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THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA 
PLATE XI 
BIRDS OF THE OPEN FOREST 
(Some Migrants) 
1- Rufous Whistler Pachycephala rufiventris Latham — 1A. Female. 
Pach'-y-ceph-al-a — Gk, pachys, thick; Gk, cepliale , head: ru-fi-ven-tris — 
L., rufus , red ; L., venter , belly. 
Distribution. — Australia generally. 
Notes. — Also called Rufous-breasted Whistler, Rufous-breasted 
Thickhead, Ring Coachman, Thunder-bird, Echong, and Little Thrush. 
Usually in pairs, arriving in early September, departing during February 
or March. It procures most of its food among the branches of trees. It 
is one of the first birds to usher in the morn with its loud melodious call 
like “E-chong-E-chong,” followed by a succession of loud rich notes, 
which are poured forth simultaneously with any loud and sudden noise, 
like the discharge of a gun or a peal of thunder. Food: chiefly insects; 
also native fruits and berries. 
Nest. — An open, cup-shaped structure, scantily composed of dried 
twigs and grasses; lined inside with finer grasses and rootlets. Usually 
built in an upright forked branch of any suitable tree. 
Eggs. — Two or three, dull olive to olive-brown, freckled, spotted, and 
blotched with shades of brown, often forming a zone at the larger end. 
Breeding-season : September to January. 
2. White- winged Triller Lalage tricolor Swainson — 2A. Female 
Lal'-a-gc — Lalage , girl's name (classical) : tri-col-or — L., tricolor, three- 
coloured. 
Distribution. — Australia generally, and New Guinea; accidental to 
Tasmania. 
Notes. — Also called White-shouldered Caterpillar-eater and Peewee- 
lark. Usually in pairs, arriving in September, departing during February. 
It has a melodious song, the “Joey-joey” notes are uttered while flying 
from tree to tree. Some years it is very plentiful, generally coinciding with 
the years that cicadas are numerous. Food : insects and their larvae, chiefly 
procured among the leaves of trees. 
Nest. — A small, open, shallow structure, composed of very fine root- 
lets and dried grasses woven together with cobwebs ; sometimes decorated 
on the outside with pieces of bark and spiders’ egg-bags. Usually placed 
in a horizontal fork of a tree; some are placed in upright forks, when, as 
a rule, they are larger (deeper). 
