SERICORNIS CITREOGULARIS, Gould . 
Yellow-throated Sericornis. 
Sericornis citreogularis, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part V. p. 133 ; and in Synopsis of the Birds of Australia, 
Part IV. 
This is the largest and most attractive species of the genus yet discovered, and so far as I am aware, its 
habitat is restricted to the south-eastern portions of Australia, where it dwells exclusively in the districts 
known by the name of “ brushes.” I personally observed it in those of Illawarra, and of the Hunter, and in 
the cedar brushes of the Liverpool range. It frequents the most retired parts of the forest, living in gullies 
and under the canopy of lofty trees, hopping about among the stems of the tree-fern, fallen trunks of 
patriarchal gums and moss-covered stones. It rarely flies, and when disturbed, seeks seclusion and safety 
by hopping away among the underwood. Its food, which consists of insects of various kinds, is obtained 
on the ground or among the trunks of the prostrate trees, over which and the large stones it passes 
with much ease and agility. 
The sexes are very similar in colour, hut the female may at all times be distinguished by her smaller 
size and the less strongly contrasted tints of her plumage, particularly in the hue of the streak running- 
through the eye and extending over the ear-coverts, which is neither so dark nor so broad as in the male. 
One of the most interesting points connected with the history of this species is the situations chosen for 
its nest. All those who have rambled in the Australian forests must have observed, that in their more 
dense and humid parts an atmosphere peculiarly adapted for the rapid and abundant growth of mosses of 
various kinds is generated, and that these mosses not only grow upon the trunks of decayed trees, but are 
often accumulated in large masses at the extremities of the drooping branches ; these masses often 
become of sufficient size to admit of the bird constructing a nest in the centre of them with so much art 
that it is impossible to distinguish it from any of the other pendulous masses in the vicinity. These 
bunches are frequently a yard in length, and in some instances hang so near the ground as to strike the 
head of the explorer during his rambles ; in others they are placed high up upon the trees, but only in such 
parts of the forest where there is an open space entirely shaded by overhanging foliage : as will be readily 
conceived, in whatever situations they are met with, they at all times form a remarkable and conspicuous 
feature in the landscape. Although the nest is constantly disturbed by the wind and liable to be shaken 
when the tree is disturbed, so secure does the inmate consider itself from danger or intrusion of any kind, 
that I have frequently captured the female while sitting on her eggs, a feat that may always be accomplished 
by carefully placing the hand over the entrance ; that is, if it can be detected, to effect which no slight 
degree of close prying and examination is necessary. 
The nest is formed of the inner hark of trees, intermingled with green moss, which soon vegetates ; 
sometimes dried grasses and fibrous roots form part of the materials of which it is composed, and it is 
warmly lined with feathers. The eggs, which are three in number and much elongated in form, vary 
considerably in colour, the most constant tint being a clove-brown freckled over the larger end with dark 
umber-brown, frequently assuming the form of a complete band or zone : their medium length is one inch, 
and their breadth eight lines. 
Lores, circle around the eye, and the ear-coverts deep black ; a conspicuous line of yellowish white above 
and for some distance beyond the eye ; crown of the head, and all the upper surface, secondaries, wing- 
coverts and tail reddish brown, becoming more rufous on the upper tail-coverts and tail ; outer edges of 
the primaries olive ; spurious wing blackish brown ; throat yellow ; chest and flanks olive-brown ; centre 
of the abdomen white ; bill brownish black ; irides reddish brown ; legs purplish flesh-colour, in some 
specimens flesh-white. 
The figures represent the two sexes of the natural size. 
