BIRDS OF THE BRUSHES AND BIG SCRUBS 
19 
Nest. — A neatly made, saucer-shaped structure, without lining, com- 
posed of long pieces of vine-tendrils and a few twigs. Generally attached 
to the end of a drooping branch of a tree, at heights up to 50 feet from 
the ground. This species often nests in the same tree as the Drongo 
or the Helmeted Friar-bird. 
E99 s - — Usually three, greenish to greenish-white or greenish-brown, 
spotted and blotched with reddish-brown or purplish-red ; many of the 
markings appear as if beneath the shell. Breeding-season : October to 
January. 
9. Spotted Cat-bird Ailurcedus melanotas Gray 
Ail-ur-ced'-us — Gk, ailouros , cat; Gk, eidos, form: met -an-o-tus — Gk, 
melas ( melanos ), black; Gk, otos, genitive of ous, ear. 
Distribution . — Northern Queensland; also occurs in the Aru Islands. 
Notes. — Usually in pairs or small flocks, frequenting the big scrubs 
and brushes. It is very similar in habits to the Green Cat-bird and utters 
the same cat-like cries. Food: native fruits and berries. 
Nest. — A large, open, bowl-shaped structure, composed of long twigs 
and broad leaves; lined with twigs and dead wiry stems of climbing 
plants. Usually placed near the top of a bushy sapling or small tree in 
dense scrub, at heights up to 20 feet from the ground. 
Eggs . — Usually two, rarely three, cream-coloured. Breeding-season : 
September to December or January. 
10. Green Cat-bird Ailurcedus crassirostris Paykull 
crass-i-ros-tris — L., crassus, thick; L., rostrum, bill. 
Distribution. — South-eastern Queensland and eastern New South 
Wales. 
Notes. — Usually in pairs or flocks, frequenting chiefly the big scrubs 
and brushes of the coastal districts. It is often observed in the company 
of the Regent and Satin Bower-birds, feeding upon different kinds of 
native fruits and berries. Its quaint call, a cat-like “Me-ow” uttered more 
frequently at daybreak and towards dusk, is a feature of the brushes. 
Apart from the rather loud “Me-ow,” it has another single call, a low 
plaintive “hiss,” used mostly when alarmed. Food: native fruits and 
berries; it is very fond of the seeds of the bangalow and cabbage-tree 
palms; also insects, chiefly beetles. 
Nest. — A bowl-shaped structure, composed of long twigs and stems 
of climbing plants entwined around a layer of long broad leaves, and 
occasionally moss; lined with fine dried twigs. Usually placed near the 
top of a low bushy tree, or in a leafy mass of vines, at heights up to 40 
feet from the ground. 
Eggs. — Usually two, sometimes three, cream or pale creamy-white. 
Breeding-season: September to December or January. 
