The great stronghold of this species is Van Diemen’s Land, particularly
the western parts of the island. I feel assured that it is rarely seen
on the main land of Australia, from the circumstance of the total
absence of skins in collections from those parts. In one instance only
did I meet with it on the continent, and that was in a deep ravine under
Mount Lofty in South Australia; I shot the specimen, which on dissection
proved to be a young male.
In habits and disposition this and the following species are very
dissimilar to the Red-breasted Robins (_Petroica_), being much less
spirited in all their actions. They prefer the most secluded and remote
parts of the forest, particularly the bottoms of deep gullies, the
seclusion of which is seldom broken by the voice or presence of any
living being, and where animal life is almost confined to aphides and
other minute insects, upon which they exist. There are times, however,
especially in winter, when they leave these quiet retreats and even
enter the gardens of the settlers; but this is of so rare occurrence,
that few persons can have had opportunities of observing this bird in a
state of nature, except those who have visited the localities above
described. I shot several specimens in the gullies under Mount
Wellington in Van Diemen’s Land; and on visiting, in company with the
Rev. T. J. Ewing, the enchanting spot selected by my ever-esteemed
friend Lady Franklin as a site for a Botanic Garden, I observed it to be
tolerably numerous there. Through the kindness of Ronald C. Gunn, Esq.,
who liberally placed the whole of his collection at my disposal, I was
enabled to obtain examples of many species, in every stage from youth to
maturity; among others, of the present bird, which Mr. Gunn informed me
had been collected on the Hampshire Hills, a locality where it is very
abundant.
The food of the Pink-breasted Wood-Robin consists solely of insects,
which it procures by darting out in pursuit of them while passing by in
the air, and also on the ground.
It exhibits the peculiar actions and manners of the Robins by sitting
about on stumps and stones at the bottom of the gullies, presenting its
full breast like the Robin of Europe.
Its nest is formed of narrow strips of soft bark, soft fibres of
decaying wood, and fine fibrous roots matted and woven together with
vegetable fibres, and old black nests of spiders. The eggs are three in
number, smaller but very similar to those of _Petroica multicolor_; of a
greenish white thickly sprinkled with light chestnut and purplish brown;
eight lines and a half long, by six lines and a half broad.
Like the true Petroicas, the sexes present considerable differences in
their colouring.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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