TKOPIDOHIIVNCIIUS. 



169 



Sydney in July 1788. In 1790 Dr. Latham characterised it in his "Index Ornithologicus," 

 under the name of Mrrops coi'uiculatus. Open forest lands are its favourite haunts, also humid 

 mountain ranges. As regards the neighbourhood of Sydney, it may be considered as nomadic in 

 habits, some seasons appearing in large flocks, at other times in isolated pairs, and more often is 

 entirely absent. In January and February 1902, during a period of drought inland, it was 

 unusually plentiful at Roseville, where I had not observed it before. Large numbers were shot 

 in tlie orcliards, wliere these birds were very destructive, eating all kinds of sunnner fruits, but 

 principally pears and date-plums. They were extremely noisy, commencing to utter their dis- 

 cordant notes shortly after daybreak. At Roseville Railway Station, Mr. G. Savidge and I saw 

 se\eral feeding on the berries of the ink-weed. Belmore is the nearest place to Sydney I have 

 known it to breed, a nest being taken on the 14th October, 1899. It is more freely dispersed in 



some seasons between Blacktown and Penrith, 

 is fairly numerous on the Blue Mountains, and is 

 still more common in the open forest lands between 

 the western slopes of the latter range and towards 

 the liorder of the inland plains. 



Mr. K. H. Lane writes me: — "Tropidorltviichits 

 conudilntus is in places one of the commonest species 

 in tlie Dubbo District, Xew South Wales. It is also 

 the most pugnacious and noisy. I have seen these 

 birds in such numbers that their notes have been 

 almost deafening during the bright spring days. 

 Notwithstanding their numbers, and although their 

 nests are common enough, I have not found their 

 eggs too plentiful for their nests are generally in 

 situations, to be looked at rather than bothered with. 

 I have never taken more than three eggs from a nest." 

 Mr. George Savidge writes me as follows: — 

 " Tropidorhynchus corniculatits is plentiful everywhere 

 about the Upper Clarence District, and in winter I 

 have seen it congregated in large flocks. These birds 

 often gi\e Endynamis cyanocephala great beatings, 

 making the feathers fly out of the latter. On the 

 other hand I have seen the Cuckoos chase the 

 Leatherheads away, and they were undoubtedly masters when they chose to be so. During dry 

 seasons, I have seen the Leatherheads on the ground feeding on grasshoppers. These birds 

 may be fre(]uently observed feeding the young of Flinder's Cuckoo." 



In some of their habits the Friar-birds resemble Mvcaiitlia ^anula, for when disturbed they 

 usually resort to the dead branches at the top of some lofty tree, and utter many varied babbling 

 and querulous notes, pitched in different keys. 



Their normal food consists of nectar and pollen of flowers, extracted principally from the 

 blossom of the Eucalypti, and insects. Stomachs of specimens examined, procured in September, 

 were crammed entirely with the remains of black beetles. The fruit-eating propensity of this 

 bird is well known to most orchardists and vignerons of Eastern Australia, the soft summer 

 fruits and grapes being principally eaten. During a conference of fruit-growers and vine- 

 growers held in Sydney in June 1890, Mr. Frauenfelder, a vigneron of Albury, stated that these 

 birds were very destructive, and that in one vineyard in the district from seventy to one 

 hundred Leatherheads were shot each day, and this lasted for ten weeks. 



FRIAR-lilKD. 



