XESTS AXD EGGS OF AUSTRAUAN BIRDS. ^fi7 



During my T;usiuanian excursion (1883) I was much delighted at 

 the lively piyiiig actions whilst searching for food of both the Strong- 

 billed and Black-headod Honeyeatcrs : the latter also possess quite 

 a cheerful little song. I endeavoured persistently to discover their 

 nests, but only found fully-fiedged young of the Strong-bill, which 

 species had evidently conimcnccd breeding about the end of August 

 or the beginning of September. 



Much interest was attached to the Black-headed Honeyeater, because 

 its nest remained so long undiscovered, and the finding of the nest 

 completed those of the Honeyeaters of Tasmania. 



At a meeting of the Royal Society of Tasmania (November, 1884), 

 Mr. E. D. Swan drew attention to the extremely rare nest and eggs, 

 (in fa<"t, the first ever taken) of the Black Cap (M. mrlanoreplialuit), 

 which had been found during the month at Austin's Feny, Bridgewater, 

 and presented to the Museum by Miss A. Brent, Roseneath. 



It is always a pleasure for me to wiite up an account of the first 

 find of any nest and eggs new to scientific knowledge. It is more so 

 in this instance, because the finders were lady field naturalists. Here 

 is the authenticated story of the discovery by the Misses Brent of the 

 nest of the Black-capped Honeyeater, a,« told l)v their brother 

 (Mr. A. E, Brent) : — 



" The first intimatiou I received of a nest of our interesting little 

 Black-capped Honeyeater was from my two youngest sisters. One day 

 they chanced to witness one of these birds picking wool from a sheep 

 and flying with it to the top of a small-leafed sapling. From the 

 first tliev could see that it would be impossible to reach the spot, 

 therefore they decided to remain watcliing for some time. Tlien, armed 

 with a pair of field-glasses, they watched the progi'css of the nest from 

 day to day until they made certain that the bird had commenced sitting. 

 Armed again (but this time with an axe) my sisters set forth to fell 

 the tree, trusting to chance, as they said aftei-wards, that the nest and 

 perhaps the contents might be saved in the fall. 



" The tree fell midst briars and scrub, and after much scrambling 

 and searching they at last discovered the nest, with the poor little bird 

 clinging fast to it, although the nest was almost upside down. Seeing 

 this they nished forward, and in so doing scared the bird away, but 

 owing to the thick ma.ss of leaves, <tc., crushed under the nest, the eggs 

 were saved from being broken. Full of excitement, the gii'ls related the 

 story to me, and after this a diligent search was made for more, with 

 the result that several nests were taken during that season (1884)." 



xVs Mr. C. C. Brittlebank discovered in the case of the Lunulated 

 or White-naped Honeyeater on the mainland, so it has been inde- 

 pendently proved in Tasmania that the Black-capped Honeyeater will 

 cling to its nest, more especially during windy weather, if the tree 

 containing it be felled. 



Mr. Brent proceeds to state : — " A friend and I discovered one which 

 was impossible to obtain by climbing, at the extreme end of a horizontal 

 branch of a large whito-giun ( Eurahipfus], Our only way was to fell 

 the tree or sling the branch with a rope. The latter course was decided 

 upon. A noose was made round the limb and pushed with a .stick as 



