THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
coverts pale cinnamon slightly tinged with grey on the latter; under-surface of 
flight-quills hair-brown with buffy-white inner edges ; lower aspect of tail similar 
with pale margins to the feathers. Bill horn ; eyes brown ; feet blue-black. Wing 
90. Figured. Collected at Normanton on the 25th of March, 1914. 
Immature. General colour of the upper-surface cinnamon with lead-grey bases to the 
feathers on the mantle, back and lesser upper wing-coverts with a tinge of olive 
on the mantle and upper back where some of the feathers have dark shaft-lines ; 
lesser and marginal upper wing-coverts olive, median and greater series for the 
most part cinnamon ; bastard-wing, and primary-coverts dark brown fringed with 
dark cinnamon on the outer webs ; flight-quills blackish-brown with greyish-white 
edges to the outer webs on the outer primaries becoming cinnamon on the inner 
ones, which are much more broadly on the secondaries, inner webs of quills margined 
with white, or buffy-white on the basal portion ; tail-feathers blackish-brown with 
grey margins to the outer webs and pale margins to the inner webs ; sides of the 
face like the crown of the head ; rictal bristles only feebly developed ; lores greyish- 
white at the base with black hair-like tips to the feathers ; chin, throat, abdomen, 
and under tail-coverts silky-white with dark shaft-lines to the feathers ; fore-neck, 
breast, sides of abdomen and lower flanks cinnamon with dark shaft-streaks ; thighs 
dusky-grey ; axillaries and under wing-coverts pale isabelline ; under-surface of 
flight-quills dark brown with cream-white inner edges ; lower aspect of tail also 
dark brown. Collected on Melville Island, Northern Territory, on the 13th of 
October, 1911. 
Fledging (2 days old). Gape sulphur-yellow ; mouth saffron ; bill light brown ; feet and 
legs pink ; white down on head and body. 
Nest. A frail, cup-shaped one, formed of dried twigs and lined with dried grass or fine 
rootlets. Outside measurements 34 to 3f inches by 2\ deep. Inside 2± : by 14 deep. 
At Point Torment the nests were about 6 to 8 feet from the ground and placed in 
a horizontal fork. Composed of fine stems of annuals and fined with rootlets. 
Bound together with cobwebs and fastened to the tree with the same material. 
Measurements outside 3§ in. by 2 deep. Inside 2 by 1J deep. 
Eggs. Clutch, three. Ground-colour dull olive or olive-brown, marked with a zone of 
blackish-brown on the larger end. 21-23 mm. by 17. 
Breeding-season. September to December or January. 
Latham described this species from the Watling drawings, and the identity 
was obscure until Strickland, G. R. Gray and Gould examined these. In the 
meanwhile Lewin had figured and described this species as Turdus pectoralis , 
and Vigors and Horsfield definitely determined this as Latham’s Muscicapa 
pectoralis , and in this error they were followed by Gould, who figured this 
species under the name Pachycephala pectoralis. In his “Handbook” he 
accepted Latham’s name and the species has been so recognised ever since. 
Gould’s notes read : “ This very common species ranges over the whole of 
the southern portion of the Australian continent, from Swan River on the 
west to Moreton Bay on the east ; but the extent of its range northwards has 
not yet been determined. During the spring and the earlier months of summer 
there are few birds that give utterance to a more animated and lively song — 
a loud continuous ringing whistle, frequently terminating in a sharp smack. 
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