BIRDS OP TASMANIA. 19 



breast and abdomen crossed with obscure bars of dusky-brown; 

 bill dark brown; legs and feet greyish-black. 



Nestling. — "The under surface boldly shows longitudinal 

 streaks and faint bars upon the flanks. The upper surface, less 

 the rump, shows conspicuous broad marks of black, brown, and 

 white, the blackish -brown marks being subterminal and the white 

 marks terminal" (E. Hall). 



Nest.— A shallow structure, loosely constructed of fine stalks, 

 grass, and bark; a layer of cobwebs is usually placed over the 

 whole of the outside. One of the highest forks of a tree or sapling 

 is the favourite situation. 



Eggs. — Clutch two to three; round oval in shape; texture fine; 

 surface glossy; colour varies from light to dull warmish green, 

 more or less heavily blotched with bright umber and dull slate. 

 Dimensions in mm. of a clutch :— (1) 45 x 41, (2) 46 x 41.5. 



Breeding Season.— September to January. 



Geographical Distribution. — Tasmania (accidental) and the 

 whole of Australia, also New Guinea. 



Observations. — I am unable to discover how and when this bird 

 first came to be placed on the Tasmanian list. 



FAMILY-MUSCICAPID^ (9 species). 



*DUSKY F ANT AIL (Cranky Tan) 

 {Bhifidura diemenensis, Sharpe). 



Male. — Upper surface dark ashy-brown; two central tail 

 feathers black ; outermost one on either side pale grey, with outer 

 webs and terminal half of inner white; two next with terminal 

 half of inner webs white, the remainder with only a small terminal 

 tip of dull white; all tail feathers with the exception of the two 

 centre ones with white shafts ; rhedian and greater wing coverts 

 tipped with white on the outer webs; secondaries edged with 

 white on the outer webs; a line over the eye, one above the ear 

 coverts, cheeks, and throat white; a black band on lower throat; 

 chest blackish-bufE ; abdomen ochreous-bufi ; bill, legs, and feet 

 black. Dimensions in mm. : — Length, 149; bill, 7.25; wing, 7.4; 

 tail, 8.1; tarsus, 15.5. 



Female. — Practically similar to male. 



Young. — " The young birds of' the first year have -a white line 

 across the throat above the black throat mark and white spots on 

 the head above the eyes and behind the ears; the remainder of 

 their plumage is grey, except the breast, which is pale buff" (J. 

 E. M'Clymont). 



Nest. — Usually situated a few feet from the ground in rather 

 thick scrub, and is saddled on a naked horizontal twig. In shape 

 it resembles a wine-glass with base of the stem broken off; the 



