Vol. XVIII 



1 Gilbert, Notes on Chestnut-nimped Ground-Wven. 2Q5 



fnlvifrons), and the White-bearded Honey-eater {Meliornis novce- 

 hollandicB). 



In conclusion, I would refer readers to Mr. F. E. Howe's 

 extremely interesting article on the genus Hylacola appearing in 

 The Emu, vol. xvii., part 2, page 87, which deals exhaustively 

 with the descriptive and taxonomic aspects, and also vol. xviii., 

 part I, page 59, for a description of a new sub-species. 



Bell'Birds and Caterpillars. 



By a. H. Chisholm, R.A.O.U. 



In a recent number of The Emu * I recorded some observations 

 on the strangely persistent habit displayed by the Crested Bell- 

 Bird [Oreoica cristata) of stocking its nest with hairy caterpillars. 

 I am rather sorry now, in view of the puzzling nature of this 

 practice, that I did not devote more attention to the matter when 

 the opportunity offered during my residence in Victoria. There 

 are no Bell-Birds at all near Brisbane, and I doubt whether there 

 ever have been. 



However, when visiting my old district of Maryborough (Vic.) 

 in November last, I made a point of looking for nests of Oreoica, 

 and was fortunate enough to find a fine example built into the 

 top of a stump, right alongside a bush road, at a height of about 

 3 feet. Incidentally, a pair of Shrike-Tits {Falcnncnlus frontatus), 

 which species appears to me to be an arboreal edition of Oreoica, 

 and a pair of Shrike-Robins {Eopsaltria australis), were weaving 

 their respective dainty homes close by, and in a favourite old 

 orchard a few hundred yards away half a dozen other species 

 were nesting. The Bell-Birds' nest contained four eggs — one 

 more to the clutch than I have usually found — and, sure enough, 

 there was the customary weird assortment of caterpillars. The 

 positions and condition of these larvee tallied with what has been 

 recorded in previous cases. Some were on the rim of the nest, 

 and others were among the eggs ; some were dead, and the rest 

 appeared to be either torpid or very sluggish. As it was too late 

 to do any photographic work that day, I contented myself with 

 the mild experiment of removing practically the whole of the 

 caterpillars. Two days later the nest contained approximately 

 the same number of larvae, all of which were apparently alive. 

 An attempt made then to photograph either of the wary birds 

 at the nest was unsuccessful ; they stayed away too long, and I 

 had to be satisfied with the accompanying picture of the nest 

 and eggs. 



The caterpillars thus collected I brought back to Brisbane and 

 submitted to the Government Entomologist (Mr. Henry Tryon), 

 who has favoured me with the following report thereon : — " The 

 caterpillars submitted by you, as obtained from a nest of Oreoica 



* Vol. xviii., p. 75. 



