NESTS A\'P EGGS OF AVSTRAT.IAN HJRDS. 



431 



stnictcd. A pair once built close to our cow-shed, and obtained tlie 

 material for it about the house. We had a quantity of rails (lance-wood 

 or bastard brigalow) about, wliich had the outside bark taken off. Tlie 

 l)irds pulled off the inner bark in strips for their nest. ' 



Mr. Tliomas R. McDougall, Clareniont (Queensland), writes: — 

 " I have seen them (Entomyzas) breeding in the deserted nest of the 

 Leather Head ; have also seen them build a nest similar to that of the 

 Leather Head (Friar Bird)." A youthfid correspondent, Mr. Ernest 

 D. Barnard, writes that diuing the season of ISO? he was fortunate in 

 finding a double clutch (six eggs) of the Entomyza in one nest. 



During a delightful excursion to the Lower Murray, beginning of 

 November, 1892, Mr. J. Gabriel and \ found a Blue-faced Honcyc.ater's 

 nest in the topmost branches of a small red-gum by the river. Our 

 host, Mr. G. H. Morton, climbed the tree for the p.air of eggs. After 

 a consultation we three agreed that the nest had evidently been 

 consti-ucted by the bird itself. Mr. Morton, 3rd December, following 

 year, took another nest, .apparently made by the Entomyza. Clutch, 

 two eggs. 



Mr. A. J. North, although he Iia-s not recorded having taken a nest 

 of the Entomyza, says : — " I have never heard of this bii'd constnicting 

 a nest itself, but relines the deserted tenements of My-nntha gnrruin 

 (Miner), Arnnthorhfern rnriinrulntn (Wattle Bird), or a depression in 

 the top of the dome-shaped nest of Pornatorhiniis temporalis 

 (Babbler). It is also said to use a Magpie Lark's (GraUina) old 

 nest. 



Here is the stoiT of nn ,Tcute Held observer, my venerable friend. 

 Mr. Hermann Lau, respecting the Blue-faced Honeycater, from the 

 Dowling Downs (Queensland) : — " It is one of our most handsome forest 

 liirds, and lively by nature. When other bii-ds — The Soldier (Miner). 

 Leather Head, &c. — are building, this nest-robber either goes out 

 foraging the material fn male it.i own nest, gathering it from its neigh- 

 bours, or puts itself in possession of their whole edifice — that is, 

 supposing the neighlwur is a weaker bird, and before the latter deposits 

 its eggs. Once I witnessed a sight never to be forgotten. A Butcher 

 Bird when returning with building stuff found an Entomyza deftly 

 pulling away at its (the Butcher Bird's) property. Tlio Butcher Bird 

 drove off the other and kept it at bay, when to its hon'or the mate of 

 the Entomyza arrived to helj) at the thievish work. Evidently a 

 thought struck the Butcher Bird, so that it plnccd itself in the middle 

 of the nest, which enabled that bird with its foiTnidable beak to put 

 l)oth enemies to flight. Such is the habit of the Entomyza, the sequel 

 being that its nest is like that of n Miner f .\f i/yiiifhn ), in which two to 

 three eggs are pLi.ced, ,and is hung fairlv high. Two broods. September, 

 1874." 



Breeding months Julv or August to .TnnuaiT, and .sometimes, 

 Mr. North states, as late as Febru.ary. 



For an ex.ample of a Nest within n Nest, see illustrntion, " Blue- 

 f.Tcrrl IToiioventer's Nest in Babbler's old Nest." 



