THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
their plumage. The stomach is very muscular, and in those dissected were found 
the remains of seeds and caterpillars mingled with sand.” 
Captain S. A. White has written me : 44 This was a plentiful bird once in 
our Mount Lofty Ranges, but of late years has become fairly rare ; this is no 
doubt due to the gunner, domestic cats gone wild, and the fox. They prefer 
the stony, timbered ranges to flat country and build their nests in the Yarka 
(Xanthoi roa) bushes. Their call at times, when calling to a mate, is loud and 
clear, and can be heard for some distance ; while at other times it is low, musical 
and soft. They keep to the ground a great deal, but when flushed will fly some 
little distance and alight on the branch of a tree, raising their long tail, after 
the manner of a Pigeon, to balance themselves.” 
Mr. Thos. P. Austin’s notes from Cobbora, New South Wales, read : 
44 Rather rare, and only to be found in the very thickest scrubs, where it is 
extremely difficult to find them and study their habits. If disturbed they 
soon become very shy, and will not allow of a close approach, flushing before 
an intruder is within fifty yards of them; but when first come upon, they 
prefer to hide to taking flight, and will often allow themselves to be almost 
trodden upon, but if marked down and followed up, they become very shy 
as stated above. I have never found their nest, but have several times 
caught their young before being able to fly, so I think they must leave their 
nest before fully fledged. When the young are handled the old birds become 
very excited, running up to within a few yards, then darting away under 
some low bush, only to repeat the same thing over and over again. I have 
never heard an adult bird utter a note of any sort, even when I have been 
handling their young.” 
Mr. Edwin Ashby writes : 44 In 1886 I found this species common in the 
neighbourhood of Ballarat, Victoria. Here at Blackwood, South Australia, 
they are not numerous, but a few pairs nest in this district, making rather a 
deep nest of grass, etc., placed on the ground near the foot of some tree stem, 
laying two eggs. Throughout the Mt. Lofty Ranges it keeps mostly to the 
rises or higher ground, running from the intruder almost like a Quail, but if 
approached too near will rise on the wing with a whirr, fly about a hundred 
yards and settle again.” 
Mr. F. E. Howe’s notes are as follows : 44 Is well distributed through the 
district, and to be seen at any time of the year. They are particularly fond of 
the stony rises where there is a good covering of tussocks well protected by 
saplings. On a hot day they lie in the shade and among the suckers of the 
eucalypt, and are more readily flushed ; they rise with a flapping of the wings, 
and go away with a quick and undulating flight (generally about one hundred 
yards), and on alighting run quickly forward. We have often seen them 
186 
✓ 
