THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
and the Cobourg Peninsula ; it is likely that it ranges over the whole of the 
intermediate country, but this can only be determined by future research. 
Its smaller size, the more attenuated form of its bill, and the great difference 
in the colouring of the sexes, point out most clearly that it is a member of the 
genus Campephaga, and not of Graucalus, to which it was first assigned. It 
is far less common in New South Wales than it is at Port Essington, where 
Gilbert collected the following particulars respecting it : ‘ This bird is extremely 
shy and retiring in its habits. It generally inhabits the topmost branches of 
the loftiest and most thickly foliaged trees growing in the immediate vicinity 
of swamps. Its note is altogether different from that of any other species of 
the genus, being a harsh, grating, buzzing tone, repeated rather rapidly about 
a dozen times in succession, followed by a lengthened interval. It appears 
to be a solitary species, as I never saw more than one at a time.’ The stomach 
is muscular, and the food consists of insects of many kinds, but principally 
coleoptera.” 
Mr. L. G. Chandler has written me : “ My experience of this species has 
been entirely in the thickly timbered ridges of the Dandenong Ranges, 
Victoria. They do not stop to winter, as far as my observation goes, though 
being a very rare bird one might easily overlook them. They feed on the 
tops of the gum trees and appear to catch an insect on the leaves, or by taking 
a short flight and pouncing on it ; a large cicada is often chosen as an article 
of diet. The call of the male bird is a high-pitched ‘ Kree, Kree,’ that is 
uttered quickly in repetition for no particular length of time. I think the 
note is given, on an average, about twenty times in succession. There is usually 
a five to ten minutes’ interval between the calls, although occasionally the 
bird may be silent for over an hour. It is generally rather difficult to secure 
a specimen. A bird may call somewhere and you reach the spot you thought 
the notes originated from, and eagerly scan the branches. In ten minutes 
the call may come from a tree two hundred yards away. It commences softly 
and slowly, gains power, then dies away. If one is close to the bird the opening 
notes lead one to believe it is some distance away.” 
Mr. E. E. Howe has also sent me a note : “ This bird is more often heard 
than seen when the loud buzzing cicada-like notes betray its whereabouts. 
They have another call, uttered three or four times quickly and sounding like 
c Joey- Joey.’ Watching a pair at Ringwood, Nov. 1, 1908, they appeared 
to be nesting, but the spot was not again visited. At Ferntree Gulf, Nov. 22nd, 
I was amazed at the number of cicadas that were devoured by a male bird. 
Seizing the locust it would fly to a limb and, after beating it on the bough a 
few times, would devour the lower half. Picking up the portion dropped, it 
was seen that the creature was still alive although minus the abdominal half.” 
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