BLACK-CAPPED TREERUNNER. 
G. F. Hill, writing of the birds of the Ararat district, Victoria, stated : 
“A rather uncommon bird. The nests are built in upright forks of dead branches 
and covered with small pieces of bark of the colour of the branch. Gum 
(This is a secretion from the mouth of the bird — Eds.) is used freely in the 
construction of the nests, both to stick the foundation to the branches and to 
attach the small pieces of bark to the outside. At least four birds assist in the 
building of a nest.” 
J. A. Hill from Kewell, Victoria, wrote : “ I have observed both the male 
and female of the Black-capped Treerunner taking part in incubation. We 
only have the one species in our district, and they are very peculiar in their 
habits. They generally go in small flocks of eight or ten, and I have never 
seen more than one nest in connection with one flock. More than one pair 
(possibly the whole flock) help to build the nest. They often remove their 
nest when built; I have watched them on different occasions pull the nest 
to pieces and remove it about 100 yards or more, for reasons best known to 
themselves. The nest is often finished for two or three weeks before they 
commence to lay eggs, but this is not always the case. Only the one pair feed 
the young ones, as far as I have been able to observe.” 
Stone, concerning the birds of Lake Boga, Victoria, confirmed this: 
“ Not uncommon. Builds a beautiful nest, which is a perfect mimicry of its 
surroundings. Very suspicious, and I have known them make six several 
attempts to build a nest, to be forsaken until the sixth time. Maximum, 
three eggs.” 
Howe, Wilson and Tregellas have all noted tins species in the Victorian 
Mallee, and S. A. White from many parts of South Australia, but very little 
is recorded of its habits and I have no notes of its occurrence in New South 
Wales, although it probably does occur in the south-west part; indeed, it is 
quite possible that Captain Sturt’s specimens which Gould named tenuirostris 
might have been procured within the borders of that State. 
In his “Handbook” under the article Sittella chrysoptera, Gould added: 
“ I possess a somewhat mutilated specimen of a Sittella, which was given 
to me by Captain Sturt, but I am unaware of the locality in which he 
obtained it. This bird, which I feel assured is a new species, is very 
nearly allied to S. chrysoptera, but differs from it in having a longer and 
more upturned bill, the base of which is yellow, and a uniformly coloured 
back and breast -without apparently any trace of the brown striae seen on 
the feathers of those parts in S. chrysoptera ; in other respects, particularly 
in the chestnut coloured band across the wings, it is very similar to that 
species. If it should hereafter prove to be new, I would propose for it the 
specific name of tenuirostris .” 
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