CATALOGUE. 
237 
" This species ranges over the whole of the southern portion of the 
continent of Australia, where it must be regarded as a bird peculiar 
to the interior rather than as an inhabitant of the districts near the 
coast. It is common on the Liverpool Plains in New South Wales, 
and it was particularly noticed by my friend Captain Sturt during 
his expedition to the Darling. I myself encountered it near the 
bend of the river Murray, and it has also been found in the York 
district of Western Australia, but I have never heard of its having 
been seen either in the north or north-western parts of the country. 
It usually moves about in small troops of from six to ten in number, 
and is, without exception, the most restless, noisy, querulous bird I 
ever encountered. Its mode of progression among the branches of 
the trees is no less singular than is its voice different from that of 
other birds ; it runs up and down the branches of the smaller trees 
with great rapidity, and with the tail very much spread and raised 
above the level of the back. It usually feeds upon the ground, under 
the Banksias and other low trees, but upon the least intrusion flits 
on to the lowest branch, and by a running or leaping motion quickly 
ascends to the highest, when it flies off to the next tree, uttering at 
the same time a jarring, chattering, and discordant jumble of notes, 
which are sometimes preceded by a rapidly-repeated shrill piping 
whistle. When a troop are engaged in ascending the branches, 
which they usually do in line, they have a singular habit of suddenly 
assembling in a cluster, spreading their tails and wings, and puff- 
ing out their plumage until they resemble a complete ball of 
feathers. 
" The breeding season commences in September, and continues 
during the three following months. The nest is a large doomed 
structure of (Sied sticks, with an entrance in the side, which is 
hidden from view by the sticks of the upper part of the nest being 
made to project over it for four or five inches, like the thatch of 
a shed ; the inside is generally lined with the soft parts of flowers 
and the dust of rotten wood, but occasionally with feathers. 
In Western Australia the nest is usually constructed in a dead 
jam-tree, the branches of which are drawn together at the top like a 
broom. It often happens that three or four pairs of birds build 
their nests in the same small clump of trees. The eggs are four in 
number, the ground colour being olive-grey clouded with purplish 
brown, and streaked with similar hair-like lines of black ; they are 
eleven and a half lines long, by eight lines broad." — (Gould, Birds 
of Austr., IV.) 
