THE BIRDS OE AUSTRALIA. 
and can always be beard ; it has a nice little song and is second only to the 
A. lineata in this respect. It has several peculiar habits, chiefly in nesting. It 
feeds on the ground, in hedges and trees. It is when in flight that its beautiful 
yellow rump can be seen. The nest is often placed in the loose bark of a tree and 
is a very rough one : it has no finish to it and appears to be clumsily built. It 
sometimes builds under the nest of the Magpies ( Gymnorhina leuconota and 
tibicen) or Crow ( Corvus coronoides). The nest is placed right on the base of its 
large neighbours and often the crown of the dome is placed right in the loose 
sticks, so that only the bottom of the Tit’s nest is showing. Sometimes it is 
built into the side, but I think this is only the case when the nest has been 
deserted. Gymnorhina tibicen does not attack smaller birds, but will not allow 
larger ones to come near when building. Sometimes the Tit builds a dome- 
shaped nest, sometimes with a cup-shaped nest on top of this and I have 
found several with two domed nests and the cup-shaped one on top making in 
all three nests. In September, 1906, at Little River and the You Yang Range 
(six miles West of Little River) most of the nests were of the dome shape with 
the cup-shaped one on top but several had the two domed-shaped nests with the 
cup-shaped one on top, making three nests. I have always found the Cuckoo’s 
egg, when it has been in the nest, in the top compartment, and not in the bottom. 
The nest is made of dried grasses, soft bark and cocoons, very roughly made, 
lined with feathers ; all the nests I found in September 1906, at the You Yangs 
were lined with the feathers of Platycercus eximius. They are early breeders, 
beginning to mate as early as July.” 
Captain S. A. White has sent me the following notes : “ G. chrysorrhous 
perksi. This is a common and widely distributed species. The birds are to 
be seen moving about in small parties in the ranges and on the plains. They 
live entirely upon insects and hop about in the most lively manner as they search 
for insect life in the foliage and behind the bark of trees and on the ground. If 
protected they become very quiet and will nest close to a dwelling-house and 
bring out their brood. The nest is beautifully constructed of grass, cobwebs 
and sometimes wool and well lined with feathers : the nest is generally placed 
in the drooping bough of a tree or bush, and there are two compartments, one 
on top of the other, the upper one being generally occupied by the male bird. 
“G. c. addendus. This is a fairly common bird in the Port Augusta district 
and is to be seen hopping about on the ground amongst the low blue or saltbush : 
their habits seem to be the same as those further south.” 
Mr. J. W. Mellor has also written : “In South Australia this Tit is very 
common and I have practically seen it everywhere. It was common at the 
Reedbeds in the earlier days and was found in the more open country hopping 
over the ground in little parties of four or five. At Lakes Alexandra and Albert 
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