24S 



AETAMID.E. 



only the tip of the inner web while; feathers at the base of the bill, and in front of the eyes dusky-brown ; 

 under tail-coverts black ; bill blue, black at the tip ; legs and feet dark meily-grey : iris dark-hrown. 

 Total length in the flesh 7-3 inches, wing J, central tail feathers ,?■-'', hill n-l-;, tarsus 0-75. 

 Adult female — Similar in plumage to the male. 



Distribution — Queensland, New South Wales, \'ictoria, South Australia, Western Australia, 

 Tasmania. 



/ |(^HE different species of Wood Swallows found in Australia rank foremost among the 

 -L exclusively insectivorous birds who assist to keep in check an undue increase of 

 injurious insects, and who also, when opportunity offers, prey to a certain extent on useful insects. 

 Appearing, as some of these species do, in immense flocks they are of inestimable value to 

 farmers and orchardists in ridding grass-lands and fruit trees of insect pests, but to apiarists 

 some species are a perfect scourge, for when they take up their residence near bee farms they 

 destroy large numbers of these useful and industrious insects. By some vignerons and orchardists 

 this is not considered a serious offence, for they assert that bees frequently pierce grapes, 

 apricots and other soft fruits, forgetting at the time, even if true, how useful these insects are in 

 effecting the fertilisation of flowers and fruits by conveying the pollen from one blossom to 



another while engaged in their search 

 for honey. The fact, however, must not 

 be overlooked that some insectivorous 

 birds will prey as readily upon the useful 

 Scale-eating Moth (Thalpocharis cocco- 

 phaga) as the destructive Maize Moth 

 (Hdiothns armif;ci'a), ortheCodlin Moth 

 (Carcocapsa pomoueUa). Unfortunately 

 the injurious insects which farmers and 

 orchardists have to contend with far 

 outnumber those which may be con- 

 sidered friendly to their interests. It is, 

 therefore, to insectivorous birds they 

 must look for assistance to keep their 

 numbers in check. Wood Swallows 

 deserve to be protected for the number 

 of noxious insects they destroy every 

 year, but at the same time the apiarist cannot be blamed for shooting them when they feast upon 

 his bees. 



One of the most widely distributed species of the genus Artamus is the well known Dusky 

 Wood Swallow. With the exception of the northern and north-western portions of the continent 

 it is found in most parts of Australia, and it likewise inhabits Tasmania. In Eastern Australia 

 it is a partial migrant, being more abundantly distributed during the spring and summer months, 

 and gives preference to open forest and partially cleared lands near the coast, than the dry 

 inland districts. It frequents also orchards and gardens, and may be often seen on the top of a 

 fence or near the end of a dead branch. 



Its food consists principally of flies, grasshoppers and small beetles. Portion of its time it 

 passes on the wing, but probably the greater portion of its prey is secured near the ground. It 

 is most destructive to bees. At Cronulla Beach I watched for some time several of these birds 

 perched on a dead tree above a hive, dashing down every minute or two and catching a bee, 

 presumably on its return to the hive. At Roseville on the 26th January, 1909, I shot six of these 

 birds, a pair of adults and four young ones, who were devastating an apiary, the owner of which 

 informed me that the old birds always brought their young ones and fed them on bees. I found 



DUSKY WOOD SWALLOW. 



