It is very doubtful if this bird ever descends to the ground, as it has never been observed to 



do BO, and is supposed to be able to exist without water. 



Gould says: — "While traversing the trunks of trees in search of insects, which it dues with 

 greal facility, it utters B shrill piping cry: in this cry, and indeed in the whole of its actions, it 

 Btrikingly reminded me of the Common Creeper of Europe (Cert/tin Fami/iaris), particularly in its manner 

 of ascending the upright trunks of the trees, commencing at the bottom and gradually creeping up tin- 

 hole to the top, generally in a spiral direction." 



The breeding season commences in September and lasts until the beginning of January. A 

 hollow branch <>r hole of a tree is the receptacle for the nest, which is made of grass, warmly lined 

 with ('fathers. The eggs, three in number, are " of a dull white, thinly speckled with fine spots of rich 

 brown, and a few larger blotches of the same colour;" they are ten lines long by eight lines broad. 



('town of head, brown, with a black patch in the centre of each feather: back, olive-brown; 

 wings, olive-brown, all the primaries and secondaries crossed in the centre by a dull buff-coloured band; 

 throat and centre of abdomen, white, the latter tinged with buff; tail, grey; bill, black, the lower 

 mandible horn-colour at the base; feet, blackish-brown. 



Habitat: All the Continent of Australia, except Western Australia. 



GENUS ORTHONYX. 



fj^HIS form is confined to Australia, where there are two species. 



OETHONYX SPIXICAUDUS (7W) 



SPINE - TA I LED ORTHONYX. 



TMH1S is an entirely terrestrial bird found among the brushes of the southern and eastern coasts of 

 •L Australia, particularly in the Illawarra District, and about the rivers in the northern part of New 

 South Wales, such as the Manning, Macleay and Clarence. It frequents the most retired parts of the 

 forest, where it may be seen running over stones and the fallen trunks of trees, or scratching among 

 decayed leaves in search of the insects on which it feeds. It much resembles the GaUinaeere in the 

 manner of throwing back the earth when scratching. 



The nest is a large dome -shaped structure of moss, situated on the side of a slanting rock of 

 large stone ; the entrance, which is by a lateral hole at the bottom, being on a level with the earth. 

 The - u'js are white and of different sizes. 



The male has the crown of the head and upper part of the back greyish-brown, with a mark 

 of black on each feather; lower part of the back and upper tail-coverts, rich rufous-brown ; wing -coverts, 

 grey, tipped with black ; primaries, black, crossed with grey at the base ; apical half of the primaries 

 and tips of the secondaries, brownish-grey ; tail, dark brown ; sides of the head and neck, grey : throat 

 and chest white, separated from the grey of the sides of the neck by a lunar-shaped mark of dee}) black; 

 bill and feet, black ; irides, hazel. 



Habitat : South and east coasts of Australia. 



