SOME BIRDS OF THE MANGROVES 
161 
Notes. Also called Brown Thickhead. Inhabits the mangroves and 
adjoining dense scrubs and swamps; usually in pairs. It is very shy and 
retiring in habits, and has a somewhat pleasing and lengthened song, but 
without the “whip-crack” ending which is characteristic of the song of the 
other Whistlers. Food: insects and seeds of various kinds. 
Nest .—An open structure, composed of long pieces of coarse grass; 
lined with the feathery seed-tops of grass and a "few feathers. Generally 
placed in an upright forked branch of a mangrove or other tree. 
Eggs.— Two, pale buff, with spots of dark brown and underlying 
markings of lilac, which are chiefly confined to the larger end. Breeding- 
season: not recorded. 
13. Yellow Silver-eye Zosterops lutea Gould 
Zos-ter'-ops Gk, zoster, belt; Gk, ops, face: lu-tc-a— L„ luteus, yellow. 
Distribution. Tropical northern Australia to western Queensland 
from Carnarvon to the Norman River. 
Notes .—Also called Yellow White-eye. Usually in small flocks, fre¬ 
quenting the mangroves and nearby scrubs; it is very active whilst search¬ 
ing among the leaves for insects, uttering the while its low “tinkling” 
note. Food: insects, berries, and seeds. 
Nest. A neat, cup-shaped structure, said to be similar to that of the 
Ore) -breasted Silver-eye; usually placed in a mangrove tree. 
Eggs. Three, pale bluish-green. Breeding-season : probably Septem¬ 
ber to January. r 
II. White-breasted Whistler Pachycephaia lanioides Gould 
lan-i-oid-es— Gk, lanios, butcher-bird; Gk. -aides, from cidos, form = like. 
Distribution. Northern Australia, from Shark Bay to the Gulf of 
Carpentaria. 
Notes. Also called White-bellied Thickhead. Usually in pairs fre¬ 
quenting the mangroves; similar in habits and song to the other Whistlers. 
Nest; Built of twigs and rootlets, lined with finer rootlets and 
fastened in position with cobwebs. Built in a fork in the centre of a 
mangrove tree at about 6 feet from the ground. 
Eggs. Two, stone-coloured or buff, with a zone of umber and lav¬ 
ender spots at the larger end. Breeding-season: December to January. 
15. Shining Flycatcher Piesorhynclms alecto Temminck 
Pt-ez-o-rhyneh'-us—Gk, piencin, to press; Gk, rhynchos ( rhugchos ), 
beak: alecto —one of the furies (mythological). 
Distribution Tropical northern Australia, from Point Torment in 
the west to Cardwell in the east. 
the mangroves chiefly, also tea-tree swamps and 
V SUa y m pa,rs; k is shy > and is generally seen moving 
about close to the ground among the roots of the mangroves; it utters a 
