﻿328 
  THE 
  ZOOLOGIST. 
  

  

  Putting 
  on 
  one 
  side 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  M. 
  elizabethce, 
  there 
  is 
  very 
  

   little 
  to 
  distinguish 
  it 
  from 
  either 
  of 
  the 
  other 
  two 
  species. 
  

   There 
  is 
  always 
  a 
  certain 
  amount 
  of 
  charm 
  about 
  insular 
  

   varieties, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  attempt, 
  when 
  it 
  comes, 
  to 
  lump 
  these 
  three 
  

   species 
  as 
  one 
  will 
  be 
  sure 
  to 
  meet 
  with 
  opposition. 
  Having 
  

   in 
  view 
  the 
  advances 
  that 
  Australian 
  ornithology 
  is 
  making, 
  I 
  

   feel 
  sure 
  the 
  day 
  is 
  not 
  far 
  distant 
  when 
  we 
  shall 
  see 
  not 
  only 
  

   the 
  species 
  under 
  discussion 
  severely 
  dealt 
  with, 
  but 
  also 
  several 
  

   other 
  cherished 
  insular 
  forms 
  treated 
  in 
  a 
  similar 
  manner. 
  

  

  The 
  subfamily 
  Turdince, 
  containing 
  the 
  Large-billed 
  Ground 
  

   Thrush 
  (Geocichla 
  macrorhyncha) 
  , 
  comes 
  next 
  under 
  review. 
  

   This 
  handsome 
  Thrush, 
  which 
  is 
  but 
  an 
  insular 
  variety 
  of 
  

   G. 
  lunulata 
  of 
  the 
  mainland, 
  is 
  found, 
  in 
  addition 
  to 
  Tasmania, 
  

   on 
  several 
  of 
  the 
  neighbouring 
  islands. 
  Gould 
  hesitated 
  some 
  

   time 
  before 
  deciding 
  to 
  treat 
  G. 
  macrorhyncha 
  as 
  a 
  distinct 
  species. 
  

   The 
  Tasmanian 
  species 
  is 
  somewhat 
  more 
  bulky, 
  and 
  has 
  a 
  

   stouter 
  bill 
  than 
  its 
  mainland 
  cousin 
  ; 
  it 
  is 
  fairly 
  well 
  distri- 
  

   buted 
  throughout 
  the 
  island, 
  well-wooded 
  and 
  moist 
  gullies 
  being 
  

   its 
  favourite 
  haunts. 
  As 
  may 
  be 
  expected, 
  insects 
  and 
  seeds 
  

   constitute 
  the 
  diet 
  of 
  the 
  species 
  ; 
  the 
  insects 
  are 
  almost 
  

   entirely 
  procured 
  from 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  ground, 
  and 
  from 
  among 
  fallen 
  

   leaves 
  and 
  twigs. 
  This 
  Thrush 
  seldom 
  employs 
  its 
  wings, 
  which 
  

   are 
  not 
  really 
  strong, 
  but 
  trusts 
  rather 
  to 
  its 
  legs 
  ; 
  the 
  rapidity 
  

   with 
  which 
  it 
  can 
  move 
  from 
  place 
  to 
  place 
  is 
  really 
  astonishing. 
  

   Being 
  much 
  of 
  the 
  colour 
  of 
  the 
  soil, 
  it 
  is 
  difficult 
  in 
  the 
  gather- 
  

   ing 
  gloom 
  to 
  follow 
  its 
  movements 
  with 
  accuracy. 
  The 
  note 
  is 
  

   a 
  very 
  pretty 
  low 
  whistle, 
  to 
  be 
  heard 
  issuing 
  from 
  the 
  scrub 
  

   early 
  in 
  the 
  morning 
  while 
  the 
  grass 
  and 
  leaves 
  are 
  yet 
  wet 
  

   with 
  dew 
  ; 
  also 
  at 
  dusk. 
  

  

  The 
  group 
  Acanthizince, 
  of 
  the 
  subfamily 
  Timcliince, 
  contains 
  

   no 
  fewer 
  than 
  five 
  species 
  worthy 
  of 
  consideration. 
  The 
  

   Tasmanian 
  Tit, 
  or 
  Brown 
  Tail 
  (Acanthiza 
  diemencnsis), 
  is 
  found 
  

   on 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  Bass 
  Strait 
  Islands 
  in 
  addition 
  to 
  Tasmania. 
  

   The 
  species 
  is 
  very 
  plentiful 
  in 
  some 
  parts 
  of 
  this 
  island 
  ; 
  it 
  

   moves 
  in 
  flocks 
  varying 
  in 
  number 
  from 
  ten 
  to 
  thirty, 
  if 
  not 
  

   more. 
  Open 
  forest 
  country 
  is 
  its 
  favourite 
  haunt, 
  where 
  it 
  

   moves 
  from 
  tree 
  to 
  tree 
  with 
  quick 
  eager 
  movements 
  as 
  it 
  

   searches 
  out 
  the 
  insects 
  on 
  the 
  leaves 
  and 
  under 
  the 
  bark. 
  

   Occasionally 
  I 
  have 
  disturbed 
  a 
  flock 
  feeding 
  close 
  to 
  the 
  ground 
  

  

  