WHITE-BROWED BABBLER. 
He presented specimens of his captures to the British Museum, where they 
remained ignored for many years, and others to the Linnean Society, where 
they likewise remained unexamined for a long time. In 1826-7, however, 
Vigors and Horsfield published an account of the Australian birds in the 
collection of the latter Society, and at that late date characterised many of the 
species as new. This fine form was one of them, and they referred it to the 
Javan genus Pomatorhinus just previously characterised by Horsfield but 
with note of the differences observed. No note was given of its habits, so 
that Gould’s observations were the first published as here reproduced : “ This 
species ranges over the whole of the southern portion of the continent of 
Australia, where it must be regarded as a bird peculiar to the interior rather 
than as an inhabitant of the districts near the coast. It is common on the 
Liverpool Plains, and it was particularly noticed by my friend, Captain Sturt, 
during his expedition to the Darling. I myself met with it near the bend of 
the River Murray, and it has also been found in the York district of Western 
Australia, but I have never heard of its having been seen either in the north 
or north-western parts of the country. It usually moves about in small troops 
of from six to ten in number, and is without exception the most restless, noisy, 
querulous bird I ever observed. Its mode of progression among the branches 
of the trees is no less singular than is its voice different from that of other 
birds ; it runs up and down the branches of the smaller trees with great rapidity 
and with the tail very much spread and raised above the level of the back. It 
usually feeds upon the ground under the Banksias and other low trees, but 
upon the least intrusion flits on to the lowest branch, and by a running or 
leaping motion quickly ascends to the highest, when it flies off to the next tree, 
uttering at the same time a jarring, chattering and discordant jumble of notes, 
which are sometimes preceded by a rapidly repeated shrill, piping whistle. 
When a troop are engaged in ascending the branches, which they usually do in 
line, they have a singular habit of suddenly assembling in a cluster, spreading 
their tails and wings, and puffing out their plumage until they resemble a great 
ball of feathers.” 
Captain S. A. White has written me : “ This bird is found practically 
all over the State, and is without doubt one of our most useful birds, being on 
the search for insects all the day long, turning over bark and stones, dry manure, 
etc., with great skill. They rid the orchards of many codlin-moth grubs. 
Very sociable, even in nesting-time they seem to live in families, and at other 
times move about in parties of five to twenty. They build a great many nests 
and, strange to say, lay in very few of them ; it is a common sight to see four 
or five birds come out of a nest which they seem to occupy at night time. The 
nests are large and dome-shaped, constructed of sticks and lined very warmly 
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