﻿TASMANIA 
  : 
  ORNITHOLOGICALLY 
  CONSIDERED. 
  331 
  

  

  rather 
  "a 
  jumble 
  of 
  discordant 
  sounds." 
  Nevertheless, 
  the 
  

   efforts 
  of 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  these 
  birds 
  singing 
  in 
  the 
  early 
  morning 
  

   are 
  far 
  from 
  being 
  unpleasant. 
  The 
  notes 
  are 
  very 
  loud, 
  and 
  

   can 
  be 
  heard 
  for 
  some 
  considerable 
  distance. 
  

  

  The 
  White-throated 
  Thickhead 
  (Pachycephala 
  gutturalis) 
  is 
  

   included 
  in 
  my 
  list 
  on 
  the 
  authority 
  of 
  Col. 
  Legge. 
  

  

  Tasmania 
  and 
  some 
  of 
  its 
  neighbouring 
  islands 
  possess 
  a 
  

   Thickhead 
  — 
  the 
  Grey-tailed 
  Thickhead 
  (P. 
  glaucura) 
  — 
  peculiar 
  

   to 
  their 
  shores. 
  This 
  species 
  is 
  fairly 
  common 
  in 
  well-wooded 
  

   gullies 
  and 
  hillsides 
  in 
  some 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  island, 
  from 
  whence 
  

   its 
  fine 
  whistling 
  notes 
  may 
  be 
  often 
  heard. 
  It 
  is 
  rather 
  

   shy, 
  and 
  prefers 
  to 
  keep 
  out 
  of 
  sight 
  if 
  it 
  knows 
  it 
  is 
  being 
  

   watched. 
  

  

  In 
  no 
  list 
  can 
  I 
  find 
  mention 
  of 
  any 
  members 
  of 
  the 
  family 
  

   Certliiidce 
  being 
  found 
  in 
  Tasmania. 
  I 
  have 
  met 
  with 
  both 
  the 
  

   White-throated 
  Tree-runner 
  (Climacteris 
  leucophcea) 
  and 
  the 
  

   Brown 
  Tree-runner 
  (C. 
  scandens) 
  in 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  heavily 
  timbered 
  

   forests 
  in 
  the 
  north-eastern 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  island 
  ; 
  forests 
  con- 
  

   sisting 
  mainly 
  of 
  big 
  timber. 
  

  

  The 
  family 
  Meliphagidce 
  contains 
  four 
  species 
  peculiar 
  to 
  this 
  

   and 
  the 
  adjacent 
  islands. 
  Three 
  species 
  — 
  viz. 
  the 
  Strong-billed 
  

   Honeyeater 
  (MelWireptus 
  validirostris), 
  Black-headed 
  Honeyeater 
  

   {M. 
  melanocephalus) 
  , 
  and 
  the 
  Yellow-throated 
  Honeyeater 
  (Ptilotis 
  

   flavigularis) 
  — 
  are 
  only 
  worthy 
  of 
  a 
  passing 
  remark. 
  They 
  are 
  all 
  

   more 
  or 
  less 
  plentiful 
  in 
  those 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  island 
  where 
  there 
  

   are 
  plenty 
  of 
  eucalyptus 
  and 
  banksia 
  blossoms 
  for 
  them 
  to 
  feed 
  

   on. 
  The 
  yellow-throated 
  species 
  obtains 
  a 
  good 
  portion 
  of 
  its 
  

   food 
  from 
  off 
  the 
  ground. 
  

  

  The 
  Yellow 
  Wattle-Bird 
  (Acanthochcera 
  inauris) 
  is 
  confined 
  

   to 
  this 
  island 
  and 
  King's. 
  Only 
  certain 
  favourable 
  districts 
  

   are 
  frequented 
  — 
  favourable 
  both 
  as 
  regards 
  food 
  and 
  climate. 
  

   Altogether 
  the 
  species 
  is 
  very 
  irregularly 
  distributed 
  through 
  the 
  

   island. 
  It 
  is 
  among 
  the 
  most 
  highly 
  esteemed 
  of 
  our 
  game 
  

   birds 
  ; 
  and 
  it 
  w 
  r 
  as 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  great 
  slaughter 
  that 
  had 
  taken 
  

   place 
  during 
  the 
  past 
  few 
  years, 
  and 
  the 
  fear 
  that 
  the 
  species 
  was 
  

   in 
  danger 
  of 
  extermination, 
  that 
  it 
  was 
  afforded 
  absolute 
  pro- 
  

   tection 
  from 
  January 
  1st, 
  1902, 
  to 
  May 
  24th, 
  1904. 
  Some 
  fairly 
  

   large 
  bags 
  have 
  been 
  reported 
  this 
  season, 
  which 
  extends 
  from 
  

   May 
  24th 
  to 
  July 
  31st, 
  both 
  inclusive. 
  During 
  the 
  seasons 
  

  

  