RED-THROAT. 
Mr. J. W. Mellor has written me : “I have seen these birds on the 
open salt bush and blue bush country around Yunta district in South 
Australia on railway line between Petersburg and Broken Hill. They were 
seen singly and uttered a pleasing little note which attracted attention 
immediately : they had a peculiar way of suddenly popping up on the top of a 
blue bush, to repeat the performance. I was too early for their nesting, but 
doubtless they breed well in the district.” 
Mr. Sandland wrote : “ Fairly numerous atBalah, South Australia. Have 
only found two nests and then only by flushing the bird. Has an extremely 
pleasing song and were it not for this it would hardly be noticed as it is a shy 
bird.” 
Captain S. A. White has recorded from the Flinders Range, South Australia : 
“ There were some very interesting birds. One was the Redthroat. It was 
very shy, and once lost in the low bush hard to see again. When not alarmed 
or suspicious of danger their movements were quick, but elegant. They passed 
over open spaces between the bushes very much after the manner of Blue Wrens, 
often carrying their tails erect. The male would often mount to the top of a 
bush and pour forth a short but pleasing song. At the breaking of a twig or 
the sight of an enemy they were off in a flash, passing along the ground like 
mice from bush to bush. But despite their timidity, their curiosity was at times 
stronger, and they could invariably be called out of hiding by imitating the 
feeble call of a wounded bird. They seemed to be fairly plentiful on the sides 
of the ranges, about 400 to 500 feet, but we did not meet with them out on the 
salt and blue bush plains. 
Later from the Gawler Ranges Captain White reported : “ The Redthroat 
is distributed throughout the ranges. We found it out on the salt bush plains 
as well as in the hill country. Its shy habits and mouse-like movements 
when alarmed are very consistent wherever found and are identical with 
the Sericornis .” 
Still later giving the result of the Lower Murray Excursion Captain White 
noted : ‘ 4 Observed this bird for the first time on the trip in the low bush between 
Lake Bonney and the river. They were singing most sweetly. A specimen 
procured shows much less reddish marking on the throat.” 
Then from the Musgrave and Everard Ranges Expedition Captain White 
observed : “In many localities it was very plentiful : it seemed to frequent- 
low scrub on the western or south-western sides of the ranges.” 
A. S. Souef observed that at Ooldea near the eastern edge of the Nullarbor 
Plain that “ this sweet songster was numerous in the open scrub country. Some 
of them were very tame and approached to within a foot of the observer,” 
somewhat contrary to their general habits according to Captain White. 
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