THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
Adult female. Similar to the adult male. 
Immature. Practically the same as adult. 
N est. “ Dome-shaped . . . composed of soft shreds of grass and fine rootlets and plentifully 
lined with thistledown. It measures : extreme length 4 1 inches, extreme breadth 
3| inches ; and the nesting-chamber is 2 x2| inches.” (Le Souef.) 
Eggs. Clutch, 2 to 3. White, plentifully marked with fine, elongated reddish-brown 
dots, which predominate at the larger end, sometimes forming a zone. 17 mm. 
by 12. (Le Souef.) 
Breeding-season. December. (Le Souef.) 
This well-marked species also rewarded Gilbert’s efforts, and Gould wrote : 
“ This species is an inhabitant of the northern parts of Australia ; it is tolerably 
abundant at Port Essington, where it dwells among the extensive beds of 
mangroves which stretch along the coast. It is of a very shy and retiring 
disposition ; and as the colouring of its back assimilates very closely to that 
of the leaves of the mangroves, it is a very difficult bird to sight, as it 
creeps about among the thick branches in search of insects, upon which it 
solely subsists.” 
Mr. J. P. Rogers wrote to me from Melville Island : “ Nov. 15th, 1911. 
Cooper’s Camp. This species is rare here, only a few birds have been so far 
seen. Jan. 14th, 1912 : Ten miles south-east of Snake Bay. About one mile 
east of my camp there are several small patches of jungle where I usually see 
a few of these birds. Jan. 7th, 1912 : On the ridge near the great swamp 
I saw a pair of these birds building a nest in a tree locally known as a cedar, 
which is somewhat like the white cedar of gardeners. It was about thirty 
feet from the ground. On the fourteenth I examined this nest and found it 
deserted and only half finished. It was in a dilapidated condition, and in 
size and shape was like those of P. Icevigaster found at Derby. On Feb. 5th, 
1912, I saw a pair in the mangroves at Cooper’s Camp. The song of this 
species is not unlike that of P. Icevigaster at Derby, but is shriller and not 
nearly so musical.” 
Campbell’s comments on King River specimens read : “ One A- This 
Gilbertian species is difficult to observe in the mangrove trees, which it 
loves. This example does not appear to differ from a A from North-west 
Australia, which Mathews has differentiated as darwinii. Wings of both 
examples, 54 mm.” 
My separative characters read : 
Gerygone chloronota darwini 
“ Differs from G. c. chloronota in having a very much fighter head and 
larger wing, 54 mm. Type from Parry’s Creek, North-west Australia.” 
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