BIRDS OF THE FOREST BORDERS AND GRASS-LANDS 
135 
Nest. A cup-shaped structure, composed of grasses and rootlets ; 
lined with finer materials. Generally placed in a low bush. 
Eggs. Usually three, white, dotted all over with purplish-red mark- 
ings. Breeding-season: November to January. 
20, Gibber-bird Ashbyia lovensis Ashby 
Ashbyia — Edwin Ashby, ornithologist, Blackwood, South Australia: 
lovensis — J. R. Love, collector of Australian birds for Edwin Ashby. 
Distribution. — Central Australia and the interior of Queensland, New 
South Wales, and South Australia. 
Notes. — Also called Desert Chat. Usually in pairs or family parties, 
frequenting open country— chiefly gibber plains. It is unlike the other 
Chats in habits, for it spends most of its time on the ground and rarely 
takes to the low bushes. It also mounts high in the air, after the manner 
of a Song-lark, and in its descent utters a sharp “Whit-whit-whit.” Food : 
insects of various kinds. 
Nest. — A deep, neat structure, composed of small twigs and dry 
grass; neatly lined with rootlets. Built in a comparatively deep hole, the 
rim extending or overlapping all round and slightly higher than the level 
of the ground. 
Eggs. — Usually three, pure white, with reddish-brown spots clustered 
round the larger end ; sometimes other spots are scattered over the smaller 
end. Breeding-season : May to October or after rain. 
21. Speckled Warbler Clithonicola sagittata Latham 
Chtho-nic'-o-la — Gk, chthon, earth; L., colere, to inhabit: sa-git-ta-ta — L., 
sagittalus, marked with arrows. 
Distribution . — South-eastern Queensland, eastern New South Wales, 
Victoria, and South Australia. 
Notes . — Also called Little Field-lark, Little Wren, Speckled Jack, 
Blood-tit, and Jenny-wren. Usually in pairs or small flocks, frequenting 
open forest country and open areas. It is often seen in the company of 
the Yellow-tailed Thornhill, Buff-tailed Thornhill, and Brown Thornhill. 
It spends much of its time on the ground, and is very trustful. Food : 
insects and their larvae. 
Nest. — A domed structure with a side entrance, composed of dried 
grasses; lined with soft materials. Built in a slight depression in the 
ground. 
Eggs . — Three or four, glossy reddish-brown, with a darker zone at 
the larger end. Breeding-season: September to January. 
