36 BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 



insect life being most abundant, and as a natural corollary less 

 labour is required to satisfy the pangs of hunger of self and the 

 little ones at home, if it be nesting season. 



EWING'S TIT 

 (Aoanthiza ewingi). 



Male. — Forehead rufous, feathers faintly edged with black; 

 upper surface brownish-olive, more rufescent on tte rump; tail 

 brownish or rufescent olive, broad black subterminal band on all 

 save centre feathers; upper wing coverts like back; primary 

 coverts blackish; bastard wing and primaries almost black; bases 

 of secondaries rufous, then black, with olive on outer webs; chin, 

 cheeks, throat, and fore-neck grey ; rest of under surface dull white ; 

 flanks dark olive; irides light red; bill brown; legs and feet dark 

 oHve-brown. Dimensions in mm. : — Length, 101; bill, 11; wing, 

 48 ; tail, 47 ; tarsus, 19. 



Female. — Similar to male. 



Nest. — Differs from that of A. diemenefisis in being smaller 

 and more compactly built; very firm to the touch; sides flat; 

 domed ; entrance small and well concealed. Outwardly constructed 

 of grass, moss, cocoons of spiders; inside, very fine grass, neatly 

 woven together, then finally lined with feathers and a little fur. 

 Dimensions in inches: — Top to bottom, 4.25; front to back, 3; 

 across the front, 2.25; diameter of entrance, 1. 



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

 fine ; surface glossy ; colour warmish or pinkish white, finely 

 freckled, especially about the apex, with reddish-brown. Dimen- 

 sions in mm. of a clutch taken near Corra Lynn: — (1) 18 x 13, 

 (2) 18 X 12.75, (3) 17.6 x 12.5. 



Breeding Season. — September to December. 



Geological Distribution. — Tasmania and King Island. 



Observations. — Swing's Tit was originally figured and 

 described by Gould ("Birds of Australia," foL, vol. iii., pi. 55, 

 1848)^ but in his ' ' Handbook ' ' (1865) he places the species as 

 synonymous with the Brown-tail {A. diemenensis). It is also 

 omitted from the British Museum Catalogue. 



During the 1903 Congress of the Australasian Ornithologists' 

 Union, held at Hobart, the bird was finally and firmly re- 

 established as a distinct species. Specimens were obtained from 

 the slopes of Mount Wellington, and exhibited in the flesh during 

 the progress of the congress. In 1902 Mr. A. J. Campbell shot an 

 Acanthiza on King Island which he was doubtful about, and this 

 bird turns out to be 4. eivingi. 



Mr. A. J. North states (" Nests and Eggs," vol. i., p. 274) that 

 an adult female of this species was received at the Australian 

 Museum in July, 1899, having been received from near George 



