64 BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 



*BEUSH WATTLE-BIED 



[AcanthochcBra mellivora, Lath.) 



Male. — Upper surface dark brown, shafts streaked white; 

 feathers on lower back, rump, and upper tail coverts tipped with 

 white ; the last-mentioned feathers are greyish ; tail brown tipped 

 with white, fringes olive, shafts black; greater and lesser wing 

 coverts greyish, tipped with white; primaries, basal three-quarters 

 of inner webs chestnut, outer webs and terminal quarter of inner 

 blackish-brown; secondaries blackish-brown, fringed with ohve ; 

 chin, throat, and fore-neck greyish-black, tipped with white; 

 feathers of chest and sides of neck lanceolate, basal half grey, 

 terminal black, shaft-streaks white ; breast and abdomen brownish, 

 broadly centred and tipped with white ; from each side of the upper 

 edge of the breast springs a small tuft of semi-decomposed white 

 feathers, which project slightly when the bird is excited ; under tail 

 coverts whitish; bill black; legs and feet brown. Dimensions in 

 mm. :— Length, 329; bill, 23; wing, 135; tail, 158; tarsus, 28. 



Female. — Plumage similar to male save that the tufts on tha 

 side of the breast are absent. 



Young. — Similar to adults, only the markings are less pro- 

 nounced. 



In no work of reference can I find any mention of the breast- 

 tufts, which resemble those on the sides of the throat of the Tui or 

 Parson-Bird of New Zealand, only smaller and nearly straight 

 instead of incurved. In cabinet skins and mounted specimens the 

 feathers lie down flat on the breast and are indistinguishable from 

 the others unless searched for. 



Nest.- — ^Plattish and moderately well built; constructed of fine 

 twigs and lined with fine shredded bark. Usually situated in the 

 fork of a tree or bush. 



Eggs. — Clutch two usually. Shape varies from oval to long 

 oval ; texture of shell fine ; surface moderately glossy ; ground colour 

 usually salmon-pink, fairly well blotched and spotted, especially 

 about the apex, with reddish-brown and dull purplish-grey. Dimen- 

 sions in mm. of a clutch :— (1) 27 x 19, (2) 26 x'19.5. 



Breeding Season. — September to December. 



Geographical Distribution. — Tasmania, Victoria, New South 

 Wales, South Australia, and South Queensland. 



Observations. — The same class of country is frequented as by 

 the Wattle-Bird, with the difference that it will continue to feed 

 among the honeysuckles no matter how scarce the flowering cones, 

 whereas the Wattle-Bird will readily forsake the banksias for 

 eucalypts well out in flower. Such has been my experience; of 

 course, in different districts it might develop other traits. At no 

 time does one see large flocks of this species. In disposition it is 

 very noisy and quarrelsome, in some respects being an exact coun- 

 terpart of the Miner. Its note is very disagreeable, being very 

 harsh and guttural. 



