.VESTS A.VC EGGS 01- AUSTKALiA.V hlKPS. \ \ \ 



felted or covered externally with light-coloured spiders' webs, lined inside 

 with veiy fine grass, and saddled on a bare twig (sometimes pronged) of 

 a sapling or bush in scrub or open forest. Dimensions over all, 2J inches 

 by li inches in depth, with the addition of about 1 incli for the tail-like 

 appcndiige; egg cAvity, li inches across by 1 inch deep. 



Eygs. — Clutch, two to tliree ; short in shape, more largely rounded at 

 one end ; texture of shell very fine ; surface slightly glossy ; colour, white 

 or faint yellowish-white, finely spotted, especially round the apex, with light- 

 umber or rufous and dull-grey, the markings, if anything, being more 

 spotted in character than those of the eastern fonn. Dinitusions in inches 

 of a pair: (1) 59 x -46, (2) -58 x -45. 



Observations. — Among my most pleasant reminiscences of western 

 forests is this dear Httle creature. The bird appeared lighter in colour than 

 its eastern congener, R. alhiscapa, to which it is, however, closely-allied. 

 In fact, Gould at first regai-ded the two species as identical. But the 

 western bird ihflers principally in the almost entire absence of the black 

 breastrband. 



Often when reclining or recording notes, or I might say listening for 

 " notes " (bird) in the forest, my presence attracted these pretty Fantails, 

 but whether they came out of curiosity or to catch the blow-fhes that 

 buzzed ;ii-ound my figure I know not. At all events, a bird would some- 

 times perch on a slender twig, giacefully droop its wings, spread its tail, 

 and with meek blatk eyes look me full in the face. Now and again it 

 would dart towards me, almost brushing my coat, securing each time a 

 large fly. Its movements were so instantaneous and so close to me that 

 I could hardly tell whether the fly was secured by the bill or by the claw, 

 or whether it was transferred from the bill to the claw. However, every 

 time the Fantail returned to its perch, a blow-fly was in the bird's claw, 

 whence it was torn piecemeAl and demolished. I succeeded in finding three 

 of their prettily cob-web-felted nests, two of which were saddled on hori- 

 zontal pronged twigs of karri (species of eucalypt) saplings in thick 

 scrub. The nesting material overlapped the twig, and meeting iindemcath 

 formed the usual tail. Eggs from two nests were taken 4th and 8th Novem- 

 ber respectively, but the third was not completed before I had reluctantly to 

 leave the district. I had watched the nest in course of constiiiction, and 

 admired greatly the way in wliich the httle architects moulded it into shape 

 by one pressing its chest against the rim while sitting or tiuning roimd 

 inside. 



Breeding months are from September to December or January ; 

 generally commencing about the middle or end of October in the 

 south-west.em forests. 



