OF SOUTHERN AUSTRALIA. 101 



14th November. — Young birds hatch out of shells. 



23rd November. — Eyes open. 



25th November. — Young leave the nest. 



29th November. — Young birds are separated, each parent 

 taking charge of one and exclusively feeding it. The wings 

 have assumed a darker colour. 



The young come to receive food at the calls of the 

 guardians, each obeying the call of its particular one. No 

 cross purposes seem to be entertained as regards food. 



A young bird taken from a nest and placed in a cage freely 

 caught flies upon the bars of the cage for twelve days, largely 

 living upon them in preference to the food supphed by its 

 captor. 



A phase of this first plumage is the throat of the rusty- 

 brown bird becoming greyish-white (February, J 897), while, 

 from what I have seen in the field, another phase when 

 examined would, I believe, show the throat to be rusty- 

 brown —the second last place (wings last) to remain rusty- 

 brown in the complete change from phase 1 to phase 2. 



An example of the February phase bird above was held 

 under observation by Mr. Graham until 25th July. He lost 

 sight of it between the 18th and 25th July. 



This inclines me to believe that the rusty-brown or first 

 plumage is retained for more than six months, and that it 

 gives way to the grey or second phase in time for the first 

 breeding season — a season of immature and very m.odest 

 plumage. The want of competition surely is the male bird's 

 champion ! Phase 3, of a male that must be at least two 

 years of age, is an elegant one. Also, I met one in December, 

 1894, that was quite an exception to "bright plumage indi- 

 cating weak powers of song," for it had so powerful a voice 

 that when I heard the ringing music I felt entranced. 

 Although years have passed, so delightful was the song that 

 it still seems to ring with the full enjoyment of that time. 



