lO Campbell, Insectivorous Birds. fist "luly 



It must not be thought, however, that this division is quite as 

 exclusive as the first. A great many species, especially of the 

 Honey-eater tribe, take insects on the wing as well as many winged 

 forms found resting about trees. 



It is interesting to follow the further sections of this grand 

 division : — 



1. Birds feeding upon the ground are both large and small, 

 and may be arranged in groups according to their natural 

 surroundings. Principal among them are Ground-Thrushes and 

 Scrub-Wrens for thick mountainous country ; Ravens, Magpies, 

 Scrub-Wrens, Blue Wrens, Tomtits, Field- Wrens in the average 

 southern forests ; but replaced by Ground-Birds, Chough, Struthidea, 

 Babblers, and Whiteface in the more exposed northern areas. 

 Field-Larks, Ground-Larks, Skylarks are found in the open field, 

 Jackasses and Magpie-Larks near water ; Plover and Ibis inhabit the 

 plains, and Herons, Snipe, and other wading birds make the 

 swamp and littoral their dwelling-place. 



All these take their main food supply from the ground, turning 

 over, may be, leaves, sticks, stones, and prying into every nook in 

 search of provender. The smaller birds are content mainly with 

 eggs and young of insects or very small insects, while some of the 

 larger prospect to some distance in the ground for hidden dainties. 

 Special reference must be made to the heavier scratching birds, 

 like the Lyre-Bird and Mallee-Fowl, which in their respective 

 habitats turn the ground up considerably in their search for the 

 larger root-eating larvae. 



For birds feeding in or near water almost a special section is 

 needed. Those of most direct interest are those whose food con- 

 sists, besides insects, of molluscs, certain of which are known to 

 be hosts of fluke and other animal diseases. The Magpie-Lark, 

 the Jackass and Sacred Kingfisher, the Spur-winged Plover, and 

 many waders always feed in moist places. 



2. Birds feeding on trees as well as on the ground include many 

 extremely useful ones, among which are Black Magpies, Cockatoos, 

 Parrakeets, Babblers, the Grey Thrush, many Honey-eaters, and 

 Cuckoos. 



Cockatoos and Parrakeets, though normally built for fruit- 

 cracking and seed-eating, are now known to devour on the ground 

 great quantities of insect eggs. Some species of Cockatoo have 

 been found rooting out the bunches of locust eggs, which are 

 deposited in " warrens " in hard ground. Some of the Parrakeets, 

 especially the ubiquitous Rosella, have a. sweet tongue for the 

 rotund scale-insects on the gum trees and wattles. 



3. Birds that feed in the tree-tops or among foliage have yet a 

 different function of keeping the leaves (the lungs of the plants) 

 free from eggs and larvae of leaf-eating insects. These birds are 

 mostly small, and comprise Tits, Diamond-Birds, White-eye, and 

 many of the smaller Honey-eaters, especiahy those of the genus 

 Melithreptus, Orioles, Friar-Birds, and ^^'attlc-Birds. 



Not only the number of species and individuals, but the relative 



