THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
similar with whitish tips to the lateral feathers. Eyes hazel ; feet slate-coloured ; 
bill black. Total length 161 mm. ; culmen 14, wing 90, tail 65, tarsus 26. 
Figured. Collected on King Island on the 2nd of May, 1914, and is the type of 
Amaurodryas vittata Jcingi. 
Adult females from the same locality are similar. 
Adult female. General colour of the upper-surface chocolate-brown including the top of the 
head, hind-neck, entire back, scapulars, and upper tail-coverts ; wings somewhat 
darker than the back, a narrow white band across some of the primary and secondary 
quills towards the base ; outer edge of wing dull white ; tail dark brown paler 
at the tip and along the outer web of the outermost feathers on each side ; hinder- 
face, throat and entire under-surface pale chocolate-brown, including the under 
wing-coverts, the marginal ones more or less mixed with white ; under-surface 
of flight-quills dark brown with more or less white towards the base ; lower aspect 
of tail dark brown, paler at the tip and outer edges. Eyes dark hazel. Wing 
85 mm. Figured. Collected on Cape Barren Island in November 1912 and is the 
type of Amaurodryas vittata bassi. 
Adult males from the same vicinity are similar. 
Immature. “ The young, when they leave the nest, are streaky in appearance . . . each 
feather of the head and back has a light-coloured stripe down the centre, and the 
light-coloured feathers of the under-surface are edged with brown.” (Campbell.) 
Nest. Cup-shaped. Composed of rootlets, pieces of bark and grass, and lined with fur 
or horsehair. Outside measurement 4 inches by 2 1 to 3 ; inside 2| by 1J-. 
Eggs. Clutch, three. Apple-green, darker on the larger end, sometimes spotted and 
blotched reddish-brown, 22-23 mm. by 17. 
Breeding-season. August to December. 
Gould described the present species from Tasmania, but later found that 
the French explorers Quoy and Gaimard had described and figured it in the 
“Voy. de 1’ Astrolabe,” but through a mistake had given as the locality King 
George’s Sound, West Australia. However, when this was pointed out to 
Gould, being a strict upholder of the Law of Priority, he used the older name, 
rejecting his own. Gould’s notes read : “ This plain-coloured species is very 
abundantly distributed over all those parts of Tasmania that are suitable to 
its habits ; it gives preference to thinly timbered hills, and all such plains 
and low grounds as are sterile and covered with thickets and stunted brush- 
wood. In its manners and whole economy it assimilates to the Red-breasted 
Robins ; I frequently observed it sitting on the stumps of dead and fallen 
trees, on the railings of inclosures, gardens and other similar situations. Its 
food appeared to consist solely of insects, which it swallows entire, even coleop- 
tera of a large size. Its note is low and monotonous, without any peculiar 
character.” 
Campbell noted : “ After the manner of some other birds, the Dusky Robin 
has been observed to feign lameness, or a broken wing, in order to divert 
attention when its young are approached or interfered with ” ; and H. Stuart 
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