2 Transactions. 



a new nest, and immediately began to demolish the unfinished structure, 

 and use the same materials with which to rebuild it. " The work of con- 

 structing the second nest," writes Mr. Park, jun., " was started on the 14th 

 August, and was finished on the 31st. They laid four eggs — the first on 

 the day they completed the nest, and one on each morning following until 

 the 4tli. At 10 a.m. they commenced sitting — each parent taking turns on 

 the nest until the young birds were hatched on the 21st. The young ones 

 were full-fledged and flew away at about 10 a.m. on the 30th September." 

 The time-period of incubation of the New Zealand fly-catcher therefore 

 occupies a full day less than that of any European species of the genus as 

 recorded in the works of British ornithologists. 



Whilst engaged dismantling the partially finished nest, and utihsing 

 the materials with which to build the new one in the dome of the summer- 

 house, the birds would alight occasionally on the side of the nest, and, 

 fixing their feet thereon, would use their full strength in dra%ving asunder 

 with their beaks the tightly and closely woven materials. They displayed 

 great activity at their work, meanwhile uttering notes of apparent in- 

 struction and approval to each other. The male performed most of the 

 work of carrying the materials to the new site, while the female did most 

 of the work in building the nest. When the young birds were hatcJied 

 the parent birds continued to hunt vigorously on the wing for tiny insects 

 with which to feed them. AVhen not hunting on the Aving for their own sus- 

 tenance the parent birds — especially the male — frequently sat close to its 

 mate hatching, and occasionally on the rim of the nest. The habit is prac- 

 ticed by many species of birds, but more especially by those of the group to 

 which the fly-catchers belong. Mr. Park states that the weather, being 

 very wet and boisterous while the nest was in course of building, retarded 

 considerably the progress of their work at it. 



On the 16th January last we observed a pair of fantails hunting assidu- 

 ously and passing frequently into a " lacebark " tree {Hoheria populnea) 

 growing on the Victoria Esplanade, Palmerston North. On looking up 

 through the branches I located the nest, which contained three young birds. 

 They remained in the nest until about noon the following day, when they left 

 it and fluttered along towards the extremity of the bough bearing the nest. 

 The weather being hot and calm, they remained sitting near each other 

 for nearly two days, and were well fed meantime by their active parents. 

 On the 21st they separated, and were fed at times for several days after 

 leaving the " lacebark " tree in which they were reared. It was indeed 

 interesting to observe these young fantails flitting gracefully from bough 

 to bough or from tree to tree, as if training and developing their wings, by 

 which they were soon to become self - dependent. These birds are now 

 expert fly-catchers, and belong to a group of about twenty individuals 

 regularly inhabiting the Esplanade and its environs. Nearly all trees of 

 Hoheria populnea and its varieties ^ZancfoZoto and angustifolia, with Plagi- 

 anthus hetiiUnns, have been extremely floriferous on the Esplanade during 

 the late-early and midsummer months. The great masses of scented white 

 flowers they produce are a great attraction to all classes of insect. On 

 calm days, when insects were plentiful at the flowers, the fantails were 

 generally close to them on the -wing, having a royal time subsisting on the 

 numerous small insects, chiefly Diptera, passing to and from the flowers. 

 After feeding for several minutes on the wing on the minute flies frequent- 

 ing the blossoms, the birds would, dart through the outer branches, and, 

 resting for a few minutes within them in the shade, would again dart swiftly 



