THE COACH-WHIP BIRD 299 



usually built in a thick bush near the ground. Eggs two or three, 

 pinky-white to clove-brown, with browner markings especially 

 near the thicker end, .77 x .58 inch. 



The Chestnut-rumped Ground Wren, H. pyrrhopygia. — Australia, except 

 North and West. Eusset-brown above; upper tail-eoverts chestnut; 

 a sub-terminal bar of black across all but the two centre tail 

 feathers; below dull white, the throat and breast thickly spotted 

 with brown. Length under 6 inches. 



The Eed-rumped Ground Wren, H. cauta. — South Australia. In size 

 rather less than the preceding, the markings on the under surface 

 much bolder, and the chestnut-coloured mark on the rump much 

 deeper. 



Genus Psophodes. Coach-whip Birds. 



The Ooach-whip Bird. 



P. crepitans. 



South-east Australia. 



The male bird has the head and crest, ear-coverts, chin and breast, 

 and the hinder portion of the tail black; a large patch on the sides of 

 the neck, the tips of the outer tail feathers, and a patch on the centre 

 of the breast and abdomen white; the rest of the upper surface of that 

 dark olive-green, so frequently found in the birds living in the deep 

 shade of the brushes, and the rest of the under-surface olive-brown. 

 Length 10.75 inches. The female is more sombre and smaller. 



A very shy bird found in the bush forests and deeply shaded 

 gullies, where it keeps itself concealed amongst the dense vegeta- 

 tion, occasionally only to be seen, as it runs along a fallen log 

 about which the ferns and bushes have not yet grown. Its 

 actions are full of vigour, as it raises its crest and spreads its 

 tail, and turns with elegance on the rounded surface. In the 

 spring the males chase one another, and then pour forth their 

 full vigorous and beautiful notes, the last loud and clear as the 

 crack of a coachman's whip. The female answers with a twite- 

 twite immediately after the male. The bird feeds on the ground, 

 scratching up the leaves and turning over the small stones like 

 its frequent companion, the Lyre-bird. The nest is open and 



