46 
THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA 
surface or under rocks and fallen logs, seeking insects of all kinds. Its 
clear call-notes, some of which resemble those of the White-browed Scrub- 
wren, are uttered at intervals. 
Nest. — A dome-shaped structure with an entrance at the side hooded 
over, composed of bark-fibre and grasses, coated with fine green moss and 
also cobwebs and spiders’ egg-bags ; lined with fine bark-fibres and 
feathers. The upper portion of the nest, where it is attached to the ceiling 
of the cave, is formed almost entirely of cobwebs. Nests are built in all 
manner of situations — sheds, out-houses, under culverts, in drains or 
shafts, but mostly in caves. 
Eggs . — Three, pure white, occasionally marked with very fine spots. 
Breeding-season: July to December. 
15. Pilot-bird Pycnoptilus floccosus Gould 
Pyc-nop'-til-us — Gk, pycnos , thick; ptilon , feather: flocc-o-sus — L., floc- 
cosus downy. 
Distribution. — South-eastern New South Wales to eastern Victoria 
(Dandenong Ranges). 
Notes . — Also called Downy Pycnoptilus. Usually in pairs, inhabiting 
heavily timbered mountain ranges and dense scrubs. It is more often heard 
than seen; its beautiful notes, resembling “Guinea-a-week,” are heard 
above the songs of most other birds. It is very active while seeking insect- 
life among the debris and fallen leaves. 
Nest. — A dome-shaped structure with an entrance at the side, com- 
posed of strips of bark and bark-fibre, with which are interwoven leaves, 
fern rootlets, and grass ; lined with bark-fibre and feathers. Built on the 
ground. 
Eggs. — Two, varying from drab to smoky-brown and dusky-grey, 
darker at the larger end, usually forming a zone. Breeding-season : Aug- 
ust to February. 
16. Ground-thrush Oreocincla lunulata Latham 
Or-e-o-cinc-la — Gk, or os, oreos, mountain ; Gk, cinclos , bird : lu-nu-la-ta 
— L., marked with little moons (crescents). 
Distribution. — Eastern Australia (from northern Queensland to 
Victoria), South Australia, Kangaroo Island, and Tasmania. 
A lotos. — Also called Mountain Thrush and King Thrush. Usually in 
pairs or family parties. Inhabits chiefly the floors of dense scrubs and 
brushes, where large moss-covered rocks and logs abound. Its food is 
procured on the ground among fallen leaves and debris, and consists of 
insects of various kinds, worms, land crustaceans, and molluscs. Its notes 
resemble the noise made by a ratchet-drill boring a metal plate. 
Nest. — A round, open, cup-shaped structure, composed of strips of 
bark, green mosses, or wiry rootlets. Usually placed in a fork of a low 
tree,’ wedged between a thick forked trunk of a tree, or on a horizontal 
moss-co\ered branch. 
