THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
are very numerous in the open light-timbered country there. The breeding 
season is October-November-December. As these birds have the habit 
of re-lining old nest of Babblers ( Pomatostomus super ciliosus) and laying their 
eggs in them, the eggs are not so often found as would be imagined from the 
number of Thrushes about. And as old nests of Babblers are to be seen in 
hundreds and are often built in the small upper branches of Jam trees, etc., 
one would soon be tired of examining them on the odd chance of finding any 
Thrushes’ eggs inside. I think that where Babblers abound, the Thrushes 
utilize their old nest more often than they build nests for themselves. Oct. 
21, 1907. Found nest, containing two fresh eggs, on which the male bird 
was sitting. It was rather an untidy nest of twigs, lined with grass, built 
in the fork of a Jam tree {Acacict acuminata) about ten feet from the ground. 
Nov. 23, 1906. Nest with three fresh eggs, inside old nest of Babbler. 
Nov. 2, 1907. Two fresh eggs in nest. Oct. 21, 1910. While my man and 
self were felling a live Jam tree we noticed a pair of these Thrushes making 
a great fuss in the top of it, and looking up I saw the bulky nest of 
a Babbler in the upper twigs, about 25 feet from the ground. After the 
tree was down I examined this nest, and found inside it three fresh eggs of 
the Thrushes, but all broken by the fall. June 25, 1911. Found a nest 
fresh lined with grass inside, an old nest of Babbler, ten feet from the ground 
in a Stinkwood tree. The nest was found by watching the Thrushes carry 
material to it. They forsook it, however, on account of my examining it. 
Recently fledged young noted Oct. 28, 1905 ; Nov. 2, 1912 ; Dec. 2, 1906. 
On Dec. 22, 1907, and Dec. 15, 1910, saw fledged young out of nest, being 
fed by parents.” 
Later Carter recorded in the Ibis : “ Buff-bellied Shrike-Thrushes were 
common about Broome Hill and south-west localities. In the Gascoyne and 
Point Cloates districts these birds are mostly found in stony ranges, and are 
common in all the gorges of the North-west Cape ranges, where their song 
is quite different from that of the southern bird. On 7th August, 1916, I 
found a nest four feet from the ground, in the fork of a small white 
gum tree, in a gorge near the North-west Cape ; it contained two young birds 
about half grown, and the male bird was sitting on them.” 
Crossman recorded from Cumminin Station, about 200 miles due east 
of Perth : “ This bird is decidedly common, more especially in the forest 
country, where its fine ringing notes may continually be heard in the winter 
and spring.” 
Gibson, writing about birds, observed Kalgoorlie and Eucla, W.A. : 
“ Fairly common in the mulga country, a few here and there in the giant 
mallee and semi-open country, common near the coast.” 
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