THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
to white ; axillaries pale buff ; under-surface of flight-quills dark brown rather 
paler on the inner margins ; lower aspect of tail inclining to citron-yellow with 
white shafts to the feathers. Bill blackish-horn ; eyes hazel ; feet blackish. Total 
length 212 mm. ; culmen 12, wing 95, tail 90, tarsus 31. Figured. Collected on 
King Island, Bass Straits, on the 27th of April, 1914. 
Adult male. Differs from the female in having a grey band on the breast and a grey head. 
Immature male. Resembles the adult, but the grey breast-band is narrower and the 
abdomen buff. Younger birds are reddish, with a green tail. 
Nest. Cup-shaped, loosely constructed of strips of eucalyptus bark and fine twigs, fined 
with fine grass. Placed in the fork of some small tree in thick scrub. Measure- 
ments : Outside, 4| inches by 2| deep. Inside, 2| by lj deep. 
Eggs. Two to three, both ends coming somewhat of a point. White washed with pale 
yellow. Surface sparsely dotted and blotched with dull grey and umber. 28 mm. 
by 19. 
Breeding-season. September to January. 
When Vigors and Horsfield described this species they gave no locality nor 
account of its habits, so that Gould’s notes are the earliest record. He wrote: 
“ Native Thrush of the Tasmanians. This species, the largest of the genus, 
is a native of Tasmania, where it inhabits forests and thick scrubby situa- 
tions, and is very generally dispersed over the island from north to south ; 
I observed it also on Flinders Island in Bass Straits, but no instance has 
come under my notice of its occurrence on the continent of Australia. It is 
rather recluse in its habits ; and were it not for its oft-repeated, loud, sharp, 
liquid, whistling note, its presence would not always be detected. I usually 
met with it in the thickest parts of the forests, where it appeared to resort 
to the ground rather than to the branches, and to frequent gullies and low 
swampy situations beneath the branches of the dwarf Eucalypti and other 
trees, with which its olive-brown colouring so closely assimilated that it was 
very difficult to perceive it.” 
Mr. Frank Littler’s notes read : “ Prefers heavily timbered country, 
with an abundance of scrubby undergrowth, but is sometimes found in light 
timbered country. Eats insects of all descriptions, small seeds and berries, 
mostly obtained on the ground among the leaves and decaying vegetation. It 
is shy, remaining most of its time in its secluded fastnesses. Its notes are 
somewhat peculiar and powerful. Once heard and identified they would not 
readily be mistaken for those of any other species. At the end of the song 
or whistle a kind of smack or crack emitted, which bears some resemblance 
to the crack of a whip.” 
Mr. C. F. Belcher says : “It is a seclusion -loving species and non- 
migratory.” 
Mr. Dove adds : “ Comes within four miles of Launceston along a scrubby 
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