesser 
  White-backed 
  Magpie 
  is 
  

   smaller 
  than 
  the 
  White- 
  backed 
  Magpie 
  (G. 
  leuconota) 
  found 
  

   ranging 
  over 
  a 
  wide 
  area 
  on 
  the 
  mainland. 
  

  

  Commencing 
  with 
  the 
  Falconidce, 
  we 
  find 
  some 
  sixteen 
  species 
  

   recorded. 
  The 
  only 
  one 
  worthy 
  of 
  a 
  passing 
  mention 
  is 
  the 
  Wedge- 
  

   tailed 
  Eagle 
  (Uroaetus 
  audax) 
  ; 
  this 
  fine 
  bird 
  is 
  rather 
  plentiful 
  — 
  too 
  

   plentiful 
  — 
  in 
  some 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  island, 
  where 
  sheep 
  are 
  the 
  only 
  

   animals 
  that 
  thrive 
  among 
  the 
  rocks 
  of 
  the 
  uplands. 
  To 
  shoot 
  

   birds 
  measuring 
  from 
  6 
  ft. 
  to 
  7 
  ft. 
  G 
  in. 
  from 
  tip 
  to 
  tip 
  is 
  no 
  

   uncommon 
  occurrence. 
  This 
  Eagle 
  often 
  becomes 
  very 
  bold, 
  

   not 
  hesitating 
  to 
  attack 
  dogs, 
  even 
  when 
  in 
  close 
  proximity 
  to 
  

  

  