294 THE BIEDS OF AUSTRALIA 



These birds are only to be seen in the most retired situations, 

 running over the prostrate logs and trees and the stones covered 

 with moss and fibn ferns. They scratch amongst the detritus 

 and fallen leaves, throwing back the earth like the common fowl, 

 hunting for beetles and other cryptozoa. They utter an often- 

 repeated cry of eree-eree-cree-creet. The nest is large and dome- 

 shaped, constructed of mosses, the entrance being lateral near the 

 bottom, and is usually placed on the ground, but occasionally 

 on the top of a broken stump or similar site a few feet above the 

 ground in the scrub. The eggs are white and disproportionately 

 large. 



Genus Cinclosoma. Ground Thrushes. 



Australian with one species in New Guinea. Mostly inland 

 ground birds, found among rocks and underwood, of medium 

 size, mostly 9 or 10 inches in length; of a general brown or 

 cinnamon colour above and lighter below. They feed on insects 

 and seeds. When flushed they rise with the whirr of the Part- 

 ridge or Quail, and fly heavily in a succession of undulations. 

 The note is a low piping whistle. The nest is placed on the 

 ground under lee of a stone, stump or tussock, open and made 

 of leaves and bark. The eggs, two or three, are white blotched 

 with olive brown, and measure in G. punctatum 1.35 x .93 inch. 



1. Back brown spotted with black. 



The Spotted Ground-Thrush, C. punctatum. — South and South-east 

 Australia, Tasmania. Head uniform brown; a broad grey band across 

 the chest. In the male the throat is black, and there is a black patch 

 on the cheek. In the female the throat is ashy-whitish, and the cheek 

 patch is orange-buff. Length 10 inches. 



2. Back uniform, without black streaks. Wing-coverts black 

 spotted with white. 



The Chestnut-backed Ground Thrush, C. oastanonotum.— South and West 

 Australia. Head and upper back brown; scapulars and lower back 

 maroon; throat black. Length 9.75 inches. 



The Cinnamon Ground Thrush, C. cinnamomeum. — Interior of South 

 Australia. Above cinnamon-rufous uniform, except head duller- 

 throat and chest black; separated by white fore neck. Length 7.75 

 inches. 



