174 
THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA 
PLATE XXV 
BIRDS OF THE HEATH-LANDS 
1. Redthroat Pyrrholcemus brnnneus Gould 
Pyr-rho-lcem' -us — Gk, pyrrhos , fire-coloured; Gk, laimos , throat: brun- 
ne-us —L., brnnneus , brown. 
Distribution . Central Australia, including* the inland areas of New 
South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and Western Australia. 
A otes .—Usually singly or in pairs, inhabiting low stunted scrub-lands. 
Spends much of its time on the ground, over which it moves rapidly; it 
is extremely shy and possesses a very sweet and melodious son^,'fre¬ 
quently uttered while perched on the topmost twig of a low bush; it is also 
a splendid mimic. hood: insects of various kinds, procured on the 
ground or among the herbage and undergrowth. 
, i N au L ^ rOLlnd structure with an entrance at the side, composed of 
bark-hbie and grasses; sometimes lined with feathers. Usually built in a 
low bush close to the ground. 
Three or four of various shades of brown with a clouded 
Breed in <r Q £, ° a . ar ^ ei s iad ^ of the ground colour at the larger end. 
Breeding-season: August to November (March, April). 
2. Spinifex-bird Eremiornis carteri North 
Cartel f re J nia > desert; Gk, ornis, bird: cartcri- To. 
y ears ’ orni 10 °£ ls t> who resided in Western Australia for man 
Bell<flSd andTa^ro'w Ysknd and n ° rth ‘ western Australia and Mont 
( TriZdia) and I lo°w C; scrulv^S'sh"' 1 ’ in P airs - inhabiting spinife; 
of its time on the ground ’ t£ 5?’ &n f ^ etirin f !n habits, spending mosi 
words Jc suit a ' U , son & °f the male is likened to the Frencli 
Food :’ insects of v,Hn^ ^ ^ . notes of the female to ‘Thn>thrip. w 
a/a,-.* _p . ls vlnc ^ s > chiefly small grasshoppers and beetles. 
herbage lined^itl-^fi™ * su k sta ntiallv built of finely shredded grass or 
£o ™T 7 ’ and P,aced in a bunch of spinifex. 
the larger end, witlfmiYmt w h’ fe > closely covered all over, particularly at 
from light to dark recIcV 1° , mai <ln g s of pale lilac and purplish-brown and 
Island) k reddlsh -brown. Breeding-season: August (Barrow 
