OF SOUTHERN AUSTRALIA. 51 



as I stretched out my hand to seize it, the object became 

 winged, and away flew a Yellow Robin. 



The bird will fly from undergrowth to stem of tree, clinging 

 thereto as is the manner of the Tree-creepers, but differing in 

 as far as it does not creep like this bird. 



This species is one of the foster-parents of Cuculus follidus, 

 a bird somewhat similar to C. flabelliformis. On the 24th 

 November I saw birds in many grades of plumage, juvenile to 

 adult, in this year's brood. The changes are rapid — first, 

 yellow on the neck ; second, chest yellow ; third, nearly 

 developed yellow, with straggling brown feathers showing 

 irregularly along dorsal surface. 



By November the nests become deserted. Although nests 

 are generally placed within a few feet of the ground, I noticed 

 one raised 20 feet above the ground. 



It is interesting to note that new nests are sometimes placed 

 2 feet from those of last year in the same shrub. Whin 

 Acacia {A. verticillata) may support them, or a three-pronged 

 perpendicular sapling, or, which is the usual position, a 

 horizontal light branch. 



Nest. — Cup-shaped ; placed in scrub and near the ground, 

 in a fork or on a limb ; made of bark, covered with mosses 

 and shreds of bark, and lined with grasses. 



Eggs. — Two or three to a sitting. Ground colour deep or 

 light green, with markings of brownish- red or tawny brown 

 over much of the surface. Some have a zone round the 

 bulged end. Length, 1 inch ; breadth, 0.7 inch. 



