THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
coverts blackish-brown margined with white ; primary coverts uniform blackish- 
brown ; inner webs of flight-quills hair-brown with pale edges towards the base ; 
sides of the face and lores rust-colour ; a pale supraloral line which extends to above 
the eye ; throat whitish ; breast, abdomen, sides of body, under tail-coverts, 
axillaries and under wing-coverts yellowish-white more or less tinged with rust- 
colour ; thighs uniform rust-colour ; under-surface of flight-quills dark hair-brown 
with pale edges ; lower aspect of tail ochreous-brown. Bill black, eyes brownish- 
grey, legs and feet brownish- white. Collected at Watson’s River, North Queensland, 
on the 4th of July, 1914. 
Immature. General colour of the upper-surface olive-brown including the head, back, 
wings, and tail ; bastard-wing and some of the greater coverts black tipped with 
white ; primary-coverts uniform black ; inner webs of flight-quills blackish-brown ; 
rictal bristles black ; a spot at the base of the bill, behind each nostril, and eyelids 
white ; sides of face similar to the crown of the head but rather paler ; chin and 
throat cream-white with minute dark fringes to the feathers ; breast, abdomen, 
sides of body, and under tail-coverts very pale lemon-yellow ; thighs pale rust-colour ; 
under wing-coverts cream- white, slightly tinged with lemon-yellow ; flight-quills 
below hair-brown with whitish margins ; lower aspect of tail similar to its upper- 
surface. Eyes grey, feet pink, bill brown. Collected at Cape York, on the 12th 
of July, 1913. 
Juvenile. General colour of the upper-surface rust-brown including the head, back, wings 
and tail ; upper tail-coverts rust-colour ; bastard-w ing and greater upper wing- 
coverts black margined with white ; primary coverts uniform black ; inner webs 
of flight-quills dark brown with pale edges ; a supraloral streak, eyebrow, and 
eyelid whitish ; ear-coverts like the crown of the head ; under-surface white slightly 
tinged with yellow ; thighs pale rust-colour ; under wing-coverts and inner margins 
of flight-quills below pale buff ; quill lining dark brown ; lower aspect of tail similar 
to its upper-surface. Bill and eyes black, feet pink. Collected at Cape York, 
North Queensland, on the 4th of April, 1913. 
Nest. “ Dome-shaped, situated a few feet from the ground in a scrubby bush. Composed 
of leaves and rootlets and lined with fine tendrils and a few feathers. The entrance 
is very small, being § of an inch in diameter. The structure measures : internal 
depth, 3 inches ; external, 4 \ inches ; internal breadth, 1 £ inches ; external, 
3 inches.” (H. L. White.) 
Eggs. “ Clutch, three, oval in shape, and of a faint reddish-brown, with light brown fleecy 
markings on the larger end, where they form a zone near the apex. There are no 
markings on the smaller end. 17-18 mm. by 14.” (ib.) 
Breeding-season. “ October to December.” (ib.) 
Writing of this bird, which Gonld described, he says : “ The nearest allies 
of this pretty little bird are the Sericornis frontalis of the eastern brashes of 
New South Wales and the Sericornis Icevigaster of the northern portion of 
Australia. From the former if differs in the markings of the face and eye stripes, 
from the latter in the total absence of any marks on the tips of the tail-feathers. 
Nothing has yet been recorded respecting the habits and economy of this species ; 
but judging from the sleek and silky texture of its feathers, it is an inhabitant 
of humid sterile places, among grasses and mossy stones, in the wilder portion 
of the forest.” 
18 
