QUEENSLAND and NORTHERN TERRITORY 49 



nesting at "d" till the next drought drives them 

 out. Where the native cherry (Exocarpus) groves, 

 they feed upon its fruit. Near the coast they 

 associate in the belts of banksia and "oke," having 

 a special love for the drier ridges of the open 

 country. We arc on first acquaintance likely to 

 be confused by a species known as the Brush 

 Bronzewing, which keeps much more to the forest 

 country over the whole of the continent and 

 Tasmania. Pigeons raise as many as three broods 

 in a season, beginning to nest in September and 

 continuing to March. 



THE WHITE-SHAFTED FANTAIL AND ITS 

 RACES 

 (Plate 1, Fig. 19) 



There are three sections of this restless and 

 familiar fantail (map 18) : — 



A. Southern 



B. Northern 



C. Central 



The southern bird amongst the great mass af birds 

 is best known by its friendly and fascinating ways, 

 and by its elegant nest. It is a model along its own 

 line of architecture; a most artistic structure. It 

 may well be compared with the bowl of a pipe, 

 tapering at the bottom to twice its own length. 

 Cobwebs are densely worked about it and a felted 

 symmetrical effect is the result. Then comes 



