THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
be wound up with the recurrent and loud ‘ chuck' which seemed to be a sort 
of ‘ amen ’ to the whole affair. . . . When engaged in what one must itidul 
gently suppose it regards as its o^vn special song, the mouth is often opened 
to almost gaping mdth, and the head tlmown well back—a feature often 
noticeable when the note is harsh and unmusical.” 
Later, Jackson found them perched in trees; and concluded that as the 
breeding-season approached they left their playing gromids to frequent the 
trees, and that when they were breedhig the groimds were deserted “I 
noticed numbers of dead, ringbarked scrub trees, Imoum locally as Johnstone 
River hardwoods, and in these, high up amongst their dead and leafless tops 
I both heard and observed quite a number of Toothbills. They were all busy 
rendering various cries in conj miction with their own loud and sudden 
characteristic ‘ chuck.’ The procedure was sometliing quite novel for me 
and I came to the conclusion that these birds were collecting the small dead 
twigs from the tops of these taU trees for the purpose of nest construction 
They frequently flew from the trees into the scrub about a quarter of a mile 
away. This was the first time I had ever seen these birds out of the scrub 
proper. I presume that this would be their habit after they had all von 
mates and started upon the important responsibility of nesting. Their 
playgrounds in the adjacent scrub revealed to me sufficient proof that it 
was now the height of their breedhig-season, as nearly all those examined 
were untidy and imoccupied. 
“ Toothbills now all very silent, and more especially those which 
possess nests. . . . When flymg they usually make a swooping and heavy 
flappmg sound. In hoppmg about on the gromid and in trees they are expert. 
I have observed one commence from the groimd, then alight upon a suspended 
vine, and by a rapid succession of ‘ hops ’ arrive at the top of the tree.” 
Two subspecies can be admitted : 
Scenopoeetes dentirostris dentiroslris (Ramsay). 
4,000 feet up Bellenden Ker Range. 
Scenopoeetes dentiroslris minor Mathews. 
Jolmstone River (sea-level). 
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