THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
bill black, feet flesh. Total length 100 mm. ; culmen 12, wing 56, tail 39, tarsus 20. 
Figured. Collected at Atherton Scrub, Cairns, North Queensland, in September 
1908, and is the type of S. m. viridior. (top figure.) 
Adult female. Similar to the adult male. 
Adult. General colour of the upper-surface rust -brown including the top of the head, entire 
back, wings, and tail ; bastard- wing, primary-coverts, and inner webs of flight-quills 
dark brown ; sides of the face like the back ; the feathers on the fore-part of the 
head somewhat darker on the edges which gives a scalloped appearance ; throat 
buffy-white ; breast and abdomen ochreous-yellow ; sides of body, thighs, and 
under tail-coverts ochreous-brown ; axillaries and under wing-coverts similar to 
the sides of the body ; under-surface of flight-quills dark brown with pale edges ; 
lower aspect of tail similar to its upper-surface. Eyes brown ; bill black ; feet 
flesh. Total length 120 mm. ; culmen 12, wing 60, tail 46, tarsus 24. Figured. 
Collected at Bellenden Ker, North Queensland, in June 1889, and is the type S. m. 
Tceri. 
Immature. “ Young birds may be distinguished by having the upper parts olive-brown, 
the forehead and sides of the head buff, throat pale buff, and the remainder of the 
under-surface pale buff tinged with olive.” (North.) 
Nest. Oval in form with side entrance. Constructed of leaves, moss, etc., fined with 
feathers. Outside measurements 8 inches long by 4 or 5 wide. 
Eggs. Clutch three. Whitish or grey, finely spotted with brown especially at the larger 
end where a zone is formed. 18-19 mm. by 14-15. 
Breeding-season. August to January. 
This species was described as an Acanthiza by Gould before he went to 
Australia and his field notes are the first to be recorded which dealt mostly with 
the curious nest, the remainder reading : “ The Sericornis magnirostris is an 
inhabitant of the brushes of New South Wales, both those which clothe the 
gullies and sides of the mountain ranges of the interior, and those near the 
coast, such as occur at Illawarra and on the banks of the Hunter, the Clarence, 
the Macleay, and other rivers. Although it has nothing either in its form or 
colouring to recommend it to notice, it must always be an object of interest, 
from the very singular nest it constructs .... The large-billed Sericornis is 
a very active but shy bird, keeping much among the branches of the high trees, 
where it gains a plentiful supply of insect food ; it may, however, be easily 
enticed into view by imitating the squeak of its young. The sexes do not differ 
in external appearance, nor do the young when fully fledged offer any variation 
in colour from the adult.” 
Mr. J. W. Mellor states : “ This is fairly plentiful and widely distributed 
in northern New South Wales and Queensland. I have found it at Cooroy, 
Blackall Ranges, S. Queensland and on the Tugger ah district in New South 
Wales. It builds an exceptionally bulky nest for such a small bird, being one 
of the smallest of the genus. Its habits are more arboreal, it takes to the higher 
branches of low trees where it somewhat resembles a Tit ( Acanthiza ) from its 
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