AN AUSTRALIAN BIRD BOOK. 
131 
274 White-browed Babbler, Go-aways, Stick-Birds, P. 
superciliosus, A. inland (exc. N. Ter., N.Q.). 
Stat, flocks, c. open timber 8 
Like 273, but smaller; crown dark-brown; f., sim. Insects. 
"Most noisy bird I ever observed." (G.) Many notes. 
275 Chestnut-crowned Babbler, P. ruficeps, N.S.W., V., 
S.A. (interior). Insects. Noisy. Stat. c. timber 8.5 
Like 273, 274, but crown, hind-neck chestnut; f., sim. 
7 276*White-browed Field-Wren, White-lored Reed-Lark, 
7 Rush Warbler (e), Stink-Bird, Calamanthus albiloris, 
N.S.W., v., S.A. Stat. c. grass, heath 5 
Greenish-brown streaked black; face, brow white; throat 
whitish streaked black; erect tail; shy; f., sim. In- 
sects. Pretty song on bush-top. 
277 Field-Wren, Field Reed-Lark, C. campestris, V., S.A., 
N.W.A. Stat. v.r. open plains 4.6 
Upper ashy-brown streaked dark-brown; upper base tail 
rufous-brown; side tail tipped white, banded black; 
forehead rufous streaked dark-brown; eyebrow white; 
under whitish streaked dark-brown; f., sim. Insects. 
2 278*Brown Song-Lark (Black-breasted), Australian Sky- 
2 lark, Harvest-Bird, Singing-Lark, Corn-Crake (e), 
Cincloramphus cruralis^ A. exc. C.A. Mig. c. crops 9 
Dark-brown, upper feathers edged lighter; abdomen black- 
ish; f., much smaller; paler; eyebrow, under whitish. 
Insects. "Fine songster, ranks with the Skylark;" 
sings flying like Skylark. 
279*Rufous Song-Lark (Rufous-tinted), Rufous-rumped 
Singing-Lark, Skylark, C. rufescens, A. 
^ Mig. c. grass, crops 7.5 
Upper brown, feathers edged lighter; upper base tail 
rufous; brow, throat whitish; under brownish-gray; 
side face darker; f., smaller; face not dark. Insects. 
"Amongst the richest and sweetest of Australian bird 
songs.*' Sings flying like Skylark. 
pleasant, and their large domed stick nests are common objects 
along a country road. Usually seen in companies of from four 
to a dozen, these birds work energetically and systematically. 
They are entirely insectivorous, and so are of great value econo- 
mically. They are tame, as I have watched a flock at work in 
the gardens in the middle of a town such as Dunolly. They 
occasionally visit orchards and attack the codlin moth pupae. They 
are said never to squabble, and so are called ''Happy Family" or 
'*Happy Jacks." Their names, however, are many. The com- 
monest is, perhaps, *'Catbird." There is a ''Catbird," a Bower- 
Bird, in Queensland, so the use of that name should be discour- 
aged. Babblers sometimes make six or seven nests, laying only in 
one. The others are said to be shelter nests, or possibly play 
nests. 
