ORIGMA RUBRICATA.
Rock-Warbler.

Sylvia rubricata, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. lii—Bonn. et Vieill. Ency. Méth. Orn., part ii. p. 461.

Ruddy Warbler, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 249.—Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. x. p. 697.—Lath. Gen. Hist.,
vol. vil. p. 138.

Motacilla solitaria, Lewin, Birds of New Holl., pl. 16.

Solitary Flycatcher, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. vi. p. 220.

Saxicola soltaria, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 236.

Origma solitaria, G. R. Gray, List of Gen. of Birds, 2nd Edit., p. 30.

 

Prrnars no one of the smaller birds of New South Wales has attracted a greater share of the attention of
ornithologists than the present; a desire indeed of gaining a more complete knowledge of its habits and
manners has been generally expressed. Aware of this fact, I made myself as much acquainted therewith
as circumstances would admit; and found that they are very peculiar, and different from those of most
other birds. Its usual places of resort are the neighbourhood of water-courses and stony, rocky gullies ;
so exclusively in fact is it confined to such situations, that it never visits the forests, nor have I ever seen
it perching on the branches of the trees ; indeed it would seem to have an aversion to so doing, as it
does not even resort to them as a resting-place for its nest, but suspends it to the ceilings of caverns and the
under surface of overhanging rocks in a manner that is most surprising; the nest, which is of an oblong,
globular form, and composed of moss and other similar substances, is suspended by a narrow neck,
and presents one of the most singular instances of bird architecture that has yet come under my notice.
The breeding season extends over the months of September, October and November, when it is not unusual
to find three or four nests suspended to the ceiling of a small dark cavern. I did not succeed in procuring
its eggs.

Its food consists of insects of various kinds.

Its note is a low, squeaking sound, which it utters while hopping about the rocks with its tail raised
above the level of the body, after the manner of some of the Acanthze.

The true habitat of this species is New South Wales, which, so far as I am aware, is its exclusive place
of abode; I have never seen it from any of the other colonies: over that part of the country it is very
generally distributed wherever situations occur suitable to its habits ; the rocky beds of the gullies, both
near the coast and among the mountains of the interior, being equally frequented by it, but never in any
great numbers. It will be seen that it was one of the birds which excited the notice and interest of Mr.
Caley, who, in his “ Notes,” says, “ Cataract Bird; an inhabitant of rocky ground. While at the waterfall
of Carrung-gurring, about thirty miles to the southward of Prospect Hill, I saw several of them. I have
also seen them in the North Rocks, about a couple of miles from Paramatta, and always upon the rocks.
I never observed them in trees or bushes.”
in their plumage, which may be thus described :-—
tail brownish black ; throat grey; under surface dark rusty
ed; irides dark reddish brown ; bill and feet brownish

The sexes are precisely similar

All the upper surface and wings dull brown ;
red; forehead slightly washed with ferruginous r
black, the former rather lighter than the latter.

The figures are of the natural size.