PLATE XXIII 
SOME BIRDS OF THE MANGROVES 
1. Large-billed Warbler Gerygone magnirostris Gould 
Ge - ryg '- on - e — Gk, gerygone , born of sound: mag - ni - ros '- tris — L., magnus 
great; L., rostrum , bill. 
distribution. Northern Territory and northern Queensland 
(Cape York to Cardwell district). 
notes. Also called Large-billed Bush-warbler, Large-billed Fly-eater, 
and Flood-bird. Inhabits the mangroves, where is spends most of its 
time among the leaves and blossoms capturing the smaller kinds of 
insects; it has an extremely weak, twittering song. 
nest. A dome-shaped structure with a hooded entrance at the side; 
several inches of nesting material hang from the body of the nest, 
which is composed of fine bark woven together with wool and spiders* 
webs; lined with leathers. Placed in the foliage of a mangrove tree, 
at about 7 feet from the ground. 
eggs. Two, white, heavily marked on the larger end with reddish- 
brown markings. Breeding-season: November (Melville Island). 
2. Grecn-backed Warbler Gerygone chloronota Gould 
chlor-o-ndt'-a— Gk, chloros , yellow-green; Gk, noton , back. 
distribution. North-western Australia and Northern Territory. 
notes. Also called Green-backed Fly-eater. Inhabits the mangroves 
and adjacent scrubs; it is very shy and retiring in disposition and 
difficult to locate among the leaves of the mangroves as it creeps about 
in search of insects upon which it solely subsists; it has a piping note 
though occasionally other notes are uttered in slow succession. 
nest. Similar in shape to that of the Large-billed Warbler; com¬ 
posed of soft shreds of grass and fine rootlets, and thickly lined with 
thistledown. Built among the foliage of a mangrove tree. 
eggs. Two or three, white, freely marked with fine, elongated, 
reddish-brown dots, which predominate at the larger end, sometimes 
forming a zone. Breeding-season: December. 
3. Dusky Warbler Gerygone tenebrosa Hall 
tcji-e-brd'-sa— L., tenebrosus, dark. 
distribution. Mid and north-western Australia, from Carnarvon 
to the Fitzroy River. 
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