BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 36 



*TASMANIAN TIT (Bhown-tail) 

 [Acanthiza diemenensis, Gould). 



Male. — Forehead rufescent; head- and all the upper surface 

 including wings, deep olive-brown; upper tail coverts inclined ^o 

 chestnut; tail olive-brown, crossed by a band of blackish-brown; 

 cheeks, throat, and chest greyish-white, irregularly streaked with 

 black; rest of under surface greyish- white washed with rufous, 

 deepei: on flanks, thighs, and under tail coverts; bill dark brown; 

 legs and feet light brown. Dimensions in mm. : — Length, 100; 

 bill, 11; wing, 51; tail, 46; tarsus, 19. 



Female. — Similar to male. 



Young. — Similar to adults. 



Nest. — Globular in shape, with the top longer than the bottom, 

 entrance at the side near the top ; the materials used are fine 

 grasses, moss, leaves, and wool; lined inside with fur and feathers. 

 The nest is almost invariably placed low down in thick scrub ; occa- 

 sionally it is attached to the branches of a young wattle in a thick 

 plantation of these trees. 



Eggs. — Clutch three to four; rather oval in shape; texture very 

 fine;. surface glossy; colour pearly-white to faint pinkish- white, 

 fairly freckled all over with reddish and purplish brown; the mark- 

 ings on the outer end form a zone. Dimensions in mm. of a 

 clutch :— (1) 18 X 13.5, (2) 17 x 12.5, (3) 37.5 x 13, (4) 17 x 12.5. 



Breeding Season. — August or September to December usually. 



Geographical Distribution. — Tasmania and most of the larger 

 islands in Bass Strait. 



Observations. — In the northern half of the island, at least, the 

 Tasmanian Tit, Brown-tail, or Badger-Bird, as it is variously 

 called, is very plentiful. Among the eucalypt forests it consorts 

 in small flocks of half a dozen or so individuals. 



The food of this species consists of insects of all kinds, espec- 

 ially flies, beetles, caterpillars, and grubs, all of which are 

 obtained on the ground among decaying vegetation or from under 

 the loose bark of the eucalypts. It is a pretty sight to watch a 

 flock of "Brown-tails" scurrying along the limbs of a eucalypt, 

 poking and prying into every crack in the bark in search of food. 

 They are full of energy and animation. It is no uncommon sight 

 to see this species right out on the extreme tips of the twigs of a 

 tree hanging suspended downwards to the leaves picking off spiders 

 and flies from their under surfaces. When searching for food the 

 commonest note is a sharp " Creak, creak " many times repeated 

 with great rapidity ; occasionally a double ' ' Creak ' ' is finished 

 up with " Phee, phee," somewhat prolonged. In addition to the 

 above, a few low, unintelligible whistling notes are also uttered. 

 The birds are agile on the wing, darting with great rapidity from 

 •fcree to tree or from bough to bough when searching for food. 

 Thickly-wooded tracts are mostly preferred as hunting grounds ; 



