BIRDS OF THE BRUSHES AND BIG SCRUBS 
ii 
the big scrubs of the mainland and many islands off the coast. It is very 
similar in habits and call-notes to the Paradise Rifle-bird. Food: native 
fruits and insects. 
Nest. —An open, cup-shaped structure, composed of dead leaves, vine 
tendrils, twigs, and portions of climbing plants; lined with fine twigs. 
Frequently pieces of the cast-off skin of a snake are used as decorations, 
these being worked into the outside materials of the structure. Usually 
secreted in a thick mass of vines or foliage, often near the top of a small 
tree in dense scrub. 
Eggs. —Two, reddish flesh-colour, beautifully marked with longitud¬ 
inal streaks and a few smudges or spots of red, purplish-red, reddish-violet, 
and purplish-grey, a number appearing as if beneath the shell. Breeding- 
season: (July to September), October to December. 
6. Paradise Rifle-bird P til oris paradiseus Swainson—6 A. Female 
par-a-di -se-us- —L., paradiseus, of Paradise. 
Distribution. —Central Queensland (Rockhampton) to central New 
South Wales (Hunter River). 
Notes. —Usually in pairs, frequenting the big scrubs and brushes of 
the coast and contiguous mountain ranges. Each male bird appears to 
have his own special domain, an area about a quarter of a square mile 
in extent, over which he reigns; he rarely leaves his territory. The call 
is a harsh scream, “Y-a-a-ss,” frequently uttered, especially during the 
mating season. The male “displays” in an extraordinary manner, usually 
selecting for his performance a bare horizontal limb of a tree at the edge 
of the scrub, or overlooking a gorge. This limb he visits regularly. Food : 
insects, mostly procured from under or in the crevices of the bark on 
tree-trunks; also native fruits and berries. 
Nest. —A rather large, open, cup-shaped structure, composed of large 
brown dead leaves and vine tendrils, decorated with pieces of green 
climbing fern and portions of the cast-off skins of snakes; lined with wiry 
fern-stems and rootlets. Usually secreted in a dense mass of vines or 
foliage in the topmost part of a bushy tree, at heights up to 90 feet from 
the ground. 
Eggs. —Usually two, reddish-cream, beautifully and regularly marked 
with spots and longitudinal streaks like brush markings, of red, reddish- 
chestnut, purplish-red, and underlying ones of purplish-grey; the mark¬ 
ings are more pronounced on the larger end. Breeding-season: October 
to December. 
7. Shining Starling Aplonis me tallica Temminck— 7A. Immature 
Ap-ldn-is —no derivation has been found; the name suggests Apollonis, 
from Apollo, the sun: met'-al-li-ca —L., mctallicus, like metal. 
Distribution. —Northern Queensland; also occurs in the Celebes, 
Molucca Islands, and New Guinea. 
Notes. —Migratory, arrives in August and departs in March. In 
flocks, resembling in their flights the introduced Starling, performing 
