Vol. XVIII. J CmsHOhM, Bell-Birds and Caterpillars. 297 



Of course, the fact that caterpillars always occur in Bell-Birds' 

 nests, and not in kindred nests, such as that of the Grey Thrush 

 {Colhtricinda harmonica), disposes of the suggestion that the 

 birds are not responsible for their presence. Moreover, I have 

 seen a male Bell-Bird carrying a hairy caterpillar both to and 

 from a nest. Mr. Tryon's remarks on the compressed state of 

 some of the specimens submitted lead one to wonder whether 

 the bird squeezes the juices out of the soft body. If so, however, 

 why are the remains not discarded ? All points considered, it 

 seems to me that we need much more definite evidence than has 

 so far been adduced before we can accept the rather superficial 

 theory that the Bell-Birds collect these caterpillars for food. 



The Singing Honey-eater (Ptilotis sonora). 



By John G. Mann, Frankston (Vic.) 



Some remarks in Mr. F. C. Morse's " Nesting Notes from Moree " 

 in last July number of The Emu relative to Ptilotis sonora lead me 

 to think that possibly he, and others, may be interested to hear 

 my experience of a pair of these birds, indicative of their 

 intelligence and power of memory. 



Surrounding my house near Frankston, Victoria, are a few acres 

 of tea-tree and heath scrub, which I maintain as a bird sanctuary, 

 and where I have succeeded in taming many members of several 

 species of the numerous birds which frequent it, until they will 

 come from the bush at call and take food from my hand. 



Although there are always considerable numbers of Honey- 

 eaters, such as White-eared, Lunulated, New Holland, Spinebills, 

 and occasionally Wattle-Birds, I have never seen here but the 

 one pair of Singing Honey-eaters. These were first noticed in 

 the spring of 1916, when they built close to the house, and before 

 long became sufftciently tame to come to the verandah for crumbs. 

 By the middle of November, 1916, their two young ones were 

 brought there also, and were fed by the mother bird with crumbs 

 and sugar from my hand. When the young ones, however, were 

 in full plumage, and able to care for themselves, the mother 

 changed her tactics and began persistently to drive them away, 

 until at length they left the neighbourhood for good. Then (in 

 January, 1917) she built another nest in a Leptospernium tree 

 adjoining that in which the first nest was made, and in due course 

 reared another pair of young. All this time not a day passed 

 but she came to me whenever I was near by, settled on my arm 

 or hand, and even allowed me to stroke her. The male bird, 

 though fairly tame, never showed quite the same confidence. 

 When their second family was of mature growth it was driven out 

 of bounds, like the first, and disappeared. During the second 

 week in April, 1917, the old birds also disappeared, and nothing 

 more was seen of them for montlis. On 14th September, how- 



