  Muscicapa Australis, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. li. Southern Motacilla, Motacilla Australis, White’s Journ., pl. in p. 239. Southern Flycatcher, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 219.—Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. x. p. 369.—Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. vi. p. 216. Pachycephala Australis, Vig. & Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 242. Muscipeta, sp. 15, Muscicapa Australis, Less. TraitÉ d’Orn., p. 385. EÖpsaltria flavicollis, Swains. Class, of Birds, vol. ii. p. 250. —— Australis, G. R. Gray, List of Gen. of Birds, 2nd edit. p. 45. Yellow-breasted Thrush, Lewin, Birds of New Holl., pl. 23. EÖpsaltria parvula, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part V. p. 144. female? Yellow Robin, Colonists of New South Wales. This is a very common species in all the brushes of New South Wales; I also observed it in most of the gardens in the neighbourhood of Sydney, as well as in those of the settlers in the interior. It is very Robin-like in its actions, particularly in the habit of raising its tail at the moment of perching, and in the sprightly air with which it moves about. It is by no means shy, and may often be seen crossing the garden walks, perching on some stump or railing, regardless of one’s presence, at which time the fine yellow mark on its rump is very conspicuous. Its powers of flight are but feeble, and are seldom employed to do more than enable it to flit from bush to bush or from tree to tree, in a peculiarly quiet Robin-like manner; never displaying the restless activity of the Pardalotes, Acanthizas, and many other tribes of birds. Its food consists entirely of insects, which are more frequently taken on the ground than on the trees. It breeds in September and October. The nest is a beautiful, compact, round, cup-shaped structure, about three inches in diameter and an inch and a half deep, composed of narrow strips of bark, wiry fibrous roots, and in some instances grasses; the outside held together with cobwebs, and sparingly speckled over with mouse-eared lichen and small pieces of bark, hanging loosely about it; the inside of the nest is generally lined with leaves, but occasionally with portions of the broad blades of grasses. It is generally placed in the fork of some low tree in an open or exposed part of the brush, is a neat structure, and sometimes so nearly resembles the bark of the tree upon which it is constructed, that it is almost impossible to detect it, so extraordinary is the instinctive power of imitation with which the bird has been endowed. The eggs are usually two in number, of a bright apple-green, speckled and spotted all over with chestnut-brown and blackish brown, the latter tint being much less conspicuous than the former; they are nine lines long by seven and a half lines broad. It is not migratory, and so far as is known, is confined to the southern and eastern portion of the country. The sexes are alike in colour, but the female is somewhat smaller in size: the young on leaving the nest has the plumage streaked and spotted very similar to that of young Robins, but obtains the plumage of the adult at an early period. Head and all the upper surface, wings and tail, with the exception of the rump, very dark grey; chin white; all the under surface and rump wax-yellow; irides, bill and feet black. The figures are of the natural size. EÖPSALTRIA GRISEOGULARIS, Gould. |
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