BIRDS OF TlTt: BUFFALO BASIN 83 



liou by repeatedly visit iiig a lichen mass iii a tree, and 

 ere long one of tliem, a})i>ioacliing the spot with nesting 

 material in its bill, revealed the meaning of the lichen 

 mass. At a subsequent visit, five days later, no trace 

 of the owners could be detected; and when eventually, 

 on Kith December, a close scrutiny was made, the nest 

 was found to contain a broken egg, which had no doubt 

 led to the desertion of the nest. The nest was a compact 

 ball of lichen, thickly lined with feathers and provided 

 with a tiny entrance-hole. 



Greater Double Collared Honey -sucker — C. after (L). 

 — The resident and widespread species is much less 

 abundant than its smaller relative. It is not so often 

 seen in the neighbourhood of houses as that species, but 

 this is probably entirely due to its comparative rarity, 

 for at Somerville. Tsolo, where it is the common species 

 of honeysucker, it is continually working about the 

 flowers beside the house, and not infrequently ti utters 

 against my study window in its efforts to enter the house. 

 As in the case of its allies, individual males are found 

 in full nuptial dress even in midwinter, and while it is 

 likely that the period of song corresponds with the period 

 of nuptial dress, I ht«ve no record of the bird's singing 

 in April and May. 



AVhile all nectar-bearing flowers attract the species, 

 the Kaffir-boom, the Red Aloe, and the Blue Gum are 

 favourites. On the Red Aloe the bird generally clings 

 sideways in an erect attitude, but it may quite indifferent 

 ly feed in an inverted ])osition and work down the Aloe 

 spike. In watching one of these honeysuckers at St. Mat 

 thews, on 11 Dec, 1912, working on Indian-shot, I felt 

 certain that in one case the bird pierced a hole through 

 the base of the flower, instead of inserting its bill in the 

 flower, to reach the nectar. Like its allies, this species 

 feeds on insects also. 



As they feed, they utter a loud harsh call tjee or djoo 

 which, as they fly off with their whirring flight, they 

 change to a hurried kid-Hlcuk. 



