Part 12

Head, upper base tail, under golden-orange; back brown; tip tail spotted white; chin black; f., duller. Grasshoppers, other insects.

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Order XXI. (continued)

The Warbler family, _Sylviidae_, is a large one, found all through the Eastern Hemisphere. One migratory species crosses Behring Strait each year to summer in Alaska.

As no less than 79 Australian small birds have been grouped in this family, it is of considerable importance to our bird lovers. At the head of the family, we have an exact representative of the Reed-Warbler of Europe in the delightful plain-brown songster which charms all who frequent river sides. Its song is "louder and more melodious than that of any of its European relations except" the Reed-Warbler. It is a welcome spring visitor, and can be heard on any spring or summer day in the Botanic Gardens, or in any reed bed by stream or lake.

The next bird is the Australian representative of the Fantail-Warblers (_Cisticola_). These birds are related to the Tailor-Bird.

Much has been written of the Tailor-Bird of India which so cleverly sews leaves together to enclose its nest, but few know we have a bird that does similar work when building its nest. Dr. Sharpe has decided that our bird is identical with an Indian species, so we must take the Indian name--Golden-headed Fantail-Warbler. This bird moults twice a year. At the autumn moult, it obtains a long tail and a streaked crown. The four Australian species described by Gould are now known to be but different forms of the one species which undergoes seasonal change.

Speckled Jack, the Speckled Warbler (Little Field-Wren), is a tame little bird with a pleasing song. Its chocolate-colored egg used to be much valued in the days when schoolboys collected eggs. It walks instead of hopping.

The Yellow-tailed Tit-Warbler (_Acanthiza_) is a member of an Australian genus, which has been split up into 27 species, all of which, except a New Guinea form, are restricted to Australia. Some are pleasing songsters. The two-storied nest of the Yellow-tail is well known and is peculiar. What is the use of the upper nest--for the male to rest in, to delude the cuckoo, or what?

These birds are not Tits (_Paridae_). They have been called Thornbills by Mr. A. J. North. The name Tit-Warbler has been adopted by the "names" sub-committee of the Royal Australasian Ornithologists' Union, pending the completion of the Australian Check-List. The common White-browed Scrub-Wren is not a Wren, but is a Warbler. He is the best known of the genus, though even he is seldom seen. His dark-brown color leads one to suspect a dark scrub as his dwelling place. Though common in places, he is seldom noticed, but if you sit down in a quiet scrubby corner, his inquisitiveness will often impel him to run almost over your feet. Some light spots on the shoulder and the white eyebrow will assist you in identifying him. His mouse-like run further assists in identification.

Amongst the glories of the bird world, the Superb-Warbler stands high. His beautiful enamel-blue and black costume, and his cheery, fussy song justify his name. He is generally accompanied by four or five plain-colored mates, and is said to lose his beautiful coat of blue each autumn, but the balance of evidence now seems to be with Mr. Keartland and Dr. Horne, who claim that he gets the permanent beautiful coat late in life (that is, when three or four years old), and does not lose it afterwards, except for a few days at moulting time. But, being so conspicuous, he soon falls a prey to one of his numerous enemies, of whom the small boy with a pea-rifle is probably the worst. I, too frequently, hear of these enemies of their country being caught with three or four of these lovely little birds in their possession. However, Bird Day in the schools did much good, and the next generation of boy will probably have less of the savage in him.

The Emu-Wren, which has tail feathers like Emu feathers, is easily recognized if seen. It is difficult to cause it to fly out of the rushes round a swamp. The Bristle-Birds are Australian, and are fairly common in some dense scrubs.

Grass-Wrens are not Wrens, but are placed in the Warbler family. They are Central Australian birds. They seldom fly, but "progress like a rubber ball" with great swiftness. They are of the light tawny color that so well matches desert sands. It is very difficult to get a second look at one, as it hides in the grass and scrub, and almost refuses to be flushed. Sometimes it nearly allows itself to be walked upon.

Fourteen of the 17 members of the Wood-Swallow family are confined to the Australian region. The White-rumped Wood-Swallow extends from Australia through the islands to the Andaman Islands; another kind is found in India, Ceylon, and Burma. Some kinds are migratory. They appear suddenly in great companies, build a flimsy, careless nest in any spot high or low, and soon have the young on the wing. They are the "Blue-Birds," "Summer-Birds," or "Martins" of our youth. Some of these birds have the remarkable habit of hanging in a cluster similar to a great swarm of bees. Like Honey-eaters, they take honey from the flowering eucalypts. The street trees of Bendigo were alive with these birds in May, 1909. The Sordid Wood-Swallow is partly migratory, and lives in small companies. Most towns in Southern Australia have a company of these birds in the neighborhood. One such company lives in the Domain, near the entrance to the Botanic Gardens, Melbourne.

These tame woodland birds, admirable in their graceful wheeling and floating flight, destroy numbers of destructive insects. Occasionally, a company has discovered that a good food supply can easily be obtained close to a beehive. Thus rarely they do a slight amount of harm, but the balance is overwhelmingly in their favor.

(continued below)

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F. 127. SYLVIIDAE (79), WARBLERS (Whitethroat, Blackcap (Br.), Chiffchaff), 525 sp.--107(102)A., 137(84)O., 108(22)P., 267(228)E., 1(0)Nc.

[Page 135]

=284= Australian Reed-Warbler =285= Australian Fantail-Warbler =286= Grass-Bird =287= Speckled Warbler =288= Little Tit-Warbler =289= Brown Tit-Warbler =291= Striated Tit-Warbler =293= Yellow-tailed Tit-Warbler =297= White-browed Scrub-Wren

[Page 137]

=300= Superb-Warbler =300^A= Superb-Warbler (Female) =302= White-winged Superb-Warbler =304= Emu Wren =306= Bristle Bird =311= White-browed Wood-Swallow =312= Masked Wood-Swallow =313= Wood-Swallow =315= Gray Shrike-Thrush

[Page 139]

=319= Australian Butcher-Bird =320= Yellow-breasted Shrike-Tit =321= Crested Bell-Bird =322= Golden-breasted Whistler =322^A= Golden-breasted Whistler (Female) =323= Rufous-breasted Whistler =323^A= Rufous-breasted Whistler (F.) =326= Shrike-Robin =327= Whiteface

[Page 142]

2 29

=284* Australian Reed-Warbler=, Reed-Bird, (Nightingale), Water-Sparrow (e), _Acrocephalus australis_, Lombok, E.A., S.A., T. =vt. Eur. Reed-Warbler.

Mig. c. _reeds_ 6.2

Brown; head darker; under lighter; throat whitish; bill long, pointed; f., sim. Insects. Rich melodious song.

1 51

=285* Golden-headed Fantail-Warbler=, Grass-Warbler (Exiled), Corn (Barley) Bird, _Cisticola exilis_, Ind., Formosa to A. (exc. C.A.), King Is.

Stat. r. _grass_, _crops_ 3.6

Golden-buff; upper streaked blackish; tail 1.2in., blackish, edged buff; f., crown streaked black. Winter* crown streaked black; throat whitish; tail 1.9in.; f., sim.

3 10

=286* Grass-Bird= (Little Reed), Marsh-Warbler, _Megalurus gramineus_, N.S.W., V., S.A., T.

Stat. v.r. _tussocks_ 5.2

Upper brown streaked, lined blackish; throat, chest gray faintly streaked black; tail reddish-brown; f., sim. Insects. "Four or five plaintive notes."

1 1

=287* Speckled Warbler=, Little Field-Lark (-Wren), Speckled Jack, Blood Tit (e), Jenny-Wren (e), _Chthonicola sagittata_, E.A., S.A.

Stat. r. _grass_ 5

Under whitish boldly streaked black; head brown faintly streaked white; back brown, feathers edged lighter; tip-tail spotted white; f., sim. Insects. Singer.

26 27

=288* Little Tit-Warbler= (Yellow), Yellow-breasted Thornbill, Tomtit, Little Tit, _Acanthiza nana_, S.Q., N.S.W., V., S.A.

Stat. c. _trees_ 3.5

Upper dull olive-green; under yellow; tail grayish-brown, black band; f., sim. Insects. "Tiz, tiz, tiz."

=289* Brown Tit-Warbler= (Tit), Scrub Thornbill, Dwarf Warbler, _A. pusilla_, E.A., S.A.

Stat. c. _scrub_ 3.7

Upper, wings brown; tail brown, banded black, slightly tipped white; throat, chest spotted black and white; flanks, abdomen buff; f., sim. Insects. Singer.

[Page 143]

=290 Red-rumped Tit-Warbler= (Tit), Rufous-rumped Thornbill, _A. pyrrhopygia_, N.S.W., V., S.A. (interior).

Stat. v.r. _mallee_, _scrubs_ 4

Upper pale olive-brown; forehead blackish-brown, feathers tipped white; throat, chest mottled gray, white; abdomen whitish; upper base tail rufous; tail olive, black band, white tip; f., sim. Insects.

=291* Striated Tit-Warbler=, Striped Tit, Striped-crowned Thornbill, _A. lineata_, E.A., S.A.

Stat. c. _timber_ 3.7

Throat, chest whitish streaked black; head brown streaked whitish; back olive-brown; flanks, abdomen yellowish; tail black band; f., sim. Insects. Songster.

=292 Chestnut-rumped Tit-Warbler= (Thornbill), _A. uropygialis_, A. exc. C.A., N. Ter.

Stat. r. _scrubs_, _forests_ 3.6

Upper brown; upper base tail rich reddish-chestnut; tail brownish-black tipped white; under whitish; f., sim.

=293* Yellow-tailed Tit-Warbler=, Yellow-rumped Thornbill (-Tit), Yellow-tail, Geobasileus, _A. chrysorrhoa_, E.A., S.A., W.A., T.

Stat. v.c. _gardens_, _timber_ 3.8

Upper olive-brown; base tail bright-yellow; under yellowish-white; forehead black spotted white; cheeks, throat, line over eye grayish-white; f., sim. Insects. Singer.

=294 Buff-tailed Tit-Warbler=, Buff-rumped Thornbill (Tit), _A. reguloides_, E.A., S.A.

Stat. c. _open timber_ 4.3

Upper olive-brown; upper base tail pale yellow; throat, chest white slightly marked brown; forehead feathers tipped lighter; f., sim. Insects. Song.

10 16

=295 Redthroat=, Red-throated Scrub-Wren, _Sericornis brunnea_, N.S.W., V., S., C., W.A.

Stat. v.r. _scrubs_ 4.5

Upper dark-brown; tail brownish-black tipped white; throat rufous; under brownish-gray; f., sim. Insects. "Fine song equal to that of any small bird."

[Page 144]

=296 Yellow-throated Scrub-Wren=, Devil Bird, _S. barbata_, E.Q., E.N.S.W., E.V.

Stat. r. _coastal scrubs_ 5.5

Crown, upper brown tinged yellow; side of face, round eye, ear black; white line over eye; throat yellow; chest, flanks olive-brown; centre abdomen white; f., smaller; duller. Insects. Pleasing rich note.

=297* White-browed Scrub-Wren= (White-fronted), _S. frontalis_, E.A., S.A., Kent Group.

Stat. c. _undergrowth_ 4.5

Upper dark-brown; throat white streaked dusky; brow white; chest, abdomen light-yellow; flanks olive-brown; small distinct white marks on shoulder; f., duller, throat not streaked. Insects. Inward warble.

=298 Large-billed Scrub-Wren=, _S. magnirostris_, E.A.

Stat. v.r. _tree-tops_, _coast_, _gully scrubs_ 4.7

Brown; rump rufous; about bill tawny; eye, long bill black; legs flesh-color; f., sim. Insects.

=299 Spotted Scrub-Wren= (Striated), _S. maculata_, V., S.A., Kangaroo Is., W.A.

Stat. v.r. _scrubby_ 4.5

Upper brown; tail black band tipped white; forehead, side of face black; stripe above, very small patch below eye, marks on edge of wing white; under grayish-white, sometimes washed yellow; throat, chest grayish-white spotted (striated) black; f., duller. Insects.

23 23

=300* Superb-Warbler=, Blue-Wren (-Bonnet, -Tit, -Cap, -Head), Mormon-Wren, Cocktail, _Malurus cyanochlamys_, E.A., S.A., Kangaroo Is.

Stat. v.c. _gardens_ 5

Crown, behind ear, upper-back enamel-blue; throat, chest, hind-neck, lower-back black; tail deep-blue; f.,* brown; round eye reddish-brown; under lighter; bill reddish-brown. Insects. "Animated song." "Lovely bird."

=301 Black-backed Superb-Warbler= (Wren), _M. melanonotus_, E.A., C.S.A. (inland).

Stat. r. _scrubs_ 4.7

Crown, under, upper-back, upper and under base tail beautiful metallic blue; behind ear verditer-blue; side of face, band on back, faint band across chest black; wing green; tail greenish-blue; f., side of face, round eye reddish-brown; upper brown; under whitish; wings brown; tail green. Insects.

[Page 145]

=302* White-winged Superb-Warbler= (Wren), _M. cyanotus (leucopterus)_, A. (exc. N. Ter.).

r. _saltbush_, _plains_ 4.8

Above, below deep cobalt-blue; wings white; quills brown; tail dark-blue; f., upper brown, under white tinged brown. Insects.

=303 Purple-backed Superb Warbler= (Wren), _M. assimilis_, A.

Stat. v.r. _scrubs_ 5

Crown, side of head, back purplish-blue; throat, chest, band on upper back, rump black; chestnut-red patch inner wing; rest wing brown; abdomen white; tail dark-blue tipped white; f., brown; about eye rich chestnut; under whitish; tail greenish-blue. Insects.

4 4

=304* Emu-Wren=, Stick-tail, _Stipiturus malachurus_, S.A., E.A., W.A., f., throat brown. Insects.

Stat. c. _tussocks_ 7

Upper brown streaked rufous; tail feathers long loosely webbed, erect; throat blue; abdomen brown; runs.

=305 Mallee Emu-Wren=, _S. mallee_, N.W.V.

Stat. v.r. _Spinifex (Triodia)_ 5

Like 304, but forehead chestnut; throat, chest light purplish-blue; abdomen grayish-brown.

4 4

=306* Bristle-Bird=, _Sphenura brachyptera_, N.S.W., E.V., Insects. Rich, varied notes.

Stat. v.r. _undergrowth_ 8.8

Brown; throat, centre-breast lighter; shy; runs; f., sim.

=307 Rufous Bristle-Bird= (Rufous-headed), _S. broadbenti_, W.V., S.A. (Otway Ranges to Mt. Lofty).

Stat. v.r. _dense scrub_ 10.5

Rufous-brown; f., sim. Insects.

[Page 146]

10 10

=308 Grass-Wren=, _Amytornis textilis_, V., C.A., W.A.

Stat. v.r. _plains_, _dense scrubs_ 6.2

Upper dark-brown striped white; under paler; flanks rust-red; seldom flies; progresses like a rubber ball; tail erect; f., sim. Insects.

=309 Striated Grass-Wren= (Black-cheeked), _A. striatus_, N.S.W., V., C.A., W.A.

Stat. v.r. _dense scrubs_ 6.8

Like 308, but black stripe on cheek; plumage strongly rufous; runs, seldom flies; f., sim. Insects.

[Page 147]

F. 128. _Vireonidae_, Vireos, Greenlets, 112 sp.--24(7)Nc., 105(88)Nl.

F. 129. _Ampelidae_, Waxwings, Cedar-Bird, 10 sp.--1(0)O., 2(0)P., 3(0)Nc., 7(5)Nl.

F. 130. ARTAMIDAE (12), WOOD-SWALLOWS, Swallow-Shrikes, 17 sp.--15(14)A., 2(1)O., 1(1)E.

9 16

=310 White-rumped Wood-Swallow= (Swallow-Shrike), _Artamus leucogaster_, Andaman Is., Mal. Arch., Papuan Is., A.

Mig. r. _timber_ 7.4

Head, neck grayish-black; back brown; tail, wing-quills black; rump, breast, abdomen white; f., sim. Insects. Plaintive note.

=311* White-browed Wood-Swallow=, Summer-Bird, Martin (e), _A. superciliosus_, E.A., S.A., N.W.A.

Mig. v.c. _timber_ 8

Slaty-gray; white eyebrow; abdomen rich chestnut; tail tipped white; f., faint white eyebrow. Insects, honey. "Sweet, clear whistling note."

=312* Masked Wood-Swallow=, Bush (Blue) Martin (e), _A. personatus_, S.Q., N.S.W., V., S.A., W.A., N.W.A.

Mig. c. _timber_ 8

Dark-gray upper; pure white edge to jet-black throat patch; under gray; tail tipped white; f., duller. Insects.

=313* Wood-Swallow= (Sordid, Dusky), Jacky-Martin, Martin (e), _A. tenebrosus_, A., T., Bass St. Is.

Part-Mig. v.c. _timber_ 7.3

Smoky vinous-gray; wing-quills black; white line in edge of wing; tail tipped white; bill blue tipped black; f., sim. Insects.

F. 131. _Vangidae_, 12 sp. E. (Madagascar).

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Order XXI. (continued)

Family 132--Wood-Shrikes--contains two of the best known of Australian birds, for they are to be found about almost every town and city, as well as in the country. The well-known Magpie-Lark has but one close cousin in the world, a New Guinea bird. Its mud nest is familiar to country boys. It is notable that, excepting Swallows, only two other Australian birds build a mud nest. These birds, the Apostle-Bird and the White-winged Chough, are mentioned later. Its dainty, well-kept plumage renders the Magpie-Lark one of the most graceful of birds. Its flight is "unlike that of any bird known to me." (Gould.) "It flies in a straight line, with a heavy, flapping motion of the wings." Its loud call is responsible for the name of Pee-wee, a common name for a European Plover; its black and white coloring for the vernacular name--Magpie-Lark.

This bird is of great value, as it consumes large quantities of pond snails, the necessary host of the early stages of the liver fluke. Exterminate the pond snails, and immediately the liver fluke is completely destroyed, and all future loss from its ravages is saved to the pastoralists. In 1846, fluke caused a loss of L10,000,000 in England alone, so it is a serious pest, and may yet prove a very expensive one to Australia.

This bird's scientific position is disputed. It has been classed with Crows and with Thrushes. Gould placed it by itself. Dr. Sharpe has, however, placed it in the family _Prionopidae_. Its vocal organs are anomalous, and it may be that its position is not finally settled yet.

Placed by Sharpe in the same family are the Shrike-Thrushes, strictly Australian birds. The glorious "powerful swelling notes" of our common bird caused Latham to bestow the well-deserved name _harmonica_ on it. Yet there are some who talk of Australia as a land of songless birds. This falsehood seems to have had its origin in a note written by Caley, who, about 1825, collected near Sydney, for the Linnean Society of London. As quoted by North, he said, "They (Superb-Warblers) are good songsters, and, I may say, almost the only ones in the colony." Fortunately, the Harmonious Shrike-Thrush is becoming common and tame about school grounds and most towns. It is occasionally to be heard in the Melbourne Botanic Gardens.

Family 134 contains the famous Shrikes, those birds which are said to keep a butcher's shop. Not being "birds of prey," they do not hold their prey in their feet, so they fasten it in the fork of a tree, or on a thorn. Then they proceed to eat it, or leave it until they are hungry. Our Shrike or Butcher-Bird has the same habit.

The Australian Butcher-Bird has a rich, mellow, flute-like note, which is more frequently heard in autumn. Some consider his one of the best of bird-notes. His strongly-hooked bill renders him a terror to small birds, including caged Canaries.

That glorious songster, the Australian Magpie, is placed in this family. These Australian songsters are now divided into five closely-similar species, all possessing the same rich carol. The Tasmanian bird was formerly called the "Organ-Bird." This Australian musician is responsible for the European epigram of "white Crows that sing." These birds are not Crows, nor are they white, but they _sing_, so that Alfred Russel Wallace has declared that no European songbird can equal them. Gould found it impossible to describe their "carol," and regretted that "his readers could not," as he had done, "listen to the birds in their native wilds." Their early morning carol lives in the memory. The Australian Magpie is not related to the European Magpie, which is a member of the Crow family (164), but is a glorified Butcher-Bird. However, it would be a difficult matter to displace the name magpie for the Australian bird.

In the same family, though in the next sub-family, are some peculiar Australian birds. The two Shrike-Tits are found one in Eastern Australia and the other in Western Australia. Gould said feelingly--he was nipped by one--that "no bird of its size has stronger mandibles." It is to be seen in the Melbourne Botanic Gardens, tearing off bark as it seeks for insects.

The Crested Bell-Bird is restricted to Australia. Being a perfect ventriloquist, it is very difficult to locate it. Some of its notes are bell-like, and have misled those seeking horses. I met it frequently in the Mallee and in the Maryborough and Ararat districts. It often hopped out on to the road on frosty mornings. It is one of Australia's singular and interesting birds.

Those badly-named, but often attractive, songsters--the Thickheads (now called Whistlers)--are placed next. Eighty-eight of these birds are known from the Australian region, though but twenty occur in Australia itself and Tasmania. On account of the difficulty of skinning these birds, they were given the name _Pachycephala_. It is unfortunate that the literal translation--thick head--was the name used by bird people for these beautiful singers. It is now proposed to change the name to Whistler. Strange to say, we have not heard a good local name for these attractive and often gorgeous birds.

To complete this interesting sub-family, we have the Yellow-breasted Shrike-Robin--a confiding favorite, found in most dark scrubs. Its single, often-repeated, piping note is responsible for its name, _Eopsaltria_, "Psalm of the Dawn." This delightful forest-dweller frequently perches sideways on a sapling. Six kinds are known from Australia, and two more from adjacent islands.

(continued below)

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[Page 148]

F. 132. PRIONOPIDAE (11), WOOD-SHRIKES, 95 sp.--55(55)A., 15(15)O., 25(25)E.

1 2

=314 Magpie-Lark=, Murray (Little) Magpie (e), Mudlark (e), Soldiers, Peewee (e), Peewit (e), Pugwall, _Grallina picata_, A., T. (acc).

Stat. v.c. (near water) _open_, _timber_ 10.5

Black and white; slender stilt-like legs; throat white (f.), black (m.); mud nest. Insects, pond-snails. "Pee-wee."

[Page 149]

10 10

=315* Gray Shrike-Thrush= (Harmonious), Gray (Native) Thrush, Pluff, Mourner, _Colluricincla harmonica_, E.A., S.A.

Stat. c. _timber_ 9.5

Gray; back umber-brown; face whitish; under lighter: f., throat streaked dusky. Insects. Powerful swelling harmonious note.

F. 133. _Aerocharidae_, 1 sp. E. (Madagascar).

F. 134. LANIIDAE (42), SHRIKES, 313 sp.--134(132)A., 36(22)O., 33(10)P., 140(127)E., 6(6)Nc., 1(1)Nl.

5 5

=316 Black-backed Magpie=, Piping Crow-Shrike (Varied), Organ (Flute) Bird, Singing White Crow (e), _Gymnorhina tibicen_, E.A., S.A., W.A.

Stat, v.c. _open_ 17

Black; hind-neck, upper under base tail, patch on wing white; f., grayish instead of white. Insects. "To describe the note of this bird is beyond the power of my pen." (Gould.) "Wonderfully modulated whistle ... unequalled among European birds." (Alfred Russel Wallace).

=317 White-backed Magpie= (Crow-Shrike), _G. leuconota_, N.S.W., V., S.A., C.A., W.A.

Stat. v.c. _open_ 18

Upper white, except head, tip-tail, wing-quills black; under black; f., back gray. Insects. Glorious carol, see 316.

8 11

=318 Black-throated Butcher-Bird= (Crow-Shrike), _Cracticus nigrigularis_, A. exc. N. Ter.

Stat. v.r. _timber_ 13.5