SOME BIRDS OF THE MANGROVES 
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PLATE XXIII 
SOME BIRDS OF THE MANGROVES 
1. Large-billed Warbler Gerygone magnirostris Gould 
Ge-ryg'-on-e — Gk, gerygone , born of sound: mag-ni-ros -tris — L., magnus , 
great ; L., rostrum , bill. 
Distribution. — Northern Territory and northern Queensland (Cape 
York to Cardwell district). 
Notes. — Also called Large-billed Bush-warbler, Large-billed Fly- 
eater, and Flood-bird. Inhabits the mangroves, where it spends most of 
its time among the leaves and blossoms capturing the smaller kinds of 
insects ; it has an extremely weak, twittering song. 
Nest. — A dome-shaped structure with a hooded entrance at the side ; 
several inches of nesting material hang from the body of the nest, which 
is composed of fine bark woven together with wool and spiders’ webs ; 
lined with feathers. Placed in the foliage of a mangrove tree, at about 
7 feet from the ground. 
Eggs. — Two, white, heavily marked on the larger end with reddish- 
brown markings. Breeding-season: November (Melville Island). 
2. Green-backed Warbler Gerygone chloronota Gould 
chldr-o-ndt' -a — Gk, chloros, yellow-green ; Gk, noton , back. 
Distribution. — North-western Australia and Northern Territory. 
Notes . — Also called Green-backed Fly-eater. Inhabits the mangroves 
and adjacent scrubs; it is very shy and retiring in disposition and difficult 
to locate among the leaves of the mangroves as it creeps about in search 
of insects upon which it solely subsists ; it has a piping note though occa- 
sionally other notes are uttered in slow succession. 
Nest. — Similar in shape to that of the Large-billed Warbler; com- 
posed of soft shreds of grass and fine rootlets, and thickly lined with 
thistledown. Built among the foliage of a mangrove tree. 
Eggs . — Two or three, white, freely marked with fine, elongated, red- 
dish-brown dots, which predominate at the larger end, sometimes forming 
a zone. Breeding-season: December. 
3. Dusky Warbler Gerygone tenebrosa Hall 
ten-e-bro-sa — L., tenebrosus , dark. 
Distribution . — Mid and north-western Australia, from Carnarvon to 
the Fitzroy River. 
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