Nesting Hdhiis of Trumpeter 219 



a shrill squeaky note. Whenever I got near the nest, the male 

 bird always settled on some other tree and would continually 

 call for as long as five minutes. He would survey the entire 

 surroundings, and on discerning the intruder would fly off im- 

 mediately, uttering a note of warning to the hen which no doubt 

 she understood. 



' The clutch appears to consist of two eggs, ovate in shape and 

 of a pale cream colour. The lining of the nest during the early 

 portion of incubation in each instance consisted of excrement, 

 largely the remains of berries, and dry chips pecked off from the 

 walls by the hen bird. The chips seemed to serve the purpose of 

 keeping the eggs free from any water that might find its way into 

 the nest. 



At the time the eggs are hatched, the hen bird has moulted 

 nearly all her feathers, and they now form the lining of the nest 

 for the young birds. While tending her chicks she grows a fresh 

 lot of feathers. 



For the nest, a natural hole from 18 inches to 2 feet in 

 diameter high above the ground in a big tree is chosen. In one 

 case it happened to have previously been occupied by bees. 



Immediately after the young birds leave the nest the hole is 

 plastered up almost entirely, and so well concealed that detection 

 is practically impossible. This is to preserve the nest for use the 

 following season. 



