66 
THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA 
Nest . — Similar to that of the Northern Shrike-tit. 
Eggs. — Two or three, white, marked with dark olive and grey mark- 
ings, which form a zone at the larger end. Breeding-season : August to 
January. 
13. Grey Shrike-thrush Colluricincla harmonica Latham 
C oll-u-ri-cinc -la — Gk, collurion, shrike; Gk, cinclos ( kigklos ), bird 
(thrush) : har-mori-i-ca — L., harmonious , harmonious. 
Distribution. — Eastern and south-eastern Australia (from Cape York 
to South Australia), Kangaroo Island, and Tasmania. 
Notes. — Also called Harmonious Thrush, Native Thrush, Pluff, 
Mourner, and Whistling Dick. A friendly and useful bird, easily tamed. 
Well named Harmonica, being a charming whistler with a fine repertoire 
of liquid notes. Fcfod : chiefly insects. 
Nest. — A large, cup-shaped structure, composed of long strips of 
bark, wiry roots, and grass ; neatly lined with fine rootlets and grass. Built 
in a variety of situations such as hollows in tops of stumps and broken-off 
branches, in burnt-out hollows in trees, and in upright forks. 
Eggs. — Three or four, pearly-white or creamy-white, spotted and 
blotched with dark olive, olive-brown, and pale grey markings. Breeding- 
season : August to December. 
14. Brown Shrike-thrush Colluricincla brunnea Gould 
brun-ne-a — L., brunneus , brown. 
Distribution. — North-western Australia, from Roebuck Bay through 
the Northern Teritory to Leichhardt River (north-western Queensland). 
Notes. — Similar in habits to the Grey Shrike-thrush. 
Nest . — An open, cup-shaped structure, composed of strips of bark 
and leaves ; lined with leaves. Usually placed in an old stump, or in a 
cleft in a wall of sandstone. 
Eggs. — Three or four, varying in shape and size, white, spotted and 
blotched with light olive-brown and pale slate markings, chiefly at the 
larger end. Breeding-season : September to November or December. 
15. Little Shrike-thrush Colluricincla parvula Gould 
par-vu-la — L., parvulus , very small. 
Distribution. — North-western Australia, from Arnhem Land to Ad- 
miralty Gulf (Northern Territory). 
Notes. — Inhabits the thickets, also mangroves. It is extremely shy, 
and is generally seen on or near the ground. Food: insects of various 
kinds. 4 
Nest . — Cup-shaped, composed of strips of bark, and placed in the 
hollow of a tree. 
Eggs. — Two or three, dull white, finely marked all over with spots 
and specks of pale to dark olive-brown and dull purplish-grey, heavier at 
the larger end. Breeding-season : December and January. 
