274 THE BIRDS OF AUSTEALIA 



some shade of red, while the females are of a sombre brown. The 

 brightly coloured birds seem to delight to show off their brilliant 

 breasts, raising them as they perch. The song is pleasing and 

 melodious; Tee-tiree-tiree-tiree it has been rendered; but it is 

 not so full and free as that of the English Robin. They build 

 round, cup-shaped nests, constructed of strips of soft bark, grass 

 and fibres, with a thick rim trimmed with lichens, and -lined with 

 hair, and placed on the ground against a rock or trunk, or in 

 crevices of rocks^ or in spouts or hollows of trees at no great 

 height. The eggs are three in number, greenish-white in colour, 

 speckled and freckled with purplish and brown, and are about 

 three-fourths of an inch long by about half an inch wide. For 

 the diagrams of the various species we are indebted, as in general, 

 to the admirably worked out keys of the British Museum 

 Catalogues. The male plumage alone is indicated. 



A With red on the under surface of the body. Red-breasts, 



rt. Forehead red. 



Throat black, South Australia, Centre and West. 



The Red-capped Robin, P. goodenovii. 

 Throat red in the centre. North and North-west. 



The Ked-throated Robin, P. ramsayi. 

 b. With a white mark on the forehead. 



A. Wing coverts with » white patch. Broad white Ijar 

 along the wing. 

 Upper surface black, frontal white mark large, 

 throat black; breast scarlet. East and South 

 Australia and Tasmania, 



The Scarlet-breasted Robin, P. leggei. 

 Similar, but with smaller white markings. 



The Western Scarlet-breasted Robin, P. campbelli. 

 Upper surface slaty-grey, frontal mark small, chin 

 black, throat . and breast orange-scarlet. East 

 and South Australia and Tasmania. 



The Flame -breasted Robin, P. pboenices^ 

 y. Wing-coverts without any white ; frontal mark very 

 small; breast pink. 

 With no white on the tail. South-east Australia 

 and Tasmania. 



The Pink-breasted Robin, P. rhodinogastra. 

 Outer tail feathers mostly white. Eastern Australia. 



The Rose-breasted Robin, P. rosea. 

 B. With no red on the under surface of the body. 



1. Glossy black above; throat black, breast white. 



Tail with broad sub-terminal black band; length 

 'I 5.2 inches. Southern Australia. The Hooded Robin, P. bicolor. 



I" Similar, biit with less black on tail; length 5.8 



inches. North, Central and West Australia. 



The Pied Robin, P. picata. 



2. Dusky brown above; throat and breast brown. 



Southern Australia and Tasmania. The Dusky Robin, P. vittata. 



