246 



HIRUSDINID.E. 



settled on a nesting site. Under a verandah I have known a colony to keep on building for 

 nearly a fortnight, although their barely commenced structures were regularly removed by the 

 resident of the house every day. 



For the second brood new nests are frequently constructed at the latter end of November, 

 underneath the old ones, apparently built by the same birds in August. At .\shfield I once 

 observed a number of Fairy Martins partially build their nests under the eaves of a house, then 

 abandon them, and build fresh nests on the opposite side. Frequently a community of these 

 birds are ousted from their newly completed nests by the introduced House Sparrow (Passer 

 domestkiis). Inland, too, their disused nests are often utilized by the Striated Diamond-bird 

 (PardaloUis onintiisj 



The accompanying plate of nests of the Fairy jMartin is reproduced from a photograph, 

 taken under a bank of the Bell River, near \\'ellington. New South Wales. 



I II K I AIU\ MAUriN. 



Writing of this species the late Mr. K. H. Bennett remarks: — " Under the verandah of the 

 homestead at Yandembah a great number of the nests of the Fairy Martin were clustered 

 together. One day I observed a pair of Red-backed Kingfishers (Halcyon pyrrhopygiiis) perched 

 on one of the rustic branches attached to the verandah posts. Curious to know what was their 

 object in coming to such an unusual place I sat down and watched them. Presently one of the 

 Kingfishers flew up to a Martin's nest, and clinging to its roughened sides proceeded to break 

 off the neck, piece by piece, until tired with the e.xertion, when the other took its place. This 

 continued until the whole of the neck was broken away, and the eggs or young birds could be 

 reached, which were speedily withdrawn and devoured. The Kingfishers repeated this operation 

 every day for se\eral weeks." 



.\t Coonamble, in October 1905, I found a number of nests attached near the ground to the 

 underside of a large gum tree. The birds had probably selected this site owing to the proximity 

 of water, from a recent rainfall, but which had nearly dried up at the time of my visit. The old 

 birds were busy feeding young ones. Passing that way a few days later I was surprised to find 

 about twelve of the nests had been broken into, and some partially devoured young ones mixed 

 up with the remains of the mud walls of the nests and feathers lying on the ground. I believe 

 the nests had been rifled by a Raven, whose nest was in a tree close by, although a Red-rumped 

 Kingfisher had been shot in the vicinity of them a few days before. 



