THE BIRDS OE AUSTRALIA. 
coverts ; inner webs of flight-quills dark brown margined with white ; a broad 
blackish subterminal band on the tail — much more pronounced on the lateral 
feathers, which have a white blotch on the inner web near the tips ; lores and a 
line over the eye buffy-white ; hinder-face ochreous ; sides of the neck tinged 
with the same colour ; chin whitish ; throat and under-surface lemon-yellow, 
with minute dark shaft-streaks on the throat, becoming much paler and inclining 
to white on the under tail-coverts and under wing-coverts ; under-surface of quills 
dark brown with pale inner edges ; lower aspect of tail dark brown with a white 
spot on the inner web of the lateral feathers near the tip. Eyes white with a yellow 
tinge ; feet greyish-brown ; bill brownish, with lower mandible paler. Wing 50. 
Figured. Collected on the Hawkesbury River, New South Wales, on the 27th of 
June, 1912. 
Immature. Resemble the adult. 
Nest. Round, with hooded entrance. Composed of fine grass held together with spider’s 
web, and lined with feathers. Outside dimensions 3 inches. 
Eggs. Clutch, two or three. Buffish or salmon-pink, with a zone of darker buff or reddish 
spots, round the larger end 15-17 mm. by 10-12. 
Breeding-season. August to November or December, and to April in the Gulf country. 
Gould described practically all the “ Gerygones,” and this species he first 
placed in that genus but later differentiated it. His notes read : “ This bird 
is a constant inhabitant of the leafy branches of the c Eucalypti,’ and resorts 
alike to those of a dwarf stature and those of the loftiest growth. While search- 
ing for insects, in which it is incessantly engaged, it displays all the scrutinising 
habits of the Pari or Tits, clinging about the finest twigs of the outermost 
branches, prying underneath and above the leaves and among the flowers, 
uttering all the while or very frequently a low simple song. I found it abundant 
in every part of South Australia I visited, particularly in the neighbourhood 
of Adelaide and in the gullies of the ranges skirting the belts of the Murray ; 
in New South Wales it was frequently seen at Yarrundi, and other parts of 
the Upper Hunter district. Gilbert states that in Western Australia he only 
met with it in the York district, that it was always seen on the branches of 
trees, where it feeds on larvse and small insects ; that its flight was of very short 
duration, merely flitting from tree to tree ; and that its note is a weak twitter, 
a good deal resembling that of the Geobasileus chrysorrhous .” 
The Northern form he separated as a distinct species, and of this he 
wrote : “ This is the least of the Australian birds I have yet seen, scarcely 
exceeding in size the smaller Humming-birds. It is tolerably abundant on 
many parts of the northern coasts of Australia, and particularly on the 
Cobourg Peninsula ; it inhabits most of the high trees in the neighbourhood 
of Port Essington, keeping to their topmost branches, and there seeking its 
insect food among the leaves, over which it creeps and clings in every 
possible variety of position. From the circumstance of its confining itself 
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