RED-CAPPED ROBIN. 
met with, it inland nearer Beverley in the same State. In South Australia it 
used to be very common quite near to Adelaide in the native pine scrub between 
the Grange and Port Adelaide, but I fear they are now getting scarce there. 
All up the River Murray in the pine ( Gallitris ) scrub they are most numerous, 
and I have also met with them in the pines near the Victorian border at Pun- 
gonda, and in 1886 I collected a specimen near Ballarat in Victoria. This 
Robin has a peculiar low vibrating unmusical note during the breeding- 
season, a note that sounds a little way off like the gentle tapping of a piece 
of wood. The habit of flying a few yards in front of one and again settling, 
especially along a fence, if one is convenient, and keeping it up for quite a 
long distance, is markedly developed in this species.” 
Mr. Tom Carter has given me the following note : “ The Red-capped 
Robin was generally distributed from the North-West Cape and Gascoyne 
districts down to Broome Hill. In the northern areas these birds came right 
down to the coast, but in the south-west they do not seem to penetrate into 
the really heavily timbered country, but confine themselves to the more open 
inland districts, as Broome Hill, around where Petroica multicolor campbelli 
and goodenovii both occur in about equal numbers in the winter months, the 
latter species making an appearance there about June, but is absent in summer. 
At Broome Hill a nest of P. goodenovii was noted July 28th, 1908, almost com- 
pleted. Sept. 30th, 1908. — A nest containing three fresh eggs was found in 
the fork of a stinkwood tree, five feet from the ground. The nest was beautifully 
made of green moss sprinkled with lichen, and much resembled that of an 
English Chaffinch. July 29th, 1910. — Appearance first noted and birds were 
unusually numerous for some weeks afterward. First heard in song August 
3rd. The song is a short ‘ grating ’ one, and is the same in the mid-west. 
Aug. 16th, 1910. — Shot a male in immature plumage, apparently breeding, 
judging by enlargement of testicles. May 8th, 1911. — First arrival for year 
noted. Jan. 6th, 1903. — Observed at Kellerberin.” 
Whitlock’s observations on the East Murchison read : “ This little gem 
was the common Robin, or more properly speaking, Stonechat, of the district. 
It was familiar everywhere ; the only place it seemed to avoid was the tract 
of eucalypts near Milly Pool. It began to breed at the end of July, and nests 
might have been found up to the middle of October. Though it breeds when 
a year old, I do not think males assume full nuptial plumage until their second 
birthday is passed — in some cases perhaps a little later. I estimated the 
proportion of brown males to males in full plumage at five to one, and it is 
significant that I found in those cases where a brown male had paired the 
eggs resulting were not more than two, and in two instances an egg of the 
pair was infertile. Old females show traces of red on the fore-head and breast.. 
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